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October 13, 2011
PCon 2011 and the Rite of Lilith: The rest of the story
First, the backstory:
In 2007, I was ordained by Z Budapest in the Dianic Tradition. I have been, within my eclectic practice, engaged in Dianic circles since 2005, and I have been a feminist witch for my entire adult life. When I found my Dianic practice, it offered me a great deal of personal healing from past experiences, from body shame, from shame in my menstrual blood, and from fear of my power as a woman in a society that subtly and overtly conditions women to be fearful of power. The Dianic Tradition offered me a version of the Divine that looked like me, smelled like me, bled like me, and understood my worldview. I am deeply grateful for this work, as it helped me to grow in my confidence and personal sense of authority over my own life.
My journey from a personal practice in women-centered magic to High Priestesshood in the Dianic Tradition is another piece of data that bears explanation. Z Budapest has historically viewed ordination as the reward for work already completed, as opposed to an end destination for a series of classes. This is a crucial difference from other Mystery Traditions, which confer authority as a result of a period of study with a teacher. At the time I met Z, I had already founded CAYA Coven, and we had a membership of about 50 people. I was ordained on that basis, rather than as the result of taking a series of classes. I think it is important for me to share this, because many people have assumed that because I was ordained by Z, I was her student and am trained in her way of thinking. But to the contrary, Z has often made public and private statements to the effect that I arrived at her doorstep already trained, which is true. I trained myself, with hard work, study and first-hand experience in pagan leadership. I owe a lot to Z's books, to our friendship, and also to the books of many others, and to two significant teachers from my past whose names I do not release here because they maintain lives as private individuals. I do feel that I arrived at Z's doorstep ready to begin the lifetime journey of High Priestesshood, not as a student but as a colleague, friend, and one who enjoyed her writings in my formative years of the Craft.
Part of my commitment to lifelong learning about how to be an effective High Priestess has involved a strong amount of discernment about which policies, opinions, and practices of the Dianic Tradition best serve my worship of the Goddess, and which do not. When I look at the other Dianic High Priesteses in this lineage, I see a strong trend toward diversity. We are not all the same, we do not all share the same views, and we each bring our own flavor of practice to the Tradition. Not all of my Dianic colleagues practice the exact same way, above and beyond holding a central view of the Goddess as primary. Ask ten Dianics the same basic question about how we worship (or even if we would call it "worship"), and you'll get ten different answers. There is strength in that personalization. Though the difference of opinion can occasionally lead to conflict and disagreements, that seems natural in any living Tradition.
Fast forward to 2011: CAYA Coven has grown and now has some 500 members attending 6 different circles in two separate Covens in the Bay Area. I founded, and along with all other members, continue to develop the Wildflower Clergy Collective, which is our path of training in magical community service open via application to all women, men and those who wish not to identify based on gender who have completed our Dedicant classes and who are able to demonstrate the high level of preparedness and the supportive life environment we feel best befit the rigors of active service. We offer somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 circles per year, participate in several local community initiatives, and each have an extensive personal practice in addition to our public work. For 6 years now, we have welcomed all individuals to "Come As You Are" to our rites, and we mean it. We have enjoyed the company and presence of many individuals from diverse walks of life, paths, belief systems, and political backgrounds. Our Sabbats have always been open to all, regardless of gender, and our gender-focused full moon circles have always been open to all self-identified individuals, regardless of sex at birth. We have hosted transgender women and men in our Coven from the very beginning.
Within CAYA, there are also small, closed, invite-only affinity groups for the sake of specific personal work. These groups perform rituals and activities that they may or may not share with the public, as the groups see fit. These groups vary in theme. Some are gender-related, some are focused on other areas of personal development. One of these "inner court" groups is my Dianic lineage, the Amazon Priestess Tribe. This lineage is focused on the mysteries of the yoni, the woman's menstrual cycle as a lens for the life cycle, birth, croning, and personal healing. This Dianic group is a closed, safe, intimate place for the women in my Clergy to find, as I did, empowerment in our bodies just as they are. And it is/has been good work.
The Amazons, having attended numerous PantheaCon events and having witnessed and participated in many Dianic rites there, began proposing and offering Dianic rituals at PCon in 2009 with a rite to Artemis. In 2010 we offered a Dance of the 7 Veils. In 2011, we offered the Rite of Lilith. One key component of all the rituals the Amazons offer at PCon, and indeed all the rituals we do anytime, is that they are completely skyclad. We do not require all attendees to be entirely nude for our rites, but our priestesses are and it is strongly encouraged, as we feel there is a primal power in the naked female body that can be seen, heard, smelled, and felt in a visceral way when we gather to practice. We do not purport to be fully inclusive; we are not. However, we have chosen to share our rituals at places like PantheaCon in a spirit of generosity, without presumption. We do not think of our way as the only way nor even the best way. We are just sharing what we do with what we hope to be an enthusiastic population of fellow Dianic travelers at a large event where many different groups offer their practices to one another.
When I was writing the proposal for PCon 2011 about the Rite of Lilith, I made a crucial error in not specifying that this was a nude ritual designed for women. Although I used the terms "Amazon" and "skyclad" in my description of the rite, I take full personal responsibility that these terms are not universally clear. At the beginning of the rite, as we were figuring out some technical difficulties that caused a late start, I was approached by a member of PCon staff. He asked me if this was a rite for women, and I said yes. He replied that some men had gathered and wanted to attend, and would I please come and make an announcement about it. I agreed, and entered the hall where people were gathering. I saw that there were, indeed, men who were clearly dressed in men's clothing and who clearly live full-time as men waiting. I apologized for the delay, and also for the confusion. There was also one individual there whom I know personally, who does shift gender identity from time to time, and who was dressed that evening as a man. I said, "This is going to be a naked ritual for women. I am so sorry this was not clear in the program, but that is what it is. So, if you are not a woman, willing and able to be naked among other naked women, this is not the ritual for you. I appreciate that there is such wide interest here, and next year we will offer a more inclusive proposal. Thank you so much for understanding, and I am very sorry for any inconvenience." After I had made the announcement, we opened the doors and let anyone still in line enter the room. We did not check to make certain that all were cis-women (this, for those who might not know, is the more widely-accepted term for the phrase "woman-born-woman" which you may have heard in other contexts and which is considered offensive by many transgender people.) We did not ask any woman to remove more clothing than she was comfortable with. We believe there to have been at least one trans woman at the ritual, but we cannot be certain as she has never stepped forward amidst this conflict. Either way, we were prepared to host any woman who respectfully remained after I made the announcement.
Unbeknownst to me, several gender equality activists had pre-planned a protest at PantheaCon regarding the issue of gender-and-sex-exclusive spaces. Unbeknownst to me, this group had already contacted the Pagan Newswire Collective letting them know that they planned this action. Unbeknownst to me, they were outside protesting our ritual while we were figuring out our technical difficulties, and saying that we excluded trans women. THE AMAZONS HAVE NEVER TURNED A TRANS WOMAN AWAY AT THE DOOR OF ANY OUR RITUALS. We believe in personal integrity. We believe that in women's culture, if a woman sets a boundary about her preferences, other women will honor that boundary. We believe that if any woman is in need of healing and is prepared to participate respectfully, lovingly and kindly in a ritual for such, she should have it. We do not do penis-checks or pat-downs. WE DO ASK THAT ALL PARTICIPANTS AT AMAZON RITUALS BE ABLE TO BE NAKED AND ALLOW THEIR YONIS TO BE PRESENT IN THE RITUAL SPACE for the purpose of a particular type of visceral experience, much the same way others hearken to the witches rune and gather naked at their own rites for their own purposes. There are many women, both cis- and trans-, who struggle with public nudity. There are many women, cis- and trans-, for whom this type of ritual might be triggering. There are also many women, cis- and trans-, who do not feel called to this particular type of worship. We support thoughtfulness and personal responsibility in the matter of selecting the rituals that will be most personally helpful, creating the necessary boundaries for any specific type of work one feels called to do, and respecting the boundaries of others, whether we share those boundaries and agree with them or not.
Unbeknownst to me, at the same PantheaCon where we hosted our controversial ritual in a small, back-corner meeting room, there was a ritual happening upstairs in a main ballroom where any woman who was currently menstruating was not allowed to attend. Has that been mentioned, protested against, pointed out as cruel, violent, hateful, or unfair as often as our ritual has? No. In fact, it has barely come up. Apparently, it is not considered violent to make a woman stand aside due to her menstruation. Apparently, it is allowable to delineate space on the basis of biology if one practices some Traditions, but not others. Apparently, it is less offensive to exclude a bleeding woman than to celebrate her. Mind you, I respect this group's right to host a ritual that is authentic to their Tradition, even if it appears to be in direct conflict with one of my core spiritual beliefs in celebrating a woman's blood. I trust that there are many paths through this forest, and some of them are meant to remain Mysteries to me. However, I object to the disparity in public outrage that feels symptomatic of misogyny. [Editorial note: see comments section for an expanded view on this topic, thanks to Geoffrey.]
I think it is important to say here that I do not think the PantheaCon organizers or staff were at fault in any way for this incident. I imagine that the amount of angry correspondences they have received trumps mine by the hundreds, about this issue and any number of other issues that create strong emotions around this powerful event. I think the staff of PCon put together an amazing weekend with a truly awesome staff so that we can all enjoy ourselves and express ourselves. That is incredible, and I think it is a bargain at the admission price they charge for a Festival of this scope. I admire the fact that Glenn and her staff have managed to keep this event sustainable and strikingly diverse from year to year. I expressed an apology in an email to the PantheaCon staff after this all began to transpire, and I received a warm response that indicated they understand this to be a delicate situation, and they have handled many delicate situations over time. I really appreciate this Con, and its organizers, and its staff, having had countless positive experiences with many different members of the team. I am grateful that they chose this coming year's theme, "Unity in Diversity," with such responsiveness and care, and I look forward to seeing what programs get selected to iterate that theme.
After our ritual was over, the Amazons went about the rest of our Con as usual, attending workshops and rituals, socializing with friends from near and far, and enjoying ourselves. Unbeknownst to us, a storm was brewing and a meeting was held at which we were a primary focal point of the discussion due to our ritual and our request that the space be reserved for women's naked worship. At no point did a single organizer of that meeting seek us out, alert us that there were questions and issues that needed to be addressed, nor were we told that we were the cause of this stir. When Wendy Griffin appeared at that meeting, she asked the organizers why CAYA was not in attendance, and was told that "they could not find us to invite us."
I find that very difficult to believe. CAYA Coven usually occupies an entire wing of the hotel at PCon because we bring so many people. Literally, there are typically 50 of us there, wearing CAYA t-shirts, badges with our Coven's name on it, presenting rituals and workshops as CAYA members listed in the program. The main organizing staff at PCon knows many of us by name and face, and could easily have helped the meeting organizers find us had they been asked to do so. My business had a booth in the vendor room with my name attached to it that could have easily been found to give me a message to attend this meeting. There is absolutely no reason why anyone in the reasonably small DoubleTree building could not find one single one of us with the day's notice they had before this meeting. Instead, we were not invited to this meeting, where we would gladly have shared that we had turned no woman away from our ritual, that we were completely willing to engage in discussion about this topic, and that we would be happy to explain our approach to eclectic paganism as all-inclusive, meaning that even when conflicting views arise, we make space for them all and work through them together. Instead, by the time we were alerted that we were a major focal point of this meeting, it was almost over. And by the time the misreports of our "exclusionary ritual" hit the blogosphere and erupted in a huge game of Telephone, it was too late to counter fiction with fact in a way that even mattered to most. CAYA Coven was judged and sentenced without a fair trial in the minds of many people, all over the country, whether they knew us, spoke with us, had been in attendance at our ritual, or not.
And into this, Z arrived, and she came swinging. While I honor Z's many, many contributions to women's culture and feminine spirituality, I cannot condone speech that is filled with hate, neither against me nor on my behalf. I would not and have not communicated my opinions in those terms. I respect Z's right to hold whatever opinions, thoughts, and practices she chooses, and my expectation is that we are all given that freedom to do, think, speak, or feel as we choose. My reasons for creating specific sacred spaces are not merely rote from my Tradition; they are my own, and I believe each of us has the right to create our own sacred spaces as we wish.
When the Internet erupted, CAYA carefully worked on a statement that addressed our position and reflected our all-inclusive approach to this topic. Be warned- it is not bite-sized. We in CAYA Clergy all agreed that this was not a bite-sized issue, and that it deserved full explanation. For those who do not know, have not read that long statement, or who would prefer a quick view of its core: we hold the space, as a Coven, to respect each individual's right to worship exactly as he or she pleases and finds most rewarding. Full stop. We do not promise, nor attempt, to provide for all possible needs and every single possible practice with our limited capacity of volunteer Clergy. That would be impossible, though with sufficient growth in our population of mindful and magically-gifted individuals over time, we can easily see providing for a great many more needs. At this time, we do all we can to create safe spaces for a number of different types of practice in our 6 circles: public, private, gendered, non-gendered, multicultural and multi-focal, singular-in-focus and clearly-defined...each person in CAYA brings his or her own mix of ideas and practices to the table, and we work through the very real and sometimes difficult and always rewarding process of letting everyone come as they are, enjoy what we can offer if they want to, and find/make their own way in our community if it feels right to them. We do our best to create safe containers, and we don't do a lot of hand-holding beyond that point, because we're personal-responsibility-and-free-will-type people.
Of course, no one can please everyone, and both before and after CAYA issued our statement we received backlash. In the past year I have fielded dozens of e-mails calling me names, making wide assumptions of our practices or intent (often from people who know nothing about us and had not read our statement.) In one case, we were told we were "a bunch of self-righteous breeders who worship our wombs." In two incidences, I was sent death threats and in others, threats of violence, a la "one of these days we'll cross paths and then you'll get what's coming to you." It was really painful and disconcerting to be threatened with death and violence as someone's idea of justice for a situation that did not actually occur the way it was reported. It bespoke, to me, a massive appropriation of the violent rhetoric of patriarchal domination. "If you don't give me what I want, I'll hurt or kill you." Isn't that the battle cry of the rapist, the colonizer? This has no place in the kind of civil discourse I strive for, teach, and pray for on a regular basis.
Further, even after we issued our statement, in a still-kind-of-unbelievable situation, I was called in to the Berkeley City Council chambers in May by my councilman, Kris Worthington. Ironically, I have voted for this man in the past several City Council elections because I admire his bold and radical approach to local politics. Why was I called in to chambers? Because The Pagan Alliance had chosen to honor me as their 2011 Keeper of the Light in acknowledgement of my local efforts to be of support to the pagan community. He was trying to decide if he would pull the permits for their entire Festival the day before the event due to an unsubstantiated and unresearched complaint that I was a transphobic individual who was hosting exclusionary rituals on city property. He lectured me for the better part of a half hour about how important it is for us to accept the self-definition of all people(a position I wholeheartedly support), all the while using terms like "women-born-women" in his lecture (demonstrating that he was not actually as well-read in this area as he proclaimed to be). I explained to Mr. Worthington that all of CAYA's rituals were open to all, and that the Amazon rituals were actually performed in the nude as privately-organized, invitation-based religious events for women. I explained that CAYA had hosted trans women in our public rituals from the beginning, but reserved the right for any internal group to have private events around whatever criteria we felt most appropriate. I explained that our Amazon Mysteries surrounded the yoni and menstrual cycle, and that having both of these things was the pre-qualifier for entry into our private events. He said, "Oh." I asked him if he had visited our web site and read our statement on this subject after receiving this misinformation about me and my Coven. He said, "No." I said, "I am fairly certain that I am within my rights to A) practice my religion as I see fit in the United States of America, and B) offer invitation-based events on private property delineating any boundaries I choose that are within the scope of legal activities. What I am not certain of, Mr. Worthington, is if you are actually within your legal rights to have me here without doing the research to substantiate or dispel this complaint against me, or to pull the permits on this Festival without any proof that I have engaged in trans-phobic or hateful activities, which I have not." He said, "Weeelllll, sometimes people get angry without knowing all the facts." I said, "Tell me about it." and left. I really appreciate that Kris Worthington is outspoken and supportive of each and every person's right to self-define. I agree. I do wish, as I often wish with politicians, that he had checked his facts first.
The next day, the Festival was beautiful. I worked magic for this: that everyone in attendance would really be able to fully enjoy a lovely day of being pagan together. Even in the relatively liberal Bay Area, there are many folks whose jobs or other obligations keep them in the broom closet. Events like these are crucial for community building, and represent a rich Interfaith experience for all. I was informed that the Pagan Alliance had to provide extra funds for extra police presence, since I had received death threats. There were also threats that protesters would show up at the event which was now being billed in certain circles as a transphobic event (despite the fact that The Pagan Alliance is an organization committed to all forms of civil equity for all pagans, and Transgender SF, The Fellowship of the Spiral Path, and Circle of Dionysus were main supporters of the event, each of which holds a commitment to gender diversity and specifically commitment to trans issues at the core of their organization.) I, and CAYA are members of Fellowship of the Spiral Path, and we are supporters of the Circle of Dionysus. My partner and I performed music with the Circle of Dionysus at the Festival that day with 2 other CAYA members and several other CoD members. It ended up, after all that pre-fear, being a wonderful day. I received the Keeper of the Light sacra from previous KoL joi wolfwomyn, an outspoken, genuis, down-to-Earth trans-identified activist, a devoutly irreverent Discordian, and local/national witch-about-the-world who offers wisdom with humor and a heaping dose of reality. joi and I rode in the parade together with previous Keepers of the Light M. Macha NightMare, Don Frew, and Max Dashu. joi was dressed in a glittering tuxedo, I was in a white dress. We looked like a crazy wedding cake topper. Members of my Coven marched in the parade as well, wearing rabbit ears. Laughter really is the CAYA way, and the best medicine.
By this time, The Pagan Alliance was already planning their Conference on Gender and Paganism, which CAYA sponsored, provided volunteers for, and at which we offered a Ritual of Radical Forgiveness that I had written. I spent the summer pondering many different challenging questions: how could I ethically deal with a pagan community where death threats and unsubstantiated rumor were unfolding? How could I find ways to create a spiral of good in this situation that benefited all parties? How could I generate what I felt to be the correct energy of compassion, vulnerability, and openness for truly heartfelt discussion to be shared? How could I uphold my own commitment to providing sacred space for all, on their own terms, in the face of pressure from both gender equality activists and fellow Dianics to shut out the other side's needs? From these questions, I created this ritual and offered it. I also posted the outline and an explanation of it here on my blog. My good friend Ava Park of the Goddess Temple of Orange County has a phrase she uses in her teachings that I appreciate as a High Priestess. "Lead like water," she says, "always seeking the lowest point, the most natural channel."
In an effort to lead like water, I offered public apology for my error in describing the intended audience for the Rite of Lilith, and for any trouble or harm it has caused, in any direction or at any time, whether intended or otherwise. I also offered heartfelt forgiveness to all who had threatened me, called me names, or caused harm to me as a way to centralize healing for all. I did my magical best to create a wave of good. I stand by this ritual, its intention, and its enactment as the right thing to do. It was, in fact, the only thing I felt appropriate. Many different individuals from that event expressed their appreciation for it. Many who have denounced it were not present, so how would they know?
I am only now, on the other side of that magical and energetic shift, feeling ready to write this story down in its entirety. I have spent the past six months working through: working through the morass of public misinformation, working through challenging questions around my personal practices, working through anger toward those who wished me harm, working through resentment at those who sent private letters of support but never stepped up to support me publicly, working through the sadness of being denounced within certain segments of my Tradition for even entertaining the question of transgender women and men in consensual Dianic spaces, working through the bitterness of watching others expand their personal public relations and media presence by denouncing my Coven (again, most of whom have never attended a single one of our events or rituals). There was a lot of suffering in that working through. I believe that suffering tends to spill over onto others if not carried mindfully, and I have done my best to just minimize harm rather than lash out or get too fully into the mix in anger. Because I truly believe that solves nothing. I have been successful in my personal restraint more often than I have not, and I count that as growth.
So, where am I now, and where is CAYA now? CAYA proposed three rituals for PantheaCon 2012: one all-inclusive and two for self-identified men and women, respectively. The Amazons proposed one ritual: a naked ritual for women. I proposed one on my own: a devotional to Yeshe Tsogyal, one of the ancestresses in my personal pantheaon. I also proposed, along with Devin Hunter,a pan-Dianic, all-inclusive ritual for anyone who wants to experience the Dianic perspective of Goddess-as-Whole-and-Complete-Unto-Herself. I feel like we flung a bunch of possibilities toward the staff of PCon for the sake of greatest diversity, and I trust that they will figure out what fits best into mix, if any of them at all. If you plan to be there, and we have been accepted, consider giving CAYA rites a try even if you've been mad at us this whole time. You really stand to lose nothing by coming to see for yourself who we are and what we do.
As for me, I have deepened in my personal practices as a result of this experience. I am solidly continuing to acknowledge my long-held belief that every single person has the right to worship as they choose, whether I am interested, included, or not. And I am continuing to provide as many different types of ritual spaces as I am able, to meet the widest variety of needs.
May these words prove to be a source of goodness and benefit, and if they are lacking in any way, let that fall upon me. If there be any merit, it is because of the guidance of my divine indwelling spirit, and I am grateful. Blessed be.
30 comments:
Rabbit, I am both saddened and unsurprised by this. No matter how enlightened the Pagan community in general, or any particular subgroup is supposed to be, there seems to be a tendency to assume someone is acting in bad faith and misconstrue innocent acts. I am sorry that you had to go through this dreadful experience, when you are anything but transphobic or hateful in any way. I am happy you found a way to go forward and do your thing in a wise and gracious manner. Blessings to you, always.
ReplyDeleteRabbit, you are a wonderful priestess. I have felt a connection to you since the first time I met you when we were both vendors at the magical event in Oakland... and later when you did a reading for me right before my first degree.
Thank you for writing this, the time is right. I have continued to support CAYA privately and publicly. I hope you know that there are some of us who did speak out. You have handled this horrific circumstance with grace and love. I honor you for that.I have replied, on my facebook page, to the exclusion of menstruating women comment. I'm sorry that the exclusion was not better explained to you, however it isn't attendance that is prohibited. Service to Danbala Wedo whilst bleeding, no matter your gender or the reason you are bleeding, is forbidden in Fos Fe Yo We, La Fraicheur Belle Fleur Guinee, and Sipote Ki Di.
I cannot speak for any other Haitian lineage. I am not a member of them, and my grasp of the regleman of service is the regleman Fos Fe Yo We abides by. However, this, as I understand it, isn't a small prohibition restricted to our lineages. When you bleed, you cannot serve Paren Danbala.
You are more than welcome, however, to attend our public sevis, and participate from your seat. You shouldn't be doing vire (turns) for him, however. You are welcome to sing, to call for him to appear, and to offer your own devotion to him in your heart. You aren't permitted to salute him.
Before you bring up exclusion, it's probably best to find out what the exclusion actually is, and understand it. I did my best not to get involved in the gender drama at the con from either side. My opinions on the subject aren't relevant. However, I do resent the statement that we are ostracizing a woman who is menstruating rather than celebrating her.
More detailed explanations of why are on my facebook wall, and I'd be happy to email them to you, Rabbit, if you are interested.
GeoffreyDear Geoffrey,
I empathize with your exhaustion at having to explain and apologize if my comments above were out of alignment with your values. From my westernized feminist perspective, this particular prohibition strikes a nerve. However, in the global context, I can appreciate and respect that this mystery is simply not one to which I am acculturated nor in which I am educated. Thank you for the invitation to come and experience your rites for myself. Please feel free to post further links here as comments if you wish to make your explanations visible to potential individuals who might need to read them (including me), and please note that I have edited my blog to reference this comment. Blessings, RabbitHi there ;)
I wanted to make a little comment in the hopes of clearing up one little misunderstanding...
It was mentioned that the rite upstairs barred women having their menses, which isnt *entirely true* but has a bit of a windy explanation to get there. ;)
Vodou does not bar *anyone* for having their menses... ever. All Vodou celebrations are public, open to all regardless of menses, social-label status of ANY kind, or any reason.
*for attendees.*
To Salute the spirits actively is something more than attending... the folks performing the salute (standing up, doing the turns for the spirits, pouring out the water or other offering liquids) have some certain restrictions, and those generally depend on which Spirit is being called at the time... some require our version of Ritual Purity (where the person saluting has to not have had sexual contact for the previous 24 hrs, etc) and other Spirits, like Damballah, cannot be in the presence of Blood, Smoke, or Alcohol.
*but that only applies to the people actively saluting that particular spirit*
NONE of this is a statement about the cleanliness of women on their moon time, or ANY statement of gender disqualification... its just ONE particular lwa who cannot be in the presence of blood of ANY kind (Im male, so I dont menstruate, but I have had to sit out a salute for Damballah for having skinned my knee... the presence of the blood, however minute, was enough to disqualify me from that salute... and Im a high priest of Vodou. ;) Still had to obey that rule.)
In terms of gender inclusivity, Vodou specifically is one of the few Ancient faiths to have complete gender equality; Initiated women and men share responsibilities equally (and Manbo, female priests, have also always had exact equal pay with the Houngans, their male counterparts). Noone is *ever* barred from ritual for menstruating... but any person who has any blood on them, any open wound or injury, or who happens to be mentruating at that moment cannot be on the saluting team for Damballah (but they can most definitely be present; they should just sit for that one salute out of all of the salutes performed in that rite.)
I hope that helps clear up any misconceptions... we would never so dishonor our sisters by keeping them out of ritual.
Bozanfe Bon Oungan
Houngan Matt
Sosyete NagoI am throwing in my hat of support, Rabbit. I have known you for quite a few years and was shocked when the news first hit. I wrote you privately to ask what happened, and you responded quickly and compassionately and factually. I have been incredibly impressed at your patience, humility, and commitment to compassion through this whole process. Reading through your report here only strengthens the regard with which I hold you.
For better or for worse, this whole process has caused many important questions around gender and gender inclusivity to rise to the surface and be dealt with in a deeper way by the broader pagan community. While it totally sucks that you guys ended up being the bad guys in the story, there has been quite a lot of important conversations that have occurred in the past year, important policies rewritten, lots of thought and I think a fair amount of healing. Your event did end up providing a catalyst for stuff that needed to happen anyway. I am sorry that you got cast as villain; I'm not sorry that the conversations happened. (I hate it when the gods test us like that - they wouldn't have done that to you and yours if they didn't know you could handle it)
Blessings to you and blessings to CAYA. I look forward to seeing what you all do next.
in frith,
Bari MandelbaumThank you, Kristi, Ruth, Tinnekke, and Crystal, for your kind and helpful words.
Thank you, Bari, for this comment and support as well. I agree entirely that these conversations needed to happen, and I do ruefully admit that I am only unhappy with my location within the discourse to date. But already, that location is improving and I am feeling more complete for having shared my own piece of the collective story. I extend to you also my appreciation for being the first person to explain the terminology of "cis" and "trans" to me so that my journey forward from that point could be more informed and sensitive.
Love and respect,
RabbitTo begin, I am sorry that there is still drama occurring over what happened last year, and I hope that we will all be able to sort out a clear and better path toward the future, where we can be inclusive or exclusive as Spirit requires without taking personal offense, or without anybody using said inclusive/exclusivity to discriminate. Exclusive and discriminatory should never be the same things.
That being said I feel a need to point out to you that yes, actually, the Vodou ceremony you mention where menstruating females were asked not to salute the Lwa if they were actively bleeding, DID get quite a bit of controversy, and we had people complain and walk out. We have had that happen every year that we have done the ceremony, regardless of the fact that we explain that it is not anything to do with gender and everything to do with blood (men or children or postmenopausal women who have any sorts of cuts or blood on their skin are also asked not to salute the spirits). However, all are allowed to attend, regardless of blood status - it just means that particular spirit we serve asks us not to have blood on the outside of our bodies when we serve Him. I would be very happy to explain how Haitian Vodou works to anyone who asks. Email me at firstname.lastname@example.com - you'll find out it's remarkably free of gender problems, and only a handful of Lwa have issues with blood. Unfortunately, because Pcon requires that we cannot light any fire, the only Lwa we can safely call is one who doesn't like blood, so we avoid it in order not to offend Him. Considering He's also the earth, and when He gets mad, He causes earthquakes...maybe it's a good idea we ask people not to be bleeding? :) -Mambo Chita Tann (Mambo T)Mambo T, thank you for this clarification, and for the brilliant suggestion of shifting the language toward greater overall clarity toward the Presence of blood at the rite. I deeply appreciate your explanation here, and look forward to hopefully participating in a future ritual you offer at PCon so that my own learning can continue.
Warmth and respect,
RabbitRabbit, thank you for writing this. It feels very helpful to the ongoing discussions.
I do wish you had been able to write this up several months ago, as I feel this explanation would have helped to clarify your (and CAYA's) position better and forestalled some of the brouhaha. I also know that things get written when the energy feels right.
May we all continue to learn and grow, together.
blessings - T>Thank you, Thorn. One aspect I failed to mention here was that just after PCon, I sat for an extensive interview with a reporter from the Bay Area branch of the Pagan Newswire Collective in which several of the Amazons and I explained a lot of this information. Unfortunately, the article based on that interview never materialized. Waiting for this article to come out was one reason for my personal delay, but the more significant reason is that I personally practice long-view discernment to the best of my ability. I have not found that my own instant reactions or judgments are the best ones or more serviceable ones. My mother once cautioned me to "never put anything into writing that I might regret later." I take that to heart, and thus deliberately waited to write until I could get behind every word from a place of non-defensiveness and highest possible intent of good for all, rather than answering to the immediacy of fear, anger, and public criticism. I teach my students to wait for as long as it takes until they can respond mindfully. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't walk my talk :) and as you can see from the helpful comments of Geoffrey, Matt, and Mambo T, I still did not manage to get it all correct. But I do agree: YES to further learning for us all :)
Ever unfolding,
RabbitRabbit, thank you for your clarity on this, and for finally speaking out on what actually happened from where you stood.
Like Bari, I agree that a lot of important work and conversation came out of this. I'm sorry you were stuck in the middle. I can only hope that the controversy has resulted in some improvement to addressing trans issues in the Pagan communities.Thank you so much for this, Rabbit.
As a committed ally of CAYA Coven, and as a long-time friend of yours, I've been of the opinion since the start that this was a misunderstanding, and I hope that in the various reactions to this that have happened, I have continued to uphold that position. As Erynn and several others have mentioned, a lot of important discussions did emerge from this; and while I won't say that, therefore, all of this "was a good thing," especially since there were death-threats against you involved, and that's never a good thing for anyone, I think you've been quite exemplary in terms of how you've handled the situation as it developed, and your explanations here go a very long way in alleviating any further fears or misunderstandings that may be lingering at this point.
I had a few comments on my blog that I deleted/never approved that were writing against you in particular, which I found quite shocking and upsetting; I didn't want to alarm you with them when they happened, and on reflection, I'm glad that I didn't, because you had more than enough to deal with in that regard yourself. (Crikey!)
So, thank you again for this! I've got something that has entirely emerged out of this situation (and some others that were also PantheaCon-2011-in-general-related), which I'll let you know more about next month when it comes out, if all goes to plan. The Ekklesía Antínoou remains CAYA Coven's ally, and I certainly remain your friend--and fan! ;) Much love and many blessings of all the deities to you!Thank you Erynn, Amy, & Phillip, for your kind words of support. Thank you for taking the time to read the whole thing. I appreciate it deeply.
Phillip, I have admired your wise worldview since we were in school together studying...Sacred Theatre of the Middle Ages and Greek Tragedy, if I'm not mistaken? I remember a wonderful autumn day standing in the wind and discussing divination based on bird flight and lycanthropy. I remember re-discovering one another at PCon in a totally new context with such joy. I am grateful that CAYA and I were invited to partake of Communalia with the Ekklesia Antinoou, and I stand firm in the commitments that we made that day. "Our blades are your blades. Our songs are your songs. If you are ever in need, call upon us." I thank you for the very thoughtful posts to your amazing blog around this topic, and for your most recent glorious post about your vision of a future in which these issues need raise no eyebrows or blood pressures, but where all may freely feel fulfilled in personal expression. I honor that vision, and share in it as both possible and desirable.
I, too, have had to delete some rather horrible comments here- all of them from the same person, who is actually a stalker I have from a different area of life entirely. I haven't even blogged about that, because it's just too darned much, actually. But thank you for holding the higher view of me based on experience rather than supposition, for giving me the benefit of the doubt, and for ever being a remarkable teacher, collaborator, and friend. Love to you, ever-returning.Very eloquent and a lesson in what happens when members of our community jump to conclusions. As I have stated to you personally, it was clear from the first that CAYA's actions were being misrepresented. Your group is a valuable and meaningful part of the Pagan community. Thank You for writing this.
Peter Dybing
National First Officer
Covenant Of The GoddessNo Coven is right for everyone, but CAYA comes the closet with so many inclusive choices.I'm not surprised that the Amazon rituals could stir controversy, but It is the ultimate irony that CAYA would be considered discriminatory. It really strives hard to live up to it's "Come as you are" philosophy!
A lot of the vitriol surrounding this really smacks of the personal and the personal agenda. Unfortunately, the more work that you do in the public eye and the more recognizable you become, these things will happen. People will not always listen to the truth. They will press their own agenda even when the truth refutes it.
Hopefully, over time, more people will fan away the blowing smoke and get a clearer view of CAYA and of the Rabbit some of us are lucky to know well in all her goodness, wearing the perfect imperfection of her humanity while working towards being her highest self and doing the highest good for all.
Even though we don't always agree, I have always found you inspiring, wise and well intentioned! One of the things I admire most about you is that you are both an eternal student and constant teacher!
I'm sorry you have to keep addressing this painful subject. I'm grateful that you persevere to do so.hello rabbit , first a few statements . i personly support any spiritual practice and have NO anomosity against Dianic practices . with the antifem bias in society and mainstream religions i fully understand the need and existance of dianic paganism. iam male , Sinnsreachd and ADF druid. Now my veiws on the pcon mess . Altho i have no problem w/ fem only blood rituals , in their proper place and time . i do believe holding a cis woman, nude ritual at a pagan convention is not a good idea And is asking for trouble . Unless they are looking for controvery, as some do , i would not recomend doing such a ritual at a public pagan con , b/c controversy and protests is what you'll find . Kilm
ReplyDeleteKilm, thanks for reading and for your post. I sat with your words these long many days, and my ultimate response is that I cannot stop thinking about howany times women, both cis- and trans- have been told they were "asking for trouble" just by virtue of being fully, authentically, controversially themselves in public. And THAT is what I find objectionable- not anyone's right to hold whatever boundaries or create whatever sacred spaces they feel correct for themselves.
ReplyDeleteYeshe: I've gone into some detail about
my feelings concerning this rite, about Z Budapest's hateful comments, and about the continuing discussions on this topic.
I do not question the right of Dianics and others to set whatever standards they see fit for membership and inclusion in their organization or rituals. I do question whether it is appropriate to hold a ritual which will only breed divisiveness and resentment at a public convention. To me it smacks of unquestioned privilege and a sense of entitlement - it is as if the APT has decided their right to free association trumps the feelings of transgender attendees and of the organizers who are seeking to hold an event wherein everyone feels safe.
I would invite you and fellow members of the APT to consider this, and to ask what is gained by holding a divisive and controversial ritual in a public place - one which is only going to ensure further resentment and ill feeling against your group.The same could be said for limiting wbw Dianic rituals at PCon as well Kenaz....there are rituals that are strictly for gay men and gay male mysteries only, the ritual mentioned above where menstruating women aren't allowed to fully participate, but this isn't limited just to Haitian practices, but to some Native
American and Orthodox Jewish practices as well.....where a woman is bound to her biology and not allowed to participate because of her menses for whatever the reason given. I thank the Priest/esses of the Vodoun Tradition spelling out the particulars and giving full explanation. I certainly wouldn't want to encourage a huge Earthquake!
Nonetheless despite the historical denial of women in Sacred Rites because we are actively bleeding, we've taken back our power and developed OUR OWN rituals celebrating that Mystery often held against us in mixed religions, by and for ourselves, that original Blood mystery where we felt our power, and men often feared it. It was a reversal to demonize menstruating women as more patriarchal religions took hold....so more Feminist forms of the Craft like Dianic Wicca and others, took back that Power and celebrated it like was done in ancient times.
The Labryis cuts both ways. There are those of us who are radical Dianic oriented DykeAmazons and Michigan Womyn's Music Festival supporters(where we've dealt with alot of these same controversies)that feel that the term 'cis' does NOT represent us, and is in fact offensive to us as bio females/women born women. So, for us, wbw, is a proud term that speaks to who and what we are, and 'cis' has been a term often used against us, that doesn't represent many of us at all..many of us who are Butch Dykes and have NEVER conformed to any kind of female roles, and often considered outside any kind of conventional womonhood and yet we are PROUDLY Female, not trans....
In any case, Rabbit, I thank you for spelling out the ENTIRE debacle and all your responses to it, and for thinking your words and actions through before committing them to print. And I'm sorry you've had to go through this war yet again, to have space for Amazons and women reveling in their Female bodies, celebrating our distinctly Female rites of passage.
I haven't felt drawn to Pantheacon for just these reasons, as my rites are exclusively female focussed(and in particular Amazon and wbw Dianic oriented), and my work is with the Goddess in all Her variations. My spirituality is not up for debate, it is the one place I can truly open(and especially while ritualling on women's land), and can get in touch with my psychic powers and the energies of Goddess, Mother Earth and my Sisters.....it is all very, very personal, and we ALL have the right to our own boundaries and limits around who to ritual with, who to work with, and to seek out likeminded others if we choose. Thanks for all your hard work, and for making Caya a place that many different folks can get their particular needs met.
-FeistyAmazonFeistyAmazon- thank you for your thoughtful and personal post here and for affirming that CAYA is, indeed, a place where many different needs converge and where they can be met in diverse ways. It is ever our hope to continue to be that force in the Bay Area and wherever else our touch may reach. Spirituality is, indeed, a very personal thing that requires delicate handling, and we are grateful to be that source of compassionate community- along with some healthy boundaries- for many different people.
Blessed be,
RabbitKenaz Filan,
Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts and links here. It is my hope that anyone reading this who shares your feelings will now be able to find you more readily in the spirit of common beliefs.
As for the content of your post, I feel uncomfortable at your suggestion that Dianics should only perform our rites and feel safe to set our own boundaries in a cloistered, private space. That feels alarmingly like "Don't ask, don't tell" to me. I think the greatest possible point of success in diversity is reached when NO ONE feels that they must compromise who they are, and when we each choose to allow others to be most fully who they are as well in mutual respect, if not agreement.
In terms of the organizers' desires to hold an event where everyone feels safe, I think that PCon staff are already doing an amazing job of that. After all, it is called "PAN-theacon," not "Just-a-few-aCon." That means that ALL voices are represented as valid, within the very reasonable structure that PCon has designed. In case you have not read it, I have included here the link http://pantheacon.com/wordpress/ to the full text of the letter about this upcoming PCon from Glenn Turner, founder of PCon.
"Like the right to free speech, I will defend your right to be different. We thrive best as our borders get stretched and we see many approaches. This is resilience."
Kenaz Filan, I appreciate your scholarship in your field and your commitment to your personal ideals in the world. I respect your right to hold whatever opinions you like, even unfavorable ones about me or my group. And I wish you well.
Blessed be,
Yeshe RabbitHello Rabbit,
It's been a while since you wrote this post, but as I just decided to research the brouhaha at Pantheacon 2011 (again) after reading about Mother of the New Time this morning and wanted to make sure I was energetically supporting a group that includes cis-women. It's a personal caveat of mine when invited to a Dianic ritual. I won't participate unless that inclusiveness exists.
I want to thank you for clarifying your position as well as delineating your view of the events as they unfolded. It makes me happy that I will be able to participate in the Mother of New Time rituals from now on.
P.S. Please ignore the blog title. My LJ ID (http://tanith-astlik.livejournal.com/) wasn't allowed for some reason.Hi Meredith,
Thanks for writing. I think you may have meant to write "trans-women" where you wrote "cis-women" above? Either way, the Amazon Priestesses have not turned any trans woman away from any public offering, and we welcome our sisters, both cis- and trans- (as well as those who choose not to identify with either of those terms), to participate in the Mothers of the New Time.
I also plan to write about the inclusive nature of our upcoming PCon rites on this blog in the next few days, for the sake of complete clarity.
Blessed be,
I am sorry I am only just now reading this. I would like to address this statement, " Unbeknownst to me, this group had already contacted the Pagan Newswire Collective letting them know that they planned this action."
I was at PantheaCon last year and am also Managing Editor for PNC (although then I was a Bureau Editor). I was not contacted, nor do I know of any other PNC writers or editors who were contacted ahead of time. I'm interested in finding out more about this.
Cara SchulzHi Cara,
To be fair to the reporter who told me this, please contact me directly at rabbit (at) sacredwell (dot) com and I will happily send a three-way email. I don't feel comfortable giving out this person's private contact info w/out permission via a blog.
Thank you for following up!
Yeshe Rabbit


text:
Adobe Flash Player 10 Now Ready
As of Wednesday Adobe has finally made its Flash Player version 10 available for download. The unusual part is that Adobe released its Windows, Mac, and Linux versions simultaneously. Linux users would normally have to be more patient.
The Flash Player has not undergone many changes since the last announcement of its release candidate. Linux users can download the software off the Adobe webpage. Along with a .deb package for Ubuntu Hardy Heron there is also an .rpm package and a tar.gz archive.
Users should deinstall the previous version first, based on prior experience. The new Flash Player will possibly soon also be installable via the distributions' package manager.
Adobe Flash update available for Linux
Yeah, the Flash version 10 is now available for Linux,
and doesn't work for me!
I've accepted that the Linux versions of Flash have been
behind the Windoze releases, but at least I could
receive Flash content.
This latest release for Linux isn't even recognized by
my Firefox 2.x browser, (yes I know that FF is now at 3.x,
but FF 2.x is still quite good and viable on older Linux
Perhaps Adobe should have done a bit more testing with
this Linux release.
Issue 158/2014
Buy this issue as a PDF
Digital Issue: Price $9.99
(incl. VAT)
Tag Cloud
New Mint Minted
Version 16 of the popular Linux desktop reveals new tools, edge-snapping, and performance improvements.
New Worm Attacks Linux Devices
Symantec says Linux-Darlioz burrows in through PHP.
Project Sputnik Gets a Boost
Dell renews its quest for the ultimate developer machine.
Sneaky New Linux Attack Discovered in the Wild
Innovative back door looks like normal SSH traffic.
CeBIT Call for Papers
One of CeBITs most successful forums opens the new year with a new name. The popular Open Source Forum continues in 2014 under the name Special Conference: Open Source. This year, the forum will be bigger and offer a wider range of possibilities for sponsors.
Linus Announces Linux Kernel 3.12
New release offers better graphics drivers and expands filesystem support.
Dark Alliance Reinvents Email Security
New mail protocol will shut out the NSA and prevent snooping on metadata.
DDos Attack Map Charts Denial of Service
A new web application helps users visualize distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Saucy Salamander Gets Legs
Ubuntu 13.10 takes a step toward convergence, with lots of mobility, but Mir only partly here.
Intel and Arduino Create Pi-Like System
Galileo board is targeted to embedded developers and educational institutions.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
BarclayHedge released its May flash report on Monday for managed futures trading programs managing at least $50 million and it was not pretty. May was a tough month for commodity trading advisors (CTAs)as the preliminary report showed the Barclay CTA Index down 1.79% and the Barclay BTOP 50 Index down 2.49%.
The culprit for the poor performance appears to be the large reversal in commodities that started in May in response to an upward correction in the U.S. dollar.
Another interesting element in the report is that year-to-date the Barclay CTA Index is up 0.53% while the Barclay BTOP 50 Index (largest managers by assets under management) is down 2.34%. This indicates a more difficult trading environment for managers concentrating their allocations in the most liquid sectors — financial and energies — as oppposed to managers with a broader allocation.
The following slide show illustrates what happened in May and in 2011 in general:
Crude oil:
Sugar (Sugar's reversal was less dramatic and in the opposite direction but would have added losses, particularly as it was non-correlated to the prevailing trend in commodities):
The large financial and energy markets have been pretty choppy in 2011, which most likely lead to numerous false starts and stop losses.
30-year bond:
Natural gas:
E-mini S&P 500:


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Fire-alarm call box | What's up with that?
Are the old-school pull stations functional?
I found this strange, old-school fire alarm attached to a light pole at Broadway near Rosemont Avenue. Does it still function at this junction?—N.A., Rogers Park
Long before you could call 9-1-1 while snapping a photo of a developing blaze, on-street alarm call boxes (also sometimes called pull stations) were frequently used to alert firefighters, says Chicago Fire Department chief Kevin MacGregor. "Today, they've pretty much gone by the wayside," he says. "The city has disconnected most of them or taken them off of street corners, unless it's a location by a school or a hospital."
In the aftermath of the 1958 fire at Humboldt Park's Our Lady of the Angels School, which killed 92 students and three nuns, the City Council's fire-code reforms demanded more alarms inside and outside of public buildings and that they be directly connected to dispatch. (Like alarms in many buildings built before the '60s, Our Lady of the Angels' rang inside the school but did not notify the fire department.)
The Broadway and Rosemont call box is disconnected, MacGregor says, since there isn't a large public building near the intersection. Does he remember the last time a pull station was used for something other than a prank false alarm? "Please!" he says with exasperation. "No, I don't."


text:
Renewable Energy
This group will focus on the issues associated with incorporating renewable energy sources like Solar PV, Solar Thermal, Geothermal, Small Wind, Small Hydro into the Residential Energy Efficiency and Sustainability business model.
63 members
89 members
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Home Energy Pros was founded by the developers of Home Energy Saver Pro (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) and brought to you in partnership with Home Energy magazine.
© 2013 Created by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.


text:
Web site discussing the "increased" DNA Architecture Design Complexity with
Visual Studio.NET
DNA Layers and "Code Behind" Towers
Any comments appreciated. (Oh, just flame away if you want to.)
Results 1 to 12 of 12
Top DevX Stories
Easy Web Services with SQL Server 2005 HTTP Endpoints JavaOne 2005: Java Platform Roadmap Focuses on Ease of Development, Sun Focuses on the "Free" in F.O.S.S. Wed Yourself to UML with the Power of Associations Microsoft to Add AJAX Capabilities to ASP.NET IBM's Cloudscape Versus MySQL |


text:
Senate Environment and Public Works Cmte. Hearing (right-click to copy direct link)
Washington, DC Wednesday, June 13, 2012
President Obama's nominee to head the Nuclear Regulatory Commission promised to create positive working relationships with her fellow Commissioners, a reference to concerns about her predecessor Gregory Jaczko. The Chairman has been the subject of public complaints by other Commissioners regarding his management style.
If confirmed, Professor Allison Macfarlane would be the first geologist to head the Commission. She appeared before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee alongside current Commissioner Kristine Svinicki. At the hearing, Chairman Barbara Boxer of California vowed to oppose Sviniki's reappointment, citing her positions on storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain and safety issues at a California nuclear plant.
Updated: Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at 4:13pm (ET)
Video Playlist
Related Resources
Photo Gallery


text:
Does RMI support asynchronous method calls? Is it necessary to kick out a
new thread in the remote object to process the call to it asynchronously?
Results 1 to 2 of 2
Top DevX Stories
Easy Web Services with SQL Server 2005 HTTP Endpoints JavaOne 2005: Java Platform Roadmap Focuses on Ease of Development, Sun Focuses on the "Free" in F.O.S.S. Wed Yourself to UML with the Power of Associations Microsoft to Add AJAX Capabilities to ASP.NET IBM's Cloudscape Versus MySQL |


text:
Get showered with compliments wearing this gorgeous designer bracelet. Designed by Fritz Casuse, a Native American artist from the Navajo Nation and produced by Relios for collectors across the globe, this bracelet expresses an organic take on traditional designs and techniques. This bracelet features a sculptured pink rhodonite cabochon held by vine-like prongs paired with a crisp white pearl and a sterling silver calla lily design. The perfect gift for the flower lover in your family. Closes with a unique toggle. Wearable from 7-1/4" long to 8-1/4" long and 7/8" wide. Made in America with gemstones from around the world.
Like all fine jewelry, Carolyn Pollack Sterling Silver Jewelry should be handled carefully. Store jewelry in a plastic bag, dry and wrapped in tissue paper, when not being worn or displayed. Clean sterling silver with a silver polishing cloth when necessary, but never subject to chlorine, silver dips, chemical solutions or ultrasonic cleaners, as these substances can cause the natural gemstones to discolor. Never wear jewelry in a swimming pool.


text:
Complimentary Shipping
NO MINIMUM* see details
See Details See Details CloseFREE SHIPPING - No Minimum. *Limited time only. Offer not valid in stores. This offer applies to standard ground shipping on internet orders only. This offer only applies to orders delivered in the US and cannot be applied to previous purchases. Not valid on beauty, fragrance, or hosiery purchases.
The ultimate cult product. Try it to believe it. Totally gentle and effective. Delicately scented with Cashmere Mist, this advanced formula also controls wetness and perspiration, keeping you feeling dry and smelling fresh all day. So gentle it can be used immediately after shaving without irritation. Perfect for even sensitive skin.


text:
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A new slogan appearing on the T-shirts and banners of anti-government protesters in Venezuela sums up a growing sentiment about President Hugo Chavez after 11 years in power: "You struck out."
The list of strikes against Chavez keeps growing: Latin America's worst inflation, increased blackouts, runaway violent crime and a scandal involving bankers close to his government.
The socialist-inspired governing model that Chavez calls his Bolivarian Revolution — named after 19th-century independence leader Simon Bolivar — is weakened and hobbling. And though Chavez retains close ties with a bloc of leftist governments from Bolivia to Nicaragua, many Latin Americans don't see Venezuela's oil-funded populism as viable.
Among Venezuelans, Chavez's popularity slipped below 50 percent in polls late last year.
The protest slogan "you struck out" recently appeared on banners held up during Venezuelan baseball games, which Chavez himself follows closely, and spread to signs and shirts during street demonstrations.
Last week, thousands gathered to denounce the government for yanking the anti-Chavez channel RCTV from cable television, and clashes involving riot police, government supporters and anti-Chavez students left two youths dead. Also last week, Chavez's vice president and defense minister, Ramon Carrizalez, resigned citing personal reasons.
State-imposed economic controls, meanwhile, have failed to contain 25 percent inflation, rapidly eroding the earnings of the poor who have been Chavez's core of political support. Chavez's devaluation of the currency this month — aimed at allowing the government finances to boost public spending — is expected to push prices even higher.
To counter that, Chavez deployed inspectors and soldiers to check, threatening to expropriate any businesses engaging in price-gouging. Some have been temporarily shut down. The government recently seized a French-controlled retail chain, Exito.
Chavez's foes say such measures will only further discourage private investment, which fell 7.6 percent last year amid the nationalization of banks, coffee producers and oil field service companies.
Critics also decry a banking scandal that broke in November in which several bankers with close government ties were arrested on charges of financial crimes.
Other problems weighing on Chavez include:
— A hydropower-dependent electrical grid at risk of a devastating collapse as drought pushes water levels precariously low. The government has imposed electricity rationing, but Chavez called off rolling outages in Caracas after complaints of mistakes, including power cuts to hospitals and stoplights.
— Declining output by the key oil industry caused in part, experts say, by inadequate investment and inept management.
— A crime rate so alarming that police no longer release complete murder statistics, even as Venezuelans consistently deem crime their No. 1 concern. The government reported 12,257 homicides in the first 11 months of 2009, putting Venezuela among Latin America's most violent countries.
Critics say Chavez recognizes he is in a bind, explaining his increasingly confrontational attitude toward an opposition he apparently sees as an growing threat. They say he's afraid he could lose control of the National Assembly in elections due in September.
Elsewhere in Latin America, Chavez is also highly unpopular. A regionwide survey last year by Chile-based Latinobarometro found only 27 percent said they had a favorable opinion of Chavez. Chile's newly elected president, Sebastian Pinera, salted the wound by saying during the campaign that Chavez's Venezuela is "not a democracy."
Chavez also seems to carry less clout abroad these days. His bitter complaint that the U.S. deployment of troops in Haiti for earthquake relief efforts looks like a military occupation was vehemently echoed only by the leaders of Cuba, Bolivia and Nicaragua.
And despite his antagonism toward Washington, which he accuses of backing the failed 2002 coup, Chavez is linked inextricably to the U.S. because it is the top buyer of Venezuelan crude.
But to those predicting the beginning of the end for Chavismo, the president advises: "They should get some good chairs so that they can sit and wait."
Indeed, for many leftist leaders in Latin America, Chavez's success in galvanizing Venezuela's poor has been an encouraging example. Chavez has leveraged those alliances to amplify his voice.
And for all the recent complaints, Chavez remains Venezuela's most popular politician, aided by populist programs including cash benefits for single mothers and health clinics staffed by Cuban doctors. He has plenty of money to pump into those programs, especially after the devaluation effectively doubled Venezuela's oil earnings when converted into local currency.
Insisting his revolution is far from finished, Chavez has dared opponents to petition for a recall vote like the one he survived in 2004 with 58 percent.
"They say I should quit," Chavez said last week, "because I'm not worth anything, because the country is collapsing. ... Well, why don't they hold a recall referendum then?"
His biggest strength may lie in the weakness of Venezuela's opposition, which has yet to capitalize on the erosion in support for Chavez, who is up for re-election in 2012.
Not a single challenger has emerged who seems capable of breaking his hold on power.
Ian James is the Caracas bureau chief for The Associated Press.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Barrington Broadcasting is a member of the AP Network.


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Hit List
We all found it an excruciating process to reduce our favourite albums of the year to a mere 10, testament to what a thoroughly brilliant year it's been. We hope you enjoy our selections and would like to invite you to send us your end of year lists which we are displaying in store for all to enjoy. Send your top 10 to firstname.lastname@example.com
ASHLI'S TOP 10 (in order)
CIAN CIARAN - Outside InSFAs keys and buttons man Cian almost knocked me sideways with the opening line of this wonderful album ... "Whatever happened to all the people who gave a f***". Like all great things, so simple but delivered with the utmost conviction.
ISLET – Illuminated People
This is certainly an album that takes some time to seep in to the brain as there's so much going on, so many complex threads and layers but heck, once it's in you're hooked! Those kinds of albums are always the most enduring and over the course of nearly a year since its release my enjoyment of this album has multiplied again and again.
TINDERSTICKS - Something Rain
I'm surprised to have an album by this band in my top ten having always 'liked' but never loved them. Album opener is a challenging start to a tender and shimmering album. I don't think I've heard a track quite so moving as Shiver all year. Released in February, it's an album I've returned to many a time and it just gets stronger.
CARTER TUTTI VOID - Transverse
Not coming from a background fully versed in the works of Throbbing Gristle or Factory Floor this album was approached with fresh ears and no preconceptions (though I do check out most releases on the Mute label). This is a live album which pulsates and chugs to almost threatening and foreboding hypnotic realms and hence is why it's probably my 'most played after-hours-in-the-shop' album this year! Only for the brave.
PIL - This Is PIL
The monosyllabic delivery and space within these tracks are signature PIL. As their first album in 20 years I wasn't expecting a great deal from this comeback. The band backing Lydon are flipping marvelous with special mention to Lu Edmonds whose guitar work makes this album top ten material. Utterly compelling and also responsible for one of my most memorable gigs of the year (Bristol, 02).
SHARON VAN ETTEN – Tramp
Though musically not the same, SVE's presence reminds me PJ Harvey, all earnest and intense in the same kind of way. Musically, this album is emotion laid bare and the frankness of her song writing is startling stuff.
ANYWHERE - Anywhere
It's not often that a collaborative album can surpass the love you have for the constitute bands but Anywhere are a welcome exception to the rule. Consisting of bits of Sleepy Sun, At the Drive In and Minutemen, this is s sprawling psych-rock delight which occupies the same territory the likes of Islet & Goat have been praised for.
MAMA ROSIN – Bye Bye Bayou
Coming from Switzerland with an appreciation of Cajun roots and punk delivery this Jon Spencer (Blues Explosion) produced album is a kick-ass injection of fun and energy. Seeing them support Bellowhead this year was another gig highlight!
JOHN TALABOT - Fin
Ah, beautiful, minimal and exquisitely executed electronic music. Yet another album that you'll only 'get' properly on repeated FULL album listens (in your face one track downloader losers, you're missing out!).
BOBBY WOMACK - The Bravest Man in The Universe
Produced by Richard Russell, this album has a similar story and feels like the Gil Scott Heron he produced a couple of years ago. With the lifestyle Womack has lived, there's a remorseful undercurrent to the lyrics which are at times really powerful and moving.
Tracks of note / Class tunes from the year.
Spoek Mathambo – Let Them Talk
Friends – I'm his girl
Flaming Lips / Jim James of My Morning Jacket – That Ain't My Trip
Cousins - Palpable Depression (Euros Childs + Meilyr Jones Racehorses)
Leonard Cohen – Different Sides
Tom Jones – Evil
BEN'S TOP 10 (alphabetical)
BEACHWOOD SPARKS – TARNISHED GOLDBack with a bang from a ten year hiatus, this heavily 70's influenced band return in style. Creating a blissful, hippy, country infused album.
Super group Beak> return for album number two. Geoff Barrow(Portishead) Matt Williams (Team Brick) & Billy Fuller (Massive Attack) create a psychedelic, kraut-rock masterpiece. Neu! & Can would be proud!
Heavier, spookier & louder (at times) than previous album. Cate's made a triumphant effort, which improves on her signature folky psych-rock sound.
Completely departing from their old sound of lo-fi garage punk, Attack On Memory see's the band come back with proper production and a more grungy sound. The two opening tracks are so different you wouldnt even recognize this as the same band, and with track two being nearly nine minutes long, its a hell of a listen! (Oh yeah and to make it even better, it was produced by the man Steve Albini!)
I was obsessed with this album when it came out. Its such a mental, mind bending, genre breaking effort full of twisted hooks. Trying to describe it is hard, but it kind of sounds like a mix of The Melvins, early Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and a shed load of other bands all mixed into one.
This is definitely my favourite album of the year. I found out about them after watching the stunning documentary Big Easy Express, which see's these guys, Old Crow Medicine show & Mumford & Sons touring southern America on a train. This 11-piece band create down-home, freak folk, bright hippy psychedelic colors and farmhouse harmonies. It will guarantee to put you in a good mood!
Diamond Mine is a seven-track collection of previously unrecorded King Creosote originals that have been doused in Brian Eno-inspired sounds-capes by ambient producer Jon Hopkins. Littered with rural field recordings and studded with occasional flourishes of accordions and strings, its one of the most beautiful albums i've ever heard.
This cajun three piece are my new favorite band. Consisting of Accordian, Guitar and drums, they also swap around to Banjo & Wash-board to create a knee's up, cajun punk infused screamer. To make it even better the recording is amazing! Produced & recorded by John Spencer (from the blue's explosion)
Metz recall the early days of the Seattle grunge scene, when grunge was thunderous and menacing, so its only appropriate that they were signed to Sub Pop. This Canadian group's debut is extra heavy and full of what you want.
After releasing three albums last year, and this being the fourth of this year, the busy Ty Segall teams up with White Fence to create an awesome garage rock classic!
ALLO DARLIN' - EuropeSecond album from indie-pop, ahem, darlin's. Full of energy and enthusiasm bursting with jangling guitars and ukeleles and tales of long lost friends, travel, hand scribbled letters, Silver Jews cassettes and other such delights. "A record isn't just a record / records can hold memories" is probably the best line of the year for me.
BEAK> - Beak>>
Second album of b(l)eak post apocalyptic electronic drones and squwaks from this Bristol "supergroup". Similar to the development between the two Fuck Buttons records this one gains even more menace and a new found sense of purpose. (Recommended further reading: Drokk, Knife Liibrary, Fairhorns, etc.)
CLINIC - Free Reign
Apparently this is their seventh album (not including "3EPs") but they're still finding distinctive new forms and sounds whilst retaining their identity. Some of the soothing psychedelic elements from Bubblegum remain whilst bring forth free jazzish saxophone and electronic elements, underpinned by their distinctive rock solid Kraut inspired rhythm section.
In this year of boxsets, great new material and massive Hyde Park gigs it's easy to forget that Graham has more solo albums than Blur albums under his belt. This return to the noisy lo-fi slacker sensibilities of "The Sky Is Too High" and "The Golden D" is a welcome one (possibly a reaction to having to play "Country House" again!).
THE JUST JOANS - Buckfast Bottles In The Rain
Pure unadulterated indie pop. From Scotland, obviously. Mythologising those heady days of leaving school (side one) and heading to university (side two) in the late 90s / early 2000s (you probably have to be about 31 to fully enjoy this album). Taking cues, references and in some cases entire choruses from their heroes (y'know, the usual - Beach Boys, Sleeper, Menswe@r, The Wonderstuff etc.) interwoven with their own wry observations and delightfully unique accents this record always leaves me a little bit teary.
BEN KWELLER - Go Fly A Kite
Career defining album from "you know, that guy that was in Radish". 15 years on and at the grand old age of 30 Ben makes music that sounds like the work of a man twice his age but with the verve of perpetual youth. Power pop given an indie rock scuzz or indie rock given a power pop shine, hard to tell which but both work!
THE LOVELY EGGS - Wildlife
"This is our band. We do exactly what we want. That's how it goes when you have your own band. Some of our songs are ten seconds long. Some are four minutes long. We don't care. Because it doesn't matter. We have a lot of different songs. Welcome to our world." So says the front page of thelovelyeggs.co.uk and I don't think there is anything else to add.
RACE HORSES - Furniture
Quite the leap forward from 2010's amazing "Goodbye Falkenburg". Embracing much more of a sleek disco sound but after the intial shock wears off your realise that underneath they've kept much of what makes them such a unique prospect. Ditching most of the psychedelic whimsy in favour of a Big Pop Sound whilst keeping their delicately spun lyrics and catchy tunes and choruses.
ANDREW PAUL REGAN - The Signal And The Noise
Pagan Wanderer Lu comes clean about his shady anagramatic past. Infectious electronic melodies and intriguing stories (all wrapped up in one of Croatoan Design's best sleeves). Features guest vocals from Liz Hunt (The School) on early highlight "Mistakes Our Parents Made". Tales of families, robots, spies and babies intertwine to create a fascinating listen from start to finish.
THE WAVE PICTURES - Long Black Cars
Yes, yes, Knopfler, blah, blah, Dire Straits, blah... I DON'T CARE! This is the most instantly satisfying Wave Pictures album so far. Pretty much every track on this album could (and should!) be a single. It feels like pretty much everytime we play this in the shop someone walks out with a copy before we're even halfway through. Great stuff!
STEVE'S TOP 10 (in order)
WINDY & CARL - We Will Always Be - (Kranky)Windy Weber and Carl Hultgren come from Michigan,USA, and head off into outer space.
JOHANN JOHANNSSON - Copenhagen Dreams
Soundtrack to a documentary film by this Icelandic composer.
OLAFUR ARNALDS - Another Happy Day - (Erased Tapes)
Beautiful soundtrack to the film Another Happy Day by Icelandic composer Olafur Arnalds.
LOSCIL - Sketches From New Brighton - (Kranky)
Canadian artist Scott Morgan returns with an album of ambient sounds inspired by an oceanside park in Vancouver.
PETER BRODERICK - These Walls Of Mine - (Erased Tapes) Excellent new album of incredibly personal songs by this American singer / songwriter.
DREAMSCAPE - La-Di-Da Recordings - (Kranky)
Reissue on the excellent Kranky label from this 1990's Shoegaze band from Bristol.
EAT LIGHTS BECOME LIGHTS - Heavy Electrics - (Rocket Girl)
Eat Lights Become Lights mix Krautrock rhythms and celestial drones to heavenly effect. An album with a great track record for selling off the shop stereo!
KREIDLER - Den - (Bureau B)
Great new album from German band Kreidler and their modern take on Krautrock.
FUXA - Electric Sounds Of Summer - (Rocket Girl)
Randall Neiman returns for a new album of warm analogue drone / pop.
NILS FRAHM - Screws - (Erased Tapes)
Post-classical wunderkind Nils Frahm returns with his beautiful new album on the excellent Erased Tapes label.
Artist Olafur Arnalds
Title Another Happy Day (OST)
Label Erased Tapes
Title Another Happy Day (OST)
Label Erased Tapes
+ Format: CD
Price: £10.99
Artist Beak > (Geoff Barrow)
Title >>
Label Invada
Title >>
Label Invada
+ Format: CD
Price: £11.99
+ Format: 2LP
Price: £21.99
Artist Peter Broderick
Title These Walls Of Mine
Label Erased Tapes
Title These Walls Of Mine
Label Erased Tapes
+ Format: CD
Price: £10.99
+ Format: LP
Price: £18.99
Artist Cate Le Bon
Title CYKR
Label Ovni/Turnstile
Title CYKR
Label Ovni/Turnstile
+ Format: CD
Price: £9.99
+ Format: LP
Price: £11.99
Artist Cian Ciaran
Title Outside In
Label Dell'orso Records
Title Outside In
Label Dell'orso Records
+ Format: CD
Price: £9.99
+ Format: LTD LP
Price: £13.99
Artist Eat Lights Become Lights
Title Heavy Electrics
Label Rocket Girl
Title Heavy Electrics
Label Rocket Girl
+ Format: CD
Price: £9.99
Artist Lovely Eggs
Title Wildlife
Label Egg
Title Wildlife
Label Egg
+ Format: CD
Price: £8.99
+ Format: LP
Price: £11.99
Artist Mama Rosin
Title Bye Bye Bayou
Label Moi J'connais
Title Bye Bye Bayou
Label Moi J'connais
+ Format: CD
Price: £9.99
+ Format: LP
Price: £15.99
Artist Race Horses (WMP 2013)
Title Furniture
Label Stolen Records
Title Furniture
Label Stolen Records
+ Format: CD
Price: £8.99
+ Format: LP
Price: £12.99
Artist Andrew Paul Regan
Title The Signal And The Noise
Label Brainlove
Title The Signal And The Noise
Label Brainlove
+ Format: CD
Price: £9.99
Artist Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Title Here
Label Rough Trade
Title Here
Label Rough Trade
+ Format: CD
Price: £10.99
Artist Tindersticks
Title Something Rain / San Sebastian 2012 (2CD)
Label City Slang
Title Something Rain / San Sebastian 2012 (2CD)
Label City Slang
+ Format: 2CD
Price: £12.99


text:
Saturday, April 17, 2010
30 comments:
- Becca
This is such a precious picture! You're gorgeous!
- April 18, 2010 at 12:18 AM
- alex
Beautiful picture! You will be in my thoughts and prayers during the upcoming days!
- April 18, 2010 at 3:29 AM
- Elizabeth
you are a wonderful mother, Laura! and you are in my prayers this week especially!
- April 18, 2010 at 4:30 AM
- Angie
What a beautiful picture. You have had to handle more than anyone should have to, with grace and love for your son. I am and will be praying for you during the upcoming days also.
- April 18, 2010 at 5:47 AM
- Anne
You are a beautiful pregnant woman and a beautiful mom :)
- April 18, 2010 at 7:17 AM
- The Psycho Mama
I gave you an award. Come check it out! You are beautiful Laura.
http://thepsychomama.blogspot.com/2010/04/blog-awards.html - April 18, 2010 at 8:02 AM
- jenni
Such a beautiful picture <3
- April 18, 2010 at 9:41 AM
- krumpypic
You are beautiful. Thinking of you and Eli and Jon constantly during the next several days.
~Heather - April 18, 2010 at 10:24 AM
- Kahla
Beautiful. My thoughts and prayers are with you daily.
- April 18, 2010 at 8:37 PM
- Krystle
I just came across your blog via the photog forum. I just wanted to say as a young(er) mother that you are incredible. You are handling this with the grace that a far wiser woman may not have. My daughter has had some difficulties, and I think more people should really take perspective. Not take anything for granted. I wish you the best of luck and I will be patiently waiting with you, as you welcome your son into the world.
- April 19, 2010 at 7:18 PM
- The Pacheco's
I have been following your story for a while now, I can't believe the time is almost here. I will also like many others be praying and hoping for the best this week!
- April 19, 2010 at 11:03 PM
- Toymommy2001
I buried my infant son. His coming and going was sudden and unexpected. I didn't have the months of knowing that you did. The differences in our stories....are they different crosses or different blessings? Maybe both. Your story is such a beautiful testimony to life. May God be with you in the days ahead, and give you the strength, peace, and grace to see you through.
- April 20, 2010 at 12:08 AM
Will be praying for you and your family on Saturday. God bless little Elijah.
- April 20, 2010 at 9:47 AM
You are in my thoughts and prayers constantly. I am praying for a safe delivery for you both and that the coming days will find you surrounded by God's love and strength.
- April 20, 2010 at 10:37 AM
- Christine
This is such a beautiful photo of you two! Praying for you even more than ever Laura!
- April 20, 2010 at 5:33 PM
I don't know if this can bring you any comfort, but I love what they said about the flower at the end....
http://mattandginny.blogspot.com/2006/11/celebration-of-life.html - April 20, 2010 at 6:00 PM
- Mrs. S
Eli knows how much you love him - he can feel it. What an amazing woman and mother you are!Sending lots of strength and prayers to you and your family right now.
- April 20, 2010 at 6:01 PM
You are such an inspiration for mothers everywhere. My daughter and I continue to pray every night for you. I hope God comforts you and your family in the days to come. I will be thinking of you and Elijah. God bless.
- April 20, 2010 at 6:34 PM
- Soap
Beautiful picture. You are in my thoughts.
- April 20, 2010 at 7:32 PM
- Samantha
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, you're an amazing strong woman and I have been thinking of you since you found out about Eli's condition. All my family's love is with you all. God bless you.
- April 21, 2010 at 6:27 PM
you are an amazing mother and Elijah is lucky to have you....I pray God will give you great moments together before calling him back home....
- April 22, 2010 at 7:57 PM
- Haley
- April 23, 2010 at 6:54 AM
I have been and will be thinking of you and your family. Eli is so lucky to have you as his Mama. Sending love, thoughts and prayers your way. You are an inspiration.
Crista - April 23, 2010 at 8:05 AM
- Tiffany
Your family is in my heart and prayers! You are such an amazing, strong mother. Bless Eli and may God watch over him!
- April 23, 2010 at 10:39 AM
- Carolyn
We'll be praying for you and your family. Your in our thoughts! {{{Hugs}}}
- April 23, 2010 at 11:39 AM
- Amber
I'm thinking about you and sweet Elijah today...
- April 23, 2010 at 7:45 PM
- Erika J. Anderson
So many women on The Bump are thinking of you and praying for you and your family. You have touched so many of us.
- April 23, 2010 at 8:05 PM
- Emily
What a beautiful photo. My thoughts and prayers are with you now, tomorrow, and always!
- April 24, 2010 at 1:42 AM
- Diana
What a beautiful picture!
- April 24, 2010 at 6:46 AM
What a special love that you have for baby Eli. Please take great comfort in knowing that GOD will hold Elijah in his arms for you, until you get there to do it yourself. I can not know just how heartbreaking this is for you and your husband, and pray that you both find some comfort and peace in the days to come. Give your daughter an extra hug in the days to come, for the hug that you can not physically give to Elijah, and know that he knows how much you sacrificed and loved for him! He felt the love you had for him, each day he was in your tummy, and for the hours that he was in our world.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Tracy Schlereth - April 26, 2010 at 1:34 AM
Our Journey
Eli's Story
About Me
- I have such an amazing family, I am so blessed. My husband Jon and I have a beautiful daughter named Dylan who is constantly making us smile. We also have a son, Elijah, who has changed our world and touched our hearts. Even though he is an angel now, we will always embrace and celebrate his life.


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Learn what you can do to avoid ski injury and other common winter sports injury.
Managing your diet can go a long way toward easing your IBS symptoms. Here's a list of foods that commonly trigger IBS.
Is it safe to toast to good health this holiday season? Doctors examine whether the benefits of imbibing outweigh the risks.
Can HIV be transmitted through this sexual activity? Dr. Jose Gonzalez-Garcia answers this commonly-asked question.
Discover constipation remedies and how to prevent it.
Pimples on your buttocks? Stinky feet? We've got the answers to 10 of your most blush-worthy health questions.


text:
+Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Public Health Response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - Louisiana, 2005 (PDF — 535K)
Disasters & the Law
UC Berkeley School of Law
Home>tag: The Environment & Climate Change>tag: Emergency Response>provider not given
7 entriesexpand all
+Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Public Health Response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - United States, 2005 (PDF — 501K)
+United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS),, The 2nd Annual Department of Homeland Security University Network Summit (March 19-20, 2008)
"The Office of University Programs, Science and Technology Directorate is sponsoring a summit to showcase key research and education priorities of the Department of Homeland Security Centers of Excellence, the Science and Technology Directorate and the Department of Homeland Security at large. The Summit highlights the efforts of the Office of University Programs as it continues to rise to the challenges associated with helping to protect the Nation. Subject matter experts from academia, industry, government and the international community will address the latest homeland security research and education issues in the following areas: Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events; Security of Agriculture and the Food System; Studies of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism; Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response; Chemical and Biological Threats and Countermeasures; Emerging Threats; University Programs Homeland Security Education Initiatives; International Homeland Security Research Challenges."—Website.
This website includes pdf files of speakers' presentations and facts sheets produced in conjunction with the conference.
+United States Environmental Protection Agency, Good Neighbor Environmental Board, National Disasters and the Environment Along the U.S. - Mexico Border ( Eleventh Report of the Good Neighbor Environmental Board) (March 2008) (PDF — 5.9M)
+United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), GAO Reports and Testimonies Related to Disaster Preparedness, Response and Reconstruction
+United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), Hurricane Katrina: Providing Oversight of the Nation's Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Activities (September 28, 2005)
+United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), Improvements Needed in Availability of Health Screening and Monitoring Services for Responders (GAO-07-1228T(September 11, 2007) (Testimony before the Subcommittee on Health, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives (PDF — 340K)


text:
The new SinePower inverter series clearly comes up to professional standards with continuous power ratings of 2500 watts. Delivering pure sine wave voltage SinePower is the best possible choice for highly sensitive and powerful electrical appliances.
The SinePower models meet industry standards and combine ultimate user comfort with even more technical features, including the automatic activation of the sleep mode when no 230-volt appliances are being operated – an energysaving feature that reduces the strain on the board battery.


text:
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Make me feel better about myself and tell me I'm not the only one who did this, and just browsed the web while it went through on its own? =P
I figured after two runs of the ES2 on RB2, I deserve this break. If you hate me for being "cheap", cool. If you think this is a genius theory, it isn't, it's been around since Guitar Hero World Tour introduced beginner vocals.
Oh, and if you need confirmation that this works, it's how I got the achievement. I figure if there's no online for this game, why even try to get platinum if I have it in RB2?


text:
Hearty pasta soup
Cooking time
Prep: 5 mins Cook: 25 minsSkill level
Serves 4Do something different with a pack of tortellini. This filling soup is full of fibre, low fat and full of veg. The perfect lunch or supper
Nutrition and extra info
Additional info
- High in fibre, 3 of 5-a-day. freeze before adding pasta
- Easily doubled / halved
- Vegetarian
Nutrition per serving
- kcalories
- 286
- protein
- 11g
- carbs
- 44g
- fat
- 9g
- saturates
- 3g
- fibre
- 6g
- sugar
- 11g
- salt
- 0.88g
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1l vegetable stock
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 200g frozen mixed peas and beans
- 250g pack fresh filled tortellini (we used spinach and ricotta)
- handful of basil leaves (optional)
- grated parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), to serve
Buy Ingredients
Buy the ingredients for this recipe now via:
Want to know how this works? Read all about it here.
- Heat oil in a pan. Fry the carrots and onion for 5 mins until starting to soften. Add the stock and tomatoes, then simmer for 10 mins. Add the peas and beans with 5 mins to go.
- Once veg is tender, stir in the pasta. Return to the boil and simmer for 2 mins until the pasta is just cooked. Stir in the basil, if using. Season, then serve in bowls topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan and slices of garlic bread.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2008
Comments, questions and tips
My vegetarian partner goes crazy for Italian food and he simply loved this one. Since we like spicy meals, I added 2 sliced garlic cloves and a generous pinch of chili flakes to the onion. Also used some fresh parsley leaves, balsamic vinegar and a small bit of brown sugar to the sauce. Seasoned with black pepper. Used only frozen peas as I didn't have beans. Didn't use all the stock I think. It was absolutely delicious and will surely do again soon!!
Loved this soup, easy, quick, cheap and delicious!
Changed I made:
- Replaced carrot with leek, because I don't like carrots and leek gives soups a great flavour (added the leek at the same time as the other veg)
- Added some tomato puree to thicken the liquid and for a richer tomato flavour
- Added red beans for some extra protein and because they're yummy
Just before adding the pasta, I spooned half into a plastic container, let it cool and put it in the fridge. The mext day, all I had to do was heat it, add pasta and boil a few more minutes, very convenient.