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Wow… in just a few more hours, we're entering 2011! This year sure zooms by in a flash for me. I guess it happens that way when you're always so busy. So many happenings & unforeseen ordeals came into our lives this year. Along with them, came memories & lessons which made us grow and kept us stronger.
Here's a quick flash back of my 2010…
My photography business had gotten more bookings ever since the launch of this new web-blog. There was a time when I kept praying for the possibility of an enquiry email right before I open my email, and the Lord has answered my prayers ten times over! Thank you, dear Lord! And thank you to YOU whom had taken the time to write in & shown an interest in my photography services. 🙂
I had my first ever outstation assignment for portraiture. It was to the beautiful island of Penang to capture Little Ryleigh's special moments with her family.
My little girl finally got to meet her two cousins from the U.S this year.
The Tan's Family finally got to celebrate the Chinese New Year together as one big family after some 5 long years being apart from each other.
One of my bestest girlfriend finally brought her Greek husband home to Malaysia. They had their marriage blessed in the family church and I got to share those moments with her!
My maternal cousin & an old friend had each found their lifetime partner & tied the knot. Gabriel & Daniel! Hope married life is treating you well. 😉
I finally had my eye-sight corrected with an epi-lasik surgery. I have an almost 20-20 vision now. I still have a small degree of astigmatism on my left eyes. Ah well… At least I don't need glasses anymore!
Haley & I celebrated our birthdays together with the family at the fabulous Pangkor Laut Resort. We had a blast, thanks to the outstanding services by the resort as well as the friendship extended to us by some of the staffs there.
The craziness of shooting & editing amidst mommy duties continued. But I am blessed to have made great friends out of my clients. Thank you so much for your friendship, dearest Daphine & Foong Yee! 😀
Three ladies met-up with a mind boggling goal to achieve. Gina & Mei Yoong! Remember our first meet-up for G.O.L? 😛
I had my first & ONLY scuba diving trip this year. It was wonderful to be back in the deep blue at Layang-Layang Island! I'm blessed to be able to meet & spend time with my old comrades there. I love you all! Oh! Not forgetting the absolutely gorgeous sunset! I kept counting my lucky stars to be able to document some beautiful moments there. Our Little Haley had a blast exploring the little island & get to know where her mummy used to live & work.
I had my long overdue dentist check-up in Muar this year. It was years since my last check-up and I'm lucky to have a dear friend who owns his own dentistry practice there. It was an adventure for mom, Haley & I, driving down to Muar & back. Thank you for the check-up & lunch, Rick! We did some shopping along our way back to KL. Fresh mussels & la-la! Must make a trip down to Muar again soon.
We finally had our own family moments captured this year. Thank you Zach!
I got to see my little clients from last year & document their little moments again. Little Sophia & Shuen-Shuen have both grown beautifully! It's always so heart-warming to be able to meet & spend more time with my little clients again.
God decided it's time for me to meet with my old old old friends and their families. Justin + Joo Lee and Carol, thank you so much for sharing your precious family moments with me. 😀 I'm so sorry we didn't get to meet up again since your session but I'll try to have a get-together with you & family again next year.
I made a trip back to my hometown Kuching & attended my high-school reunion dinner which turned out to be… well… let's just say I'm sad cos most of my classmates whom were close to me were not in town, but at the same time I'm really happy to be seeing some of my teachers again. Thank you Eileen & Joanne, for making the night much more interesting & meaningful for me. 🙂
I met another childhood friend, Mommy J with her little family during my stay in Kuching. So happy we took the effort to finally meet-up after more than 10 yrs!
It was a crazy month with continuous shooting, traveling, editing & meetings for the Gift of Love Charity Bazaar!
I made a few more beautiful mommy-friends this month. My job is definitely a blessings! Thank you Iris and Helen, for taking the extra effort to know me as a person and as a friend to you. 🙂
I attended the first ever photography conference in Malaysia. Had some good fun with the industry peers and made some good friends along the way too. Thanks WPPM! 🙂
I'd dare say this month had been a month full of newborns! 😉
We had a very short break to Singapore during the Hari Raya Holidays. Met some friends & brought our girl, Haley to the Singapore Zoo for the first time. 🙂
Gift of Love had our first interview with Sin Chew and we enjoyed the session very much. We also had other major newspapers covering our event namely TheStar, China Press & Parenthood Magazine. Our event kicked-off with an unexpected high response, especially at the photo-booth section.
Tropicana City Mall in Malaysia by Kay Bin Kow
We managed to collect more than RM8k from this charity drive. Very very thankful to have a strong support team. Especially when everyone involved was doing it on a volunteer basis. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Another outstation portraiture assignment and this time it's to Seremban. Thank you Cheryl, for your friendship & the opportunities to document your special moments. I still owe you the photos and will try to get them done for you ASAP.
Tis another month filled with photo sessions, play classes for Haley and final planning for my beloved cousin's wedding.
One of my best friend from high school came back to Malaysia, bringing her new British husband along to meet her relatives & friends. Wish we could spend more quality time together but it was beautiful to share her happy moments back in Kuching! Congrats Rachel!
This is a bitter sweet month for me!
My closest cousin sister (she's the sister I never had) finally got married to her beloved. It was an emotional week for all of us.
Another one of my best-ies girlfriend got hitched this month. Congrats Lynette and here's wishing you a happy life with Leo in the U.S!
I was suffering from knee pain for several months, making it hard for me to walk up & down steps as well as crouch or kneel comfortably. Finally went for an MRI and doctor told me it'll require an arthroschopy and about 2-3 months to heal. Am still healing after the surgery and I'm praying hard that I'll be A-Okay before Chinese New Year 2011!
A week before my knee surgery, I lost my footing on my way back to my car after a baby session. My small toe bone was fractured towards the end where it's attached to the tendon near my ankle. I was on crutches for about 2 weeks. I had to postpone/reschedule my photo sessions but am really lucky to have some very understanding clients. 🙂 Am currently still limping from both the leg & knee injuries.
Despite my injuries, I continued with the Christmas Mini-Session at my home studio and we had some happy fun. 🙂
The Family & I finally had a chance to spend some quality time together at Pangkor Laut Resort again. It was a trip full of dramas but we're happy nevertheless.
I decided to take this month a little slower mainly for a few important things.
So there… my 2010 filled with so many happenings & dramas and such! 😛 I would like to express my deepest gratitude & love to my family, friends and clients for filling up my life this year. 🙂 I will cherish all the laughters & tears, the knowledge gained & shared, and most importantly the relationships gained & shared together with each & everyone of you. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!
As for what will be waiting for me & you in 2011, well… let's just prepare ourselves with all things good and the not so good. 😉 Plan your year and try your best to fulfill your dreams. Most importantly, cherish everything around you, cos without them, there is no you. 😉
What will be brewing in ALP's world? Let's just say there's lots in the "I wish" and "I need" lists. And we're going to try our very best to tick-off each & everything in the lists in 2011. Come and walk along with us in our adventures and dreams. 🙂
Here's wishing you a 2011 filled with more happiness, good health and love!
KISSES & HUGS from me to you. xoxo
Remember to subscribe to our RSS feed. TQ!


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The office drawered pedestals are characterized by a solid welded construction. Their main advantage is a high resistance and an option to order versions with fronts or covers made of laminated chipboard in many uni or wooden surfaces and also an option to choose from a wide range of handrails and holds. Due to this it is possible to make up the design of the office pedestals precisely with other office furniture and furnishings. From the functional view the ALFA 3 construction of the pedestal fulfills the strictest standard. The drawers are hung on 100% telescope slide-rails with carrying-capacity of 40 Kg. The pedestals are furnished with a central locking system characterized by low control power. The sure thing is the system of blocking the opening several drawers simultaneously in order to prevent the possible overturn. The internal space of the drawers is suit to option of usage the dividing parts. They are adjustable after 25 mm. Furthermore we recommend to furnish the upper drawer with plastic penciler, which is shifted along the upper edge of the drawer´s sides and due to it the drawer can be used in two layers.
The ALFA 3 steel office furniture is characterized by careful work processing and modern design. It involves the usual whole-metal cabinets with shelves or drawers. Further you can also find attractive products, which combine resistant steel bodies with doors or drawer´s front panels made of laminated chipboard in wooden surfaces or glass.
Our dealers are connected by severel main characteristics.Quality, reliability, good background and our products of course.

subset: commoncrawl


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Editor's note: A version of this article originally appeared on Enterprise Systems Media. The article below includes updates and additional information from the author.
I was recently in Sacramento attending the SHARE mainframe conference. It's always a pleasure to see customers, colleagues and other people interested in all things mainframe. It was especially nice to see all the first-time attendees from hundreds of different companies.
And that's usually what I come away with—new connections with other mainframe folks, new platform knowledge and new excitement for the mainframe industry. But this time, my biggest take away was this: The next time you hear someone say people entering the workforce don't want to work with mainframes, think again.
A Fortuitous Meeting
I usually submit items to speak on at SHARE, and at this event I was delivering a session on the DevOps track titled, "What exactly is Agile DevOps, and how does it affect me as a Systems Programmer?" It has been my experience that many mainframe operational folks are not too familiar with what Agile Development is, let alone how they fit into the DevOps picture.
For this talk I gave a short primer on Agile Development terms and concepts and ideas on how organizations can adapt and re-organize into a DevOps model. This is especially critical because in the digital age, big no longer beats small; fast beats slow.
During my presentation, I was asked some very good questions from one of the attendees. It turns out that attendee was Dr. Jagan Chidella, a professor at Sacramento State University.
He very much enjoyed my session and invited me to speak to his class sometime. I said I would love to and was sure I could work something out. To my surprise, he said, "How about 4 p.m. today?"
The arrangement was made! I met Dr. Chidella later that day on Sacramento State's campus—which, by the way, has very beautiful rolling grounds dotted with tall Sequoia trees. He is a very energetic and optimistic professor who is always looking for the best for his students—the kind of professor you wanted to have when you were taking college classes. It turns out he was teaching a graduate-level DevOps seminar, Advanced Software Engineering Product Management.
Talking Mainframe to DevOps Disciples
Dr. Chidella's students were pretty much the opposite of my normal audience. They were already very familiar with Agile terminology and methodologies but had little concept of Waterfall development techniques. That is not surprising because, after all, Agile Development was what they had been taught from the beginning.
The students had not entered the workforce yet and, therefore, did not know what it is like to work in a large development environment. Without working in a large development organization, it seems a little foreign to imagine different groups operating in silos, separately developing and operating large applications.
Because DevOps is so logical, the students assumed it naturally would be the norm in all, if not most, organizations. It was as if I told them the iPhone is a cool device, a comment so obvious that it's unnecessary to voice it.
My observation is that the most basic goal of DevOps is minimizing the time to get from "idea" to "production"—tasks must be performed in parallel; testing and deployment must be automated; every team that has a stake in the process must work together and listen to each other.
The students were very interested to hear that many organizations perform activities in sequence, each group handing off to the next, and that many times group objectives are at odds with each other. For example, many operations groups are evaluated on system availability, while development groups on speed of delivery. This causes frustration as one team is "go, go, go" while the other is "no, no, no."
Further, I explained there is an even bigger divide between mainframe and open-systems developers, but, fortunately, the days of mainframe and open-systems developers existing apart from one another are quickly coming to an end.
As more web and mobile activity engages the mainframe, IT organizations must transition to more integrated, cross-platform DevOps models that enable mainframe and open-systems teams to collaborate and develop side-by-side. Because the mainframe and systems of engagement are so integrated, and are becoming more so, it's necessary for open-systems developers to understand how their code impacts the performance of front- and back-end systems. You need all systems performing at peak agility, both for customers and economic efficiency.
They were very attentive and appreciated hearing real-world examples of migrating mainframe environments to DevOps, such as at Compuware and at some of our customers. One student said they didn't realize so many large companies rely so heavily on mainframes, and that they'd like to learn more about the platform after coming to this understanding.
Mainframe DevOps: Comp Sci Grads Get It
I think before I spoke with Dr. Chidella's students, they thought the mainframe was this mythical black box:
- What does it do?
- Why is it valuable?
- What was the OS?
- What makes it so reliable?
- How is it different than a super computer?
- How do you interface to it?
- What makes it so fast?
But these comp sci students were not at all turned off by the mainframe, as many would assume—they were very intrigued by it. They had no bigotry toward the mainframe; they wanted to understand how the biggest organizations use mainframes to solve their biggest problems. People entering the IT workforce want to work on big, important things that are interactive and make an immediate impact, as one student told me, and the mainframe is definitely that.
It's the most technologically advanced business computing platform, and it is extremely efficient, reliable, and secure. But an often-overlooked reason the mainframe is still in use is because it has continually evolved to meet requirements. Precisely the opposite of what people unfamiliar with the mainframe claim.
The only thing that hasn't evolved as well is the interface to the mainframe. It is essential for large enterprises to on-board young, driven programmers like Dr. Chidella's students who can bring new value to the mainframe, and these students in particular were not at all interested in using "green screens" that make the mainframe feel very old. Fortunately, I explained, there are now several modern tools and IDEs to provide much better interoperability to the mainframe.
Certainly, the students in Dr. Chidella's class want to work on big things, bring efficiencies to large organizations, remove constraints to development and use their training in DevOps to make a difference. They see this career path as something different compared to what their developer friends are doing, and there's something cool about that. The bottom line is that they want to work on something new and important.
So, the next time you hear someone say people entering the workforce don't want to work with mainframes, think again. It's probably that they just haven't had exposure to the platform.
Generating Exposure for the Mainframe
Perhaps colleges and universities should think about creating some curriculum to expose students to mainframes. Perhaps businesses need to step up their recruiting efforts. Here are some suggestions to help from Compuware's resident expert, Talent Enablement Manager and Technical Recruiter Leigh Ann Ulrey:
- Colleges/Universities should establish mainframe courses in both Information Systems and Computer Science/Computer Engineering programs. The mainframe industry has a plethora of different opportunities for individuals who love technology; however, some opportunities are more suited for Computer Science/Computer Engineering programs and others are more Information Systems/Business IT focused.
- Have relevant industry speakers in classrooms and/or student organizations. Most students just lack an awareness of mainframes, so the simple act of educating students on the real-world use of the platform can be quite eye-opening. We have attended round tables at universities coordinated by the IBM Academic Initiative that brought together many industry partners to a campus. Additionally, organizations that need to build their next-gen workforce should make efforts to go to college campuses and engage with students and faculty.
- Plan to train. Corporate training will be essential to pass on the necessary knowledge and onboard new hires. Even if schools start to teach a few mainframe classes, that education will not be set up to train students to be experts in specific areas, but rather, to train students to learn how to think critically.
- Invest in mentorship. Pair new hires up with both senior and junior developers is critical to onboard and retain new talent.
- Participate in industry collaboration and public knowledge sharing. Currently, finding helpful mainframe knowledge and information online is difficult and can even be hostile. New generations of learners want to be able to research and learn the skills and information they need, as they need it. Additionally, as SMEs start to retire, their knowledge isn't necessarily documented. One recent example is the attempt to create a mainframe StackExchange
In any case, mainframes are not going away—they are an integral part of large-business computing and will be for a long time to come, and we need new talent to step up to the challenge. From what I experienced in Dr. Chidella's classroom, there is plenty of interest in doing just that, and there really isn't a "generational" bias against mainframes.
Speaking of moving forward without bias against mainframes, I love passion in this quote from Krysten Erickson, one of Compuware's newer developers and a first-time SHARE attendee in 2017:
"I am not about to tolerate the death of the mainframe because we as stewards bobbled the handoff while arguing about our generational differences. These conversations can be enlightening, but since we have more in common than we admit, I hope we can put our combined focus on the future and make certain that the mainframe remains in it."
What is your mainframe organization doing to grab the attention of talented comp sci grads? At Compuware, we're practicing the points above, and to an even greater extent than I've conveyed here. Becoming a more vocal advocate for the mainframe and starting down a path that would enable your team to leverage the DevOps skills and knowledge of younger programmers would be valuable steps in building your next-gen workforce.
For some powerful advice from millennials on why they love the mainframe, why they think mainframe development is a viable career and how your mainframe team can attract others like them, watch this two-minute video.


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BMW Motorcycle Club ACTIncorporated
an Official BMW Club Member BMW Clubs International
Dry Lake Racers Australia
29th Annual Speed Week
Held on Lake Gairdner South Australia, ~1600km from Canberra with a map here. The nearest camp with fuel, water, showers and toilets is Mt Ive Station 38km from the lake. You need to bring everything else. Bush camping is conditional as is riding on the lake (never mind the irreversible damage to your bike).
Check and read the DLRA webpage for details here https://www.dlra.org.au/2019.htm.
Racing is weather dependent and requires a hot dry pre-summer. Serious crashes and other admin issues can cause a delay to or cancellation of racing, so plan an extended trip though the scenic Gawler Rangers and districts as a backup.


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Home » Caribbean » Dominican Republic » Punta Cana » Le Sivory Punta Cana By PortBlue Boutique
3rd Night Free!
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There is a deep, spiritual experience waiting for you when you start to listen and give power, to the body that you're in.
Hey there, I'm Liz!
And I'm on a mission to help people develop a powerful spiritual practice that will change the way you relate to your health and body - for good.
I'm a Registered Nurse with 10+ years of hands-on experience and a Masters in Primary and Global Health. I'm also a Certified Professional Coach with training in Leadership development and Meditation facilitation.
I've spent my career as an RN, caring for people while they navigate pivotal moments in their health and in their bodies. I've been present at over a thousand births, held space for unimaginable grief, and cared for people in some of the most vulnerable states a human can be in.
I've also struggled with my own body image and health issues in my earlier adult years - from serious digestive tract damage from prolonged antibiotic use - to chronic back pain from mal-alignment in my body. Not to mention that growing up as a 6 foot tall, awkward, and slightly overweight young woman - came with its own delightful tote bag of self-acceptance and worthiness issues.
I know the pain and frustration of trying to love who I was in my body.
And I was navigating a healthcare system that was simply not set up to do anything other than treat my physical symptoms, let alone supporting the 'whole person' - mind, body and spirit.
I learned a fair bit about what nutrition made my body feel best, and I knew that I felt WAY more alive when I was exercising regularly. But the problem was that I was never good about doing anything consistently. For years, I would yo-yo up and down between controlling my body with strict rules, and just letting it all go. I would only be able to turn it around when I hit a 'bottom' and felt so awful in my body that I couldn't do anything but respond.
Sound familiar?
I'll bet that if you're reading right now, you've experienced some version of this.
The real tipping point in my relationship with my body and my health, came when I learned how to meditate.
When I started meditating, developing awareness and listening INwardly… that's when I started noticing changes to my health and body that STUCK.
Meditation has an incredible way of getting you in touch with what's happening under the surface. The unconscious beliefs and stories, the pain you're still holding onto, and most importantly - the deep longing that is coming from your soul. When I started to get in touch with all of that, I was finally able to start breaking down the self-defeating patterns that had been limiting my health and well-being for most of my life. And my body started to change.
I'm thrilled to now say that the majority of the time, I live without pain, without nausea or bloating or indigestion, and with WAY more energy, strength, confidence, aliveness and inner joy than I ever thought possible.
I honestly love this body that I get to live in. Sure, it's got it's quirks… but instead of disconnecting from my body and trying to 'force' it to be a certain way… now I revel in the discovery of what my body has to teach me each day.
My mission now, is to show people how to relate to their health and body in a NEW way.
To feel empowered, rather than victimized.
To feel love for this body that you're walking around in, rather than disconnected from it.
To feel pride for your uniqueness, rather than shame.
I want you to feel the deep sense of peace and wholeness of loving yourself NOW - exactly the way you are - and at the same time, powerful and supported enough to create whatever changes you desire.
Free Training
Sign up below for instant access to this life-changing Masterclass
5 Spiritual Practices for Incredible Health
Learn 5 foundational practices that will help you to become a powerful, intentional creator of your health and body.
This free webinar training is the perfect introduction to get you more deeply connected with your natural state of well-being and unleash your body's natural healing ability. The road to YOUR best health starts here.
My Philosophy
At some point it clicked for me that everything I teach and practice through Coaching, Meditation, Personal Leadership, and Spirituality - is the MISSING PIECE to how we can create lasting changes to our health and our bodies.
We often KNOW the things we need to do - eat certain foods, lose weight, exercise more, reduce stress, take our medication or supplements, etc…. But for some reason we can never follow through and keep it up in a sustainable manner.
What I'm here to tell you, is that when you're trying to create something different in your body… you've got to get your INNER WORLD on board. Otherwise you'll just keep repeating the same patterns and creating the same outcomes over and over again.
Our inner worlds have a HUGE impact on our physical health. And when we try to address our physical health without also looking to what is happening within us on a spiritual, mental, and emotional level… then we're fighting an uphill battle. That is the bottom line.
Our INNER WORLDs include things like:
- Conscious and subconscious beliefs and patterns (including limiting and destructive ones!)
- Our emotions and the way we process them
- Culturally imposed standards that we have internalized about how our bodies are supposed to look and act
Modern medicine is an incredible thing that we are SO privileged to enjoy in this time in history.
But unfortunately, the way our system is set up, many people are left feeling disempowered and even more disconnected from their bodies than when they started.
What I've seen in my career, is that the people who are successful at making lasting positive changes to their health and bodies, have learned how to effectively connect with themselves on a body, mind and spirit level, and actually FEEL what's going on inside. They understand that their ability to succeed lies in their attention to the subtle indicators within them, guiding their way.
You are so much more than your physical body, and yet, your body is a part of the wholeness of who you are. You can neither idolize it, nor abandon it. And in our culture, we seem to only know how to do one or the other of those two things.
There is an epidemic of disconnection and mistrust in our bodies, particularly amongst women. We have been trained from an early age, to look outside of our bodies - for information, for validation, and for a sense of power - over those same bodies.
REAL HEALTH is about:
Listening deeply to your WHOLE self - mind, body and spirit
Being in alignment / in integrity with what your body is telling you
Understanding that your physical body is not a lone entity that you can 'control' - Your mind, body, and spirit are inextricably linked
Creating the circumstances that allow your natural state of well-being and the body's natural healing ability to take over
Being the LEADER of your health and body
Honouring the truth of who you are at the deepest level and trying to live in alignment with that everyday
Embracing the uniqueness of what YOUR BODY has to offer
A feeling of energy, strength, vibrancy, succulence, and aliveness
Stepping into the POWER and CONVICTION of your highest self
Real health is NOT about:
Conforming to an outside standard of beauty, body size, shape, or ability
Rigidity or self-punishment
Putting bandaid solutions over physical symptoms, without consideration for the mental, emotional, energetic, or spiritual aspects
Giving all your power and authority over to a source outside of yourself
Trying to 'control' your physical body from the head (not unlike a top-down patriarchal system)
So here's the deal. ALL of this has an impact on our ability to find what REAL HEALTH looks like for each of us. Our bodies are varied and unique. They are also dynamic and changing.
Through meditation and mindfulness, embodiment techniques, and inner world work, I teach people how to completely re-design the way they relate to their health and bodies.
Because when someone suddenly starts to feel more powerful in their body, an amazing thing happens…. EVERY other part of their life starts to get better too.
It's like MAGIC! And it makes total sense when you think about it.
Our bodies are our physical connection to this world - the conduit for connecting our highest selves (our souls, inner being, etc) - to everything and everyone around us. So when we start to inhabit our bodies with more integrity and curiosity and LOVE - our outer world cannot but reflect this back to us.
When we feel empowered in our body, we feel deeply empowered in our life.
We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings having a physical experience.
-Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
A big part of my work is helping people get more aligned and connected to their inner being (aka the higher self, consciousness, soul, etc.) for the sake of their health. Because that part of ourselves knows what we want on a soul level and knows the easiest path for us to get there. Our inner being knows where we've come from and where we're going. And most importantly, our inner being knows what we're capable of - with no victim energy, self-pity or excuses. Our inner being knows only unconditional love and inner truth and possibility.
And don't get me wrong, doing this work requires surrender, deep inner listening, and patience.
But man oh man… ANYTHING is possible when you tap into this place.
So, with all that being said...
Are you Ready to find what YOUR best health looks like?
Here's how we can work together:
1. Sign up for my free webinar training on the 5 Spiritual Practices for Incredible Health on October 16th, 2019 at 1pm Est, & get on my email list for insider tips and updates
2. Check out my online programs, all geared towards building a powerful spiritual practice and creating a conscious relationship with your health and body
3. Work with me one-on-one! Private coaching time is pretty much as good as it gets, and together, we will dive DEEP and find YOUR BEST health, from the inside out


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I caught a Bar
jack (Caranx ruber) off the north point of our beach
yesterday. There were Cero mackerel everywhere but none of
them got hooked. I caught the Bar Jack on the silver
Got-cha and the day before that I got two mackerel and a
big Blue runner off the Jetty at Cupids Cay in Governors
I went out in Mini-me today with Kirk
and Jake and we caught 5 Almaco Jacks (Seriola rivoliana)
in front of the Cove. A school of about eight showed up to
investigate a small yellowtail I was using for bait. We
used live pilchards to catch them. Jake caught three of
them and Kirk and I each got one.
We caught the pilchards at a secret
place Barry (Captain
Z) told us about. The pilchards hide in a pile
of rocks that are up against a cliff. Mini-me can barely
fit in between the rocks. Kirk and Jake navigate in while I
stand on the bow and net them. We only get one cast before
all the pilchards get spooked and dive too deep to net. We
got more than enough Live Pilchards in one cast for a days
Kirk and Jake have a
boat called Mini-me that we take out a lot. It's an
eleven foot Boston Whaler with a 25 hp motor. We
caught this Green turtle and took him to the Cove and
let him go there. So far we've caught three turtles.
Of course we let them all go. They have all been
Green turtles so were hoping for a Hawksbill one of
these days. Mini-me cruises at 22 knots. It's a great
boat to run around in but it weighs a ton. It takes
the three of us and two adults to pull it up.
Below: Lionfish
Cushion Seastar
A balloonfish (Diodon
Holcanthus), they're not very common
on the Caribbean side. This one was very tame.
Something happened to this Porcupinefish's (Diodon
hystrix) eye.
The scrapes on the side of his face are from him not
being able to
see where he's going too well. I'm sure the only
reason he's alive is
because they don't have any predators.


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Military Tradition Museum t Schilderhuis in Driebergen focuses on the full range of military uniforms and accessories and items that were used by the Dutch forces and KNIL, so all Services. By providing an overview of uniforms and traditions of all Services, the Military Tradition museum takes 't Schilderhuis into a unique position.
For current visiting hours, please visit the website of the museum.
Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!
Helaas geen map gevonden.


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This wharf is operated by Tasman District Council as part of the roading network. There is a sealed boat ramp for small trailer boats at the end of Green Tree Road.
No wharf fees are applicable at the Riwaka Wharf. Note that vessels lying alongside are likely to settle on the bottom at low tide.
The approaches are winding, narrow and shallow over extensive sand and mud flats, and are dry at some points at spring low tide. There is a series of informal pole markers. These are maintained by the local boating community, and should not be relied upon for navigation without local knowledge.
The leading light beacons (NZ Light List 4210 and 4210.1) were decommissioned and removed in May 2012.
A lit green conical buoy has been installed seaward of the shelf, on the line of the former leads. This mark is intended as a fairway buoy for vessels travelling in the conventional direction of buoyage (i.e clockwise around the south island). The green light is on for 2 seconds, then off for 2 seconds during darkness.
The Riwaka fairway buoy can be used as a landfall mark for Riwaka. From the fairway buoy, an informal local mark (mussel float) lies 0.71NM inshore on a bearing of 212°M. From there a series of informal marker poles can be followed into Riwaka. Approach to the buoy, and subsequent approaches to wharf and ramp, can usually only be navigated towards the top of high tide by most recreational vessels.
|Latitude (WGS84)
|Longitude (WGS84)
|Council Structure ID
Starboard lateral buoy (Riwaka Fairway)
Iso G 4s 1.3m 2NM
The buoy has not yet been charted by Land Information New Zealand. The graphics below may be useful until that is completed. CST-1306 is the buoy shown on the former lead line. The other buoy shown is CST-1307 (see Port Motueka section for details).
View a larger version of this image
Riwaka and Motueka River, NZ614 at 1:30,000


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A couple of pallets filled with fireworks were stolen from the scout group Skjöldungar in Reykjavík. Members of the group were going to sell it for the Scout Rescue Unit in Iceland. This is reported by visir.is
Skjöldunar wrote a post on Facebook saying that thieves had broken into a locked container and stolen almost two pallets of fireworks. It was 20% of what they were going to sell.
Skjöldungar asked anyone and everyone who may have any information about the theft to come forward and contact the police.
Every year, scouts and the ICE-SAR sell fireworks to fund their rescue missions. The companies are not-for-profit and rely on public donations.


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Courses Taught
- FALL: ECI244 / EGG201 Life Cycle Assessment for Sustainable Engineering
- WINTER: ECI289 Advanced Methods in Industrial Ecology
- SPRING: ECI123 Urban Systems and Sustainability
Graduate Education Programs
The Summer 2016 saw two exciting programs launch:
The Energy Graduate Group (EGG), conferring PhD and MS Degrees in Energy Systems has come online! We have accepted our first cohort, who will arrive on campus in Fall 2017. Interested in learning more or applying for Fall 2018? Check out: https://eec.ucdavis.edu/energy-graduate-group/
We also have a new Graduate Academic Certificate in Industrial Ecology. This Certificate is open to all graduate students on campus. Follow the link here for more information on the program and how to apply: http://ie.ucdavis.edu/programs/


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The answer to the Wizards prayers came in Jason Smith, perhaps the most unlikliest of their offseason moves. They allowed Jared Dudley to leave in free agency without an offer, Drew Gooden was not longer able to proved the start he had previously and eventually retired and Kris Humphries had to be shipped in a trade after a failed "stretch 4" experiment.
Smith, who'd set a career-best with four made three-pointers in a game at the L.A. Clippers during a five-game road trip, set a new marker for himself Tuesday by going 5-for-9 from deep en route to 17 points in leading a comeback for a 118-111 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
"I told him take his mask off. He's really Ryan Anderson," said Markieff Morris of Smith, who signed a three-year, $15 million deal last summer. "It just gives another dimension to our team, a guy coming off the bench shooting threes like that."
That Morris mentions Anderson is appopriate. CSNmidatlantic.com reported after the Wizards whiffed on recruting Kevin Durant in free agency that Anderson was among their top targets as long as his pricetag didn't rise above $15 million-$16 million range. Anderson, who was confident that he was going to be in Washington, was shocked that an offer never came and he accepted $20 million per year for the next four from the Houston Rockets.
When Smith was signed, the face-up 7-footer had averaged just 7.2 points and 25% from three last season in 76 appearances with the Orlando Magic. This season, he's only averaging 5.6 but shooting 49.2% from three in 69 games. His overall shooting is 53.1% as he is automatic on elbow jumpers.
On the surface, it doesn't add up. But it does. Coach Scott Brooks has dropped Smith from the rotation completely at times when Ian Mahinmi returned from knee injuries. To clear a spot for him to get minutes, Smith has been sacrificed. Even after shooting 6 of 7 for 17 points in win at the Phoenix Suns, Smith was a healthy scratch the next game.
And before that, Smith was 4-for-4 during 10 minutes to spark a blowout victory at the Toronto Raptors but didn't play in the next game, either.
That Smith handles these moments with such professionalism is part of his allure. Even as he explained what took place Tuesday, he deferred to his teammates such as John Wall, Bradley Beal, Kelly Oubre and Bojan Bogdanvoic for setting the table for his offense.
"It's not me," Smith, in his ninth season, said. "It's John, it's Brad, it's Kelly, it's Bojan. They're all attacking the rim. I just space out. It's a credit to them."
When the season began, Smith was out of sorts as were the Wizards in a 2-8 start. He was on the floor with Andrew Nicholson and Marcus Thornton. Neither complemented him. It's a classic of case of playing with better players now has allowed Smith to be better.
During the 2016 calendar year, Smith attempted just two three-point shots. In 2017, he has taken 68. He's big enough to play at the five spot behind Marcin Gortat and versatile enough to play behind Morris at the four.
But to reduce Smith's value to just shooting is not doing him justice, and what he does isn't always quantifiable by a number. The eye test is best. And he's correct in Beal and the like are forcing defenses into such chaos, all he has to do is find the soft spot for the high-percentage look.
The film:
This the NBA in 2017. Screens are everywhere. If the switches are done properly the opponent takes the least likely to be made shot. That happens with Kemba Walker. He makes the jumper but Smith gets close enough to deny him the open three (the ideal shot) because he's 7 feet tall and can close to contest because of his athleticism. And by not being too close Walker he doesn't give up the driving lane There's no middle which is where Walker would have the most options. Instead he takes the long two via stepback.
Gortat switches to stop Williams, Smith/Wall must switch. Walker hits but least of the evils. Smith takes away 3 AND the drive. #WizHornets pic.twitter.com/oun2tXHQDH— J. Michael (@ThisIsJMichael) April 5, 2017
Smith makes repeated switches, the most important one is cutting off Walker to help John Wall on the sideline. Imagine if Smith is late to that spot. Walker has a clear path to turn the corner and get to the rim. But Smith makes the initial switch with Gortat (from Marvin Williams to Cody Zeller) to stopping the ball and then sliding back to Williams as he fades to the weak side. Proper rotations eveywhere. The ball ends up out of bounds.
No stat for this. Smith switches, takes Zeller, leaves to stop Walker off stagger, recovers (as does Gortat) to original man #WizHornets pic.twitter.com/xSNwLvuUFM— J. Michael (@ThisIsJMichael) April 5, 2017
In the middle of the frontline, that's the MIG -- Most Important Guy -- or the 2.9 which is how many seconds you can stay in the lane without being called for a violation. Smith has to decide when to slide to the ball and when to slide towards his man floating weakside in case of a reversal or skip pass. He has to have good enough reaction time to successfully do both and does, blocking Jeremy Lamb on help to stop the layup. It's a multi-tasking role.
Playing the 2.9, or MIG pending the preferred terminology, Smith slides into help position to defend rim v Lamb #WizHornets pic.twitter.com/1xmDXOLwe6— J. Michael (@ThisIsJMichael) April 5, 2017
Smith knocks down the three. But look at everything he does to get Beal the look before settling into the soft spot as the defense forgets to account for him. Take away Beal. Take away Gortat. Oh, what about Smiths' three-ball?
Smith screens Beal open, then sets another screen to create switch. When MKG digs on Gortat, Smith's spacing = open 3 #WizHornets pic.twitter.com/A3OVncKiMJ— J. Michael (@ThisIsJMichael) April 5, 2017
This is just a snapshot of what Smith has done so effecitvely. His $5 million per year is a bargain compared to other fowards on the market at the time.
-- Mirza Teletovic (Bucks): 3 years, $30 million for 6.4 points, 34.3% three-point shooting and less than 40% shooting overall. And not able to play as a spread five or defend at anywhere near Smith's level.
--Luol Deng (Lakers): 4 years, $72 million for 7.6 points, 31.1% three-point shooting and less than 40% shooting overall. Also, not able to play the spread five or defend that spot.
--Solomon Hill (Pelicans): 4 years, $52 million for 7.0 points, 35.8% three-point shooting and less than 40% overall shooting. Can be a solid defender away from the rim, but can't play or defend the low-post spots at 6-7.
There are plenty of other examples of players who are less efficient but cost more than Smith, but as important as the film or the stats is how he fits on a roster led by young stars.
"Jason is one of the best, true professionals that I've played with," Wall said. "A guy that didn't get too many minutes on the road trip and comes back and have a big game for us today. He's just always ready. ... Couldn't ask for more from a guy like that."
With the playoffs near, expect Brooks to rely on Smith more rather than less. His veteran's attitude has allowed him to toy with certain combinations to figure out what to do in the future and chances are that'll be rewarded.
He knows what he has in Smith. There are no longer any questions. Smith has Dudley's three-point shooting ability, Humphries' strength and Gooden's likability rolled into one roster spot.
[RELATED: Kelly Oubre's role model: Russell Westbrook]


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News Jokes By Jim
Episode 193
News Jokes By Jim (4/9/2019)
Jim Barach published on
Here it is, the best comedy podcast anywhere! Dozens of original topical jokes as written and performed by Jim Barach, the most prolific joke writer on the planet. Make sure to subscribe and tell all your social media friends to check it out as well. Then just sit back, listen and enjoy!


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Hunter's Gourmet Organic White Quinoa (150gm)
Naturally gluten-free and containing iron, B-vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, vitamin E and fiber, Quinoa is an excellent healthy source of protein and essential amino acids. We offer this superfood in re-sealable brown paper ziplock bags for freshness. A delicious and quick-cook option for salads and sides, quinoa can be combined with any ingredients to make a nutritious and tasty dish.
Hunter's Gourmet Organic White Quinoa (150gm) 150gm Packet. Superfoods, Organic, Gluten free, MSG Free, Non GMO, No Preservatives, No Artificial Flavours, No Artificial Colours, Vegan, No Trans Fat, No Cholesterol, Halal.


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Nintendo spread a little disappointment with its latest earnings post for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. The company's earnings fell slightly below analyst estimates and, reversing expectations from earlier reports, the company will not launch a new Switch game console at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) trade show in June.
Operating profit for the three months ended March 31 was $266 million (29.7 billion yen), below the $321 million that analysts expected. For the full fiscal year end March 31, 2020, Nintendo said it expects operating profit of $2.32 billion, compared with estimates from analysts of $3.13 billion.
Nintendo also said Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has sold 13.8 million units to date.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said at a press briefing that the launch of the Switch in China may not happen for a while, and he said there is no plan to unveil a new Switch at E3, Bloomberg reported.
Nintendo said it sold 16.95 million Switch consoles in fiscal 2019, and it expects to ship 18 million consoles in the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2020. Analysts had expected 18.5 million.
Tencent said it received some approvals to sell Switch consoles in China.
You can't solo security COVID-19 game security report: Learn the latest attack trends in gaming. Access here


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Did Unmarried Mothers Caused Wall Street Collapse?
By Bankole Thompson
Conservative ideologue and ABC analyst George Will became the latest right-wing intellectual parading as a self-appointed moralist to link Detroit's gigantic financial problems on moral failure and collapse of the family system. But of course this narrative is so familiar among Republican Christians – right-wing evangelicals- because whenever these so-called Christians run out of any rational way of thinking, they run to the "moral card" for rescue as if we've not had a litany of major right-wing evangelicals who have been exposed for serious moral failures as it relates to their sexual indiscretions and other activities they once denounced.
During a July 28 taping of ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" Will suggested that "unmarried mothers" are also responsible for Detroit's bankruptcy, the largest of its kind in U.S. history. And this is how Will explained it on the roundtable interview.
"You have a city, 139 square miles, you can crave cattle in vast portions of it, dangerous herds of feral dogs roam in there. Three percent of fourth graders reading at the national math standards, 47 percent of Detroit residents are functionally illiterate, 79 percent of Detroit children are born to unmarried mothers. They don't have a fiscal problem, they have a cultural collapse," Will said on ABC.
For a so-called analyst of Will's own standing to abandon the economic argument facing municipalities across the country with Detroit being the latest litmus test, and instead opt for a moral crusade as the answer to this economic crisis is beyond any form of comprehension. Either it is a lazy job, an elitist approach or a downright racist diatribe because in plain conservative language, whenever "unwed mothers" are used in the argument it is meant to render white liberals as morally bankrupt in their alliance with black voters. And Detroit being a major black city it is no mistake that Will played the moral card in this instance.
So Will only showed his true color by offering a prognostic about Detroit that won't pass the smell test. We've seen men and others like him before mask under a so-called intellectual debate while the argument that they are making is incoherent.
Will, could have done better than that. But like many on the national stage he is not only blinded by his own self-righteous rules, but also by the wrong narrative that has long confined Detroit's image on the national scene.
Yes, the city has problems that are inexcusable, most of which have to be put at the feet of its leaders even though federal and state policies cannot be excused in this financial reckoning. But to blame the life style or choices that hard pressed and taxpaying residents make as a major factor for this collapse is insanity, intellectual dishonesty and a fraudulent argument put forth by a purported intellectual.
Why is it that whenever issues of economic significance are tabled, the masses or the majority poor are always blamed and their lifestyle brought up as the reason?
Was it unmarried mothers who caused the collapse of Wall Street?
Was it unwed mothers who caused the collapse of the international economic system that was bailed out by the Obama administration?
Was it unmarried mothers who forced homeowners out of their homes after buffeting them with subprime lending and incomprehensible loans and interest designed to create a rainy day on Wall Street?
Was it unwed mothers who were responsible for the economic crisis that greeted the Obama administration?
But we know why Wall Street collapsed. The greed and fierce competition of elitist white men.
George Will, and others like him can longer mask under "rational thinking" while offering us code words that we know are not only racist but elitist and downright dishonest. If this is what he has to offer Detroit's economic crisis on national television maybe the longtime conservative ideologue has run out of ideas for the growing problems facing this nation, and it might just be time to bench him from the ABC roundtable.
Bankole Thompson is the editor of the Michigan Chronicle and author of the forthcoming 2014 book on Detroit titled "Rising From the Ashes: Engaging Detroit's Future with Courage." His most recent book "Obama and Christian Loyalty," deals with the politics of the religious right, black theology and the president's faith posture across a myriad of issues with an epilogue written by former White House spokesman Robert S. Weiner. He is a political analyst at WDET-101.9FM (Detroit Public Radio) and a member of the weekly "Obama Watch" roundtable on WLIB-1190AM New York. Email him at firstname.lastname@example.com and visit www.bankolethompson.com


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Saints shake up medical staff after misdiagnosis of Delvin Breaux's leg injury
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Saints coach Sean Payton says cornerback Delvin Breaux needs lower-leg surgery that will sideline him about six weeks and that an initial misdiagnosis of Breaux's injury has sparked a shake-up in the team's medical staff.
Payton says Breaux has a fibula fracture that was initially diagnosed as a contusion. Breaux has missed more than a week of practice and Payton said he had been getting frustrated with the pace of Breaux's recovery, based on the initial diagnosis.
"I certainly was pushing him, based on the information I was getting," Payton said.
The coach said the Saints will replace two orthopedic surgeons and in the meantime receive help from Chargers physicians during joint practices in California leading up to their game Sunday in Los Angeles.
"It's one of those positions with every team that there's always that level of importance to come up with the right opinion," Payton said of the decision to replace the physicians. "For years, those guys have done a great job. And yet there was a point at which we just felt as an organization that that change was going to be necessary for us.
"It's not one event. It probably builds up over a period of time," Payton added. "You're not going to bat a thousand here, but you're just hoping that more often than not, you're getting the right information."
Breaux is at least the second starting Saints player this offseason to have surgery delayed because an initial diagnosis deemed an operation not necessary. Center Max Unger had foot surgery in May and is now in a race to rehabilitate by the regular season opener. Had surgery been performed a couple months earlier, Unger could have been back for the start of training camp.
Payton said he met with the entire team to discuss the decision to replace the club's physicians, comparing it to a team's decision to move on from a player, coach or other key personnel.
"The same thing applies. And certainly that umbrella of just the confidence level in other areas applies as well," Payton said. "It's a competitive business, and it's part of the NFL."
The orthopedic surgeons let go are Deryk Jones and Misty Suri.
The decision is somewhat of an awkward one because both physicians are with Ochsner Health System, which is one of the most visible sponsors of the Saints as well as the NBA's Pelicans. Both teams are owned by Tom Benson.
"We understand that the intense pressure a professional sports team is under at the start of a new season can cause unexpected changes," Ochsner said in an email to The Associated Press. "While we were surprised, we will respect the decision of the Saints' leadership. ... We stand behind our strong Sports Medicine Program, including Dr. Jones and Dr. Suri and a team made up of nationally recognized orthopedic surgeons who are fellowship trained in sports medicine."
Suri, who has worked with the Saints much of the past decade, also began working with the Pelicans last season and will continue to work with the NBA club, according to Ochsner's statement.
Ochsner added that it will continue to provide "all other health care services to both teams' players, families and staff" and will maintain its official sponsorship of both clubs.
The Pelicans, who also have been using Ochsner orthopedic physicians, have been plagued by injury problems in recent seasons. At least two Pelicans players, Jrue Holiday and Quincy Pondexter, have had setbacks during rehabilitation from initial operations and required additional surgeries. Suri began working with the Pelicans after that.
Breaux has been a starter since joining New Orleans in 2015, but missed most of last season with leg and shoulder injuries.
None of several Saints players made available to media after Wednesday's practice disagreed with the club's decision to change team physicians — at least not publicly. Most said they understand changes like this happen in pro sports from time to time.
"People make mistakes and sometimes you have to pay for them," defensive tackle Tyeler Davison said.
"It's not like a panic or worry with any of the players about getting a good doctor in here," Davison added. "We're worried about winning games."
PHOTOS: Best of NFL preseason


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When Negligent Drivers Cause Motor Vehicle Accidents
The weight, power and speed of today's motor vehicles can lead to tragedy when misused by a negligent driver. Hundreds of thousands of motorists and passengers are seriously injured every year in Texas and the U.S., due to negligent operation of cars, trucks and SUV's.
Injuries are especially life-changing or life-ending when the injured victim is unprotected, such as the motorcyclist, bicyclist and pedestrian. Statistics on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury caused in motor vehicle accidents continue to rise.
Experienced personal injury attorneys have no impact on the frequency of injury accidents on busy highways and surface streets. But they can aggressively, successfully steer the lives of the injured — and families mourning a relative's wrongful death — in a positive direction.
In Decatur and Wise County, the client-committed, compassionate lawyer who works hard to help you find your way is J.A. Griffin, of the J.A. Griffin Law Firm, P.C.
J.A. Griffin knows the people of North Central Texas. He knows their problems and how to find legal solutions for them. He offers proven skills while investigating an accident, pinpointing the negligent party, bargaining with insurers and forcefully litigating against them, to your benefit, after a serious car accident.
For victims of auto accidents caused by careless operation of enormous commercial vehicles, such as semi tractor trailers and 18-wheelers, Mr. Griffin uses every possible resource to return your life to normal. When injuries become life-altering, such as paralysis, coma, amputation and permanent disfigurement, he steps up his game to achieve justice for permanently disabled clients.
Put J.A. Griffin's Experience, Efficiency And Expertise On Your Side, Starting Today
The help you need, while you are hospitalized and struggling to recover from accident injuries, is as close as your phone. For a free consultation with Mr. Griffin, call right now — 940-539-0819. We respond promptly to all email messages.
Are you concerned about the cost of our legal services? Not to worry: you owe no legal fees whatsoever unless we win your case.


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WDH on a high with customer satisfaction
WDH is delighted with its latest satisfaction results. From January to March 2018 figures show that satisfaction now stands at 85.3% – this is among the best performing housing associations in the UK, and alongside some major companies.
Kevin Dodd, WDH's Chief Executive said "Getting customer feedback is essential for us as a business. By asking people what is important to them we can respond accordingly and provide services to match their needs and expectations. Our research tells us that our customers' priorities are for us to be easy to deal with, keep promises and commitments, manage nuisance and antisocial behaviour and their repairs experience. We follow best practice in communicating the results and actions to our customers and our employees after each survey which has helped us to maintain our consistently high satisfaction scores".
WDH's satisfaction survey is now carried out independently by TLF, a customer experience company that carries out telephone interviews with WDH's customers twice a year. In response to these insights WDH has introduced further customer service training, is developing the way repairs are delivered through mobile working and has reviewed the way it communicates repairs issues to customers.
As well as carrying out a satisfaction survey, WDH also works with Bright UK to gather real time customer feedback. A pilot with two service areas has proven successful in increasing satisfaction as responses are given instantly to any negative feedback. This allows WDH to make things right for the customer, preventing complaints from being made in the first place. The instant feedback received has also allowed WDH to make improvements to its services. General satisfaction with the services included in the pilot for the year 2017 / 18 was at 92.1% compared with the UK benchmark of 77.9% and the tool is being rolled out to other areas of the business over the coming months.


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- Eidur Gudjohnsen assures Chelsea fans over current uncertain situation.
- Gudjohnsen does not believe that Roman Abramovich will sell the club.
- READ MORE: Chelsea linked with surprise move for world-class striker
Former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen believes that Roman Abramovich will not sell the club, despite the current uncertainty.
Abramovich was unable to attend the FA Cup final back in May due to issues with his U.K visa. He has subsequently gained Israeli citizenship, which will allow him to visit England for six-months at a time, but not live and work in the country.
The plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge have been put on hold, leaving a major question mark over Abramovich's commitment to the cause. Some have even gone as far as suggesting that he could sell the club after fifteen-years of ownership.
Gudjohnsen, however, is relaxed. He has reassured Chelsea fans that they have nothing to worry about, and Abramovich's dedication to the task at hand in SW6 should not be questioned.
The former Chelsea striker, who has well earned his right to share his opinion on club affairs, is quoted by the Daily Star saying:
"I'm pretty sure he'll be devastated about not being able to go to Stamford Bridge if the situation drags on."
"Abramovich has shown his dedication to Chelsea football club from the moment he arrived. I'm convinced he'll continue to do so in whatever capacity."
Well said, Eidur! Until there is any official confirmation that we have something to worry about, we ought to sleep well at night.


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If you're applying for a job that you lurvveeeeeee (hint: you should be, you deserve to have a job you love waking up for), you are naturally going to have lots of questions you want answering.
But which ones should you ask? Which order should you ask them? And how should you ask them so you come across as informed and interested? Which questions are even the right questions?
I hear you, it can be a mine field.
Surprised as you might be, the best questions to ask at the end of your interview are not always the questions you've researched on the internet.
My number #1 tip when it comes to asking questions to impress your interviewer is …


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While Wasserman Schultz will be attending the inauguration, she made it clear that her attendance has nothing to do with any respect she has toward the President-elect himself, because she doesn't have any respect for him.
As to whether she thinks Trump is a "legitimate" president, she said that she's not ready say one way or the other. But if investigations conclude that not only that Russia indeed interfered with the election, but that they also colluded with Trump for the express purpose of defeating Hillary, then she would absolutely hold the opinion that Trump is not legitimate.
This coming from a woman who had to resign from the Democratic National Committee after it was revealed that the DNC colluded with the Hillary Clinton campaign to make sure Bernie Sanders lost. Very "democratic," huh? Sounds illegitimate. (Oh, but it was the Russians' fault.)
Erin Burnett, CNN: …With 52 of your colleagues not coming [to the inauguration], with some Americans deeply upset, the #notmypresident on Twitter, I have to say, I do think whether you use the word legitimate is very important. I mean, he's either a legitimate president or he isn't. Which is it for you?
Trending: A Message for Obama – "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil."
Debbie Wasserman Schultz: Well, I think that my viewing that, I'll be able to reach a conclusion on when we hear more about these investigations.
So, I mean, when you – when you use a term like "legitimate" – and that will be one I'm prepared to use if more evidence comes out that not only were the Russians significant impact on the outcome of this election but the Trump campaign colluded with them to achieve his victory, then most certainly, I would be able to use that term.
And good for John Lewis, who has spent his entire life standing up for justice and for human and civil rights and, frankly, I think not only what Donald Trump said was absolutely vile, but I want to make sure that it's understood that my attendance at the inauguration has only a relationship to what I believe my role is to be able to hold his administration accountable, because I have certainly am not attending out of respect for him.
The views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by EagleRising.com


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Article content
A massive surge in visits to doctors and in prescriptions to treat lung ailments has been linked to the "terrible air quality" caused by wildfires as the weeklong air quality advisory for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley continues, making it the longest continuous advisory on record.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
B.C. wildfires 2018: Medical issues surge as air quality advisory becomes longest on record Back to video
In some areas of the province such as the north shore of Vancouver, authorities expect a whopping increase in physician visits. Computer modelling shows a 120 per cent increase in daily physician visits and an 80 per cent rise in the number of asthma prescription medications dispensed at pharmacies, according to Sarah Henderson, an environmental health scientist at of the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).
Henderson said the data is tabulated daily in the B.C. Asthma Prediction System (BCAPS), which was launched after previous severe wildfire seasons. The surveillance system tracks health effects associated with forest fire smoke, using data on asthma-related physician visits and the number of prescriptions filled for lung conditions. It is used to inform public health officials about the predicted effects of wildfire smoke and is not yet shared with the public.


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This is a very impressive novel. It is extremely ambitious, cramming a whole lot of story into only 360 pages, and taking on some really big ideas. It is, in fact, probably too much for one book; my head is still spinning and I'm still a mite confused on how some of the pieces fit together. But it held together well enough to hold my attention in a death grip, and left me with a distinct feeling of disappointment that it was over. it's a bold SF novel, absolutely crammed with nifty technology, and once you grant a couple of basic assumptions, the technology is believable. I caught a couple of minor scientific gaffes -- in one case, people hear a supersonic craft coming; in another, we hear about extracting oxygen from fat -- but neither of these get in the way of the plot at all. In addition to an adventure story that has so many great fights, narrow escapes, and explosions that it would strain Hollywood to fit it into a movie, we have interesting scientific speculation into what nanotechnology could really do; social speculation on a couple of fronts, including the perils of an overprotective government and a novel vision of a working society with drastically more males than females; and some metaphysical speculation that is at least interesting to think about.
Contemplating the novel after finishing it, I have real trouble believing the capabilities he gives his nanotechnology on several levels. It is not so bogus that it gets in the way of reading the story, but there are enough problems when I look at it critically that I have trouble accepting it as being directly prophetic in terms of either the wonders or the dangers it suggests.
Not perfect, but very good. If you like hard SF adventure, make the effort to find this book. Because it's being published by ISFiC (the folks who bring you Windycon) Press, rather than, say, Tor, you aren't likely to find it on the shelf at your local Borders, but it is available on Amazon. 9 out of 10.


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Makumi Mwagiru is Professor of Diplomacy and International Conflict Management, and Director, Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies, at the University of Nairobi.
This article examines the venture of the African Union (AU) into diasporic diplomacy. It inspects the context in which this was done, and the thrust of its diplomacy in the diaspora. It identifies four crucial diasporic communities with which states and organisations like the AU must interact if they wish to have proper and functional diasporic diplomacy. These are the African diaspora abroad (i.e. outside Africa), which consists of the historical and the contemporary diaspora, intra-African diasporas in the continent, and the diasporas of other regions in Africa. It is argued that the African diaspora abroad consists of the historical diaspora, and the contemporary diaspora. The article makes the case that the AU should concentrate its diaspora diplomacy on the historical diaspora, since concentrating on the contemporary African diaspora abroad pits it against member states which are also practicing diasporic diplomacy. Instead, it is suggested that the AU should play a facilitative role and also engage these other diasporas in the service of African diplomacy.
The AU has for the last seven years or so engaged in the diplomacy of the diaspora. This engagement reflects a universal re-awakening to diasporas which has emerged as an important part of a state's strategies for enhanced growth and development. This incursion into diasporic diplomacy by the AU has several strands: it is an expression of the increasing awareness that the continent must seek out new partnerships for its development; but it is also an area where the AU pits itself against member states which are also trying to tap their diasporas in the quest for faster development. There is, therefore, clearly a conflict of interest that could derail the mutual pursuit of the diaspora by both the organisation and its member states.
This article argues that while the entry of the AU into diasporic diplomacy is timely, it must be properly defined and understood. The entry of the AU into this area of diplomacy should not be designed in a way that creates conflicts between the organisation and its member states. In order to avoid this possibility, the borders of the AU's diasporic diplomacy must be more clearly drawn. This article examines the concept of diaspora and diaspora diplomacy, analyses the AU's venture into diasporic diplomacy (and the problems associated with it), offers a critique of AU diaspora diplomacy, and suggests other diasporas that ought to be a part of AU diplomacy of the diaspora. These other diasporas have been ignored in AU diplomacy of the diaspora, even though they could be harnessed into the service of African diplomacy. Finally, it considers the prospects for AU diaspora diplomacy.
Diaspora and diplomacy of the diaspora
The term 'diaspora' has sometimes run the risk of becoming meaningless. This was – and still is – because of a tendency to apply the term to a wide category of people who have been dispersed from their homeland. When used in this way, it is applied regardless of the reason for their dispersal. This – what Brubaker calls universalisation of the term – means that almost everyone is diasporic. And if everyone is diasporic, then the term diaspora is no longer able to delineate between categories. And if it is no longer able to do this, it will have a very short conceptual life (Brubaker 2005:3). This tendency to describe almost every dispersed population as diasporic led to calls for a clearer and more stringent definition of the term (Tololyan 1996).
This definitional problem of all-inclusiveness has been addressed by an emergent consensus on three criteria for the constitution of a diaspora. These are dispersion, homeland orientation, and boundary maintenance. The first refers to any form of dispersion as long as territorial borders are crossed. It has been argued on this reasoning that ethnic communities divided by territorial borders also constitute a diaspora (Brubaker 2005:5). Homeland orientation requires some loyalty to, or recognition of, a real or imagined homeland from which flow value, identity and loyalty. Boundary maintenance involves maintaining an identity distinct from that of the host society, which can be done by resisting assimilation into the host society through self-segregation, or can be an unintended consequence of social exclusion (Brubaker 2005:6).
Into this frame, there developed – or was constituted – an African diaspora. 'African diaspora' is a political term originally used to emphasise the experience of African people dispersed by the slave trade. It is also an analytical term permitting discourse about black communities across territorial borders (Patterson and Kelley 2000:14). This diaspora, however, is not a nation. As Patterson and Kelley (2000:15) note:
… the diaspora is not a sovereign territory with established boundaries, though it is seen as 'inherently inherited' to people of African descent … while there is no official language, there seems to be a consistent effort to locate a single culture with singular historical roots, no matter how mythical … many members of this diaspora see themselves as an oppressed 'nation' without a homeland, or they imagine Africa as their (future?) home.
This understanding of the diaspora, as people who have been dispersed beyond the territorial borders of their country, but who retain some loyalties for the country that they came from, and who, in their new habitat retain also some social exclusiveness, frames the emergence of the notion of a diplomacy of the diaspora. The diplomacy of the diaspora is not the normal state-centric diplomacy. It is more in the nature of sustainable diplomacy (Constantinou and Der Derian 2010), to the extent that it tries to bring concerned non-state actors into an arena where diplomatic strategies of state are formulated and implemented. In this diplomacy, the diaspora is brought into the diplomatic mainstream both as addressees of diplomatic policy, and as participants in the diplomatic – and foreign – policy-making processes. In diaspora diplomacy the role and the social, economic and political welfare of the diaspora as citizens take centre stage. In the context of the AU, but also in that of an individual state, diplomacy of the diaspora will constitute, to paraphrase Cross (2010:205):
[a] dialogue among citizens that transcends national borders, [leading] to stronger societal interdependence, and eventually some sense of common [African] identity. Citizens in the [African Union] can serve as cultural ambassadors.
The essence of the diplomacy of the diaspora is to enhance and maintain the linkages between members of the diaspora and citizens in the home state, and especially to encourage the diaspora to participate in economic and political processes in the home country. This happens through creating policy incentives for the diaspora, and loosening bureaucratic hurdles to their participation, both politically and economically. It is also done through establishing structures specifically meant to address diaspora issues, such as diaspora departments in ministries of foreign affairs (such as in Kenya) and organs like a ministry of the diaspora relations (as exists in Ghana). The opening up of the diplomatic space for the diaspora leads to the realisation of another political role for the diaspora. The numbers of the diaspora of some countries like Kenya are significant enough to decide an election, especially a presidential election, if they were allowed to vote. Opening the diplomatic space entails loosening the impediments to their political participation, especially in voting during general elections. While there exist forceful arguments against the diaspora voting unless they first pay taxes (Kapur 2003), the important thing is about the agreement in principle upon the diaspora's right to vote.
AU diplomacy of the diaspora
The rationale of AU diplomacy of the diaspora is to provide leverage to the African diaspora and make it a cornerstone of African integration and development. So important is the diaspora to the AU that its constitutive act has been amended to bring in a new article – allowing the organisation to invite and encourage full participation of the African diaspora as an important part of the continent. It is also thought that the African diaspora contains a huge talent bank which, if nurtured by the AU, can enable African development to shift to the next level (Ogom 2009:166). The AU and its organs like the Economic, Social, and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) are restructuring their laws and procedures to allow the formal participation of the diaspora in official programmes and processes. While AU diplomacy of the diaspora is at once a diplomacy with and about an outside actor, it is also a diplomacy with an inside actor in the sense that the AU considers the diaspora to be the sixth economic region of the continent.
It is estimated that the African diaspora targeted by AU diaspora diplomacy has a spending power of about US$ 500 billion per year. This might explain the thrust of the AU's definition of the African diaspora as being 'peoples of African origin, living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality, and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union'. This definition has been criticised for being so utilitarian that it excludes people who are in the diaspora, but have no means to contribute financially to the union (Omeje 2007:96–7). In any event, the spending power of the African diaspora is gross spending power of individuals and institutions. It does not take into account that the net spending power is less and is also constrained by other needs of the individuals and institutions.
The African diaspora is very wide. It includes not only those of African origin living outside the continent, but also those who may not even hold the nationality of an African country, but who consider themselves to have an African ancestry (Omeje 2007:95). This diaspora consists of two quite different components. The first is what may be termed the 'historical' diaspora. This consists of those black people who were taken into slavery, ending up in the Americas, Caribbean and other places (Black 2011). This diaspora's Africanness is fictive, although there are those who maintain that the African-American community did not sever its ties with Africa, and that these links can be strengthened further (Veney 2002). The second component of the African diaspora are those contemporary Africans who have dispersed outside their home countries in the last sixty or so years. By and large, this group left voluntarily for education, and later in search of greener pastures. This group is now in the third generation of diasporahood, and still largely retains roots and ties to the home country.
The AU should concentrate its diplomacy on the first of these diaspora groups, namely, the historic diaspora. It should do so because as an institution, it is better placed to deal with this group of the diaspora directly. As an organisation, it is less encumbered in bringing this diaspora into the frame of its development and other operations, which its individual member states might be unable to do. Because it has a certain competitive advantage over its member states in dealing with this sort of group, it should concentrate its diplomatic energies there.
The main question about dealing with this historical diaspora is whether it still retains a sense of connection with the continent. It has been argued, with merit, that a necessary requirement for engagement with the diaspora is whether at all times it has 'the sense of connection to a homeland … strong enough to resist forgetting, assimilating or distancing' (Shuval 2000:43). The historical diaspora was not itself ever in Africa, let alone having been born there. It is a diaspora in support and remembrance of ancestors who were removed from the continent. Its diasporic relationship is also with the continent, rather than with a particular African country. This raises issues about its commitment to the continent – for how long it will last, and whether it will be strong enough to convince that diaspora to engage in the enterprises that the AU has planned for them.
The situation is different for the contemporary members of the African diaspora. This group left voluntarily, and still maintains close ties with the home country and with family members. Also, this group of diasporians supports family members through remittances to pay for school fees, development projects and the like. The group has members who are not only regular visitors back home, but who have also decided to invest back home. This is the group that individual governments target in their diplomacy of the diaspora. Since governments have discovered the potential of their own diasporas, some – like Kenya – have begun to harness them in their foreign policy and diplomacy (Mwagiru 2011). Because this is a matter that is being done in the national interests of the different member states, it is not an area that the AU should get into. The organisation is in any case a servant of the member states and should therefore not be seen to be competing with them, especially in areas that member states consider crucial for their own development. If the AU involved itself in the diplomacy of the diaspora targeting the contemporary African diaspora, it would also create conflict of interest problems with the member states, and this would not augur well for their mutual relations.
The content of the AU's diplomacy of the diaspora involves establishing and consolidating regional diaspora networks, holding regional consultative conferences, fostering a closer relationship between the AU and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), concluding economic partnership agreements with different elements of the diaspora, creating information hubs about diaspora issues throughout the region, and the like. This quite extensive load for this diplomacy however also involves some more non-diplomatic themes and issues (AU 2011).
Although it is not stated directly, it would seem that the AU indeed has in mind the historic diaspora as the platform for its diplomacy of the diaspora. In terms of political cooperation, it intends to appoint diaspora experts (meaning experts from the diaspora) and to give preferential treatment to diaspora populations (AU 2011:4). This kind of positioning can only be contemplated for the historic diaspora. Such positioning cannot work for the contemporary African diaspora because it would raise too many issues and create too many conflicts with which even governments have found it difficult to deal. Were preferential treatment to be offered to the contemporary diaspora, the thorny issue would be raised about whether individuals must first leave their country for them to be offered incentives.
The economic strategy of the AU's diplomacy of the diaspora, to the extent that it focuses on economic partnerships, creating incentives for innovation and entrepreneurship, research and development, and knowledge transfer (AU 2011:10–11), is a useful platform for diaspora diplomacy, the major tool of which is persuasion. The economic partnerships envisaged require capital, and it is therefore in order to develop facilities to mobilise such capital. However, the issue of financial remittances should be left to the individual governments that deal with their own diasporas. Financial remittances in this context mean payments by members of a diaspora either directly to their families or for individual projects. The historic diaspora cannot send similar remittances since they have no families in the continent. It would also be unwise for the AU to compete with governments over the collection of such remittances. However, there also exist social remittances, which involve the transfer of ideas, values, and norms (Levitt 1998). Given the configuration of the AU's diaspora diplomacy, these are the types of remittance that should be sought in pursuit of AU diaspora diplomacy.
Missing links in the AU diaspora diplomacy
For many analysts in Africa and elsewhere, the diaspora of an African country consists only of those who have migrated outside Africa. Those who have gone to work or settled in other African countries are not considered to constitute a diaspora and are classified as migrants, refugees, asylumees, exiles, guest workers and the like. Even otherwise articulate analysts such as Omeje (2007) run into the same problem. He argues that there are three main categories of African diaspora: the descendants of the generations who were removed from Africa through slavery; late colonial and early post-independence emigrants to the west who left in search of education and green pastures; and those more recent ones who left, fleeing from socio-economic decline, wars, persecution and poverty in their countries, and who diversified diasporic destinations by going to destinations like Australia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Russia (Omeje 2007:97–8). This categorisation does not include those who left their countries and settled in other African countries. These have been characterised, not as members of a diaspora but as intra-African migrants – including voluntary labour, refugees and asylumees in the continent.
It should however not be thought that an African can only be a part of a diaspora if he or she leaves Africa and moves to Europe or to America. The definition of diaspora emphasises dispersal and especially the crossing of territorial borders. Once people cross territorial borders, they meet an important criterion for membership of the diaspora. It is not necessary that a person must have crossed continental borders to qualify as a member of the diaspora. And yet this seems to be the dominant trend of thinking amongst those who have not recognised an intra-African diaspora. Besides this, the definition of diaspora does not take into account the financial or economic status of the members of the diaspora.
This same mistake underlies national discourses on the diaspora. In Kenya for example, there has been a lot of discussion and policy movement on the diaspora agenda. But this agenda is hedged by the fact that the diaspora being discussed is that which exists in the United States, Europe, Canada, and countries outside the continent. And yet there is a good number of the Kenyan diaspora in Africa itself, particularly in southern Africa, East Africa (Rwanda and Uganda) and South Sudan. It also seems to be assumed that the much talked about skills that the Kenyan diaspora possesses are skills apparently monopolised by the diaspora in America and Europe and not by the one in southern Africa or the Horn of Africa. This fallacious reasoning is reminiscent of the old colonial attitude that what was white was best.
The AU should not make the same mistake in its diplomacy of the diaspora. In its current practice of diasporic diplomacy, it is evident that it is assumed that the relevant diaspora can only be that which exists outside the borders of the continent. This is clear from the AU's definition of the diaspora as consisting of peoples of African origin living outside the continent. This is a fair enough self-limitation. Two things need to be said about it however. Firstly, this limitation of the diaspora that is the subject of AU diplomacy must accommodate to the understanding that the people of African descent living outside the continent are the historical African diaspora, and not the contemporary one. Apart from the reasons given earlier why the AU diaspora diplomacy should only deal with the historic diaspora, it would also be grossly unjust for the AU to choose favourites amongst contemporary African diasporas. It would also be inequitable for the organisation to be seen to be making the claim that it is solely interested in the African diaspora who have crossed the continental borders, and not those who have only crossed territorial but not continental borders.
The second point that needs to be made is that diplomacy of the diaspora such as the one that the AU is practising, should ideally be all-inclusive of the categories of the diaspora. Even if it does not wish for whatever reason to engage with the intra-African diaspora, it nevertheless needs to flag it, so that its diaspora policies can be seen to be inclusive. This is not very difficult to do. The AU deals with the issues of migration, and indeed has a policy on migration in Africa. The addressees of the policy are also the addressees of the content of AU diplomacy of the diaspora. For the sake of completion, this quite important diaspora of the African states requires inclusion – or mention – in the context of AU diasporic diplomacy.
AU diplomacy of the diaspora does not mention, or seem to intend to take account of, the diasporas of other countries that are living in Africa. At first glance, this would appear to be logical since the organisation is interested in the African diaspora. But on a closer examination, this is a big omission in the context of the content and reach of a diplomacy of the diaspora. The point of this contention is that while a country can use its own diaspora to harness relationships with other countries, especially the countries where its diaspora is living, it can also use other countries' diasporas living in its territory to enhance relations with those countries. This is an often forgotten dimension of diaspora relationships. And the AU, in crafting its own diaspora diplomacy also seems to have overlooked it.
Every country – if not most – has what Leonard calls a global diaspora (Leonard 2002:55). That diaspora has a lot of potential for the countries in which it is found. It is a useful tool in the task of building up perceptions about (in this case) Africa, the relevance of the targets it has set for its diplomacy, and of the programmes it wishes its diaspora diplomacy to engage in. This global diaspora comes from different countries. Those different countries and their constituents will learn about projects that the AU is engaging in its diaspora diplomacy. It should also not be forgotten that part of this global diaspora will itself be from the countries where the African diaspora lives; it can thus be a good source of feedback to those countries, and hence to the very diaspora that the AU is trying to capture and do business with. At the same time, diasporas of other countries that have lived in African countries – and come to understand and empathise with them – are an important resource for diaspora diplomacy. Such people can be used to 'connect' with the African diaspora, many of whose members have never been to Africa, and know little about it.
The relationship between the African diaspora and the AU should not be seen as a one-way street in which the diaspora is encouraged almost unilaterally to engage with the AU and Africa. Members of that diaspora can also be used to filter perceptions in their countries about Africa and the AU. For example, some of the diasporas of African countries are engaged in what Kapur labels 'long-distance nationalism' (Kapur 2003:445). In this, diasporas lobby for their countries, but also sometimes support extremist groups which can have negative effects on their countries of origin. The African diaspora can be used to temper the negative perceptions arising from this kind of reality; and that would be a substantially significant contribution of the African diaspora to the continent.
The entry of the AU into the world of diaspora diplomacy was a long time coming, but a good development. It will contribute to the creation of positive images for the organisation, and for Africa generally. The AU is, however, not the only actor practising diaspora diplomacy. There are other states in the continent like Kenya, Ghana, Eritrea and others that are deeply involved in the practice of this diplomacy. This dual practice of diaspora diplomacy can cause conflicts and misunderstandings, or it can enhance the practice and the benefits of diaspora diplomacy. In order to avoid such conflicts, it would be prudent for two of the three main actors in this type of diplomacy (the other actors are individuals: members of the diaspora, and citizens with whom they interact) to be clear about which aspects of the diplomacy of the diaspora they will conduct.
The diplomacy of the diaspora will be greatly enriched by this division of labour. In this division of labour, the individual states will concentrate on building and consolidating relations with the contemporary African diaspora, which includes their citizens who were dispersed abroad for various reasons. That diplomacy involves not only the collection of financial remittances, but also making room for the involvement of the diaspora in policy and in programme design and implementation of specific items of the agenda of diaspora diplomacy.
On the other hand, the AU will concentrate on building and consolidating relations with the historic African diaspora. Largely, this involves individuals who have not necessarily been to Africa, but who have historic and sentimental ties with the continent, and sometimes with specific countries in the continent. This engagement of the AU's diaspora diplomacy with the historic diaspora will provide the larger picture of diasporic relations and diplomacy, and will inspire and guide member states of the AU as they individually begin engaging in diaspora diplomacy.
If the AU engages with the historical African diaspora – as everything suggests that it intends to do – it will be engaging in a very challenging aspect of diplomacy. Because of the configuration of this diaspora, which is African not by birth but by emotion, it will need much more persuasion than would other diasporas, to contribute and be a part of the development process of the continent. But this diplomacy, with these interlocutors, is even more challenging because it is a diplomacy that will be played right at the frontline of Africa's interactions with international relations; it will also contribute to the discourse of how Africa can shape its international relations agenda. Because of the make-up of the historical African diaspora, it will need to be seriously convinced about the basic viability of this diplomacy. While that will not be easy, its successful completion will prepare the AU for the equally serious business of convincing other actors in the international system that Africa is now a serious interlocutor that, unlike in the past, sees beyond its nose.
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