text:
Last week I took a class on using Copic Markers. I had seen some beautiful things produced by using those markers and liked the idea that the colors would blend flawlessly. I was looking forward to learning to use them. I was sure I'd love them and was thinking about how I'd afford this new product because they have tons of colors available for about $5 a pen.
The good news is that I didn't spend any money! The bad news is that I really didn't like them. I know learning to use them takes practice, but I just felt like it wasn't worth the effort. In class we were given an item to color and were supposed to shade it with the left side being darker. It was really difficult. If you had 8 shades of one color that you could blend together to do the shading perhaps it would have been easier, but we had 2 plus the blender pen (which, by the way, is a MUST if you use Copics.) I was frustrated that I'd apply the color which was really strong and then my "shading" was done by using the blender (which works more like a bleach pen) to remove color. I worked on one little image for an hour and still didn't have it turn out as I would have liked. I had problems with the color "floating" out of the image and then I'd have to work to push it back in. When I added an accent color, it floated into the other color and looked horrible. When I looked back at my work, it looked like the work of a 4 year old and I wasn't pleased. Perhaps with more practice and the purchase of many markers I could eventually turn into an artist, but I'm not willing to invest my time or money when I have something at home that gives me the look I desire for less. I also don't want to have to buy new ink pads for stamping my images (StazOn won't work with Copics) or different cardstock. I came home and pulled out my Stampin' Write markers and realized that while I can't "blend" them with other colors, I can do lovely shading with either the blender pen (which really is a blender instead of a bleach pen) or with my Aquapainter. The Stampin' Up markers only cost $3.50 and perfectly match my cardstock. They also serve double duty because not only can I use them to color images, but I can also use them for journaling or writing sentiments inside my cards.
The coloring on your card is beautiful. Looks like you already have the right "tools" to make a beautiful card.
I love the colouring you used on your card. Glad to see that Copics may not be the most useful tool. I will stick to SU markers.
Following you from Stampin' Connection - www.nutz4stamps.com.

lowercased:
last week i took a class on using copic markers. i had seen some beautiful things produced by using those markers and liked the idea that the colors would blend flawlessly. i was looking forward to learning to use them. i was sure i'd love them and was thinking about how i'd afford this new product because they have tons of colors available for about $5 a pen.
the good news is that i didn't spend any money! the bad news is that i really didn't like them. i know learning to use them takes practice, but i just felt like it wasn't worth the effort. in class we were given an item to color and were supposed to shade it with the left side being darker. it was really difficult. if you had 8 shades of one color that you could blend together to do the shading perhaps it would have been easier, but we had 2 plus the blender pen (which, by the way, is a must if you use copics.) i was frustrated that i'd apply the color which was really strong and then my "shading" was done by using the blender (which works more like a bleach pen) to remove color. i worked on one little image for an hour and still didn't have it turn out as i would have liked. i had problems with the color "floating" out of the image and then i'd have to work to push it back in. when i added an accent color, it floated into the other color and looked horrible. when i looked back at my work, it looked like the work of a 4 year old and i wasn't pleased. perhaps with more practice and the purchase of many markers i could eventually turn into an artist, but i'm not willing to invest my time or money when i have something at home that gives me the look i desire for less. i also don't want to have to buy new ink pads for stamping my images (stazon won't work with copics) or different cardstock. i came home and pulled out my stampin' write markers and realized that while i can't "blend" them with other colors, i can do lovely shading with either the blender pen (which really is a blender instead of a bleach pen) or with my aquapainter. the stampin' up markers only cost $3.50 and perfectly match my cardstock. they also serve double duty because not only can i use them to color images, but i can also use them for journaling or writing sentiments inside my cards.
the coloring on your card is beautiful. looks like you already have the right "tools" to make a beautiful card.
i love the colouring you used on your card. glad to see that copics may not be the most useful tool. i will stick to su markers.
following you from stampin' connection - www.nutz4stamps.com.


text:
Do you live in West Virginia? You should be aware of insurance policies prevailing through the state. Driving looks easier in the state but avoiding insurance services would never. You hardly get a chance of hiding insurance details from officials of West Virginia. But what makes it so hard for drivers? Owning a West Virginia car insurance policy becomes easier, but in case of any violation, you are bound to pay the penalty.
Upon what basis does each policy premiums apply? Before you indulge through insurance policies, you require proper knowledge of the premium rates applied on coverage.
The first coverage type includes body injured liability covering all injuries caused to driver and pedestrians. In fact, the amount paid $20,000 per person.
The second one includes property damage with a premium rate of $10,000 as a limitation.
Uninsured motorist insurance possesses a premium of $20,000 upon each person.
Other than these more coverage type exists but without any premium rate.
When you choose to buy West Virginia auto insurance policy, then you require getting few requirements fulfilled. Now, what type of requirements do you need to pursue?
Insurance requires you to have liability coverage in order, to help fulfill the cost put forward for the property as well as other damages. Hence, this policy provides $25,000 to all people.
Other than this, Uninsured motorist cost coverage also to be a part of requirement as stated. It, in fact, ensures a limit of 100,000 to $50,000 as per damage caused.
Now, apart from all the above-mentioned details, it gets important for you to find out about minimum coverage in the state. Thus, at least four types of coverage schemes need to be met in the state of West Virginia. This includes body injury covering a cost of $25,000 to a person, damage caused to properties covering an amount of $25,000 on accident, and lastly an Uninsured motorist body as well as property damage cost with $25,000 cost. When a drier meets all coverage requirements then only they avail insurance.
The ban on using mobile phones for texting when you drive for every driver.
Ban of a cell phone for all novice drivers.
As per act passed in 2013 police possess to fine drivers who went out without seatbelts.
These laws turned out to be effective in a strict manner from the state of West Virginia.

lowercased:
do you live in west virginia? you should be aware of insurance policies prevailing through the state. driving looks easier in the state but avoiding insurance services would never. you hardly get a chance of hiding insurance details from officials of west virginia. but what makes it so hard for drivers? owning a west virginia car insurance policy becomes easier, but in case of any violation, you are bound to pay the penalty.
upon what basis does each policy premiums apply? before you indulge through insurance policies, you require proper knowledge of the premium rates applied on coverage.
the first coverage type includes body injured liability covering all injuries caused to driver and pedestrians. in fact, the amount paid $20,000 per person.
the second one includes property damage with a premium rate of $10,000 as a limitation.
uninsured motorist insurance possesses a premium of $20,000 upon each person.
other than these more coverage type exists but without any premium rate.
when you choose to buy west virginia auto insurance policy, then you require getting few requirements fulfilled. now, what type of requirements do you need to pursue?
insurance requires you to have liability coverage in order, to help fulfill the cost put forward for the property as well as other damages. hence, this policy provides $25,000 to all people.
other than this, uninsured motorist cost coverage also to be a part of requirement as stated. it, in fact, ensures a limit of 100,000 to $50,000 as per damage caused.
now, apart from all the above-mentioned details, it gets important for you to find out about minimum coverage in the state. thus, at least four types of coverage schemes need to be met in the state of west virginia. this includes body injury covering a cost of $25,000 to a person, damage caused to properties covering an amount of $25,000 on accident, and lastly an uninsured motorist body as well as property damage cost with $25,000 cost. when a drier meets all coverage requirements then only they avail insurance.
the ban on using mobile phones for texting when you drive for every driver.
ban of a cell phone for all novice drivers.
as per act passed in 2013 police possess to fine drivers who went out without seatbelts.
these laws turned out to be effective in a strict manner from the state of west virginia.


text:
You might just be on a gold mine!
You are consistently at an advantage with us. We are always thinking about your financial security. We want to plan your future with you. We provide the best investment plan to meet the needs of our retired members. When your savings are where they are supposed to be, there will be nothing to worry about. Opening a Pension Plus account and making voluntary contributions into it will be a smart choice you are making for now and the future.

lowercased:
you might just be on a gold mine!
you are consistently at an advantage with us. we are always thinking about your financial security. we want to plan your future with you. we provide the best investment plan to meet the needs of our retired members. when your savings are where they are supposed to be, there will be nothing to worry about. opening a pension plus account and making voluntary contributions into it will be a smart choice you are making for now and the future.


text:
When it comes to chaotic nightmare scenario, earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear accidents easily rank at the top of just about anyone’s list. On the other hand, there is also a pervasive sense among preppers that these scenarios are not likely to happen in their area, let alone strike all at one time.
Sadly, in Fukushima, Japan, all three events did happen at one time, and the long term impacts still need to be considered by everyone interested in prepping.
What Is the Fukushima Nuclear Crisis About?
On March 11, 2011, a major earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima, Japan, then a very powerful tsunami occurred. The water struck a nuclear power plant and caused major failures in the cooling system for several of the reactors. Within 24 hours, enormous amounts of radioactive material were being released into the land, ocean, and air, and it remained impossible to stop the radiation from leaking out. Today, radiation still pours out as there are three reactor cores that melted down, and very little can be done to stop this process.
At least 610 workers and nearby residents died due to radiation exposure, and thousands more are expected to develop cancers related to exposure to radiation. The toll is greatest on children, of whom over 1/3 already show signs of abnormal growth in the thyroid glands that indicate an increased risk for cancer.
The radioactive half-life of materials used to power nuclear reactors spans thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. When these particles find their way into the water, air, and soil, they will remain radioactive and continue to pose a serious danger to almost all life forms.
How Is Fukushima Crisis Impacting the US?
As of December 2015, radiation from Fukushima has reached the western shores of the US and Canada. It is estimated that some isotopes have jumped as much as 50% in concentration, however government agencies still claim that radiation levels are not high enough to promote the idea that people should stop swimming, boating, and eating from the coastal waters.
This mirrors Japan’s claim that their coastal waters in the area are safe despite the fact that radiation levels are 10 to 100 times higher than what is currently being seen along the west coast of the United States and Canada.
Increasing levels of radiation from Fukushima are readily detectable now along the western coast of the United States. The progression of the radiation has progressed inland and now shows up in water and soil located further away from the ocean.
If you buy food or water from areas currently contaminated by radioactive materials from Fukushima, there is no way for you to know if these consumable goods are even safe. This includes wines, cigarettes, and just about anything else that you think is safe to consume just because it is “made in the United States”.
Unlike Chernobyl and nuclear bomb explosions, the radiation leaking from Fukushima has not stopped.
Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible for consumers to determine if elevated radiation levels are coming from Fukushima, a nearby power plant, or some other source of radioactive material.
Keep an eye out for data released by Fukushima watch groups and nuclear plants in your area, including controversial ones.
Keep Kearny (KFM) fallout meters in several locations at home and in the office. These devices are easy to make and can help you correlate information found in other reports.
Always be aware of what area of the world that food is grown and processed in. Never forget that dust and contaminated water easily find their way into plants and animals, and then into your body.
Obesity is an indicator of thyroid problems, but most doctors do not make thyroid function tests a routine part of medical exams, let alone look for this as a cause of increasing body weight. On the other hand, thyroid cancers are some of the most common types that people get when exposed to nuclear radiation. Leukemia and blood cancers are also very common in people exposed to nuclear radiation.
To protect your body from ionizing radiation regardless of the source, increase Vitamin C intake, as it works as a natural shield. If you have been exposed to radiation, make use of herbal remedies (marigold tea, turmeric, black pepper, and olive oil) that either inhibit tumor growth or stop it altogether. There are many other teas and other solutions that will increase pH (to a more alkaline level) so that it is harder for cancer cells to grow.
What About Long Term Consequences?
Once the land is contaminated by nuclear waste such as the materials away from the Fukushima power plant, it can no longer be trusted to sustain plants that will be consumed for food.
Any plants that are able to grow in areas contaminated with nuclear waste show severe genetic deformities: clover with 5 or more leaves, other plants with odd shaped flowers, stunted growth, giant or excessive growth, stalk tumors (yes plants do develop tumorous growths or knots!), increased susceptibility to infection, and many other problems.
Some plants and mushrooms are known to pull toxic radioactive waste from the soil and incorporate it into their leaves, roots, stems, and flowers. Aside from Tobacco and its notorious tendency to pull Polonium from the soil, some species of mushrooms and conifers also pull radioactive materials from the soil. Still there are no lists of edible plants that pull more radioactive material than others.
Failing crops, droughts, floods, and other severe weather patterns all contribute to soil erosion. As soil is picked up by the wind, or other forces of nature, it will take the radioactive material and spread them all over the place. As a result, even places further inland may wind up with trace to larger amounts of radioactive material entering the environment without anyone realizing it is present.
Even though heavy metals can be removed from water by distilling it, there are very few ways to remove tritium (a radioactive form of hydrogen), from potable water supplies. Tritium is commonly released by nuclear reactors including those that were damaged in Fukushima Japan. To this day, Japan is still trying to figure out what to do with Tritium waste left behind. Other than releasing it into the ocean, they are also considering simply letting the water evaporate, or try burying it.
Since it tends to be very hard to detect tritium in water supplies, there are very few, if any ways for governing bodies to determine just how much of this type of nuclear waste is washing up on the shores or falling along the coast of the United States and in heavily populated areas.
If you watch the news forecast, then it’s easy to see that water from one end of the country, or even the world, can move all over the place in a very short period of time. As a result, it is very possible that people on the East Coast of the United States may be dealing with the consequences of the Fukushima crisis well before they expected to. In terms of setting up a safe homestead, there is no such thing as a water supply that will remain uncontaminated because of the way water cycles so easily from air to ground and underground areas.
Many people that think of the oceans as endless bodies of salt water fail to realize that enormous amounts of water evaporate from them on a daily basis. Without this evaporation, supplies of potable water on land would never be replenished. When the oceans are polluted by radioactive materials, the water throughout the world will also get contaminated.
Today, there are many preppers that feel the best thing to do is return to living off the land instead of hoping that FEMA and social programs will help them out in a time of need.
If you thought the impact of Fukushima on human reproduction was bad, then you haven’t really given much thought to the impact on animals that you might rely on for food. In fact, if you do some research on mutations found around Chernobyl, you see why it will be impossible to hunt or fish where radioactive materials from Fukushima show up.
Large die offs of animals and plants also tend to occur when radiation levels rise. In this case, the path of the ocean currents between Japan and the United States may well be corridors of death for millions of fish that will no longer be available for humans to consume. No matter whether there is a social collapse or not, a reduction in food from the ocean will lead to higher food prices, which in turn, will trigger other disasters.
If you have done any degree of prepping, then you may already realize that respirators, gas masks, and closed oxygen systems simply cannot take the place of breathing regular air. The lungs are also some of the most sensitive organs in the body when it comes to being damaged by radiation.
As air based nuclear contamination from Fukushima travels along, it will drop into the Pacific Ocean long before it reaches the United States. That, however, doesn’t guarantee the safety of air in the United States.
Water always evaporates, and as it does so, it will carry small particles of radioactive material along with it. In this case, tritium will be carried along because it is the lightest of all radioactive materials.
As water seeps into the land, particles of radioactive debris will be left behind. As this soil dries out and turns to dust, it will blow along with the wind, which means that radioactive materials are right back in the air.
Cycles of nature aside, there are already statements coming out of Japan to the effect that they don’t know how to alleviate problems caused by Fukushima, let alone what kinds of problems will occur. If they can’t figure out how to even stop the radiation from leaking out of the reactors, why trust any governing body that seeks to assure us that air contaminated by this disaster is safe to breathe? The fact of the matter is no one really knows what the total impact on air quality from this radiation as it spreads across the world.
In a sense, running a country is not so difference from running a business. When you own a business, those who buy from you must have confidence that the products you sell are safe to use. There is no question that farmers in the United States and other nations rely on the good reputation of their land and water when it comes to exporting foods.
At a more local level, there are no estimates revolving around how many businesses will be driven under because high radiation levels mean that some operations can no longer be carried out in certain areas. This includes everything from farming to making wine, water, and many other products. As people get sick, an untold amount of pure human creativity and excellence will also be lost or left undeveloped as people struggle just to stay alive.
Anyone thinking about the economic impact of Fukushima should also think seriously about how much it costs to treat cancer. Since government bodies consistently under-estimate dangers from ISIS, it should come as no surprise that they may also be seriously underestimating just how many people right here in the United States are likely to develop cancer because of the Fukushima crisis.
In addition, regardless of the treatments used for cancer, they are all extremely expensive and there is no way for people with or without health insurance to be able to pay for it.
While everyone was focused on trying to avoid a nuclear war, a nuclear holocaust is already underway because of the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan. Never forget that governments conspired to unleash a technology that they did have full control of, and is now presenting a very serious threat to millions of people right here in the United States.
Now is the time to demand answers and action on a problem that is much worse than anything that could come of conventional guns or even other forms of energy generation.
Take the time now to demand answers and the truth form leaders that continue to use “red flag” generated scenarios to hide what is going on in Fukushima. Our nation still has billions of dollars’ worth of tax dollars that can be used to help with research and resolving this crisis instead of wasting it on nonsense like gun control and other useless ego game agendas.

lowercased:
when it comes to chaotic nightmare scenario, earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear accidents easily rank at the top of just about anyone’s list. on the other hand, there is also a pervasive sense among preppers that these scenarios are not likely to happen in their area, let alone strike all at one time.
sadly, in fukushima, japan, all three events did happen at one time, and the long term impacts still need to be considered by everyone interested in prepping.
what is the fukushima nuclear crisis about?
on march 11, 2011, a major earthquake struck off the coast of fukushima, japan, then a very powerful tsunami occurred. the water struck a nuclear power plant and caused major failures in the cooling system for several of the reactors. within 24 hours, enormous amounts of radioactive material were being released into the land, ocean, and air, and it remained impossible to stop the radiation from leaking out. today, radiation still pours out as there are three reactor cores that melted down, and very little can be done to stop this process.
at least 610 workers and nearby residents died due to radiation exposure, and thousands more are expected to develop cancers related to exposure to radiation. the toll is greatest on children, of whom over 1/3 already show signs of abnormal growth in the thyroid glands that indicate an increased risk for cancer.
the radioactive half-life of materials used to power nuclear reactors spans thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. when these particles find their way into the water, air, and soil, they will remain radioactive and continue to pose a serious danger to almost all life forms.
how is fukushima crisis impacting the us?
as of december 2015, radiation from fukushima has reached the western shores of the us and canada. it is estimated that some isotopes have jumped as much as 50% in concentration, however government agencies still claim that radiation levels are not high enough to promote the idea that people should stop swimming, boating, and eating from the coastal waters.
this mirrors japan’s claim that their coastal waters in the area are safe despite the fact that radiation levels are 10 to 100 times higher than what is currently being seen along the west coast of the united states and canada.
increasing levels of radiation from fukushima are readily detectable now along the western coast of the united states. the progression of the radiation has progressed inland and now shows up in water and soil located further away from the ocean.
if you buy food or water from areas currently contaminated by radioactive materials from fukushima, there is no way for you to know if these consumable goods are even safe. this includes wines, cigarettes, and just about anything else that you think is safe to consume just because it is “made in the united states”.
unlike chernobyl and nuclear bomb explosions, the radiation leaking from fukushima has not stopped.
unfortunately, it is virtually impossible for consumers to determine if elevated radiation levels are coming from fukushima, a nearby power plant, or some other source of radioactive material.
keep an eye out for data released by fukushima watch groups and nuclear plants in your area, including controversial ones.
keep kearny (kfm) fallout meters in several locations at home and in the office. these devices are easy to make and can help you correlate information found in other reports.
always be aware of what area of the world that food is grown and processed in. never forget that dust and contaminated water easily find their way into plants and animals, and then into your body.
obesity is an indicator of thyroid problems, but most doctors do not make thyroid function tests a routine part of medical exams, let alone look for this as a cause of increasing body weight. on the other hand, thyroid cancers are some of the most common types that people get when exposed to nuclear radiation. leukemia and blood cancers are also very common in people exposed to nuclear radiation.
to protect your body from ionizing radiation regardless of the source, increase vitamin c intake, as it works as a natural shield. if you have been exposed to radiation, make use of herbal remedies (marigold tea, turmeric, black pepper, and olive oil) that either inhibit tumor growth or stop it altogether. there are many other teas and other solutions that will increase ph (to a more alkaline level) so that it is harder for cancer cells to grow.
what about long term consequences?
once the land is contaminated by nuclear waste such as the materials away from the fukushima power plant, it can no longer be trusted to sustain plants that will be consumed for food.
any plants that are able to grow in areas contaminated with nuclear waste show severe genetic deformities: clover with 5 or more leaves, other plants with odd shaped flowers, stunted growth, giant or excessive growth, stalk tumors (yes plants do develop tumorous growths or knots!), increased susceptibility to infection, and many other problems.
some plants and mushrooms are known to pull toxic radioactive waste from the soil and incorporate it into their leaves, roots, stems, and flowers. aside from tobacco and its notorious tendency to pull polonium from the soil, some species of mushrooms and conifers also pull radioactive materials from the soil. still there are no lists of edible plants that pull more radioactive material than others.
failing crops, droughts, floods, and other severe weather patterns all contribute to soil erosion. as soil is picked up by the wind, or other forces of nature, it will take the radioactive material and spread them all over the place. as a result, even places further inland may wind up with trace to larger amounts of radioactive material entering the environment without anyone realizing it is present.
even though heavy metals can be removed from water by distilling it, there are very few ways to remove tritium (a radioactive form of hydrogen), from potable water supplies. tritium is commonly released by nuclear reactors including those that were damaged in fukushima japan. to this day, japan is still trying to figure out what to do with tritium waste left behind. other than releasing it into the ocean, they are also considering simply letting the water evaporate, or try burying it.
since it tends to be very hard to detect tritium in water supplies, there are very few, if any ways for governing bodies to determine just how much of this type of nuclear waste is washing up on the shores or falling along the coast of the united states and in heavily populated areas.
if you watch the news forecast, then it’s easy to see that water from one end of the country, or even the world, can move all over the place in a very short period of time. as a result, it is very possible that people on the east coast of the united states may be dealing with the consequences of the fukushima crisis well before they expected to. in terms of setting up a safe homestead, there is no such thing as a water supply that will remain uncontaminated because of the way water cycles so easily from air to ground and underground areas.
many people that think of the oceans as endless bodies of salt water fail to realize that enormous amounts of water evaporate from them on a daily basis. without this evaporation, supplies of potable water on land would never be replenished. when the oceans are polluted by radioactive materials, the water throughout the world will also get contaminated.
today, there are many preppers that feel the best thing to do is return to living off the land instead of hoping that fema and social programs will help them out in a time of need.
if you thought the impact of fukushima on human reproduction was bad, then you haven’t really given much thought to the impact on animals that you might rely on for food. in fact, if you do some research on mutations found around chernobyl, you see why it will be impossible to hunt or fish where radioactive materials from fukushima show up.
large die offs of animals and plants also tend to occur when radiation levels rise. in this case, the path of the ocean currents between japan and the united states may well be corridors of death for millions of fish that will no longer be available for humans to consume. no matter whether there is a social collapse or not, a reduction in food from the ocean will lead to higher food prices, which in turn, will trigger other disasters.
if you have done any degree of prepping, then you may already realize that respirators, gas masks, and closed oxygen systems simply cannot take the place of breathing regular air. the lungs are also some of the most sensitive organs in the body when it comes to being damaged by radiation.
as air based nuclear contamination from fukushima travels along, it will drop into the pacific ocean long before it reaches the united states. that, however, doesn’t guarantee the safety of air in the united states.
water always evaporates, and as it does so, it will carry small particles of radioactive material along with it. in this case, tritium will be carried along because it is the lightest of all radioactive materials.
as water seeps into the land, particles of radioactive debris will be left behind. as this soil dries out and turns to dust, it will blow along with the wind, which means that radioactive materials are right back in the air.
cycles of nature aside, there are already statements coming out of japan to the effect that they don’t know how to alleviate problems caused by fukushima, let alone what kinds of problems will occur. if they can’t figure out how to even stop the radiation from leaking out of the reactors, why trust any governing body that seeks to assure us that air contaminated by this disaster is safe to breathe? the fact of the matter is no one really knows what the total impact on air quality from this radiation as it spreads across the world.
in a sense, running a country is not so difference from running a business. when you own a business, those who buy from you must have confidence that the products you sell are safe to use. there is no question that farmers in the united states and other nations rely on the good reputation of their land and water when it comes to exporting foods.
at a more local level, there are no estimates revolving around how many businesses will be driven under because high radiation levels mean that some operations can no longer be carried out in certain areas. this includes everything from farming to making wine, water, and many other products. as people get sick, an untold amount of pure human creativity and excellence will also be lost or left undeveloped as people struggle just to stay alive.
anyone thinking about the economic impact of fukushima should also think seriously about how much it costs to treat cancer. since government bodies consistently under-estimate dangers from isis, it should come as no surprise that they may also be seriously underestimating just how many people right here in the united states are likely to develop cancer because of the fukushima crisis.
in addition, regardless of the treatments used for cancer, they are all extremely expensive and there is no way for people with or without health insurance to be able to pay for it.
while everyone was focused on trying to avoid a nuclear war, a nuclear holocaust is already underway because of the ongoing nuclear crisis in japan. never forget that governments conspired to unleash a technology that they did have full control of, and is now presenting a very serious threat to millions of people right here in the united states.
now is the time to demand answers and action on a problem that is much worse than anything that could come of conventional guns or even other forms of energy generation.
take the time now to demand answers and the truth form leaders that continue to use “red flag” generated scenarios to hide what is going on in fukushima. our nation still has billions of dollars’ worth of tax dollars that can be used to help with research and resolving this crisis instead of wasting it on nonsense like gun control and other useless ego game agendas.


text:
I work with the Field Epidemiology Fellowship Program as Training/Field Coordinator. This is part of the Public Health Fellowship Program within the Uganda National Institutes of Public Health under the Ministry of Health (MoH).
A typical day involves varying degrees of coordinating training workshops and following up trainees; interfacing with MoH mid-level to senior managers about training priorities; and engaging other in-service training organizations.
I love the application of epidemiology in its many facets. I also love doing something that has tangible relevancy. Passing on epidemiological skills to strengthen areas of the health sector where it is acutely needs responds meets both these desires.
Decision-makers who, while recognising the importance of evidence-based decision making, still allocate inadequate resources to support its application.
During my Masters training by Prof Jimmy Volmink from the South African Cochrane Centre. By the end of the module on 'Conducting a Systematic Review', Prof Volmink had convinced me about the “Cochrane way”.
Knowing that the work we do, the evidence we produce, directly and positively impacts health care practice and policy.
I have to say it is the CIDG. Once I was introduced to evidence synthesis, I was never able to look at problems/issues the same way? The career choices I have made since CIDG have all tended towards supporting the availability of credible evidence for decision-making.

lowercased:
i work with the field epidemiology fellowship program as training/field coordinator. this is part of the public health fellowship program within the uganda national institutes of public health under the ministry of health (moh).
a typical day involves varying degrees of coordinating training workshops and following up trainees; interfacing with moh mid-level to senior managers about training priorities; and engaging other in-service training organizations.
i love the application of epidemiology in its many facets. i also love doing something that has tangible relevancy. passing on epidemiological skills to strengthen areas of the health sector where it is acutely needs responds meets both these desires.
decision-makers who, while recognising the importance of evidence-based decision making, still allocate inadequate resources to support its application.
during my masters training by prof jimmy volmink from the south african cochrane centre. by the end of the module on 'conducting a systematic review', prof volmink had convinced me about the “cochrane way”.
knowing that the work we do, the evidence we produce, directly and positively impacts health care practice and policy.
i have to say it is the cidg. once i was introduced to evidence synthesis, i was never able to look at problems/issues the same way? the career choices i have made since cidg have all tended towards supporting the availability of credible evidence for decision-making.


text:
Clarice Lispector (December 10, 1920–December 9, 1977) is commonly praised as One of Brazil’s greatest modern writers. When her biographer Benjamin Moser (Why This World, Oxford University Press, 2009) first read one of her earlier Kafkaesque masterpieces, The Passion According to G.H., his obsession could only grow. He’s confessed, as have others, that it’s impossible to read her without falling in love; for the most part she is his life’s work. Moser is also the latest translator of her last novel, The Hour of the Star, published this year by New Directions. It comes with the publisher’s great wave of four of her works, translated under Moser’s editorial direction, including her breakthrough first novel, Near to the Wild Heart and her penultimate experiment, A Breath of Life.
The Hour of the Star is Lispector’s last experiment, a tiny slip of a novella whose brevity makes it no less an epitome. It traces from start to finish the strange life of poor, plain Macabéa—who our unnamed writer-narrator describes as being “cold coffee”—an unloved girl from Rio, a Brazilian anti-heroine. Macabéa operates on a pure plane of existence, as one unaware of her own power to dismantle the master’s house; for her, things simply are what they are, hence her glints of mysticism. And so it is fitting that the voice that gives her expression belongs to an old, unnamed narrator, himself a creature of the shadows.
The Hour of the Star is concerned with rarefying banalities—these worlds are tremendous, too, because they partake of the same mysteries; the same passions are possible. Macabéa is capable of carrying out this visceral enlightenment by virtue of being alive. She can reveal something very crucial, something by its nature inexplicable.
Upon completion of her breakthrough book, Near to the Wild Heart, she’s quoted as having said that when she reads what she’s written, she feels as though she’s swallowing her own vomit. We can see how for such a voice, it must be like this. What she has made she has made by virtue of having devoured herself, as an ouroboros, divining the absolute through the basic. Writing like this could only be the product of a sublime creative purge, an incomprehensible, compulsive flowing-out response to the raw intake of being human and everything that that is and means.
Elizabeth Bishop mused that Lispector might be a “self-taught writer, like a primitive painter.” This primitive quality often causes her readers to feel afraid, as though she is exposing not only the world, naked, but themselves in their own nakedness. The reader finds herself in the throes of a master, rendered speechless with awe and terror. We have a feeling of unprecedented innovation: Who has written like this before? Kafka, whom Moser has compared Lispector to, said that “if the literature we are reading does not wake us, why then do we read it? A literary work must be an ice-axe to break the sea frozen inside us.” Lispector’s books, in the audacity of her originality, do this. For such a woman, such a human, the act of writing became her admission to life, or her permission to feel death.
Despite being her ultimate work, The Hour of the Star reads like the clairvoyant writing of someone brand new, both to writing and to the world that drives it. Here, as everywhere, she is wide awake, eyes flung open to the world, hair raised. Her compulsion to write (even on the threshold of her passing at age 57, of ovarian cancer) was still held firmly in the grips of life. For those of us lucky enough to encounter her works, we are inevitably compelled, like Moser, to come under the haunting spell they cast. The mystery of her spell, of course, is only the mystery of life. As a result, our souls are stirred by her works because we find our mirrors in them.

lowercased:
clarice lispector (december 10, 1920–december 9, 1977) is commonly praised as one of brazil’s greatest modern writers. when her biographer benjamin moser (why this world, oxford university press, 2009) first read one of her earlier kafkaesque masterpieces, the passion according to g.h., his obsession could only grow. he’s confessed, as have others, that it’s impossible to read her without falling in love; for the most part she is his life’s work. moser is also the latest translator of her last novel, the hour of the star, published this year by new directions. it comes with the publisher’s great wave of four of her works, translated under moser’s editorial direction, including her breakthrough first novel, near to the wild heart and her penultimate experiment, a breath of life.
the hour of the star is lispector’s last experiment, a tiny slip of a novella whose brevity makes it no less an epitome. it traces from start to finish the strange life of poor, plain macabéa—who our unnamed writer-narrator describes as being “cold coffee”—an unloved girl from rio, a brazilian anti-heroine. macabéa operates on a pure plane of existence, as one unaware of her own power to dismantle the master’s house; for her, things simply are what they are, hence her glints of mysticism. and so it is fitting that the voice that gives her expression belongs to an old, unnamed narrator, himself a creature of the shadows.
the hour of the star is concerned with rarefying banalities—these worlds are tremendous, too, because they partake of the same mysteries; the same passions are possible. macabéa is capable of carrying out this visceral enlightenment by virtue of being alive. she can reveal something very crucial, something by its nature inexplicable.
upon completion of her breakthrough book, near to the wild heart, she’s quoted as having said that when she reads what she’s written, she feels as though she’s swallowing her own vomit. we can see how for such a voice, it must be like this. what she has made she has made by virtue of having devoured herself, as an ouroboros, divining the absolute through the basic. writing like this could only be the product of a sublime creative purge, an incomprehensible, compulsive flowing-out response to the raw intake of being human and everything that that is and means.
elizabeth bishop mused that lispector might be a “self-taught writer, like a primitive painter.” this primitive quality often causes her readers to feel afraid, as though she is exposing not only the world, naked, but themselves in their own nakedness. the reader finds herself in the throes of a master, rendered speechless with awe and terror. we have a feeling of unprecedented innovation: who has written like this before? kafka, whom moser has compared lispector to, said that “if the literature we are reading does not wake us, why then do we read it? a literary work must be an ice-axe to break the sea frozen inside us.” lispector’s books, in the audacity of her originality, do this. for such a woman, such a human, the act of writing became her admission to life, or her permission to feel death.
despite being her ultimate work, the hour of the star reads like the clairvoyant writing of someone brand new, both to writing and to the world that drives it. here, as everywhere, she is wide awake, eyes flung open to the world, hair raised. her compulsion to write (even on the threshold of her passing at age 57, of ovarian cancer) was still held firmly in the grips of life. for those of us lucky enough to encounter her works, we are inevitably compelled, like moser, to come under the haunting spell they cast. the mystery of her spell, of course, is only the mystery of life. as a result, our souls are stirred by her works because we find our mirrors in them.


text:
Eintracht Frankfurt advance to the Europa League’s round of 16.
In a game that could have easily gone either way, Eintracht Frankfurt advanced to the next stage of the Europa league after their 4-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday.
Luka Jovic opened the scoring with a goal in the 23rd minute. In a play that began with Sébastien Haller lofting a perfectly placed through ball and culminated with a well-timed low cross from Danny da Costa, Jovic was in the right place at the right time to find the net. He broke off his hard run to set up perfectly in a massive hole right in front of the goal and then beat the keeper in the top right corner.
Only moments later, a handball by Mykola Matviyenko inside the penalty box led to a penalty chance for Haller. He subsequently buried it into the the bottom left corner and took the score to 2-0. Haller caught the keeper leaning to his left and went the other way.
Donetsk were shut down for most of the first half but began to break through just before the interval with a nice attempt from Bohdan Butko that found its way into Kevin Trapp’s lap.
Shakhtar came out strong in the second half, pushing players forward and looking to increase the pace of the game. Striker Junior Moraes brought Donetsk back to 2-1 with a 63rd-minute goal. In a terrific display of passing, Taison caught da Costa pushing up and placed a ball past him and just over a leaping David Abraham to a racing Ismaily. The latter crossed to Moraes, who had set up right in front of Trapp. Frankfurt’s keeper got a good contact on the shot, but the ball sneaked just underneath him and over the line.
Shakhtar seemed to have new energy after the goal, hitting the post twice, but Haller sealed the game and completed his brace in the 80th minute. Ante Rebic added to Frankfurt’s tally eight minutes later as Eintracht took advantage of Donetsk’s aggression to score two scorching goals on the counter attack.
Frankfurt move on to face Inter Milan 3/7/2019 at the Commerzbank Arena.

lowercased:
eintracht frankfurt advance to the europa league’s round of 16.
in a game that could have easily gone either way, eintracht frankfurt advanced to the next stage of the europa league after their 4-1 win over shakhtar donetsk on thursday.
luka jovic opened the scoring with a goal in the 23rd minute. in a play that began with sébastien haller lofting a perfectly placed through ball and culminated with a well-timed low cross from danny da costa, jovic was in the right place at the right time to find the net. he broke off his hard run to set up perfectly in a massive hole right in front of the goal and then beat the keeper in the top right corner.
only moments later, a handball by mykola matviyenko inside the penalty box led to a penalty chance for haller. he subsequently buried it into the the bottom left corner and took the score to 2-0. haller caught the keeper leaning to his left and went the other way.
donetsk were shut down for most of the first half but began to break through just before the interval with a nice attempt from bohdan butko that found its way into kevin trapp’s lap.
shakhtar came out strong in the second half, pushing players forward and looking to increase the pace of the game. striker junior moraes brought donetsk back to 2-1 with a 63rd-minute goal. in a terrific display of passing, taison caught da costa pushing up and placed a ball past him and just over a leaping david abraham to a racing ismaily. the latter crossed to moraes, who had set up right in front of trapp. frankfurt’s keeper got a good contact on the shot, but the ball sneaked just underneath him and over the line.
shakhtar seemed to have new energy after the goal, hitting the post twice, but haller sealed the game and completed his brace in the 80th minute. ante rebic added to frankfurt’s tally eight minutes later as eintracht took advantage of donetsk’s aggression to score two scorching goals on the counter attack.
frankfurt move on to face inter milan 3/7/2019 at the commerzbank arena.


text:
A trial that may break the city's stalemate over the initial purchase of 500 new body cameras for Austin Police Department officers remains slated to begin Nov. 28. Sources familiar with the case say it will almost certainly be postponed because of appeals currently pending in the 3rd U.S. Court of Appeals, with the holdup potentially lasting until early 2017. Equipping the first group of officers with devices will be delayed even longer. A spokesperson at APD reports the department has to date provided only 26 cameras to its patrol officers, though an indeterminate number of cops have bought cameras on their own.
Nearly a year after city officials issued a request for proposals for body-worn devices, the purchasing effort remains in legal limbo, largely due to the unrelenting efforts of Utility president Ted Davis to wrest the contract away from Taser. Davis has made clear he feels his company has been cheated by the city's procurement process. While critics see Utility as a poor loser trying to force a win at the city's expense, Davis says he's fighting on principle. "What we want is the contract to be awarded to us," he told the Chronicle. "We earned it. We provided the best response at the lowest cost that met all the requirements."
The legal battle began after the city denied protests Utility filed this summer. Council voted to approve the contract award to Taser June 23, amid testimony from Davis and others who expressed concerns about the choice, as well as concerns about the city's simultaneous purchase of iPhones to accompany the cameras – which appeared to some as a backdoor add-on to Taser's contract. APD Commander Ely Reyes told Council in June that the Taser contract included iPods, and that APD discovered during the post-selection testing of Taser's camera that iPhones were preferable. He maintained they were not an essential part of the body camera procurement. "If the cell phones are not approved, the Taser body camera is still the better product. And we would just include everything that's in the proposal as submitted by Taser," Reyes said. The issue raised concerns, in part because the iPhones, if considered part of the total package, added $5 million to Taser's bid, which was roughly $3 million higher than Utility's.
The city signed a contract with Taser on July 12, just four days after Utility petitioned the district court to stop the city from moving forward. That move, if an attempt to circumvent Utility, may have backfired: On Aug. 5, Judge Orlinda Naranjo ordered that the city be prohibited "from performing any of their obligations arising under or in furtherance of the contract," and from closing the RFP process "pending a trial on the merits of plaintiffs' claims." Since, the city has been left holding a signed contract with Taser that it can't act on, and a procurement process it can't officially close.
The city has denied that Utility's claims are valid without addressing the substance of most of the company's complaints. It has focused instead on getting Utility dismissed as a plaintiff without proper standing and worked to reverse the court's decision to bar the city from moving forward with its intended purchase. Utility sought to build a case on a paper trail of potential purchasing irregularities and its own claims of technical superiority paired with lower costs. Davis said his initial challenge was fueled by his personal knowledge of what the Taser product could do compared with the RFP's requirements. Later, he obtained documents he says provide proof of violations of the city's procurement rules. If or when the case goes to court, a judge will decide whether Davis' accusations hold water.
The city announced March 8 that Taser was the apparent successful bidder – the company's bid to provide body cameras had been evaluated as the best choice on paper and met the basic requirements. However, emails between city procurement staff and Taser executive Andrew Grayson from late March show that some confusion lingered about what was included in the bid, and exactly what the functionality of the package offered by Taser would be. Email exchanges from May also make clear that city staff did not know whether iPods were included as part of the original bid, even though staff indicated that based on the pilot testing completed in mid-April, iPods or other devices with "smart-viewing" capacity would be needed to make cameras perform as desired. In at least one communication, dated May 31, a staff member from Purchasing clarified that no such devices were included in the original bid, in answer to a question posed by the city's Financial Services Department.
"All we are asking for is fairness and that things be scored appropriately for all respondents," Davis said. "If we don't win because of systems that are rigged, then I am doing [my employees] an injustice by not fighting it." But he also said he believes that what he's arguing for is best for Austin. If given the chance, "we would provide the city and the taxpayers with the best body-worn camera system on the planet," he said.
Explanations from the city have not been forthcoming. City Media Relations Manager David Green wrote that due to the ongoing litigation, "staff is not in a position to provide a detailed discussion of technical, complex, and nuanced issues" raised by the Chronicle's questions. And he reiterated the city's belief "that this procurement process was robust and handled in accordance with all applicable purchasing regulations." City Council Members Don Zimmerman, Greg Casar, Leslie Pool, and Ora Houston, who serve on Council's Public Safety Committee, had failed to comment by deadline.
With no end in sight, Austinites may be left hoping for a swift out-of-court resolution, even if it means less transparency with regard to the procurement process and its results. In the meantime, Austin police and the community they serve will have to depend on existing technology (dash cams, spectator cell phones, and the occasional officer-owned body camera) – along with the human eye – to bear witness the next time a controversial encounter flares.
Did the City Jump Into Bed With Taser Too Fast?

lowercased:
a trial that may break the city's stalemate over the initial purchase of 500 new body cameras for austin police department officers remains slated to begin nov. 28. sources familiar with the case say it will almost certainly be postponed because of appeals currently pending in the 3rd u.s. court of appeals, with the holdup potentially lasting until early 2017. equipping the first group of officers with devices will be delayed even longer. a spokesperson at apd reports the department has to date provided only 26 cameras to its patrol officers, though an indeterminate number of cops have bought cameras on their own.
nearly a year after city officials issued a request for proposals for body-worn devices, the purchasing effort remains in legal limbo, largely due to the unrelenting efforts of utility president ted davis to wrest the contract away from taser. davis has made clear he feels his company has been cheated by the city's procurement process. while critics see utility as a poor loser trying to force a win at the city's expense, davis says he's fighting on principle. "what we want is the contract to be awarded to us," he told the chronicle. "we earned it. we provided the best response at the lowest cost that met all the requirements."
the legal battle began after the city denied protests utility filed this summer. council voted to approve the contract award to taser june 23, amid testimony from davis and others who expressed concerns about the choice, as well as concerns about the city's simultaneous purchase of iphones to accompany the cameras – which appeared to some as a backdoor add-on to taser's contract. apd commander ely reyes told council in june that the taser contract included ipods, and that apd discovered during the post-selection testing of taser's camera that iphones were preferable. he maintained they were not an essential part of the body camera procurement. "if the cell phones are not approved, the taser body camera is still the better product. and we would just include everything that's in the proposal as submitted by taser," reyes said. the issue raised concerns, in part because the iphones, if considered part of the total package, added $5 million to taser's bid, which was roughly $3 million higher than utility's.
the city signed a contract with taser on july 12, just four days after utility petitioned the district court to stop the city from moving forward. that move, if an attempt to circumvent utility, may have backfired: on aug. 5, judge orlinda naranjo ordered that the city be prohibited "from performing any of their obligations arising under or in furtherance of the contract," and from closing the rfp process "pending a trial on the merits of plaintiffs' claims." since, the city has been left holding a signed contract with taser that it can't act on, and a procurement process it can't officially close.
the city has denied that utility's claims are valid without addressing the substance of most of the company's complaints. it has focused instead on getting utility dismissed as a plaintiff without proper standing and worked to reverse the court's decision to bar the city from moving forward with its intended purchase. utility sought to build a case on a paper trail of potential purchasing irregularities and its own claims of technical superiority paired with lower costs. davis said his initial challenge was fueled by his personal knowledge of what the taser product could do compared with the rfp's requirements. later, he obtained documents he says provide proof of violations of the city's procurement rules. if or when the case goes to court, a judge will decide whether davis' accusations hold water.
the city announced march 8 that taser was the apparent successful bidder – the company's bid to provide body cameras had been evaluated as the best choice on paper and met the basic requirements. however, emails between city procurement staff and taser executive andrew grayson from late march show that some confusion lingered about what was included in the bid, and exactly what the functionality of the package offered by taser would be. email exchanges from may also make clear that city staff did not know whether ipods were included as part of the original bid, even though staff indicated that based on the pilot testing completed in mid-april, ipods or other devices with "smart-viewing" capacity would be needed to make cameras perform as desired. in at least one communication, dated may 31, a staff member from purchasing clarified that no such devices were included in the original bid, in answer to a question posed by the city's financial services department.
"all we are asking for is fairness and that things be scored appropriately for all respondents," davis said. "if we don't win because of systems that are rigged, then i am doing [my employees] an injustice by not fighting it." but he also said he believes that what he's arguing for is best for austin. if given the chance, "we would provide the city and the taxpayers with the best body-worn camera system on the planet," he said.
explanations from the city have not been forthcoming. city media relations manager david green wrote that due to the ongoing litigation, "staff is not in a position to provide a detailed discussion of technical, complex, and nuanced issues" raised by the chronicle's questions. and he reiterated the city's belief "that this procurement process was robust and handled in accordance with all applicable purchasing regulations." city council members don zimmerman, greg casar, leslie pool, and ora houston, who serve on council's public safety committee, had failed to comment by deadline.
with no end in sight, austinites may be left hoping for a swift out-of-court resolution, even if it means less transparency with regard to the procurement process and its results. in the meantime, austin police and the community they serve will have to depend on existing technology (dash cams, spectator cell phones, and the occasional officer-owned body camera) – along with the human eye – to bear witness the next time a controversial encounter flares.
did the city jump into bed with taser too fast?


text:
Back in April I created a poll to rank the Top Canadian Personal Finance Blogs. Thanks to all the bloggers who shared that list with their followers, that post has remained the most popular post on my blog.
At the time I took a bit of flack for excluding blogs that were focused primarily on investing. In my defense, there were simply too many great Canadian finance blogs to include. So I had to limit the list somehow. I did promise everyone that I would eventually create a separate poll just for the top Canadian investing blogs.
With the last poll I didn’t really know what to expect. I figured my regular readers would vote and maybe another 20-30 people if I was lucky. To my surprise the poll took on a life of its own and there were over 500 votes. Considering my blog had only been up 2 months at the time, that’s quite a few voters.
Since I don’t cover investing topics myself, I’m not expecting anywhere near those totals with this poll. This time around I’m going to unofficially end this poll at the end of June. That way in honor of Canada Day I can feature the top vote getters from both polls in a special post on July 1st. I will likely leave polls open to new votes indefinitely.
The other reason for creating this poll now is that I have finally decided to further educate myself about investing. I’m tired of ignorantly accepting whatever the commission hungry financial planners at my bank push on me. I want my money to work for me and actually get a decent return. This poll will give me a good idea of which investment blogs I should be learning from.
Like the last poll you can vote for up to 5 of your favorite blogs. I will also add an additional vote for anyone on this list who shares this post on Twitter or subscribes to my rss feed. If I missed any good Canadian investing blogs, please let me know.
Also I’d like to extend a special thanks to two local investment bloggers who have agreed to meet up with me to provide some investing advice: Dividend Ninja and Freedom Thirty Five Blog. If you’re unsure of who to vote, add in some votes for these guys for being willing to help me out. They get my vote anyway.
Update:: This poll unofficially ended on June 30th, 2012. Here are the winners.
Feel free to keep voting though.
Do you have a personal favorite investment blog? Or what’s the best investment advice you’ve ever received? Anyone else out there want to admit they are investment ignorant?
Thanks for the reminder Marissa. I decided that those 2 were actually more general finance blogs.
No problem Dividend Ninja. Good luck on the poll. And it will be good to meet up soon and become at least a bit less ignorant about investing. Thanks man.
Thanks for doing this. What a great way to learn about some other blogs.
No problem. Hopefully there will be a decent amount of votes again to really show who some of the top Canadian investing blogs really are. Even just connecting with some different blogs is enjoyable though.
I guess you have to vote at work or a friend’s house for the other ones haha.
Wow, thanks for including me! Will definitely tweet and promote.
No problem. Thank you for your offer to promote this poll. Hopefully that will get lots of additional votes to make the poll more accurate.
Thanks for including me. It’s a pleasure to make the list and be recognized.
No problem at all. Now that I see that you’re in Vancouver too, we’ll have to meet up sometime soon.
I admit I know very little about most of these blogs. Investing is an intimidating subject to go into when you have little knowledge on the subject. Dividend Ninja is my favorite so far, but that may be partly since he is willing to personally help me.
I think it was a huge revelation to me, someone who was not particularly gifted in math… to realize that it was do-able to begin learning about the stock market.
Being a mom and outnumbered by the predominantly male investing environment, I ignored the stereotype and started out with some simple books, that anyone can understand. Writers like robert Kiyosaki, and Derek Foster and the canadian policitician turned financial guru,Garth Turner are some to name a few.
sharing. Avoid debt like the plague and invest slow and steady. Stay humble and teachable and increase your financial IQ with books, blogs, mags and respectable business/finance documentaries and news. Knowledge is power. Don’t let anyone intimidate you out of the game. God bless your investing.
Thanks for the inclusion. I hope sharing what I’ve learned over the years of what not to do and what works for me can at least help one person steer clear of the icebergs of the investment world.
It is pretty awesome knowing that what you share has the potential to help others. I admit that the advice I share is probably more likely to help with the personal side of things rather than financial. As I learn more though I intend to pass on that knowledge.
Great list Jeremy, and kudos for putting such a great list together.
My vote went to Dividend Ninja!!
No problem Eddie. Dividend Ninja is off to a great start on this poll so far. I’m sure he’ll be among the leaders when this poll wraps up at the end of the month.
I could say you missed me, but then again I am not an investing site, especially if you call yourself the Clown Prince of Personal Finance. Good idea, I have voted .
Yes no clown princes allowed lol. Well unless they primarily focus on investing. Then I might make an exception.
Good to see these blogs here.
Yay, I’m on the list again. And big thanks for the mention. So many great sites to choose from. Wish I had the time today to read through all of them.
Good quote Liquid. And no problem mentioning your blog. I appreciate you be willing to meet up to give me some pointers.
Thanks for including me on the list! It’s an honour to be included with some of my favourite bloggers out there!
Dividend Ninja and Freedom Thirty Five have my votes for sure!
No problem Vicky. Best of luck in the poll.
Then again, I’m no master blogger.
Sorry man. I did try to dig up a lot of the best blogs, but I didn’t want to dig too deep and end up with too big a list. I kinda did that on my last poll and I think it became a bit overwhelming to choose who to vote for.
Nice long list. You work hard on this. Thank.
Now I got few more blogs to read.
Yup if you’re into Canadian investing, this list would keep your extremely busy.
Nice job on the Poll!
No problem. This poll was a long time coming. I had been putting it off for a while and realized how soon Canada Day was.
I really have to start schmoozing with you so I can get on these lists. I voted for MillionDollarJourney just because FT got me started so many years ago with an interest in personal finance blogs!
It’s not about schmoozing at all. I wish all of these bloggers had schmoozed with me to get on these lists. No I went out and compiled these lists from other people’s blogrolls and from other sources. If you had networked with more Canadian bloggers before I created the previous list, I probably would’ve found your blog and included it. Now it’s a little late.
Thanks for including me in the list! It’s an honour to be included with these fantastic bloggers!
Welcome back Kanwal. I hope your vacation went well. Thank you for sharing this poll on your blog and on social media.
Thanks for the list. I am new to investments and this would really be useful to me.
No problem. Investing blogs are a great place to get your feet wet with investment learning.
Thanks for sharing your favorite Canadian investing blogs. I have also recently started blogging about trading the stock market as a Canadian. If you have future lists, would you consider adding: http://stockideas.org?

lowercased:
back in april i created a poll to rank the top canadian personal finance blogs. thanks to all the bloggers who shared that list with their followers, that post has remained the most popular post on my blog.
at the time i took a bit of flack for excluding blogs that were focused primarily on investing. in my defense, there were simply too many great canadian finance blogs to include. so i had to limit the list somehow. i did promise everyone that i would eventually create a separate poll just for the top canadian investing blogs.
with the last poll i didn’t really know what to expect. i figured my regular readers would vote and maybe another 20-30 people if i was lucky. to my surprise the poll took on a life of its own and there were over 500 votes. considering my blog had only been up 2 months at the time, that’s quite a few voters.
since i don’t cover investing topics myself, i’m not expecting anywhere near those totals with this poll. this time around i’m going to unofficially end this poll at the end of june. that way in honor of canada day i can feature the top vote getters from both polls in a special post on july 1st. i will likely leave polls open to new votes indefinitely.
the other reason for creating this poll now is that i have finally decided to further educate myself about investing. i’m tired of ignorantly accepting whatever the commission hungry financial planners at my bank push on me. i want my money to work for me and actually get a decent return. this poll will give me a good idea of which investment blogs i should be learning from.
like the last poll you can vote for up to 5 of your favorite blogs. i will also add an additional vote for anyone on this list who shares this post on twitter or subscribes to my rss feed. if i missed any good canadian investing blogs, please let me know.
also i’d like to extend a special thanks to two local investment bloggers who have agreed to meet up with me to provide some investing advice: dividend ninja and freedom thirty five blog. if you’re unsure of who to vote, add in some votes for these guys for being willing to help me out. they get my vote anyway.
update:: this poll unofficially ended on june 30th, 2012. here are the winners.
feel free to keep voting though.
do you have a personal favorite investment blog? or what’s the best investment advice you’ve ever received? anyone else out there want to admit they are investment ignorant?
thanks for the reminder marissa. i decided that those 2 were actually more general finance blogs.
no problem dividend ninja. good luck on the poll. and it will be good to meet up soon and become at least a bit less ignorant about investing. thanks man.
thanks for doing this. what a great way to learn about some other blogs.
no problem. hopefully there will be a decent amount of votes again to really show who some of the top canadian investing blogs really are. even just connecting with some different blogs is enjoyable though.
i guess you have to vote at work or a friend’s house for the other ones haha.
wow, thanks for including me! will definitely tweet and promote.
no problem. thank you for your offer to promote this poll. hopefully that will get lots of additional votes to make the poll more accurate.
thanks for including me. it’s a pleasure to make the list and be recognized.
no problem at all. now that i see that you’re in vancouver too, we’ll have to meet up sometime soon.
i admit i know very little about most of these blogs. investing is an intimidating subject to go into when you have little knowledge on the subject. dividend ninja is my favorite so far, but that may be partly since he is willing to personally help me.
i think it was a huge revelation to me, someone who was not particularly gifted in math… to realize that it was do-able to begin learning about the stock market.
being a mom and outnumbered by the predominantly male investing environment, i ignored the stereotype and started out with some simple books, that anyone can understand. writers like robert kiyosaki, and derek foster and the canadian policitician turned financial guru,garth turner are some to name a few.
sharing. avoid debt like the plague and invest slow and steady. stay humble and teachable and increase your financial iq with books, blogs, mags and respectable business/finance documentaries and news. knowledge is power. don’t let anyone intimidate you out of the game. god bless your investing.
thanks for the inclusion. i hope sharing what i’ve learned over the years of what not to do and what works for me can at least help one person steer clear of the icebergs of the investment world.
it is pretty awesome knowing that what you share has the potential to help others. i admit that the advice i share is probably more likely to help with the personal side of things rather than financial. as i learn more though i intend to pass on that knowledge.
great list jeremy, and kudos for putting such a great list together.
my vote went to dividend ninja!!
no problem eddie. dividend ninja is off to a great start on this poll so far. i’m sure he’ll be among the leaders when this poll wraps up at the end of the month.
i could say you missed me, but then again i am not an investing site, especially if you call yourself the clown prince of personal finance. good idea, i have voted .
yes no clown princes allowed lol. well unless they primarily focus on investing. then i might make an exception.
good to see these blogs here.
yay, i’m on the list again. and big thanks for the mention. so many great sites to choose from. wish i had the time today to read through all of them.
good quote liquid. and no problem mentioning your blog. i appreciate you be willing to meet up to give me some pointers.
thanks for including me on the list! it’s an honour to be included with some of my favourite bloggers out there!
dividend ninja and freedom thirty five have my votes for sure!
no problem vicky. best of luck in the poll.
then again, i’m no master blogger.
sorry man. i did try to dig up a lot of the best blogs, but i didn’t want to dig too deep and end up with too big a list. i kinda did that on my last poll and i think it became a bit overwhelming to choose who to vote for.
nice long list. you work hard on this. thank.
now i got few more blogs to read.
yup if you’re into canadian investing, this list would keep your extremely busy.
nice job on the poll!
no problem. this poll was a long time coming. i had been putting it off for a while and realized how soon canada day was.
i really have to start schmoozing with you so i can get on these lists. i voted for milliondollarjourney just because ft got me started so many years ago with an interest in personal finance blogs!
it’s not about schmoozing at all. i wish all of these bloggers had schmoozed with me to get on these lists. no i went out and compiled these lists from other people’s blogrolls and from other sources. if you had networked with more canadian bloggers before i created the previous list, i probably would’ve found your blog and included it. now it’s a little late.
thanks for including me in the list! it’s an honour to be included with these fantastic bloggers!
welcome back kanwal. i hope your vacation went well. thank you for sharing this poll on your blog and on social media.
thanks for the list. i am new to investments and this would really be useful to me.
no problem. investing blogs are a great place to get your feet wet with investment learning.
thanks for sharing your favorite canadian investing blogs. i have also recently started blogging about trading the stock market as a canadian. if you have future lists, would you consider adding: http://stockideas.org?


text: The first lifeboat station at Dun Laoghaire opened in 1817 and was operated by the Dublin Ballast Board. The RNLI took over the station in 1862 and a new lifeboat house was built close to the East Pier. In 1890 a second lifeboat was introduced. It was moored in the harbour. In 1901 a new lifeboat house and slipway was built for No.2 lifeboat between the Carlisle Pier and the National Yacht club. No.1 lifeboat was withdrawn in 1911 and the 1862 built boathouse was closed. In 1963 the stations ALB moved to new moorings close to the Mail Boat Pier. In 1986 an inshore lifeboat station was established and the 1862 boathouse was refurbished to house the ILB. A new station house was constructed on the siteof the 1901 boathouse was completed in 2000.

lowercased: the first lifeboat station at dun laoghaire opened in 1817 and was operated by the dublin ballast board. the rnli took over the station in 1862 and a new lifeboat house was built close to the east pier. in 1890 a second lifeboat was introduced. it was moored in the harbour. in 1901 a new lifeboat house and slipway was built for no.2 lifeboat between the carlisle pier and the national yacht club. no.1 lifeboat was withdrawn in 1911 and the 1862 built boathouse was closed. in 1963 the stations alb moved to new moorings close to the mail boat pier. in 1986 an inshore lifeboat station was established and the 1862 boathouse was refurbished to house the ilb. a new station house was constructed on the siteof the 1901 boathouse was completed in 2000.


text:
As an intelligent and energetic young man, Wilson used his imagination and creativity, whether learning from his older brother or sharing his experiences with younger siblings. In early spring of 1967, as a teenager, he returned to Jamaica with his family. Jamaica seemed to be completely foreign to him. He was not looking forward to leaving his friends and starting a new life in a foreign country. Wilson’s father introduced him to an old friend, a noteworthy jeweler in Kingston. This was the beginning of a four-year apprenticeship and a forty-nine-year career.
Wilson married a Michigan girl, who he met while they were both attending West Indies College (currently NCU). They lived in New York in the 1970s. The union was blessed with a boy and a girl. They settled in Pennsylvania for thirty-four years, and Wilson established his full service jewelry store between 1982 and 2016. Two of those years, he presided over the town’s business community. Wilson retired in 2016.
To date, this is Leonard Archie Wilson’s second novel. His first novel was entitled A Jamaican Family’s Saga.

lowercased:
as an intelligent and energetic young man, wilson used his imagination and creativity, whether learning from his older brother or sharing his experiences with younger siblings. in early spring of 1967, as a teenager, he returned to jamaica with his family. jamaica seemed to be completely foreign to him. he was not looking forward to leaving his friends and starting a new life in a foreign country. wilson’s father introduced him to an old friend, a noteworthy jeweler in kingston. this was the beginning of a four-year apprenticeship and a forty-nine-year career.
wilson married a michigan girl, who he met while they were both attending west indies college (currently ncu). they lived in new york in the 1970s. the union was blessed with a boy and a girl. they settled in pennsylvania for thirty-four years, and wilson established his full service jewelry store between 1982 and 2016. two of those years, he presided over the town’s business community. wilson retired in 2016.
to date, this is leonard archie wilson’s second novel. his first novel was entitled a jamaican family’s saga.


text:
Would you wear sneakers to go ice skating?
This is not a trick question! The answer, quite simply, is NO, you would not, unless you wanted to sustain a serious injury. The exact same principle applies to the surfaces we stand on every year, every month, every week and every work shift.
Installing anti-fatigue matting or flooring in your workplace reduces the risk of injury among your standing workers. At the same time, it increases their productivity. However, simply buying any anti-fatigue mat and throwing it down won’t solve the issue; it is also vitally important to choose the correct type of matting or flooring.
There are some important questions to answer about your surroundings. Is the floor generally wet, dry or oily? Some anti-fatigue matting has a sponge undersurface. Excess fluids will drastically reduce the life expectancy of this type of mat, so if the area is perpetually wet, an alternate, appropriate flooring option should be utilized. Is the ground surface level? There may be a need for a raised or textured surface to reduce the risk of slips if there is a grade or if the floor gets oily.
Next, it is vital to consider the question of work shifts. If there are three shifts round-the-clock, the ergonomic flooring or mat must have quick rebound so that it is just as effective for shift three as it is for shift one. The process in which a standing worker does his or her job must also be taken into account.
Do employees stand in the same spot or do they pivot and move throughout the space? Just as it may be easy to stand in one place on the ice while wearing sneakers but is a completely different scenario if you are walking across that same frozen surface, flooring that is appropriate for a worker who remains mostly stationary may not work as well for one who is often on the move.
It is important to consider the life expectancy of your flooring or matting and opt for a long-lasting, durable solution in order to get the most bang for your buck. There are options that offer a tough exterior surface, such as PVC or polyurethane, that tend to be more resilient. These compounds can handle the pressures of demanding environments while still providing fatigue protection for workers. In purchasing anti-fatigue matting, the keyword is to keep in mind is value.
The flooring or mats may cost a bit more up front but the return on investment is huge. Anti-fatigue matting is associated with reductions in absenteeism and in the number of slips, trips and falls. Flooring that supports these industrial athletes results in employees who are more alert, have improved productivity and show a boost in morale - most certainly worth the investment!
The ultimate goal, of course, is to create the best possible work environment in order to reduce injuries and combat fatigue. Once you have considered your environment, your shifts and your budget, the decision to purchase anti-fatigue matting and flooring is as simple as deciding what to put on your feet to go ice-skating!

lowercased:
would you wear sneakers to go ice skating?
this is not a trick question! the answer, quite simply, is no, you would not, unless you wanted to sustain a serious injury. the exact same principle applies to the surfaces we stand on every year, every month, every week and every work shift.
installing anti-fatigue matting or flooring in your workplace reduces the risk of injury among your standing workers. at the same time, it increases their productivity. however, simply buying any anti-fatigue mat and throwing it down won’t solve the issue; it is also vitally important to choose the correct type of matting or flooring.
there are some important questions to answer about your surroundings. is the floor generally wet, dry or oily? some anti-fatigue matting has a sponge undersurface. excess fluids will drastically reduce the life expectancy of this type of mat, so if the area is perpetually wet, an alternate, appropriate flooring option should be utilized. is the ground surface level? there may be a need for a raised or textured surface to reduce the risk of slips if there is a grade or if the floor gets oily.
next, it is vital to consider the question of work shifts. if there are three shifts round-the-clock, the ergonomic flooring or mat must have quick rebound so that it is just as effective for shift three as it is for shift one. the process in which a standing worker does his or her job must also be taken into account.
do employees stand in the same spot or do they pivot and move throughout the space? just as it may be easy to stand in one place on the ice while wearing sneakers but is a completely different scenario if you are walking across that same frozen surface, flooring that is appropriate for a worker who remains mostly stationary may not work as well for one who is often on the move.
it is important to consider the life expectancy of your flooring or matting and opt for a long-lasting, durable solution in order to get the most bang for your buck. there are options that offer a tough exterior surface, such as pvc or polyurethane, that tend to be more resilient. these compounds can handle the pressures of demanding environments while still providing fatigue protection for workers. in purchasing anti-fatigue matting, the keyword is to keep in mind is value.
the flooring or mats may cost a bit more up front but the return on investment is huge. anti-fatigue matting is associated with reductions in absenteeism and in the number of slips, trips and falls. flooring that supports these industrial athletes results in employees who are more alert, have improved productivity and show a boost in morale - most certainly worth the investment!
the ultimate goal, of course, is to create the best possible work environment in order to reduce injuries and combat fatigue. once you have considered your environment, your shifts and your budget, the decision to purchase anti-fatigue matting and flooring is as simple as deciding what to put on your feet to go ice-skating!


text:
December 3, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) –A pension-reform measure approved this week by New York state lawmakers and likely to be signed by Governor David A. Paterson raises the retirement age from 55 to 62 as part of a broad plan to save state and local governments about $48 billion over 30 years.
A news release from Patterson’s office said the early-retirement penalty will be up to 38% for retiring before age 62, and that workers still have to contribute 3% of their salaries toward pension costs as long as they accumulate additional pension credits. The bill increases the minimum years of service required to draw a pension from five years to 10 years and caps the amount of overtime that can be considered in the calculation of pension benefits for civilians at $15,000 per year, and for police and firefighters at 15% of non-overtime wages.
The bill’s creation of a new Tier V pension level represents “the most significant reform of the State’s pension system in more than a quarter-century,” according to the Governor.
“Throughout this fiscal crisis, I have made clear we need to both reduce our spending and also fundamentally reform how we spend,” Patterson said in the news release. “This pension reform is a critical step in that process, and the savings will be achieved not only in state spending, but at the local level, which will help to reduce property taxes.” The two biggest public employee unions backed the change after Paterson agreed to drop proposals to eliminate a 3% pay increase this year and cut 8,700 state jobs.
Meanwhile, according to the news release, members of the NYS Teachers Retirement System will have a separate Tier V benefit structure that will achieve equivalent savings as other civilian public employees.
Raising the minimum age an individual can retire without penalty from 55 to 57 years.
Contributing 3.5% of their annual wages to pension costs rather than 3%.
Increasing the 2% multiplier threshold for final pension calculations from 20 to 25 years.
In addition, the pension bill will implement an agreement between Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) to enact reform of its members’ pensions, which will result in estimated annual savings of $19.1 million in 2010, increasing to $64.1 million in 2019. According to a Bloomberg news account, pension and health benefits for existing New York City teachers are unchanged. New hires will pay 4.85% of their pay to the pension plan for 27 years and 1.85% after that, up from current contributions of 4.85% for 10 years and 1.85% through 27 years.
Patterson said that the new pension reforms would apply only to public employees hired in the future, and to the state workforce and to employees of local governments outside New York City.
New York’s state pension fund, the third-largest in the U.S., covers one million current and retired workers, and had $126 billion in assets on September 30.

lowercased:
december 3, 2009 (plansponsor.com) –a pension-reform measure approved this week by new york state lawmakers and likely to be signed by governor david a. paterson raises the retirement age from 55 to 62 as part of a broad plan to save state and local governments about $48 billion over 30 years.
a news release from patterson’s office said the early-retirement penalty will be up to 38% for retiring before age 62, and that workers still have to contribute 3% of their salaries toward pension costs as long as they accumulate additional pension credits. the bill increases the minimum years of service required to draw a pension from five years to 10 years and caps the amount of overtime that can be considered in the calculation of pension benefits for civilians at $15,000 per year, and for police and firefighters at 15% of non-overtime wages.
the bill’s creation of a new tier v pension level represents “the most significant reform of the state’s pension system in more than a quarter-century,” according to the governor.
“throughout this fiscal crisis, i have made clear we need to both reduce our spending and also fundamentally reform how we spend,” patterson said in the news release. “this pension reform is a critical step in that process, and the savings will be achieved not only in state spending, but at the local level, which will help to reduce property taxes.” the two biggest public employee unions backed the change after paterson agreed to drop proposals to eliminate a 3% pay increase this year and cut 8,700 state jobs.
meanwhile, according to the news release, members of the nys teachers retirement system will have a separate tier v benefit structure that will achieve equivalent savings as other civilian public employees.
raising the minimum age an individual can retire without penalty from 55 to 57 years.
contributing 3.5% of their annual wages to pension costs rather than 3%.
increasing the 2% multiplier threshold for final pension calculations from 20 to 25 years.
in addition, the pension bill will implement an agreement between mayor michael bloomberg and the united federation of teachers (uft) to enact reform of its members’ pensions, which will result in estimated annual savings of $19.1 million in 2010, increasing to $64.1 million in 2019. according to a bloomberg news account, pension and health benefits for existing new york city teachers are unchanged. new hires will pay 4.85% of their pay to the pension plan for 27 years and 1.85% after that, up from current contributions of 4.85% for 10 years and 1.85% through 27 years.
patterson said that the new pension reforms would apply only to public employees hired in the future, and to the state workforce and to employees of local governments outside new york city.
new york’s state pension fund, the third-largest in the u.s., covers one million current and retired workers, and had $126 billion in assets on september 30.


text: Kevin has always had an affinity for science. In high school, Kevin’s chemistry teacher helped him realize his aptitude for the subject, and he decided to study chemistry in college. He was awarded the Second Century Scholarship in chemistry at James Madison University, where he began his undergraduate studies in 2012. During this time, Kevin was an active member of Alpha Chi Sigma, the professional chemistry fraternity. After graduating, Kevin worked in Martha Jefferson Hospital’s medical laboratory for two years in Charlottesville, VA. He is now pursuing his passion of research as a graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University. Kevin joined the Kelly Group in 2018 where he plans to refine his education in organic chemistry. Outside of the lab, Kevin enjoys reading, snowboarding, and spending time outdoors with his wife, Jordan, and two dogs, Ender and Eve.

lowercased: kevin has always had an affinity for science. in high school, kevin’s chemistry teacher helped him realize his aptitude for the subject, and he decided to study chemistry in college. he was awarded the second century scholarship in chemistry at james madison university, where he began his undergraduate studies in 2012. during this time, kevin was an active member of alpha chi sigma, the professional chemistry fraternity. after graduating, kevin worked in martha jefferson hospital’s medical laboratory for two years in charlottesville, va. he is now pursuing his passion of research as a graduate student at virginia commonwealth university. kevin joined the kelly group in 2018 where he plans to refine his education in organic chemistry. outside of the lab, kevin enjoys reading, snowboarding, and spending time outdoors with his wife, jordan, and two dogs, ender and eve.


text: Butch Vallotton like most knifemakers started making knives as a hobby, had to start selling knives to pay for his hobby and before he was aware of it became a professional full time knifemaker in 1984 with a waiting list of customers at the age of thirty. A self-proclaimed gadget freak, a good part of his business comes from automatic knives and he is credited with inventing the ambidextrous blade thumb stud. His collaboration with Spyderco called the Vallotton Sub Hilt Folder features an ambidextrous thumb stud that both opens the blade (in addition to the Spyderco Round Hole) and doubles as a stop pin keeping the blade from rotating open beyond the locked position. A long time fan of Italian-style, heavy-stock folders the Sub-Hilt bears an international flavor with a modified coffin-shaped handle of polished black G-10 with tongue-and-groove tted stainless bolsters. Further complementing the handle is a Michael Walker LinerLock® a four-way: tip-up/tip-down, right- or left-handed steel clip and screw-together scale construction. Crucible Steel Inc. of New York produces the CPM-S30V powdered steel used for the modified Tanto-shaped blade. The blade is hollow-ground at the cutting edge with a convex-grind at the tip and is offered PlainEdged for the best available cutting performance.

lowercased: butch vallotton like most knifemakers started making knives as a hobby, had to start selling knives to pay for his hobby and before he was aware of it became a professional full time knifemaker in 1984 with a waiting list of customers at the age of thirty. a self-proclaimed gadget freak, a good part of his business comes from automatic knives and he is credited with inventing the ambidextrous blade thumb stud. his collaboration with spyderco called the vallotton sub hilt folder features an ambidextrous thumb stud that both opens the blade (in addition to the spyderco round hole) and doubles as a stop pin keeping the blade from rotating open beyond the locked position. a long time fan of italian-style, heavy-stock folders the sub-hilt bears an international flavor with a modified coffin-shaped handle of polished black g-10 with tongue-and-groove tted stainless bolsters. further complementing the handle is a michael walker linerlock® a four-way: tip-up/tip-down, right- or left-handed steel clip and screw-together scale construction. crucible steel inc. of new york produces the cpm-s30v powdered steel used for the modified tanto-shaped blade. the blade is hollow-ground at the cutting edge with a convex-grind at the tip and is offered plainedged for the best available cutting performance.