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Greek Eurofudge threatens to detonate a bankrupt new order
As Syriza's success in Greece shows, Marxists, of a kind, are making a comeback in Europe. Along with far-Right populists they are taking advantage of paralysis in the contemporary European project. A new and bankrupt order could now follow
Yanis Varoufakis has been replaced as finance minister of Greece by Euclid Tsakalotos. A radical Keynesian economist trained at the University of Essex has been substituted by an undoubtedly Marxist one trained at the University of Oxford. But there is progress of sorts.
Ever since Eurocrats became obsessed with the idea of the single currency as a motor for European unity, Tsakalotos has been disparaging about its ability to make divergent national economies converge in a new federal order.
When addressing a conference of Sinn Fein in March, he also described the negotiation between Greece and its creditors as part of a wider contest between left and right across the Continent.
I think Tsakalotos is correct to see it in such ideological terms. But in the light of the crushing endorsement of the Syriza government's hastily-called referendum to demand debt relief and other favourable terms while Greece stays inside the Euro, it is unfashionable to say so.
Here in Britain, Left and Right have closed ranks to celebrate Greece's defiance of the European behometh. David Davies, Alex Salmond, and Daniel Hannan believe that the European potentates must retrea,t but they differ on the extent of the concessions and what the desired end-point of this crisis is.
I'm increasingly convinced that the dominant tendencies in Syriza are motivated by a desire to take full control of state and society. The chances of establishing an authoritarian populist order in Greece are reinforced by unleashing turmoil elsewhere in Europe. There is also the need to promote a power-struggle not just on the streets but in universities, television studios and the wider cultural world.
Paul Mason, the economics journalist now at Channel 4 after a long stint at BBC Newsnight, has made clear the grasp of Syriza's ambition:
"...its entire evolution as a left-wing party has been away from confrontation with the state and towards the "long march" through the institutional strategy of the New Left, as advocated by Syriza's intellectual guru, the late Marxist intellectual Nicos Poulantzas".
Thus it has reached out to the ultra-nationalist Independent Greek party, absorbed well-placed social groups into its own patronage network, and boosted the pensions of the military at a time when the cash is running out.
It even had the neo-fascist Golden Dawn party as an ally in the drive to produce a large No vote in the referendum.
Mason has been a long-time Syriza backer who portrays its rise as the resistance of Europe's oppressed against an unjust order. The celebrity Marxist economist from France Thomas Piketty has been more confrontational. He has created a storm by baldly insisting that German workers must pay a range of Greek entitlements because their grandparents started World War II.
Varoufakis himself, now a bigger media presence than Piketty, has also made explosive statements. At the weekend, he accused the EU creditors of terrorism. He invented new proposals and fictitious negotiations in a bid to rile the EU chiefs and underline the supposed pragmatism of Syriza.
He told the Daily Telegraph last weekend that he had come to accept the return to the drachma, the seizure of banking assets and a suspension of payments by Greece in return for IOUs.
Varoufakis is an alternatively entertaining and menacing figure who now operates on a European and world stage thanks to the way that new social media technologies can be used by highly-motivated groups with an agenda of toppling existing norms and conventions.
The Scottish referendum showed how left-wing populism could assume mighty proportions in a previously quiescent country by placing these new forms of communication at the service of agitation and protest.
The pro-Independence groups had no coherent model for a new state other than proclaiming, 'we want out of Britain'. But Syriza is far more formidable. Not only does it wish to overturn the verdict of the 1946-49 Greek civil war, won by the political Right, but it wishes to make Europe the arena of a new ideological conflict.
Like nearly all Marxists Syriza's chieftains are firm centralists and they wish for a tightly-controlled EU that finishes with NATO, cleans out the financial sector, compels manufacturers to dance to the state's tune, and makes an alliance of convenience with Russia.
I'm unsure whether Nigel Farage and others in the Eurosceptic wing of British politics understand that far from being unlikely radical champions of national sovereignty, Syriza wishes to have a tightly centralized EU in which monolithic instruments of power enforce equality and popular justice.
Allies such as Podemos in Spain, in many ways a creation of the Chavez regime in Venezuela, make no bones about the kind of Marxist Napoleonic Europe which is needed for hard left ideas to prevail. The anti-system left has been engaged in a long march through the institutions since 1968 and it has got plenty of professionals who could have a go at making such a Europe work (at least for a while).
Many of the technocrats that Syriza relies on to enforce its authority over different parts of the Greek state and transmit its message to a world audience are in fact British educated. Not all went back to Greece after graduating in subjects such economics or sociology at British universities.
Syriza has a solid bloc of well-placed members in British higher education who have justified each twist and turn of the party's position ever since it sprang from nowhere at the end of last year.
It is not surprising that the view of a uniform Greek society being ground down by the iron heel of Brussels is one that frequently shapes the BBC's coverage, not least on the Monday the referendum results came through: the influential radio news programme, the Today programme was actually broadcast from Athens.
Its chief anchor John Humphrys has family links with Greece and in his florid coverage, he made little effort to conceal his sympathies.
Few in the BBC are prepared to hold Syriza to account and explore the methods it is using to strengthen its power. German public broadcasting, thanks to experienced EU-watchers such as ARD's Rolf-Dieter Krause, has far more sober and analytical coverage of the Greek crisis.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has been criticised by him and others for her complacency and desire to 'kick the can' endlessly down the road. The scale of the dilemma facing the EU is not ducked, but the temptation to engage in cheap populist tricks at the expense of lacklustre EU decision-makers is avoided.
Right now the EU has few credible leaders with the energy and resolve to force a conclusion to the crisis and face down a hard left which is assuming substantial dimensions.
The centrist Euro elites are paralysed. They shrink from the logical step of breaking up a failed currency experiment in a controlled manner, but nor are they able to move forward to a fiscal union.
It involves huge financial transfers, loss of sovereignty, and debt write-downs which will not be tolerated in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria or most of the new accession states from the east. The paralysis of the EU ruling elite is reflected in the warnings, threats and then conciliatory noises coming from Martin Schulz, the leader of the European parliament and Jean-Claude Juncker, a disaster-in-the making as President of the European Commission.
Syriza are so fortunate in their enemies as these unhappy Euro lords lurch from one desperate Euro fudge to another. Freed from his ministerial responsibilities Varoufakis is sure to gleefully open up a second front in mainstream media outlets where he is already feted as no other politician/savant has been for a long time.
Prime minister Alexis Tsipras may get better terms from the EU, but if Brussels buys time and postpones a reckoning involving the dismantling of the single currency, it will just lead to a bigger blow up in the long-run, and the possibility of outright revolution not merely confined to Greece.
Tom Gallagher's latest book, 'Europe's Path to Crisis: Disintegration Through Monetary Union' has been published in paperback by Manchester University Press
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Institutional Aspects of High Unemployment in the Federal Republic of Germany
Michael C. Burda,
NBER Working Paper No. 2241
The sustained rise in German unemployment since 1973 poses a problem of critical importance for the world economy. Fewer than two decades ago, Germany boasted an average unemployment rate of under 1% and imported labor to relieve chronic labor shortages. By the mid-1980s, unemployment had risen to over 8 percent of the labor force. This paper investigates some of the reasons for the secular rise in unemployment. We find that while deficient aggregate demand can probably explain some of the current joblessness, the secular rise in unemployment has consisted primarily of an increase in the equilibrium rate of unemployment. We also find little evidence that this increase is due to changes in frictional unemployment. Rather, after reviewing institutional details of the labor market in Germany, we identify various impediments to the kinds of structural adjustments that have operated to maintain a fairly constant equilibrium rate of unemployment in the United States.
Machine-readable bibliographic record - MARC, RIS, BibTeX
Document Object Identifier (DOI): 10.3386/w2241
Published: World Economy, 1988 Fall
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ONE of the nice things about living in Cambodia is all of the balconies and the beautiful tropical plants.
Potted plants completely transform any space and are good for the spirit and the soul. They should be fertilized every month, and here are some helpful hints on how to do it properly.
Fertilizer can be bought at most garden centers around town. There are a number of shops past the airport on Highway 6 on the way to Sihanoukville and on Route 6A across the Japanese Bridge on the way to Siem Reap. The most convenient however, is on the east side of Central Market.
While you can purchase Miracle Grow-type pellets from China for your plant, I strongly recommend that you don't, as the components are unknown. Bat guano, on the other hand, is home grown, as it were, and 100 percent organic, straight from Cambodia!
A small sack will set you back somewhere between 700 and 1,000 riels, while a big bag costs between 3,000 and 5,000 riels.
Bat guano is well-known for being an earth-friendly fertilizer as well as being excellent for the health of plants. Its primary ingredient is nitrogen, which is good for both the healthy green of the plant and its root growth. This is especially important for newly potted or re-potted plants. It also contains phosphorous, which is good for flowering plants, and potassium, which helps promote strong stems.
Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when fertilizing is that applying fertilizer directly to the plant itself is not good - in fact it can burn and even kill the plant - so keep the fertilizer away from the body. Because guano floats, the best thing to do is to dig a trench around the outside of the stem about three to seven centimetres deep, depending on how big the plant is.
For smaller plants (table sized), scatter about two tablespoons into the trench; for larger plants use up to a half cup. Fill in the trench and water the soil immediately. It is a good idea to spray and wash off the leaves of your plant at the same time as you fertilize as clean capillaries will help the plant draw up nutrients from the guano.
Shortly after fertilizing, your plant should appear perky and green - a vision of health. If, however, the leaves are yellow, it could mean that either you have over-fertilized or not watered enough. If the leaves are crispy then you definitely need to water more. If you feel you've watered enough and the leaves remain yellow, then you have over-fertilized.
The key things to remember are to keep the fertilizer away from the plant's body and that a little fertilizer goes a long way.
Now, check out your thumb. I hope it's green!


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This Week in MMA – Heavyweight Grand Prix Bracket and More!
"This Week in MMA" we look into the aftermath of International Fight Week and #UFC239. We also get into a great submitted question in "Round #1" leading to our Heavyweight Grand Prix / Royal Rumble bracket, the latest in the "Twitter Purge" and recap last weekend's card! Round #1 Fan Question of the Week: @ChapleauMichael Continue Reading


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Divorce Mediation Overview
In order for you and your spouse to divorce, you will first have to come to an agreement on the following issues:
- The division of your property
- Child custody and visitation
- Child support
- Spousal support
If you cannot resolve these issues on your own, you will have to go to court and allow a judge to resolve them for you.
But, nobody knows more about what's best for you and your children than you and your spouse. Thus, even if you are barely speaking to each other, mediation can be a huge benefit to you in terms of settling your divorce in a manner that is in the overall best interest of everyone involved and with the least amount of collateral damage to your family.
1. What is Divorce Mediation?
Mediation is an alternative to resolving issues pertaining to divorce by trial. In Mediation, you and your spouse meet with a mediator who helps you negotiate all of the issues you need to resolve before your case can be settled.
A mediator is a trained, neutral third party—often a lawyer—who acts as a facilitator while you and your spouse negotiate a divorce settlement. The mediator helps you discuss alternatives and options to resolving issues so that you and your spouse can come to an agreement that is in your family's overall best interest.
With mediation, you can take your time and explore all of your options. Part of the mediator's job is to make sure that you have all of the information you need to make good decisions. Furthermore, mediation appointments are private and often held in 2 or 3-hour time blocks so that you really get a chance to fully discuss all of the issues you need to resolve in order to reach a settlement.
2. What are The Benefit of Mediation?
Mediation offers several benefits to divorcing couples, most importantly:
- It allows you to avoid court and unnecessary legal fees;
- It enables you to meet your family's unique needs by designing your own court order;
- It promotes healthy dialogue between you and your former spouse––this is especially helpful if you are going to be raising children as co-parents;
- It is generally much less adversarial than a divorce that goes to court;
- You have a lot more input into custody and child support orders; and
- Mediation is most often quicker and less expensive than a divorce that goes to court
In addition, couples who participate in mediation report being more satisfied with the outcome of their divorce than couples who went to court. Moreover, research shows better long-term outcomes with mediation, for both parents and children.
Finally, with mediation, you have a choice as it how much or how little you use a lawyer. Some people bring lawyers with them to the mediation sessions, others consult with their lawyers outside of the sessions, and some people choose not to involve lawyers in their settlement negotiations at all.
3. Summary
To summarize, mediation is the process through which divorcing couples use a mediator to assist them in negotiating an out of court divorce settlement. It offers a couple a number of advantages, most importantly, that it can help make a divorce less stressful, less expensive, and less time consuming. For more information on divorce mediation, contact an experienced divorce lawyer for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.
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Yoga teaches me that it's okay to take a nap. I used to feel lazy when I took a nap and felt kinda guilty going to sleep midday. I was surprised to hear one of my peers in yoga teacher training say the same thing, except she simply refuses to nap! "I was brought up to work hard and napping is regarded as laziness, so I don't nap." she said.
"Damn" I thought..."I feel like I need it." It was that same summer that I read Julie Cameron's The Artist's Way and she validated the need for each person to find a schedule and way of BEing that is right for them. She also said "some people will call your idleness laziness, but that is a form of abuse. Giving yourself rest or time to contemplate is not being lazy, it's being aware."
And I find pockets of this awareness in my yoga practice and it helps me "be okay" with all the little things I need to do for myself to continue to have the capacity to share what I do with the world. Everyone is different, and some folks don't need much rest. But for me, I've always had the tendency to act in a way that I intuit makes those around me feel most comfortable which is often out of alignment with who I am or what I need. So my yoga and meditation practice is a process of remembering who I am and what I need to continue forward.
So, I nap frequently and enjoy it! Though I've found that longer naps tend to make me feel disoriented so I stick to 30-45 minutes.
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Hi! I'm Robin - Teacher, Singer, & Author. I love creativity & sharing what I love!
October 2017


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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A comprehensive plan to turn the White River into a regional attraction took another step forward Monday with the unveiling of the White River Vision Plan.
Area leaders from Marion and Hamilton counties were are on hand to show the images that aim to make the river a clean, natural, historic, connected, and active asset for Indianapolis and the surrounding area.
"The idea of a free flowing river that you can kayak or canoe from Noblesville to downtown Indianapolis, chains of destinations along the river so the parks and little rest areas, trails all sorts of ideas like that," Brad Beaubien with the Department of Metropolitan Development said.
The plan is a community-driven project to enhance 58 miles of the river between the two counties. It stretches from Strawtorn Koteewi Park in northern Hamilton County to Southwestway Park on the south side of Indianapolis. It calls for hundreds of millions of dollar to be spent over the next several decades to improve the water quality and add more parks and trails along the river.
Work to get to this point began approximately a year ago. Since then, leaders behind the project gathered comments and ideas from more than 13,000 people.
"Throughout the process we've sort of forecasted and shown the community ideas that have now been finalized into renderings, drawings and ideas," said Gina Ford, principal and co-founder of Agency Landscape + Planning. The agency is the lead planners and architects with the project.
There are seven anchor areas the vision targets. They are:
- Strawtorn Koteewi Park: Build on the park's regional success and exiting master plan, focus on enviormental health and historic interpretation, including a new trail from Potter's Bridge Park to Cicero, a viewing tower and an expanded area for launching kayaks and canoes, invasive plant species removal, and historic signage and installation.s
- Downtown Noblesville Support Noblesville's downtown revitalization with new riverfront links, including the incorporation of existing elements and projects like the Riverwalk and increased or enhanced river access, and new ideas like sustainable design practices, shadier streets, and riverfront terraces.
- Allisonville Stretch: Centered on the asset of Conner Prairie, this area focuses on community engagement to protect natural areas, support the existing Conner Prairie's master plan, and local collaboration to improve pedestrian crossings.
- Oliver's Crossing: Situated around I-465, Oliver's Woods and surrounding retail destinations, this anchor district builds on the opportunity for nearby post-production quarry lands close to the river for flood storage and outdoor adventure activities programming, as well as recommendations to connect public open spaces in this stretch with trails and riverfront landowner partnerships.
- Broad Ripple: The vision for this beloved canal district reconnects the area to its riverfront by relocating parking and connecting across the levee at 64th St. to Holliday Park via the planned Broad Ripple Riverwalk and trail. It protects the historic character of residential neighborhoods and Broad Ripple's commercial district, helps with early implementation of the planned boat launch, riverbank restoration, river walk, and terrace river edge projects. It also recommends that artists and the Indianapolis Art Center create temporary or permanent art installations.
- Downtown Indianapolis: Building on key opportunities like the recent Riverside Park master plan and current needs of the Emrichsville Dam, the plan leverages partnerships to redesign the dam for multi-functional environmental, water quality, and recreational benefits to the neighboring Near Westside community and guides sustainable development outside the floodplain.
- Southwestway Park: At the plan's southern boundary, this large ecological asset emphasizes environmental education through grant funding and a ranger "outpost," creates a new entrance from Southport Road, establishes multiple new river access points and recommends a 10-year restoration and management program.
The public can review and comment on the complete 222-page plan over the next 30 days by clicking here.
Some projects have some aspects already in the works, but leaders said this is the first time all river advocates will work collectively together.
Mike Fleetwood said he's been on the river two or three times a month for the past 40 years. He's seen previous river projects lose steam, but is optimistic it will work this time.
"I think a lot of it has been funding," said Fleetwood. "We've had some very progressive mayors over the years and the river was typically looked at as an open sewer."
Getting a cleaner river was a popular opinion from residents who were asked about the plan. The Citizens Energy Group's DigIndy project will dramatically reduce the amount of raw sewage that pours into the river following storms. The work is expected to be completed in 2025 and will reduce overflows by 97 percent.
"People really wanted clean water," Beaubien said. "All our drinking water comes from the White River so first and foremost they want a clean river. So we've got ideas on how we can make that happen."
Hamilton County Tourism president Brenda Myers said Noblesville is also in the midst of an overflow reduction project. She said other plans in the project will further enhance water quality.
"Up north, we're looking at those water retention areas and introducing wetlands to try to do a lot of cleansing the river," Myers said
This week is also Vision Plan Week. Several events are planned to celebrate the unveiling like a trek along the river, movie night and river clean-up. Click here for more on the events.
The plan is part of a joint effort between several organizations including the City of Indianapolis and Hamilton County Tourism.


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DeVos' rollbacks on disability guidelines will not affect UIS
Secretary of Education Betsy Devos rescinded 72 policy guideline documents outlining the rights of students with disabilities, but experts don't expect much of an impact on college campuses.
The UIS Office of Disability Services stated that this will not affect UIS students in any way, as these documents relate to K-12 education.
However, the changes will likely not affect special education services at any level.
"There are absolutely no policy implications to these rescissions," said DeVos' press secretary in a statement. "Students with disabilities and their advocates will see no impact on services provided."
The rollback was meant to do away with documents deemed outdated or superfluous.
"It does look like housekeeping to me more than anything else," said Bill Koski, a professor and director of the Youth and Education Law Project at Stanford University.
One of the documents from 2006 was discarded, for example, because it had been updated in 2011. A similar situation caused another 2012 document to be removed as it had been updated in 2016. Another document dealt with a vocational program that no longer exists.
Lindsay A. Jones, the chief policy and advocacy officer for the National Center for Learning Disabilities, told The Washington Post that disability rights groups fought the change, pushing officials to keep all the documents.
Democratic Senators Kamala Harris and Maggie Hassan condemned the move via Twitter, with Hassan declaring it "extremely concerning," and Harris calling it part of "this Administration's campaign against students with disabilities."
The documents themselves exist to help clarify the rights of students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to parents, teachers, and students. They are meant to take IDEA's complicated legal jargon and put it into layman's terms.


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Harley archaeology
Multi-award-winning German custom builder and restorer Uwe Ehinger of Ehinger Kraftrad talks to HOG® magazine about his passion for hunting down old bikes – and his new range of gin inspired by antique Harley-Davidson® motorcycles
My passion for Harley-Davidson® started, like many others, when I watched the movie Easy Rider. I was only 17, and it infected me with an incurable fever – the Harley® virus. From then on, all I wanted was to ride motorcycles like those. I managed to procure reading material like Easyriders, Street Chopper or Hot Bike from overseas, and I spent countless hours reading about old Harley motorcycles while I started working on my first machine, a Shovelhead. Soon I heard rumours that vintage motorcycles could still be found in some South American countries, and this sparked my sense of adventure. The next 15 years took me across South America, the
Since then l have owned pretty much every popular Harley-Davidson model made since the 1920s; I'm currently riding a 1940s Big Flathead ULH 80 cubic inch, and I'm building a custom speedway racer from a combination of VLH, ULH and JDH parts.
I'm creatively inspired by historical racing machines, and by the spirit of the time – the zeitgeist in German – as well as art, culture and architecture. Riding still fuels my passion, although nowadays it is no longer the same challenge as before, now that you can ride with modern motorcycles on
There have been many highlights in my career as a motorcycle hunter, restorer and custom bike builder. One high point was finding a Harley-Davidson eight-valve factory racing machine, or finding rare and special models such as a 1936 Knucklehead, ultra-rare Harley-Davidson WR TT racing machines, as well as Vincents and Brough Superiors. But the most important thing to me is the feedback from the audience for my restored and custom bikes, when people appreciate, respect and like what I do. That counts for more than all the prizes I've won and all the bikes I've found.
My new enterprise – a range of craft gin named 'The Archaeologist' – is my next step in transferring the passion of the Harley-Davidson culture to other products. In an analogy to my motorcycles, the gin 'The Archaeologist' is pure craftsmanship; parts from rare antique motorcycles are specially cleansed and sealed with a tin alloy then soldered on to a steel structure and encased in a hand-crafted bottle. The whole 'look and feel' recreates the original packing of the antique engine parts, all using authentic materials and historic techniques. Waxed wrapping paper tells the story of each discovery. Every single bottle of 'The Archaeologist' is a unique item, and therefore as special as the era of motorcycles it represents. Preserved for eternity – or at least for a very special night among motorcycle enthusiasts!
I'm looking forward to the next steps on my Harley-Davidson journey. I'm working on a film documentary about how I've searched for, and found, motorcycles all over the world, like the biggest ever find of Harley-Davidson police motorcycles in


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Here is what we are trying to achieve... the captain fighting an octopus/fish thing while walking in the door. I could not get coins to come out of his coat nor did I want to do the abs part either.
So we first started off with ordering a yatch captain costume from Amazon. We ordered it early September so we got it super cheap! BTW the material is thin and sort of see-through!
Now here is what I did to jazz up the yatch captain costume and turn it into an old spice guy!
1. Embellish the hat with an anchor applique!
Additionally I added some gold trim to the bottom of the sleeves. Sorry forgot a picture!
2. Medals, which I previously posted about made out of felt and some coins. See post here.
3. A gold tissue lame shash! This was simply me cutting a piece of gold lame 45 inches long (X2). Connect the 2 pieces, fold in half, sew down, turn inside out, and finish the edges with a taper.
oh and a side note I know sewing tissue lame can be challenging. I used a regulare point needle, I forget the size, released some of the tension (just a notch) and increased the stitch width. This reduced the lines you get when you sew tissue lame. I also ironed the shash to flatten it out b/c it so wanted to poof!
4. Octopus! Holy cow this took a bit b/c of the paint!
First I found some scrap grey fabric from my stash (yay for using stash!) Cut some long strips and moved in an out and taper to give a tentacle sort of look. I just went nuts with the sewing machine and had fun.
Before we started to put them together, we decided to get the free arms figured out first. We used coat hangers and glued the ends to the back of the jacket.
Here it is sticking out...
it is on my dress form (which btw is busted now!)
We just started to add the tentacles one by one. here is the front one
Then we started to spray with black fabric paint, which was disasterous and a pain! It never wanted to be a consistent spray... sigh. We covered the jacket while we sprayed. we should have sprayed and then added the tentacles. duh!
Calvin wanted a little suckers so we used the leftover felt and cut out various circle sizes.
Next we added the free tentacles to the back before adding the head next.
Octopus head! We used a styrofoam ball that we shaved down flat for the face. And flat for the shoulder too (actually in the end we notched it)
I covered the ball with batting and then fabric. I hot glued the batting but I did not glue the fabric fully so we could fuse the legs with the head. Then we just hot glued that baby to the shoulder!
That back part is wire for the odd sort of fish body, which we then covered with fabric.
We again sprayed the head with the bad fabric spray paint to match the arms. Now for the rest of it my boyfriend finished, he added the eyes and then made yellow teeth out of felt. lol. So it wound up as a sort of a comic sort of feeling. We really thought had we had more time we would have sprayed it with brown paint to give a better ton.
Here is Calvin with his costume (he didn't want to comit to a beard but later on at the party he wished he did).
He was a hit and ran around the party punching his octopus fish. :) Score!


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The Leadership Team
The UOWD Leadership Team is made up of UOWD's Senior Executives, Faculty Deans, Administrative Managers and UOWD College Director. This group provides strategic and operational direction to the University with the UOWD President at the helm.
Meet UOWD's Leadership Team
Prof Mohamed Salem
Andy Phillips
Chief Operating Officer
Prof Khalid Hussain
Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences
Prof Payyazhi Jayashree
Dean of the Faculty of Business
Dr Feras Hamza
Head of School, Humanities, Social Sciences and Health
Dr Debra McDermott
Director, UOWD College
Manoj Mathew
Director, Corporate Services
Sheelagh Wallace
Director, Student Services & Academic Registrar
Brendan Vyner
Director, Marketing & Student Recruitment
Franky Barreto
Manager, Student Services
Arpana Sharma
Manager, Alumni and Industry Engagement
Saba Gaffar
Manager, Library Services
Rajesh Prema
Manager, Marketing
Joice Priya
Manager, Office of Institutional Research
Lakshmi Anand
Manager, Finance


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I randomly chose this one from the set of Bonds I pulled from my collection. Luckily it was Roger Moore's first movie as Bond, so we will count this as completely intentional. I particularly like Roger Moore as Bond and I can't fully explain why. His films are generally the campiest of them all . This one is definitely no exception.
At first I wanted to say this is the most racist Bond movie ever, and it may be. However, realizing it came out in 1973, it is probably trying to follow the Blaxploitation films of the time. Though except for the actors, I don't think any other black people were involved in the making of this movie.
My general observations are as follows;
- The Representative from Honduras looks like the brown Colonel Sanders.
- Want the voodoo guys horse headdress thing but not the poison snake. I hope they aren't a set.
- Bond used his magnetic watch to unzip a girls dress.- A) classy as fuck B) note to self- see if Q will give me a watch
- Car chase/racing scenes in the 70s seem so much more bad ass than any other car chases. I know I haven't seen any Fast and the Furious movies but I really don"t think they beat these 70s car action scenes.
- "Give me a make on a white pimpmobile" – one of the best lines ever.
- The fact that they found the guy from that line is even better. That in NYC that is the only pimpmobile. How do you search that in the DMV? This is before CSI people, remember.
- OH Cult Voodoo shop- this is the point in the movie when I predicted a scene eating fried chicken. I was wrong (Thank Jesus?)
- I think Bond is talking to the Tarot girl not because she is a hot piece of ass but because she is the only other white person in the room.
- "Got a honky on your tail" – one of my other favorite lines
- Eeew, snake again. You need to quit that shit now movie.
- This is the bungalow of death.
- "I am sure I will be able to lick you into shape" I love you Bond for your Cunning linguistics.
- The henchman's name is TeeHee- I know he will probs die but until then he is my deepest boo.
- Did I mention that my boo also has a claw hand? This makes him the hit at all of our bbqs.
Sally: "I need a can opened"
Me: "boo, can you help Sally open this can?"
TeeHee: Crunch
Me: "You are the bestest boo ever"
- Heroin? Fun times but seriously I want blocking out the sun, destroying space, poisoning the water everywhere. Creating a Bunny Colvin-like heroin city is just tiring.
- Strutter's dead baby, Strutter's dead. Run Strutter Run (take your pick of quote)
- I want the shiny rainbow dress
- Ooh fancy face mask/peel reveal. He is two black dudes for 1.
- And two face (without the fucking vat) just bitch slapped Jane Seymour
- My boo Tee Hee lost his arm, Amos Moses style. He truly is my Henchman soulmate
- Bond just Froggered on those Crocs and Gators. (The game not a sex term you perv. I would suggest not searching it on Urban Dictionary)
- My cat, cinnamon the thug, just heard a police siren in this move. She looked up startled. I reassured her they weren't coming after her and she laid her head back down.
- The police failed Blockade 101
- You just destroyed a wedding cake Bond. I will now cry.
- Not the snake trunk. That is the worst tickle trunk ever.
- FYI snakes are not magnetic, Bond
- I still want that horse headdress thing (that isn't racist right?)
- Oh it is a goat thing (still cool right?)
- That man was just inflated and exploded. Holy helium batman
Overall this movie was meh upon meh upon meh for me. The only things that made this movie worth watching was TeeHee (my boo!!!) and Jane Seymour's amazing clevage. Like this cleavage is seriously amazing.
Lets talk about the amount of damage that Bond incurs in all of these "adventures". I am not talking about when he destroys evil island but more when he destroys someone's wedding. Or makes 5 cars crash at high rates of speed probably killing lots of innocent people. I would really like to see the movie where it is just Bond having to fill out the paperwork for all of these incidents. Having to do paperwork for each person he killed knowing or unknowingly. And if someone could find out the total cost of the damage he has incurred overtime I would like to know that too. I suspect it is in the billions.


text: The Star wars series is by far the most important series to never spoil in a review, therefore making a review INCREDIBLY difficult to do. But, I'm also going to do my first ever spoiler talk on The Last Jedi! So let's talk about the one thing everyone wants to know. Did I like it and was it good? Yes to both. It's that simple. A lot of people I talked to have expressed their dissatification with this film and to me it was just because it wasn't what anyone expected. Without spoiling anything I'll say that many things we found to be important were revealed to be nothing. Some almost instantly. That's not necessarily a bad thing though. The Star Wars saga has, in my opinion at least, become incredibly predictable. Seeing this new direction was incredibly refreshing… Now, the bad. There isn't a lot of bad, but what was bad to me was huge. There is a whole subplot in this movie I found to be completely pointless and really took me out of it, just wanting to get back to the good parts. You'll know it when you see it. Besides that I didn't really agree with certain directions of characters. Other than that there's not much I can say except overall I absolutely loved this movie. If I really think about it, the whole film is essentially a chase sequence and that just makes it more impressive… Ill go into greater depth in my spoiler article, but I can tell you right now its in my top three in the Star Wars saga.


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About Us
ChamberWise serves as a leading resource for member education among Chambers of Commerce around the globe. ChamberWise was founded in response to the need for more dynamic and diverse member education opportunities and more efficient and immediate content delivery systems among Chambers of Commerce around the world. Our mission is to provide high quality, relevant educational content at an affordable rate, while offering Chambers of Commerce a reliable and efficient source of revenue in the process.
Our Team:
Sherman Titens
Sherman Titens, Founding Partner of ChamberWise passed away in March, 2014.
Sherman Titens, JD was the Founder and Executive Director of the 1600 member Family Owned Business Network on Linked In – Facebook and Twitter.
Sherman had more than 25 years of experience as attorney and consultant to family owned business; author, lecturer and educator focused on "Success, Survival, Succession and Generational Transition in Family Owned Business."
In addition, he was non-family President/CEO of a substantial family owned business. He had served as a consultant, guest lecturer to the Kauffman Foundation Urban Entrepreneur and Fast Track Programs.
Author of: 123 Secrets for Success in Your Family Owned Business, Practical Business Ethics, Building an Image for Your Business and Co-Author of Applied Research at the Graduate Level, Edition 1-5, all published by Parkway Press. He served as Family Business Editor, Corporate Reports magazine; Family Business Columnist, Thinking Bigger Business, Family Ties Online and DailyDAC.com and as a regular contributor to Association News.
Sherman also designed and conducted family owned business research; was author/editor of Family Business Newsletter and Not-for-Profit Newsletter published by CBIZ.
He was a graduate of Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio and admitted to Ohio Bar and Federal Court Practice US 6th Circuit.
Sybil Schechter-Kelly
Sybil Schechter-Kelly has spent her professional life in the banking industry, ending her forty year career as the President of a local bank.
Sybil has belonged to the Mundelein/Vernon Hills Rotary club for twenty years and has served as a past chairman of the board of a four town chamber (GLMV). She is presently president of Mundelein Community connection and volunteers for Feed my Starving Children and United Way.


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Publicly available records provided by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and accessed on September 12, 2018 indicate that former Alabama-based MML Investors Services broker Floyd Powell has received pending customer disputes. Fitapelli Kurta is interested in speaking to investors who have complaints regarding Mr. Powell (CRD# 2220029).
Floyd Powell has spent 25 years in the securities industry and was most recently registered with MML Investors Services in Albertville, Alabama (2017-2018). Previous registrations include MSI Financial Services in Albertville, Alabama (1992-2017) and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in Birmingham, Alabama (1992-2007). He has passed two securities industry examinations: Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination), which he obtained on March 30, 1992, and Series 6 (Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Representative Examination), which he obtained on March 13, 1992. He is currently not registered as a broker with any state or firm.
According to his BrokerCheck report, he has received two customer complaints.
In August 2018 a customer alleged Floyd Powell, while employed at MSI Financial Services, violated securities law in connection to the recommendation of an unregistered, "fraudulent investment program." The customer is seeking $250,001 in damages in the pending complaint.
In May 2018 a customer alleged Floyd Powell, while employed at MSI Financial Services, recommended investments in "unregistered and fraudulent investment programs" in January 2017 and July 2017. The customer is seeking more than $135,700 in damages in the pending complaint.
If you have lost money investing with Floyd Powell, call Fitapelli Kurta at 877-238-4175 without delay. You may be entitled to recoup your losses. We accept all cases on contingency: Fitapelli Kurta only gets paid if and when you collect money. Time to file your claim may be limited by law, so we recommend you avoid delay. Call 877-238-4175 now to speak to an attorney for free.


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Government Shutdown: No Direct Impact on Health Center Funding or Operations
Filed under:FQHC
With a prolonged government shut down many health centers are rightfully concerned about the accessibility of their federal funding that is critical for patient access to care.
Fortunately for health centers, they don't need to dip into reserves just yet. NACHC provides us a timely reminder that HRSA and CMS funding for 2019 is safe through September 30, 2019.
Despite this weekend's meeting between President Trump and Congressional leaders, the government shutdown continues, having lasted for 18 days now. While Congressional leaders and President Trump continue negotiating the details of a final package to end the partial government shutdown, the Democratic-led House is expected to bring forth 4 individual FY19 spending bills to reopen the government this week. Unfortunately, no additional meetings have been scheduled between Congressional leaders and the White House, and President Trump remains firm that he will not end the shutdown without $5 billion to build a wall along the southern border.
The partial shutdown has no direct impact on health center funding or operations. This is because HHS (which includes both HRSA and CMS — the agencies that administer the Section 330, Medicaid, Medicare, and other programs that help support health centers) has already received funding for the full 2019 fiscal year, which ends on September 30, 2019. The Indian Health Service (IHS) is funded through the Department of the Interior, and therefore is subject to the current partial government shutdown. Health centers located near Native American health providers may experience increased demand for services from patients who normally rely on those providers. NACHC has reached out to the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) to explore how health centers can best support their patients during this time.


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Photo project: PEACE / Vlog #24
Dear followers,
In this episode of Topshit Photography Vlog, I'm starting a new photographic project and I'm offering a glimpse into my creative process. I'm a caretaker of two cottages and eventually I'll buy one. Before I'll decide for the purchase I need to feel the space and how I function in it. And in this video I've started my photographic project that is a ritual of domestication of a living space. After a break of 21 year long relationship, I moved out of my house and to fight the feeling of failure I've started to make flower bouquets and photographing them and by doing that I'm creating a ritual of finding beauty in the living space that I find myself in, my appreciation of opportunity to be there.
The enlargement size 50x60cm or 24×20″ is also on sale, but at the moment I couldn't list it on EBay, but I will eventually. On EBay the price will be 240 USD, but if you want to buy it direct and save 10%, then email me on firstname.lastname@example.com
This video was supported by my Patreons and if you want to support me by one cup of tea every month, I am thankful!
About my blog. Oh, I've just realised I've missed the 10th anniversary of publishing on my blog and I've also missed 3000th post on my blog. Oh, well I guess I have to aim for 20th anniversary…
Music by one and only:
David Cutter


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Hal Leonard Essential Musicianship for Band - Ensemble Concepts (Fundamental Level - Baritone B.C.) Concert Band
Sku #J93509000000000
Hal Leonard
Concert Band Scores & Parts
- Write a Review
45 day price guarantee, 45 day return policy, 100% secure shopping
The highly acclaimed ensemble method by Eddie Green, John Benzer and David Bertman is now available for beginning and intermediate musicians. Ensemble Concepts - Fundamental Level is designed to help young ensembles (1st to 2nd year) acquire solid performance skills while also developing overall musicianship. Every aspect of ensemble development is introduced individually, in developmental order, then combined for more advanced practice. The exercises fit easily into your warm-up routine, saving you precious rehearsal time. Also available: Ensemble Concepts - Intermediate Level (2nd and 3rd year students) Ensemble Concepts (advanced level)


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Chris Rudd is a designer, community organizer and youth worker with a passion for social justice. He's worked with youth on the south and west sides of Chicago, challenging them to engage with their communities through activism and technology. Chris has helped youth from Chicago to the Bay Area design 8 civic apps. As the director of the Juvenile Justice Council (JJC) at Mikva Challenge, Chris worked with 25 diverse young leaders from Cook County to develop an app called Expunge.io, which connects youth with pro bono lawyers to complete the expungement process.
As a Civic Innovation Fellow at the Stanford Institute of Design (d.school) Chris spent a year immersed in graduate courses learning, applying and honing his skills in the Human-Centered Design methodology. During the fellowship, he designed a program, Youth Tech Design, for opportunity and "at-risk" youth that can further bridge the gap between young people and the tech sector and allow them to create solutions to their self-identified issues. Recently, Chris has started ChiByDesign, a human-centered design firm dedicated to empowering community members with design methods as a tool to unlock and uplift their creativity. ChiByDesign is a black-owned and people of color led human-centered designed firm.


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Faculty Advisor
Claypool, Mark L.
Faculty Advisor
Moriarty, Brian J.
We set out to create a game that would act as a showcase of our individual abilities and talents. We designed the game based on the two different art styles of our artists. We created original 2D art and fully animated it, and coded the game in Unreal Engine 4 using Blueprints. We performed playtesting in order to evaluate our game, and ended with a well-polished project.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Date Accepted
April 2015
Computer Science
Interactive Media and Game Development
Project Type
Major Qualifying Project
Copyright Statement
All authors have granted to WPI a nonexclusive royalty-free license to distribute copies of the work, subject to other agreements. Copyright is held by the author or authors, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted.
Advisor Department
Computer Science


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Ireland Modern Lacquer Bedroom set
5pcs. set includes: bed, 2 nightstand, dresser and mirror
-Leatherette upholstered headboard.
-white and grey lacquer finish on all frame
-Dresser has glass side panel with led accents light with grey lacquer top and attached to the 5 drw. unit
-Nightstand w/drawer
-Mirror has white lacquer trim


text: A delegation of prospective students and staff from the Government of Nunavut's Department of Health visited the College of Interdisciplinary Studies the week of June 17. The delegation participated in a five-day introductory workshop, jointly developed by the College of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Government of Nunavut's Department of Health Educational Upgrade Program (EUP). The students are interested in starting the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (BAIS) program in September 2019. Highlights of the activities that the Nunavut delegates participated in included the Indigenous Students Graduation Ceremony, the Royal Roads University's convocation ceremony, and the canoe protocol and canoe race on National Indigenous Peoples Day. Special thanks to all staff, faculty and university units that helped us host this visit.


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US Appeals Court overturns Dismissal in Silver Rigging Case against JPMorgan. Last June, JPMorgan Chase & Co had won the dismissal of three private antitrust lawsuits, including from hedge fund manager Daniel Shak, accusing the largest U.S. bank of rigging a market for silver futures contracts traded on COMEX.The lawsuits accused JPMorgan of having in late 2010 and early 2011 placed artificial bids onto the trading floor, harangued employees at metals market COMEX to obtain prices it wanted, and made misrepresentations to a committee that set settlement prices.
The New York 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that District Court Judge Engelmayer was in error when he dismissed the Silver price rigging lawsuits against JP Morgan. The appellate court felt that Engelmayer's dismissal reasons amounted to "impermissible fact finding" and placed too high of a bar in concluding that plaintiffs had not adequately plead their case.
This reversal of the June, 2016 dismissal means the case will go back to the district court for further litigation. This also means the plaintiffs will ask for and receive more discovery. This can win the case for them.
The prices of both gold and silver have been manipulated for several decades. Hopefully, the cracks will start to develop and trading of precious metals will once again be fair and honest.
More detail for those interested by following this link at Marketslant: https://www.marketslant.com/articles/jp-morgan-silver-rigging-dismissal-case-overturned


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Tag: activities
About Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a democratic republic and the largest country in Central America. Nicaragua (or Surrounded by Water as the name is literally translated) is bordered by Costa Rica to the South and Honduras to the North. Nicaragua's proximity to Costa Rica has encouraged reciprocal tourism between the countries. On the western side of the country, Nicaragua's coastline abuts the Pacific Ocean, ...
Located in the northwest of Nicaragua is Ocotal; a lovely city surrounded by beautiful landscapes. Ocotal falls under the Nueva Segovia department of Nicaragua and is a fantastic destination for tourists. Situated near the Coco River and Cordillera Mountain Range, it boasts outstanding scenery. So break away from the hustle and bustle of Nicaragua's larger cities and relax in Ocotal of Nueva ...
Horseback Riding
There is no better way to explore the mountains, riversides and volcano bases in Nicaragua than from the back of a horse. Riding will enable you to absorb the tranquil surroundings, listen to the call of the birds and monkeys and to be at one with nature. This activity enables you to create a special bond between man and beast, with man ensuring that the horse keeps to safe ground while the ...
Mountain Biking
Mountain biking in Nicaragua is a fairly new activity and it is through the efforts of people like Gedeon Typifies that interest in the sport has grown. These individuals have taken the necessary steps to make mountain biking one of many activities in Nicaragua that visitors can enjoy. To make this activity a lure for tourists, Gedeon Typifies has established a mountain biking touring ...
Scuba Diving
Nicaragua might not make the top of the list of places to dive, but it should certainly be in the top ten since this little treasure has so much to offer. While the scuba diving industry is still being developed in this country, a number of enterprising individuals have taken the liberty of establishing scuba diving companies that will be able to provide you with the necessary equipment and ...
Nicaragua is a wonderful country to visit if you are a keen fisherman and would like to attempt a variety of fishing techniques in the exotic waters found here. Not only will you have an opportunity to catch a variety of fish in all shapes and sizes, but you will also have a picturesque landscape with volcanoes and tropical rain forests as a background. While you are in this beautiful ...
Kayaking Boating
When you visit the beautiful tropical country of Nicaragua, keep in mind the different forms of transport that you can make use of to explore this exciting country and all it has to offer. With all the rivers, seas and lakes that exist both in and around this lush country, kayaking and boating are popular forms of transport in Nicaragua. There are many tours available and many of Nicaragua's ...
Mombacho Canopy Tours
The Mombacho Canopy Tour provides visitors with a wonderful opportunity to try their hands at something new and to view the Mombacho Volcano from new heights. Anyone and everyone is invited to participate in the tour and there are no age restrictions. Everyone is given a zip line that is attached to their harness, so no matter what happens you will be safe.
Travel Reservations
You've decided that Nicaragua is your holiday destination of choice. You've seen what Nicaragua has to offer in the way of beautiful natural attractions, fun-filled activities and cultural riches. Now all that is left is to make travel reservations to Nicaragua. Travel reservations to Nicaragua couldn't be easier than with Nicaragua.com. For easy, convenient and quick bookings, use ...


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Grammy winner Alicia Keys on her first stint as host: 'It felt natural'
For Alicia Keys, hosting this year's Grammys felt like a natural move.
The multi-platinum singer-songwriter has never had a hosting gig of this magnitude, but what she does have is a great deal of experience with the Grammys, having collected 15 trophies throughout her career as a perennial favorite of the Recording Academy and show producers.
"I've been blessed to have been on this stage before, multiple times, and I understand what it is and what it feels like and I know what the artists are going through," she told reporters ahead of her debut. "I'm really excited about the naturalness of it all."
Keys is taking over for James Corden, who hosted for two consecutive years after LL Cool J's lengthy stint.
Creating a sense of community is her biggest agenda as host – aside from shepherding the audience through a telecast that stretches over three hours.
"So many times you come to these things as an artist and you're juggling so many things and there's so much pressure on you," she said. "I would love to ensure the peace and the good energy in the room so that our shoulders can all drop and we can feel the true blessing of having music as a universal language."
Tapping Keys to emcee was a no-brainer, according to the Grammys' longtime executive producer Ken Ehrlich.
"She knows us and we know her. There was such a shortcut in putting this whole thing together, and it's amazing," he said. "It doesn't always happen that way. Her connection with the Grammy institution is so strong and vivid. She brings such an understanding – and above that she's a remarkable talent."
For more music news follow me on Twitter:@GerrickKennedy
From the Emmys to the Oscars.
Get our revamped Envelope newsletter, sent twice a week, for exclusive awards season coverage, behind-the-scenes insights and columnist Glenn Whipp's commentary.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.


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Landlord Fire Safety Campaigns 2019-2020
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Landlord Fire Safety Campaigns 2019-2020
Providing safe rental properties is a vital part of your rental property business. Fire departments across Ontario are making sure Fines laid for smoke alarm violations . Sadly there are still horrible stories of tragic fire related events that could have been avoided.
Safe rentals are also a great way to let all the good tenants out there know you are a responsible and professional landlord who takes being a landlord seriously. Successful landlords know good tenants want to rent from responsible landlords who rent out safe and well maintained rental housing units.
The Ontario Landlords Association has launched our Fire Safety Campaign for 2019-2020 to make sure residential landlords across the province are aware of their responsibilities for owning rental properties.
Read more at:
https://ontariolandlords.org/blog/ontar ... -campaign/
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- Joined: December 15th, 2015, 3:29 pm
Re: Landlord Fire Safety Campaigns 2019-2020
Really important and proud to be an OLA member that gets the message to help both Great Landlords and Great Tenants.
Let's all work together to improve the Ontario Rental Industry!
Let's all work together to improve the Ontario Rental Industry!
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Late one summer day, I was seated on a local bus as it rumbled through open fields and orchards on the outskirts of Isfahan. Lurching down the hot, dusty road, while my fellow passengers napped, I looked out the window and saw in the distance what appeared to be four or five ancient mud-brick watchtowers falling to ruin.
But as the bus drew closer, I noticed the towers didn't have crenellated battlements or loopholes in the upper walls for rifles. Moreover, open farmland seemed an oddly exposed placement for any sort of fortification. Standing 9 to 12 meters high, these plastered, dun-colored towers looked like giant chess pieces.
After reading about the exquisite Persian melons and the elaborate gardens and fortifications of Isfahan in the travels books of the German scholar Adam Olearius in Seventeenth-Century Iran, did I eventually discover that these structures were pigeon towers dating back to at least the Safavid Empire (1502-1736). Especially noteworthy are the towers built during the rule of Shah Abbas the Great (1571-1629), who made Isfahan his capital.
Olearius' account led me to later observations by the French traveler Jean Chardin. Traveling in Iran from 1673 to 1677, Chardin described how the towers were built to attract huge flocks of wild pigeons, numbering in the thousands. He estimated there were more than 3,000 pigeon towers in and around Isfahan.
Given the number of towers (called kabutar-khane in Persian) and their size and architectural sophistication at the time of Chardin's observations, it seemed reasonable to assume that the pigeon towers of Isfahan in fact considerably predated the Safavid Empire. Lending support to this theory, Hafiz-i Abru stated, in his 15th-century work Majma' al-Tawarikh, that Ghazan Khan (1271-1303), the seventh ruler of the Ilkhanid dynasty, "has banned hunting near the towers to protect the pigeons."
The typical pigeon tower of Isfahan is cylindrical outside, constructed of unfired mud brick, lime plaster and gypsum. Large towers range from 10 to 22 meters in diameter, and stand 18 meters high or more.
The pigeon towers were designed to collect pigeon dung, which has high nitrogen content and is a boon for Isfahan's nitrogen-deficient soil. Pigeon droppings are also rich in phosphorus, another fertilizing agent. The dung was used to fertilize fruit trees, as well as the legendary cucumber and melon fields of Isfahan.
Chardin wrote that pigeon dung, when mixed with soil and ash, was tehalgous, or "enlivening," according to the Persians. Applied at the standard rate of 900 grams per fruit tree per year and approximately 1,680 kilos per hectare annually, the dung increased the harvest by as much as 50%.
By rough calculation, a large pigeon tower of that time may have contained 5,000 to 7,000 pigeonholes. On average, one pigeon produces 2,750 grams of dried dung per year, which translates into approximately 16,500 kilos of high-quality fertilizer per large tower per year. Under optimal conditions, such a tower could thus provide enough fertilizer for more than 18,000 fruit trees or nearly 10 hectares of cropland, and was therefore a very valuable source of income for a village or the individuals who built and maintained it.
Other Usages
Pigeon dung was also used in the legendary leatherworking shops of Isfahan. Mixed with water, it acts as an important softening agent in what is called "bating"—the final step before the actual tanning process.
More importantly, the dung was an essential ingredient in the manufacture of gunpowder, which consists of approximately 75% potassium nitrate (saltpeter), 10% sulfur and 15% carbon. The shah's army had no natural source of potassium nitrate, but was able to manufacture it using a mixture of pigeon dung, ash, lime and soil.
The wild rock pigeon (Columba livia) was by far the most common pigeon inhabiting the towers. The birds were not captured and trained to occupy the towers—rather, they were instinctively attracted to them because they replicated the rocky ledges and crevices in which pigeons like to nest, mate and rear their young in the wild.
The birds were provided housing, but not food. The flocks of pigeons went out to seek water and to forage during the day. At night they would return to the pigeon towers where they were safe from raptors, mammals, snakes and other predators.
They nested in a checkerboard pattern of closely spaced niches that covered the entire interior surface of the towers, which slanted inward slightly toward the top. The pigeonholes measured approximately 20 by 20 by 28 centimeters, with a short projecting perch made of dried clay set at the opening of each one. The inward-slanting tower walls allowed pigeon dung to fall directly into a central collection pit at the foot of the tower, where it dried. The towers were opened once a year to harvest and sell the dung. A small tax was paid to the shah.
Today, perhaps 250 or 300 towers remain in and around Isfahan. Some 65 of them are now nominally protected by their inclusion on the National Heritage List.
Even in their tumbledown state, the pigeon towers that remain are still impressive to see. Small flocks of wild pigeons occasionally roost in the towers, despite collapsed ceilings and huge cracks in the walls that expose the roosts to the weather. The view upward from the bottom of a tower reveals a sculptural quality and haunting beauty that transcend its utilitarian purpose as a place to collect the dung of wild birds.
Beyond the preindustrial mud-brick engineering that so efficiently solved complex structural problems with a perfect marriage of form and function, the pigeon towers remain as an enduring tribute to the ingenuity of unknown master builders who have left their unique creations for all to see, still standing on the fields of Isfahan.
This article is written by Eric Hansen who is a free-lance writer and photographer based in California.


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As much as I would like to have more money into our public schools, like yesterday (!), I cannot bring myself to vote for Prop 123. Laurie Roberts explains why in her editorial piece at The Republic/azcentral.com and concludes as follows.
In the end, I suppose whether you can launch yourself onto the Prop. 123 bandwagon comes down to one issue: trust.
Do you trust this state's political leaders when they say it's OK to use funds that belong to future generations of students to pay the bills that belong to our leaders? Do you trust them enough to weaken protections that voters wrote into the law 16 years ago?
Do you trust our leaders when they say this is the best path forward for public schools?
Leaders who have made some of the deepest cuts to K-12 education in the nation. Leaders who have spent years siphoning money from public schools and giving it to private schools in the form of ever-expanding Empowerment Scholarship Accounts and ever-expanding tax credits for private school tuition.
Leaders who are now considering public funding for an "economic freedom school" at ASU whose founding director has called for eliminating public education.
Do you trust that Prop. 123 is a first step toward improving public education as opposed to the next step in dismantling public education?
I'd like to support Prop. 123. I really would. Yet every time I look at that happy bandwagon, filled with smiling children, it's appearing more and more like a Trojan horse.
Here is more from Ann-Eve Pedersen writing on her Facebook page.
I've been pretty quiet about Prop. 123, only commenting here or there on others' FB feeds. But I've been asked enough times how I'm voting that I think it's time to offer some thoughts.
I was reading an opinion piece in the NYT this morning where the author quoted philosopher Martin Buber saying "a good and great idea will rise again when idea and fate meet in a creative hour."
Prop. 123 is not a great idea. In fact, it's quite a flawed idea. This is most definitely not a creative hour. The chief architects of Prop. 123 in the Governor's office are not friends of public education; many of its advocates are the very people who have been actively undermining public education in our state for years. Anytime you see Koch-brother backed organizations, like Americans for Prosperity, get behind something, beware. I don't begrudge the education plaintiffs; they have been on the receiving end of a full-on assault against public education for years.
I have been wary to weigh in because I don't want to give foes of public education another big win by creating a wedge issue that creates bad feelings among friends. I'm afraid that has already occurred to some extent.
I think the underlying court case should be allowed to come to its conclusion. The fear that the original 5-0 vote in favor of education on the AZ Supreme Court will be overturned because of one new justice and perhaps a court-backing plan is being given too much weight.
Money will not be immediately released to schools if Prop. 123 wins because the issue will be tied up in the courts for some time. Frankly, I'd rather see the education community move forward with an issue it has already won in the courts rather than try out a new issue that's undecided.
Having led a statewide initiative for education funding in 2012, I understand how fiercely everyone is defending their position, one way or the other.
But I think we all realize this is not the solution and I'm not of the belief it's even the beginning of the solution. I think it's the means to an ugly end.
It is time for the good and great idea and time for the creative hour. Yes, we are desperate for the change that we all know is needed. But this is not it.
Our foes are not our friends. Please, let's not give them that. And to anyone cutting a back-room deal with Gov. Ducey, why would you ever, ever be so unwise? Surely, you should know by now he doesn't keep his promises.
I dealt with Ducey first-hand during the Prop. 204 campaign, when he led the opposition and brought in dark money from the Koch brothers to defeat permanent education funding for K-12, community colleges and universities.
I found him then to be an incredibly dishonest and untrustworthy individual who believes in dismantling public education. My opinion remains unchanged.
I'm going to mark my ballot now with a vote of NO on Prop 123.
Want more? What Il Duce giveth Dicey Ducey taketh away. Education keeps getting shorted by Duce and the GOPlins.
Want still more? David Safier writing in the Tucson Weekly/The Range reaffirms his decision to vote "yes". But with major qualifications like trying to pin down Duce and the GOPlins on what "first step" means.
"First step" is one of those vague, Rorschach-test statements politicians love which allow voters to deduce the meaning based on their own desires. If you're a pro-education-funding voter, you're supposed to imagine it means the next step is to put more money in public education. If you think our "government schools" are wasting money on administration and we're "throwing money" at "failing schools," then you can imagine the next step has nothing to do with increasing funding. It's about firing administrators, defunding "government schools," especially those with lots of poor and minority kids, and increasing funds for "school choice" — meaning plenty of money for charter and private schools.
Ducey and gang are in the second group.
Here's just one more snippet from David about "trust."
But does a Yes vote mean I trust Ducey? Hell No! Let me qualify that Hell No! The only thing I trust about Ducey is that he will continue to be a lying weasel who will do whatever it takes to push through his anti-people, pro-tax-cuts-for-the-rich agenda. My Yes vote is a statement that Prop 123 is a weak first step toward raising Arizona's lowest-in-the-nation per-student funding (or second or third lowest, depending on who's counting) to a higher level, but it's not nearly enough. We need to insist the legislature does more. Much more. Hundreds of millions of dollars more. And we need to do everything we can to throw out the bastards who get in the way of doing what's best for our children by working to defund and dismantle our public education system.
I understand the reasons for a "yes" vote, but, for me, the lack of trust, or more precisely my trust in the GOP leaders in AZ to do the wrong thing for public education, tips the balance to the "no" vote.


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The theme for the June meeting was "triumph and disaster" with a mix of the upbeat, the whimsical and the more serious.
Alex showed a number of botanical disasters including a hedge blighted by the box caterpillar and some dying trees in Epping Forest. This showed that not all disasters are man-made. However, Kathryn's pictures of glaciers showed how a possible future man made climate disaster can be foretold in changes in glaciers.
Frankie and Anna both showed pictures of people celebrating national triumph in last year's World Cup in pubs around London. Frankie balanced her selection with some more sombre and reflective portraits.
Simon focused on a domestic disaster – breaking a bowl – to produce some fascinating abstracts. Heather and Steve showed a range of images covering both triumph and disaster – from a flower gamely clinging to a crack in a wall to flowers left at the scene of an accident. Edith presented images of flowers and plants blooming in a graveyard as a symbol of life triumphing over death.
At the end of the meeting there was a short discussion about a trip in August with Margate being a popular choice. There will be further chance to discuss next month.
Frankie McAllister
Edith Templeton
Alec Wylie
Anna Lerner
Our next meeting will take place on Wednesday 10th July 2019 at 18.45 at the usual venue – The Art Workers Guild, 6 Queens Square, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 3AT.
The theme will be Mundane. Please bring along any work you wish to share on a memory stick or in print or book form.


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Thursday, September 9, 2010
Beeswax, birds and buttons...
13 comments:
- Caterina Giglio said...
i know, I didn't get started on this week until tues either and have been behind ever since! your new piece is lovely and I like the green trim!
- Thursday, September 09, 2010
- Unknown said...
I don't know where you find time for MORE stitching (I am just keeping up with our QB5 RR)! Sweet cottage design.
You COULD wear those button bracelets again and be all the rage! :)
- Thursday, September 09, 2010
- Jeanie said...
Any thoughts? Yes. Way, way, WAY too gorgeous! This is simply beautiful -- love everything about it. (And great idea for the buttons!)
My verification word is "savori" -- and I am "savori(ng)" this post!
- Thursday, September 09, 2010
- Jeanie said...
Any thoughts? Yes. Way, way, WAY too gorgeous! This is simply beautiful -- love everything about it. (And great idea for the buttons!)
My verification word is "savori" -- and I am "savori(ng)" this post!
- Thursday, September 09, 2010
- Lorrie said...
Not getting started on weekly duties until Tuesday is the best part of a holiday Monday.
Your bird piece is so pretty. I need to get back to stitching...one last sampler, and I've ordered Charlotte Lyons Stitch book.
Have a wonderful day!
- Thursday, September 09, 2010
- Dogwood said...
i really truly love what you have done to that wonderful bird piece. great additions. aren't buttons just the greatest. love all the colors, shapes and sized.
- Thursday, September 09, 2010
- ~*~Patty S said...
ooo those mourning doves are precious ... Love your beeswax canvas, the green is very nice, did you try holding it up to the bottom?
just a thought, the daisy trim is super too!
I just took a break from trying to make your and Virginia's cutie patootie flower buttons....easy you say ... not sure that mine look quite right. Heading for a peek at yours!
- Thursday, September 09, 2010
- Margaret said...
Love your canvas and I do love the green but perhaps I'm not the best (unbiased) person to be asking about this colour!
Fab button band around your jar and you get to pick them off like grapes!
- Friday, September 10, 2010
- natalea said...
I think it looks great! I love beeswax on anything so I say that's a good addition!
happy weekend, xo
- Friday, September 10, 2010
- Suz said...
Love that picture, Linda Jo. I say, the simpler the better.
I got my wonderful treats and I am going to send you a thank you personally. I am so scattered because we leave for Prague and Croatia tomorrow. I absolutely loved everything and you wrapped it so beautiful. It is such a treat getting a gift from an artist. I love the notebook. I have made some similar...not as nice as this. Your stitching and the perfect flower just made it! The heart is so sweet. I have a great heart theme going on with this one, one from Patty and one from Elizabeth of Creative Breathing! How funny is that. You are so lovely to have this nice giveaway. I could not believe my good fortune!!!
Sending hugs and thanks your way!
- Saturday, September 11, 2010
I think the bird piece is gorgeous! Great job!
- Saturday, September 11, 2010
- Mary Helen-Art Saves Lives said...
What a graceful post filled with your lovely images...I agree the green raw edge trim is just splendid and oh so graceful. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart
- Sunday, September 12, 2010
- ~*~Patty S said...
Well it sure was fun to see this post again...like the first time actually :)
off to explore further!
- Tuesday, July 03, 2012


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Since we have so many new visitors to this blog now, we here at Fisch Fail, INC would like to take this time to say welcome. And since you are already here, why don't you take a little time to sign up for updates by email. This way, you know when all the best Fisch Fail, INC stuff is written and available. The process is simple and painless and only takes a few seconds.
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I think that is it for me at this time. Have fun, stick around. Lots of cool things on the way.
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