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What Would I Serve at Dinner?
If you read my newsletter the The Rubber Band Door Knob, you know I went through a all juice detox. Three days, all juice to cleanse the body and the mind. I couldn't put all of my thoughts down in the newsletter but I wanted to share my approach to healthier cooking at home. The concept is to look at the development of a menu where the ingredients are not just randomly selected nor the techniques used a whimsy. The process of electing items takes time and can be hazardous. No you are not going to loose life or limb writing a menu but there are preverbal cliffs and treacherous turns in the words you use. Menu writing is an art. Some do it well and others are a little to heavy with the fluff and descriptions used.
My process is to ensure that what is written is what is served. It also requires the ingredients and combinations of those ingredients are of high quality. So in an attempt to demonstrate the results of my not so scientific research about how to incorporate the principles of the juicing detox into a menu this is it.
The menu needs to have a start middle and an end. The flow need to make sense from course to course. Mild to strong to bold and memorable at the end. There needs to be balance between luxurious and simple from raw to cooked. I want to ensure that the person eating the dishes know what is each dish from all of the clues that we provide. These clues are:
- The Written Word- This is the creation of perception of what they are going to eat as well as how a server articulates what's between the lines from the growers and producers to techniques and culinary inspirations of the culinary team. The menu should not be a shopping list with directions on how to get to the farm.
- The Visual- When the plate is put down in front of the guests, can they see a variety of heights, textures, colors and perspectives of the food. Does it look like what was described? How many tomes have heard "this is nothing like what I expected when I ordered it". Pasta in a bowl should look like every piece is perfectly coated in the sauce, there is a taste of all the ingredients in every bite. A huge meat ball on top of spaghetti looks great but how well does it really eat?
- The Taste: Remember, I have mentioned this many times there is a huge difference between flavor and taste. Taste is subjective. For example, fresh halibut has a clean slightly sweet taste with a sublime saltiness. That is the flavor of the fish. However if I don't like halibut that is a taste preference. Thus a taste preference is a personal opinion. It is the chef's responsibility to ensure that all of the flavors are balanced to create a taste experience that is enjoyed by that particular guest. Sometimes we cook for us and don't necessarily please our guests as they may not have the same tastes as us.
All right enough, here's my menu
First Course
This should be a something that is going to wake up the palate and get the bodies internal system ready to digest the rest of the meal. This course need to have functionality and set a tone for the rest of the meal. I use the principles of cold press juicing here with raw beets, pears, kale, fresh ginger, mint, carrots pulped and squeeze through cheese cloth and chilled. I would shake this over ice and pour into a cordial glass. The salad would be on the side and eaten on the biscotti like bruschetta. All of these raw greens are a great way of awaking the digestive system. Kale and dark leafy greens, the new work horse.
Cold Pressed Beet and Pear Cocktail with a Sweet Pea, Lactino Kale, Blue Cheese Salad and Smoked Bacon Crumble served with a Fennel Seed and Barley Biscotti
This is the heart of the meal. I chose Halibut as it was what I had. However it is a firm thick fish which is rich and slightly buttery. I wanted to serve it with a minimal amount of carbohydrates and additional fats. I have seen too many cream sauces served with this in the past. Here I want to incorporate freshness and some great textures to balance the flake and suppleness of the cooked fish.
Zatar Rubbed Grilled Hallibut with Roasted Spaghetti Squashed Tossed in a Parsley and Almond Pesto, Red Quinoa and Chick Pea Salad, Avocado and Yogurt Puree, Shaved Fennel, and Baby Arugula
This is always a toss-up. There are times when splurging on rich intense items is called for. Usually the trigger is some kind of emotional event. It is to create a memorable end to a event such as to revive the mind after a bad day or to celebrate an event such as birthday. For a family to splurge on big desserts several nights of the week is not good for the wallet nor the waste line. In this case i wanted something refreshing to close out the meal and something that wouldn't settle in the stomach. When I was in China last year, Dragon Fruit was served for snacks and to finish a meal. There was some in the market the other day so I picked some up to have my kids experience the flavors and know what it was if they came across it again.
Diced Dragon Fruit with Lime, Chili Powder and Cilantro
The Journey Continues: A path to success.
I having travelling down this road for several years now. A few people understand what I am doing but few don't get it or understand. I cannot fully explain how this journey ultimately affects my career but I know one thing. It is a lot of work. It takes time away from family, friends and unfortunately my garden and gold game. I didn't have a good one in the first place. However the process of getting to a competition whether it be the culinary Olympics or your first amateur baking contest is the same. Here are some the ways this process has helped with my career and especially my cooking.
1) Planning: You need to be extremely organized and thorough in your preparations, shopping, packing and in the kitchen. I use multiple pack lists to make sure I have everything I need. My process begins with the schedule. I mark my calendar well in advance and set practice dates, shopping days and prep days prior to practice or competition. Running my own business, I am the company. I don't have the luxury of a purchasing department. I have to shop both retail and from wholesalers. It requires a planned route with the right coolers to hold the items and shopping list to make the process smooth. Shopping for everything yourself helps in other ways which I will explain later. Once you get everything purchased and ready, you need to have a place for it and the right tool or container to process it further.
2) Frugality: If you pay any attention to the industry news and the prices of items at your local grocery store, you realize that food is not cheap anymore. This preparation of food for sometimes non-consumption is expense. I try not to be wasteful. You need to purchase just what you need. When buying asparagus, by one really good bunch not two. Try and figure out how to get the greatest yield out of an item. In the case of asparagus, the money is the tips nut what can you do with the stalks, and peels? It takes thought and discipline not to throw it in the can. With the focus on "whole hog" butchery, this same principle can be applied to anything.
3) Educated: This study of every aspect of an ingredient forces to you to continually look at others. Research and development are a huge part of the this process. Looking at menus, reading texts, listening, web-browsing and of course tasting is vital to the success of a finished dish. I spend a vast amount of time visualizing flavors, colors, shapes, textures and compatibility of foods in my head. In the morning having a coffee, during my runs and even at the oddest times. Things pop into your head. I get an idea then I research the concept and see if I can find some reference to an already know dish in a book or restaurant. You look at anything that is going to give you an advantage. "Does it make sense" are words that continually filter through this learning process. You can't just sometimes do something for the sake of just doing it. It can work but for a competitor at the highest level, it is all about perfection.
4) Detailed: It comes down to details. In the world of culinary competition, it is the detail and preciseness of a cold food platter that is the difference between a certificate and a medal. It is the perfection and minute details that make the difference in that exclusive gold medal. Items which are presented cold can be weighed, measured and dissected to ensure that those details are consistent in every item presented. Having spent hours coating items in gel where you are concerned about the affect of air movement and ripples you might get the picture. It can drive you crazy sometimes. It is all about the pursuit of perfection
5) Driven: You have to be motivated to do the work. When preparing and training, there is always something to do. Cold food takes time. Being on your feet for 24 to 36 hours is not uncommon for culinary competitors. In the hot kitchen, there is no time to spare and you can't believe how time flies and how little time you have in reality. Three and half hours can feel like 30 minutes. You need to be mentally as well as physically fit.
If you look at each of the traits that I briefly describe, you will see the characteristics of some of the best chefs I know. That is why I do it. I want to be around them and challenge myself against the best. If you want to know more read this article at the link below.
5 Things Considered on a Plate
If I was asked the question what are the most important things you need to consider when coming up with a new dish or a plate presentation? I would have to say it is, in reality, fun. What I mean by fun,is that you need to know why you are making this plate of food in the first place and are you going to get excited about creating it. Is there an inspiration, a request from a client or just for the "hell of it" because you feel like eating something good. In my business I get a lot of requests for "one-off" menus for a single particular event or celebration. The challenge here is that most of these requests are uniquely focused on a theme or particular combination of cuisines. This past week I had to shift back and forth from a family wedding of 350 people who needed a purely authentic Vegetarian Indian menu as part of a western style ceremony and the next day I was writing a menu for a cocktail reception inspired by Shakespeare's literary works. In both cases, I used the same process. I go through the following steps to ensure that my final dish has some conceptual back up and is grounded in some elements of proper cooking or cuisine. Some of this is logical, some is totally"out there" but it is the ultimately the thought process of the chef. So here are things that need to go into/on to a plate:
1) A knowledge of the Theme or Inspiration:
The present project I am working on is for a Wedding Reception where the couple would like to incorporate some Vietnamese dishes into their menu. Unless you are an expert or have a first hand knowledge of the foods of Vietnam either by birth, lineage or time abroad, it is a unique cuisine. I start by doing basic research by looking at the traditional dishes that most people may be aware off such as the noodle dish Pho or a Bahn Mi Sandwich. I then look at the core ingredients associated with the cuisine from spices, condiments, components of the dishes. There are a lot of items such as chili paste cilantro, fish sauce and cinnamon sticks that start to stick out in my mind. I write these down on a pad of paper and start seeing patterns as well as service styles. I ask my self how can I incorporate a bowl of Pho into a wedding?
2) How is this dish intended to be served?
In this case, the bride wants to have little dishes or a buffet station that is part of the overall wedding meal. I also have to consider who will be eating this dish. I don't think that the grandparents want to be walking around slurping noodles or the bridesmaids trying to navigate a bowl of broth while wearing a long dress and heels. So is Pho a choice? I think so if designed correctly. I want to give the guest the experience of the foods of Vietnam in the flavors of the dish. If you have ever been to a Vietnamese noodle shop, there are some components of the food that stand out. For me its, the intensity of the broth from the meats, charred onions, cinnamon sticks and fish sauce. It's the plate of fresh bean sprouts, cilantro, fresh chilis that is served on the side. It's the condiments on the table, from Nuoc Cham, chili paste and fermented fish sauce that give me the direction to create a dish that's full of complexity. There are flavors here that are useful even if they don't show up as a traditional dish.
3) What are the boundaries of cooking?
I have to be realistic sometimes and ask the question, do I have the equipment or the staff who can properly execute a dish as it was intended. If you travel, you also have to eat. For some, eating what the locals eat is an important part of the experience. A very simple dish of noodles and broth at 6 stool counter on the outskirts of the famous Tokyo Fish Market will never taste the same as when I make it at Japanese Udon home. There are many contributing factors such as repetition, ingredients, subtle finishing techniques and ultimately the atmosphere which affect that memory. I had that experience and because of that I working diligently to try to get as close to recreating those flavors and aromas in my noodle dishes. For our example, I have never been to Vietnam and don't have a mental or sensual memory of an authentic meal. So all I can do is educate my self and count on my ability to visualize what a dish would taste like in my mind and on my palate. The cooking techniques applied and used around the globe are all based on heat transfer whether conduction or convection and the use of both dry and wet mediums. So there is some knowledge to be had on understanding the fundamental cooking methods of the cuisine. For most kitchens and culinary teams these unique techniques from other parts of the world are unfamiliar processes and not a regular part of daily operations. Breaking down a recipe into familiar processes such as marination, par-cooking, slow cooking and a la minute methods can help drive the creative process and provide a common reference point for the culinary team. In our case of Pho, the are many of these techniques involved but the one which has some potential is the pouring of the broth over a bowl of noodles. Can this action be employed to create a "feeling" or an experiential part of the dish? I can start to formulate a plan.
At this point of the development process I am still writing rough notes and expanding my concepts in my mind. I know I want to put a twist on bowl of noodles. The question is still, can my culinary team put together a dish that will in some way take the guests of this particular event to a noodle stand that they remember from a trip or family's memories of the kitchen table?
4) What ingredients do I have to work with?
In today's food media and marketing efforts, there is a continual push to stress, sustainable, local, seasonal, artisan in our food vocabulary. Then there is the need to make the public aware of gluten-free, vegan, trans-fat free ingredients produced on machinery that may contain peanuts or tree nuts. This can just be the starting point of a menu writing challenge, as with our case. We have the family favorites, personal dislikes and personal expectations of the person/person's writing the check to pay for this bowl of noodles that I have yet determined. So how do you navigate this? You need to ask good questions, process the information and make a good guess on what what's left and what will taste good together on a plate. In our case maybe a bowl. This is also a personal choice on the person writing the menu. In my case, I look at traditional flavor profiles and then put a little twist on it but making sure I hit all of the basic flavor profiles. Making sure that the sweet, salt, sour, bitter and especially the Umani profiles are working together. The seasonal influence is highly important not so much for the ingredients but also for the style of the food. You try to look to have fresh, raw, lightly cooked items in Spring and heavy slow cooked components in the Winter. In the fall, for our wedding, I want to see tomatoes, grilled meats, vibrant herbs, may be some smoked items. Colors should be vibrant. Acidic tones of pickled vegetables need to be fruit juices not from a deep long salting processes. Can I incorporate a local influence such as local tomato grower, an all natural soy sauce or hand pulled noodles? Now that I have a better list of ingredients. I start a new sheet of paper and write out some more details in my descriptions. It is kind of like my own secret language or code. It may not make sense to someone other than me. So I am going to work with a light rice noodle with a marinated grilled chicken thigh which has lemon grass, ginger, fish sauce and some dried shrimp paste in it. I will probably choose a fresh shiitake mushroom instead of dried for some Umami and then work in some smoked/charred tomato into the soup base. Then it stops. I put the notes away, turn of the screen on my computer and go grab a cold adult beverage. Why because it is amazing what a clear head will come up with. Space is the key when writing menus. You need to walk away from the pen sometimes.
5) It's all in the words.
This is where it comes down to a good sense of balance. Dishes in print on menus that are going to be presented to a guest can be written with a raw "Bauhaus" sense of minimalism to a grandeur "Baroque" tone. I like neither. Noodles, Chicken and Tomato don't give me a very clear picture of what I am eating. However, Hand Pulled Organic Rice Noodles embellished with Farmer Stew's Free Range Amish Chicken and Heirloom Sunburst Tomato Broth is over the top. Neither give me a sense that this is a Vietnamese dish. Where is the balance or excitement? It comes from knowing the right sequence in listing ingredients, adding clues about their preparation and creating an anticipation that the person reading this description is sold at first read. There should be no questions about what you are going to get served. If there is, then you are loosing opportunities to serve your guests a great plate of food.
Now that I walked away from my noodle dilemma, had a good nights sleep and a the concepts rattled around in my mind, I think I know what we are going to serve:
Vietnamese Inspired Pho Cups with Lemon Grass Grilled Chicken, Thin Rice Noodles,
Poached Egg, Cinnamon Mint and a Charred Tomato Shiitake Broth.
I am going to set this up as an action station where a chef serves these pre-made cups by pouring the hot broth over the noodles and garnishes with the Mint and then a drizzle of a mixture of Fish Sauce, Chili Paste, Lime Juice and Sesame Oil over the herbs as it served. It will be presented in a handled cup on a saucer with a spoon. I am going to cut the noodle is small pieces so it is easy to eat with a traditional spoon. It can also be sipped if so desired.
This dish has all the flavors of Vietnam but is still approachable by the crowd I expect to serve. Now some chefs may have issues or say this is not authentic but as I stated earlier, my needs were based on an interpretation of the cuisine for a particular event. If I was doing a street food station or concept, totally different story. This is way I think about writing menus. It is not the only way but one way that works for me.
The Tools of Refinement
I use this phrase as a staring point. It is a concept I bring to my clients when helping them get to the next step. Thomas Keller in his book The French Laundry discusses things such as a sieve or tamis to refine a sauce or mousse. I see this thought process as essential for preparing food at a high level. However there are tools of refinement that need to happen not just in the kitchen and can't be bought at the local foodservice equipment supplier.
The most important tool is a really a "second set of eyes". For most it is the hardest thing to do; take critique from a third party. Having someone tell you your hard work is all for nothing can be exasperating at best. For most professionals deeply invested in their product on a daily basis, it is uneasy and in some cases the fuel on the fire if they have a bit of a temper. The defense starts and the individual hold their breath and when they have a free moment let loose and vent. I know as I did this for years. It wasn't until I took a deeper look at the process and learned that critique is the most important thing one can have in the kitchen. Without it, that is constructive criticism, a culinary team or chef can't take their food to a different level. After competing for many years, being an educator, as a judge or even a certification evaluator; I have learned many things and look at food differently.
What do I look at? I look at many things. I start with the menu, How is it written and especially the sequence of the words and the emphasis they play in creating the anticipation of what the guest is going to receive. A menu is the first thing a guest may see. If I see the word "roasted" I have already begun to create an image in my mind. I want to see caramelization of the exterior of what is being roasted. If it a red meat, I want to see the skill of the chef by seeing the color of the meat at the perfect temperature when it is sliced. In taking it to the next level, I want to extrapolate the next steps in the process. What happened to the pan it was roasted in? Did the chef capture the "fond" or caramelized flavor on the bottom of the pan to create a sauce or jus? This process is fundamental to good cooking and creating flavor. If ignored, was there an opportunity lost?
In some cases, there is a inappropriate sequence of words which causes emphasis of a technique or ingredient to be mis interpreted by the person reading the menu. For example "Pan Seared and Marinated Sirloin of Beef" In reading this, I envision the beef being seared and then marinated. If you spend time creating all that flavor through searing and then put the meat in a wet marinade, the flavors developed through the maillard reaction are lost. Affects of acids usually associated with marinade take hold and deaden colors and change flavors. Thus " Marinated and Pan Seared" would be more appropriate course of action would result in a more refined product.
This is just one example of some one from a different perspective evaluating a recipe, presentation or complete menu. I invite my colleagues to look out side your organization to have some one look at your items and give a review. For a caterer,
who is getting ready for a large high profile event, bring someone outside at the tasting who has experience and a knowledge of food to evaluate what you are serving. It is not the client, bride or event planner. It is someone who is not emotionally tied to it.
What should they look at:
Menu Writing
The food matching the description
Presentation and repetitiveness of ingredients and techniques
How well it eats with the proposed plates and flatware
Portion size in relationship to each course
Authenticity to the theme or cuisine being represented
There are many other things to consider. If you need more help, Customized Culinary Solutions www.customizedculinarysolutions.com is there for you. We specialize in helping clients with their menus and how they are seen by the end user.
Farm to Table Menus
Here is a great article form the CIA discussing how to incorporate the Farm to Table movement in your establishments. You can start small and work this into your daily menus. It take time and if you need help look to the resources around you for support.
Chef Nemo Bolin talks seasonal restaurant Cook & Brown Public House
My favorit kind of story. This is how we should think about menus. This thought process of taking what is infront of us and creating a fabulous meal with soilid techniques and that relies on the natural beauty of the ingredient is the awesome.
This type of thinking is how need to change our ways in catering. Trusting our culinary team to prepare food on the day of the event is the key. Setting a menu 8 months out and hoping it will be the same is becoming harder for caterers who want to cook from the market.
So take a read and think how you can change your sales perspective and process. Would that be on trend. No menu tastings just an first date with the culinary team.
Chef Nemo Bolin talks seasonal restaurant Cook & Brown Public House | Nation's Restaurant News.
Chefs, consumers embrace seafood charcuterie
Just another way American Chef's are pushing themselves to master traditional techniques with American ingredients and creative spirit. It is these kinds of trends that get me excited about the possibilties of modern cuisine. It is about great ingredients and applying the right technique to make a great dish. Molecular manipulation is dead in most circles. A great pate and real bread what can go wrong with that. What do you think?
Chefs, consumers embrace seafood charcuterie | Nation's Restaurant News.
What Does An Action Station Really Mean?
I have been asked many times to write menus where a client wants an action station. My question is always, what kind of action are you looking for? I get answers from "I want excitement", "It would be fun to have a chef making something to order" and "I want something different". Is there anything really different in any of these answers. These are basically calling signs for bringing a interactive experience of guests to the service staff and culinary team. In other words more of a dining expereince found in a restaurant verses a scripted planned meal which is typical of a traditional catered meal.
Caterers have had to compete with restaurants on many things but the hardest is the fact that it is very rare that a caterer can make food "to order" as in a restaurant. We have had experiments such as "restaurant" style service where guests get to choose their entree at the table but even in that case it's really already been planned and mise en placed "finished" to a high level. The action station is one way to give a sense of that made to order experience either with a carving station or the made to order pasta station. I think both of these should be left at the buffet restaurant at the closest casino. They are tired and not the best way to show off a caterers potential. As an industry we have made great strides in trying to bridge the gap between restaurants and caterers. The skill sets required for the execution of a large plated event verses regular service in brick and motar restaurant are quite different. An off premise cateter must pick up their restaurant everyday pack it in a truck and set-it up some place else. So with that I believe there are several ways to take the skills and processs of the restaurant, such as plating, finishing techniques, use of unique serving pieces to create a restaurant experience for your next dinner party of 250.
Action statons have to be treated as an complete interactive function. The guests must feel that they are part of the process either through making a decision from a visual presntation of pre-plated items or a selection of decorative bowls filled with self-serve small tapas to a interactive station where they actual cook theirown dish. Choosing something requires action, its not just chef in a white coat making an omlete. By properly arranging a display of food with a variety options such as a choice of items, that are properly labled and presented with the correct serving peice is the foundation of an action station. The action was getting the guest excited about the variety and thinking. Carving a peice of tenderloin is not very interactive. The chef is basically a human serving peice.
Here is how I suggest you define your action stations. Don't think of the food first think of the experience that you are trying to achieve how it will be recieved by the guest. Every type of guest experience has its time and place and the person planning this must conadiser this. I wouldn't advise serving a top your own ice cream sundae bar at $500 a head gala.
Action stations should be now classified as such:
Visual Stimulation
We need to approach the station from the point of the guest experience we strive to create. The food and the action are just the tool to reach the end result.
Have fun with this but don 't over think it.
Today's top four food trends
Are your menus ready for the fall. Ethinc Flavors, Local Ingredients and value added ingredients need to be brought to the forfront of you fall catering menus. Caterers are always competing against restaurant style menus. Don't be behind the curve react to trends now instead of after the fact. Consultaning chefs are always there to help companies push the envelope and make your menus pop and give you that competitive edge. Read this post and think about the next steps for your menu programs.
"Customization" a Food Trend I Can Live With
I tend to agree with a few of these trends. I especially believe in the customization trend. I started my business partly because I was tired of seeing the same items menus across the city. Chicken Ceasar especially. Why? I wanted to help culinary teams fine their "inner groove".
The top five food trends according to a culinarian | QSRweb.com.
Every kitchen has a soul. It is a collaboration of many factors and each should have a unique identity. Just because some else has it on the menu does it mean you have to. I have termed this the "vanilla" factor. Kitchens as well as guests want to have their unique twist on a dish and make it there own. By developing a menu writing formula and recipe writing processes based on things a kitchen believes in and does consistently well will allow continual improvement by the kitchen. It will also allow you to easily make special requests or custom orders possible.
A kitchen should focus on producing a core group of recipes very well and then with the right guidance from the kicthen a well trained sales person should be able to easily create unique menus. The sales person can be a waiter, catering sales manager or the receptionist who is the only one office. If they understand the way menus are put together it can work. CCS is has developed a series of worksheets for custom writing menus which details cooking methods best suited for a particular protein, provides an internchangable list of seasonal sides, sauces and garnishes which can combined in any manner based on the desires of the person writing the menu item. There is no experimenting on the guests with a on-the-fly menu item because it sounds good.
For more information please contact us


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United States v. Forty-Three Gallons of Whisky
Asst. Atty. Gen. Maury, for appellant.
C. K. Davis, for appellees.
By the treaty between the Red Lake and Pembina bands of Chippewa Indians and the United States, concluded on the second of October, 1863, those Indians ceded to the United States their right, title, and interest to certain lands owned and claimed by them in the state of Minnesota and the territory of Dakota. 13 St. 667. The seventh article of the treaty stipulated that the laws of the United States then in force or that might thereafter be enacted, prohibiting the introduction and sale of spirituous liquors in the Indian country, should be in full force and effect throughout the country thereby ceded until otherwise directed by congress or the president of the United States. The twentieth section of the act of June 30, 1834, entitled 'An act to regulate trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes, and to preserve pease on the frontier,' (4St. 729,) as amended by the act of March 15, 1864, (13 St. 29,) was in force when this treaty was made; and it forbids any one, under certain penalties, to sell or dispose of any spirituous liquors or wine to an Indian under the charge of an Indian superintendent or agent; or to introduce or to attempt to introduce them into the Indian country, unless done by order of the war department or of some authorized officer under it. And the section provides for the seizure and forfeiture of liquors thus introduced, and the goods and property of the party violating the statute with which they are found. The following is the section as amended:
'Sec. 20. And be it further enacted, that if any person shall sell, exchange, barter, or dispose of any spirituous liquors or wine to any Indian under the charge of any Indian superintendent or Indian agent appointed by the United States, or shall introduce or attempt to introduce any spirituous liquor or wine into the Indian country, such person, on conviction thereof before the proper district or circuit court of the United States, shall be imprisoned for a period not exceeding two years, and shall be fined not more than $300: provided, however, that it shall be a sufficient defense to any charge of introducing or attempting to introduce liquor into the Indian country if it be proved to be done by order of the war department, or any officer duly authorized thereunto by the war department. And if any superintendent of Indian affairs, Indian agent, or subagent, or commanding of a military post, has reason to suspect or is informed that any white person or Indian is about to introduce or has introduced any spirituous liquor or wine into the Indian country, in violation of the provisions of this section, it shall be lawful for such superintendent, subagent, or commanding officer to cause the boats, stores, packages, wagons, sleds, and other places of deposit of such person to be searched; and if any such liquor is found therein, the same, together with the boats, teams, wagons, and sleds used in conveying the same, and also the goods, packages, and peltries of such person, shall be seized and delivered to the proper officer, and shall be proceeded against by libel in the proper court, and forfeited, one-half to the informer and the other half to the use of the United States; and if such person be a trader, his license shall be revoked and his bonds put in suit. And it shall, moreover, be the duty for any person in the service of the United States, or for any Indian, to take and destroy any ardent spirits or wine found in the Indian country, except such as may be introduced therein by the war department. And in all cases arising under this act Indians shall be competent witnesses.'
Under this section the present libel of information was filed in the district court of the district of Minnesota, to enforce the forfeiture of certain spirituous liquors, which are particularly described, and other merchandise found with them at the time of seizure. In one of its counts the libel sets forth that Bernard Lariviere, a white person, late of the village of Crookston, county of Polk, and state of Minnesota, did, on the second of February, 1874, unlawfully carry and introduce into the country ceded to the United States under the treaty mentioned-namely, into the county of Polk, which is a part of the ceded country-the spirituous liquors described; that such introduction was in violation of the provisions of the twentieth section of the act of congress above quoted; that he owned, and at the tme had in his possession with the liquors, a quantity of goods, packages, and peltries, a list of which is contained in a schedule annexed to the libel; that an Indian agent, duly appointed, having reason to suspect, and having been informed, that spirituous liquors had been introduced by Lariviere, caused his stores, packages, and peltries to be searched, and there found the liquors mentioned, which he in consequence seized, together with the other goods. In another count the libel sets forth substantially the same matters, with the addition that the liquors were introduced into the country ceded with intent to sell, dispose of, and distribute the same among the bands and tribes of Chippewa Indians then under charge of the Indian agent, and frequenting the county of Polk and village of Crookston, and living there or near the place.
To this libel Lariviere and one Clovis Guerin appeared as claimants of the goods seized, and demurred to the libel on the ground that the court had no jurisdiction; that the property was never introduced into the Indian territory, but, as appeared by the libel, was searched and seized in an organized county of the state of Minnesota, and hence that the seizure was without authority of law. The demurrer thus interposed was sustained by the district court, and judgment rendered against the United States, and this judgment was affirmed by the circuit court. The case was then brought to this court, where the judgment was reversed and the cause remanded, with directions to overrule the demurrer. Several important legal and constitutional questions were raised on the argument here, and it was held that congress, under its constitutional power to regulate commerce with the Indian tribes, may not only prohibit the introduction and sale of spirituous liquors in the Indian country, but extend such prohibition to territory in proximity to that occupied by Indians; that it is competent for the United States, in the exercise of the treaty-making power, to stipulate in a treaty with an Indian tribe that within the territory thereby ceded the laws of the United States, then and thereafter enacted, prohibiting the introduction and sale of spirituous liquors in Indian country, shall be in full force and effect until otherwise directed by congress or the president of the United States, and that a stipulation to that effect will operate proprio vigore, and be binding upon the courts, although the ceded territory is situated within an organized county of a state. These conclusions are stated in a very clear and able opinion by Mr. Justice DAVIS, which is reported in 93 U.S. 192.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105).

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Laser Lines
As technical sales engineer for our industrial lasers group, with 27 years' experience in the laser industry, there aren't many questions that Dave can't answer. If you come to us for help with your laser application, he is a great person to speak to. Let's find out a bit more about him.
"I trained as a toolmaker but was building lasers by hand in the late 80s. I then moved on to a role testing lasers before selling lasers internationally and then running laser applications. I think it's safe to say I know a lot about lasers!"
"I joined the business just under five years ago and it's my responsibility to generate and follow-up on business leads. These could be from meeting potential customers at exhibitions, peer-to-peer recommendations, or repeat orders from existing customers."
"I don't only look after end-user customers who want turnkey solutions, I have a large OEM customer base as well. In short, it's my responsibility to make sure our customers end up with the right solution to suit their specific business needs."
"It's very much a consultative role from the outset. I'll begin by looking at the customer's material and then recommend the right laser for the job. Then I carry out thorough laser trials (either at our Banbury facility, on-site at the customer's premises, or remotely managed trials in Germany or the US) so I can substantiate my initial recommendations with the test results."
"My job is to then visit the customer's site to ascertain how best to integrate the recommended solution into the business's existing operations. I oversee the installation of the system, which could be carried out by the Laser Lines' team of experts, or working with a third party to implement a bespoke system, or the customer may prefer for its own engineers to install the solution. The key is what works best for the customer and deciding which approach will achieve the optimum results."
"Customers deal with Laser Lines on a consultative basis in that they rely on our outstanding product knowledge, but the business's extensive network of contacts is vital to facilitate bespoke, tailor-made solutions to guarantee we solve the exact business needs of the customer."
"The crux of my entire role is making sure I understand completely what the customer is trying to achieve. It's only then that I can recommend the right solution to fulfil the customer's business need. Customers in general know what they're talking about, as lasers have been around for a long time, but I do have to be careful to manage expectations in terms of what can and can't be achieved with lasers, particularly with regards to cost."
"It has to be seeing a happy customer, as that's what it's all about after all. If the customer isn't happy, then I'm not doing my job properly. It's not just a case of installing a system that works, the long-term support and aftercare are as equally important, if not more so."
"People like to think they've bought the right equipment but they won't know that for definite until they have a need for support and find they're being supported properly. The fact that Laser Lines deals with so much repeat business is testament to the excellent levels of customer service and support we provide."
"The best piece of advice I have is to ensure you have clarity on what you're getting for your money. Particularly now in these economically volatile times, businesses are having to think twice about how they're spending their money, and rightly so."
"It's important to install the right solution, but by 'right' solution, I mean one that provides the best overall value and long-term ROI. Cheapest definitely does not always represent best value for money."
To find out how our Industrial Lasers solutions can help your business, have a look at our Industrial Lasers pages, contact Dave or the Laser Lines team on 01295 672588, or email email@example.com


text:
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text:
Saturday, September 13, 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
Well, I sit here attempting to write this letter for the second time. I've been putting it off. It's the weekend of Hurricane Ike in Texas and I'm in Austin. popolio kicks off on Monday, September 15, 2008, and, though the hurricane puts things into perspective and my heart goes out to those involved, I'm still excited about popolio. I think things like hurricanes, unexpected occurrences, and Acts of God (or whatever you personally attribute them to) are reasons to pursue your goals, live your lives, and ignite your passions even harder, deeper, and brighter.
I have laundry going in the washers downstairs from my apartment and the last track of Erykah Badu's New Amerykah just finished. I hit "Honey" again because it's my favorite track. This is my first Letter from the Editor and I don't really know what to say. I don't know what I want to communicate or how I want to come across.
I know I love music. I love music and the entertainment/art fields, in general. Some people separate entertainment and art and I realize a lot of times there are fine differences, but I think a lot of things become intertwined. For the most part, we call them music artists, not entertainers (though I don't have a problem with entertainers, either), no matter at what level or of what genre. Most would admit entertainment is part of the job. Others would say it's not a job, it's a passion. At the end of the day, it's music, and it moves us.
Who doesn't love music? Movies you can watch anywhere, but you need translation. People don't mind listening to music in other languages without translation. All kinds of people love to dance to salsa, there are hip hop heads in Japan who rock the gear and know all the rap lyrics, and pop stars travel the world and have their songs recited back to them on their tours. Do all salseros speak Spanish or all Japanese hip hoppers English? No. Music is the true universal language that makes the world go round. What I love about music is that it can make you shake your ass at the same time that it can truly inspire change in the world.
…pause…I need to go put my laundry in the dryers…back…Now I'm putting in Janet's Discipline.
So, what is popolio? popolio is a music blog that will feature pop music and artists in Austin, Dallas, Texas, and more. I hesitate to use the word "pop" because I think it gets a bad rap. I'm using pop in the most general sense of the word. I'm thinking more along the lines of pop culture, though it is strictly a music entertainment site.
I want to cover local and regional up-and-coming and established artists. Give them an opportunity for a little shine. Doesn't mean I won't be covering more mainstream acts as well. Most of what I listen to is more Top 40 R&B and pop. Growing up, I developed an affinity for black and urban music and culture — especially the R&B/hip hop and new Jack and Jill swing of the 1990s. Doesn't mean I'm not open to stuff I haven't listened to before. That's the magic of pop — it can draw on so many genres and styles and any song could become a pop hit if it connects with the masses. It's just a classification and I like what I like — just like all of you.
I'm excited to be working on popolio with J.W. Richard, who's based in Dallas. He brings many years of podcasting experience and know-how, through his own Mandrake Arts & Media. Check out his websites at: http://www.mandrakesocietyradio.com and http://mandrakefm.com. They're a little different than what we'll be offering on popolio, but variety is the spice of life. I'm new to both the worlds of blogging and podcasting. I'm thinking of popolio more as an online music magazine than an actual blog. It will be exciting to see where this journey takes us and what popolio becomes.
Let me tell you about myself. I am of Panamanian descent, born in Panama and raised in El Paso, Texas. I grew up Northeast El Paso to be exact. I started my Bachelors at UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso for those of you who don't know) and transferred to UT-Austin (you all should know) and earned a BS in Radio-TV-Film with aspirations of directing music videos, which I haven't done yet. I went back to EP for two-and-a-half years and returned to Austin to earn an MA in Advertising from UT again.
Though I haven't gotten to use either of my degrees in my real-day-job-life, I pursue interests like these in my fantasy-after hours/own time-life. I'm left-handed, my favorite group of all-time is TLC, I love super hero comics, and in a former life I founded and ran a poetry organization that hosted open mics and slams in my hometown.
September is the kick-off of popolio and our new features. Look for a pop quiz and popolio podcast interview with Austin artists, Cheryl Hill and Phil Dutra, respectively. Check out MY TOP 10, a daily countdown by yours truly. We'll bring you a snapshot of new releases on Tuesdays. There will be music and show reviews. J. Dub and I hope to bring you our regular music conversations on Richard & Rodriguez podcasts.
This is just the beginning. There will be a lot more. I hope you check it out, come again, and stick around. Welcome to popolio.
Freddie Rodriguez aka freddie beat
popolio editor


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The war of rockets and airstrikes between the State of Israel and the blockaded, half-starved Gaza Strip portion of the Palestinian Territories, which is ruled by the Islamist terrorist militia Hamas, escalated dramatically this week, but a cease-fire brokered by the United States and by Egypt's new government pulled both sides back from the brink of all-out war, even as Israel was readying troops for a ground invasion. In the end, Israel lost two soldiers, with 20 wounded, while four Israeli civilians were killed in rocket attacks and more than 200 wounded. On the Palestinian side, Israel claims to have killed 120 Hamas and other Islamist militants in Gaza in what it was calling "Operation Pillar of Strength," seriously damaging—but by no means erasing—their ability to launch rocket attacks on civilian areas. Hamas claims that 105 civilians were killed, including many children, and United Nations estimates corroborate most of that. Nearly 1,000 were injured, and numerous buildings were leveled. Twelve rockets were fired after the November 21st cease-fire, but for the most part it is holding. For the most part, after all that, no one is much better off.
France Pledges to Back Palestinian Membership in United Nations Vote. The foreign minister of the French Republic, Laurent Fabius, indicated on November 22nd that his government's delegation to the United Nations (U.N.) would support the State of Palestine's planned November 29th application for "observer state" status in the General Assembly. While not stating intentions outright, Fabius said, "As far as this government goes, I would like to remind you of the campaign pledge number 59 of the candidate, now President François Hollande, which said that there would be an international recognition of a Palestinian state."
[For updates from Nigeria, including Boko Haram violence and the Bakassi Peninsula dispute, see this week's "Nigeria Update."]
After Azawad Battle, Tuaregs Vow to Regroup while MUJAO Retakes Town. In the Gao region of northern Mali, fighting that had already killed dozens was ongoing between the secular Tuareg separatist army called the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (M.N.L.A.) and one of the two al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamist militias that govern the northern two-thirds of the country. The Islamist group, the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), on November 17th ordered about 300 fighters to head to Gao from Timbuktu in case the M.N.L.A. decided to regroup. Within a few days, the town of Ménaka, near the border with Niger, had been retaken by MUJAO from the M.N.L.A., according to Ménaka's mayor, Baay Ag Muhammed, speaking to media from exile in Bamako, Mali's capital, to the south. One M.N.L.A. fighter said, "Our goal remains to retake Azawad from the hands of A.Q.I.M. and its allies" (the acronym referring to the al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb), adding, "We can fall back, but it's only to be able to better push forwards after." As of November 19th, however, there was still ongoing fighting for Ménaka, and by the next day there were reports of "a real massacre," with dozens dead. Among the dead was Bajan Ag Hamato, a local Tuareg legislator, and six of his staff. In the surely-inflated partisan death tolls as of November 21st, the M.N.L.A. claimed 65 dead MUJAO and A.Q.I.M. fighters and only one M.N.L.A. death, plus 13 injuries, while MUJAO claims it killed more than 100 M.N.L.A. warriors and took 20 prisoner.
Mali Islamists Abduct 7th French Citizen, outside Azawad Territory. A native of Portugal who is also a citizen of France was abducted on November 20th by one of the two Islamist militias that control the de facto independent Azawad republic in northern Mali, though the kidnapping occurred far from their area of control, in Diéma, in far-southwestern Mali, near the border with Mauritania. (Other sources say he was grabbed in Nioro, to the north of Diéma, the following day.) The victim, Gilberto Rodriguez Leal, who is 61, is the seventh French citizen to be abducted by in Mali. The Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) has claimed responsibility.
Barotse Rebel General Rejects Clement Sinyinda's Resignation as Premier. The commander of the Barotse Liberation Army (B.L.A.), in western Zambia, has rejected the resignation of the separatist Barotse kingdom's ngambela (prime minister), Clement Wayinyae Sinyinda (reported on last week in this blog). In an open letter to the Barotse (Lozi) king, Libosi Imwiko II, the commander, Gen. James Mwiya, states, "The Barotseland Army state that Hon. Sinyinda is still the Ngambela of Barotseland, he was chosen by the Citizen of Barotseland not by the Litunga or Indunas and represented Kingdom of Barotseland .... Therefore the indunas who are chanting his resignation should resign themselves." Meanwhile, three organizations—the Barotse National Youth League (B.N.Y.L.), the Barotse Freedom Movement (B.F.M.), and the Movement for the Restoration of the Barotseland Agreement (MOREBA)—have written an open letter to King Liboso Imwiko, warning of the dangers of a power vacuum by writing, "It is a wise saying that 'an idea whose time has come cannot be stopped.' Like one of us once said: the Train taking Barotseland to its Freedom has taken off it is either you get on board, get out of the way or you risk being run over." Meanwhile, there are rumors and reports that Sinyinda's disagreement with the king stemmed from the throne's decision to accept a 42-billion-kwacha "bribe" from the federal government to soften its stand on secession.
Canadian Oil Firm Signs Offshore Deal with Cabinda Government-in-Exile. An oil exploration firm based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Kilimanjaro Capital, Ltd., signed a deal on November 17th for rights to oil blocks off the coast of the Republic of Angola's Cabinda exclave. But Kilimanjaro signed the deal not with the Angolan government—which grants Agip, Total, and Chevron rights to operate those blocks—but with the Republic of Cabinda, a government-in-exile which aims to break Cabinda away from Angola. During colonial rule by Portugal, Cabinda was a separate colony from the rest of Angola, the two being separated by the Democratic Republic of Congo's narrow finger to the sea. An attempt to set up an independent Cabinda when Portugal decolonized in 1975 was squashed by the Angolan rebel movement that became the new national government. The Cabindan government-in-exile now operates offices in Paris and in Pointe-Noire, just over the border in the Republic of Congo. Kilimanjaro Capital also has an offshore deal with the Government of Southern Cameroons, an unrecognized state which aims to secede from the Republic of Cameroon.
Puntland Nabs 2 al-Shabaab Rebels, Prompting Retaliatory Killing, Abductions. Security forces in the de facto independent Puntland State of Somalia on November 17th captured two members of the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab militia in Galkayo and recovered a cache of explosives. One of the two was Mohamed Nuh Aden (nom de guerre: Abu Hafsa), a native of the neighboring unrecognized Republic of Somaliland who is head of the group's "assassination division" and a former security chief for Ahmed Abdi Godane (a.k.a. Sheikh Moktar Ali Zubeyr), al-Shabaab's top commander. The second was Abdirizak Hussein Tahlil (nom de guerre: Ilk'ase), from the de facto independent Galmudug State, to Puntland's south. Puntland sources feel that those arrests were what prompted the abduction, two days later, of four Puntlanders and another Somali by a militia to the south of Galkayo in Galmudug-administered territory. Also on November 19th, a Somali businessman was gunned down and killed outside a mosque in the Puntland-administered northern half of Galkayo. That killing is also believed by Puntland authorities to be an "al-Shabaab response" to the arrests.
Puntland Militias Ambush, Kill 2 Pastoralists in Disputed Sool Region. In the Sool region which is in dispute between the unrecognized Republic of Somaliland and the de facto independent Puntland State of Somalia, militias loyal to Puntland this week ambushed and killed two local pastoralists and injured several others. The incident occurred in the Taleeh district.
[For updates on Serbia, Kosovo, and Vojvodina, including developments in Fatmir Limaj's war-crimes trial, see this week's "Kosovo and Serbia Update."]
Polls Show Catalan Separatists Unlikely to Gain Majority in November 25th Vote. Opinion polls being published in Spain are indicating that the elections to Catalonia's parliament on November 25th may leave the separatist party of the Catalan president, Artur Mas, short of the majority needed to hold its planned referendum on independence. Mas's currently minority-ruling coalition, Convergència i Unió (CiU) is projected to end up with the same 62 seats, whereas 68 of the 135 seats in the chamber are needed to form a government without platform compromises. However, should a vote on secession ever be put before the Catalan people, other polls indicate it would pass with 57%.
Russia, Irked by Energy Deal, Wants Moldova to Open Consulate in Transnistria. The Republic of Moldova's recently elected president, Nicolae Timofti, this week rejected a proposal from the Russian Federation to open a Moldovan consulate in the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (better known as Transnistria), a wafer-thin sliver of territory along the border with Ukraine which Moldova still claims as its territory but which has been functioning as an unrecognized Russian puppet state since the end of the Cold War. Timofti says there cannot be normalization with the region until Russia's military withdraws from it. The exchange came amid criticism from Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, who has been railing against every move by Moldova, a former Soviet Socialist Republic, to become politically closer to the European Union (E.U.) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Most recently, Moldova has joined the E.U.'s "Third Energy Package" program, which would restrict Russian natural-gas firms' control over pipelines running from Russia through Moldova to the rest of Europe.
Police Kill 2 Rebels in Shoot-Out in Kabardino-Balkaria. Two militants were killed on November 17th in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, in southwestern Russia's North Caucasus region, in an exchange of fire with police in the village of Baksanyonok. No police casualties were reported.
Bombings in Dagestan Village Kill 3, Wound 9. A pair of terrorist bombings in the Republic of Dagestan, in southwestern Russia's predominantly-Muslim North Caucasus region, left two policemen and one civilian dead this week. The first blast was a car bomb outside a bank in the village of Shamilkala, and the second was timed to explode as police and others arrived to respond to the first. It was the second that killed the three people. Nine people were also injured.
|Aftermath of this week's car bomb in Dagestan
Border Policeman Found Shot Dead in South Ossetia. A border-security officer in the Republic of South Ossetia, a Russian puppet state whose partially recognized independence was secured in a 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, was found dead with a bullet in his head. Police are investigating. The officer, Maj. Vladimir Kozayev, was a veteran of the 2008 South Ossetia War.
[For updates on Turkey, including the Kurdish struggle, see this week's "Kurdistan Update."]
[For updates on Syria, Iraq, and Iran, see this week's "Kurdistan Update."]
South Yemen Separatist Rebels Kidnap 3 Soldiers from Military Base. Separatist fighters in the Republic of Yemen seeking to restore the formerly independent South Yemen on November 23rd kidnapped three members of the Yemeni military. The abduction occurred in Ad Dali' province, in south-central Yemen. The masked rebels apparently broke into military installation and snatched the soldiers from their beds. The Southern Movement claimed responsibility.
Bodoland Leader Arrested in Assam in Wake of Hindu–Muslim Violence. In the wake of last week's resurgence of interethnic violence in India's far-northeastern Assam state, which killed 11 people (as reported last week in this blog), police have cracked down on leaders of the Bodo ethnic group. Mono Kumar Brahma, a member of the Bodoland Territorial Council (B.T.C.) was arrested November 17th, and police said they recovered weapons from his home. His family says the police planted the weapons. A few days later, on November 20th, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (N.D.F.B.) split into rival factions over the crisis, which has derailed negotiations to release the imprisoned N.D.F.B. leader Ranjan Daimary, who was scheduled to participate in peace talks next month. Daimary was arrested in Bangladesh in 2009 in connection with a series of terrorist bombings the year before.
|Mono Kumar Brahma on his perp walk
|Police in Assam trying to keep the peace
12 Sikh Separatists Given Prison Terms for 1987 Bank Heist in Punjab. A special terrorism court in India sentenced 12 Sikh bank robbers to 10 years in prison each on November 20th. The 12 were members of the Khalistan Commando Force (K.C.F.) who robbed a branch of the Punjab National Bank in 1987 in one of the country's heftiest bank heists ever. The robbery was intended to help purchase weapons for what was then an active insurgency to create a separate Sikh republic, to be called Khalistan, in what is now India's Punjab state.
Andhra Pradesh Congress M.P.s Mull No-Confidence Vote over Telangana Issue. Members of Andhra Pradesh's parliament, in southern India, who represent the Telugu-dominated region of the state, were threatening this week to abstain from votes and even initiate a no-confidence motion in the parliamentary session beginning November 22nd, in order to push for the creation of a separate Telugu state, to be called Telangana. The M.P.s are from the Indian National Congress (I.N.C.), which is the ruling party of both Andhra Pradesh and India as a whole.
Obama, on State Visit, Urges Burma to Enfranchise Rohingyas; Ethnic Rebels Freed. During a state visit to Burma on November 20th, the United States president, Barack Obama, urged the authoritarian military junta that rules the country as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to extend citizenship to the 800,000 predominantly-Muslim Rohingya people in the west of the country whose suffering at the hands of Buddhist mobs this summer and fall have turned opinion against the human-rights situation in the country. On the day of his visit—on which he was accompanied by his secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton—reports were emerging of another Rohingya village burned to the ground by Buddhists in Rakhine (a.k.a. Arakan) state. Afterwards, an Obama aid told media that the junta had expressed a commitment to "addressing the issue of citizenship for the Rohingya." Meanwhile, the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi angered many, not least the government of Bangladesh, by labeling the Rohingya conflict "an international tragedy"—which implies that the Rohingya are not Burmese and therefore not Burma's problem. A couple days before Obama's visit, the junta announced that 45 political prisoners would be released, including three members of the Kachin Independence Organization (K.I.O.) and two members of the Karen National Union (K.N.U.).
|Okay, gals, get a room, willya. There are photographers here.
5 More Pro-Tibetan Self-Immolations Include British Buddhist Monk in France. Amid an acceleration of self-immolations by Tibetans in protest over Communist China's brutal rule in Tibet, a taxi driver who was the mother of two children became the latest suicide in this wave of burnings on November 17th when she set herself on fire and died in Tongren County in a Tibetan region of China's Qinghai province, which has become the epicenter of the recent self-immolations. Her name was Chagmo Kyi, according to human-rights groups. The same day, one Sangdag Tsering, aged 24, immolated himself in front of a government building in Qinghai's Zeku County and later died. Meanwhile, a citizen of the United Kingdom has become the first Westerner to choose self-immolation as a form of protest against Chinese rule in Tibet. The Briton, who was born David Alain but became known as Tonden when he converted to Tibetan Buddhism, died from immolation on November 15th at a small Buddhist monastery near Labastide-St.-George, in south-central France. He was 38 years old. On November 19th, the burned body of a 25-year-old Tibetan herder was found in the home of his brother, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, in Qinghai province's Xunhua County, and the following day Tsering Dongdri (also spelled Dhondup), a 35-year-old farmer, burned himself to death in Xiahe County, in Gansu province.
|David Alain, a.k.a. Tonden, immolated himself for Tibetan freedom.
French Polynesian President Mulls Boycotting Elections over Sarkozy's Unfair Reforms. The separatist-minded president of French Polynesia, Oscar Temaru, said this week that he is not ruling out calling for a boycott of next year's territorial elections. Temaru claims that the new rules instituted by France's president, Nicolas Sarkozy (since succeeded by François Hollande), are designed to keep Temaru's party, Tavini Huiraatira—whose coalition in the deeply divided territorial assembly, is quite vulnerable—out of power.
Indonesia Up in Arms over Plans to Make Rebel Insignia New Aceh Flag. The Republic of Indonesia's military commander in Aceh, on the northwestern tip of Sumatra, lodged objections on November 22nd to proposals to make the flag of the now-disarmed separatist militia the province's new flag. The proposal, by the autonomous, Islamist government of the province, runs counter to a 2007 law which bans insignia from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), or anything resembling them, from official seals or emblems, according to the commander, Maj.-Gen. Zahari Siregar. The Acehnese legislature, however, is very near approving the new flag.
|Free Aceh Movement rebels with their (now banned) flag
Danish–Canadian Dispute over Island near Greenland Complicated by Principality Claim. The governments of the Kingdom of Denmark and Canada are set to sit down in the Canadian capital, Ottawa, next week to discuss the case of Hans Island, a half-square-mile large rock between Greenland (which is Danish territory) and Ellesmere Island, which is part of Canada's Nunavut territory. But the island is also claimed by the self-described Government of Tartupaluk (Tartupaluk being the Inuktitut/Greenlandic name for the island). That self-proclaimed statelet is the brainchild of Calvan van Ulft, a student at Ottawa's Carleton University who declared the islet free for the taking in 2006 since it was in dispute (demonstrating a deep misunderstanding of international law), and crowned himself prince. Prince Calvan, who seems to have no connection to actual indigenous groups, is not invited to the nation-to-nation talks. At that time, he proclaimed Tartupaluk the world's 204th sovereign state—though at that point there were 193.
|Hans Island, a.k.a. the Principality of Tartupaluk
Quebec's Parliament Will Keep Maple Leaf in Chamber, after Liberals Defy P.Q. In Quebec's legislature, the Liberal Party took a position against the separatist Parti Québécois (P.Q.) and its narrow coalition government, thus clinching the defeat on November 21st of a proposal that would have ordered the removal of Canada's national Maple Leaf flag from the parliament. Separatists point out that the flag, which was first designed in 1965, was only introduced into the chamber for the first time in 1985 and, moreover, was removed during the P.Q.'s dominance from 1994 to 2003.
Governor Brownback Says Kansas Will Remain in United States. The Republican governor of Kansas, Sam Brownback, told a newspaper interviewer on November 15th that, despite a petition with thousands of signatures on the White House's "We the People" petition website, Kansas would not be seceding from the United States. "Kansas," Brownback said, "is and will always remain a state in the United States of America."
|This boring, unimaginative flag is not likely to become a national flag any time soon.
Houston Joins El Paso, Austin in Seeking to Stay in U.S. If Texas Secedes. While hundreds of thousands of Texans sign a petition on a White House website to allow Texas to secede from the United States, Houston has joined two other Texan cities—El Paso and Austin—in being the subject of a separate petition to remain in the union in the case of a Texan divorce from the U.S. The Houston petition reads, "We, the city of Houston, think those asking for secession of the state of Texas are mentally deficient and do not want them representing us. We would like more education in our state to eradicate their disease. Thank you. Please help us with these people." The El Paso petition is similarly caustic, reading, in part, "El Paso has little in common with the rest of Texas. Its demographics are more similar to New Mexico. El Paso is also proud to be part of the United States and wants no part of a state whom [sic] publicly contemplates secession from our great nation." Meanwhile, Josh Moon, a newspaper columnist in Alabama echoed the thoughts of many liberal Americans in supporting various secession movements, writing (in this case about the case of Texas), "We'll start building a fence around that state (if we tell them it's to protect them from us, we could probably get them to build the fence themselves), and we'll give every person who signed one of these petitions free transportation. That car/bus ride will be the last federal government resource devoted to any of them. We put them all in there, call it something like Moronistan, slam the door behind them, and then live significantly less-stupid lives forever and ever." Meanwhile, a Republican politician from Arlington, Larry Scott Kilgore, is changing his name legally to Larry SECEDE Kilgore (sic; capitals are part of the new name) in preparation for his run for governor in 2014 with the platform, "Secession! All other issues can be dealt with later."
|Larry Kilgore. At least he spelled it right.
World Court Gives Colombia San Andrés Isles but Expands Nicaragua Sea Boundary. The International Court of Justice (I.C.J.) in the Hague, in the Netherlands, ruled on November 19th on the Republic of Nicaragua's territorial claims against the Republic of Colombia for the San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina island groups in the southwestern Caribbean. The I.C.J. recognized and affirmed Colombia's long-standing occupation and administration of the territory, but granted Nicaragua extended offshore rights in surrounding waters, including lucrative energy reserves. But Colombia's president, Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, "emphatically rejects," in his words, the redrawing of the marine boundary and would not "rule out any recourse or mechanism provided by international law to defend our rights." The islands are the homeland of the Raizal, an Afro-Caribbean people culturally distinct from the mainstream Spanish-speaking populations of Colombia and Nicaragua, though the Colombian government has intentionally diluted that population through a program of settlement by Latinos. There are several Raizal separatist organizations in the archipelago.
Key Defection Enables Curaçao Separatists to Scrape Together Coalition Government. In the Country of Curaçao, the Partido Antiá Restrukturá (PAR, or Party for the Restructured Antilles) was not invited this week to join in an attempt to form a coalition government after the October 20th elections (reported on at the time in this blog) in which Pueblo Soberano (P.S., or Sovereign People's Party), which supports secession from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, won with a scant 23% plurality, leaving it with the difficult task of forming a coalition out of the colony's fragmented political landscape. But one PAR member, Glenn Sulvaran, defected to the coalition-building effort, enabling the P.S. to form a government with the help of two other parties: the P.N.P. (Partido Nashonal di Pueblo, or National People's Party) and PAIS (Partido pa Adelanto I Inovashon Soshal).
[Also, for those who are wondering, yes, this blog is tied in with a forthcoming book, a sort of encyclopedic atlas to be published by Auslander and Fox under the title Let's Split! A Complete Guide to Separatist Movements, Independence Struggles, Breakaway Republics, Rebel Provinces, Pseudostates, Puppet States, Tribal Fiefdoms, Micronations, and Do-It-Yourself Countries, from Chiapas to Chechnya and Tibet to Texas. Look for it in spring 2013. I will be keeping readers posted of further publication news.]


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West Wins All Star Game: Durant Named MVP
This years All Star weekend festivities are coming to a close in Orlando but not before the West was victorious over the East 152-149. The West scored 88 points in the first half breaking an All Star record. Kevin Durant balled hard becoming MVP with 36 points. Kobe Bryant broke an all star record surpassing many greats including Michel Jordan with a total 271 points in an All Star Game. Lebron James also did his thing making nine consecutive shots in the second half and also had 36 points.
Mary and Nikki opened the show representing for the ladies.I enjoyed some pelvic thrusts from Pitbull and Chris Brown during half time. I also like watching court side to see what celebs are in the building. Lil Wayne was spotted rocking Beats by Dre headphones rumored to be valued at a million dollars.
Orlando has been jumping all weekend. Loved seeing the pics on twitter. What a great ending.It's always amazing to see the league's top players face off. It was a great competition. Cant wait until the All Star Game comes to our neck of the woods in Toronto in 2014.


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I'm running a one-man consulting and training company, Steinlogic Consulting and Training in Singapore, for the past three years. I do iOS apps and conduct trainings for my clients.
Product Development
My hourly consulting rate for programming starts from US$150. Smaller projects like writing algorithms or an SDK for your API or custom UI controls are usually priced higher per hour and mostly these smaller projects are sub 20hr modules (either UI controls or algorithms or SDKs).
Smaller projects (~1 month/50-70 hrs) will cost around USD 7.5k to USD 10k. Projects where I can use some boiler plate code and are heavy on UI fall under the lower band. Based on this rates, the median costs for the first iteration of an average sized project (2-3 months) will be from USD 22k to USD 30k. That is 150-200 hours spread over 2-3 months (16 – 24 hrs a week). These data come straight from my last year's invoices. Drop me an email at firstname.lastname@example.com and we will take it up from there. Unlike most other developers, I've put up my prices here because I want to be as transparent with you as I'm with everyone else.
In-House Training
I've written extensively about iOS development on my blog and in my book. If you are interested in in house corporate trainings for your employees, look no further. Drop me an email at firstname.lastname@example.com and we will take it up from there. You can also visit the microsite, iostraining.sg for upcoming training schedules at our office.
Web Service SDK
I've also helped my clients to build a highly performance efficient reusable web service SDK using MKNetworkKit. Your in-house developers or other contractors can build the time/cost consuming UI layer on top of my code. For a medium sized project, this usually takes 40-50 hrs or around USD 5.5k over a period of 2 months.
Web Service API Design Consultation
I provide design consultation on doing your web services for mobile apps the right way. I'll meet up with your backend developers and gauge their abilities and advise and guide them on doing the API design the right way. For a mid sized project with around 25-30 endpoints, the fee for this consultation is SGD 3500 and this includes preparing the API specification for all the endpoints and 4-6 meetings over a period of 6 weeks.
Other Consulting
I can provide you consultation on a variety of topics related to iOS development. Have a project left half way by your old contractors? Your in house employees are not capable enough to deliver the product on time? Look no further. You can reach me at email@example.com.
Retainer contracts
I'm available for retainer contracts now. My retainer rates are slightly lower at $950 per day.
Blog sponsorships
I haven't done this before, and still using Google Adsense. My blog gets around 80,000 page views and around 65,000 visitors a month. Propose your rates and I'll get back to you.
Follow me on Twitter


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How do we set a reasonable curfew?
We seem to have ongoing discussions with our daughter regarding her curfew. She is 16-years-old and we feel that 11 p.m. during the week and midnight on the weekend is very reasonable. She tells us many of her friends have later curfews on the weekend. What do you think is a reasonable time for someone her age?
Dawn | Expert
Curfew as children get older is always challenging. On school nights, 11 p.m. is very reasonable.
The only exception we ever had was if the time had to be adjusted due to a work schedule. Generally, most employers do not expect their high school age employees to work that late.
On the weekends we adjusted curfews as needed for special events, such as for homecoming or prom.
As a parent, it was hard for me to understand what a 16- year-old would be doing after 11 p.m.
Also, when the 'my other friends' card was pulled, I explained that all people have choices and as parents, we have to assist our children in making choices that are best for them and our family.
We always put safety first. The later in the evening it gets, the greater the risk of being on the road with people that could jeopardize their safety.
Plus, many communities have a mandated curfew that limits how late people under the age of 18 can be out.Read more answers by Dawn


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Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Roll Your Head in The Sun
Wearing: Tube Dress & Patterned Cardi from Urban Outfitters; Nude Suede Heels from Forever21; Jewelry from Forever21 and H&M
6 comments:
I love this outfit! :)ReplyDeleteReplies
hehe thanks! I hope you'll continue to like what you see ^_^Delete
love your style <3ReplyDelete
thank you Whitney, your blog is awesome :)Delete
I just found your blog, and you're adorable!!!! Love the kimono!ReplyDelete
You should check out my blog! We're the same age and I feel like we like a lot of the same things :)
Thank you :) haha I'm just starting this blog and I'm doing my best to figure out how to make these pictures remain the same width >.< ugh so not a computer tech when it comes to blogger. haha but thank you for checking out my blog, your blog is awesome as well ^_^Delete
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Monday, July 4, 2016
An Armada game up at Highlander Games and Comics
Hey all!
Well, a week or two ago I met up with a guy named Mike to play a game of Armada up at Highlander Games and Comics in Boonton, NJ. I have to say, it is a great place; there is the main store, which is jammed with games, and then an entire gaming annex with one whole wall that is windows... very nice place to play!
So Mike was a "random" I got in touch with through Highlanders X-Wing/Armada group, but he ended being a perfect opponent... relaxed, funny, and an all-around good dude... hopefully will get in plenty of games in the future!
Plus he is a tourney player, so I got to learn a bit!
Now, I don't remember the exact lists... I purposefully went away from the Rhymer ball, and went with a Glad, a Victory kitted out to be a carrier, a Raider, an Imperial II, and some squadrons... I think two or three TIES, two bombers, and a Firespray.
Mike brought a pretty nutty list; two MC30s with Assault Proton Torpedoes, and then about a million Corvettes with Turbo Laser Reroutes. Oh, and two A-Wing squadrons. It was clearly a fast list, although a bit fragile... but when you have eight glass cannons, it ain't so bad.
I think we played the opening salvo objective, but we just played 'till everything died, rather than 6 turns, because why not?:)
Anyway, deployment at the top!
We got stuck in quick... well, most of us did, although the Vic didn't:) My Glad spat out some punishment, but got just hammered in return.
Here we are farther along... the Corvette at the bottom was down to one hull point and had a burning engine that would blow him up if he went more than speed 1 or something... I was hoping to hunt him down with the TIE. Honestly, I was killing what I could get my hands on, but DAMN I was slow, and a critical that took away a click of turning on my ISD didn't help matters.
My Raider was chasing this damn Vette the entire game. I just could never give the raider first activation to finish it, because the ISD needed it to obliterate enemies each time.
Big old scrum in the middle!
Near the end... those damn Vettes with the Turbo Laser Refits were just CRUSHING my Vic I, which just couldn't get close range guns on anything... and the Vettes double evades made sure I couldn't land much damage while STILL pumping out at least two hits a turn... but often three.
In the end, maybe because Mike was taking it easy on me, I managed to blow up the last rebel ships, but good God almighty it was a mess:)
Anyway... it was a fun game, and best because it is nice to meet a possible new Armada mate!:)
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Democracy – A Question of Faith?
Podium discussion on the role of religion in Germany and Israel with Rainer Kampling, Ellen Ueberschär, Tuvia Ben-Chorin, and Micha Brumlik
Feb 24, 2015
Rainer Kampling continues to take a positive view of present and future relations between Israel and Germany. A lack of separation between church and state, like in Israel, does not necessarily have to adversely affect diplomatic relations with other countries, said Kampling, a professor of Catholic theology at Freie Universität. However, he cautioned that it is important to know how Orthodox forces in Israel plan to participate in a democratic society in the long run. Kampling was one of four experts invited by organizers Deutschlandradio and Bertelsmann Stiftung to participate in a podium discussion on the topic "The Holy Land and a Secular State: The Role of Religion in Germany and Israel." The event was organized to mark the 50-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Sebastian Engelbrecht opened the discussion by saying that in Israel, religion is at the heart of a culture war that has divided the country. Engelbrecht, former Israel correspondent for Deutschlandradio, moderated the podium discussion, in which Rainer Kampling was joined by Israeli rabbi Tuvia Ben-Chorin of the Jewish Community of Berlin, education scholar Micha Brumlik of the Zentrum Jüdische Studien Berlin-Brandenburg (ZJS – Center for Jewish Studies), and Lutheran theologian and German Protestant Kirchentag secretary general Ellen Ueberschär.
Bertelsmann Study: Ultra-Orthodox a Rising Percentage of the Younger Generation
About half of the Jewish population is not religious, Engelbrecht explains, while just under one-quarter live traditionally – meaning according to Jewish customs and traditions, but amid society at large – and ten percent are ultra-Orthodox. The secular center is "loud and clear" in its demands for an ideologically neutral state, while strictly observant Jews insist on modest clothing for women and separation of the sexes on buses. Modern Religious Zionists demand that Israel be designated as the nation-state of the Jewish people, with fewer rights for people of other ethnicities and religions. In that case, important functions within society would be restricted to Jews, for example. Engelbrecht pointed to a recent study by Bertelsmann Stiftung that found that the percentage of religious, ultra-Orthodox, and politically right-leaning people is higher in the younger generation than across the population as a whole – and it is continuing to grow. By the next generation, as much as half of the Jewish population could be ultra-Orthodox, Engelbrecht said.
Lack of Separation between Church and State
When religiously conservative groups come to power in any country, it leads to "issues with human rights," said Rainer Kampling. At present, there are no ultra-Orthodox groups involved in government in Israel, but there are religious nationalist ones. Kampling said that for decades, Israel's Orthodox community was criticized for not being sufficiently involved in society. "Now they are getting involved, and that's seen as a problem, too."
To this day, 67 years after the country was founded, Israel still does not have a final constitution. That means there are no specific laws regulating the relationship between church and state. Marriages and divorces, for example, are handled by the different religious communities. The Orthodox Chief Rabbinate holds this privilege for the Jewish population.
"We live in an 'overpromised land'"
In Micha Brumlik's view, Israel needs to finally give itself a secular constitution, since this is the only thing that would allow a truly democratic state to exist. Liberal Reform Rabbi Ben-Chorin countered that Israel needs more time. He fears that given the current political situation, a constitution could firmly establish Israel as a Jewish nation-state, and one that would wish to gain security by controlling the Palestinians instead of tackling the problems between the religions within society. "We live in an 'overpromised land,'" said Ben-Chorin, pointing out that Israel is overburdened with promises and expectations. He also said that the country needs to work on this much more extensively.
The participants agreed, however, that the main critical factor in terms of relations between Israel and Germany is not religion, but rather the German stance toward Israel's settlement and security policy.
If Israel were to annex large parts of the West Bank, as religious Zionist minister Naftali Bennett has called for, it would be "an act in breach of international law," said Brumlik. Germany would be unable to accept such an action, and it would trigger a diplomatic crisis.
A Plea in Favor of Churches: "Stabilizing for Society"
According to the Bertelsmann study, Germans and Israelis have a fundamentally positive view of each other's countries. And yet, the authors also found that younger and conservative Israelis take a more critical stance toward Germany. At the same time, the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict was found to have been detrimental to German public opinion of Israel. In addition, more and more Germans, especially younger ones, wish to put the Holocaust behind them, no longer seeing themselves as having any particular responsibility toward Israel.
While Brumlik interpreted the debate surrounding achieving closure for the Holocaust as a national issue involving German identity, Ueberschär stressed that the loss of Christian knowledge goes hand in hand with the loss of knowledge regarding Christianity's Jewish roots. Churches, she said, perform a "stabilizing function in society." They are places where people can talk about their fears. Ueberschär said that in East Germany, where secularization was forced during the Communist regime, "fears are expressed on the street instead," as the Pegida movement has shown. Theology professor Kampling added that religious institutions make it possible to "engage in a practice of remembrance."
The theologian takes a dim view of letting go of the Holocaust and the debate surrounding fault. After all, he says, "no small number of Germans profited from the Shoah" as a result of expropriation of Jewish property by the Nazis. Kampling views "the mass enrichment of non-Jewish Germans based on the property of their Jewish neighbors" as a "transfer of blame by transferring property titles." He says the calls to achieve closure are therefore not only rooted in Germany's growing secularization, but also an expression of "human greed."
Learning from Past Suffering
Ben-Chorin called for a culture of remembrance that learns from past suffering and creates positive memories of shared history. He said this was especially possible in Berlin – "city of suffering, city of marvels" – where, on the one hand, the annihilation of the Jewish people was planned and organized at the Wannsee Conference, in January 1942, but also where, on the other hand, youth exchange programs between Israelis and Germans have existed since the 1950s. These positive memories also include a strategic partnership between Freie Universität Berlin and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, whose ties go back to the 1950s.
This text was originally published in German in campus.leben on February 24, 2015.


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Toronto's Festival of Beer
Bandshell Park Official website (416) 635-9889
July 28 to 30, 2017. Toronto's Festival of Beer is a celebration of Canada's rich brewing history, hosted by experts of the brewing craft from around the world. Featuring 300+ brands onsite, this is Canada's premier celebration of the golden beverage! This is a 19+ event: no children, no pets, no exceptions!
While the beer may take center stage, there are still many activities to partake in! Check out the Main Stage for daily headlining acts and the Grilling Tent for some tips on cooking with beer. Don't miss the World of Beer Pavilion featuring Canada in celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary, and the Brewmaster's Series!


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What could cause a a hardcore Photog to give it all up? I have often wondered.
If I lost my sight then I would have to call it quits. It would be hard without arms.
My gear has been through the wringer lately and I entertained the notion of a simpler way. Maybe a Rebel with a 18-200. Or the new 40mm pancake. Or nothing? It would be a huge step backward... Or would it?


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Dedicating this pattern to 'all things alive' friendly lawns:)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
summer fields . . .
Summer brings the green grass. I love the green grass! Not the manicured weed free kind. Not the 'stay off the lawn' kind... but the free for all, slightly wild and alive kind! I want to see the bugs and weeds among my grass. It means it's REAL. Please, if you love all things living - don't use pesticides (weed killers) on it. It's not astroturf. It's alive!
Posted by orange you lucky!
Labels: patterns
11 comments:
- Tamara Henderson said...
I love the summer too! You patterns are so gorgeous!
- May 24, 2011 at 2:40 PM
- Kelly @ Run With Glitter said...
Pllleeeaaassse design fabric!!!!! I love everything!
- May 24, 2011 at 3:46 PM
- Carolyn Gavin said...
so cute. i love the bunny and white and yellow backgrounds.
- May 25, 2011 at 7:05 AM
- BrandNewStudio said...
It's always a pleasure
to see such a Wonderful Work
good creations
- May 25, 2011 at 5:30 PM
I'm in love with the little elephant, adorable work as always x
- May 26, 2011 at 5:13 AM
- Mattias said...
Love it
- May 26, 2011 at 7:20 AM
- Erika Swartzkopf said...
LOVE the summer patterns, very nice - aloha from Hawaii!
- May 27, 2011 at 4:50 PM
- rex said...
Such wonderful design and artwork..love it.
- May 27, 2011 at 6:41 PM
- corinne d'A Pauline said...
I do alwwways love your creatures and you colorful universe : ))))
- June 10, 2011 at 5:14 AM
- bethiejw said...
I second that person. I would love to sew with this.
- June 17, 2011 at 7:57 AM
- safemeds said...
What a great illustrations about summer. I would like to get them as wallpapers to my PC. Do u know how I can do that???
- November 3, 2011 at 5:51 PM
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Member Favorites: 1
Ouka Tenjouin (天上院 桜花)Kazuya's cousin from his mothers side; and also his fiancee, she hates all Pandoras and insists that Kazuya doesn't need to affiliate himself with them since she is by his side.
Ouka's aunt is revealed to be Kazuha Aoi and Kazuya's mother, which would make her their cousin. It is also revealed that she was arranged to marry Kazuya Aoi by his grandfather, Gengo Aoi, whom she feels rules over the Aoi and Tenjouin families.
Voice ActorsNo voice actors have been added to this character. Help improve our database by searching for a voice actor, and adding this character to their roles here.


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Objectivism is named for one of its key concepts that it emphasizes and upholds—the concept of "objectivity." Ayn Rand said this about objectivity in part: "It pertains to the relationship of consciousness to existence. Metaphysically [by the nature of reality—my comment], it is the recognition of the fact that reality exists independent of any perceiver's consciousness."[1] In general philosophy, this "recognition" is a position called "metaphysical objectivity"; in Objectivism, it is known as the "Primacy of Existence."
- A person perceives that this orange doesn't fall
into his mouth simply because he wishes it to, and he perceives that the rainy
weather won't stop just because he hates being wet and wants it to stop, etc. These instances, and their logical equivalents,
would amount to a person gaining knowledge about the world as true, singular judgments
about the things involved. The person
might make judgments about his own consciousness in relation to all sorts of
things that exist, and may make judgments about the consciousness's of others
and of animals in relation to what they are aware of. (For some people, even
one instance could be enough to reach this principle and certain other primary
- Eventually, the person performs the necessary
abstracting-inducing processes, and conceives the general principle, "No
consciousness (no matter what type of consciousness, or what action it
performs) can alter the identity or the nature of actions of anything that
exists (no matter what exists, what constitutes its identity, or how it acts)." Exactly how this is done can vary
significantly. A person might reach the
primacy of existence principle directly from the perceptual judgments he makes,
or he might reach it through a series of transitional propositions, advancing
to more and more universal conceptualizations.
The process of grasping this principle could go a number of different ways; for instance: This tree doesn't disappear because I want it to…No tree disappears because I want it to…Nothing disappears just because I want it to…Nothing is altered in any way no matter what my consciousness wills…Nothing is altered in any way no matter what any consciousness wills (by "alter," in this context, I mean "a violation of the law of identity and/or causality"); or, This tree doesn't bear fruit just because I wish for that to happen…This tree doesn't do anything just because I wish for it… Nothing does anything just because I wish for it…Nothing is altered in any way no matter what any consciousness wills; etc.
- Once the last proposition is grasped (in one way or another), the person learning the principle comes to see that by the very nature of "existence" and "consciousness," consciousness as such necessarily is only a faculty of awareness, that it cannot alter the nature of existence. This is the moment when he finally knows the primacy of existence as a necessary truth, and afterwards the person can see the necessity in every specific instance of this law that he considers. (I'll cover the issue of "necessity" and "necessary truths" more in my next essay.)
Though, I can see now how Aristotle's view of axioms could lead to a process like this, an "intuitive induction." For him, the faculty of reason has various powers, and he holds that reason can gain both discursive and non-discursive knowledge, which is "knowledge through argument" and "knowledge through intuition," respectively. The non-discursive knowledge is the starting point for the discursive knowledge, and the latter depends on the former. And axioms (like his "Principle of Non-contradiction") are exactly the kind of non-discursive knowledge that will be the starting point for all discursive, provable knowledge. The rational power of intuition forms non-discursive knowledge that is immediate, it comes directly from experience and sensory perception without argument or inference. In this sense, "intuition" could be interpreted as an intelligent discernment, appraisal, comprehension, or insight.[7] And since these axioms or first principles will be universal in their content, but still gained by experience, it makes sense that Aristotle would regard these as "inductive," as well.
In Objectivism, the constitution of metaphysics is only a piecemeal, progressive development of principles from the existence axiom. Based on what has just been discussed, the Objectivist metaphysics could also be described as an intuitive investigation into the ramifications of the axiom that "Existence exists."
Next in the series: The Metaphysically Given as Absolute


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a. Scripture and Tradition say that the Lord came to earth to restore man to which he was before his fall, and to restore in mankind His image, which had been darkened by the passions. This was an image of the Triune Divinity, and in this image restores mankind through the ordering of the Church.
b. We feel ourselves endowed with a nature, both physical and psychic. It is this psychic nature common to all men and present within us, which is the human nature.
c. We must understand the single human nature not as an actual essence, but as a sort of abstract, general concept.
d. If people had not fallen there would be revealed in their hearts also the life of that common Divinely created human nature.
e. Fallen mankind has reached such a degree of individualism that the distinction between "I" and "not I" has become a starting point in human nature, while the triunity of God has become unfathomable.
f. The Redeemer has restored this singularity of human nature in the life of the Church which He founded.
g. St Basil the Great says: 1) human nature was one before the fall; 2) that it was cut apart by the fall; 3) that angels who had not fallen into sin of self-love and disobedience preserved this unity of their nature unharmed; 4) that the Savior came to restore this unity in fallen mankind; 5) that the restoration is expressed in the freeing from self-love, strife, and stubbornness, and the restoration of the love of Christ and of obedience in their hearts; and 6) that divine redemption consists primarily in the restoration of this newly-grace filled unity.
- Why does Metropolitan Anthony "psychic" nature as human nature?
- How does Metropolitan Anthony understand human nature, collectively and singly?