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The Note: Potomac Primaries
Obama seeks Beltway boost, while Clinton looks to the middle distance.
Feb. 12, 2008 -- For a day, at least, Washington insiders are constituents, not just foils. And they're just the beginning of who's being targeted when the presidential race makes its way through the capital region -- from the Beltway to far beyond -- on Tuesday.
Voters in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia give Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., a chance to extend his winning streak, after a weekend sweep that followed a battle to a practical tie with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., on Super Tuesday.
As Obama looks to pick up delegates and extend his appeal across disparate demographic groups, Clinton is hoping to slow Obama's growing momentum -- even while she looks down the road. As polls close back east, she campaigns in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday -- another sign that she's all-but ceding the remainder of the February contests to build a final firewall on March 4, when Texas and Ohio weigh in.
Polls close at 7 pm ET in Virginia, and at 8 pm ET in Maryland and DC, on a bitterly cold and messy day in the mid-Atlantic region.
According to ABC's delegate scorecard, Clinton holds a 22-delegate lead coming into Tuesday's voting, when 175 additional delegates are at stake -- including seven from the "Democrats abroad" primary. But Clinton's gone cold at the wrong time, and she could wake up Wednesday staring at Obama from the other side of the standings.
Maryland, Virginia, and DC also hold Republican contests on Tuesday; Maryland apportions its delegates by congressional district, while DC and Virginia are winner-take all states, with a total of 113 convention delegates at stake.
Former governor Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., is coming off of a big weekend but has little margin for error given the mathematical challenges involved in his bid to upset Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
The Democrats will be the big show: "Election officials were predicting a heavy turnout for the first-ever 'Potomac Primary,' and a great deal was at stake for the two Democratic candidates," John Wagner, Amy Gardner, and Nikita Stewart report in The Washington Post.
"Obama was angling to sweep the three jurisdictions. For Clinton, a stronger-than-expected showing could blunt Obama's momentum in what has turned into a protracted competition for convention delegates."
One key test for Obama will be white men, with polls showing that white men in Virginia and Maryland could be headed Obama's way, ABC polling director Gary Langer writes. "That's essential to his overall lead in these two states, since in neither of them are African-Americans predicted to have a large enough share to carry Obama themselves," he writes. "That suggests Obama could win white men on Tuesday, as he has in seven of the 23 previous states for which we have data. (Clinton's won them in 11, and they've tied in five.)"
The Chesapeake region offers Obama a snug demographic fit. Virginia, Maryland, and DC "fit the profile of states Obama has been winning," Peter Canellos and Michael Kranish write in The Boston Globe.
"A victory in Washington, D.C., with a large majority of black voters, is considered a foregone conclusion. But Virginia, where blacks account for 27 percent of the Democratic electorate and self-identified liberals are 34 percent, is also likely to be fertile ground for Obama. And Maryland, with 39 percent blacks and 32 percent liberals, should be as well."
If there's going to be a surprise on Tuesday -- keep an eye on Virginia. "The campaigns of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are gearing up for today's presidential primary in Virginia, a key Southern state rife with knotty demographics and shifting party loyalties," Stephen Braun writes in the Los Angeles Times. "Both camps view the Democratic vote in Virginia as their toughest matchup."
The candidates tussled to the end, with Clinton using a WJLA-TV/Politico forum Monday night to accuse Obama of cutting a deal with a top contributor (yes, the "insider" tag hurts inside the Beltway, too).
"Sen. Obama has some questions to answer about his dealings with one of his largest contributors Exelon, a big nuclear power company; apparently he cut some deals behind closed doors to protect them from full disclosure of the nuclear industry," Clinton said, per ABC's Eloise Harper and Tahman Bradley.
And was Obama allowing some confidence to spill into his rhetoric? "I started from scratch and was up against an operation that had been built over the course of 20 years by a former president, with the bulk of the Democratic establishment on their side," he told Leon Harris and John F. Harris on Monday.
"And after setting up a hundred million plus operation with hundreds of employees around the country, it looks like we've played them to a draw so far."
It's a draw that could be untied on Tuesday -- if the energy and enthusiasm is any indication. "Sen. Barack Obama got a rock star's welcome from supporters in College Park and Baltimore yesterday, stirring his supporters into a frenzy on the eve of Maryland's presidential primary," Kelly Brewington and Tom Pelton write in the Baltimore Sun.
"Clinton stuck to smaller venues, including a political science class at the University of Virginia, as both argued they were better equipped to take on Republican John McCain in the fall and deliver on Democratic priorities from the White House," Mike Dorning and Jim Tankersley write in the Chicago Tribune.
"He has momentum and money, and the potential for a month of good news that will further stoke both," Jackie Calmes writes in The Wall Street Journal. "In another year, against another candidate, Illinois's Sen. Obama might be on the verge of nabbing the Democratic nomination. . . . But Sen. Clinton is no average candidate, and party rules give the New York senator enough convention delegates to weather February's squalls until contests in March."
ABC's Jake Tapper posed the question: Should her supporters be concerned that this is not what a winning campaign looks like? Said Clinton: "Well to the contrary, I think it exactly is. We had a great night on Super Tuesday; I'm still ahead in popular votes and in delegates."
But, Tapper notes, "standing in Maryland, Clinton made little mention of Tuesday's Maryland primary, instead focusing on two states holding contests in three weeks." Said Clinton: "I am absolutely looking to Ohio and Texas."
One stubborn fact: Clinton is going to have to start winning again at some point. If she really goes 0-for-10 in the month between Super Tuesday and March 4, could she survive anything other than a sweep on the date her campaign has circled on the calendar?
"Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and her advisers increasingly believe that, after a series of losses, she has been boxed into a must-win position in the Ohio and Texas primaries on March 4, and she has begun reassuring anxious donors and superdelegates that the nomination is not slipping away from her," Patrick Healy writes in The New York Times.
One superdelegate spells out the stakes for Healy: "She has to win both Ohio and Texas comfortably, or she's out. . . . The campaign is starting to come to terms with that."
Taking the long view in a short campaign -- and going a while without a win -- is a dangerous game: "Recent events have unnerved some ardent Clinton supporters and, perhaps more important, donors," Anne Kornblut and Matthew Mosk report in The Washington Post.
"They report that longtime Clinton insiders "had been put on notice that victory is required in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas, with no exceptions."
"The question, though, is how momentum-proof her campaign is," Linda Feldmann writes in the Christian Science Monitor. "Of Tuesday's three races, Clinton is trying hardest to score an upset in Virginia, by focusing on her strengths -- working-class white voters, suburban women, older voters, and Latinos."
Yes, Clinton still has the edge among superdelegates. But as Matthew Dowd points out, there's no reason that will last -- setting the stage for Obama to capture the nomination. "How does a party who has protested and screamed and yelled about counting all the votes, that the popular vote matters most, that an election was stolen by the Supreme Court in 2000, go against the votes and participation by voters in the Primary process?" Dowd writes in his ABCNews.com column. "The answer is: I think it's impossible for the Democratic party establishment to go against voters in the Democratic primaries and caucuses."
"Suddenly, against all odds, the once-mighty Clinton campaign is beginning to feel like the last days of Pompeii," Thomas M. DeFrank writes in the New York Daily News. "Clinton spin notwithstanding, there's no disputing Obama is surging and Hillary is struggling. If you believe in the momentum theory of politics, that bodes ill for Clinton."
The national polls -- long a source of comfort in Camp Clinton -- are beginning to trend toward Obama. "Among Democrats and independents who 'lean' Democratic, Obama beats Clinton 47%-44% — the first time the Illinois senator has led the USA TODAY survey," Susan Page reports in writing up the latest USA Today/Gallup Poll.
In head-to-head match-ups with McCain, "he scores one percentage point ahead of Clinton, four points behind Obama -- both within the survey's margin of error."
Obama may have to get used to a role he's never been comfortable with. "As much as he prefers to play the underdog role, three decisive wins on Tuesday could make him, at least for now, the undisputed Democratic frontrunner," Time's Jay Newton-Small reports. "That has been a dubious honor in this year's chaotic Democratic race, especially for Hillary Clinton."
"The best news for Hillary Clinton's campaign may be that it's headed over a cliff," Slate's John Dickerson writes. "In a campaign season where conventional wisdom has been so wrong so often, she can take heart that the current view among the political class is that Obama is marching unstoppably toward the nomination."
Obama is confident -- but not as confident as Maryland's attorney general, Douglas Gansler, who warmed up the Crowd in College Park with one of those lines that might come back to haunt the campaign. "This is the state that tomorrow will put the nail in the coffin when we win this election," Gansler said, per the New York Sun's Russell Berman.
On the endorsement watch, the very publicly known meeting between Obama and former senator John Edwards, D-N.C., was called off Monday -- apparently because it was getting too much attention, ABC's Sunlen Miller reports. "It will be rescheduled. We're gonna make it happen," Obama said Monday.
The Nation's John Nichols thinks it's one endorsement that does matter -- and predicts that Edwards knows the importance of timing. "There will have to be an Edwards-Obama meeting. But once that happens, expect a decision in short order," he writes. "Edwards is not meeting with the candidates for fun. He knows that this is the moment when he matters most. He will move sooner rather than later."
And Al Gore doesn't plan to endorse in the primaries, CNN's Jessica Yellin reports.
On the Republican side -- the Republican establishment is falling into line: Monday brought McCain the backing of former governor Jeb Bush, R-Fla., as well as Gary Bauer, Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas (and let the veepstakes speculation ensue).
Nothing says you're looking forward to the general like talking about matching funds. McCain "said at a news conference that his campaign had decided not to accept federal matching funds because 'we didn't need to,' " Katharine Q. Seelye and Elisabeth Bumiller report in The New York Times.
"Mr. McCain, who has made limiting the money spent on campaigns a central part of his record in the Senate, had considered accepting the money, particularly after his campaign ran out of money last summer. But since winning the New Hampshire primary, Mr. McCain has received enough donations to forgo the $6 million he might have received."
A big day for McCain on Tuesday could be fatal to Huckabee's (quite slim) prospects -- not that that's likely to matter at this point.
"Apparently, word that the race was over never reached Mike Huckabee. He defeated McCain in Louisiana and Kansas on Saturday and is contesting a narrow McCain win in Washington state," Paul West writes in the Baltimore Sun.
"Today's relatively moderate Republican primary in Maryland may be out of reach for Huckabee. If he steals a state from McCain, it will probably be Virginia. Evangelical Christians, home-schooling advocates and other social conservatives abound in the Old Dominion, and Huckabee has been airing commercials there."
"Huckabee shows no interest in stepping aside after his surprising strength in the South and Midwest powered him to eight victories in the past week," Perry Bacon Jr. writes in The Washington Post.
"Polling shows him trailing in Tuesday's 'Potomac Primary' voting in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. But he insists that he will not drop out until McCain has gathered the delegates needed to claim the Republican nomination -- a process that could take weeks."
And Rep. Ron Paul isn't making it any easier for McCain -- though he's coming at him from a different direction. "Paul, a Texas congressman, said he will not back McCain if he is the party's nominee unless the Arizona senator 'has a lot of change of heart,' " Jason George writes in the Chicago Tribune.
Said Paul: "I cannot support anybody with the foreign policy he advocates, you know, perpetual war."
The Note's "Sneak Peek" has some trends to watch for on Tuesday -- including African-American turnout in Maryland, Hispanic turnout in northern Virginia, Republican turnout in southwest Virginia, and delegate allocation on the Democratic side.
Obama skips ahead to Wisconsin, while Clinton heads to Texas in lieu of a Washington-area celebration.
Also in the news:
This is who could determine the next leader of the free world: ABC's Karen Travers has the story of Jason Rae, the Marquette University of junior who's not even old enough to have voted in a previous presidential election, but had breakfast with Chelsea Clinton on Monday. Not that that's such a big deal, since he's already had phone chats with Bill Clinton, John Kerry, and Madeleine Albright.
Why? He's a superdelegate, naturally. Travers writes, "Rae was elected as a DNC member at the Wisconsin state party convention in June 2004. He was 17 years old at the time but there are no party rules that say a DNC member has to be of voting age."
But don't use the word. "The Clinton campaign, mindful of the fact that this could become a sensitive issue if the race comes down to superdelegates, has actually banned the word 'superdelegates' from its campaign," ABC's Claire Shipman reported on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday. "They're worried that they conveys they have special power. The word they use now is 'automatic' delegate."
An interesting moment from the WJLA/Politico forum: Clinton was asked whether she could offer an assurance that "no new business or personal scandal involving Bill Clinton" could erupt if she were in the White House. Said Clinton: "You know, I can assure this reader that that is not going to happen. . . . You know, none of us can predict the future, no matter who we are and what we are running for, but I am very confident that that will not happen."
Also in that forum, Clinton said: "Somebody told me today that Sen. Obama's never had a negative ad run against him." ("Somebody" can't remember back to South Carolina.)
Clinton's Ohio efforts get a boost on Tuesday: She's set to receive the endorsement of former senator John Glenn, D-Ohio, ABC's Jake Tapper reports.
The New York Times' Ginger Thompson tries to tackle the interplay of Obama's campaign and race: "Glimpses inside the Obama campaign show . . . that while the senator had hoped his colorblind style of politics would lift the country above historic racial tensions, from Day 1 his bid for the presidency has been pulled into the thick of them," Thompson writes.
"While his speeches focus on unifying voters, his campaign has learned the hard way that courting a divided electorate requires reaching out group by group," Thompson continues. "Instead of following a plotted course, Mr. Obama's campaign has zigged and zagged, reacting to outside forces and internal differences between the predominantly white team of top advisers and the mostly black tier of aides."
The Weekly Standard's Dean Barnett captures a glimpse of a different Obama -- the one who doesn't have the help of the latest in 1980s audio-visual equipment. "Shorn of his Teleprompter, we saw a different Obama. His delivery was halting and unsure," Barnett writes.
"He looked down at his obviously copious notes every few seconds throughout the speech. Unlike the typical Obama oration where the words flow with unparalleled fluidity, he stumbled over his phrasing repeatedly."
DNC member (and superdelegate) Donna Brazile issues a challenge to the party faithful in a Roll Call op-ed: "Here is where I draw my personal line in the sand: Let us remaining uncommitted supers wait. Before crowning the king or queen of our party, allow us to wait just a little longer to allow more voters in these upcoming states to weigh in."
On that other contest today -- The New Republic's Adriane Quinlan has all you need to know about the "Democrats abroad" primary, where voters have been logging on for a week (and where voting ends on Tuesday, but results won't be known for another week).
While you were busy taking the battery out of your stalled BlackBerry, the next Democratic debate was set: Mark your calendar for Austin, Texas, Feb. 21, with TV coverage by CNN and Univision.
That other phenomenon of the political year -- aside from viral Web video: The rip-off of the viral Web video. This one puts McCain's stump speech to music -- it's called "john.i.am" (as in will.i.am).
The kicker:
"The commandments of the religion you practice prohibit lying." -- Fidel Castro, offering some (quite unsolicited) advice to John McCain.
"I love my brother, and I trust my brother. But I gave up letting my brother dictate my life since he determined whether he got the top or bottom bunk in our bedroom back in Chicago." -- Ari Emanuel, in a HuffingtonPost op-ed, on why he doesn't think superdelegates like Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., should determine the Democratic nomination.
Bookmark The Note at http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/TheNote/story?id=3105288&page=1


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With FundsIndia, you can use a single login ID to access your family's investments in one place. If you would like to add another person from your family as an investor (either jointly / separately), click on 'My Accounts' in the top menu, and then select 'Add Investor' from the left menu. A pre-filled application form with the new investor's details will be available to you in the 'Downloads' section of your account. You can sign and send this to us, along with a few supporting documents. Investments can be made in the name of the new investor from your account after we receive and process his documents.
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Roger Federer Net Worth
Roger Federer net worth and total career earnings: Roger Federer is a Swiss born professional tennis player who has a net worth of $450 million and total ATP career earnings of $124 million (as of July 2019). Roger Federer was born on August 8th, 1981 in Basel, Switzerland to parents Robert and Lynette. Federer began playing tennis with his parents and older sister Diana at a very early age and quickly showed signs that he had great talent for the game. At the age of eight Roger joined the Basel junior tennis program and at ten he met Australian player Peter Carter who saw the youngster's potential. Carter and Federer trained together for the next four years until, at the age of 13, Roger accepted an invitation to attend Switzerland's national tennis training center. At the time, the training center was located two hours away from Roger's home in a part of Switzerland that spoke mostly French. Federer trained there for three years until a new facility was opened closer to his home in Biel. Peter Carter was one of the instructors at the new training center and his guidance helped Federer quickly rise up the world's top junior rankings. As an amateur, Roger won the Wimbledon junior singles and double titles and was eventually the number one ranked ITF player in the world.
Soon after turning pro in 1999, Roger reached the semi-finals of a tournament in Vienna. After a few more high profile wins, Roger became the youngest member of the ATP's top 100. In 2000 Roger represented Switzerland at the Olympics. Though he did not win any medals, he did meet Miroslava Vavrinec who was part of the Swiss national women's tennis team. They immediately began dating and nine years later were married.
In 2001 Roger's potential came to full bloom when he won his first ATP singles title. He followed this triumph at the Davis Cup where he and his fellow Swiss teammates defeated the United States. All of these successes led to the press coining the term "Federer Express" in their headlines. Roger went on to win his first two ATP doubles titles and end the season ranked #13 in singles.
One night Roger received many missed phone calls from his Coach Peter Lundgren. By the time he finally picked up the messages, Roger found out that his former mentor and friend Peter Carter had died. Carter's death shook Roger to the core. He realized that he had not lived up to anything that Carter had taught him as a tennis player and even a man. Roger decided at that moment that it was time to step up his game on and off the court.
Roger Federer would eventually become the number one ranked player in the world, a title he held for a record 237 consecutive weeks from February 2004 to August 2008. As of this writing, he has won Wimbledon eight times, the Australian Open six times, the French Open once and the US Open five times. Federer has become one of the highest paid athletes in the world both on and off the court. Between June 2016 and June 2017, Federer earned an estimated $71.5 million, of which $65 million came from endorsements. Between June 2017 and June 2018, Federer earned $77.2 million. Between June 2018 and June 2019 he earned $94 million. Of that amount, roughly $86 million came from endorsements with companies like Credit Suisse, Rolex and Mercedes Benz. Roger earns more from endorsements than any other athlete.
In 2018 Roger signed a 10-year, $300 million contract with Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo.
Roger Federer's Career Earnings:
- 1998: $28,000
- 1999: $225,000
- 2000: $624,000
- 2001: $865,000
- 2002: $1.995 million
- 2003: $4 million
- 2004: $6.3 million
- 2005: $6.1 million
- 2006: $8.3 million
- 2007: $10.1 million
- 2008: $5.8 million
- 2009: $8.8 million
- 2010: $7.7 million
- 2011: $6.4 million
- 2012: $8.5 million
- 2013: $2.4 million
- 2014: $9.3 million
- 2015: $5 million
- 2016: $1.5 million
- 2017: $6 million
- 2018: $8.6 million
Total career earnings: $124 million (does not include endorsements)
Roger Federer
|Net Worth:
|$450 Million
|$70 Million
|Date of Birth:
|Aug 8, 1981 (38 years old)
|6 ft (1.85 m)
|Athlete, Tennis player
|Last Updated:


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TPG, Ivanhoé Cambridge JV Acquires Point Park Properties
- By
- Oct 23, 2013
U.S. private equity firm TPG and Canadian group Ivanhoé Cambridge have teamed up for the purchase of European logistics firm PointPark Properties (P3) from Bahraini investment company Arcapita. Terms were not disclosed.
As part of the transaction, the investors will also commit additional capital to strengthen P3′s balance sheet and to provide support for future growth.
"After five years working with Arcapita, who successfully assembled this portfolio, we look forward to TPG and Ivanhoé Cambridge becoming long-term investors in P3. TPG and Ivanhoé Cambridge were attracted to P3 by our warehouse expertise, cohesive management platform and high quality, geographically diverse portfolio," said Ian Worboys, CEO of P3, in a news release.
"The new investment will allow us to accelerate the expansion of our activities in our existing and new markets. We are now in a position with our current land bank to build upon our established customer base," Worboys added. "P3 will also look to enhance its existing portfolio by acquiring quality income producing warehouses in key logistic locations."
Based in Prague, P3 is an, developer and asset manager of warehouse properties in 12 European countries, including the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, and Spain. The company's portfolio encompasses 48 warehouses totaling approximately 15.7 million square feet, as well as a land bank that allows for the development of more than 6.4 million square feet of warehouse space.
Commenting on the deal, Meka Brunel, Ivanhoé Cambridge's executive vice president for Europe, said: "This strategic investment represents a unique opportunity to acquire a large and independent logistics platform in Europe. With assets strategically positioned along major air, sea and rail transport routes, P3 offers a very attractive growth potential, and will contribute to the diversification of our real estate portfolio. The strong growth trend in e-commerce can only benefit the logistics industry in the long term and offers an opportunity to generate excellent returns from changing consumer lifestyles in Europe."
According to Bloomberg, P3's former owner, Arcapita, filed for Chapter 11 protection in New York in 2012. The company emerged from bankruptcy last month after obtaining a $350 million loan from a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. affiliate. The company is headquartered in Bahrain and has offices in Atlanta, London and Singapore.
In January, the TPG – Ivanhoé Cambridge joint venture acquired the 351,000-square-foot Woolgate Exchange office building in London for £265 million, or about $417 million.


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Happy Friday! Jeff was out of town all week, so I'm even more ready for the weekend. It was his first time being away since we had Crosby so I escaped to my parents house for some extra help. 🙂
Today is extra exciting because Crosby and I are taking over the Like To Know It Family Instagram – follow along here.
This is one of the looks we're sharing, but I wanted to post these on my blog too. Now that it's finally winter in Southern California, I'm having fun bundling her up. This jacket is so soft and cozy, she feels like a teddy bear in it. Her hair is getting SO long – I've been pulling it back with my favorite headbands. That is, until she rips them off. Ugh!
Cheers to the weekend!
on me: freshly picked diaper bag c/o, henley, jeans, booties
on Crosby: bow c/o, onesie, jacket, pants, shoes c/o


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Formula One breaks up after two thrilling grand prix, Silverstone and Hungary and heads into the mid-point of the season.
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes lead both the Driver's and Constructors Championships, in which Hamilton has 5 victories to his name this year while team-mate Nico Rosberg has three and the "surprise" of the season, Sebastian Vettel has 2 victories, the latest being in Hungary and closest rival to Hamilton, Rosberg and Mercedes.
The remaining 9 races in the second half of the season will start in Belgium then in Italy, Singapore, Japan, Russia, United States, Mexico, Brazil and the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Mercedes, 1st in Constructors Championship, 383 points
Mercedes have left off where they left last year and lead both championships with Hamilton 1st and Rosberg 2nd. They have been not exactly flawless with Hamilton's late pit stop in Monaco and their shaky starts in recent races. Ferrari remain their biggest challenge, a staggering 147 points behind in 2nd.
Ferrari, 2nd in Constructors Championship, 236 points
Ferrari has come back after a winless 2014 season and has now reached their target of 2 wins. The first win in Malaysia, where the hotter conditions suit the car much better than the Mercedes and the second in Hungary. Vettel has brought these victories home and has become team leader. Kimi Raikkonen is under pressure after struggling mainly in qualifying has Ferrari looking somewhere else for next season.
Williams, 3rd in Constructors Championship, 151 points
Williams have slipped back from Mercedes and now Ferrari have leaped them in the Championship. Valterri Bottas secured the first podium of the year with Canada in 3rd, then Felipe Massa came third in Austria. Both cars did not score any points in Monaco or in Hungary. They did lead a one two in the early part of the British GP after getting the jump on Mercedes at the start but when the rain came down they fell to 4th and 5th place.
Red Bull, 4th in the Constructors Championship, 96 points
Red Bull in the early part of the season was struggling to even get decent points but a double podium in Hungary with Daniil Kvyat in 2nd, his first podium then Daniel Ricciardo in 3rd. The main reason for their trouble is the Renault engine but the last two races show Renault have made significant progress. Both drivers have said the second half of the season especially in Singapore will be a lot better.
Force India, 5th in the Constructors Championship, 39 points
After missing the first few tests, Force India have had a good couple of races. Force India introduced the upgraded car in Silverstone. They had a good run of points from Bahrain round 4 to Britain round 9. Nico Hulkenberg competed in the Le Mans and won, this has given him more confidence. Both cars retired in Hungary where in Friday practise Sergio Perez rolled due to a rear suspension failure then Hulkenberg had a front wing failure in the race.
Lotus, 6th in the Constructors Championship, 35 points
Lotus are fast enough to challenge for points in every race. Romain Grosjean scored the teams first points in China. Both drivers retired in Australia and in Britain. Maldonado has retired 6 out of 10 races and picked up three penalty points in Hungary. While the team have scored in 6 out of 10 races. Lotus look to overtake Force India by the end of the season.
Torro Rosso, 7th in the Constructors Championship, 31 points
A good start to the season by the impressive rookies of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz. Engine and car failures have stopped them from picking up more points. Verstappen picked up his best finish of 4th in Hungary and Torro Rosso's best finish since the Italian GP 2008 won by Sebastian Vettel. The fight between Force India, Lotus and Torro Rosso is close they will all be fighting for 5th place.
Sauber, 8th in the Constructors Championship, 22 points
Sauber had to capitalise in the opening races and they did with Felipe Nasr's 5th in Australia with Marcus Ericsson in 8th. They scored again in China, Monaco and in Hungary. They knew they would not keep up in the developement area so points have been hard to come by. The aim is to try to score more points and keep ahead of McLaren.
McLaren, 9th in the Constructors Championship, 17 points.
Who would have thought that McLaren were near the back of the field and struggling to score points. But with a huge points hall of 12 points in Hungary things look to be slowly coming together. Fernando Alonso crashed in testing and missed the first race. Jenson Button scored the teams first points in Monaco. The biggest problem is the Honda engine.
Manor, 10th in the Constructors Championship, 0 points
Despite having zero money, year old car and an engine, Manor have done well so far. Both cars did not make the start of the Australian GP. Both Roberto Merhi and Will Stevens are evenly matched in qualifying and in the race. They don't expect any more form in performance. The major loss of Jules Bianchi who drove for the team in 2013 and 2014 saw Manor and all the other teams pay tribute with a sticker with #JB17.
Who will triumph in the last remaining races?
Who will be Formula One World Champion 2015?


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Hi readers,
2019 is going to be an exciting year for me! Not only because I turn 30 in November but we'll be making a new album called "Just Another Lonely Soul" in the fall. The sound of the record will be more soulful and gospelly compared to my previous records… Since I've always been influenced by such names as Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway, I want all those influences be heard in my music without such strict genre boundaries.
Thanks for Taike for being involved in making the new album! Can't wait you to hear my new songs and stories!


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Your Favourite Bloggers Transform Into #ChloeGirls
Admired by fashion editors, celebrities and #chloeGIRLS everywhere, Chloé is a fashion house established in 1952 by Gaby Aghion. The name of the house was borrowed from a friend: "I thought it was pretty," she explained later in interviews. "I could not put my name on the label because at that time you couldn't do that."
An unabashed free spirit, Aghion (the original Chloé girl) was also known to have said:
"The world was opening up before my eyes, and I believed I could do anything. I felt I had wings."
Words that have come to embody the brand's lighthearted spirit. This mix of freedom and femininity toughened by a kind of tomboyish courage continues to inspire the brand, with designer Clare Waight Keller currently at its helm. Her aesthetic interpretation combines Chloé's French heritage with a sense of modernity – what girls today would be excited by.
Speaking of which, to celebrate the launch of Chloé in India, exclusively at Le Mill, we asked four fashion bloggers to show us how they would style their favourite Chloé handbag. Read all about it on their respective blogs, but first some snippets below:
Mitali Sagar & Summaiyya Patni
What do you love about Chloé's handbags?
The real question is what is not to love about a Chloé bag. It's a timeless piece of art which has been designed so perfectly, that it would complement every personality and mood. The clean details and hardware of the Drew and Hudon bags work beautifully with the supple leather. We're salivating just thinking about them.
How does it enhance your personal style?
It is super versatile – our style is constantly changing with our moods and ever changing trends, making it the perfect addition to our wardrobe. Yes we have a communal wardrobe.
3 essentials in your bag that you never leave home without:
Wallet, phone and a portable charger – one must be prepared for anything and these three things make being prepared feasible.
Aayushi Bangur
What do you love about Chloé's handbags?
The design – so unique and now so reminiscent of Chloé! I even love the mix of suede and calf leather and not to forget the gorgeous old hardware. There really is nothing not to love about the gorgeous Drew.
How does it enhance your personal style?
Just like my style, it's the perfect mix of glam and elegant chic. It's the perfect full stop to every outfit story.
3 essentials in your bag that you never leave home without:
My wallet, a perfume and sunglasses (in the day) and lipstick at night.
Masoom Minawala
What do you love about Chloé's handbags?
The brownish hue blended with a chocolate tint on a quilted pattern seemed like a match made in heaven the first time I laid eyes on the Faye bag. It only helped that its iconic shoulder bag shape would allow me to wear it with a tremendous array of outfits and transition easily from day to night as well. Also, I loved the chain detail with the ring closure, not too much and not too little.
How does it enhance your personal style?
My personal style is 99% sophisticated with a balanced blend of eclectic and individualistic. This Chloé handbag, with its timeless design and super clean lines added to the 'formal' feel I perpetually hold an accent of in all my looks, at the same time, promising to make any look cosmopolitan in a practical second.
3 essentials in your bag that you never leave home without:
My Miu Miu cardholder, Style Fiesta sunglasses and MAC Twig lipstick!
Aashna Shroff
What do you love about Chloé's handbags?
Chloé has always been a personal favourite when it comes to handbags, especially the Drew. Somehow I feel like I have a distinctive connection with it because it's in the top 5 on my wish list. I think one can pull it off with almost every outfit, and it's the perfect size to carry around, be it day or night.
How does it enhance your personal style?
Although I love to experiment, when it comes to handbags, give me one that's simple and minimalistic like the Drew, and I'm all about it. The colour is very unique yet easy to style with various looks, and that's what I love about it. It lets me experiment, but keeps it minimal and classy at the same time.
3 essentials in your bag that you never leave home without:
Sunglasses, lipstick and my current favourite perfume.


text:
Here a work I did for bruno bananis "flirt-camp" campaign. I worked on the model together with my brother Tulio. The main character for the campaign was the polish model Ania Tomaszewska. However, the final character ended up looking quite different to the human original (which was not our fault ;-) ). The finished 3d model was later used in an animated tv spot.
The basemesh was done in Luxology's Modo. The high resolution modeling and posing in ZBrush. Post production in Photoshop.


text:
Friday, 30 April 2010
Watch out These .....Rock
Thursday, 29 April 2010
"Bee Happy"
New Addition...not Crafty...lol...Bobbie
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Whats On Your Desk Wednesday
Well thats my desk this morning hope you have good nose,cant show you other side of craftroom as still arotten old mess.Yes just havent had the time without interruption to get it sorted.
Hopefully see you later when i come back this evening and upload the "puppy pics"sorry the pics of our puppy "BOBBIE".Have great day if your in the UK enjoy the sunny hot weather as it is all about to change.Maybe the past week was are summer!!!...lol good old british weather hey!
Well on that note i will sign off
love n hugs judex
Good Morning Wednesday
Monday, 26 April 2010
Good Morning Monday....MaybeThis Week Is Start Of Some Luck My Way
Thursday, 22 April 2010
No Mojo.....New Pup
Well still not got no mojo ,went to start card this am as all quiet and still in bed .Just doesnt want to flow havent been like this for long while do hope it comes back.Going to sit in the garden enjoy watching them all do the gardening cutting grass...thats the life although would prefer to craft!
RE:Puppy we are going back to see on Wednesday then can bring home Friday So will have no piccys till next week ,but will upload as soon as i get them.this is just what the dr ordered for my daughter who as you know has been bullied and now out of school due to Drs wishes!
"Bobbie "will be with us soon...can't wait!!!
Love n hugs
Whats On Your Desk Wednesday 46..WOYDW?
In this piccy is my beloved comp screen which is attached to laptop behind .My wee little painted jar which my friend Tracy sent which i use all the time and pride place on my desk,and a pen always handy to have apen...lol
This piccy shows the tidy corner of my craft room all neat and co-ordinated how long for who knows?There you can see .My shelve for all my papers and card on the top i have jars of flowers colour co-ordinatede jars...Tesco £1.00 oh such expensive buy...!then all my Su Punches,well not all....oops have more in a draw.On the table below the paper rack you will see my containers with copics in just a few..lol......never have too many well thats what i tell myself anyway
.Small Plastic 4 draws bysides holds all my SU Inks.
On desk ontop of ciruit carts are:Two cards just recently received one from the lovely Penni with Ribbon and Flower swap from RAK forumnand the other from my dear friend Cheryl
OMG....this is the untidy bit which as yet ive not got round to sorting,and the floor but didnt really think youd be impressed with the floor.At moment cant see my sewing machine,bindit all,or cropadile as covered with bits i need to sort out.Hopefully by next wednesday they will be .
Now go click on the title and see everyone elses!!!Maybe join in next week.So dont forget pop by next week to see if anything has moved...lol .Please dont forget im selling some crafty stuff some new some used check out...HERE
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Perpetual Blog Hop
Here is how it works:
1. Click the blue frog below to add your blog.
2. Copy the following script and put it on your blog post while in HTML view.This will make the thumbnail collection appear on your post as well and be available for your readers too.
3. Provide the above code on your blog for others to grab. Just mention to paste it on HTML view when blogging.
4. Ask your readers to add their blogs on the list and also copy and paste the script on their blog as well!
This will make a thumbnail collection that will grow on everyones blog and we can meet each other! I'll be moderating it so no worries. It will be updated on everyones blog when someone enters a new link.
LOVE IT! Please DO participate! You don't have to link them back here. Just tell everyone to add their cardmaking/scrapbooking blog and make the collection as big as we can! Can we make it to 1000? If you have any issues let me know and I'll be happy to help asap.
Here goes!
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Paper Crafts blog hop!1. Add your blog!2. Copy the script below and paste it on your blog post while in HTML view.
Paper Crafts blog hop!
1. Add your blog!
2. Copy the script below and paste it on your blog post while in HTML view.
Monday, 19 April 2010
Hellooo,and Creative Inspirations Challenge31
It is good to be back!Oh how ive missed crafting.But agood time was had by all and a well a wee rest for me.
Anyway Yesterday saw the new challenge3 over at Creative Inspirations.This week we are happy to have Maxine back with us after being off line for awhile.Maxine has choosen the Challenge which is a :Recipe Challenge
3 Flowers
2Design Papers
1 Ribbon
So why not pop over get some inspiration from my lovely Design Team and have abash!You have until 1st May to get your creations done .Plus the fabulous Peachy Keen Stamps our the sponsor this week with a fabulous voucher to spend in there online shop.I am so sorry but ive no design card for you ,i actually thought id done one before i went away but cant find it!Mind if youd see my craft room youd know why!!!...lol.As before i went away god knows why i thought i would have mass tidy and clearout just forgot to finish it before i went .So i have come home to one tip of a craftroom .Which has got to be sorted before any crafting is done.Plus i have ameeting at school this afternoon also so wont have time to do much.Anyway hope your all ok.Thanks for the lovely messages and just to let you all know Dad went into hospital but was unable to have the operation much to his disapointment.Thats another story,but the weather was kind and girls loved it!
Hope your all well and got loads crafting done hopefully soon will get some bloggin time to come visit you until then keeps safe
love n hugs
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Magnolia Easel Card
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Creative Inspirations Challenge 31..DT Card
Monday, 5 April 2010
Candy ,Candy Candy
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Good Morning......Happy Easter
Just a quick note to say "Happy Easter to all my fellow bloggers and friends.Hope you all have wonderful time and the weather has been kind to you.We have come to dads for few days so it's nice to see mum,who is looking well but very thin.She seemed to enjoy the girls coming to see her ,sometimes id love to know what she is thinking.
Then yesterday afternoon popped by my good friend June and her family whom i met through a card site afew years ago so it was lovely to see her. When i return hopefully next week when dad goes into hospital we shall go craft shopping with her.Im getting withdrawls from crafting already so when i retrun on tuesday before coming back here on friday will have to cram some crafting in me thinks.Have alovely Easter and go crazy with the choccie's good excuse for all you choco-holics ,not for me don't care for that much choc...lol
love n hugs


text:
and the Revision Committee
The Modern Churchpeople's Union welcomes the Revision Committee's change of policy of 14 November 2009.
However we question the emphasis on seeking to satisfy the opponents of women bishops while showing no comparable concern for the majority appalled by the continuing gender discrimination.
Proliferation of classes of bishops
The Draft Measure proposes that each archbishop should nominate a male suffragan to relate to parishes opposed to women's ministry. To establish lists of bishops suitable for this purpose it proposes that male bishops may make one of two statements: either that 'he will not participate in the consecration of a woman to the office of bishop' or that 'he will neither participate in the consecration of a woman to the office of bishop nor ordain a woman to the office of priest' (http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/papers/ womenbishopsdebate/furtherreport/gs1708.pdf).
This arrangement would produce four classes of bishop:
- women bishops,
- men bishops who ordain women and may also have been consecrated by a woman,
- men bishops consecrated by men who have also ordained women to the priesthood, and
- men bishops consecrated by men who have never ordained women to the priesthood.
Only the fourth class would have all the functions which are currently invested in all bishops. For all that the others would be called bishops, and would be entitled to dress like bishops, in reality they would be the holders of new and subordinate offices which do not at present exist.
The Revision Committee proposed on 8 October 'to amend the draft Measure to provide for certain functions to be vested in bishops by statute rather than by delegation from the diocesan bishop under a statutory code of practice' (http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr9509.html). This would in effect have created permanent distinctions between the classes of bishop. There would have been an obligation to fill episcopal appointments with men in classes c. and d. even if no suitable candidate were available.We welcome the withdrawal of this proposal as we believe any such distinctions should only have status for opponents of women who choose to distinguish in this way.
The theology of magic
The pressure for concessions to opponents of women bishops seems to depend on two dubious theological concepts. One is the theology of magic. Christian theologians usually distinguish sacraments from magic by describing sacraments as 'effectual signs', 'outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace' which is ultimately a gift from God, not an automatic result of performing the act. To understand them as automatic results would be to treat them as magic. In the ancient and medieval periods incantations and spells were normally understood in this magical sense, though many practitioners of magic today deny that they are attempting anything so crass.
One of the practical differences between the two is that in the case of magic close attention is applied to every detail. Like writing a computer program or designing a space shuttle today, every detail has to be exactly right; otherwise the project will fail. In ancient literature there are many stories to this effect; the users of magic understood their procedures either as manipulation of the forces of nature (which is what modern technology does) or as contracts with specific gods who might be on the lookout for loopholes so as to avoid fulfilling their part of the bargain.
For a parish today to insist that ordained people cannot be proper priests if they are women, or ordained by a woman, or even ordained by a male bishop who was himself consecrated by a woman bishop, is to appeal to magic rather than sacrament. The characteristic test case is whether the bread and wine of Holy Communion does indeed become sacrament (i.e. is in some sense the body and blood of Christ) when the Eucharist is celebrated and the Prayer of Consecration recited over it. Magical understanding of the act may insist that the consecration is invalid if the rubrics are infringed in some way, for example by using an unauthorised Prayer of Consecration. Such stances either conceive of God as refusing to bestow sacramental value on the bread and wine because of the 'loophole', or they have forgotten about God and are thinking purely in terms of naturalistic processes. Both accounts are appeals to magic. Sacramental theology, on the other hand, recognises the importance of the intention of what is being done. Proper norms for administering the sacraments are there for reasons, which we can understand and therefore vary in appropriate circumstances. According to the sacramental view, God is not being constrained to act or refrain from acting, and remains unconstrained regardless of how exactly the rules have been followed.
The theology of taint
The other dubious feature of the current proposals is the 'theology of taint'. Over and above the question of whether one's male priest has a 100% male pedigree - so that all the way up the consecration chain there was not a single woman bishop - the Draft Measure also proposes to establish a class of bishops who have never ordained a woman to the priesthood, and another class of bishops who have never participated in consecrating a woman bishop. This raises the question: if a parish wants, and has, a male bishop with a 100% male pedigree, why should it matter to them whether that bishop has on other occasions ordained or consecrated a woman? It makes no difference at all to the parish unless the parishioners convince themselves that because he has laid hands on a woman he is no longer a valid bishop. This idea of 'taint' - as though the sacramental invalidity caused by laying hands on a woman spreads like a virus and subsequently invalidates other sacramental acts - is another instance of magical theology, but with the additional notion that the invalidity of one act can invalidate another. The Revision Committee, rather than making allowances for the theological convictions of those who believe such things, would have been better advised to challenge them.
Repeated resistance to change
Sadly, this illustrates all too clearly what we have been getting from church leaders recently. Obvious parallels are homosexuality and assisted dying, where religious leaders have joined forces to oppose change, thus defining their religions in terms of opposing society's views of justice. One does not need to agree with every change to see a pattern: any one person may agree with the religious leaders on one issue or another, while still not wanting their faith to be defined in such negative terms.
There is legitimate concern for the future of the Church. Every parish priest feels the tension between longstanding members, who tend to be more happy with the way things are, and younger and newer attenders who desire change. When the longstanding members do not get their way they are more likely to complain and give the vicar a headache. When newcomers and the young do not get their way, they stop coming. Wise clergy know that if they always favour the complainers at the expense of the disappearers, the church will slowly die. Our national leaders do not seem to have noticed. As they bend over backwards to retain the support of a minority determined to resist change, the views of new and potential members are barely taken into account at all. Since religious organisations have gained exemption from equality of opportunity legislation with respect to both gender and sexual orientation, few church leaders seem aware just how shocked are many of the unchurched that our moral standards are, in these respects, so much lower than those of British society in general. It is hardly surprising that so many look elsewhere for their spiritual needs to be met.
To those utterly convinced that these bans are right, none of this may matter. But let us observe what kind of claim they are making. What is being claimed is that women bishops (or homosexuality, or whatever) are wrong because the Church so teaches, and that what the Church teaches is the only relevant criterion. Psychological and biological research may debunk as much as it likes the older theories of male superiority in the relevant areas, and women may excel as chief executives and prime ministers; opponents consider all this irrelevant because it does not come from the teaching of the Church.
Thus the opponents of women bishops are increasingly appealing to a church-in-its-own-world, with its own criteria of truth and moral standards, quite independently of whether most Christians agree with them, let alone secular society. Thirty years ago most opponents of women's ordination did not so defy the world around them. This newer, more anti-cosmic stance produces that exaggerated deference to the individual dissident's conscience which we come across so often now, with its demands for special exemptions from equal opportunities legislation. The logic goes: my Church teaches x; therefore I believe x; since I believe it precisely because the Church so teaches, I am bound by it; I have no scope for negotiation.
Thus the resistance to change revolves around two ideas: a presumption against change, and an appeal to the individual conscience as an unchanging basic fact.
Churches change
Of course churches change, as do all organisations. Doctrines change, ethical teaching changes. However there is a common tendency to imagine that long-held doctrines and ethical teachings are the product of divine revelation imparted in the distant past, and that ever since then the church's duty is to preserve it unchanged. Such an idea seems to attach itself easily to things considered sacred; since the medieval Faith and Reason debate, and especially since the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, it has often been defended by both the Vatican and conservative Evangelicals.
Today this inconsistency between theory and reality leads to absurd claims. In 1992 opponents of the ordination of women lamented that the Church of England was no longer the same church; it had become a different church, and they wanted to stay in the old one. This argument implies both that the pre-1992 church was unchanging, and that the absence of change was essential to its identity. Without these assumptions it is impossible to make any sense of the idea that the post-1992 church is not the same one. However, when they are spelt out it becomes clear that the arguments are based on a priori ideas of a 'true Church' which flatly contradict historical reality. No church has ever been truly unchanging.
A less extreme version of the argument is that some changes do not alter the identity of the church but this one does. This position gains realism, but at the cost of coherence. In the 1920s Parochial Church Councils were introduced, allowing the laity a say in the administration of churches. In the 1950s parochial endowments for clergy stipends were centralised and the proceeds redistributed. In the 1960s the 1662 Book of Common Prayer ceased to be the only Prayer Book permitted in Church of England churches. To most Anglicans it is by no means obvious that the ordination of women priests changes the Church so much more radically than any of these. What would make sense of the argument would be a criterion according to which the ordination of women, and this alone, altered the identity of the Church so that it was no longer a (or the) 'true Church', so that with the first ordination of a woman God immediately withdrew authorisation from it and stopped validating its sacraments. However, no such criterion has been established, and even if it were it would still need to be justified.
The objection to the ordination of women on the ground of change is therefore inadequate. It draws its strength from a widespread but vague feeling that some changes are off limits: widespread because in historical fact it is derived from an earlier theory widely held by both sides in the Reformation debates and occasionally revived since then; vague because the principle underlying it, that all changes to the true Church are forbidden, has been long forgotten - and to remember it is to remember how hopelessly unrealistic it is.
The individual conscience
If the argument from change had been successful, it might have followed that the pre-1992 Church of England has ceased to exist, and the post-1992 Church of England is a different entity. On this basis opponents argued that they had a moral case for severance pay. The argument would parallel an argument by police officers or school teachers that they should be offered severance pay if they choose not to accept the latest government-imposed changes to their job description and terms of employment. No other profession, of course, has been offered such a thing.
The argument has clearly failed. The Church of England's leadership, and the overwhelming majority of baptised Anglicans, believe that the present Church of England is indeed a continuation of the pre-1992 Church. What remains is that opponents declare themselves unable in all conscience to acknowledge the priesthood of women. Either special arrangements must be made to accommodate their consciences or they will be forced to leave.
So what is conscience, and why does it oblige people to behave in this kind of way? The most influential Christian account of conscience is Thomas Aquinas' distinction between two elements: the innate ability to perceive basic moral principles, which he called synderesis, and the faculty of rationally applying them to particular situations, which he called conscientia. Putting the two together, individuals make moral judgements which they believe to be true. All of us, though, are sometimes in error. Aquinas believed we should do what our conscience tells us, but we have a prior moral responsibility to inform our consciences properly, taking into account unwelcome as well as welcome information.
Aquinas believed that God has established true moral principles and enables our minds to perceive them. What follows from this is that when we all use our synderesis properly, the principles one person perceives must be consistent with the principles other people perceive; otherwise God would have been inconsistent. Similarly, we can apply our conscientia by observing the context of a particular situation, applying the principles to it, and checking our observations and applications against other people's conscientia. In this way both elements, the basic moral principles and the way we apply them, are subject to rational examination.
This account suggests that the Church of England, having made a corporate judgement of theology that women can be bishops - and not half-bishops - should now legislate accordingly. It would be entirely appropriate to respect the minority who disagree and negotiate suitable pastoral provision for them, WATCH's current policy. It would not however be appropriate to legislate for a permanent nation-wide alternative provision, still less to reduce the role of women bishops to oblige them. We might compare the situation with conscientious objectors in the Second World War. In some countries the price was death; in others, like the UK, permission was granted for many pacifists to do alternative work in organisations such as the Family Service Unit. No government, however, modified its military strategy to accommodate their views; both sides were realistic enough to acknowledge that the majority view would prevail.
Modern secular accounts of conscience have a different structure because they dispense with the mind of God. In secular theory moral principles reside nowhere except in the human mind, and human minds notoriously disagree with each other about what those principles are. There is therefore no reason to presume that there are any objective right answers, so our moral disagreements come to be seen as irresolvable. The result is that in secular discourse, what the individual's conscience dictates is often treated as a basic unchangeable fact, raw data about an individual's mind, just as political discourse about 'choice' treats what the individual wants as a basic fact. The idea that we ought to inform our consciences, like the idea that we can reflect on what we ought to want, is becoming increasingly alien to secular thought.
So secular thought influences church debates. Thus Forward in Faith's website describes FiF as 'a worldwide association of Anglicans who are unable in conscience to accept the ordination of women as priests or as bishops' (http://www.forwardinfaith.com/about/). The Revision Committee speaks of 'those with conscientious difficulties' (8 October) and 'those unable[sic!] to receive the episcopal and/or priestly ministry of women' (14 November). These phrases imply that the individual's conscience is a personal 'inability' or 'difficulty' which exists over and above public and private reflection on the rights and wrongs of the matter, and just has to be accepted.
In the traditional Christian view, by contrast, to say that a person is 'unable in conscience to accept the ordination of women' is precisely to say that, in the light of basic principles and their application to the circumstances, that person currently believes it contrary to God's will. No more, no less. The conscience is not something additional, separate from the reflection. Our disagreements reveal that some of us must be wrong, and this should prompt us to inform our consciences as well as possible so as to avoid being the one in error.
In effect the opponents of women bishops have reinterpreted their consciences as basic unchangeable facts, in secular fashion. Taking the matter one step further they are now using them as bargaining chips in negotiations to block the changes desired by the majority. This is not what morally principled Christians do with their consciences.
Religious constipation
These appeals to an unchanging Church and an unalterable religious conscience have for over a century been the stock in trade of atheists condemning religion for being dogmatic, irrational and outdated. What is more recent is the enthusiasm of church leaders to agree with them. It was not always so: in the 1960s, for example, the bishops in the UK House of Lords were in the vanguard of progressive opinion in a succession of social legislation including the decriminalisation of suicide and homosexuality and the abolition of capital punishment.
The present reactionary mood is expressed clearly in the exaggerated sympathy for the minority opposed to women bishops, and at present threatens to reinforce, or even extend, the disastrous 1993 Act of Synod which set a precedent for dissidents on other issues to demand their own sets of bishops. However it ranges far more widely: in the examples of homosexuality and assisted dying, mentioned above, leaders of most of the main religious groups have been quick to declare what their religion believes, even though most of it does not. Recent attempts to institutionalise the opposition to women priests and bishops within the church are thus part of a wider trend, a kind of religious constipation: nothing is allowed to move, and as the pressure builds up the determination to resist it becomes ever more extreme.
The proposed Anglican Covenant
Plans are afoot to turn this reactionary mood into a permanent part of the Anglican Communion. The proposals for an Anglican Covenant are designed to achieve precisely this. According to current plans each church is asked to commit itself, in the wording of the present (Ridley) draft:
(3.2.5) to act with diligence, care and caution in respect to actions, either proposed or enacted, at a provincial or local level, which, in its own view or the expressed view of any Province or in the view of any one of the Instruments of Communion, are deemed to threaten the unity of the Communion and the effectiveness or credibility of its mission, and to consent to the following principles and procedural elements:
(3.2.5.a) to undertake wide consultation with the other churches of the Anglican Communion and with the Instruments and Commissions of the Communion;
(3.2.5.b) to accept the legitimacy of processes for communion-wide evaluation which any of the Instruments of Communion may commission, according to such procedures as are appended to this covenant...
Although there are some administrative reasons for favouring an Anglican Covenant, the driving force behind it is overwhelmingly the determination of conservative evangelicals to establish that homosexuality is immoral, active homosexuals cannot be bishops and churches cannot offer same-sex marriages. Behind this focus, however, lies an additional implication, fully intended: that it will be possible for the central Communion authorities to block any innovation by one province which another province finds objectionable.
This means that once the Covenant was in force, it would become virtually impossible for any province to introduce an innovation if there is another province, anywhere in the world, which disapproves of it. If the Covenant had been in force in 1992 the Church of England would not now have women priests. Of course the Covenant's supporters insist that this is not their intention. They do not all want to block every innovation. But each of them wants to block some innovations, and the new procedures, once in force, will be available for use by any group with the determination and resources to mount a campaign against any innovations anywhere else in the world.
The recent attempts by church leaders, Anglican and Roman Catholic alike, to woo the opponents of women bishops while ignoring the concerns of far larger numbers who disagree with them, illustrates a more general failure of leadership in the current era. Now that religious organisations are the last remaining refuge where men who so wish can legally impose their prejudices, it is hardly surprising that they are over-represented within them. To pander to this constituency does a grave disservice both to the institutional churches and to the credibility of the Christian faith. In effect church leaders are inviting support from the most reactionary elements and thereby discrediting themselves in the eyes of far larger numbers. We believe the future of the Church lies with those who think its offices should be open to men and women alike.
Church leaders are increasingly describing their faith groups as though they were self-sufficient entities with their own unchanging facts and values, refusing on principle to learn from the insights and values of their host society. They thus present religion as something which demands unquestioning subservience to the inherited teachings of their faith tradition. We believe they should acknowledge both that the Church has often been in error in the past, and that it has often overcome its errors by learning from contemporary society. To accept that senior ecclesiastical posts should be open to women as well as men would be one more instance of this pattern.
To justify their authoritarian view of doctrine and ethics church leaders are increasingly appealing to an anti-intellectual account of the individual conscience in which the individual, rather than engaging in personal reflection, dutifully accepts what church authorities teach. Thus different religious leaders repeatedly ally with each other to uphold older beliefs at the expense of newer ones. We believe every individual should inform their conscience by learning not only from church authorities but from all relevant sources, and that nobody's conscientious beliefs should be considered immune from examination and criticism.
Some faith groups are more centralised and authoritarian than others. Anglicanism, hitherto the least centralised and least authoritarian of the largest faith groups, is being threatened by a change to its constitution precisely in order to make it more centralised and authoritarian. We believe our decentralised structure and diversity is a strength; far from being suppressed for the sake of conformity it should be promoted as a model for faith groups open to new insights in a changing world.
Supporters of women bishops vary in their views on other issues, but we share a progressive conviction: that churches often need to change their doctrines and practices in the light of new insights derived from outside their faith's tradition. God teaches us not only through the church but also through the world around us. We therefore share with the supporters of other changes a commitment to keeping church structures open and adaptable, so that we may follow when the Holy Spirit leads us in new directions, shake off the backward-looking image which the major religions so often present, and proclaim a gospel which is truly good news and offers hope to the despised and oppressed.
Jonathan Clatworthy
16 November 2009


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Most Relevant Verses
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
"If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him.
'Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.'"
and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions."
It is good for a man that he should bear The yoke in his youth.
"They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.
But He said, "Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
So Moses said to the LORD, "Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me?
"I spoke to you at that time, saying, 'I am not able to bear the burden of you alone.
'How can I alone bear the load and burden of you and your strife?
David said to him, "If you pass over with me, then you will be a burden to me.
But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God.
A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.
Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad.
For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
"The yoke of my transgressions is bound; By His hand they are knit together They have come upon my neck; He has made my strength fail The Lord has given me into the hands Of those against whom I am not able to stand.
saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.'
For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;
For each one will bear his own load.
"Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap;
For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,
Bible Theasaurus
- Heavy (132 instances)


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Buzz makes it the local paper....and then...to the moon!
09 05, 10 09:37
Well, technically, not to the moon, but space! I am very excited about my Buzz, the Space Frog heading up into space next friday on the very last Atlantis shuttle flight before it retires. And today, Buzz has hit the local paper, the Daily Breeze! Check out the article HERE!
(photo from the breeze by Brad Graverson)
Beads of Courage is sponsoring this adventure, which includes a total of 17 beads (including Buzz) that weigh exactly 8 ounces and will have the ride of their lives! (?) Read more on their website.
In the meantime, amongst all the "buzz", I am extremely busy getting ready for the Long Beach SCUBA show this weekend, May 15th & 16th. The show is a couple of weeks early this year, so I am working as fast as I can! This year I will also be featuring glass art from Mazet Studios and Hagstrom Glass. I am very excited about showing (and selling, of course). So all you SCUBA people, I will see you next weekend! And for those of you not able to attend, watch my website the week after, I will be adding lots of goodies to my Etsy page.


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Children of Tanzania
Realizing Children's Rights in Tanzania
Tanzania is a very poor country. Despite efforts to eradicate discrimination, against disabled youth in particular, the country is still far from fully complying with the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Realization of Children's Rights Index:
Population: 48,26 million
Life expectancy: 61,5 years
Main problems faced by children in Tanzania:
Despite significant natural resources and a considerable influx of tourists, the economic situation in Tanzania is not satisfactory. A large part of the population, particularly those living in rural areas, still lives under extreme poverty.
Such poverty has a negative impact on the living conditions of young Tanzanians,
in particular on their right to food. In fact, a considerable number suffer from
malnutrition and more than 70% suffer from more or less severe anaemia.
In Zanzibar, attending school is compulsory during the first ten years, six in primary school and four in secondary education. However, this is not guaranteed by any legal measures. Children living in rural areas are mostly unable to go to school because transport to school is sometimes non-existent and there is no aid to fund their trips.
Moreover, the costs of education, such as the costs of uniforms and fees, exclude the poorest children and contribute to higher drop-out and absenteeism rates. Also, the existing infrastructure is not sufficient for quality education. These factors lead to a decrease of the once high number of children registered in primary education from 90% in 1980 to 77.8% in 2006.
In addition, 20% of children aged 10 to 14 do not attend school and many end up working.
Despite the government's great efforts to improve access to healthcare, the quality and availability of services remain a problem, mainly due to the lack of human resources and infrastructure. Every year, 250.000 children die of minor illnesses as their immune system is weakened by malnutrition and care centres are too far away.
Consequently, the rate of infant mortality is very high, especially among the youngest. The new-born represent 29% of deaths before the age of five. The main causes of this mortality are, in descending order, malaria, anaemia, pneumonia, prenatal conditions, diarrhoea and HIV/AIDS.
Moreover, the quality of health services remains problematic because of a number of factors, mainly the lack of human resources and unsatisfactory medical infrastructure.
On the other hand, HIV/AIDS has led to a large number of orphans: in 2008, almost 11% of children under 18, a total of 1.3 million children, had lost at least one parent. The economic situation of families becomes very difficult as a result, and responsibilities become very heavy for the survivors, particularly the children.
Despite Tanzania's efforts against child abuse, advocacy and prevention are generally inadequate. In fact, many are exposed to psychological, physical and sexual violence, often committed by relations in their own communities, schools or at home.
The results of investigations on abuse against children revealed 307 cases in 2009, 9% of these were related to sexual abuse, 26% to violence and physical abuse, 32% to neglect and 13% to psychological abuse. Girls are particularly vulnerable because of discrimination against women and a greater risk of sexual abuse.
Moreover, corporal punishment practices were identified in around 50 schools. The perpetrators of such violence are ignoring the directives of the Ministry of Education, traumatising pupils to the point of causing them to drop out of school.
Corporal punishment is still allowed under a 1930 law, and is the most common type of punishment imposed by the courts for persons under 18 years of age for almost all kinds of offenses. This penalty is in fact considered non-custodial and uncomplicated to apply. A minor (under 16 years) can receive up to 12 cane strokes, and 24 strokes after the age of 16.
In Tanzania, many little girls are still victims of genital mutilation. Tradition dictates that women are circumcised and therefore, 28% of girls are victims of this practice from the age of one year.
Circumcision is mostly done under terrible hygiene conditions that can lead to infections. Moreover, this barbaric act can cause psychological traumas that are never treated.
There are a number of harmful traditional practices in Tanzania. They include early marriages and forced marriages.
Although child marriages have been continuously declining over the last few years, little girls are still forced to marry, sometimes as young as 12 years old. These marriages have serious implications for the little girls who do not understand the importance of such a commitment and the obligations it entails. Also, some are raped and abused by their often older husbands.
At Dar es Salam, an estimated 3000 to 5000 children live on the streets. It is the country's largest city, where children flock from every direction in the hope of escaping the misery and violence of rural areas. This phenomenon has been constantly rising due to rapid urbanisation.
Although their age varies from under 5 years to 18 years, most of these youth, of which 80% are boys, are aged between 7 and 14 years. The majority are illegitimate children, or come from broken families. They live on the streets. Other factors contributing to this phenomenon include violence within the family, poverty, disintegration of family values, alcoholism, and most recently HIV/AIDS.
The city holds many dangers for children. They are particularly vulnerable to prostitution, sexual abuse, and therefore, to HIV/AIDS. They are also easy prey for child traffic networks.
According to Tanzanian law, it is prohibited to employ children below the age of 14 for light work, and to employ children below the age of 18 for hazardous work.
However, in the capital Zanzibar, the prospect of making easy money pushes families to send their children (mostly under 14 years of age) to work rather than sending them to school. Other families prefer their children to work at home or on the farm.
In urban areas, most serve tea or sell snacks, others are employed in the hospitality industry and tourism. In rural areas, children work in more difficult conditions; they work in clove plantations, in seaweed farms, or in mines. In the villages of mining areas, the school drop-out rate is very high: 30-40%.
Birth registration is compulsory for all children born in Tanzania, whether citizens, non-citizens or refugees. Despite this, only 19% of births are registered with a large disparity between urban and rural areas.
Today only 7% of children have a birth certificate. This is due to the lack of public awareness of the importance of birth registration and the process to follow. On the other hand, costs are discouraging and include, among other things, a penalty fee for late registration, a fee for the birth certificate ($3.50) and travel costs.
Between 2008 and 2009, 2692 children under the age of 16 passed by centres of preventive detention; more than half of them were locked up with adults despite legal measures that stipulate separate cells. The majority were accused of theft or robbery.
These detention homes face many problems and are not adapted to children. The infrastructure is in bad shape and the quality of water and hygiene inadequate. The cells are also overcrowded.


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User backup client resources are sufficient, the production of network resources is relatively tight, the plan once a week the amount of data between 1 to 2T, the backup window is 3 hours, using the source de-duplication, de-duplication ratio is 3, the bandwidth utilization value of 0.8, what kind of networking are recommended for user to use in this environment?
A. GE LAN-Free
B. 10G LAN-Base
C. FC LAN-Free
D. Server-Free
Answer: A
If the host and backup disaster recovery protected application is not in the Replication Director protected list, it can support application cache consistency protection, but one-click operation can only support to the storage layer, apply related operation need to manually or write custom scripts to complete.
A. True
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Answer: B
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A. Management system usually deployed at the branch site.
B. Each backup system must provide backup media service.
C. Backup system must contain a backup agent.
D. All branch site backup data must be stored at the central site.
Answer: C
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C. VSA is installed in the virtual machine, and MA is installed on the physical machine.
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From Psychiatrynet
Switch medication from fluoxetine to bupropion.
- Gradually reduce dosage of fluoxetine to a maximum of 20 mg/ day, when this dosage is > 20 mg/day.
- When a dosage of 20 mg/day is reached, stop administration.
- Day 1-28: administration of bupropion in a low dosage of 150 mg/day.
- Day 29 and on: if necessary increase bupropion to 300 mg/day.
- Bupropion inhibits CYP2D6 which metabolizes fluoxetine.
- Because of the normal half-life of 1 week of desmethylfluoxetine, there should be a low dosing of bupropion during 4 weeks.
- This switch is currently being reviewed.
The editors of psychiatrienet.nl take the greatest care to provide up-to-date and accurate information on this site. Nevertheless, mistakes and omissions cannot be entirely excluded. No rights devolve from the information provided. The editors and other providers of information to this site accept no responsibility for the content of this site or for the information provided therein; neither do they accept responsibility for possible damages which may derive from the use of the information on this site or from the linked sites. The editorial board accepts no responsibility for the content of the (linked) sites, for access to them, or for the products and services on these sites, nor for the occurrence of errors, viruses, and/or disruptions in service.