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Home Matrix Updates North American Union – Plot for Continent-wide Government
North American Union – Plot for Continent-wide Government
On January 2, 1988, leaders of the United States and Canada met to sign the first major agreement in decades designed to comprehensively lower trade barriers between the two countries. Since the 1850s, American and Canadian politicians had striven to lower or eliminate trade barriers between the two countries, with uneven success; the first such agreement, the Elgin-Marcy Treaty of 1854, was torpedoed by the United States only 12 years later in retaliation for British support of the Confederacy during the Civil War, and successive efforts over the years at eliminating various protectionist policies inevitably fell prey to cries of protectionism or favoritism on one side or the other.
But 1988's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) would be different, leaders in both countries assured their respective citizenries. This time around, trade barriers would be lowered across the board, and protective tariffs and other barriers become a thing of the past. Moreover, Americans and Canadians received glib assurances that the agreement would in nowise jeopardize the sovereignty or independence of either country.
In one respect, American and Canadian leaders were telling their constituents the truth: This trade agreement was different. The FTA — unlike its various abortive predecessors over the previous 130 years — was intended to be but the first step in a process of economic and political integration that would indeed, over the long run, abolish the independence not only of the United States and Canada, but the rest of North America as well.
Despite its significance, the FTA was passed with little fanfare in the United States, where President Reagan presented it to Congress under a "fast-track" procedure that limited debate and disallowed amendments.
As it stood, the FTA was a fairly typical trade accord, but it did not come about in a vacuum. Unnoticed by most lawmakers at the time of its passage was another initiative, under way since 1986, to create a trilateral trade agreement involving not only Canada and the United States, but also Mexico. This agreement, which was to become the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) only a few years later, was the real prize; the FTA was supposed to lay the groundwork for, and be superseded by, NAFTA, and was only negotiated because those favoring a more comprehensive trade agreement knew that a Canada-U.S. accord would be much easier to achieve.
NAFTA, which came into force in 1994, was billed as a sort of expanded FTA, but in reality, it was nothing of the sort. Rather, NAFTA was North America's first foray into transnational government camouflaged as a "free trade agreement," of the sort that the Europeans had been building on the other side of the Atlantic since the 1950s.
By the 1990s, it was very clear to any careful observer what was afoot in Europe. All rhetoric aside, what had begun in 1951 as an international commission regulating the trade of coal and steel, and had soon morphed into the European Economic Community (informally termed the "Common Market"), was well on its way to becoming a bona fide continent-wide government. The Maastricht Treaty of 1992, which created both the European Union and a continent-wide currency, the euro, established once and for all the real agenda of Europe's "free trade" movement: the creation of a superstate to govern the formerly independent nations of Europe.
Continent-wide Government
With the creation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the process of creating continent-wide government began anew, but this time on the other side of the Atlantic. Having had so much success in building a regional government in Europe using free trade as a pretext, the globalists, who have always had international — and eventually global — government as their overarching goal, decided to recycle the formula in the New World.
NAFTA was sold to Congress and the American public as a "free trade agreement." But instead of creating conditions for free trade (borders transparent to the flow of goods, services, and people), NAFTA set up a complex bureaucracy tasked with managing and controlling North American trade and with adjudicating trade disputes. In other words, NAFTA was not a "free trade" but rather a "managed trade" agreement, in complete conformity with the creed of socialists of every hue that the free market cannot be trusted, and that all mercantile activity must be closely monitored and managed by allegedly benevolent bureaucrats who can determine, better than market forces, how much of a given good to produce, at what price, and up to what standards.
Moreover, NAFTA, by imposing such a managed trade regime across international boundaries, was not merely an "accord" but also a first layer of regional international government where none had existed before. Of course, treaties have always involved concessions of absolute sovereignty in order to be binding; what makes NAFTA different from traditional international treaties (and similar to the United Nations, the European Union, and the World Trade Organization) is that it created international review panels (such as those contemplated by NAFTA's Chapter 19) for enforcement of its provisions — organs whose decisions are understood to supersede any legislation or ruling by local, state, or even federal legislatures or courts. And NAFTA's over 900 pages of verbiage are a compendium of new rules and regulations to which all laws and regulations — local, state, and national — in all three participating countries are required to conform.
And more is on the way — much more. No sooner was the ink dry on the NAFTA agreement, than North American foreign policy elites such as Robert Pastor, professor of International Relations at American University and longtime foreign affairs insider, began advocating a more integrated North America than NAFTA can furnish. In 2001, in Toward a North American Community: Lessons From the Old World for the New, the first in a series of books promoting greater North American integration, Pastor lamented the inadequacies of the then-six year old NAFTA agreement:
What's wrong with NAFTA is not what it did, but what it omitted. The agreement did not envisage any unified approach to extract NAFTA's promise, nor did it contemplate any common response to new threats…. In the absence of a compelling vision to define a modern regional entity, and lacking institutions to translate that vision into policies, the old patterns of behavior among the three governments remained.
In a 2004 article for Foreign Affairs entitled "North America's Second Decade," Pastor (a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, CFR) admitted that NAFTA is "merely the first draft of an economic constitution for North America," while decrying the monumental setback to continental integration entailed by the 9/11 attacks. Following 9/11, the United States virtually sealed its borders and returned to its traditional unilateralism, Pastor lamented, whereas in a more enlightened future, "security fears would serve as a catalyst for deeper integration." Acknowledging the obstacle of Mexico's underdevelopment relative to her two northern neighbors, Pastor advocated the establishment of a "North American Investment Fund" to funnel hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars from Canada and the United States to Mexico. Stiff cultural resistance in all three countries to submersion in a North American Community would be overcome by the establishment of "Centers for North American Studies" to "help people in all three countries to understand the problems and the potential of an integrated North America — and to think of themselves as North Americans."
From such policy recommendations as these emerged, in 2005, "Building a North American Community," a policy statement promulgated by the Council on Foreign Relations, in consultation with the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and the Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales (Mexican Council of International Affairs). The statement — of which Pastor was one of the authors — laid out a program for establishing a sort of EU-Lite to take the place of NAFTA. Among its recommendations: a common security perimeter around the borders of North America, harmonization of visa requirements, sharing of data on the exit and entry of foreign nationals, enhanced law-enforcement cooperation, the adoption of a common external tariff, the development of a North American Border Pass with biometric identifiers, and the aforementioned North American Investment Fund and Centers for North American Studies.
Aware of potential red flags among their readership, the document's authors were careful to distance themselves from the European Union; the "new North American community," they wrote, "will not be modeled on the European Union or the European Commission, nor will it aim at the creation of any sort of vast supranational bureaucracy."
Denials and Duplicity
Pastor was quick to point out to detractors, as he wrote in a letter to WorldNetDaily in 2007, that what he is proposing is a "North American Community," not a "North American Union." In strict semantic terms, he's right, but his terminology is deliberately misleading. After all, what began as the European Community (EC) eventually became the European Union. As Pastor admitted in 2001, the European path toward integration ought to be a model for North America; a continent-wide "community" would then inevitably become — as it was in Europe — a precursor to union under full-blown regional government.
As it is, the yet-to-be realized North American Community would extend its competency far beyond trade — as intended. It would require harmonization of policing, immigration laws, and — more ominously — the creation of biometric ID cards. Meanwhile, propaganda organs disguised as centers for North American research would prepare public opinion for further integration down the road, which would doubtless include a single currency and central bank and, ultimately — as has been done in Europe — a continental legislature.
Now, with the perceived threat of economic immolation receding, talk of a continent-wide community has resumed. The indefatigable Pastor published another book, The North American Idea: A Vision of a Continental Future, in 2011, which reiterated the proposals of the previous decade, but dressed up to appeal to post-Great Recession sensibilities. And no part of the Council on Foreign Relations' 2005 program has been retracted; only last March, Pastor penned a policy initiative for the CFR (Policy Innovation Memorandum no. 29) entitled "Shortcut to U.S. Economic Competitiveness: A Seamless North American Market," in which he calls for, among other things, negotiating a common external tariff; building public support for a "shared vision" via various information initiatives, such as a "Buy North America" push to replace "Buy America"-type slogans in the United States; forging a "continental plan for transportation and infrastructure" (NAFTA Superhighway, anyone?); and creating a "single North American regulatory group on regulatory issues with a comprehensive strategy." This last is particularly vague and open-ended; does Pastor truly propose to give an international group competency to overhaul the vast web of American commercial regulations (like the UCC) to bring it into compliance with a regional trade accord? Well, yes. In Pastor's words:
A merged working group should aim for across-the-board regulatory convergence. This means that pharmaceuticals should be subject to uniform high standards and would not need to be retested in each country, that food imports should be tested just once by North American inspectors, and that regulations on the size, weight, and fuel efficiency of trucks should be the same in all three countries.
Parts of the Plan
But what about more highly publicized, sensational-sounding steps toward North American integration? It is sometimes suggested that plans are afoot for a single North American currency, patterned after the euro, to be styled the "amero." In point of fact, the "amero" was first proposed by Herbert Grubel, a Canadian economist, in 1999. Robert Pastor endorsed the idea in Toward a North American Community, opining that an amero would be a benefit to all three countries "in the long run." As long as the U.S. dollar remains the world's reserve currency, prospects for a North American currency seem remote, but an amero might become an appealing prospect in the event of a dollar crisis.
The "NAFTA Superhighway" has received a good deal of attention in Washington and, if Pastor's proposal for a "continental plan for transportation and infrastructure" is any indication, the North American globalist crowd is contemplating ways to make roads and other infrastructure amenable to continental integration. But Texas Governor Rick Perry's "Trans-Texas Corridor" — the original source of concern — has been officially shelved due to public backlash, although it continues surreptitiously under other project names.
As for the North American Union itself, the organization was mentioned by name by former Mexican president Vicente Fox, who wrote, in an online forum discussing his book Revolution of Hope, "Why can't we be not only partners in the long term, but a North American Union?" In 2001, Fox told a PBS documentary on world trade that he expected "convergence of our two economies [i.e., those of the United States and Mexico], convergence on the basic and fundamental variables of the economy, convergence on rates of interest, convergence on income of people, convergence on salaries." He hoped that a future generation of North American leaders would "erase that border, open up that border for [the] free flow of products, merchandises, [and] capital as well as people."
Beyond these candid statements of President Fox, few if any would-be supporters of a North American Union have gone on record promoting such an organization by name. A few, such as Pastor, have been careful to draw semantic distinctions between "union" and "community," but, as the Europeans can attest, weasel words mean far less than intent. And of that there can be no mistake: North America's elites covet regional government no less than do their European counterparts. After all, elites on both sides of the Atlantic ardently support that embryonic global government, the United Nations.
As a general principle, those who believe government is the best solution to every problem (and most political leaders and policy analysts do) always want more and more government — including, wherever possible, regional and global government. The same fetish for regulatory control exhibited by so-called "liberals" in the domestic arena is no less ardent in the international sphere.
The European Union was brought about on a continent that had seen two world wars in less than a half century, and was partitioned by the Cold War for another four and a half decades. North America has seen no comparable international conflict since the first half of the 19th century. Trade among the United States, Canada, and Mexico is brisk. The threat of external terrorism provides some pretext, but nothing on the scale that Nazism or World War II did for Europe. In short, nothing less than an epochal socioeconomic meltdown is likely to furnish the political camouflage for dissolving the borders between the United States and her northern and southern neighbors. In the meantime, expect the Robert Pastors of the world to continue laying the groundwork for eventual North American economic and political union, while simultaneously pushing Transatlantic and Trans-Pacific mergers via the TTIP and TPP.
CFR Panel plots ways to advance World Government
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New Year is the time you send greetings to your near and dear ones. This New Year you can send your own hand made greeting card, made from items easily available in the house. Use this simple craft idea and make your own butterfly greeting card. A great holiday activity for preschool and kindergarten kids.


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The Australian government's immigration detention system punishes people seeking asylum who arrive without a valid visa by mandatorily detaining them beyond any legitimate administrative purpose.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) urges the Australian Government to abandon its ineffective policy of 'deterrence' and commence a humanitarian response, which is effective and humane. The Australian Government must meaningfully engage with the global refugee crisis and take a lead in the Asia-Pacific region as a collaborator and instigator of protective and durable policy.
Protective and durable policy requires the closure of detention centres, offshore and onshore, the return to Australia of all those transferred to Nauru and Manus Island and the cessation of mandatory detention of people seeking asylum.
All people seeking asylum, regardless of their mode of arrival, should have their claims for Protection processed in the Australian community according to law. All people seeking asylum should be placed on long term Bridging visas which provide for work rights, medical care, income support and study rights.
The onshore and offshore detention regime for people seeking asylum is inhumane and unjustifiable both in terms of ongoing human rights abuse and the unprecedented monetary cost of detention.
Anyone who arrives to Australia without a valid visa will be detained in an immigration detention centre within Australia, including Christmas Island, or in an offshore detention centre on Nauru and Manus Island.
There are no time limits, either in policy or law, for how long a person, including a child, can be kept in immigration detention in onshore or in offshore detention centres.
Detention is often prolonged and arbitrary and has serious negative impacts on the mental and physical health of people detained.
Since 19 July 2013, people who arrive to Australia by sea are unable to have their claims for Protection assessed in Australia.
All people seeking asylum in Australia who arrive by sea will be transferred to a regional processing centre (RPC) – Nauru or Manus Island in Papua New Guinea – to have their claims for Protection assessed there.
The Australian government actively discourages people from seeking asylum in Australia by ensuring that they cannot lodge an application for Protection in Australia and also advising people seeking asylum by sea that they will never be settled in Australia.
The Australian government has towed back boats of people seeking asylum in order to prevent them from seeking safety in Australia. 'As of 17 October 2016, it was confirmed in Senate estimates that there were 29 boats turned back with 740 people turned back'.
As at 31 October 2017, there were 1754 people held on Manus Island, 1245 of whom had been found to be refugees. At that same time, there were 1216 people held on Nauru, 1062 of whom had been found to be refugees.
As at October 2016, there were 45 children held in the Nauru Regional Processing Centre.
Since the re-emergence of offshore processing 5 years ago, 9 people have died in an RPC: one person was murdered and 8 people died as a result of inadequate health care and/or suicide.
There is overwhelming documentation which records the serious abuses, including child sexual abuse, drastically inadequate health care and high levels of self-harm on Manus and Nauru. The 'Nauru Files' which consist of over 2000 leaked documents detail the lack of safety and human rights abuses experienced by the people held on Nauru.
'…the Government of Australia, by failing to provide adequate detention conditions; end the practice of detention of children; and put a stop to the escalating violence and tension at the Regional Processing Centre, has violated the right of the asylum seekers, including children, to be free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment'.
Despite the vast majority of people on Nauru and Manus having been found to be refugees, there is no safe place for settlement of these people. They remain in unsafe limbo and continue to suffer serious deterioration of mental and physical health with inadequate medical attention. They remain indefinitely held in RPCs which cannot safely accommodate them.
Anyone who arrives to Australia by plane without a valid visa, or who has a valid visa but has their visa cancelled at the airport (often because they have asked for Protection), is mandatorily detained in an immigration detention centre in Australia including on Christmas Island. Most people in this situation spend years in detention while their Protection claims are assessed. They are not kept in detention for any health or security reason, but simply because of their visa status on arrival.
People who arrive by boat without a visa are also mandatorily detained with many released only after varying and lengthy arbitrary periods. Some people have never been released from detention. Other people are re-detained after having their Bridging visa cancelled and remain in detention for significant periods of time.
Once a person is in detention, there is no opportunity to seek judicial review of the decision to detain them to ascertain whether detention is necessary. People are held in detention and assessed under a risk assessment framework, created by Australian Border Force (ABF), which is used to punish any perceived lack of compliance rather than to make a genuine assessment of risk. These assessments are also not reviewable.
There have been ongoing and sustained concerns that conditions in Australia's onshore detention centres breach Australia's human rights obligations and amount to arbitrary deprivation of life and cruel or inhuman treatment of punishment.
The offshore detention processing system costs over $1billion AUD, more than $464,000 per person, annually. This is a cost of over $5billion AUD since the offshore detention system re-emerged in 2012.
Approximately $40,000 for a person on a Bridging visa who is having their claims processed in the community.
Within Australia, the cost of detention and compliance is estimated at around $1.2 billion in the 2017–18 financial year.
Pursuant to section 189 of the Migration Act 1958, any person in Australia without a valid visa must be detained and placed in immigration detention.
Since 19 July 2013, under the Labor Rudd government, any person arriving to Australia by boat without a valid visa was to be removed to Manus Island or Nauru for processing of their claims for Protection. They are not eligible for resettlement in Australia.
Subsequent federal governments have turned back boats of people seeking refuge and have returned them to unsafe conditions.
There are no time limits for how long a person can be detained.
Although the vast majority of people on Manus Island and Nauru have been found to be refugees, there is nowhere safe for them to be resettled and they remain arbitrarily held in unsafe conditions. Most people have been held in these conditions for over 4 years.
Australia's onshore detention system operates in a shroud of secrecy with little to no opportunity to review decisions made by the Department of Home Affairs. The Department uses immigration detention as a punitive tool to deter people from seeking Protection in Australia and to criminalise the asylum seeking process.
In addition to detention and compliance costs, the Australian government has been liable for huge sums of money in compensation for the abuse and inadequate treatment of people in detention. In September 2017, the Australian government settled a class action brought by people detained on Manus Island for $70million AUD, the largest payout out in a human rights class action in Australia.
"Between January 2011 and February 2013 there were 4,313 incidents of actual, threatened and attempted serious self-harm recorded in immigration detention facilities in Australia.In the 2012–2013 financial year there were 846 incidents of self-harm across the immigration detention network…Between 1 July 2010 and 20 June 2013, there were 12 deaths in immigration detention facilities. Coroners have found that six of those deaths were suicides.
'The distressing and heartbreaking accounts of deteriorating mental health, discrimination and violent attacks, sexual violence, inadequate medical care and harassment that I heard from mothers, fathers, adults and children as young as six, paint a picture of people driven to absolute despair'.
In April 2016, Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court ruled that the detention of people seeking asylum on Manus Island was illegal. Despite this, the 850 men incarcerated at the detention centre were not moved from the island. In late 2017, the men were forcibly removed from the detention centre to another, less secure, facility on Manus Island where there are grave concerns for the men's safety. These facilities have not been completed, are significantly overcrowded, and present hygiene risks.
There is a direct correlation between time spent in detention and deterioration of mental health. Immigration detention exacerbates existing mental health conditions including those experienced as a result of torture and trauma.
Australia's onshore and offshore detention centres have consistently been found to breach international standards of human rights.
Australia's onshore and offshore detention and compliance systems costs billions of Australian dollars.
Immigration detention obstructs the provision of key legal advice and representation services to some of the most vulnerable people in the world.
The abolition of section 189 of the Migration Act 1958 to bring an end to mandatory detention of people seeking asylum in Australia.
Detention of adults seeking asylum beyond the initial timeframe in exceptional circumstances only.
The prohibition of detention of children in held detention beyond the initial timeframe.
All people seeking asylum in Australia to be processed in the Australian community regardless of their mode of arrival. All people seeking asylum in Australia be issued with long term Bridging visas with the right to work, the right to study, access to income support and to Medicare.
An end to the regional processing system with all people held on Manus Island or Nauru to be brought to Australia for resettlement or to have their claims for asylum processed in the community under Australian law.
An end to boat turn backs and a genuine commitment to a durable, humane and fair Protection policy.
That the decision to detain a person be made on a case by case basis and as a last resort rather than being applied to a class of people.
Decisions relating to search and seizure powers.
Take action now to Change the Policy – in support of community based processing for people seeking asylum.


I have always struggled with using quotation marks. I have a hard time when there is a quote within a quote and the second quote is at the end of the sentence. I never know if it's grammatically correct to use a single quote followed by a double quote to end the sentence. In my papers, I will use quotes from a book, but it will have a quote in it. A lot of times I will avoid using it so I don't have to worry about the quotation marks.
I also have trouble with punctuation around the quotes. For instance does a period go inside the quote or outside? I always need to review the rules. I have noticed that commas and quotations are the two most frequent mistakes I make in papers. Reading this book helped me to review the rules. I now have a better understanding of how to use quotation marks.
I'm really glad I got to read this book. Not only did it help me understand punctuation better, but it also made me feel good to see that someone else is as passionate as I am on certain grammar rules.
"We perhaps remember learning to read and to spell, but not the moment when we found out that adding the symbol "!" to a sentence somehow changed the tone of voice it was read in" (135). This made me think of when I become a teacher and how I'm going to teach why we use the exclamation point. A period means the sentence and thought is over, the question mark clearly means a question is being asked, but an exclamation point? I know it changes the context of a thought. Truss mentions that it is a good thing we learn this in grade school so there.
I like how Truss mentions that a question mark takes up more space on a page than an exclamation point and yet it is less likely to get on peoples' nerves. An exclamation point is used to grab the reader's attention. I also use them when I'm trying to be funny or sarcastic.
I learned more about the colon and semicolon by reading this book. I hardly ever use them. I never really understood why we use them. I especially get confused on whether to use a comma or a semicolon. I have used colons when I introduced a new speaker in a dialogue.
Colons are used to start off lists and sets off book and film titles. A semicolon suggests a connection between the two halves of the sentence. Then Truss introduces the dash. She says a dash could be used to separate a sentence when the connection is less direct. I only use dashes when I am quoting lines from a poem to separate the lines. I never thought to use one when I'm separating parts of a sentence.
Commas are used in lists. The rule is use a comma if it can replace the words and or or. I'm good at using a comma in this situation. One thing I was confused about was when Truss says, "Done knowingly by an established writer, the comma splice is effective, poetic, and dashing. Done equally knowingly by people who are not published writers, it can look weak or presumptuous (88)." I thought a comma splice was incorrect grammar regardless of who uses them.
What I liked best in this chapter on the comma is when Truss says, "I allude to punctuation marks as traffic signals of language: "they tell us to slow down, notice this, take a detour, and stop" (85).
If the word does not stand for either it has or it is then there's no need for an apostrophe before the s. I like how she says, "This is extremely easy to grasp" (43). She gives another example, "If you can replace the word with 'you are', then the word is you're" (pg 62). This is a big pet peeve of mine. It drives me crazy when people us the wrong form of a word such as there, its, and your. I can maybe understand if you are in a rush sending a text, but not when you're writing a paper that will be graded.
One time a received an invitation saying, "your invited." I wanted to scream. How could somebody that has a college degree send that out? Sometimes it could be beneficial to ask yourself whether what you are saying means you are invited or "your invited" (spell check is going crazy because of my intentional errors right now).
I also like how Truss sys, "If I did not believe that everyone is capable of understanding where an apostrophe goes, I would not be writing this book" (pg 32). Some of these rules aren't hard to follow. It might just take some practice. If you're not sure what form you should use or if you need an apostrophe, it's okay to ask someone too.
Truss says earlier, "in the world of text messages, ignorance of grammar and punctuation obviously doesn't affect a person's ability to communicate messages ad 'C U later' (pg 17).' I think text messaging, instant messaging, and emailing have hurt the need for punctuation. Text messaging is meant to get to someone fast and typing all the letters and using punctuation takes up time. Yes, it's a great way to communicate, but when we leave that world and need to write a paper, we forget all the rules. I know I catch myself typing ppl instead of people when I'm writing a paper and I stop myself.
I enjoy messaging my friends and some days I don't know if I could survive without AOL, but I think we should pay more attention to grammar. In the book, she also talks about there not being enough time spent on grammar in schools, which I agree with. It seemed to me that there was a lot of attention devoted to capitalization and using punctuation at the end of a sentence.
I don't remember having a lot of time in my English classes that was just devoted to teaching us when to use a comma and when to use an apostrophe. It seemed that in secondary grades, teachers review grammar rules when they notice there is a problem. When they would want to review, students would roll their eyes because they "knew" how to do it. I think teachers should start off each year with a lesson on grammar that way they can eliminate the times during the year when they have to stop teaching their lesson to explain basic grammar rules.
It goes on to say "Nothing's perfect." Mrs. Hopewell is flawed and realizes life isn't perfect. She isn't fully supportive of her daughter even though she is well educated. Her name is Joy however, she is not joyful. She is almost bitter to me. Her artificial leg made her vulnerable.
I really enjoyed this story. It was again a bit different from O'Connor's short stories. There was the theme of religion.
This narration can be categorized in two different ways. There is omniscient third- person where the narrator can enter the consciouses of the characters. The other category is third-person limited, where the narrator can only see through the perspective of one character. The narrator at times can see the perspective of a "select few characters.
In school that was one of the first things we had to point out in the story, point of view. Most of the works were third person omniscient. I think it helps the reader to get a look inside the characters' emotions.
For starters I would like to say that I felt terrible for Ruby. When she met with Madam Zoleeda, she was told she was sick. I found it interesting that O'Connor points out that "Rudy didn't want to be told." I think Ruby was trying to accept her illness on her own and doesn't want to receive medical attention.
Ruby has had such a loveless life. She "had done alright doctoring herself for all these years." She had been in pretty good health up to this point. She even prevented herself from having a child. I think she feels she's alone and therefore should handle her ailment alone.
"Regardless of your major, however, remember: Your major is not you. Nor is your future determined or limited by your major. If it were, every politician would have majored in political science" (Lemire 183).
I really liked this quote. Your major isn't everything. You can change your major as well. By majoring in English, I am looking to teach elementary school children. So English does not define who I am. It's only part. It's such an early time in our lives to be asked what is it you want to do for the rest of your life. Making a decision on what to major in was scary. I thought my decision was final. The truth is sometimes it takes us a while to figure out what we want. College is about experimenting and finding yourself.
No matter what you major in, it does not define you. Only you can define yourself. Just because you have a degree in an area does not mean you can only accept jobs in that area. With an English degree I can work at a bank or be a writer, if I decide teaching wasn't the right choice. There are always other options. So keep your eyes open.
I have always dreamed of writing for People Magazine, Us Weekly, or Rolling Stone. I have always been fascinated with celebrities and music. I love all types of music so I thought writing for Rolling Stone was my calling (if I wasn't so nervous about talking to celebrities). I think it's natural for someone who wishes to write for a magazine to want to write for the magazine they enjoy reading. It is easy to write about topics that interest you. Just because someone doesn't read the magazine from cover to cover, doesn't mean they shouldn't pursue writing for it. We all read the articles that are of interest to us.
Wring for magazines that are of interest to you is a way to get your writing career started in magazine writing. Because it's easier to write about something that interests you and that you have a good understanding of, you could write for that magazine you enjoy and practice your writing for a magazine. Then you can move on to any type of magazine.
I love reading a work of fiction when a character has an epiphany. Sometimes while I'm reading, I think, how can you not pick this up. It's right in front of you. When the character finally has a revelation, it's almost a sigh of relief.
I hadn't thought about epiphanies in poems. Once I started to think about, it became clear to me that this is true. I just tend to read more fiction than poetry.
When I first read this I thought to myself, I would never have put up with that, but I guess if I was in that situation where it's do as I say or I can't afford food, I probably would listen.
This quote stuck out to me because I was amazed that on top of having to scrub on her hands and knees, there are restrictions on how much soap and water to use. I think that cleaning on your hands and knees, day after day, is hard enough, without someone telling you how to do it. Especially knowing that Barbra and her co workers were at times working more than one job, made me even madder at how they were treated.
I could never imagine living life this way, but the reality is people do. Everyone needs a break.
I guess I should admit something, I'm a magazine junkie! I wait every Saturday for my People Magazine and Us Weekly. I realize that some may prefer to just read a newspaper because they can read what interest them. They may feel a magazine dedicated to one subject is too much. Even if they don't want to read an entire magazine about what they like to read in the paper, there is a magazine about the topics they like to read in the paper.
"Unlike newspapers, which appeal to a broad spectrum of interests and a more general reader, magazines are written, edited, and published to appeal to a very targeted relationship." (Lemire 96) Magazines appeal to a certain interest. They apply to one topic. My magazines typically deal with celebrities; however I will occasionally read Newsweek.
When you buy a magazine, you know what you're looking for and would buy what interests you. There are magazines about every subject. There are magazines on sports, fashion, celebrities, heath, babies, parenting, politics, religion, and cooking. There is something for everyone.
When you pick up a newspaper there may only be a few articles that interest you, but when you buy a magazine, you will want to read it cover to cover because the whole magazine is dedicated to your interests.
Teaching is a completely different level of understanding a subject. I have had many teachers who have had an understanding in a subject, but simply could not teach it. My teachers would read the material and give us a test on it. I remember sitting in class wondering, when am ever going to use this in the real world? As an aspiring teacher, I can only hope I will not be the same. I hope to be knowledgeable and exciting.
Knowledge of a subject is important in teaching, but it's not everything. A teacher needs to know the content and be able to implement it in real life situations. An important part of teaching is being hands on. Students learn better when they can see what they are being taught and how they will use it in the real world, for instance experiments are great ways to teach a science and also show how it can be used.
Teaching and knowing about a subject matter are different. That's why it can be hard to be a teacher. I know I understand math. I was in the tutoring center and a friend was asking me for help. I simply showed him what I did, but couldn't explain why I did it that way.
On the first day of school, teachers claim that they will not be like our past teachers, they will be exciting and make what we're learning fun. It's a lot easier said than done. Teaching is something you should be passionate about. It shouldn't be thought of as an experimental job opportunity.


We are thrilled to welcome Claudia Dutcher Kistler of Dutch Treat Designs to Sassy Jacks Stitchery for a fabulous Lecture and Workshop Series on Bristol Orphanage Samplers.
Claudia is a leading industry expert on Bristol Orphanage Samplers. She's done extensive documentation of known Bristol Orphanage Samplers and has published a website that you will definitely want to visit: www.bristolsamplers.com. Claudia has also charted several Bristol Samplers and has produced some wonderful reproduction charts, with a new one expected in time for our workshop!
We've planned a great weekend for you with several workshops, a wonderful lecture series from Claudia, a sweet little reception, and a chance for you to just relax and stitch with us and digest all you've heard and seen.
Our class will be held in our new classroom space on the upper floor of the Historic Shope's Building that also happens to be home to Sassy Jacks Stitchery on the ground floor! You'll be steps away from the shop, or a short elevator ride should you prefer.
We'll begin on Friday afternoon with a time to get to know one another, and Claudia, and a smaller Bristol project that you'll be able to finish that afternoon or evening. Friday after class we'll have a short reception at the shop before we dismiss for dinner. The shop will be open late and we'll keep our classroom available that evening for show and tell and open stitching. Saturday morning we'll kick off our official lecture series and Claudia has some wonderful samplers prepared for discussion. We'll break for lunch and rejoin in the afternoon for another workshop with Claudia. Saturday evening we'll again keep the shop open late for you and we'll host open stitching in our classroom for anyone who'd like to join us. Sunday morning we'll meet again for an additional workshop and a wrap up with Claudia. We'll bid fond farewells in time for you to enjoy some lunch with friends and time around the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in peak Leaf Season.
Class size will be larger than usual, as the stitch content is less technical and we believe a larger class size is appropriate. I do still encourage you to sign up early and book your accommodations as soon as you're confirmed, though. Fall is a wonderful time of the year in and around the NC mountains, and accommodations tend to fill quickly. You're sure to enjoy your time with us, so I hope you'll take advantage of this truly wonderful opportunity.
Cost of the class is $200 and requires a $75 non-refundable deposit for a confirmed space. Payment in full is required by July 4th.
Registration is officially open. Please send your registration document to us at sassyjacksstitchery@gmail.com. We're happy to accept a credit card or check payment for your deposit once your registration has been confirmed.
I know you'll be so pleased with this class. Claudia is a fabulous resource and you'll get to see some beautiful antiques. Of course, we'll love having you here and make your time here super special for you.
If you have any questions, you can send me an email to sassyjacksstitchery@gmail.com and I'll do my best to get back to you quickly. You can also give us a call at the shop at 828-785-4405.
Your registration document follows on the next page.
Should you find you are unable to attend the event, we will mail your full kit and booklet, along with any extras to you immediately following the last class session.
Asheville has many hotels and we are only about 10 mins. drive North of Asheville.
The closest airport is Asheville Regional Airport.
The closest international airport is Charlotte Douglas Airport.
A couple of weeks before the class I will email you with a reminder and additional class information. Should you have any questions along the way, please do not hesitate to call me here at the shop at 828-785-4405 or email me at sassyjacksstitchery@gmail.com.
*If you prefer to pay by credit card, please call us at 828-785-4405.


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Tag Archives: gardens
Back to Earth.
A devout Anglican and stalwart leader in women's ministry, Margaret Wesley didn't believe in magic. Magic was the Devil's work.
However, unwittingly Margaret's new gardening book had taken her into unchartered territory, promising remarkable growth through talking to your plants.
Putting on her reading glasses, she started with the struggling Ipomoea purpurea vine:
"What comes out of the earth, returns to the earth…"
Astonished by the instant results, Margaret almost choked on her dentures. The vine was growing faster than a triffid, and was about to engulf her house.
"Mrs Wesley? Mrs Wesley?"
WHAT would she say to the Reverend?
This has been another contribution to Friday Fictioneers.
This entry was posted in Photography and tagged Christianity, Church, Devil, flash fiction, gardening, gardens, plants, triffids, weeds on June 7, 2017 by Rowena.
The Walk, Sydney.
Last Thursday, I ran away. Absconded.
Well, to be precise, I walked. However, "walking" doesn't sound as good. It doesn't conjure up that same sense of theatre. Lacks drama. Walking also sounds, dare I say, rather "pedestrian".
After going down to Sydney for a doctor's appointment, I decided to pop into the Koi Dessert Bar in Chippendale. Koi was roughly "on the way home", even if it was in the diametrically opposed direction. Koi is co-owned by Reynold, the Dessert King of Masterchef 2015. So, I was more than willing for my sweet tooth to lead me astray. Mum was taking care of the home front. So, I was a free agent. Cinderella dancing away at the ball with no thoughts about midnight.
After catching the train from St Leonards to Central, I was walking to Broadway via the Devonshire Street Tunnel. This long pedestrian tunnel houses buskers, the homeless, beggars, along with a vendor selling The Big Issue. The tunnel itself has been there since 1906, but the characters keep changing. Today, I was mesmerized as the notes of a saxophone rose above scuffling feet into some kind of heaven. At least, heaven in a dingy tunnel. I didn't feel like dancing, but I certainly felt my spirit soar. It felt like the scene out of a movie. Indeed, I made my own so stay tuned.
I walked on, emerging into daylight and city streets.
My destination was only a few streets away. I was heading to the Koi Dessert Bar in Kensington Street, Chippendale. This is not any ordinary restaurant or cafe. Rather, it is home to Reynold, the Dessert king of Masterchef 2015. Moreover, so many of the current Masterchef contestants end up doing work experience at Koi, after they've left the show. I was hoping to experience a touch of Masterchef. I'd met Reynold on my last visit to Koi and enjoyed watching their open kitchen at work and was hoping to see someone and talk Masterchef.
Above: I met Reynold and watched him and the team in action at Koi last year.
However, neither Reynold nor any familiar faces were there. So, I didn't feel I could gush like a Masterchef tragic.
Dessert Heaven at Koi.
Rather, I had to choose my dessert…not an inconsiderable process. With so much yum on display, it creates that impossible choice. You know they're all sensational, and it's just a matter of personal taste. I chose the Nomtella…a dome with Espresso mousse covered in chocolate, and a mousy salted caramel centre nesting on a chocolate brownie base. I loved it, but found that half was enough. My sweet tooth hasn't been quite so sweet lately and I blame the increased exercise for that. I bought an Orange Creme Caramel and a citrus dessert to take home and they were much more to my palate, which surprised me. They were truly sensational.
After leaving Koi, I ended up walking up Cooper Street into Surry Hills. I explored a few alleyways, chasing images of autumn leaves back-dropped against a deep, blue sky. I was swept off my feet by a special kind of Autumn magic, which was a world away from to do lists, action plans and responsibility. I still haven't forgotten what it was like to wander the world as a backpacker, but now I have the love and security of home and my family to go home to. I only seek temporary escape. Not a one-way journey.
I don't know what it is that keeps drawing me back to Surry Hills.
My Dad's side of the family, Irish immigrants from County Cork mostly following the Irish Famine, settled in Paddington and Surry Hills and the family stove making business was at 90 Fitzroy Street for many years. However, that was long before my time and even my father's. Yet, the stories were passed down. Indeed, there's a photo of my grandfather and his Dad standing by their truck, which gives me that sense of belonging…origins. That at least a part of me, harks back Surry Hills, back when it was a surrogate Ireland and not the rough slum that it became.
The J Curtin Truck with my Great Grandfather and Grandfather.
Moreover, although I've never lived in Surry Hills, I did live in neighboring Chippendale for a number of years. Lived in a range of terraces, and even a converted warehouse a life time ago.
Surry Hills is an eclectic, constantly changing place, and you never know quite what you'll find or what to expect. There was a little cafe I'd found, which made the most scrumptious Coconut Chai Lattes, but it closed about 2 years ago. Gone, but not forgotten. On Thursday, I went to see what I knew as the art dungeon in Campbell Street, but it now sells shampoo and looks so sanitized. It's such a travesty…a sell out. A place with so much character, gone.
Surry Hills is expensive real estate, and yet it retains its sense of grunge. Crumbling, run-down terrace houses can still be found, along with signs of Struggle Street. I can't account for that. After all, I'm only passing through. Picking out bits and pieces through the lens, and immortalising what I've seen today on my hard drive. My perspectives or interpretations of an ephemeral, kaleidoscope world.That's without even delving into its characters. I merely chat to a few people in shops, not knowing whether they're local or not. Then, I go home.
I was starting to fade.
Walking along Crown heading towards Oxford Street, was a long walk and I was starting to look out for passing buses….a magic carpet to carry me home. Or, at least, back to Central Station. My legs can struggle to keep up with all I see and it's easy to conk out half way.
Yet, I kept walking until I finally staggered into Museum Station and caught the train to Central. I walked over to Country trains and slumped in my seat. Unlike most of the daily commuters, Too excited to sleep and pulled out the mag I'd bought in Surry Hills:
I was heading home.
Before we leave Surry Hills, I thought you might like to join me on some of my previous visits:
Window Shopping, Surry Hills.
Surry Hills to Gore Hill, Sydney/
Surry Hills…A Sense of Place.
Have you been on any epic urban walks that you'd like to share?
This entry was posted in Photography, Sydney Postcards, Travel and tagged dessert, gardens, Koi Dessert Bar, masterchef, photography, streets, Surry Hills, Sydney, travel, trees, walk, walking on May 28, 2017 by Rowena.
Oops! Tasting More Than A Little Chocolate.
While I was madly collecting brochures on board the Spirit of Tasmania, one really stood out and captured my attention. It was (drum roll)… The House of Anvers. Serendipitously, this was only 5 minutes drive from the ferry terminal and also very close to where we were staying!!
Well, you might ask who Anvers was, and what was so good about this house. What was the big attraction?
Two words sold me on this place: "chocolate factory".
It turns out that Anvers is another name for the Belgium city of Antwerp. Proprietor, Igor Van Gerwen, studied at the Institute of Foodstuffs in Antwerp and was trained by Roger Geerts, the world renowned confectioner and author of "Belgian Pralines". So, that's the connection.
Ever since I first saw Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, let's just say I've had my dreams, fantasies and most of them can't be mentioned here. Just like cheese, chocolate can make you do all sort of things, which are completely out of character. Indeed, they can take you from being a law abiding citizen and throw you straight into the "criminal class" with no returns.
Another place I'd like to call home. Does anyone have any shrinking solution?
Like Ashgrove Cheese, the House of Anvers has free tastings, although it's much more limited. We were able to sample both dark and milk chocolate buttons and three types of fudge. The one which captured our attention in a rather ravenous wolf kind of way, was Fudge D'Anvers Butterscotch. Yummy!
Our son swore blind this was one piece of Butterscotch Fudge.
Indeed, this Butterscotch heaven again stretched all my restraint beyond breaking point. Having already gone across to the dark side, this time I didn't care if I got caught. I couldn't stop eating that fudge.This time, however, I did notice a sign and I wish I'd photographed it. It clearly stated something about leaving some for someone else.
Perhaps, I'll need to put him in here when we open up our last packet of Butterscotch Fudge.
Absolutely smitten, we bought two boxes of it to take home. One's already been eaten…a sad casualty of it's own beauty. It didn't even get the chance to leave Tasmania, before it was gobbled up by this gang of desperadoes.
We also bought a curious looking chocolate, which we still haven't tried as yet. This is called Fortunato No 4 Peru. It's a 68% Organic Pure Nacional and is genetically certified to be "Original Cacao". The pure Nacional Cacao was thought to be extinct in 1916. Later on Criollo and Foresterra varieties were and are being sold as Nacional; they are not!!! The Cacao beans were discovered 10 years ago by Brian Horsley and Dan Pearson in the Maranon Valley in Peru. They have been genetically certified as the original cacao by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The beans are grown at 3250ft and produce purple and, unique to this variety, white beans.
Brian Horsley has set up farm and still works with the farmers to produce these exquisite unique cacao beans. The beans are shipped off to Switzerland and made into couverture chocolate using traditional roller conching methods. Anvers Confectionery has the exclusive rights to be able to introduce this chocolate into the Australian market.
"In my 30 years as a Chocolatier I have never experienced a more rewarding chocolate than the Fortunato No. 4 Peruvian Nacional. The complexity and balance of the flavour profiles satisfy my tastebuds. The social responsibilities and sustainable farm practices engaged in the making of this chocolate, satisfy my conscious."
— Igor Van Gerwen
However, the House of Anvers also has a fascinating chocolate museum. They have an informative, beautifully displayed range of antique chocolate moulds, chocolate tins and advertisements from around the world and I think this was the first time I'd ever seen a cacao bean. They also tell the story of the discovery and development of modern chocolate, taking you on a journey from the Aztec Indians, to when chocolate was only consumed as a liquid in the 1700's, on to Henry Nestle who mixed the chocolate with milk (in 1875), onto modern chocolate.
While touring the museum, I found out one of the distinctions between good and fine chocolate.
By the way, I stumbled across this comment on their website:
"Igor (Van Gerwen) has found the Tasmanian cream and butter to be the richest in flavour of any in the world, ideally suited for truffles and fudge. He believe the reason for this is that the pastures in Tasmania's pure environment stay green almost all year round, eliminating the need to feed the dairy cows on grains.
I found that quite interesting because I have found Ashgrove Cheese particularly creamy and obviously their milk has these special qualities.
Being known for my weird sense of logic, I can somehow justify consuming vast amounts of chocolate and Butterscotch Fudge in the interests of gaining an education.
Besides, like the Ashgrove Cheese, this chocolate is so good, I'll indulge now and repent at home. I think I'll be sentenced to a diet of lettuce leaves by then.
Even the garden is magic!
This entry was posted in Australia, cooking, Photography, Travel and tagged Belgian Chocolate, chocolate, food, fudge, gardens, history, kids, museum, parenting, Tasmania, travel on February 8, 2017 by Rowena.
Up the Garden Path, Port Arthur.
"A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in–what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars."
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
Although I'd never heard about the stunning gardens at Port Arthur before our visit, I was happily led up the garden path. Indeed, the gardens were a serious, botanical feast…especially for a brown-thumbed sod like myself unable to convert our sandy soil into a floral paradise.
It's hard to comprehend that stunning, specialist gardens were growing in such a brutal, violent penal settlement. However, line most things, one thing led to another.
In 1849, several scientific groups joined together to form the Royal Society of Tasmania for Horticulture, Botany and the Advance of Science, the first Royal Society outside of Britain. Members had connections with Kew Gardens and other nurseries. This society took responsibility for managing Hobart's Government Gardens, later to become the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.
Among Royal Society members were numerous Port Arthur administrators and officials including Commandants William Champ and James Boyd. Many plants were ordered from England. Cuttings, tubers, corms, rootstock and seeds were also collected by plant enthusiasts on the eight-month journey to Van Diemen's Land. The genes of some of Port Arthur's plants map the ports of call in South America, South Africa and India. Boyd alone ordered hundreds of plants, including dahlias, marjoram and fruit trees.
As early as the 1830s ornamental trees were planted at Port Arthur. By 1838 the avenue leading to the Church from Tarleton Street was lined with young trees provided by the Governor of the day, Sir John Franklin. In 1846-47, Commandant Champ developed Government Gardens as an ornamental garden primarily for the enjoyment of the ladies of the settlement. The gardens were much admired and reached their peak in the late 1860-70s. After the closure of Port Arthur the gardens were neglected until reconstruction began in the 1990's.
'The usual afternoon walk was to be Government Cottage Garden where the officers' wives, their children and nursemaids used to assemble. They were charming gardens. Lovely green lawns and gay flower beds – even a fountain in the centre – all beautifully kept.'
E.M. Hall, 1871-7.
The plants at Port Arthur have been catologued and their stories reproduced in a stunning online catalogue. I found it rather intriguing to read how seeds, cuttings and bulbs from exotic species found in Britain, India, South Africa and more arrived onboard ships in Tasmania, finding their way into the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hobart as well as these gardens in Port Arthur.
I might not know the botanic name for this rose but I did manage to photograph it. I could curl deep inside and wrap myself up in that petal swirl.
These days it is impossible to conceive the trafficking of plant materials across international borders when you can't even bring plants, fruits and a swag of other items into Tasmania from the Australian Mainland…at least, not as your average Joe. Quarantine is very important in Australia and Tasmania in order to keep out exotic diseases and pests.
"Port Arthur is beginning to look springlike. The oak trees are bursting into leaf and there is a profusion of bulbs in bloom in the paddocks which at one time were old gardens."
The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 – 1954) Thursday 30 August 1934 p 5.
Anyway, I thought I'd share a few stories about the various plants at Port Arthur.
Quercus robur (English oak, common oak)
The trees that surround Government Gardens and line the avenue up to the Church are mostly English oaks. This is the most common forest tree in Britain.
The botanic name robur means 'strength' in Latin, and refers to the hard timber for which the trees have been valued since prehistoric times. Sir John Franklin, the Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land from 1836-43, provided the Port Arthur Penal Settlement with young oak, ash and elm trees, some of which may survive today. Deciduous European trees were some of the earliest brought to the new colony, bringing a sense of comfort and familiarity in an otherwise foreign landscape.
Digitalis purpurea (common foxglove)
A native to western and south western Europe, including the British Isles. Commandant Champ wrote a letter to his mother requesting her to collect the seeds of wild flowers when walking in the woods and send them to him.
Lupinus polyphyllus (garden lupin)
This plant was discovered in the north-west of North America in the 1820s by Mr David Douglas, who also introduced the Douglas fir to Europe.
Seeds of 'blue and yellow lupins various' were being advertised for sale by Mrs Wood in the Hobart Town Courier by November 1829:
'This splendid lupine is now become so common that we can hardly conceive how gardens must have looked without it, though it is not yet quite twenty years that seeds of it were first sent to this country…'
Melianthus major (honey flower)
A common plant in colonial gardens, Melianthus would have been admired for its unusual leaves and growth habit, as well as for its large red flower spikes, unlike any plant found in traditional English gardens. It is native to South Africa, and was collected by sailing vessels on their way from England to the Australian colonies and other trading ports.
Myosotis sylvatica (forget-me-not)
The forget-me-not is so common in Tasmanian gardens that many people consider it weedy and tend to pull it out. A common flower in woodlands throughout Britain and Europe, this would have been one of the early introductions to the gardens in Port Arthur.
The following poem appeared in an April edition of the Launceston Courier in 1829, and captures the sentimentality that people at this time had for the forget-me-not:
There is a flow'r I love so well
That grows within my garden plot
My willing pen its name shall tell
The lovely blue 'forget-me-not'
'Tis not within the rich man's hall,
But near the honest peasant's cot,
Where grows the lovely flow'r, we call,
The modest blue 'forget-me-not'.
It does not boast a rich perfume,
The rose-bud's glory 't has not got;
It does not want a warmer bloom,
The brilliant blue 'forget-me-not'
Through life I've lov'd this simple flow'r
Nor ever be its name forgot
In prosp'rous time or adverse hour
The humble blue 'forget-me-not'
And should I die an early doom
Let no false tear my mem'ry blot;
But let there spring around my tomb,
The azure blue 'forget-me-not'
Salix babylonica (weeping willow)
Weeping Willow at Port Arthur 2017.
The weeping willows that once grew in this garden, and in many other sites throughout Australia and Britain, were taken as cuttings from a tree growing on the grave of Napoleon Bonaparte on the island of St Helena. A quick growing shade tree popular for ornamental plantings, willows have also traditionally been used medicinally and for basketry.
In 1845, the Commandant of Port Arthur investigated which Tasman Peninsula outstations had suitable conditions to plant willows for basket-making, and supplied these with cuttings from his own garden.
Rosa chinensis (China rose)
China roses were introduced into the west towards the end of the 18th century, and enabled the many cultivars of rose available today to be developed. China roses have the quality of repeat flowering, although they bloom most heavily in the spring.
The roses growing in Government Gardens include 'La Marque', a variety released in 1830 with large, fragrant, white flowers.
Solanum aviculare (kangaroo apple)
Thomas Lempriere, the Commissariat Officer at Port Arthur from 1833-48, wrote in his journal about the culinary value of various native plants. He stated: 'the Solanum…or kangaroo apple, is a very handsome plant and the fruits, when perfectly ripe, pleasant to the taste'. –1838
In 1828 the kangaroo apple was featured in an article in the Hobart Town Courier, which commented:
'…we have had occasion, this season particularly, to remark the great luxuriance of what is called the Kangaroo apple, or New Zealand potato, a species of Solanum common to this country and New Zealand… a beautiful evergreen shrub, with dark verdant leaves… It is covered with small round apples, which when ripe eat exactly like bananas, and a sort of yams grow at its root, it is both ornamental and useful.'
Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed our meanders through the gardens at Port Arthur. Adding a few details to my photographs, has become quite a long and interesting journey, even for this serial plant killer.
If you'd like to check out the Port Arthur Gardens' Plant Guide, please click: here.
This entry was posted in Australia, Photography, Poetry, Quotes, Travel and tagged convicts, flowers, gardening, gardens, history, nature, plants, Port Arthur, Tasmania, trees on February 3, 2017 by Rowena.
The Chaplain's Voice, Port Arthur, Tasmania 1870-1877.
If you have been following my steps around the convict ruins at Tasmania's Port Arthur, you'll appreciate my efforts to gain some insight into what it meant to be a convict there, especially as Geoff's 3rd Great Grandfather was a prisoner there.
While researching the Chapel in my previous post, I stumbled across this newspaper story covering a talk given by Rev. Rowland Hayward recounting his experience as Chaplain of the Port Arthur Settlement during 1870-77.
Preacher at Port Arthur.
"At the Church of England Institute on Wednesday night the Rev. Rowland Hayward recounted his experience as Chaplain of the Port Arthur Settlement during 1870-77.
The Rev. F. S. Poole was in the chair, and the attendance was large. The lecturer prefaced his remarks by a review of the earlier history of the location of the prisoners at Macquarie, which, owing to its inhospitable character and difficulties of communication, was abandoned in favour of Port Arthur in 1835. In a little time this place became the most systematized of all British convict settlements.
Convict Leg Irons on Display at the Chaplain's Cottage.
Mr. Hayward was on the spot when the appointment was offered to him, having gone there for the sake of his health. With the duties of Chaplain, however, he combined Magisterial functions, but the dual capacity was embarrassing, as in his character of Chaplain he had often to soothe the wounds which he was bound to inflict as Magistrate. The manner in which he exercised the obligations of the latter, however, won over the convicts, who frequently refused to be tried by any other official than the Chaplain, as they had grown to fear the severity of the local officers, whom years of familiarity with the men and the conditions of their life had necessarily robbed of leniency or sympathy.
The natural beauties of the harbour and the station were painted by the lecturer, whose description, the audience were assured, was truthful, and opposed to the gloomy picture of both drawn by Marcus Clarke. The penitentiary was described, and although designed to accommodate as many as 600 prisoners during Mr. Hayward's incumbency, the number of its inmates never exceeded 300.
A particular account of the institution was given, as also of the separate prison for refractory prisoners, who underwent in former days the refined cruelty of solitary imprisonment for an unlimited period. Here every prisoner immediately on his transportation suffered solitary confinement a month for each year of his term. Barbarous Mr. Hayward regarded this mode of punishment, although it was in substitution of the more brutal flogging, which was often administered in plenty for the most trivial offences.
At the same time, Mr. Hayward believed that in some cases a " schoolboy flogging" would have rescued some unfortunate lads in the penitentiary from more serious mental and physical injury which were traceable to solitary confinement.
Referring to "The Term of His Natural Life," the lecturer did not regard the work as exaggerated, but the horrors portrayed by it were rather an accumulation of all the atrocities that might have happened in connection with criminal life in Australia than a faithful account of the ordinary life at Port Arthur.
The lecture was freely interlarded with anecdotes, chiefly concerning two truculent ruffians named Mark Jeffries and Pat O'Hearn, who were a source of great trouble to the prison authorities.
The prison discipline was described, with its comprehensive system of supervision, including the plan of keeping dogs at Eaglehawk Neck to prevent the escape of the prisoners.
Altogether Mr. Hayward considered that provisions made for the bodily wants of the convicts were very generous, they being at least better cared for than the honest poor of the island. The lecturer spoke of his connection with Port Arthur as one of the happiest periods of his life. When asked his opinion by the Government as to the advisability of abolishing Port Arthur he was strongly opposed to the proposal, believing that the settlement offered to convicts the best opportunities of reformation. During the lecture, which lasted for two hours, there was an intermission devoted to music.
Evening Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1869 – 1912) Tuesday 6 July 1886 p 3 Article
This entry was posted in Australia, Christianity, Compassion, Uncategorized and tagged Chaplain, Christianity, Church, convict history, convicts, gardens, history, photography, Port Arthur, Tasmania, Tassie on February 3, 2017 by Rowena.
Camellia Dreaming.
In a split second of eternity,
everything is changed,
transfigured.
A few bars of music,
rising from an unfamiliar place,
a touch of perfection in the flow of human dealings…
I lean my head slowly to one side,
reflect on the camellia on the moss on the temple,
reflect on a cup of tea,
while outside the wind is rustling foliage,
the forward rush of life is crystalized
in a brilliant jewel of a moment
that knows neither projects nor future,
human destiny is rescued from the pale succession of days,
glows with light at last and,
surpassing time,
warms my tranquil heart.
The stunning pink camellia I've photographed in situ here, was lying on the mossy grass in my parent's garden yesterday. It was about the size of a saucer and absolutely beautiful!
A taste of a Sydney Spring.
This entry was posted in Photography, Poetry, Quotes and tagged camellias, florist, flowers, gardening, gardens, meditation, mindfulness, Muriel Barbery, philosophy, plants, relaxation, Spring on September 28, 2016 by Rowena.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Former Tar Heel, Philadelphia 76ers' great Bobby Jones into Hall of Fame
Scott Fowler / The Charlotte Observer (TNS)
It took half a lifetime for Bobby Jones to earn induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. But on Saturday, it finally happened.
Jones, 67, retired in 1986 after a 12-year pro career in which he was a four-time NBA All-Star and made the All-Defensive first team eight years in a row. He narrowly missed being selected for the game's ultimate honor several times before but will be enshrined with the Class of 2019, which was announced in Minneapolis a few hours before the Final Four tipped off.
Jones grew up in Charlotte, starred for South Mecklenburg in high school and then was a standout player for North Carolina in college and then for both the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets in the pros. He won an NBA championship with the 1983 76ers. He returned to Charlotte after retiring and has coached youth basketball for decades in the area at various levels. Jones has long been regarded as a prototypical teammate.
"I was driving down to Charleston with my best friend and my wife to see my son when I got the call from the hall," Jones said. "I put it on speakerphone. My wife, Tess, was crying. My best friend had both his fists pumping up against the roof. It was special. This just brings back so many memories, so many games. It really has been somewhat emotional, to know you've been recognized by your peers like this."
Jones became the 11th Tar Heel elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He joins, in order of induction: Ben Carnevale, Frank McGuire, Dean Smith, Billy Cunningham, Bob McAdoo, Larry Brown, James Worthy, Roy Williams, Michael Jordan and Charlie Scott.
The 'ideal' UNC player
The late Woody Durham once told me of Jones: "If you had to draw up the qualifications of the ideal Carolina basketball player, Bobby Jones would be it."
The longtime Tar Heels play-by-play man then went on to rave about Jones' combination of athleticism, selflessness and smarts. Jones was one of the stars of UNC's famous "eight points in 17 seconds" comeback against Duke in 1974 and led the ACC in field-goal percentage for all three of his varsity seasons. Also in 1974, Jones made a steal at Duke with the score tied, hit a left-handed layup at the buzzer and just kept on running into the locker room.
Dean Smith appreciated Jones' defensive versatility. The late UNC coach said once in an interview that he would sometimes put Jones on 7-foot-4 Tommy Burleson of N.C. State and sometimes on Burleson's teammate, the 6-4 dynamic dunker David Thompson.
"And he'd do a great job on either one," Smith said.
Jones said that both Smith and Bill Guthridge, then a UNC assistant, were key in his development.
"When I was in high school, I wanted to play defense," Jones said. "I was tall and I could block shots. When I got to North Carolina, he (Smith) showed me how to play defense, weakside help, how to overplay my man, deny the ball, how to give help. He and Coach Guthridge were instrumental in my development."
Loving the blocked shot
Jones had been a finalist at least four times before in the Hall's secretive voting process, but each time he was denied entry. His candidacy was hurt because his offensive stats were mundane for a Hall of Famer — he averaged 12 points and six rebounds per game during his pro career.
Where Jones made the difference on the court was harder to quantify — he is widely regarded as one of the NBA's all-time elite defenders. His favorite basketball play was not a dunk or a 3-pointer — Jones was an admittedly limited offensive player who didn't make a single 3-pointer during his entire pro career (he was 0-for-17).
What Jones loved most, though, was the blocked shot.
At 6-foot-9, with leaping ability that made him a two-time state high-jump champion in high school, Jones had a natural talent for defense. He combined that with a fierce desire to chase down every loose ball. In fact, the sculpture the 76ers unveiled of him in December showed him not in the act of shooting, but instead in the act of diving for a loose ball.
"If you look at it from a distance, you'll think that it's broken," Jones said of the sculpture. "But I think it's really neat."
In the Class of 2019, Jones will be joined by 11 other individuals or teams, including fellow former NBA stars Jack Sikma, Paul Westphal, Sidney Moncrief and former Charlotte Hornet Vlade Divac, who played for Charlotte for two of his 16 NBA seasons and was elected partly because of his superb international career. The official enshrinement will be in Springfield, Mass., in September.
"It's also special because I played against Sikma, Westphal and Moncrief," Jones said. "They were my contemporaries. So that's neat."
Chris Webber and Ben Wallace were among the more prominent former NBA players who were finalists this year but didn't make it.
A devout Christian, Jones never drew a technical foul in his 12-year NBA career. Although he has always said he doesn't care much for individual awards, Jones did hope to receive the honor, believing it would increase his platform for sharing his faith.
Jones mentioned Saturday at the Hall of Fame press conference in Minneapolis that he didn't like basketball at first.
"My dad made me play when I was in middle school," he said. "I was very uncoordinated, had big feet, and I just didn't like the game. But he had played, and he got me to go in the backyard and start doing some drills. Through that, I started to enjoy the game because I started to have some success at it. For me in high school, as a quiet person, it was kind of my way in to be a part of a group. So I concentrated on that and had good coaches. And I think the love of the game developed in high school."
The 47-cent hotel bill
Jones has never minded telling a joke on himself. When asked recently about his various nicknames in the NBA — White Shadow and White Lightning were among them — he said one that hadn't heard before: "Nickel Bob," given to him by former teammate Doug Collins to tease Jones about his thriftiness.
Once while with the 76ers, Jones said: "We were playing the Nets. You'd get your incidentals bill at the hotel at checkout. I had brought my own lunch so I didn't have to pay for lunch. I had made one phone call, so my incidentals bill was 47 cents. And when my teammates saw that, they just went crazy: 'Oh, you're such a big spender!'"
The "big spender" got into an exclusive club Saturday, a place so exclusive that neither 47 cents nor 47 million dollars can get you in there. You must have the credentials.
Jones has had those credentials for a long time. On Saturday, basketball's Hall of Fame finally recognized it.


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New Zealand links 26-year-old man's death to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
December 19, 2021, 11:15 PM ·1 min read
SYDNEY (Reuters) -New Zealand authorities on Monday said they had linked a 26-year-old man's death to Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine after the person suffered myocarditis, a rare inflammation of the heart muscle, after taking his first dose.
The death is New Zealand's second linked to a known but rare side effect from the vaccine after health authorities in August reported a woman had died after taking her doses.
"With the current available information, the board has considered that the myocarditis was probably due to vaccination in this individual," a COVID-19 Vaccine Independent Safety Monitoring Board said in a statement.
The man, who died within two weeks of his first dose, had not sought medical advice or treatment for his symptoms. Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that can limit the organ's ability to pump blood and can cause changes in heartbeat rhythms.
A Pfizer spokesperson said the company was aware of the report of the death in New Zealand, it monitored all reports of possible adverse events, and continued to believe the benefit-risk profile for its vaccine was positive.
New Zealand's vaccine safety board also said another two people, including a 13-year-old, had died with possible myocarditis after taking their vaccinations. More details were needed before linking the child's death to the vaccine, while the death of a man in his 60s was unlikely related to the vaccine, it said.
Despite the rare side effects, the vaccine safety board said the benefits of vaccination greatly outweighed the risks.
(Reporting by Renju Jose with additional reporting by Byron Kaye in SydneyEditing by Robert Birsel)
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Based in the LB of Islington, Room to Heal supports refugees and asylum seekers who have experienced torture and human rights abuses.
Through our Improving Londoners' Mental Health programme, the Trust is funding their therapeutic support service, with a grant of £120,000. This is part of the range of services offered, which also includes practical casework assistance and a range of creative and social activities, enabling people to rebuild their lives.


January 31, 2019 The Ulman Foundation announced this week that it will be serving as the new host for the Mission Control resource, previously owned by Critical Mass: The Young Adult Cancer Alliance.
Last month, Critical Mass announced they were shutting down after a comprehensive review of their operational and financial status. The Ulman Foundation has been a longtime supporter of Critical Mass and is excited to host this vital patient navigation software going forward.
Mission Control is a simple and free online program that connects young adults impacted by cancer with local resources in their community using their zip code. The software also segments resources by topic including: newly diagnosed, treatment, survivorship, end-of-life care, and more.
The software is being transferred to Ulman thanks to the generosity of Bethany Meissner and her husband Jarrod Jabre. During Bethany's last few weeks battling cancer before passing, the 31-year-old ensured that there would be access to resources for other AYAs by starting a fundraiser for Critical Mass. Bethany had a goal of $500 and ended up raising $12,357; hitting her goal out of the ballpark! She is the reason that Mission Control can be funded for all of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020.
Mission Control will be linked to the current Ulman website, www.ulmanfoundation.org in the coming weeks.