The credit crisis, now in its third year, and related financial sector turmoil continued to fuel new federal securities class action filings in 2009, though the pace of these credit crisis cases slowed in the second-half of the year, according to this newly released edition of NERA's semi-annual study. Co-authored by Vice President Dr. Stephanie Plancich and Senior Consultant Svetlana Starykh, the study draws from more than 15 years of NERA research on case filings and settlements in securities class actions, and includes data on filings and dismissals through 30 November 2009, and settlements through 31 December 2009.
The latest edition shows that securities class action filings are expected to reach 235 cases in 2009, down from 253 filings in 2008. While filings may have declined year-over-year in 2009, they still greatly exceed the 130 filings in 2006, before the start of the credit crisis. Although the credit crisis continued to drive filings activity in 2009, with over 60 credit crisis cases filed through 30 November, the pace of these cases has gradually declined throughout the year. Credit crisis-related filings in the first half of 2009 outnumbered second-half filings by approximately two to one.
In 2008, over 40% of cases filed were credit crisis cases. To date in 2009, however, this proportion has decreased to around 30%. According to the authors, one source of the increase in securities class action filings in 2009 is the wave of filings on behalf of investors in various exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a new litigation phenomenon. In these cases, investors typically allege that the defendants failed to disclose risks and the probability of potential losses associated with the investments. Thirteen ETF-related securities class action cases were filed between August and November 2009.
While filings have been driven to higher levels over the past three years following the credit crisis, median settlements have remained similar in 2007, 2008 and 2009, at approximately $9 million.


With the improvement of the quality of life, people have more time and energy to take part in evening parties. So floor-length evening dresses become very essential in people's closets. 27Dress Fashion provides many sweetheart evening dresses, trumpet evening dresses and brush-train evening dresses for you. All of our dresses are at a discount and with high quality.


Amazic was founded in 2009 with a focus on maximizing the impact of innovative software through the developed competency of certified users. Amazic believes training is critical for the successful launch of new technologies or products. Amazic's senior trainers combine theory with their real-world experience to help train some of the world's biggest brands to deliver better software and innovate at scale with Enterprise DevOps and Continuous Delivery. Amazic offers training in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
ECS Digital is a leading DevOps consultancy with 12 years of experience delivering class-based and online training. ECS Digital offers a comprehensive range of DevOps and training courses that cover everything from the fundamentals of DevOps to advanced Continuous Delivery workflows. ECS Digital is based in London and provides training courses for the UK.
We look forward to working with both Amazic and ECS Digital. For more information on the HashiCorp Training Partner Program refer here.


Our first morning in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park starts on a bench seat high up on a lookout point at sunrise, with Uluru in the distance. And even from this vantage point, the rock is imposing, soaring up from the red earth and spinifex plains of the Central Desert, glowing against a stark, cloudless blue sky with its striking orange-red hue, its valleys and ridges carved out over millennia. Rugged up from the crisp pre-dawn desert air in our boots and scarves, munching homemade damper with Golden Syrup, washed down with a cup of billy tea, we sit in the glow of this golden hour as the colours of the desert come alive and the rock changes hue and appearance with every passing minute.
It's one thing to gaze upon Uluru, but to really appreciate its beauty and power, you need to get up close and intimately acquainted, which is what the Desert Awakenings tour is all about. The tour has been organised through Sails in the Desert, part of Ayers Rock Resort, and our guide Toby is eager to get us all loaded into the resort's plush ATV (all-terrain vehicle) to set off to the base of Uluru and begin the morning's exploration.
Uluru changes rapidly as you approach. From a distance, its surface seems smooth, but the closer you get you begin to notice the deep ridges and gashes, jagged crests and small canyons and caves. It looms larger, morphing, monolithic, and utterly majestic. We arrive and unload from the ATV to walk the short distance to the base of the rock, and the simple act of standing and staring up takes the breath away. Superlatives fail in this landscape – no postcard or photo I've ever seen has done this justice. Uluru has an energy that is palpable.
The indigenous Australians believe that Uluru and its lesser hailed (but just as spectacular) counterpart, Kata Tjuta (formerly known as The Olgas), are sacred ground, and both sites are to this day protected by the Anangu people of the central desert region. Their stories, the Tjukurpa – the ancestral period of when the world was being formed – tell that Uluru and its surrounding landscape was created at the beginning of time by ancestral beings and that Anangu are their direct descendants, and the rock is one of their most dramatic and inspiring creations.
All of the tours of Uluru arranged through Ayers Rock Resort emphasise this connection with the beginnings of the local Anangu Aboriginal people while also highlighting the natural power of the rock itself. Toby points out many markings high up on the side of the rock along the way, each bearing the markings from Anangu stories, which they have shared with each other for countless generations. Our tour also includes a stop in Kuniya for a short walk to the Mutitjulu waterhole, a powerful and spiritual place for visitors and Anangu alike – the Dalai Lama reportedly requested an hour of peace and privacy to meditate right here, and the seat on which he sat remains by the waterhole today.
It's best to base your adventures around the early or later hours to beat the midday heat, so after the tour wraps up, we make a quick stop at the Uluru Camel Tours for a ride through the dunes, exploring this central Australian region just as the early pioneers did. The rest of the day is spent lazing by the pool back at Sails in the Desert before we get ready for that evening's big event, the Sounds of Silence dinner under the stars, with incredible Uluru as the backdrop. Sounds of Silence is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2018, with a new Bush Tucker-inspired menu, as part of Ayers Rock Resort's Bush Tucker Journeys program, and we settle in for an evening to remember.
We begin with canapés, and chilled sparkling wine served on a viewing platform overlooking the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park at sunset, followed by a buffet dinner incorporating native bush ingredients, devoured under a canopy of stars.
There's a magic moment when all of the lights are extinguished, and darkness descends, and for the second time in as many days, I am awestruck, as a million stars light up before our eyes. The resident star talker decodes the Southern Desert night sky, pointing out planets, galaxies, and constellations that are only visible thanks to the exceptional clarity of the outback atmosphere. And we all sit here, speechless (yet again!), silent in the wonder and joy of what we see, and the stories we are told.
An upgrade to A Night at Field of Light takes the whole experience to the next level, combining the Sounds of Silence dinner with a viewing of one of Australia's most unique art installations, the Field of Light by artist Bruce Munro. The art installation has just had its season extended to 31st December 2020, and it's not to be missed – walking across the desert floor covered with 50,000 frosted-glass lights, which pulse rhythmically in a rainbow of stunning colours, is an ethereal and astoundingly beautiful experience.
Sounds of Silence is just one part of the beautiful dining experiences offered in Ayers Rock Resort's Bush Tucker Journeys program, and the very next night we find ourselves back at the viewing platform from yesterday's sunrise breakfast to savour the exceptional Tali Wiru dining experience. This open-air restaurant has a much more intimate setting, with magnificent views of Uluru and the distant domes of Kata Tjuta, and offers a world-class gastronomic adventure. The menu showcase native Australian flavours, with Kakadu plum, Sandlewood, Lemon Myrtle, Quandong (a desert peach), Dogwood (a style of wattleseed), fresh greens including Pig Face and Salt Bush, and even honey ants worked the creative dishes.
Tali Wiru is a feast of flavours, in a setting that is unlike anywhere else in the world, and we toast to the sunset and an incredible trip. This journey on sacred ground gifted us not only the raw power and beauty of Uluru but with an adventurous, luxuriously indulgent holiday experience. We promise ourselves that, next time, we'll make more time to explore Kata Tjuta as well. Much like the magic of Uluru, it's hard to ignore.
Jetstar flies direct to Uluru (Ayers Rock) from Sydney daily and from Melbourne five times a week, with newly announced direct flights between Brisbane and Uluru three times per week starting 3rd August 2018 (subject to change). Book at jetstar.com.
Ayers Rock Resort lies 20 kilometres away from Uluru and offers a variety of accommodation options for all budgets, tastes, and desires, plus an array of tours and experiences that can take you from outback cycling to walking forays, native Australian bush tucker journeys and cultural experiences all in the space of a single day. We stayed at the beautiful Sails in the Desert, a five-star hotel featuring an expansive gumtree lined swimming pool and a diversity of modern dining, bar and lounge options.


Love-Gull black or white T. M/F. L/M/S/XS Others in range shown.
Love Birds. Mens white T shown. M/F. L/M/S/XS Original sketch & prints available.
Dove. M/F. L/M/S/XS. Prints available too.
Love-Gull. Womens white T shown. M/F. L/M/S/XS Prints available too.
Falling crow. Womens White shown. M/F. L/M/S/XS Original sketch and prints availabe too.
Falling crow. Mens Black shown. M/F. L/M/S/XS Original sketch and prints availabe too.
Love-Gull. Womens black T shown. M/F. L/M/S/XS Prints of Art work available too.
These simple graphic sketches are all by Pete Codling.
T- shirts are 100% cotton, ethically sourced light weight tailored fit with a bespoke label from the Artist's own Atelier Studio & Gallery.
These are a limited edition so not all sizes and styles will be available. Please ask.
Male plain shape, Female tailored low neck short sleeve. Thin edging and collar detail. L/M/S/XS. Black T-shirt white print or White t-shirt black print.
To buy a t-shirt contact by email direct with your enquiry. You can pay in person at the studio or for postal by PayPal or BACS ( until payments can be done via this site. Coming soon). Postage to be paid by customer. Estimate postage and packaging in UK £3. International £6 + depending on items and destination.


Tilburg city netherland is a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant which includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout. Tilburg city takes pride in high quality cultural entertainment at different levels. The Tilburg city netherland hosts the famous Tilburg funfair which is the largest in the Benelux. The city witnesses nine days of fun and thrills right at the height of summer; all the latest attractions and the nostalgia of fortune tellers and the try-your-strength machine. Another of the city's festival which sees hundreds of tourists thronging the city is the festival Mundial.


text:
https://www.thebody.com/article/how-to-avoid-rare-hiv-related-diseases-get-tested-
HIV/AIDS Resource Center for Women
How to Avoid Rare HIV-Related Diseases: Get Tested, Start Treatment
Tamika Thomas
Selfie by Tamika Thomas
Tamika Thomas' day starts like many of ours. She wakes her kids up; she gets them dressed; and she sends them off to school. The night before, she helps them with their homework. She is a mom like any other mom. She cooks. She cleans. She shops at local markets and enjoys the local library. All of this is possible because the city where she lives is wheelchair friendly enough for Tamika to get around. And, when the wheels of her motorized wheelchair get stuck in the snow, the people nearby are friendly enough to help. Like most of us, Tamika is on a mission to live her life.
Tamika's message is simple. "Get tested for HIV, and this will not happen to you."
Tamika has HIV, and HIV is the reason Tamika is in a wheelchair. Her right leg is weakened to the point that she can stand, but she is unable to walk. Her right hand can grasp objects, but she is unable to let them go, which prevents her from performing tasks with both hands that most of us take for granted. Tamika's HIV went undiagnosed for years, and as a result, she developed a condition called PML.
PML or progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is a rare and sometimes fatal disease that essentially "eats" away at the white matter in the brain. It is caused by the John Cunningham virus (JCV). In a normal human immune system, JCV is usually suppressed and harmless. However, when the immune system is compromised -- often by conditions that are caused by chronic immunosuppressive medications (chemotherapy, for example) taken by people with diseases such as Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple sclerosis, or other autoimmune diseases, including patients who have had transplants -- PML can be left unchecked to wreak havoc on the brain. There is no cure for PML, although successful use of antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV has been shown to send the disease into remission. For people like Tamika who survive the condition, the effects of PML are permanent.
A 2007 case study titled "When a Stroke Is Not a Stroke" offers these interesting, yet grim and sobering facts:
PML occurs in approximately 5% of AIDS patients; the incidence has changed little since the introduction of HAART [highly active antiretroviral therapy]. In the pre-HAART era, PML was the first AIDS-defining illness in 25% to 50% of patients. ... AIDS patients account for 85% of PML cases. ... In persons with AIDS, PML manifests primarily when the CD4+ [T-]cell count is less than 100/mm3, although 25% have a CD4+ cell count greater than 200/mm3 at the time of presentation. Prognosis is generally poor regardless of treatment, with a mean survival of 4-6 months after presentation.
In the case of Tamika, undiagnosed HIV left her immune system vulnerable to the ravages of PML. Previously, Tamika was able to walk and fully use her right arm and hand. Tamika tells me that it all started one day late in 2010. She began having trouble using her right leg, but originally thought nothing of it. She says her right leg began moving a little sluggish, but she just thought it one of those "things" that happen to us all.
Eventually, her right arm became sluggish too. Believing that she may have had a stroke, Tamika took herself to the hospital. The hospital also believed that Tamika had a stroke and treated her as a stroke victim. At this time, Tamika was still able to walk and still had most of her normal mobility. She was soon released and sent home to do physical therapy. But Tamika's condition grew worse. This was inconsistent with a stroke diagnosis.
Tamika began losing more mobility on her right side and went back to the hospital. This time they gave her a diagnosis of lupus. Before returning to the hospital, Tamika had wanted to be proactive about her condition, so she started researching what else could be causing it. She read about a rare condition called PML that seemed consistent with all of her symptoms. Tamika mentioned her suspicion to the doctors, but they thought they knew better and insisted that she must have lupus. At Tamika's insistence, her doctors agreed to take a biopsy of her brain. At the same time, they ordered an HIV test.
What Tamika feared was true. She was HIV positive. After receiving this diagnosis, many find themselves in mental anguish, but Tamika didn't have time to sob. The worst was not over: The biopsy of Tamika's brain showed the presence of what she had suspected; her brain was severely damaged by PML. Thus, at nearly the same time, Tamika learned that she had two life-threatening diagnoses: undiagnosed HIV, which had allowed PML to occur.
Several procedures were conducted to treat Tamika's PML. Complications developed. A blood clot in Tamika's leg traveled to her heart, causing her to go into cardiac arrest. Tamika was stabilized, but she was near death, so doctors placed her in a medically induced coma. Once she was stable enough, Tamika was sent to hospice at home because her doctors thought they could do nothing else. She was sent home to die. PML is, after all, usually fatal.
Usually, this is where the story would end. But Tamika did not die. Miraculously, Tamika kept on living. She never gave up. Even in a coma, she just would not give up. Tamika eventually felt strong enough to emerge from the coma. She survived the darkest hours.
When Tamika came out of her coma, she found herself with severely diminished use of her right side, suffering the effects of PML while dealing with the fact that she was HIV positive. Tamika slowly came to realize that if she had just been tested for HIV sooner, this whole never-ending ordeal could have been easily averted.
It has been eight years since the beginning of Tamika's ordeal. Today, she has grown accustomed to life in a wheelchair. She even makes jokes about it. But, what Tamika doesn't find funny is that people are continuing to leave themselves vulnerable to the neurological destruction caused by PML by not getting tested for HIV. Simply getting tested would have prevented all of this from happening to Tamika. She would have found out that she was HIV positive before developing PML, begun antiretroviral therapy, and presumably become undetectable. If only Tamika had gotten tested, none of the permanent neurological damage that afflicts her would have happened, and most likely, today, Tamika would be fine.
Tamika doesn't want anyone to think that they can get tested at any time and, if found positive, just take a daily pill and be OK. She also doesn't want people to think they are not vulnerable because they think they are not in a group that is highly vulnerable for HIV acquisition. Some may think, 'I'm not gay and I don't use drugs." However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2015, 8,800 new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. occurred through heterosexual contact, versus only 2,200 by injection drug use. That same year, of the estimated 1.1 million people in the U.S. living with HIV (38,500 of them newly infected), an estimated 162,500 or roughly 15% were unaware that they were HIV positive. These staggering numbers are punctuated by the fact that, in the same year, one in five people diagnosed with HIV also had an AIDS diagnosis.
Tamika's message is simple: Get tested for HIV now and start treatment as soon as possible before the worst can happen to you.
Aaron Anderson is an activist, consultant, and former talk show host. Aaron is also co-founder of ARISE (Association of Refugees, Immigrants, and Survivors of Human Trafficking Engage). He is from Cleveland and is now living in Detroit.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Utilizing assistive technology concepts for farmers with a limiting or disabling condition.
Providing on-site assessment to help farmers & agricultural workers remain productive.
Ohio AgrAbility provides information and promotes awareness on preventing further injuries because of a disability or limitation.
Our "Peer to Peer" program connects individuals who have similar experiences, to share ideas and sucesses.
Promoting success in agriculture for Ohio's farmers and farm families who are coping with a disability or long term health condition.
You are invited to Columbus Ohio for a conference!


This topic contains 2 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by SteveB 3 years, 7 months ago.
Hilariously there is a pop up ad on my page that says "The oil boom is here".
Thanks for the tough love, Nicole. The hand wringing around markets and even energy just loses its appeal when put up against personal survival choices relative to those of others, which in most cases will be neighbors and other acquaintances, not "them" (i.e., the vilified "other" of choice).


text:
by DJ An-On
in 104, November 2016
As a young musician, I felt that 'ghostwriting' was a dirty pairing of words. Why would anyone want to create music for someone else to take credit for? I could not get my head around this part of the industry. Maybe it was ego or the fear of giving music away to another artist and not getting the credit you deserve, but as a ghostwriter the level of involvement is minimal, so each case has to be on trial separately. Now I'm older, not so green, I have mouths to feed, and my own career dictates that I stick within particular genres, or my label would intervene with cries of 'You can't do that!' I understand that change is not always easy for people, be it the incredible people who buy my music or the powers that be, who take 20% of my flesh every time I produce something commercially viable. The art of ghostwriting can allow you to release something you wouldn't usually be able to 'as yourself'. There are occasions when you are not entirely happy about the artist you are making a track for, so you keep your name off it, but you've been caught in a compromising position so you take the money and run. You are probably reading this and thinking that I have sold out. My younger self would agree wholeheartedly, but living and breathing in the music industry you realise there are very few people you can trust, and even fewer who will put your interests ahead of their own, so in truth you do what it takes to survive. I was speaking to an artist recently, who said to me quite plainly, "Do your principles pay for your mortgage, clothe your children or keep the wolves from the door? Or do your own sales, boosted by the odd bit of ghostwriting, keep you and your family?" I did not respond, but the answer was etched all over my face. Before we all reach for the pitchforks and wooden stakes, in my opinion ghostwriting works best when there is a mutual respect between both parties. When egos, agents, managers and labels get involved, that is when you see the whole business of ghostwriting being denied like an illegitimate baby. In my experience, people don't really understand that a ghostwriter has a base to work with from the start. In some cases the music is already finished and they are just adding their own spin, as a remixer would. It's our job as ghostwriters to come in and work on a track, regardless of how far along the music is in its production. That's why some tracks sound like two different tracks spliced together. There is a suggestion that dance music should be created by 'the artist' and no-one else, but some of the greatest musicians have employed a writer or producer to help them explore the creative process. Should we call their integrity into question? No. The purity is in the work, rather than the act. Ghostwriting goes on more than you know, and the best ghostwriting is the music that you never knew has been ghost-written, until it is mutually viable for both parties for you to know. Recently, some tracks I wrote for a certain artist had my name added to them. As my career is going from strength to strength at the moment, my name adds a new currency to the music I worked on for the artist in question. It has worked well for both of us and gained me a lot of fans from a genre I never thought possible. Now it's okay for me to make that type of music under my own alias. I have been given the green light from the naysayers and the powers that be. As a ghostwriter, you have to do what needs to be done, whether it's to push your career in a certain direction, to make quick money or just because you are a fan of the artist you are writing for. In the end, some of the greatest songs have involved the unmentioned and dreaded ghostwriter, but the skill is in the not knowing. )
Next from Sound
The Cream of '16
2016 was the year of death, as social media bores won't tire of telling us. That hackneyed adage has overshadowed all the great new music…
More Sound
Next article in issue 104
Gett Off / Wild Beasts / Akala / Anthony Naples / Teleman
30 September Hope Works When stripped back and absent of decoration, Hope Works is a venue that is dark and spacious, so it was up to Gett…
Why Arctic Monkeys' The Car is already ageing brilliantly
Boasting big ideas and delivering on them, the band's seventh album offers escapism through its thick, luxurious sounds and a self-referential approach to songwriting that snaps us back to reality.
Moby Dickless "Our songs are all based on stories"
We asked the Manchester-based post-punk-jazz three piece about who they are, what we can see inside their sound – and what to expect from them in 2023.
Performing at Clams In Their Eyes, I'd never felt more authentically me
Delicious Clam's annual New Year's Eve extravaganza – a local version of Stars In Their Eyes – makes me happy to be alive, says performer-for-the-night Elaine Robertson.
Live / stage review "I hate everything": Jerry Sadowitz at the Leadmill
The greatest trick the veteran comedian and magician pulls is convincing the world that his vehemently vexatious views are real, writes Wayne Hoyle.
Live / stage review "Ravers are friendly": Hope Works celebrates ten years of parties
Hamish Yewdall reviews a suitably big-name celebration for a warehouse venue with a decade of great nights under its belt.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Former Pakistani General Urges Short Range Indo Pakistani Ballistic Missile Limits to Avoid War
Retired General Feroz Khan, who ran the Pakistani army's Arms Control and Disarmament Office, authored this essay for NPEC which suggests that the Indian and Pakistani governments should consider eliminating certain types of short range ballistic missiles. This complements a presentation he gave with U.S. government officials present at a private NPEC gathering organized with the U.S. Naval War College.
AUTHOR: Retired General Feroz Khan
Prospects of Arms Control and CBMS Between India and Pakistan-ESSAY (PDF) 191.47 KB
Prospects for Indian and Pakistani Arms Control and CBMs
The regional dynamic in South Asia is both extravagant and complicated. For centuries various empires have risen, thrived and fallen, as numerous wars and clashes for control over resources spread across the geography. South Asian history writ large has seen hypothetical borders drawn several times over, leaving open the questions of viability of state control and dealing with perpetuating ethnic tensions. Though the great partition of India in 1947 ought to have politically resolved communal disharmony, the haste of British withdrawal constituted a geopolitical quagmire that has resulted in an "enduring rivalry" between the nations of India and Pakistan that has lasted for more than 60 years.[1]
The contemporary security climate in the region has exasperated this historical precedent of protracted conflict, which has in turn, nurtured an environment that remains immune to building trust and confidence. Since the demonstration of their nuclear capabilities, both India and Pakistan have increased the risk of wars; cross border arms build-ups; and lack of sustained peace dialogue either bilaterally or under the aegis of any third party or international organization.Moreover, the regional security environment breeds broader strategic anxieties in both India and Pakistan, which makes the likelihood of conventional war between the two nuclear armed neighbors exponentially higher than anywhere else in the world.
Thus the ensuing regional culture leans more towards military competition, as opposed to strategic restraint and conflict resolution (the logical course for strategic stability). Clearly, considering prospects of arms control and confidence building measures (CBMs) in the midst of this current regional and international climate remains problematic all to itself, but when strategic imbalances are further influenced by the singular perceptions of the predominating powers in the region, addressing the various grievances becomes ever more convoluted.
Despite these geopolitical calamities, this paper examines the prospects of arms control and CBMs in South Asia within the next decade. In order to provide a sustainable and realistic effort toward the latter, the first section will examine the strategic anxieties of India and Pakistan, respectively; the second section will be an overview of treaties and CBMs that have been attempted in the past (some of which are still applicable today), reviewing a trend of crisis and bilateral missteps; the third section analyzes the Lahore Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of 1998, and the Strategic Restraint Regime (SRR) proposals, and how such measures can be more effective in the future; and finally, presenting three possible trajectories that the region might take, and suggesting new ways forward that can create an environment malleable to pragmatic CBMs and arms control measures feasible in the foreseeable future.
STRATEGIC ANXIETIES
India's Strategic Anxieties
As previously suggested, the dynamics associated with the endemic rivalry between India and Pakistan must be viewed through the broader lens of regional politics and security. This becomes more apparent when considering India's perception of Chinese strategic objectives in the region. In order to propose any realistic CBMs for the future, such perceptions must be factored into the overall South Asian security equation
In general, India believes China is encircling the country by establishing special partnerships with many of India's smaller neighbors. Specifically, India is irked by growing relationship evolving between China and Pakistan, which India believes has a singular purpose of bringing down its natural rise as an aspiring global power.
One of the more onerous issues is the perception that has come to be known as the "string of pearls."[2] To provide a frame of reference, Pakistan's Makran coastline has strategic significance, which offers Pakistan options to counter India's projection of power in the Indian Ocean. Pakistan has already shown signs that it is moving to develop broader air and naval capabilities.The build-up of Gwadar commercial port along this coast – assisted by China – exacerbates India's anxieties, and provides Pakistan with broader strategic utility. For the Chinese, it provides a potential access to energy pipelines that would "unlock trade routes to the market and energy supplies of Central Asia," with less risk.[3]
This is significant as India is geographically restricted in its access to the east as well as the west; due to the physical presence of Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as the Himalayas to the north. In this regard, India's access to South West Asia runs into a geographical barrier because of its rivalry with Pakistan. Similarly, India succumbs to constraints from East Asia via Bangladesh/Burma, which physically blocks India's access to those markets. With China also entering the scene with growing presence along the Makran Coast, the situation from India's perspective becomes evermore tenuous. This, in turn, forces it to rely on its maritime capabilities in order to maintain trade routes and logistics between its continental shores and the rest of the world making-up for this strategic handicap.
As a part of this expanded naval presence, India has launched ballistic missile subs, and other naval capabilities, that can act as an extended security arm for protecting its various trade routes, as well as enable a third strike capability (in addition to its land based and air assets). India's growing presence in the maritime environment, in conjunction with its overall strategic rise, makes its smaller neighbors nervous. This strategic apprehension creates a ripple effect across the region, where the smaller countries move closer to external alliances in order to balance India's rising power.
Additionally, India believes China is propping up Pakistan'snuclear and military capabilities in areas where western technologies are not supplanting the need. In particular, India is under the impression that Pakistan is taking advantage of America's involvement in Afghanistan, which places it in a unique position to acquire strategic capabilities and other political remunerations.
Regardless of these concerns, India's strategic calculus of structural and conventional force advantages over Pakistan was neutralized (to an extent) ever since Pakistan demonstrated its nuclear capability in 1998. Many Indian strategists believe, however, that this nuclear hedge provides Pakistan with the ability to boldly conduct asymmetric warfare against India without fear of reprisal. This reinforces India's belief that and as long as Pakistan can keep India engaged inwardly through insurgencies (as well as build upon its strategic alliances with the U.S. and China), India's rise to power will be curtailed.
Pakistan's strategic anxieties:
Generally speaking, Pakistan's strategic anxieties in the region are a mirror reflection of India; vis a vis the other half of the "enduring rivalry." For Pakistan, however, the objective is threefold and simplistic in nature: national survival; remain a relevant actor in region; and refuse to be marginalized by India.
Pakistan is also a country that wields vast manpower with a population of 170 million; strong strategic assets in the shape of nuclear weapons and natural resources; half million size conventional army; and a proactive player in the Muslim world. The latter not only serves as a means to connect with the Muslim community on a bilateral sense, but also helps play a role in bridging Islamic countries with China and United States. Despite such macro level accolades, the intense rivalry and competition with India over the past 60 years has made Pakistan India-phobic and paranoid of a variety of issues.
Much like India's concerns over the geographic firewall that restricts its land accessibility to the east and west, so does Pakistan interpret India's foreign policy maneuvers as geopolitically encircling the state. As India increases its influence and presence in Afghanistan through a slew of consulates, Pakistan considers these developments hostile to its interests. India has also established a strategically located air base in Tajikistan (Ayni Air base in Dushanbe), which also adds to these suspicions. Further, India's investment in the Iranian port of Chabahar – 50 miles west of Gwadar Port – and construction of roads through Zahedan into Afghanistan, adds additional tension in an area that is essential for transporting goods and energy to a host of countries. All of these moves are, respectively, viewed as encircling Pakistan.
There are also operational issues that hinder Pakistan's strategic balance on its eastern and western borders. India's strategic orientation remains towards Pakistan, where the bulk of its armed forces are deployed. As a result, Indian and Pakistani troops remain deployed –eyeball to eyeball – along the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir; this has been the case since 1948. On the opposite side of its border, Pakistan's anxieties are no more apparent than the multitude of internal strife that has embroiled in multiple insurgencies and instabilities along its frontier territory. In sum, Pakistan is caught between striking a balance between dealing with India and crushing multiple insurgencies, while still retaining interests in Afghanistan.
The ultimate nightmare for Pakistan is to live with two hostile neighbors -- India in the east and Afghanistan in the west. Pakistan believes that unless conflict is resolved with India, it has no choice but to seek balance with an ethnically diverse and friendly government in Kabul; a government that does not conduct negative bidding on the behest of powers hostile to Pakistan and further destabilizes the already troubled western border areas. On the contrary, if Afghanistan becomes a strategic satellite of India's geopolitical out-maneuverings, in addition to the ongoing problems in Jammu and Kashmir, a perpetual state of tension and crises will continue to loom between the three countries.
Overarching these regional issues is Pakistan's fear that its long-term ally, the U.S., may eventually turn against it under Indian influence. The U.S.-India nuclear deal was an event which has exacerbated these anxieties, viewed by Pakistan as skewing the imbalance in greater favor of the already powerful India. In fact, since 9/11, there has been a slow erosion of overall international sympathy with Pakistan's grievances, especially over the issues of Jammu and Kashmir; the socio-economic costs of three decades of Afghan wars; and daily episodes of terrorism within the country.
The prospects of such growing imbalances of political and economic disparities vis a vis India, coupled with these mounting internal problems (especially persistent terrorism ranging from Quetta to Swat) will continue to endanger Pakistan's cumulative national power. Under consistent pressure from India, instability in Afghanistan and fragile domestic structure, Pakistan as a state will become significantly weak and unstable. Therefore, its aforementioned strengths could very well become its vulnerabilities, and stir broad international upheaval. Under these circumstances, Pakistanis are keener to obtain strategic peace with India that allows them the space and time to recover from these multiple challenges.
Breaking the Gridlock
Given both India and Pakistan's strategic anxieties, it is no wonder that they succumb to gridlock rather than a path of reconciliation and confidence building measures (CBMs).Further, because of blatantly conflicting objectives between the two countries – one global and the other regional – security competition and asymmetry of interests continues to grow between the two. Despite negativity and pessimism, however, there are potential for both new CBMs and arms control. A brief overview of the CBMs from 1947 to date, illustrates the nature of the problem, and a conceptual framework of past initiatives is also necessary to consider (especially given that past attempts have been directly affiliated with crisis and entrenched in ulterior motives). Nonetheless, learning from these unsuccessful attempts will strengthen considerations when framing such policies in the future.
AN OVERVIEW OF MAJOR AGREEMENTS AND TREATIES:
One of the explanations attributing to such a track record has been indebted in the fact that each major treaty, or CBM, has had a high point of origin in crisis resolution. Historically, Pakistan preferred outside mediation in disputes with India; because as a smaller and weaker party with a strong sense of morality on its side, it could win justice through such means (e.g. international organizations like the UN, or seeking alliance with major powers). That proved to be a fallacy. Instead it became a geopolitical pawn between great powers during the Cold War. Rather than strengthening itself by alliance and relevancy against its archrival India, it found itself in strategic competition with India where trajectories favored India, while the alliance did not mitigate its security concerns. This then became a fundamental reason for Pakistan to seek a nuclear weapons program.
India, on the other hand, always despised outside intervention in its sub-continental affairs, and has sought to address all problems to be resolved on a bilateral basis – because of asymmetric power that is tipped in its favor. In general, bilateralism has suited India for strategic reasons, and conforms to its traditional nonaligned stance of keeping the superpowers away from the region.
Nevertheless, despite India's insistence on bilateralism, not a single problem has been resolved on a bilateral basis. Moreover since 9/11, Pakistan has come under scrutiny from the international community in regards to its policy of use of asymmetric force to settle the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir. In this context, outside intervention does not necessarily favor Pakistan, and could strengthen India's position. Aside from the present disparity, treaties and agreements that were brokered by outside intervention in the past, had led to both India and Pakistan having a generally good record of implementation.
Major Agreements and Treaties, 1947-2004
The first agreement after the 1947-48 war over Kashmir, through bilateral talks between India and Pakistan, came about as an extension of a UN Security Council Resolution. Under this resolution, the 1949 Karachi Agreement was constituted.This initial agreement should have served as a framework for other measures in the future. To date, the Karachi Agreement serves as the guideline for the conduct of troops deployed along the LOC in Kashmir.Monitored by UN observers, both India and Pakistan have deployed forces along the LOC adhering (by and large) to the parameters set by the UN approved agreement.
The next major agreement, the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, was also a response to crisis and brokered by any third party mechanism – the World Bank. This agreement, over water distribution, had its origin in the Kashmir crisis. While former President Pervez Musharrraf's "out of the box" interim solution to Kashmir dispute went nowhere, behind the scenes negotiations continued dragged on. Meanwhile India began constructing new dams in Kashmir, diverting authorized water resources to Pakistan; this was in clear violation of the Indus Water Treaty. This not only reveals that Kashmir is not just ideological and territorial dispute, but a water resource issue with a potential for crises and tension as well. Though both India and Pakistan have developed reasonable complaints, the basic tenants of the treaty have functioned despite many wars and military crisis. Yet, if India's dam constructions and water diversion strategy to leverage against Pakistan persist, it could well lead to the eventual collapse of the Indus Water Treaty all together.
The Tashkent Agreement 1966 was brokered by the Soviets after the 1965 war, and indirectly supported by the U.S. Once again, like the previous agreement in 1948, this came about as a result of crisis and war. Though the Tashkent Agreement did not provide any framework for resolution of the disputes between India and Pakistan – at least for the next 25 years – the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir remained on the backburner.
After the 1971 war, however, the approach to dialogue changed. With India's primacy established, there was no further agreement that was implemented on a third-party basis. Proceeding agreements would be conducted bilaterally, or with mere pressure from the international community. There are three major agreements that can be attributed to India and Pakistan bilateral relations. Again, each of these agreements came with crisis as a backdrop:
· The Simla Agreement 1972 was directly in response of the 1971 War.
· Lahore Agreement 1999 was reaction to crisis spawned from the 1998 nuclear tests and ongoing Kashmir crisis.
· 2004 Islamabad Accord resulted from 9/11 and the 2001-2 military crisis and ongoing Kashmir issues.
All of these agreements, from 1972 onward, were bilateral, had effective framework to resolve conflict but had no effective longevity. One after another they were violated by either side, resulting in deep military crisis repeatedly. For example, in the mid-1980s, India was undergoing a Sikh crisis in Punjab when Indian Army assaulted Sikh holy shrine in Amritsar (Operation Bluestar) that exacerbated Sikh insurgency. Simultaneously in a planned military operation, India decided to occupy Siachin Glacier (Operation Meghdoot) in the disputed northern areas of Kashmir. This event once again brought up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir on the radar screen of India- Pakistan dispute. Two years later, Indian army chief General Sundarji planned a major military exercise code named 'Brasstacks' that had a secret plan for a preventive war as a pretext to neutralize Pakistan's nuclear program.[4] These two crises occurred at a time when Pakistan was deeply involved in asymmetric war against the Soviet Union (with support of with the U.S).
In 1990, the next crisis resulted from a Kashmir uprising where escalation peaked to a point when India and Pakistan were once again at the brink of war. This crisis was significant from one stand point – both India and Pakistan had a covert nuclear weapons capability, which was known to both sides. This prompted the United States to intervene from now onwards.
Additionally, the history of trust damaging episodes in the midst of such crisis has been far greater than the record of keeping faith in treaties. Again, while India has a global audience to project its position, Pakistan has typically had a smaller, regional venue. All of these elements help explain the rise and failure of various agreements, treaties and accords. Yet, another lens to consider toward progress on the diplomatic front is the induction of strategic CBMs.
Strategic CBMs:
The notion of strategic CBM implies that nuclear CBMs and conventional military force CBMs have a symbiotic relationship. One of the foremost issues of CBMs between India and Pakistan is of a conceptual nature. The premise behind strategic CBMs is that nuclear CBMs, on their own, are meaningless if conventional force restraints are not applied. There are four distinct areas where India and Pakistan differ in terms of structuring and harnessing CBMs, while arms control becomes problematic.
First, India is abhorrent to anything that binds it to regional terms.From the outset, India took a position of global disarmament as a prelude to its own disarmament on nuclear weapons. Pakistan, on the other hand, insists on everything that is regional and India specific. Based off the latter, India does not want to be tied down to Pakistan alone, and recognizes problems with other countries (specifically China) that must also be calculated. India also only wants nuclear military CBMs that allow it to keep its conventional force supremacy intact. Meanwhile, Pakistan's insistence on regional nuclear CBMs is also a result of Western pressure to forgo its nuclear ambitions. Its nuclear program was nurtured under obstacles, sanctions and other reprisals from the nonproliferation regime. Moreover, Pakistan has endured sanctions that have affected it a negative manner, whereas India has sustained sanctions with little or no affect.
Second, any CBM that inhibits India's use of force within the region is considered to be counterintuitive to their force posture. This then is Pakistan's fundamental problem. Third, India insists that nuclear CBMs begin with a declared doctrine. Pakistan simply believes that real doctrines are classified and declared doctrines are simply "verbal posturing" meant for diplomatic consumption only.[5]
Lastly, India believes that on the matters of command and control, its declared second-strike doctrine and civil supremacy of armed forces is sufficient to explain the articulation of command and control on nuclear weapons. For Pakistan, clear delineation of command channels and explicit decision making bodies constitute a system that is responsible for managing command and control during peace, crisis and war. This emphasis on command and control is also a reflection of Pakistan's checkered history of civil-military relations.
In response, Pakistan began to proffer regional proposals beginning with India's first nuclear test in 1974. Seven regional based proposals were made, with each one automatically rejected by India.[6] This allowed Pakistan to show (the region in their case) that India did not want to cooperate; thus, placing this burden on India to defend its position. Pakistan knew that the proposals were not realistic and the international community recognized this point as well.Though not all proposals were disingenuous, and had world powers not dismissed it, there might have had different outcome. Pakistan also used these regional proposals in order to create the diplomatic space to develop their own nuclear program, while simultaneously shifting the pressure onto India, and underscoring the responsibility of proliferation on the bigger power.
Moving forward, new military and nuclear CBMs (similar to the treaties previously discussed) came about in the wake of nuclear developments and military crisis. Most of them were, once again, bilateral CBMs.For example, the prohibition against attacking nuclear installations and facilities in 1988 was in response to information that was widely analyzed, showing that India would attack Pakistani nuclear installations; precedent was also established after Sachin and bombing on Iraqi nuclear facilities.
India and Pakistan once again went into bilateral agreements following the major crisis in the 1980s, when political leadership under Zia-ul-Haq, and subsequent civilian leaders like Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, also created initiatives with India's Rajiv Gandhi and other congressional leaders. Additional agreements would follow.
Notifications of military exercises and airspace violations were actually a derivative of 'Brasstacks' and other minor incidents in which the Indian Army contemplated making a war with Pakistan. The agreement would oblige each side to provide advanced notification of military exercises.
Another example is the bilateral, joint declaration of complete prohibition of chemical weapons (1992), was in response of both sides trading allegations that the other was building a chemical weapons program. This joint agreement was also a way to deflect pressures from the international community, which was then deliberating the implementation of Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) that was eventually signed in 1993. When India declared possession of Chemical Weapons as required by CWC, Pakistan protested, alleging violation of the bilateral, joint declaration against chemical weapons.
Lastly, are the hotlines agreement between DGMOs, the foreign secretaries and maritime security agencies, which came about as an agreed mechanism for military and diplomats to communicate with each other in order to prevent emergence of a crisis, and manage escalation. Though this is a reasonable and practical means to communicate, it has not been used in such a manner. As opposed to their original intent to act as a crisis prevention tool, hotlines have typically been used for deception at worst and post-crisis management at best.
There have been plenty of examples showing this misuse of the otherwise productive tool, for example:hotlines were useful after the withdrawal of the Kargil crisis, but not during; the 1999 Indian plane hijacking hotlines between the DGMOs did not work when crisis was at its peak; Mumbai 2008, the foreign secretaries line did not prevent India and Pakistan situation from derailing the entire peace process; the maritime security hotline has not prevented the daily fishermen from being caught by each side, rather, it has been used after the fact when the governments decide to return them.
All of these agreements indicate that there have been thoughtful ideas, but the implementation of those ideas has been incredibly poor in nature. Neither side has built upon such measures, but has instead used them as a means to counteract the other.
LAHORE MOU & STRATEGIC RESTRAINT REGIME
Contrary to many of the discussed agreements, The Lahore Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is by far the most significant agreement between India and Pakistan that has created a framework for not just new arms control and CBMs, but contains the prospects of conflict resolution as well.
The Lahore MOU came as a result of the famous summit between the Prime ministers of India and Pakistan in February of 1999. This agreement was a result of an intense eight month period after the nuclear test in May 1998 in which U.S. diplomats – led by Deputy Secretary of State, Strobe Talbot – were actively involved to implement the United Nations Security Council resolution.[7]The June 1998 UN Security Council resolution condemned both India and Pakistan, placing stringent conditions on both countries including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. In fact, there were many ideas flowing between India and Pakistani diplomats during this time.[8]
India and Pakistan decided to triangulate bilateral dialogues with the U.S. as the third party player. Theoretically, this was a good way forward; however, with each side speaking separately to the U.S., great suspicion ensued. Another entanglement was that the U.S. was approaching the issue based on their experience in Europe; this did not necessarily conform to South Asia.For example, most CBMs and agreements were in a bipolar world during the Cold War. Moreover, these agreements happened after the conflict was resolved: East-West conflict had ended. This did not conform to the strategic realities of this region.
Despite these incongruities, strategic restraint became the term de jour. The U.S. experts team presented Pakistan a paper called Minimum Deterrence Posture (MDP), which included concepts of how to move forward, to include: geographical separation of major components of nuclear arsenals and delivery means; the segregation of delivery systems from warhead locations; declaring nonnuclear delivery systems with their specific locations (e.g. which squadron of aircraft would be nuclear or non-nuclear and provide the location); the establishment of a finite ceiling for fissile material production and monitoring of nuclear testing; and lastly, limiting ballistic flight tests and production limits. This was otherwise referred to as "strategic pause."
These concepts were alien to South Asian security experts. Again, it was derived by Cold War concepts, which was not applicable to the regional security environment. India and Pakistan obviously did not accept them; however, the Pakistan side did recognize these concepts in principle, with a promise to return back to what they considered to be within their own regional interests.
In response, Pakistan analyzed U.S. proposals and translated it into their own regional-based proposal, which they coined, Strategic Restraint Regime (SRR).[9] The SRR was conceptually emphasized through the principle of nuclear restraint, with conventional force restraint as well; hence, a strategic CBM. It was simply not practical for a small country like Pakistan to 'segregate' delivery systems as presented by the U.S. This was unacceptable because it undercut Pakistan's ambiguity of strategic deterrence, while still allowing India to wage a conventional war against them. Lastly, Pakistan and India were not agreeing to the comprehensive CTBT, but were principally agreeing to the U.S. that they would not be conducting anymore tests. The result was that the dialogue lost its fervor because the U.S. began to mirror India's position resulting in the Pakistan loosing interest.
Pakistan's fundamental problem was India's conventional threat, which remained unaddressed in every proposal given by the U.S.Any CBMs not related to conventional force would be irrelevant, and therefore, the failure of acceptance of SSR in South Asia was the bedrock from which new U.S. policy towards the region, as well as new strategic competition between India and Pakistan began.
What Pakistan proposed was a comprehensive conventional force restraint agreement. This proposal had three major elements: first was indentifying the offensive forces of each country whose location and posture were to be acknowledged; second, was the designation of geographical border areas as Low Force Zone (LFZ) where offensive forces would be kept at bay; third is the notion of a mutually balanced force reduction in the long-run as conflict resolution and peace prevails in the region. As an alternative, the Pakistani side produced several proposals and designated each side as an offensive force. By identifying the forces that are offensive to each other, there could be measures to move these formations away geographically in order to prevent tensions and armed conflict.
The LFZs would be the hallmark of this intended policy.In LFZs, the border areas and towns close-by would have a defense purpose only – the number of forces in these garrisons would remain as agreed upon by both sides. In the event of changes, each side would notify the other. Moreover, the Pakistani side proposed a mutually balanced and proposed force reduction in the long-run. Due to a proportional difference in force (India having a much larger military apparatus) conventional force reduction, would be proportional, with force ratios equal between the two sides.
On the question of nuclear non-mating and delivery systems, Pakistan acknowledged this to be an existential nuclear posture. Pakistan was amenable to formalizing regional non-deployment of nuclear weapons in conjunction with conflict resolution and conventional force restraints. The SRR also proposed mutual missile restraints between India and Pakistan, including: range payload ceiling; flight testing notifications; and prohibition of additional destabilizing modernizations, such as missile defense and development of SLBMs in order to address the issue.
Despite all of these developments in the negotiation process, however, the U.S. accepted India's position in not agreeing to these terms. This resulted in derailment of the whole process. Unfortunately, U.S. ignorance of the SSR was a historical failure, which could have produced a general peace and stability framework in the region against a trajectory of competition and conflict.
Nevertheless, the Lahore MOU framework came as a result of political will from the leadership in both India and Pakistan. The bureaucrats were pressured to reach an agreement within a span of ten days – and they did. This not only illustrates that there is no dearth of ideas as far as CBMs are concerned, but emphasizes the importance political will as well. The Lahore MOU still stands as the best framework to pick up the threads of peace and security architecture in South Asia.
The next section examines the three possible trajectories India and Pakistan could take in the second decade of the 21st century given the current course. The stability in the region would depend on the dynamics that could be emerged from the following three scenarios; ideally, one that promotes peace and security through strategic CBMs.
BAD, UGLY AND GOOD: TRAJECTORIES IN THE REGION
Bad:
Today, the region as a whole stands in a 'bad' position; the choice from here is to either go down a path that leads to a good scenario, or one that plummets the situation into a multitude of ugly developments.
The status quo between India and Pakistan is plush with tension, where trust has been lost (as presented throughout this piece). There is no third party influence that can change this inertia. The only positive influence is the U.S., however, even under its nudging, India and Pakistan continue to only 'talk the talk,' not 'walk the talk.' Each failure in a dialogue process, results in the stronger side learning from the weaker side's negotiating positions and vulnerabilities so it can exploit when tension and crises return. Therefore, whenever Pakistan has tried to concede in the past, instead of converting the development into a sincere, honest proposal, India has come back with an alternative proposition, which knowing full well would be unacceptable for Pakistan to concede.
The result the outlined posture in the region, is a slow arms race that continues to push the region closer to conventional force deployments. India continues to apply coercive diplomatic pressure and suggestive doctrines like Cold Start, which has implied threatening use of force through public statements by both civilians and military leaders alike. In fact, a recent statement by Indian Army Chief Deepak Kapur stated publically that India can deal with Pakistan within the first 96 hours of engagement, and immediately turn to China without issue.[10]This is a mere example of the aggressive posturing by Indian military in recent years.And because Pakistani forces are deployed on multiple fronts, with the potential of political crisis, the likelihood of Pakistan to push toward strategic weapons deployment, or shift from the a recessed nuclear deployment toward an ambiguous state of deployment is likely (2-3 years if the trend persists)
Every major power is dealing with India with new nuclear agreements, making India the only country in the world which is a non-member of NPT – having no obligation of a non-weapons state -- but is at the same time recognized as a de facto nuclear weapons state. This position of a appeasing a state, which challenged the regime and is not susceptible to the NPT is creating a sense of Western duplicity and discriminatory feelings in Pakistan. These issues, coupled with the U.S. agenda to jump-start the global arms control process (CTBT, etc), will force Pakistan into a position where it no longer has any incentive to cooperate.
Ugly:
If this bad trend continues, then a direr scenario will ensue. Increasing tension between India and China, as well as India and Pakistan will develop. This will lead to a heightened security environment in the region, leading military forces to be on the alert, if not fully deployed on the borders. This could easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Technological innovation would be the acquisition or deployment of missile defenses with the transfer of technologies such as arrow, in collaboration with Israel, etc. China may not be expected to deploy its strategic arsenal, but Pakistan cannot be expected to remain non-deployed if this arises. In return, India would have deployed strategic arsenals by more robust naval development such as nuclear submarines, or any other mix of strategic weapons.
When a situation of this sort happens, the possibility of hot pursuits either along the LOC, by Indian ground forces and Special Forces; cross border attacks by Indian air force; ornaval coercive deployment in the Arabian Sea by Indian forces to exploit Pakistan's vulnerabilities cannot be ruled out.
Alternatively, implementing Cold Start organizational pattern of deployment as outlined in the doctrine – through integrated battle groups (IBGs) – could also be strategically deployed in the area. This would be a clear fortification of the border, and flagrant attempt to escalate. In response, Pakistan would break loose from all arms control discussion. This can lead to a whole meltdown of the regional situation, with the U.S. no longer in a position to positively intervene.
Good:
The ugly scenario can be prevented if the current trajectories are reversed through cautious influence by big powers to end the India-Pakistan deadlock. If the dialogue process does lead in a positive direction, and in a meaningful way, there can certainly be a good option, with the potential for strategic CBMs.
India must make a consciences policy shift towards Pakistan, recognizing the two positive trends that have recently emerged. First is the success of democratic political process, and second, is the focus of the Pakistani military against violent extremism. Therefore, India must reach out through the dialogue process to strengthen and support these trends. India should also revise its current security doctrine of coercion (Cold Start), exploitation (e.g. back away from perceived negative role in Afghanistan) and aggressive diplomatic isolation of Pakistan, which is in vogue at the time of this writing.
The best course for India is to pick-up the threads of the Lahore MOU and Islamabad Accord, from where it was left. If India picks-up what was in the framework in Lahore and gives a fair consideration of thought to the SSR (thinking through the lens of strategic CBMs) that Pakistan offered, progress can be made.
By way of easing the relationship and initiating people-to-people contact, three separate endeavors should be agreed upon between India and Pakistan:
· Promoting religious tourism. Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and other religious sects should be afforded an opportunity to visit shrines in India, as well as Pakistanis in the inverse.
· An increased cultural tourism and sports exchange. India has used sports as a cultural and political tool in the past ranging from threats to not send cricket teams for competition, to openly supporting Hindu extremists to threaten Pakistani players and cultural performances. Such acts should cease, with a more positive exchange in the future.
· Ease-up trade relations between the two countries. There are concerns on both sides, but there can be some linkages.
· Most important is the water – Indus Water Treaty. For the first time, there is a sense that India is using its position to bolster water rights from Pakistan by erecting dams, etc. If they move in a direction that embraces cooperation on such important strategic issues, than the prospects of CBMs can sow the seeds from this fertile soil.
A WAY FORWARD:
In the next three to five years, four key areas have prospects of beginning CBMs and even rudimentary arms control measures. These are briefly mentioned here – all of which can be attributed to the tragic Mumbai incident in 2008. Further analysis and elaboration can be fulfilled in a later discussion. Yet, it is important to provide an overview of such potential measures when proposing a new way forward.
First, and most immediate, is a CBM for India and Pakistan to revive the Joint Anti-Terrorism Mechanism that was agreed in 2006; sequential to the 2004 Islamabad Accord. This mechanism failed as a result of Mumbai incident, 2008. It is important that both countries draw lessons from the failure and improve the mechanism so as to prevent derailment of relations between the two countries as a result of a terror attack. It is unlikely that terrorism in the region will disappear any time soon, but it is important to not allow terrorists to hold two nuclear armed states hostage.
Next, India and Pakistan should establish a National Risk Reduction Center (NRRC). In the case of Mumbai, there existed a deadlock of communication at both political and military levels following this horrific event. This indicated the fragility of relations between the two countries. An intuitional mechanism of reducing such risks –with a spectrum of communications and resolutions ranging from a Mumbai-type terror incident, up to a nuclear related accident –is now essential.
The third CBM is maritime in nature. Because the Mumbai incident involved maritime transit, there is all the more reason for developing maritime CBMs between the two countries. India and Pakistan can begin under the spirit of Lahore MOU, and INC SEA agreement, delineating maritime boundaries to prevent fishermen incursions, and also develop maritime cooperation in other areas like sea piracy. A maritime hotline should be put to better use as to prevent another Mumbai related event, and abduction of innocent fishermen.
Finally, even though it may appear premature, India and Pakistan must conduct a very sober analysis of ballistic missile inventories. As widely reported and understood, the shortest ranged ballistic missiles, Prithvi-I in the case of India and HATF-I in the case of Pakistan, have little strategic utility and greater technical problems to manage. It may be wise for India and Pakistan to consider eliminating these two capabilities as a first step. This will prove to be symbolic, without impacting military stature, or capabilities to address various contingencies. Similarly, in the long-term, there may be a realization that the next category of ballistic missiles, Prithvi-II and HATF-II, may also be left with less military utility. The technical and strategic analysis of this proposal is not given here, but is again left for further analysis at a later time.
Nonetheless, if the current dialogue process that has been announced to start by the end of February 2010 puts the region on the good path, with India and Pakistan commencing a meaningful CBM, there are clauses within the Lahore LOU which can be resurrected. Examples are as follows: engaging in bilateral consultations on security; disarmament and nonproliferation issues; review of the existing communications links; and periodically reviewing the implementation of existing CBMs. The Lahore MOU also promised that expert level agreements would be negotiated at a technical-expert level. It would be wise of India and Pakistan to begin a prospect of arms control and CBMs in the next decade, using the Lahore LOU as a rubric.
The first decade of the 21st century has been rift with tremendous tensions in the region from the response to 9/11, via the "War on Terror," to the lasting rivalry between India and Pakistan. This decade has shown that India and Pakistan have engaged on a pathway of competition and non-resolution that is steeped in historical precedent. The next decade should reverse this trend from competition to a cooperative security framework, redressed of new formal security threats and nontraditional security issues (e.g. water, energy, food security, and cross-border terrorism) taking a greater salience over old military issues.
[1] The term "Enduring rivalry" is borrowed from T.V Paul ed. The India- Pakistan Conflict: An Enduring Rivalry (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005. He defines "enduring rivalry" as conflicts between two or more states, lasting more than two decades, with several militarized inter-state disputes punctuating the relationship in between and characterized by a persistent, fundamental and long term incompatibility of goals between two states.
[2] Pherson, Christopher J. "String of Pearls: Meeting the Challenge of China's Rising Power." Strategic Studies Institute. July 2006. http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB721.pdf
[3] Kaplan, Robert. "Pakistan's Fatal Shore." The Atlantic. May 2009 Issue.
[4] Sagan, Scott D. Waltz, Kenneth N. The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: A Debate Renewed. New York: W. W. Norton. 2003. Pg. 92-95.
[5] See Quester, George H. Nuclear Pakistan and Nuclear India: Stable Deterrent or Proliferation Challenge?. Strategic Studies Institute. Pg 12.
[6] The regional proposals states are as follows: the South Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone, Nov. 1974; Joint Renunciation of Acquisition of the manufacture of nuclear weapons, 1978; Mutual inspections of nuclear facilities, 1979; Simultaneous acceptance of IAEA 'full scope safeguards, 1979; Simultaneous accession to the NPT, 1979; Bilateral nuclear test-ban treat, 1987; Multilateral conference on nonproliferation in South Asian in 1987 and 1991.
[7] See Security Council Resolution 1172 (1998), http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/1998/sc6528.doc.htm
[8] The author was involved as part of the expert-level dialogue with both the U.S. and India.
[9] The author was personally responsible for this paper preparation, which developed this concept. The paper was presented to the U.S. team on September 15, 1998 in New York. See Feroz H. Khan, "Reducing the Risk of Nuclear War in South Asia," in Pakistan's Nuclear Future: Reining in the Risk. Henry Sokolski, Editor. ) Carlisle Barracks, Strategic Studies Institute.Pg. 70-71.
[10] Kapur, Deepak qtd. by Subramanian, Nirupama. "General Kapoor's Remarks Generate Heat in Pakistan." The Hindu. January 5, 2010. http://www.thehindu.com/2010/01/05/stories/2010010560030100.htm


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I most often work on litigated matters filed in state or federal court involving claims filed under state common law, such as breach of contract and fraud, and federal statutes, such as the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FRCA), the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).


Set the scene for a scientific birthday breakthrough with our Science Laboratory Banner!
Banner is made of plastic and comes in 3 separate pieces that when stuck next to each other make the complete banner.
Completed wall mural measures a giant 2.74m wide x 1.82m high.
Designed like a science lab with microscopes, test tubes and beakers this detailed banner is a great way to set the mood for your Mad Scientist, Science or Big Bang themed party - simply stick it over a large wall inside or outside for an exciting experimental lab setting!
Banner is reusable and can be easily stuck up with blu tac, tape etc. Suitable for indoor or outdoor use.


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HomeNASCAR Cup SeriesRace Day Is Approaching, But Great Seats Remain For Goody's 500
Race Day Is Approaching, But Great Seats Remain For Goody's 500
October 23, 2013 Official Release NASCAR Cup Series, Official Release 0
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 23, 2013) – With the Goody's® Headache Relief Shot® 500 Powered by Kroger just a few days away, things are starting to get busy around Martinsville Speedway. Tents are going up, signs are being painted and everything is being put in perfect condition for this weekend's big events.Fans who haven't purchased tickets don't need to panic, though. There is still time to make sure you can enjoy the weekend's festivities, especially the Goody's® Headache Relief Shot® 500 Powered by Kroger.
All it takes is a phone call to purchase a ticket to the only short-track race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Place an order today by calling toll free at 877-RACE-TIX or purchase online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com. Ask for Print at Home tickets and you can have your tickets immediately.
Teams roll into town on Thursday, with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams loading into the infield midday and the Sprint Cup teams loading in late in the afternoon.
On-track action begins at 9 a.m. Friday with the first of two practice sessions for the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. The second truck series practice is at 10:30 a.m.
The Sprint Cup cars take to the track at noon Friday for a 90-minute practice.
Qualifying for the Goody's® Headache Relief Shot® 500 Powered by Kroger is set for 3:40 on Friday followed by Kroger 200 qualifying.
There are two Sprint Cup practices on Saturday, one at 10:30 and the other at noon. The Kroger 200 takes the green flag at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Driver introductions for the Goody's® Headache Relief Shot® 500 Powered by Kroger are set for 1 p.m. on Sunday with the race taking the green flag at 1:30.
Fan gates open at 9 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Great tickets are available for the Goody's® Headache Relief Shot® 500 Powered by Kroger starting at just $42.
Advance tickets for the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday, Oct. 26 are just $30 and $35 on race day. Tickets for Pole Day, Friday, October 25 are $15. Youth 12 and under are admitted free on both October 25 and 26.
To purchase tickets for the Goody's® Headache Relief Shot® 500 Powered by Kroger weekend, call 877.RACE.TIX or visit www.martinsvillespeedway.com.
SMITHFIELD AND SWEETBAY SUPERMARKET PARTNER WITH RACE CAR DRIVER ARIC ALMIROLA TO DONATE 40,000 POUNDS OF PROTEIN TO FEEDING AMERICA TAMPA BAY AS PART OF "HELPING HUNGRY HOMES" TOUR
Justin Wilson sustained injuries following INDYCAR crash


West Palm Beach, Florida: Both sides agreed Tuesday that the fatal shooting of a stranded black motorist by a then-Florida police officer was a tragedy.
But while a prosecutor told jurors during opening statements that former Palm Beach Gardens officer Nouman Raja's actions turned what should have been a routine interaction with Corey Jones in October 2015 into a deadly confrontation, Raja's attorney said Jones pointed his gun without cause and made the officer fear for his life.
Prosecutor Brian Fernandes gave an impassioned presentation to the four-man, two-woman jury, telling them an audio recording of the confrontation shows Raja was the aggressor and made Jones, who had a concealed weapons permit, fear for his safety and draw his .38-calibre handgun. He said Raja, who was in plain clothes and driving an unmarked van, drove the wrong way up an Interstate 95 off-ramp, never identified himself as a police officer and aggressively confronted Jones, 31, creating Jones' fear and caused him to draw his gun.
Richard Lubin, Raja's lead attorney, told jurors he was going to stick to facts, not emotion. He said Jones jumped out of his car, that Raja identified himself and offered his help, but Jones pulled a gun, giving Raja no choice but to defend himself.
Raja, dressed in a dark suit, sat quietly but intently during the opening statements. Raja, 41 and of South Asian descent, faces a possible life sentence if convicted of manslaughter and attempted murder charges.
Jones, a part-time drummer who also worked as a housing inspector, was returning home from a nightclub performance early on the morning of Oct. 18, 2015, when his SUV broke down. His drums, valued at $10,000, were in the back. Jones, the brother of former NFL player C.J. Jones, had just purchased his gun days earlier.
C.J. Jones, who played for Cleveland in 2003 and 2004, testified briefly Tuesday, saying his brother seemed calm when he called around 3 a.m. to tell him his car had broken down. He said he volunteered to pick his brother up, but Corey Jones said he didn't want to leave his drums. He also testified his brother was left-handed. The defence is expected to say Jones pointed the gun at Raja with his right hand.
Raja spotted Jones' SUV about 3:15 a.m. He was wearing jeans, a T-shirt and a baseball cap because he was investigating auto burglaries. His sergeant testified at a hearing that he told Raja to don a vest marked "police" if he confronted anyone, but the vest was found inside the unmarked van.
Raja drove up the off-ramp, blocking Jones' SUV. He told Palm Beach County sheriff's investigators that when Jones got out, he identified himself, but then fired because Jones pulled a gun. He said Jones ran down an embankment and pointed the gun again, so he fired more shots. Jones died at the scene.
Investigators have said Raja didn't know Jones was speaking to a tow truck dispatcher on a recorded line. Raja is never heard identifying himself.
Suddenly, Raja shouts at Jones to raise his hands, using an expletive. Jones replies "Hold on!" and Raja repeats his demand. Prosecutors believe it was then that Jones pulled his gun. Raja fired three shots. Ten seconds later, Raja fired three more shots.
Prosecutors say Raja saw Jones throw down his gun but kept firing, which is why he is charged with attempted murder. Investigators were unable to determine when the fatal shot was fired, but it struck Jones in the back.
Raja then used his personal cellphone to call 911 with the operator picking up 33 seconds after the last shot. Raja is recorded yelling orders to drop the gun; prosecutors say he was trying to mislead investigators into believing he hadn't seen the gun thrown. Jones' body was found 200 feet (60 metres) from the SUV and 125 feet (38 metres) from his unfired gun.
Palm Beach Gardens fired Raja, who was in his employee probation period after transferring there months earlier from a neighbouring city. He was charged in 2016 and has been under house arrest.


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North German: from Middle Low German kate, kot(e) 'small tenanted dwelling', 'hut', hence a topographic name for a person living in such a dwelling. variant spelling of Katt 1 and 2.
Where is the Kath family from?
You can see how Kath families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kath family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kath families were found in the USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 25 Kath families living in Ontario. This was about 48% of all the recorded Kath's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Kath families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kath surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
What did your Kath ancestors do for a living?
In 1880, a less common occupation for the Kath family was Boot & Shoemaker. The most common Kath occupation in the USA was Farmer. 45% of Kath's were Farmers. Farmer, Laborer and Blacksmith were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Kath.
Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Kath ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.
What Kath family records will you find?
There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Kath. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kath census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
There are 642 immigration records available for the last name Kath. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.
There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Kath. For the veterans among your Kath ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.
You've only scratched the surface of Kath family history.
What is the average Kath lifespan?
Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Kath life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Kath in 1954 was 66, and 83 in 2004.
An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kath ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.


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UK MINISTER FOR EUROPE: UKRAINE'S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WERE DISAPPOINTING
UK Minister for Europe David Lidington has commented on Ukraine's parliamentary elections held on Sunday by saying:
"Ukraine's parliamentary elections were disappointing. Although voters were presented with a wide range of choices, International Election Observers found evidence that these choices were restricted through, for example, an unbalanced media environment, a lack of transparency in the way the final results were collated, and the absence of leading opposition candidates imprisoned as a result of unsoundly applied law. We regret that Ukraine wasted an opportunity to show firm and consistent commitment to democratic principles.
"The UK sees enormous potential in Ukraine as a European neighbour and partner. As a strong supporter of Ukraine's European aspirations, we urge the new Ukrainian government, when it is formed, to address what needs to be done to bring new vigour to the process of building and sustaining healthy and robust democratic institutions."


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Wachau Cultural Landscape
Wachau Valley (Bwag/Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0).
Towns of Krems and Melk, Lower Austria
N48 21 52 E15 26 3
Criteria: (ii)(iv)
Property : 18,387 ha
Buffer zone: 2,942 ha
News Links/Travelogues:
AT – Wachau Cultural Landscape
The Wachau is a stretch of the Danube Valley between Melk and Krems, a landscape of high visual quality. It preserves in an intact and visible form many traces – in terms of architecture, (monasteries, castles, ruins), urban design, (towns and villages), and agricultural use, principally for the cultivation of vines – of its evolution since prehistoric times.
Durnstein, a town in Wachau Valley (Bwag/Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0).
The Wachau is a stretch of the Danube located between Melk and Krems, which demonstrates high visual and landscape qualities. It showcases many intact and visible traces of its continuous, organic evolution since prehistoric times, be it in terms of architecture (monasteries, castles, ruins), urban design (towns and villages), or agricultural use (mainly for the cultivation of vines and apricot trees).
The clearing of the natural forest by local peoples began in the Neolithic period, although radical changes in the landscape did not take place until around 800, when the Bavarian and Salzburg monasteries began to cultivate the slopes of the Wachau, creating the present-day landscape pattern of vine terraces. In the centuries that followed, the acreage under cultivation fluctuated, under the influence of changes in climate and the wine market, acute labour shortages followed by wage increases in the 17th century. In the 18th century, hillside viticulture was actively promoted in ecologically optimal regions. The other areas were turned into pastures, which bore economic consequences such as the closing of some enterprises and the growth of others. It was at this time that viticulture was finally abandoned in the upper stretches of the Wachau, and the development of the countryside in the 19th century had particularly far-reaching consequences for the Wachau. The ratio of acreages used for viticulture or as orchards, which continues to be closely linked with fluctuations in the market for both kinds of products, lends the Wachau its characteristic appearance.
The basic layouts of Wachau towns date back to the 11th and 12th centuries. The development of the settlements with their homogeneous character becomes evident in the town structures, both in the fabric and arrangement of the houses on mostly irregular lots and in the street patterns, which have remained practically unchanged since the late Middle Ages. Some town centres have been somewhat extended on their outer fringes by the construction of small residential buildings, mostly from 1950 onwards. The buildings in Wachau towns date from more recent periods than the street plans. In the 15th and 16th centuries, stone construction began to replace the wooden peasant and burgher houses.
The winegrowers' farmsteads, which are oblong and either U-shaped, L-shaped, or consisting of two parallel buildings, date back to the late Middle Ages and the 16th-17th centuries. Most of these feature lateral gate walls or integrated vaulted passages, service buildings and smooth facades, which for the most part were altered from the 18th and 19th centuries onwards. Street fronts are often accentuated by late- and post-medieval oriels on sturdy brackets, statues in niches, wall paintings and sgraffito work, remnants of paintings or rich Baroque facades. The steeply pitched, towering hipped roof occurs so frequently that it can be regarded as an architectural characteristic of the Wachau house.
Many 18th-century buildings such as taverns or inns, stations for changing draught horses, boat operators' and toll houses, mills, smithies, or salt storehouses, frequently dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries, still serve trade and craft purposes and are partly integrated in the town structure. A number of castles dominate the towns and the Danube valley, and many architecturally and artistically significant ecclesiastical buildings dominate both the townscapes and landscapes.
Criterion (ii): The Wachau is an outstanding example of a riverine landscape bordered by mountains in which material evidence of its long historical evolution has survived to a remarkable degree.
Criterion (iv): The architecture, the human settlements, and the agricultural use of the land in the Wachau vividly illustrate a basically medieval landscape which has evolved organically and harmoniously over time.
Suggested Bases:
Krems an der Donau is a riverside town in the Danube's Wachau Valley tourist region of Lower Austria. Krems, along with neighboring cities Stein, Egelsee, Dürnstein and Spitz an der Donau are known for their world class wine production as well as their proximity to the Danube. The historic town centres of Krems and Stein are well-worth exploring. There are a number of bike trails along the Danube, as well as hiking paths through the mountains and vineyards – the tourist office can offer maps and advice. It is also possible to tour the many wineries in the area, as well as the nearby monastery [read more].
Vienna (German: Wien; Austro-Bavarian: Wean) is the capital of the Republic of Austria and by far its most populous city, with an urban population of 1.9 million and a metropolitan population of 2.4 million. It is by far the largest city in Austria and the country's artistic, cultural, economic and political centre. It is known for its high living standards, relaxed yet elegant lifestyle and rich musical life. The thing about Vienna is that it not only is a large city, but that it has always been – as the former home of the Habsburg court and its various empires, it has always housed a large population and enjoyed a privileged position, being home to many artists, especially composers including Beethoven, Haydn, Liszt, Mozart, Schubert and Johann Strauss II. It was long the largest German-speaking city in the world before being surpassed by Berlin. The large historic city centre of Vienna filled with monuments to its imperial past is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List [read more].
Graz is the capital of Styria (Steiermark) and the second largest city of Austria with a population of just below 300,000 – about 40,000 of which are students of its six universities. It has been a vital urban centre for both Styria, Austria and Slovenia, and has produced a number of talents in many fields, ranging from the inventor Nikola Tesla to the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Graz maintains a balance between its illustrious past and modern present and features spectacular architecture from all periods, while the warm and sunny climate influenced by the closeness to the Mediterranean makes it a very nice city to visit. The roots of Graz can be traced back to Roman times, when a small fort was built where the city centre is today; Slovenians later built a larger fortress in the same place. The name "Graz" is derived from the Slovenian word gradec, which means small castle [read more].
Krems is perhaps the largest of the Wachau Valley towns and is a shopper's paradise, with many excellent restaurants that serve local cuisine. Further along the Danube, you can stop by the charming villages of Spitz, Weissenkirchen and Dürnstein. Spitz has a very walkable old town, with cafes, shops, historic ruins, and a shipping museum. Next is Weissenkirchen (White Church), which of course has a lovely white church and is best known for its excellent white wines. If you love wine this is the place to take a tour or do tastings at the shops around town. Without a doubt, Dürnstein is the most visited town in the valley. Walk the main street with its 16th-century buildings, many of which are now shops and restaurants. One of the most popular things to do here is hike to the castle where King Richard the Lionhearted was held prisoner in the 12th century.nMany visitors come to the Wachau Valley to visit Melk Abbey in the town of Melk, across the river from Emmersdorf. If you plan to visit the Abbey, start your visit there and working your way back up the Valley, stopping in the small towns and the many quaint wineries and other attractions along the way. But get an early start — the Valley gets crowded during the summer and early fall months with day trippers, hikers, and cyclists out to enjoy one Austria's hidden gems!
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This will be our second Christmas celebrated in Australia. Last year, John and Shawn on Active Transport spent the holiday aboard with us in Sydney. This year they're in South Africa and we're in Hobart. Unlike Australians who realize that Christmas is a summer holiday down under, we're still northern hemisphere traditionalists and it's hard to dispel old ways of thinking that have been ingrained for decades. We're not hoping for snow or anything, but we like the big midday turkey feast and presents under the tree ... I mean, the mast, on Christmas morning.
Christmas shopping is done in shorts and t-shirts instead of all bundled up in parkas, mittens and snow boots. Though I've seen poinsettias, the local red proteas or the native Christmas Bush with its bright red flowers, seem more appropriate. I've seen artificial trees, but no lots full of real Christmas trees for sale. Santa might be just as likely to arrive at the beach on a surfboard or in a dinghy as in a sleigh … and the white boomers readily replaced the tired reindeer without hesitation for Santa's inland Australian run last night … or so we heard.
Perhaps if we were from California or Florida, the beach thing would be appealing. But we're not...we're from cold and snow country and being at the beach on Christmas … well, it's just not right! We should be shoveling snow or making snowmen or snow forts...having snowballs fights, but definitely not laying on a beach. It was cool and overcast today in Hobart. Not a good beach day at all … but not good for snowballs either.
So, how did we celebrate Christmas? We planned to go to midnight service at St. David's Cathedral, but it was cold, dark, windy and misty at 11pm and we were already in bed. So much for that plan.
We were up early this morning drinking mimosas (champagne and OJ) and singing Christmas songs while getting the turkey stuffed and in the oven for our traditional afternoon feast. We gratefully declined offers made by friends and opted to spend Christmas with just the two of us this year. We like each others' company a lot plus more leftover turkey for the crew.
We cooked and chatted and opened our presents. We had cinnamon coffee cake for breakfast...washed down with yet more mimosas. We watched a romantic movie (Love, Actually) and it was time to eat. The turkey was roasted to perfection. The aroma had driven us crazy for hours. The table was set with our best linen and china (as if!). Hours of preparation led to a leisurely, sumptuous dinner. Everything was delicious including the blueberry/raspberry crisp for dessert (a close second to cranberry pudding). A fine day celebrating what we love most … each other.
We'll Skype our family in the States and Brennan and Hannah in Rome tomorrow when they have their holiday celebration.
Wishing you and yours a happy Christmas from Nine of Cups.