I have to hold my hands up and confess that I've never actually completed a whole family shop within Aldi. I regularly pop in for their Specialbuys (along with a bakewell flapjack, conveniently placed by the till) and over the past year or so I've bought a variety of items, however I've never thought to switch supermarkets and see if I could get my shopping cheaper within Aldi.
As part of my recent collaboration with Aldi they challenged me to the #AldiChallenge and complete my weekly family shop with them to see if they could save me money.
Armed with a shopping list, carrier bags and Roo as my trusty helper I headed to our local Aldi store last Sunday morning. Unfamiliar with the store layout our shopping trip took us a little longer than it would have normally but it was good to take in the different products instead of grabbing the first thing off the shelf and heading onto the next thing we needed.
With a wide range of fresh vegetable, fruit and meat I was spoilt for choice and probably ended up buying enough to last us well over a week but at prices below what I would normally pay in other supermarkets I was happy to pop an extra chicken etc. into my shopping trolley.
The Specialbuys aisle is always a dangerous place for me to visit as I always manage to find something I want, and I wasn't disappointed on this visit. Adding some new car mats, car accessories, some Family Guy lounge pants for hubby and a fleece top for Roo into our trolley on the way round.
With Roo checking off the list as we headed around the store I was pleased to be able to get everything I needed, with some items coming in bigger packs, for example fromage frais come in packs of 12 instead 6 yet still saving me money on what I would normally pay in other supermarkets.
I'd saved at least £40 on my normal shop and considering I'd popped a couple of Specialbuys and bought extra meat and vegetables that I might not have normally added into the trolley.
Would I shop it Aldi again for my weekly shop? Oh yes!
You already know our exclusive brands are like brands for quality and taste, only cheaper. In the same way, our new Everyday Essentials range is like the other supermarkets own-label ranges, just at Aldi incredible prices. Now that's smart shopping.
We're all looking to make our hard earned cash go that little bit further. One easy way is to switch to the Everyday Essentials range within Aldi. With a variety of food groups available from bread, meat and vegetables you can still make sure that the family is well fed but without the usual high price tag.
The Aldi Super 6 is a range of six different fruit and vegetables that are available for as little as 59p each/per pack, making it easier to provide your 5-a-day for the whole family. With a different selection of fruit and vegetables available every two weeks, why not see what is available and spice up your families meals with something you might not usually buy.
Tigger is a bread loving little boy so access to a good selection of bakery items is a must have for me when I go shopping. Alongside a selection of different breads there is also a variety of crumpets, pancakes, muffins and hot cross buns as well as a few yummy cakes as well. The good thing about their bakery range is the price, for example pancakes are just 39p and hot cross buns are just 50p which given the rate that Tigger eats these they wouldn't break the bank.
Providing a hearty meal for a family can be hard especially when the price of meat seems to up and you get less for your money. At Aldi they want to make family mealtimes a feast so have a range of fresh meat offers available every two weeks. But you don't have to wait for their everyday fresh meat to be on offer as it is already available at fabulous prices, including a small chicken for just £2.85, a 750g gammon joint for £2.99 and bacon (8 rashers) for just £1.69. You'll soon be eating like a king and serving up meals that your family will love.
I love, love, love Aldi Specialbuys! With up to three different ranges available each week there is always something I want. I have treated myself to white bed linen just like you get in hotels, kitted out my kitchen with accessories and gadgets plus on this shop I managed to get car mats to go inside our new car along with some cloths and an ice scraper (just in case the cold weather returns). With a range of Specialbuys available throughout the year from Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and keeping the kid's active you'll be able to find items that you need for a fraction of the price.
So what are you waiting for? pop down to your local Aldi to see how much you could save on your family shop.
Disclosure: I am working with Aldi to showcase their #AldiChallenge, for which I have received gift vouchers FOC in order to undertake a family food shop.
We are big fans of Aldi and I am always really impressed with their value and quality.
All this does sound like really good value – you've saved so much!
We are just having an Aldi built right behind my house. I can't wait to try out shopping there. From what I've read, I'll be saving a lot of money when it is finally up and running.
Unfortunately we don't have an Aldi near us, or in fact any big supermarket so I do everything online, probably costs me more because I am not getting the best deals. I've heard such good things about Aldi though.
ooh I never really do aldi but at these prices I need to take a look.
I've never been to Aldi as there's not one anywhere near us but it does sound like excellent value.
I always shop at Lidl and occasionally when I get to the other side of town I will go to Aldi. I like both. My local, mainstream supermarkets just cannot compete on value.
I also find that they have less exotic stuff and it is easier to buy British produce. Perfect for my Friday Footprint Challenge.
I have no problem with Aldi or Lidl but my local one is so cold and uninviting that it it makes me not want to go in there.
I keep meaning to have look in Aldi, and at these prices I would be mad not to.
We love Aldi. Not just the food, but the toys and electricals too. Great quality and bargain prices.
Oooh I'm like you and I've never done a full family shop at Aldi but I really should. I'll try it this week and see how it goes!
It's been ages since I went to Aldi.
Thanks for linking up with fabulously frugal. I love buying food for less afterall it all goes down the same way!
We dont shop at Aldi but I've been reading so much about it recently that I'm definitely ready to give it a try.


text:
Aristotle at afternoon tea
Conversations on culture, art, philosophy, life.
a blog by Yara Zgheib
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On Top of Everything
Yara Zgheib
'I promised him champagne, Alyosha, on top of everything else, if he brought you to me. Let's have champagne, I'll drink, too!'
- Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
Photo by Francois Pistorius on Unsplash
It was 2003 and they were both young and poor and in Moscow. Russia was in a similar state after the anarchy of the 90s. Finally free from the mafiya, it too was young and poor and struggling. But on that night, they had chosen to celebrate being alive, in love, and healthy.
They stayed in the storied Metropol Hotel, 'a spectacle of opulence even as the building itself crumbled around us with neglect and mold and roaches.'* In a few hours he would turn thirty, and though their budget was tight, they dined well on bear meat pelmeni and Saint Emilion, the whole bottle.
Then to an old, pre-Soviet mansion where, over a century ago, aristocrats toasted with champagne and caviar. Now, it was a casino. The deep forest green velvet, and the staff, had aged, their uniforms dulled, but somehow the couple only saw the light glisten off the chandeliers.
They made a modest gamble and lost and laughed it off. By almost midnight, their money and the last year of his twenties were rapidly running out. But they were healthy, alive, and in love, and soon would be making love. Before that, though, she whispered into the croupier's ear. He snapped his fingers.
'A moment later, an ice bucket appeared.' And two glasses. On the house. Sweet, cheap, Soviet champagne that was served with its own Russian tradition:
When midnight struck, to the chiming Kremlin clocks, the full glass had to be drunk. Savoured, not saved for later, like the present. They toasted. He made his wish:
To him, to her, to them. To happiness, on top of everything else. They drank their glasses dry before the silence of the last bell.
According to Nobel Prize- winning economist Daniel Kahneman, there are two systems of mentation involved in measuring happiness. The first is in the experience:
'At [that] moment, objective happiness is defined as the extent to which [a person] wants the experience he is having at that moment to continue.'
The second is in the champagne buzz that lingers; the perception of the experience. Subjective happiness is the story a person remembers and tells, years later.
Perhaps the champagne that night had actually been too sweet and not quite cold. The dumplings and wine and kisses they had shared had perhaps not been sublime. The velvet had probably even smelled moldy, the staff's uniforms as well, but the mind chooses the reality it builds. It defines its happiness.
When Joseph Stalin signed Resolution 1366 setting up three wine trusts tasked with making Sovetskoe Shampanskoe – Soviet champagne – he was making a statement:
'Life has become better, comrades. Life has become more cheerful.'
His words were true because the people chose to believe them and celebrate.
Sovetskoe Shampanskoe was produced in quantities that went from 300,000 bottles a year in 1936,
to twelve million in 1942.
Twelve million bottles of champagne in the middle of the Second World War. Sold and drunk, not just in fine restaurants, but 'in ordinary stores where it could be bought by the glass from early in the morning till late at night.'
A modest lunch in those days could be had for a ruble, soda water for a few kopecks. A bottle of Sovetskoe Shampanskoe cost four rubles, seventeen kopecks. Cheap champagne whose cost was still significant. People bought it anyway, for the promise of a moment of cold, sweet, sparkling happiness.
It was the last day of 2018 and they were both still together. Still in love, a little less young and poor. They were no longer in Moscow. They were no longer only two either, but four; the two girls looked like her. That night, they looked back, forward, and at each other, on top of everything.
The little ones went to bed. At midnight, he and she toasted with full glasses of Soviet champagne. They drank them dry before the last bell.
*Thank you, S., for lending me your story and your words. I hope I did them justice.
More tea?
On the Receipt
On the Counter
On Top of the Eiffel Tower
On a Trolley

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
← Seth Price (2009) Liam Gillick (2009) → Overview Issue No. 73 / March 2009 "After the Crisis"
Franz West
Plakatentwurf (Westendcocktail). Mit einem Foto von Octavian Trautmansdorff (2009)
In recent decades Viennese artist Franz West has rigorously, yet humorously, expanded the possibilities of contemporary sculpture and today is one of the most renowned artists of his generation. With hindsight to the work of his teacher Bruno Gironcoli, but also to the performances of Viennese Actionism, West in 1974 developed his fragile "Passstücke", amorphous-anthropomorphic prostheses made of plaster and paper-mâché that were often interpreted as allowing its users to act out their symptoms. Alongside he produced collages made of magazine images and pastose paint as well as image objects, which through the integration of everyday objects such as shoes suggest a use value. Since the 1980s West also produces posters and furniture, often exhibited in room-size installations with telling titles such as "Psyche" and "Neurose", alongside his famous sculptures made out of painted paper-mâché. Another aspect of his practices constitutes large-scale public sculptures that ironically confront the critical aspirations of that genre. For "Texte zur Kunst" Franz West has developed a special artist's edition of a poster design for an exhibition that ultimately never took place. The design is based on a photograph of artist Octavian Trautmansdorff which shows West in a hospital bed as three persons are paying him a visit. In West's painterly alterations of the motif hospital utensils turn into mysterious protuberances reminiscent of his amorphous sculptures. In colours typically for the artist's œuvre – a flashy green and bright pink – the names of the artists participating in the planned group show and the slogan "Westendcocktail Gianna Nannini" are integrated into the print. The latter laconically links the artist's name with the famous London theatre district, associations of medicamentation and the Italian rock singer from the 1980s. As always with West, it's not the least a question of attitude.
For Texte zur Kunst Franz West has produced a special artist's edition entitled "Plakatentwurf (Westendcocktail). Mit einem Fotos von Octavian Trautmansdorff", 2009. The ditone print measures 86 x 118 cm (with a motif size of 69 x 100 cm) and is signed and numbered on the front. It comes in an edition of 60 + 20 APs and costs 980,- Euro plus shipping.
Size: 86 x 118 cm (motive size: 69 x 100 cm)
Technique: Ditone Print
Edition of 60 + 20
Price: 980.00 € Excl. shipping
This edition is sold out.


text:
Garden City, NY Driving Without a License Lawyer
Fighting for clients caught driving without a license
New York State requires that every individual operating a motor vehicle be in possession of a driver license. Driving without one is a serious offense that comes with overwhelming consequences. If you knew or should have known about the trouble with your license and were caught driving without one, you could be charged with an aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle ticket (AUO), which is a quite serious offense. If you didn't have knowledge of a troubled license, you may face a small traffic infraction. To fully understand your case and protect your future, you should contact an attorney to guide you through the law and passionately fight the charges. If you need quality legal services from an experienced legal team, contact Grunwald & Seman, P.C. as soon as possible.
Knowing the difference between driving without a license and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
The difference between driving without a license and an AUO is monstrous. Driving without a license is a traffic infraction. An AUO is a serious problem. If you knew about your license's status and willfully operated a vehicle, you have a serious problem and will need an effective attorney immediately. An AUO conviction is a criminal matter that can subject you to possible jail time and a potentially permanent criminal record.
Driving without a license is a fixable ticket that comes with fines ranging from $75 to $300, and potential imprisonment of no more than 15 days or both. It is almost unheard of for someone to be sent to jail over the infraction and most of the time, it is a fixable ticket if you left your license at home and can easily prove that you have a valid one. An aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle is another story.
AUO in the third degree
A conviction of an AUO in the third degree means that you knew or should have reasonably known about the problems with your license. You willfully ignored the direction of the court, This offense is a misdemeanor. It comes with potential fines between $200 and $500 and potential imprisonment up to 30 days
AUO in the second degree
A conviction of an AUO in the second degree means that you were caught driving while already guilty of a first AUO within the last 18 months, the previous suspension was because of a chemical test refusal, a DWI, or 3 or more unanswered suspensions for failure to appear or pay a fine. This offense is also a misdemeanor. Depending on the circumstances that upgraded the offense to a second-degree charge, it comes with varying fines and terms of imprisonment.
AUO in the first degree
A conviction of an AUO in the first degree is a class E felony. You could face these charges if you were caught committing an AUO in the second degree while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, committing an AUO in the third degree with at least 10 suspensions for failure to appear or pay a fine, or committed an AUO in the third degree with a permanent revocation of your license. You could face fines ranging from $500 to $5000 and a term of incarceration of no more than 4 years.
Contact a Long Island attorney to fight your AUO charge
If you are convicted of an aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, you are facing serious consequences. These are criminal charges that have the potential for incarceration and a permanent criminal record. If you have a permanent criminal record, you could impact the rest of your life, especially current employment and the ability to gain future employment. You need an attorney to fight for your future. If you need a Long Island attorney to explore all legal means to avoid or lessen the charges and defend your interests in court, contact Grunwald & Seman, P.C.
How Do You Defend Traffic Cases?
What Does the DMV Do to Persistent Violators?
What Defenses Can You Raise on a Refusal Hearing for a DWI?
How Does a License Get Suspended and How Do You Defend It?


text:
It's goodbye to teaching
Stories from folks that have found things they would much rather do
Updated: 9th August 2010
If you think that teaching English is the only option available for those wishing to work in Thailand, then meet a dozen or so 'lucky' folks who don't call themselves teachers anymore.
Marcus had been teaching in Thailand for three years when he finally got a lucky break. "I worked for several private language schools as both an English and French teacher. I consider myself native speaker fluent in both languages. Unfortunately I hated teaching English and there was never going to be enough work teaching French to be able to pay the bills. What I really wanted to do was start up my own computer troubleshooting business but lacked the start-up capital. If not my own business, I just wanted to work in computers. I disliked the teaching immensely but needed the income it generated. Then purely by chance I met a Thai businessman at the local tennis club. He owned several large condominium buildings in Bangkok and told me that one of his biggest problems was collecting overdue rent from foreign residents. He asked me to come and work for him. All I had to do was refer to a list of late rent-payers and call them up with a reminder. I wouldn't have to meet them face-to-face. It was just a case of giving the residents a friendly 'nudge' with a friendly phone call. The owner didn't mind when I did the work as long as I got the results.
Not only did we negotiate a modest salary of about 20,000 baht a month but I got to live rent-free in one of his condominiums - a place I would never have been able to afford on an English teacher's salary. And so I set to work. I made phone calls for two hours every evening from 7pm to 9pm when the foreign residents were at home. I found the job easy. No one ranted at me down the phone and they duly paid the rent money owing. Don't forget that these were 50,000 baht a month apartments so when you have thirty residents defaulting on that amount of money, it's a problem that needs addressing.
I was able to give up teaching completely and concentrate on developing computer programs, which I hawked around various companies. Eventually I landed a full-time job at a computer company for 60,000 a month. But I still kept the debt-chasing job. That was far too good a number to give up.
Jonathon says "I was in my early twenties when I first came to Thailand. Like so many others, I'd grown disillusioned with life in the UK and the whole nine to five existence, and just knew there was something better out there for me. I got myself a world atlas and a pin...and the rest is history. I knew right from the start that teaching English was the most realistic way of earning enough money to survive, but I never fell into the trap of thinking that it was the only way. I was constantly keeping an ear to the ground for something better. By 'better', I mean something better-paid than the 150 baht an hour I was earning and something that would rescue me from the daily grind of riding Bangkok buses from one freelance job to another.
I taught English for three very long years. I was actually extremely good at it and the students loved me. Re-enrolments were never ever a problem. But I'd be constantly looking around me at the crummy apartment I was in and the fact that I was living this hand-to mouth, day to day existence. I just couldn't see myself teaching English for years on end. I had in truth, grown to hate it.
My big break came totally out of the blue. I was teaching a group of corporate students and one of them told me that she knew a farang guy (Indian actually) who was looking for a European or American person to sell advertising space in some of Bangkok's best-known 'middle-class' magazines. I decided to give it a go, and knew from day one that I had found my niche. You need one major quality to sell advertising space in Thailand - you need to have no shame. I've been doing this for six years now, and I never think twice about calling up the head of a company to ask if they are interested in what I've got to offer. If there's an appointment to be got, then I'm the man to get it. I'm aggressive without being pushy and I can flatter people without coming across as insincere. That's been the secret of my success. The rewards have been huge. I've just bought my second condominium cash (I rent out the first one) and I'm smoking around in a brand new motor. My daughter just started international school and I'm earning enough to employ a full-time nanny. Yet underneath, I'm basically the same guy that taught English for 150 baht an hour. You like this, but every Saturday morning, I still give English lessons to a young girl and her mother at their family home because they were my first ever students and they told me they could never study with anyone else. I have increased the rate to 400 baht an hour though (as if I need the money)"
Stories like that of Jonathon's and Marcus's above will undoubtedly lift the spirits of many a dejected teacher. It's very easy to look at the Ministry of Employment's list of occupations prohibited to foreigners and think to yourself 'is teaching English really all there is?' and indeed one of the most common emails we receive at ajarn.com is from someone who feels that they would be better suited to anything, absolutely anything bar teaching English. These stories are not presented to belittle English language teaching at all, but to show that for some 'lucky souls' - where there's a will......there's always a way.
Derrick from Reading hated Bangkok from day one. "I really didn't know what people saw in the place. Noisy, dirty, congested hell-hole. I couldn't wait to get out. This was about 1992, and it seemed like even though I loathed Bangkok, I was a prisoner there because Bangkok was where all the jobs were. It wasn't like it is now where you have teaching vacancies the length and breadth of the country. I can't understand why someone would stay in Bangkok now unless they were earning in excess of 50,000 baht a month. I did English teaching for a few months before moving to Hua Hin a bit further south. I was lucky to hook up with a Thai partner who also happened to be a very good business lady, and together we pooled our savings and opened up a small restaurant. As Hua Hin has developed I've gone on to do other things. I'd rather not say what they are but they're well within the realms of the law. I'm convinced that Thailand is a land of immense opportunity but there is certainly a 'right place at the right time' factor. I'm no businessman but everything I've touched has turned to gold. I guess I've just smiled a lot at people. Yes, that's definitely it. I've kissed a considerable amount of ass over the years, but I certainly don't feel ashamed about it.
"I suppose you might classify me as an in-house company teacher, but I do very little actual face-to-face teaching these days" says Alec from Scotland. I was originally employed by a large multi-national company to give language tuition to as many staff as I possibly could with a bit of proof-reading and help desk work thrown in. As I became more and more familiar with the company's products and the company procedures, I became much more valuable. Now I'm the classic jack-of all-trades. I can meet clients and give sales presentations. I can promote the products and services all over Asia. And it all started from teaching English. Don't get me wrong, I still love to teach but nowadays, I feel I play a crucial part in the overall company itself. Yes, I was lucky to join a company who appreciated my talents. Many companies will employ you as an in-house teacher and see you as exactly that, but take my advice - develop interests in as many areas of the company as possible"
Dave from the USA has worked at many different jobs during his eight years in Thailand, and has an interesting approach. "Networking is what it's all about. There's no secret formula - the more people you meet, the more doors will open. It's common sense really. You have to meet the right people though, and that's usually foreigners in high positions. When I first started out teaching (and I didn't last long at it) I worked with some big-shot financial consultant who was looking to get into something similar over here. He admitted to me that the only reason he signed up as a corporate teacher was to make contacts. As soon as he'd taught three groups of Thai junior managers who'd never made a decision in life between them, he realized that his strategy was all wrong. Meeting the right people is paramount and you rarely/never do that by teaching English.
I joined up with the various chambers of commerce - the Canadian, the British, the American - and as part of the membership deal, you get invited to all sorts of networking evenings by the poolside at some fancy hotel. Sure it can be bloody painful walking around making endless small talk but you'd be amazed how many members will come out with the magical 'our company could use a guy like you'. These are the jobs that never get advertised. They're out there. They truly are"
Erika, also from the USA, has done well as a freelance writer. "There's nothing radically wrong with teaching English but it just doesn't pay enough. A lot of Americans have crippling student loans still to pay off and earning 25-30,000 baht a month isn't going to put much of a dent in it. I work for several SE Asian magazines and I find that the economic and political magazines pay quite well. But for me, it's the freedom. I tend to be a nocturnal creature, and I can work till three or four in the morning and get up at midday. I just can't imagine me getting up and battling the traffic to get there in time for an eight o clock class. Yeah, working from home is nice"
Barry from the North of England was a victim of the global IT recession so brought his talents as a website designer to Thailand. "I quickly realized two things when it comes to Thais designing websites. They are generally good at the cosmetic 'fun' things that go into making a professional website, but they lack attention to detail. I decided to get myself a Thai partner and start up on my own, and only approaching the larger companies who had an eye for quality and the budget to match. Believe it or not, I've done really well. I only need one or two good clients a month to give me a very nice living. The marketing side can be a pain - it always is - and I'm not particularly good with negotiating fees but I get by. I'm not outrageously expensive but I'd like to think I'm up there with the best Thailand has to offer in the way of corporate website design. I've even taken on a couple of Thai staff to help with the day-to-day tasks but I keep my eye on them and make sure that every page is proofread at least half a dozen times"
I think many of us have wandered around the weekend market, looking at some of those amazing handicrafts and antiques, and thought about exporting to the west and then sitting back and reaping the cash. For some, the export lark has worked, but for many it's remained just an impossible dream. Benno from Switzerland has been buying up silver jewelry in the Bangrak area of Bangkok for over five years and is already thinking about semi-retirement.
"All I ever dreamt about was living in Thailand, but what was I going to do? I didn't see myself as an English teacher, although I certainly gave it a go. There had to be one thing that I could buy here cheaply and sell at a good profit in the west. The answer was silver jewelry, marcasite jewelry, and a semi-precious stone called Lapis. I researched the markets in several countries around the world and homed in on Italy of all places. I've made a huge killing there.
You have to believe in what you are doing. You will meet obstacles along the way and they will have to be overcome, but there is a market for everything. Never sit back and think that all the good export ideas have already gone"
Find something inexpensive that will sell well abroad and then exploit it. You'll get the same advice from Lester, a confident, slightly brash Londoner, who has been buying up half of Chinatown since quitting his teaching job over two years ago.
"Basically, I sell Thailand-produced goods to people all over the world via internet auctions. It sounds easy but there's a huge learning curve involved. There are payment methods to be worked out, shipping costs to be taken into consideration, and then there's always the time-wasters, but hit it right and you'll make a packet. I'm on first name terms with everyone at the local post office - I traipse down there at least three times a week to send my little packages all over the world. Nothing illegal you understand - simply stuff that people can't get unless they come to Thailand (laughs) and other than that, my lips are sealed. I don't really want the competition" Lester did also mention that he makes six times the amount of money that he did as a teacher.
For some folk it's not about the monetary rewards. Job satisfaction comes high up the list. Trudy from Canada has worked at a graphic design company in Bangkok for 18 months.
"Graphic design has always been my profession and I love living in Thailand, so what a perfect combination. Unfortunately I only earn 20-25K as a graphic designer, which is on a par with the Thai staff. I suppose it's because I work faster than everyone else and can make deadlines. That's how I landed the job. I've heard of several well-paying graphic design positions but I like the people I work with and I come into the office whenever I want (lowers voice to a whisper), But I do teach English a little bit as well"
And finally the movie star - Greg from Newcastle in the north of England. We've all heard the stories of Khao san Road backpackers working as extras for a thousand baht a day and all the grub you can eat, but for Greg, he's found his own niche in the Thai movie industry.
"Look at me. I'm hardly what you'd call Sean Connery, but I'm turning work away left right and center. And well-paid work too! 7,000 baht a day minimum. The film industry can be tiring - loads of standing around doing nothing and waiting for takes, but at 7,000 a day, you don't need many gigs a month to make a comfortable living, and the Thai directors are now finding much larger budgets at their disposal. That said, most of my work is in advertising, so the next time you're at the movie theater and see this big-nosed farang getting out of a helicopter with a bottle of premium whisky - give me a wave. Seriously though, it's all about contacts. It's not what you know but who you know in Thailand"
This is an update of an article originally written in July 2007
alternative jobs
Irish, 45 years old. Currently living in Thailand


In this first instalment of a series of monthly articles, we question the rationale of double-counting green house gas emissions by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
MALAYSIA made a policy commitment at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to keep a minimum of 50% of the country's land area under permanent forest. Today, it still has 55% of its land under forests.
Forests act as carbon sinks. They remove carbon emissions generated by economic activities and other sources in the country. In 2000, Malaysia generated and emitted 223.1 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (eq) and removed 249.8 million tonnes of CO2 eq.
This was mostly done by forests and plantation tree crops belonging to the Land Use and Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector, as reported officially in a published document submitted to the United Nations UNFCC (see nc2.nre.gov.my).
This means that in the year 2000, the country was a carbon sink with a negative net emission of 26.7 million tonnes CO2 eq. It clearly shows that by judiciously keeping a large enough percentage of forests, the national effort to mitigate carbon emission can be achieved.
Emissions from deforestation and other land use change for the production of palm oil, rubber, timber, rice and other agricultural commodities were mitigated by the sequestering capability of the LULUCF sector.
In the year 2000, Malaysia had 3.376 million hectares of oil palm plantations. The carbon removal capacity of this plantation crop was 82 million tonnes, while total emission from the LULUCF and agricultural sector was 35.5 million tonnes CO2 eq.
This implies that oil palm plantations can remove not only its own emissions generated from deforestation and methane emissions from processing of effluent ponds at palm oil mills, but also the emissions from all land use change and agricultural activities of the country.
The time series trend shows that in recent years, the LULUCF sector has stabilised its emission and removal capacity. This is brought about by the deliberate policy of the country to maintain a minimum of 50% permanent forests and pursue a prudent expansion of oil palm cultivation, often by partly replacing other less profitable crops such as coconut, rice, rubber and cocoa.
Based on the projected estimates for 2007, it is shown (see graphics) that palm oil produced by Malaysia remains fully emission-free (or even net-negative emission) because of the combination of the superior sequestering effects of forests and plantation crops.
In recent years, Malaysia has, like other countries, increased its carbon emission due to growth in the use of fossil fuel in the energy and transport sectors.
In 2007, Malaysia's total emission increased to 292.9 million tonnes from 223.1 million tonnes in 2000. Emission from the energy sector in 2007 increased to 217.0 million tonnes (74 %) from 147 million tonnes (65.9 %) in 2000.
Nevertheless, emissions from other sectors have reduced in absolute as well as in percentage terms. Emission from the LULUCF sector has even declined substantially because of reduced deforestation.
By 2007, Malaysia graduated to become a carbon emitter, joining the same status of most other countries of the world because of the appetite for energy consumption with increased income.
The carbon removal capacity of the LULUCF sector of 247 million tonnes in 2007 could no longer contain all the emissions of the nation because of the rapid growth in energy consumption, resulting in the net national emission reaching 45.9 million tonnes.
Such emission levels are considered small by international standards. In comparison, emission from the world aviation industry amounts to over 600 million tonnes per year, representing 2% of the total global emission.
Thus, Malaysia, which accounts for 0.4% of the world population, emits only 0.15% of the global total green house gas emissions. In comparison, the US accounts for 17% of global emissions, although it represents only 4% of the world population.
In its notification of the CO2 eq emission of palm biodiesel, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has erroneously estimated that palm biodiesel emits up to 83% of the CO2 emission equivalent of fossil diesel, resulting in an emission saving level of only 17% compared to fossil diesel (as a comparison, the EU assigned 19% emission savings for palm oil).
Only biodiesel having an emission-saving value of 20% or more will be approved as biofuel under the EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS 2) ruling. Biofuels with emission savings of 50% or more will be further approved for classification as advanced biofuels that qualify for additional incentives.
The proposed notification, therefore, threatens to disqualify palm oil from being used for producing biodiesel in the US.
In the palm biofuel modelling, the EPA has assumed that indirect land use change (ILUC) for cultivation of oil palm results in deforestation and emission of CO2 of up to 57% of the total emission for palm biodiesel. This wrong assumption alone leads to the emission saving of palm oil declining from 74% to 17% of fossil fuel equivalent.
In practice, palm oil production in Malaysia has negative emissions because of the sequestration effect of the LULUCF sector. In reality, emissions associated with palm oil production have been offset by the sequestration capacity of oil palm plantations.
Malaysia has accounted for emissions from the oil palm sector in its commitment to emission mitigation at the UNFCC, by balancing the using of carbon removal capacity of the LULUCF sector. Therefore, it would be wrong to add back emissions due to deforestation by the oil palm plantations in the EPA's palm biodiesel emission calculations.
This would be considered as double-counting and highly punitive for palm oil. The deforestation emission from oil palm cultivation from the annual clearing of degraded forest land can be capably offset not only by the superior carbon removal capacity of the LULUCF sector, but also by the sequestration capacity of the oil palm plantations itself, which was not duly considered in the EPA's modelling exercise.
The EPA's projection also indicated that soya bean cultivation will have to grow enormously by 50% each year or (14 milllion hectares per year) to meet the volume of soya bean oil needed to achieve the 2022 target of biodiesel to be produced in the US.
This would mean a massive expansion of land and deforestation for soya bean cultivation.
If palm oil is imported, such deforestation can be partly avoided. Based on its high yield of 10 times more than soya bean oil, each tonne of palm oil imported into the US for biofuel will lead to 2.5ha of avoided deforestation by not having to plant the equivalent amount of soya bean crop.
The emission saving value of the avoided deforestation should be added to the total emission saving for palm biodiesel.
This would result in the total emission saving for palm biodiesel to be more than 100% compared to petroleum diesel equivalents.
It implies that if the US were to import palm-based biodiesel to meet it future biofuel targets, there is a net removal of carbon globally for every tonne of palm oil used.
Palm oil production in Malaysia is a net carbon sink, and when used in the US, it prevents forests from being deforested as a result of not having to produce soya bean oil, and the forests saved from being cut will continue to further sequester carbon.
In conclusion, the EPA has used an incorrect model to calculate the life-cycle of carbon emission of palm oil using the ILUC concept. It fails to take into account Malaysia's deliberate policy of preserving forests to act as a sequestering agent to remove emission from all of its economic activities.
Carbon Emission Blame Game – Will the Real Culprit Please Stand Up!
how long from fertilisation until the fruit ready for harvesting?Thx.


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Summary: Bella, Jessica and Angela drive over to Port Angeles after school so that Jessica and Angela can shop for dresses for the dance. On the way there, Bella is horrified to learn that Tyler seems to think he is taking her to the prom – which in turn, is why Lauren doesn't like her.
While dress shopping, Bella asks Angela whether it's normal for the Cullens to be out of school a lot. Angela explains that it is as they go backpacking a lot.
After the dress shopping is complete, Bella goes looking for a bookshop while the other two take their shopping back to the car. While looking for a decent bookshop, she gets lost. Trying to find her way back to the others, she is cornered by a group of men who have herded her into a deserted street. Bella realises that they are after more than just her handbag, which she had considered deliberately dropping.
Rather than trying to run from the men, Bella stands still, bracing herself for their attack and desperately trying to remember what self-defence she knows. Her throat is so dry she has no voice to scream, although she tries swallowing so she can try.
Before either Bella can scream, or the men can attack, a car speeds round the corner, stopping just in front of Bella. It's Edward.
Once Bella is in the car, Edward drives away from the street and out of Port Angeles, running a series of red lights to do so. He appears to be struggling to contain his anger and tells Bella to say anything to distract him.
Bella tells Edward about Tyler saying he's going to take her to the prom, and what she thinks she could do to him so he's unable to carry out the threat. To Bella's disbelief, Edward says he'd heard about what Tyler had been saying.
Edward explains to Bella that he sometimes has a problem with his temper and that it wouldn't have been 'helpful' for him to 'hunt down' the men who had been about to attack Bella.
Bella reminds Edward that Jessica and Angela will be worried about her, and he drives her to the restaurant without being told where she was to meet her friends. Once at the restaurant, Edward informs Bella that he is taking her for dinner.
Jessica and Angela are shocked to see Bella with Edward, but leave her alone with him after he says he will drive her home.
On entering the restaurant, Bella is irritated by the welcome the female host gives Edward. She is further surprised when Edward refuses the table they are offered, appearing to tip the host so they can have a more private table.
Once seated, Bella comments on how Edward 'dazzles' people. This seems to confuse him although he does ask Bella whether he dazzles her or not – she admits that he does.
The waitress, who comes to serve them, is equally dazzled by Edward, aiming all her questions at him rather than Bella. Edward, however, ignores the waitress, encouraging Bella to order some food, although he orders nothing himself.
Edward is concerned that Bella should be going into shock, however, she says she is fine. Despite this, she starts to shiver after drinking the coke the Waitress brought. Realising that she has no jacket, as she left it in Jessica's car, Edward gives Bella his own. Bella notices that the jacket is cold and smells amazing.
Bella continues to maintain that she feels fine, despite Edward's puzzled concern, as she feels very safe with him. This comment does not appear to please Edward.
Wanting to start questioning Edward, Bella comments on the colour of his eyes, as she had noticed that they were currently very light, which usually means he is in a good mood. This observation stuns Edward. Bella then goes on to explain that she expects him to be in a bad mood when his eyes are black and that she has a theory about it. Following Edward's enquiries, Bella tells him she will explain her theory in the car, as long as he answers a few questions first. Edward agrees to this.
Bella starts by asking Edward why he is in Port Angeles but he refuses to tell her, so she starts a different line of questioning. Through the discussion of a supposedly hypothetical situation, Edward admits that he can read minds – with the one exception of Bella.
Edward explains that he followed Bella to Port Angeles, as he is trying to keep her alive. This doesn't bother Bella as much as she thinks it perhaps should. She then points out that maybe, since the incident with Tyler's van, Edward has been interfering with fate and that she should have died. Edward responds by ominously reminding her of the first time they met, admitting that her number had been up then. This scares Bella momentarily, but she is able to calm herself before Edward looks at her again, as far as she is concerned, she is still alive because of Edward.
Drawing the conversation back to how Edward was able to find her in Port Angeles, Bella aggress to eat while he talks. Edward explains that he had been monitoring her whereabouts through Jessica's mind and hadn't noticed when she had gone off on her own. He explains how he traced her through the thoughts of other people, finally finding the minds of the men who had her cornered.
As he speaks, the anger Edward appeared to feel directly after rescuing Bella returns and he describes how hard it was for him to leave the men alive, which was why he couldn't let Bella go home with Jessica and Angela.
After Edward has finished speaking, he and Bella leave the restaurant – neither walking close enough to the other for their bodies to touch; this saddens Bella as she remembers what Jessica has been saying about her and Mike almost reaching the first-kiss stage of their relationship.
As they head out of Port Angeles Edward tells Bella it's her turn to talk, as she had promised she would tell him of her new theory about him in the car.
~ Bella realising Edward has taken her to the restaurant without having been told it was where she needed to be.
~How Edward's jacket feels when Bella first puts it on.
~ Edward pointing out that he can't read Bella's mind.
~Edward confesses to being a threat to Bella.
~How Edward feels when he does not know where Bella is.
Bella feels very safe with Edward, despite discovering he is a potential threat to her.
Bella is not the only one who is dazzled by Edward's smile and eyes, other women are affected by him too and he doesn't seem to notice.
Bella doesn't appear to react to danger in the same way others do – she should have gone into shock but doesn't.
Edward can read minds – with the exception of Bella, and is able to track someone by reading people's minds.
Edward is a real threat to Bella.
Edward's skin is cold and as hard as stone.
Edward searches for Bella in his car until the sun starts setting, only then does he consider getting out to search for her on foot.
Bella needs to have more proof / explanations before she is willing to share her new theory with Edward.


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DU Home » Latest Threads » Forums & Groups » Retired » Retired Forums » 2016 Postmortem (Forum) » Great Article on How and ...
Sun Sep 4, 2016, 10:47 AM
Tal Vez (660 posts)
Great Article on How and Why Wikileaks Has Become a Tool for Russia
The NY Times explains how and why Assange is working for Putin and Russia.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/01/world/europe/wikileaks-julian-assange-russia.html?_r=0
Great Article on How and Why Wikileaks Has Become a Tool for Russia (Original post)
Tal Vez Sep 2016 OP
He'll always be welcome in Siberia.
anamandujano Sep 2016 #1
That is entirely possible.
Tal Vez Sep 2016 #2
That's got to be a fun existence.
I guess he has two small rooms without air conditionings.
Response to Tal Vez (Original post)
Sun Sep 4, 2016, 02:09 PM
anamandujano (7,004 posts)
1. He'll always be welcome in Siberia.
WikiLeaks announced that it would soon release some of the crown jewels of American intelligence: a "pristine" set of cyberspying codes. United States officials say they believe with a high degree of confidence that the Democratic Party material was hacked by the Russian government, and suspect that the codes may have been stolen by the Russians as well. That raises a question: Has WikiLeaks become a laundering machine for compromising material gathered by Russian spies?
During his time isolated in the Ecuadorean Embassy, under constant surveillance, his instinctive mistrust of the West hardened even as he became increasingly numb to the abuses of the Kremlin, which he viewed as a "bulwark against Western imperialism,"
2. That is entirely possible.
Assange did tell Snowden that Snowden would not be safe from the Americans in South America and that the Russians were the only country able to protect him. Assange may feel that he too will need to go to Russia if he can get there. Assange has also said that the Russian government knows how to pressure people to do what it wants. He may be speaking from experience. Finally, Russians may be funding Wikileaks now. Whatever it is, it seems clear that he has become a pawn of the Russians and is distributing the documents that they tell him to distribute. Some of those documents may be authentic and some may have been doctored by Russian security. Much of this information and more can be found at this youtube video of a New York Times interview of Assange a few days ago:
Response to Tal Vez (Reply #2)
3. That's got to be a fun existence.
I'd rather be anywhere than under Putin's thumb. No doubt he is a solid gaggle of regret.
Response to anamandujano (Reply #3)
4. I guess he has two small rooms without air conditionings.
He is apparently suffering from depression.
2016 Postmortem (Forum)


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Every chapter in this book wrecked me – and inspired me.
If historical films Selma and Loving forced me to grapple with the level of racism and injustice that was still present in the United States when my father was a child, Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy forced me to grapple with the level of racism and injustice that was still present when I was a child. The book is a memoir of sorts, describing Stevenson's work leading the Equal Justice Initiative, representing death row inmates and other disfavored people, especially the wrongfully convicted and disproportionately sentenced, particularly in Alabama and nearby Deep South states.
While Walter's experience is manifestly an outlier for 1980's Alabama, it is painfully obvious that it would not have been possible without the bigotry of local officials or even of the general white population in the county. Nor is the suffering limited to Walter as an individual. If Jill Leovy's book Ghettoside starkly displayed the compounding destructive effects of gang violence in the inner city on whole black communities, Just Mercy starkly displayed the compounding destructive effects of injustice at the hands of the government through the criminal justice system. A community full of people who were at the barbecue that solidified Walter's alibi was crushed with a heavy hopelessness that such a blatant miscarriage of justice was allowed to happen, compounding upon their shared historical pain even in spite of the progress of the civil rights movement.
And yet I still believe in that continuing stream of progress, much of which Stevenson has had a direct hand in bringing about. I was inspired by his work as well as encouraged by my (perhaps but hopefully not naive) confidence that most of the local officials' disgraces toward Walter would not be tolerated today. From Supreme Court decisions to the continually evolving attitudes of the American public, our nation is both progressing and full of opportunities for us to play a part in the progress that still desperately needs to be manifested. Stevenson's impacts on individual lives, and the radiating influence of those impacts, gave me much to ponder about the tension between pursuing small things and big things in the name of truth and justice.
While I acknowledge difficult questions around the nature of justice for victims of violence, the book deepened my personal opposition to the death penalty. "Abstractions about capital punishment were one thing, but the details of systematically killing someone who is not a threat are completely different." There are probably few examples of the sad incongruence of the evangelical "Bible Belt" and the land of "Jim Crow" that are more searing than the image of a young black teenager climbing into the electric chair and made to sit atop a Bible for his execution since he was too short for the restraints. "Let he who is without sin," indeed. Yet I also smiled to read of the old Methodist couple who took in a released youngster, determined to redeem him from all the horrors he had lived. That is the sort of neighborly, Christ-like love that is truly our only hope.


It is no surprise that the nation's immigration courts—the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)—are collapsing under the weight of massive numbers of illegal aliens. It is due to two major factors, the refusal of the Obama Regime to use Expedited Removal and the Obama Regime's encouragement of the Border Surge of illegal aliens from Central America.
A backlog in the nation's federal immigration courts has reached 500,051 cases, the highest number ever recorded, according to U.S. immigration officials Friday.
Los Angeles immigration courts have a current backlog of 49,550 pending cases, according to the federal Executive Office for Immigration Review. That number is nearing L.A. courts' fiscal year 2015 backlog of 50,842 waiting cases.
Last year, Los Angeles had the second-largest case backlog in the nation behind New York.
The growing backlog of cases stems from several reasons: few available immigration judges, immigration laws that have grown more complicated over the years, and changing migration patterns, the head of the immigration judges' union said Friday.
Unfortunately cuckservative Paul Ryan and other RINOs have pandered to Obama. Instead of including language in appropriations statutes implementing and expanding Expedited Removal, they have decided adding more immigration judges is the solution to the outright fraud being perpetrated—by the Regime and the illegal aliens—under the guise of "asylum." Over 90% of illegal aliens never show up to immigration court anyway, so what is the point of more judges?
Federal officials said they are trying to address the backlog by beefing up staffing, and that Congress has already appropriated funds to hire 90 new judges and supporting staff.
The real solution to the border surge of Central American illegal aliens is Expedited Removal, which is the administrative review of any claim to enter the United States, and the expeditious removal of those aliens who make those fraudulent claims to asylum back across the border to Mexico—where they came from.
Aggressive application of Expedited Removal will not only remove those illegal aliens clogging up immigration court, but also discourage future illegal entries. Something that Barack Obama and Paul Ryan clearly don't want.
There are limitations to Expedited Removal, though, and those need to be addressed by Congress. The advantages are that any illegal alien who enters the United States can be removed within two years of said entry and any criminal illegal alien can be removed at any time. The Obama Regime is not using Expedited Removal for criminal aliens at all, and only in a highly limited manner for some aliens encountered at Port-of-Entry and some aliens encountered in the border area, but not the Central American border surge illegal aliens.
Unfortunately, many illegal aliens have been here more than two years, though most of the border surge aliens have not. Congress, instead of adding more useless judges to the EOIR, needs to expand Expedited Removal to include any illegal alien and restrict the EOIR to aliens who have a legitimate claim to legal permanent residence. Those are the only aliens who have any cognizable claim to anything more than an administrative review at the lowest level. Let the EOIR only deal with non-criminal aliens who are legal permanent residents.


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Page 15, 29th April 2005
Page 15, 29th April 2005 — A warm welcome for Pope Benedict XVI
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Religion / Belief
Organisations: German military, Nazi Party, German court, German army, US Federal Reserve
People: Selwyn Hodson Pressinger, Deborah Jones, Joseph Ratzinger, John Paul II, Jesus Christ, Dwight Longenecker, Anton Pressinger, Jocelyn Rowe, James Bruce, Benedict XVI
Analysis: How The Church Greeted The Election Of Pope...
Pope Earns Birthday Chorus Of Approval From Pilgrims
Benedict Xvi's Gentle Recipe For Leading The Young To Faith
Page 11 from 15th August 2008
Pope Asks Jesuits To Obey Church
A Million Attend John Paul's Beatification
Page 3 from 6th May 2011
A warm welcome for Pope Benedict XVI
Keywords: Pope Benedict Xvi, Heads Of State, Christianity, Christian Theology, Ratzinger, Pope Benedict Xv, Pope, Theology Of Pope Benedict Xvi, Pope Benedict Xvi And Islam, Religion / Belief
From Jocelyn Rowe SIR – I would like to express the heartfelt joy of so many, many Catholics at the election of our brave new Pope, Benedict XVI.
We salute his courage in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, his clear desire to serve God rather than pleasing man and his conviction that we may restore belief in the Real Presence of Our Blessed Lord in the Eucharist by showing proper reverence in the liturgy and in our worship.
Yours faithfully, JOCELYN ROWE Rye, E Sussex From Mr Selwyn Hodson Pressinger SIR – Many fellow Catholics, I am sure, welcome the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI. His election is really "good news". However, it is saddening that so many press reports wished to highlight his period in the German army in World War II.
I am reminded how the press reported the performances of my namesake, Anton Pressinger, in the famous Passion Plays at Oberammergau almost half a century ago. As well as stating that he was unusual in acting in the play over numerous decades, and twice in the role of Christ, they felt obliged to mention each time he had been fined 20 marks in 1947 by a German court (at GarmishPartenkirchen) for having been a member of the Nazi Party.
It seems that mention of any past involvement in the German military will always take precedence in a news story, irrespective of its positive aspects, even when the subject concerned becomes Pope.
The press could have emphasised instead the fact that Ratzinger is a sensible choice for a multitude of reasons, not least for his conservative views.
Such conservative thinking is needed in an increasingly secular western society, and it is appreciated by Christians in the poorer and developing nations. Moreover, many non-Christian nations, including Muslims, share the Pope's views on a variety of issues concerning morality.
May we hope that, in spite of his age, Pope Benedict XVI will prove to be much more than just a "transitional pope", as some reports were forecasting.
Yours faithfully, SELWYN HODSON PRESSINGER London SW7 From Miss Deborah Jones SIR – People who care for the welfare of animals can be heartened by the appointment of Pope Benedict XVI, whom I once had the honour to meet.
In an interview with a German journalist some years ago, he spoke about our use of animals as "a very serious question" and said that "they are given into our care... we cannot just do whatever we want with them". They too, he went on, "are God's creatures... [that] we must respect as companions in creation and as important elements in the creation... [Man] should always maintain his respect for these creatures".
On the important subject of facto ry farming, he denounced "a sort of industrial use of creatures" as contradicting "the relationship of mutuality that comes across in the Bible". He reserved particular condemnation for the production of foie gras, where "geese are fed in such a way as to produce as large a liver as possible", and of the intensive rearing of "hens living so packed together that they become just caricatures of birds" as a "degrading of living creatures to a commodity".
Now, perhaps, we can see the Church taking her rightful place in the lead to stop these inhumane practices.
Yours faithfully, DEBORAH JONES Catholic Concern for Animals Witney, Oxon From Mr James Bruce SIR – His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI is not a Rottweiler, but rather he is our German Shepherd. And there is life in the old dog yet.
Yours faithfully, JAMES BRUCE Bristol From Mr Dwight Longenecker SIR – Many people adopted "JP2" as an affectionate shorthand reference to the late, great John Paul II.
Acknowledging the stalwart reputation of our new Pope do you think we might refer to him as "B-16"?
Yours faithfully, DWIGHT LONGENECKER Chippenham, Wilts


text:
Syracuse University to Receive Record Donation
The Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation intends to pledge $75 million to Syracuse University's S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. The gift will be the largest donation to the university in its 150-year history and one of the largest ever to a school of communications.
Donald E. Newhouse, a Syracuse alumnus and honorary trustee, made the announcement at an event at the Newhouse School on Jan. 13.
"In this era in which public communications is undergoing continual and radical change, my family and I expect to continue our long-term commitment to ensure that the school my dad helped found almost 60 years ago remains the leading communications school in the world for another generation," he said in a university press release.
The university said the gift "will support multiple academic initiatives" and boost a fundraising campaign launched in November.
The Newhouse School is named for Newhouse's late father, Samuel I. Newhouse, who donated $15 million to the university in 1962 to help fund construction of the first of the school's three buildings. That donation was the largest gift in its history at that time.
Texas Southern President on Leave
Austin A. Lane was placed on administrative leave as president of Texas Southern University. A statement from the university said, "The board is committed to ensuring all activities at the university are conducted in an ethical and transparent manner in accordance with the university's mission, vision and values. The university will have no further comment at this time."
It is unclear if the announcement relates to one in November, when the board announced that it had "contacted local authorities after confirming certain improprieties related to the admissions process within the university based on an internal investigation."
San Diego Student Killed in Iran Plane Crash
A student at a San Diego college was among those killed in the crash of a Ukrainian airliner in Iran on Wednesday, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The student, Sarah Saadat, was studying for a doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Alliant International University. Her sister, Saba Saadat, a student at the University of Alberta, and their mother, Shekoufeh Choupannejad, a physician, were also killed.
Many of the plane crash victims were students and scholars affiliated with Canadian universities; at least 18 Canadian universities reported losing one or more students or scholars in the crash. Iran's military said Saturday that it accidentally shot down the plane.
No Classes at Clark College in Anticipation of Faculty Strike
There will be no classes at Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., today, because a faculty strike has been called.
The faculty union, which represents 400 full- and part-time faculty members, has been negotiating with college officials for 15 months, according to The Columbian. A particular point of contention has been salaries for part-time employees.
Calif. Governor's Proposed Higher Ed Budget
Gavin Newsom, California's Democratic governor, last week rolled out his proposed state budget for 2020-21. The proposal includes substantial general fund increases for higher education. But the overall total would only increase modestly, as some one-time capital outlays expire. The budget also would set aside billions of dollars for reserves amid slowing of the rapid expansion of California's economy.
Proposed increases for the state's community colleges are intended to reduce cost pressures for students on textbooks and by reducing time to graduation or transfer. It also includes support for food pantries for students. In addition, Newsom proposed $83.2 million in new funding for apprenticeship and work-based learning programs for two-year students.
The budget proposal would not alter the state's recently created performance funding formula for community colleges.
Eloy Oakley, the California community college system's chancellor, in a written statement called Newsom's budget a "strong start."
Proposed general fund increases for the California State University and University of California systems reflect investments with the "expectation that both segments expand access, and continue efforts aimed at graduating more students, closing achievement gaps, meeting the educational needs of students in underserved regions of the state and improving all students' time-to-degree completion," the budget said.
Newsom also proposed targeted higher education funding increases for improving social mobility for Fresno and its surrounding region. For example, it includes $17 million for K-16 educational pathways into jobs in high-wage, high-growth sectors.
Iowa Wesleyan, Saint Leo Break Off Partnership Talks
Iowa Wesleyan University and Saint Leo University in Florida are walking away from partnership plans after encountering difficulties with financial conditions, student financial aid and accreditation.
In 2018, Iowa Wesleyan survived a closure scare by securing gifts and financing from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It then sought partnerships and entered a due diligence process with Saint Leo.
But Iowa Wesleyan's debt load was a barrier -- Saint Leo asked the USDA to forgive part of a $21.4 million loan to the private college in Iowa, Iowa Wesleyan's president, Christine Plunkett, told The Gazette Friday. Iowa Wesleyan would also have changed accreditors if talks were consummated, which would have made its students ineligible for the Iowa Tuition Grant. That's significant because the state grant went to almost a fifth of Iowa Wesleyan's students as of this fall, and Iowa Wesleyan has been emphasizing recruitment of in-state students.
Plunkett told The Gazette that she is certain Iowa Wesleyan will be able to stay open through the year and that she is "fairly confident that we have what we need to operate into next year." A group of trustees is evaluating next steps that could still include some sort of partnership.
ALA Rethinks 'Free Speech Zone'
The American Library Association raised eyebrows last week with a proposal to create a "designated area for the expression of social beliefs" at its upcoming midwinter meeting in Philadelphia.
On its event website, the ALA said it would create a space called "the square" to "allow individuals or groups the opportunity to express support for or objection to self-identified topics."
did.......did @ALALibrary just create a "free speech zone" at the Midwinter conference? pic.twitter.com/YHESbxbk2U
— nice online (@flexlibris) January 10, 2020
The proposal was ridiculed by librarians on Twitter, who joked "the square" could become an "intellectual fight club" or "Thunderdome." Many also expressed serious concern that "the square" would create a platform for hate speech, or limit attendees' ability to speak freely in other conference areas.
Some commenters theorized "the square" was a strategy for controlling protests. At the ALA annual conference in June 2019, a group of librarians protested the presence of a Central Intelligence Agency recruitment booth on the exhibit floor, stating the agency's practices were incompatible with the values of librarianship.
The ALA quickly admitted it had "missed the mark" with its proposal. "We've pulled down the page and will be regrouping shortly to determine how best we can balance the needs of all attendees and exhibitors in Philadelphia," said Mary Ghikas, ALA executive director, in a statement. "We apologize for the confusion this has caused. As always, we thank you for your feedback."
Northwestern Endowment Shrank in 2019
Northwestern University earned a 2.5 percent return in fiscal 2019 but lost money, Institutional Investor reported. Endowment spending was used to cover a continuing deficit at the university. At the end of the year, the value of the endowment was $10.8 billion, down from $11 billion a year earlier.
Academic Minute: Migrants' Value to Their Businesses
Today on the Academic Minute, Ben Graham, associate professor in the school of international relations at the University of Southern California Dornsife, explores why immigrants can help keep America ahead of China. Learn more about the Academic Minute here.


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Gray distance to Bangor
How far is Gray from Bangor?
Shortest distance between Gray and Bangor is 99.48 miles (160.1 km).
Flight distance from Gray, ME to Bangor, ME is 99.48 miles. Estimated flight time is 00 hours 14 minutes.
It takes 00 hours 13 minutes to travel from Gray to Bangor with an airplane (average speed of 550 miles).
The driving distance from Gray, Maine to Bangor, Maine is: 121.03 miles (194.78 km) by car.
Driving from Gray to Bangor will take approximately 01 hours 47 minutes.
#1 Gray
Town in Cumberland County, Maine, US
43°53'8"N 70°19'54"W
#2 Bangor
City in Penobscot County, Maine, USA
Starting point in Gray: Main Street (-70.330844,43.885307)
Ending point in Bangor: Hammond Street (-68.777856,44.801175)
Estimated Travel Time Between Gray and Bangor
The distance between Gray and Bangor is 195 km if you choose to drive by road. You can go 02 hours 09 minutes if you drive your car at an average speed of 90 kilometers / hour. For different choices, please review the avg. speed travel time table on the below.
There is no time difference between Gray and Bangor. The current time is 21:05:12.
A car with a fuel efficiency of 8.3 l/100 km will need 16.17 liters (4.27 gallon) of gas to cover the route between Gray and Bangor.
The estimated cost of gas to go from Gray to Bangor is $17.52 (diesel $20.71).
The place names are translated into coordinates to approximate the distance between Gray and Bangor (latitude and longitude). Cities, states, and countries each have their own regional center. The Haversine formula is used to measure the radius.
Driving distance from Auburn, ME to Gray 17.22 miles (28 km)
Augusta, ME
Driving distance from Augusta, ME to Gray 47.77 miles (77 km)
Driving distance from Biddeford, ME to Gray 31.1 miles (50 km)
Brunswick, ME
Driving distance from Brunswick, ME to Gray 36.86 miles (59 km)
Falmouth, ME
Driving distance from Falmouth, ME to Gray 17.25 miles (28 km)
Driving distance from Gorham, ME to Gray 16.63 miles (27 km)
Driving distance from Lewiston, ME to Gray 18.13 miles (29 km)
Driving distance from Portland, ME to Gray 23 miles (37 km)
City of Portland, ME
Driving distance from City of Portland, ME to Gray 26.85 miles (43 km)
Saco, ME
Driving distance from Saco, ME to Gray 30.22 miles (49 km)
Sanford, ME
Driving distance from Sanford, ME to Gray 47.55 miles (77 km)
Scarborough, ME
Driving distance from Scarborough, ME to Gray 24.23 miles (39 km)


Confo Therapeutics, a spin-off of VIB and VUB, is a drug discovery company built around a disruptive technology which enables it to address 'undruggable' GPCRs. The company is building a portfolio of transformative medicines in various disease areas. Confo Therapeutics is currently located on the Etterbeek campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and on the Technology Park in Zwijnaarde/Ghent. More information about Confo's technology and strategy can be found on www.confotherapeutics.com .
Ability to keep accurate and complete records of all scientific experiments according to established procedures.
Do you have the right qualifications and are you up to the challenge of joining our entrepreneurial team? Then forward a short motivation letter and your CV with description of your technical expertise to careers@confotherapeutics.com.


Here's strip 63 of Dude in Distress, and it seems word about Clark has gotten around among Femme's peers. I figure the identity of Suze's sis is probably pretty easy to guess.
Also, Episode 1 has gone off to the printer, so it should be ready to order very soon from IndyPlanet.com. Look for an announcement very soon.
Who is Sis that Suze is referring to?
Well, if it's supposed to be an easy guess, I'm gonna go with Beauty Beast. Quite a bit of family resemblance there. On the other hand, with someone that close it's not much of a basis to conclude that word has gotten around. Unless rumour mills are very lazy in this universe or I'm mistaken about the time.
D'oh! Lady Lightspeed I mean. I blame the mixup on my illness-induced headache and drowsiness.
Yep, Suze is Lady Lightspeed's little sister.
I also was a bit mistaken about the time, LL and BB only got to hear about Clark earlier today: http://dudeindistress.thecomicseries.com/comics/48 That was some amount of time after either rush hour. We're now at about 19:30, so that may have been about two hours ago in which case the rumour speed is appropriate. But we read that scene before Clark's lunch, indicating that it was in the morning. Wherefore I still expect this rumour to have reached significantly further. And maybe it has?
I think it's pretty much only spread among Femme's hero friends--and their family members, if they don't keep their superhero personas secret from their families. Some gossip may also be spreading in social media now because of the public appearance at Pierre's. Oddly enough, I suspect Clark's friends are probably tighter lipped about the date than Femme's friends (granted Femme's friends would likely keep the talk to only their trusted peers).
Is this the first time that Clark has heard FF's real name? He seems nonplussed about it... or he's holding back reaction to wait until they're alone again.
Femme's real name is known, but she is best known by her Femme Fantastic moniker--essentially her professional or stage name. This being their first date, Clark probably doesn't feel comfortable enough to call her by her real name.
Maybe Clark can't even pronounce her real name?!?


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Home Lifestyle News US Tech Innovators Choose Montenegro Citizenship by Investment Program for Domicile Diversification
US Tech Innovators Choose Montenegro Citizenship by Investment Program for Domicile Diversification
LONDON, Oct. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Henley & Partners is reporting a sharp rise in interest in the Montenegro Citizenship by Investment Program, with a flood of applications from dynamic, successful US citizens, most of whom are high-powered Generation Xers. The leading international residence and citizenship advisory firm is one of only three government appointed marketing agents for Montenegro's highly sought-after citizenship program, which is due to close at the end of this year.
Rade Ljumović, Managing Partner at Henley & Partners in Montenegro, says high-net-worth investors are drawn to Montenegro for multiple reasons. "Over and above the mild Mediterranean climate and abundant beauty, investors see significant opportunities in Montenegro — one of the fastest-growing Balkan economies. We are receiving applications from leading US innovators in the tech sphere, whose real estate investment is just the start — all are fully aware that Montenegro is focused on boosting digital innovation. There are no restrictions on foreign ownership and Montenegro offers one of Europe's most favorable tax regimes. In addition to all the usual benefits of an additional citizenship, the property boom means that investors are likely to see excellent returns on their real estate investment."
US citizens are aware of growing need for diversifying their citizenship portfolios, says Mehdi Kadiri, Managing Partner and Head of North America at Henley & Partners. "The shock waves of Covid-19-driven volatility throughout 2021 have seen more entrepreneurs building diversified domicile portfolios through investing in residence and citizenship by investment programs, such as Montenegro's attractive offering. The primary aim is to overcome the limitations and associated risks of being restricted to a single jurisdiction. With its ease of access to major EU metropolises, investors see Montenegro as an ideal, well-priced gateway to Europe and the associated networking and business opportunities throughout the region."
Applicants to the Montenegro Citizenship-by-Investment Program need to make a minimum financial contribution of EUR 350,000 (investment of EUR 250,000 and a donation of EUR 100,000 to the country), and in exchange, and subject to a stringent vetting and due diligence process including thorough background checks, they and their families are granted Montenegrin citizenship within three to five months.
Montenegro's passport consistently ranks in the top 50 worldwide. Currently it sits in 48th position on the Henley Passport Index, with its holders enjoying visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 123 destinations worldwide, including the countries in Europe's Schengen Area as well as Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, and the UAE. In addition to being a NATO member, Montenegro is a recognized candidate for future membership of the EU, with the government's chief negotiator, Zorka Kordić, recently giving 2024 as the target timeline for Montenegrin accession.
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Returned refugees break ground at South Sudan farm cooperative
Looking to build a secure future, returning refugees are working alongside local residents to turn a 250-acre plot of bushland into a productive farm.
Farmer Alice Ayo Matata, 30, takes a break from clearing land at the Can-Coya farming collective, of which she is a member.
© UNHCR/Tim Gaynor
By Tim Gaynor in Magwi, South Sudan | 27 October 2022 | Español | Français | عربي
With wet season rains just days away, a group of farm workers race to clear tree stumps, cut up branches and dig the soil across a broad tract of bush in this remote corner of South Sudan, close to the border with Uganda.
Working with a purpose, they hope to grow crops at sufficient scale to lift themselves and their community out of a hand-to-mouth existence of grinding poverty in one of the world's poorest and most conflict-affected countries.
"If you don't feel hope, you don't do the work. [But] if you see something in the future, then you run to get it," says returned refugee Mwaka Paul, explaining the energy that ripples through the farm six kilometres down a dirt track south of Magwi Town.
Paul, 33, is a member of the Can-Coya farming community comprising returned refugees and local residents who are on a mission to turn their lives around.
The fast-growing group, whose name means "Poverty Keeps Me Awake" in Acholi, began cultivating cabbages, tomatoes, pumpkins, bananas and spinach last year on a plot of four acres of gently sloping land bordered by a stream, and this year aim to plant 250 acres.
They started out with 31 members, but this growing season, have grown to 54, half of them returned refugees. They are looking to add maize, groundnuts and onions this time around, and sell their crops in Juba, the nation's capital and principal market, where prices are higher.
"The idea," says group chairman Odong Anthony, "is to work together and eradicate poverty … and stop importing food."
"If you work alone, it's hard. If you join hands, it's easy."
To scale up fast, they need help, Anthony says, and persuading more refugees to return from the diaspora to work alongside them is key. He says word is getting back to the camps in Uganda a few miles across the border, where many acquire useful skills and knowledge.
"Our message (to them) is 'you are welcome,'" says the 45-year-old, as the group set down their hand tools in a clearing to break for lunch cooked over an open fire. "If you work alone, it's hard. If you join hands, it's easy."
Among recent returnees with specialist skills is Alice Ayo Matata, 30, who learned to grow seedlings in a nursery, harden them off and transplant them. Since coming home a year ago, she is also keen to share her knowledge of animal husbandry and beekeeping with the community, some of whose members forage for wild honey in the nearby forest, using smoke to pacify the bees.
"I know how to do it, and I can teach people," she says.
Meanwhile Mwaka, who came back from Uganda in 2010 and has since gained a degree in economics and has studied accountancy, believes his practical knowledge can help the group as it grows.
"If we manage to cultivate and have our supplies taken to the market, it needs an accountant. Someone who knows how money is supposed to be kept, how money is supposed to be used, to make good records," he says. "That knowledge can help all the cooperative."
Currently, members make the daily trip to the farm from Magwi on foot, by bicycle and motorbike. But they are building a house out of mud bricks in the centre of the plot, to have a presence around the clock, guarding against theft and even raids by monkeys from the forest across the boundary stream.
Returned refugee Mwaka Paul, 33, takes a break from clearing the land for planting. © UNHCR/Tim Gaynor
Odong Anthony stands in a field of corn growing on lands planted by the Can-Coya farming collective, of which he is chairman. © UNHCR/Tim Gaynor
A convoy of UNHCR vehicles drive along a track to land cleared by the Can-Coya farming community. © UNHCR/Tim Gaynor
Odong Anthony digs the soil on land cultivated by the Can-Coya farming collective. © UNHCR/Tim Gaynor
Amid a soundtrack of thrumming insects, birdsong and laughter, is Grace Abalo, a widowed mother of seven children, who returned to South Sudan two months previously. She relishes the energy and sense of a shared purpose.
"When I work in a group, I feel that we can get something done," says Grace. "It feels good to be home."
There are currently around 2.3 million refugees from South Sudan scattered across five neighboring countries. More than 500,000 refugees have now returned to South Sudan since 2018, some 110,000 of them to Eastern Equatoria State, where the group is based.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is helping those who return voluntarily to live a safe and dignified life through support for peacebuilding, governance and livelihoods in Magwi County and other "pockets of hope" in the country.
It is currently helping the Can-Coya community to incorporate as a cooperative, and is also providing tractors, assistance with irrigation, hand tools and training to members, to help them transition from subsistence living to a market economy.
While Magwi County is currently largely secure, the country as a whole remains fragile since achieving independence in 2011. It continues to be impacted by outbreaks of deadly inter-communal violence, as well as political challenges and the impacts of climate change.
See also: Displaced women in South Sudan work to hold back floodwaters
Despite the uncertain picture, the project has already delivered tangible gains for the group that its members feel demonstrate that they are moving in the right direction.
"What's exciting is that I can provide for my children. My children are going to school, there is food, I can buy them clothes, get them medical care," says Alice, taking a break from clearing branches. "I feel proud to be here and proud to be home," she adds.
"I feel proud to be here and proud to be home."
Anthony himself recognizes the significant challenges that South Sudan faces. But he believes that the farming collective offers a lesson about the benefits of unity that the country as a whole can learn from.
"There are different groups coming together (here) from different communities for one goal: production," he says. "That is peace in action. Why wait?"
This story is part of a series about the "Pockets of Hope" initiative in South Sudan.
'As a refugee, I have seen the impacts of the climate crisis up close'
South Sudanese refugee fights deforestation in Uganda by planting trees
UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner urges strong international support for Burundian refugees to return, rebuild their lives
The Digital Worlds of Displacement-Affected Communities
Displaced women in South Sudan work to hold back floodwaters
Devastation in South Sudan following fourth year of historic floods
© UNHCR 2001-2022
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Analytics programs and user feedback are the two best ways to assess if your app is working. With so many analytics programs to choose from, ask your app developer to recommend one that aligns with your app's core offering.
Knowing exactly what you are trying to achieve with your app from the outset is critical to measuring success. Select KPIs that make sense for your target audience.
Are people finding / using your app?
Number of unique app users over a specific time period.
Active user rate (number of users vs download rate).
Frequency of visit: compare number of visits to number of users over a specific time.
Duration of visit: compare how many pages viewed vs number of visits.
Depth of Visit: time spent on your app.
Bounce Rate: how many have used app just once.
Monitor review sites, so you know what is and isn't working.
Be open and willing to incorporate user feedback to improve your app.
Use social media to gain insight into user sentiment about your app and to detect flaws.
Include a feedback function in your app. Users are often the first to point out if something isn't working or could improve.


WhatsApp gone from WP store? Try these free alternatives.
Built by ex-Yahoo employees, and now owned by Facebook, WhatsApp is the world's most popular messenger. The cross platform messaging service has over 500 million monthly active users. The company claims that its servers deliver more than 10 billion messages each day! This should give you an idea about just how popular this app is. So when WhatsApp went missing from Windows Phone Store, it was a huge blow for Microsoft. All its Windows Phone 8 devices that had started gaining some traction in the market are now not even considered by most buyers. Since Microsoft is taking its own sweet time to fix the issue, users are returning their newly purchased WP handsets in favour of Android. If you too are annoyed by the lack of WhatsApp on your device, but not willing to give-up on your Lumia yet, here are a few alternatives you should try out.
WeChat is the closest you get to WhatsApp on Windows Phone. The app offers free texting, voice messages, and video calls. The Chinese messaging client has over 300 million users. You can chat with your friends, create groups, and even send animated smileys. The app supports push notifications on Windows Phone. The developer has recently added a location sharing feature to the app.Sounds creepy, but majority of users find it useful.
If there's a place to find all your WhatsApp buddies, it has got to be Facebook. The Messenger app is a standalone client to chat with your Facebook contacts. You can get all your FB messages without having to open the social networking website. It supports emoticons, new stickers, and photo sharing. You can even start group conversations, just like WhatsApp. To let your friends know your whereabouts, the app comes with location sharing.
Ngram is the best Telegram client for Windows Phone. The app is so well designed that Telegram has plans to promote it as an official WP client. With Telegram, you can create group chats with up to 200 people so you can stay connected with everyone at once. Plus, you can share videos up to 1 GB, send multiple photos from the web, and forward any media you receive. What separates it from the crowd is the focus on security. Telegram offers secret Chats with an option to select the level of encryption. You can can program the messages to self destruct from both devices so there is never any record of it.
Here's another feature packed app that lets you text and share files on-the-go. Similar to Skype, Viber offers free calls to your online friends and cheap call-rates for landline numbers. In Viber, phone number is your ID. The app syncs with your mobile contact and detects which of your contacts have Viber. You can also make groups with up to 100 friends. With push-notifications in place, you won't miss a call or message, even when the application is not open.
GroupMe was acquired by Skype in 2011. Later, when Microsoft picked-up Skype, they automatically got the ownership of GroupMe. As its name suggests, the app is all about group messaging. It's a well designed app that supports push notifications and live tile updates. It's fast, reliable, and supports our favourite GIFs. You can be a part of the conversation from web too - just go to app.groupme.com. On the flipside, the app is not ideal for one-to-one chatting. Overall, it's quite an interesting app with a lot of potential. Microsoft should fuse GroupMe with Skype to get back in the messenger game, but right now the software giant is not paying much attention to it.