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Sofie's World
Living life as if getting out of the box!
Life makes you think two sided approach, learn to see the positive in every negative events..
Another Country, Another Culture
Note: the article you are about to read was a project submitted in a class of Cross Cultural Communication, there were revisions made by the author, and such revisions entails the comments of the professor. This is a one sided approach like a first impression.
It all started with an almost failing grade. A journey of a young girl exploring the land of the rising sun – Japan. Among the students of Foreign Service, this young girl aimed at achieving a mertorous award. Like any other journey, she had to overcome challenges to get what she was hoping for. Luck or misfortune, ( it will depend on your interpretation of the story, and your perspective), came, she needed to take a foreign language course which would run for four semesters. It was another yet exciting and shaky ride. She had to memorize a lot of characters, words and practice writing these characters. At the end of the semester, in her final examination, she did her best to write things as far as her memory is concerned, but no matter how hard she tried her best (and her luck) it was a no match for people that got things in fast-paced means. It did not pay off. All the hardships, sleepless nights and exerting effort on the subject. The result was an almost failing grade.
The Journey began
There was this advertisement in the young girl's hometown plaza, looking for Japanese students. The class would be offered for free. Having doubts in mind and due to curiosity if that was true, the young girl went to the school.
日本語 を べんきょうします。The Japanese class started, like in any other language class, students were asked to introduce themselves first in English then in Japanese. 私は ソフィア です。 どうぞ よろしく おがいします。
It was summer time when the little girl had her Japanese course outside the university. As it continued, she learned how to eat using a pair of はし(chopsticks)a typical Japanese way of eating. She learned how to pay respect for her 先生 and as a Japanese custom, she'd always remove her くつ upon entering her classroom on the school itself. Two months of Japanese immersion, two months of exploring Japanese language and its culture, and in that span of time, she had to say goodbye to Spanish (hasta luego!) and say hello (こんにちは) to Japanese language and its people.
Time to say goodbye to her先生, as part of a Filipino custom, she and her classmate treated their sensei in an eat all you can restaurant. The sensei enjoyed the "crispy – pata", "kare-kare" and "sinigang na hipon". A a token of appreciation, the teacher gave his students a letter, ( written in Japanese language) and a ningyomi doll. He did encourage his students to continue studyin the languag, as it may help them in the future and it is through the language one can see a country's rich culture. Seems like looking in a window full of colors and shapes – a kalleidoscope!
The little girl took the advise of her teacher, she continued studying the language together with her academic subjects and the in-campus Japanese course; she manage to take them all with an ease. Together with her classmate/friend/coffee buddy, the two learned a lot from their new Japanese teacher, they've learned about customs, etiquette and traditions.
In line with the Japanese religion, most if not all Japanese are involved in doll collection, which was used during festivities and events. One example is the Dharma doll or Daruma. It is a willow- wood doll with no limbs, no eyes (pupils) and no hair. It was believed that Dharma (Bodhi) seeks enlightenment. As time goes by, he did not move, not leave his place, so after while, his limbs, and feet hid. It has no eyes also because as Japanese buddhists believed, when dharma finally reached enlightenment, there was a strong light that made his eyes disappear. It is believed that during elections, politicians would buy a daruma doll and make an eye on one of the eyes of the doll, and if the politician win, he will make another eye and bring it to the temple to be burned by the monks. The doll is not only for politicians but even for students who want to pass their exams and even for those who want to achieve their goals in life.
Aside from the daruma doll, also a lucky charm, called omamori おまも, is use to attract good spirits in achieving one's goal in life. It is like a small cloth ( ausual charm would look like) but it has a chinese character (kanji) with the person's with or hope or goal in life. In most temples and shrines of Tokyo, a lot of Japanese students would buy one and use as a charm on their mobile phones to attract good spirits. Of course, gem stones are still on the top, there are various lucky gem stones available or being sold all over Japan. Kyoto being their former capital has a lot to offer. The girl's sensei gave her one, a white gem which means finding luck in love.
Japanese people does not really rely their lives on the charms, they work hard for their dreams and goals to be achieve. It maybe one of their means of having a tangible faith. Every month, in Japan, they showcases a variety of festivities. From Hokkaido down to Okinawa they have special festivitivals. One of which is the Tanabata festival (たなばた). It is a kind of festivity in which people will wear kimono or yukata around the streets and they will write in a piece of colored paper, their wish, or goals in life. Then it will be hang on a bamboo tree which the wind would blow for the Gods and good spirits to make their wish come true. It is celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th month.
Tanabata festival has the same counterpart in China. The story was about Orihime (織姫 Weaving Princess?), daughter of the Tentei (天帝 Sky King, or the universe itself?), wove beautiful clothes by the bank of the Amanogawa (天の川 Milky Way, lit. "heavenly river"?). Her father loved the cloth that she wove and so she worked very hard every day to weave it. However, Orihime was sad that because of her hard work she could never meet and fall in love with anyone. Concerned about his daughter, Tentei arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi (彦星 Cow Herder Star?) (also referred to as Kengyuu (牽牛?)) who lived and worked on the other side of the Amanogawa. When the two met, they fell instantly in love with each other and married shortly thereafter. However, once married, Orihime no longer would weave cloth for Tentei and Hikoboshi allowed his cows to stray all over Heaven. In anger, Tentei separated the two lovers across the Amanogawa and forbade them to meet. Orihime became despondent at the loss of her husband and asked her father to let them meet again. Tentei was moved by his daughter's tears and allowed the two to meet on the 7th day of the 7th month if she worked hard and finished her weaving. The first time they tried to meet, however, they found that they could not cross the river because there was no bridge. Orihime cried so much that a flock of magpies came and promised to make a bridge with their wings so that she could cross the river. It is said that if it rains on Tanabata, the magpies cannot come and the two lovers must wait until another year to meet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata>
It is not always a love story behind such festival. There was also, an event in which paper cranes are used to symbolize fast recovery, good hope and fortune, "a thousand cranes" exemplifies that. Most Japanese would make a thousand cranes to sympathize with a sick friend and hoping for a fast recovery. As we remember, when a tsunami hit the Miyagi prefecture, most of our Filipinos made a thousand cranes hoping for the Japanese people to recover from the disaster.
Moreover, Japanese learning will not be complete without the know-how of wearing kimono and yukata with geta. Kimono is a Japanese traditional dress with five or more layers to be wear by a person in festivities and events. The color of kimono varies as it compliments the event. Usually, if it is a festival, girls and boys will wear a pastel colored kimono from left to right, if the pattern is otherwise, it is for the dead. Usually and as a Japanese custom, married women should only wear a black kimono or yukata symbolizing that they are married. As for the single ladies, it is expected, that they will wear pastel colors or colors relating to nature such as orange, red, sky blue and others; the same concept with yukata. However, yukata is one layer dress. During the ancient time or late Edo period, yukatas were used after going to the onzen or public hot bath, with regards to the color, the same rule is applied. Geta on the other hand is the traditional footwear of Japanese. In Philippines we call it "bakya", it will complete the traditional dress of a typical Japanese in a festival. It is made of wood and looks like a slipper but with heels on the middle; there are two blocks underneath, making it balance.
In terms of foods, one popular food aside from California – maki, sushi and tempura is okonomiyaki. It is the Japanese version of pancake/pizza, (without catsup), it is consists of veggies (usually cabbage), squid, pan (bread like in a cooked pancake) shrimp and others. The kotatsu table is one of a typical Japanese table which has a hole under it, which is usually use during winter season in Japan.
Japanese course will not be complete without its language. Japanese language is consists of romaji (Romanized), hiragana, katakana and Kanji (Chinese characters). The hiragana, katakana and kanji are written in a balanced and relaxed way, especially in writing kanji. One way to practice it is through shodou writing. It is similar to the Chinese way of calligraphy.
The journey of the little girl did not stop at knowing these things. Last 2011, she did gave it a try to take the Japanese Language Proficiency test; and hoped to wing it (but the result came in negative – better luck next time). The little girl aimed/dream to go to Japan. わたしは 日本 へ いきたい!。But it seems that destiny does not permit her to go to Japan this time. Perhaps there is something better waiting for her in the future when the right time comes for her to go to the land of the rising sun.
One of her professors asked her why Japan? Why pursue a career in International Relations if you can just apply to Japan Airlines? Why waste money, time and effort in discussing geopolitics, international economics, and comparative politics if you can land a job in an airline industry? Why? The little girl replied immediately, she said that, Japan is the country of discipline and balance. It has a rich and unique culture which a lot of people would want to experience. Working as an FSE or Officer is one way to set the bottom line in her mind to set goals (personal) and helping her fellowmen in that country. There is much more to learn, more to read, and the journey has been started, it is not the end of the little girl's journey.
Final comments, the Japanese culture is so intricate and unique even other Japanese, would ask why they have such attitudes and traits. There are things needed to learn, explore and be loved. I would admit that I love Japan as much as I love my own country (especially in Comparative Politics – both countries has similarities and differences). It makes me excited whenever I am thinking of Japan. I learned, meaning, I was able to love the country because I learn and am still learning to love the country. It would be a rewarding opportunity for me to go there and represent my country there. But like what my sensei told me, "if you want to become an Ambassador, Foreign Minister, Career Minister, you need to study hard, it is not suffice to study a lot but you must STUDY HARD", allow me to add on what he said, it is not all about study hard, but STUDY SMART. ^_^.
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SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australians go to the polls in a general election on May 18, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, firing the starting gun on a campaign expected to be fought over taxation, climate change and inequality.
Opinion polls show Morrison's conservative coalition trailing the opposition Labor party after six years in power and two prime ministers toppled by internal party ructions.
"So the choice to be made by Australians on the 18th of May is like it always is at every election, and that is: who do you trust to deliver that strong economy which your essential services rely on?" Morrison said to reporters in Canberra.
While the government has framed the election as a referendum on its record of managing Australia's finances, the economy shows signs of beginning to slow.


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By submitting a report SALAM DHR Participates in Bahrain's review with the 123rd session of the UN's Human Rights Committee ICCPR
The Human Rights Committee is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by its State parties.
At its 123rd session, the Human Rights Committee will review the State reports of Algeria, Bahrain, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lithuania and Liberia. The 123rd session of the Human Rights Committee will take place in Geneva, Palais Wilson, from 2 to 27 July 2018. Yet, it is worth mentioning that Bahrain's state report is going to be reviewed on the 2nd and 3rd of July by the same committee.
Bahrain ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention against Torture, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Despite its ratification of the international treaties and commitment to defend human rights, the brutal human rights abuses have been continuously reported.
A worrying new set of methods repressing the human rights of its own people have come into practice. The government continued to curtail freedoms of expression, association and assembly through various unlawful measures, and banning political opposition societies and denial of basic civil and political rights of their leaders and members. By revoking nationality of 738 Bahrainis, the government has been wielding citizenship as a weapon of control and oppression. It has also criminalised freedom of assembly and expression by implementing unnecessary restraints and inappropriate regulations on peaceful assembly. A number of detainees have been physically assaulted by staffs who had not given any proper training on the lawful use of force. The security apparatus also has continued to use torture to extract false confessions. Children have been no exception from becoming victims of human rights abuses. Security forces have routinely detained children without clear charges, which often results in ill-treatment on a serious level.
"We in SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights have submitted our report (DOWNLOAD AND READ) to the committee and are taking part in both formal and informal briefing with the committee on Monday and Tuesday of this week." Says Asma Darwish, SALAM DHR Head of International Relations.
The report shed light on Bahrain's lack of commitment in respecting the civil and political rights of its citizens and discuss these violations providing numbers, figures and facts. As investigated, despite Bahrain's ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), there has been no meaningful compliance with the most of its Articles. The government of Bahrain have increased restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, association and religion of its citizens, targeting whoever raise their voices against the government to any degree. The arbitrary measures of the authorities have resulted in numerous victims of torture, travel ban, revocation of citizenship, and death penalty. Therefore, SALAM DHR calls through its engagement with the Human Rights Committee to the continued support, encouragement and pressure to ensure Bahrain implements the legal and policy changes for the real promotion and protection of all human rights for all people in Bahrain, complying with the international norms and standards, including the ICCPR.
On the International Day against Trafficking in Persons, Bahrain: Domestic servants are still in the category of human trafficking
On his International Day: "Nelson Mandela" in the prisons of Bahrain

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George Rudolph
By: CPBJ Staff
PA State Employees Credit Union dba PSECU
Alongside a team of more than 800 professionals, Rudolph ensures that as a not-for-profit financial cooperative, PSECU is delivering high-quality products and services to its more than 475,000 valued member-owners. "Above all, our goals are to help our members achieve their goals and serve as their trusted financial partner," he said.
Rudolph joined PSECU in April 2019.
He is most proud of his current role at PSECU. "I've long believed that the credit union model, through which financial cooperatives exist solely to support the well-being of their member-owners, is extremely important. I feel fortunate to play a part in influencing the strategy that ensures our ongoing, shared success," Rudolph said.
An important lesson he's learned is that with focus and a positive outlook, you can accomplish almost anything. "In my role at PSECU, I try to bring these qualities to my work each and every day, and I encourage others to do the same," he said.
In Rudolph's free time, he looks for new experiences to broaden his horizons. "I do this through travel, meeting new people, trying new foods, etc. I also enjoy jogging, particularly in nice weather. These activities help me appreciate the variety that life has to offer, relax, and stay healthy," he said.
This profile is part of Central Penn Business Journal's Power 100 list for 2021. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. See the full list at cpbj.com or in our digital edition.
Power 100 List 2021 12:12 am Fri, March 19, 2021 Central Penn Business Journal
Contact the Editorial Department at edi[email protected]


The National Election Committee said yesterday that three political parties standing for next week's Senate election have done very little campaigning, while NGOs said it was a consequence of the main opposition party being dissolved.
According to an NEC press release, the three parties that have done very little campaigning are the Cambodian Youth Party, the Khmer National United Party and Funcinpec. Only the ruling CPP has been campaigning at their head offices throughout the country, it said.
"Please note that after nine days, these campaigns have been held in a calm, stable and non-violent manner without any complaints," it read.
Sotheara Yoeurng, legal and monitoring officer at the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, said the three parties were barely campaigning because the CNRP, which won the second-highest number of seats in the 2017 commune elections, was dissolved.
"Another reason is the Senate election is a non-general election – normal citizens don't take part in the electoral process," he added.
Prominent political analyst Lao Mong Hay said people's votes were seen as worthless after the dissolution of the CNRP.
The NEC has banned all political parties from campaigning on nine major boulevards in Phnom Penh, along with a slew of public spaces within the city prior to the upcoming Senate election on February 25.
Only four political parties are standing in the election: the ruling CPP, the Cambodian Youth Party, the Khmer National United Party and Funcinpec.


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An energized crowd of roughly 500 packed the ballroom of the Space Coast Convention Center to listen to a panel featuring Florida Rep. Anthony Sabatini, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, attorney Kendra Parris, Republican Liberty Caucus Chairman Bob White and conservative talk radio personality Royce Bartlett.
Billed as a push-back against "gun grabbers" in Tallahassee, the conversation among the panelists, moderated by WMMB host Bill Mick, took aim at gun legislation enacted after the mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Specifically the so-called "red flag law" which allows law enforcement, with the consent of a judge, to temporarily confiscate firearms if an individual is thought to pose a risk to themselves or others.
In addition to allegedly violating the Second Amendment, panelists contended that such "risk protection orders" also violated due process rights under the Fourth and 14th Amendments.
"It's a mess," said White, who said that "what happened at Parkland was a failure of government at every level," and that the law was a diversion away from that failure.
According to Parris, a Baker Act defense attorney who now specializes in RPO cases, it is troubling how easily an officer can obtain an RPO.
"In my experience, it's phone calls to a judge and about 20 seconds, that's crazy. ... They're granted 99 percent of the time," she said, adding that much of the language in the law is "ambiguous."
"Bad language is the strongest grounds on this challenge," she said, inviting legislators to call her so she can recommend changes to the law.
"It's an expansion of police power, and people need to be aware of their rights with respect to that, even if you're not" a gun owner, she said.
Sabatini, who said he had served in the Florida National Guard at age 19, said he was most offended by the ban on firearm sales for people under age 21. He went on to say that the red flag law was "being abused."
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Data presented for other Florida counties at the forum showed wild variations in the number of RPOs executed from county to county. Polk for instance executed some 554, while the far more populous Miami-Dade issued 170, according to their statistics.
Ivey pointed to the relatively low number of RPOs executed by his office in Brevard County between March and November last year, amounting to 19 out of 31 total RPOs executed by all law enforcement agencies in Brevard as counted by FLORIDA TODAY record requests.
Ivey also floated the idea of loosening healthcare privacy laws.
"A person could be Baker Acted, and they can show up three days later and I have no way of knowing what the doctors even said about them," he said.
"You start talking about reforming HIPAA, and people cringe ... but the reality is that the health system's broken," he said. HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Sabatini, elected in 2018 and part of the Liberty Caucus, has introduced legislation to allow for firearm carry on public university campuses, as well as "constitutional carry," the ability to open carry without a permit that presently exists in some form in about a dozen states.
"There is no gun law, no gun regulation that squares with the Second Amendment, other than constitutional carry itself. Period," Sabatini said to cheers.
Central Brevard Rep. Tyler Sirois has co-sponsored Sabatini's legislation.
For most of its history, the Supreme Court said the Second Amendment did not confer a right to own and carry firearms to individuals unconnected to service in a militia. But in the landmark Heller ruling in 2008, the Court ruled for the first time that the amendment meant individuals did have a constitutional right to own firearms. But it also ruled that right was not unlimited.
More:'Gun grabbers in Tallahassee,' proposed state amendment targeted by Republican Liberty Caucus
In writing the majority opinion in that case, the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia noted the Second Amendment "was not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose." He also wrote that "nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms."
Bartlett raised the specter of armed civil strife in his opening remarks before somewhat distancing himself from an outright call for civil war.
"Yes, we're using our First Amendment now, I pray we don't have to go safeties-off," he said, adding "we need to present an armed unified front, don't mistake what I'm saying that I'm looking to start the, you know, Civil War 2.0."
"But I'll tell you what's worse than that is yielding to the desires of our enemies in our midst — letting ourselves be subjugated and giving up rights that our children will not enjoy if we do so," he continued.
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Later, Bartlett said that Republican legislators as well as Democrats pushing for gun control "need to do is back down before we start boiling some tar and cut up some pillows, if you know what I mean."
In the line of fire were Senate President Bill Galvano and Infrastructure and Security Committee Chairman Tom Lee. Printed postcards laying out opposition to gun control measures were distributed to attendees to stamp and send to each.
Describing himself as the most pro-Second Amendment sheriff in the country to cheers and applause, Ivey said the amendment is the "military of the constitution," before stating that the country is under attack.
"Let there be no doubt about it: what we cherish in this country is under attack, and I am telling you that from the bottom of my heart. I believe it is not only our Second Amendment that's under attack I believe our entire constitution is under attack, and we have to stop being the silent majority, and start being the vocal majority," he said to applause.
He went on to cite lack of mandatory school prayer and kneeling during the national anthem as part of the perceived attack on rights.
"The way we stop it is by making sure that we're sending the right people to Washington, and the right people to Tallahassee, that's how we stop it," he said.
Ivey previously had endorsed some of the same politicians that were criticized for their Second Amendment voting records that night.
When approached by a FLORIDA TODAY reporter after the event, Ivey said he would not answer the reporter's questions, except by email. He subsequently did not directly address questions emailed to him from FLORIDA TODAY.
At the end of the night, Matt Nye of the Liberty Caucus announced a bid against Central Brevard Rep. Thad Altman.
Altman and other members of the Brevard delegation — in particular South Brevard Rep. Randy Fine — drew criticism and jeers from the crowd for their votes on gun laws passed after Stoneman Douglas.
"Locally, this election cycle voters need to pay attention to the elected officials on how they vote. Don't let party affiliation and empty promises sway your vote," said Susan Hodgers, head of the Brevard Trump Club, a co-sponsor of the event, who described the Second Amendment as a nonpartisan issue.
Present as an attendee was Democratic congressional candidate Jim Kennedy, who noted that he is a gun owner and a veteran, and that the "Second Amendments is the Second Amendment of the Constitution for a reason, and there are responsibilities that go with that."
Kennedy said "I'm here to learn, and I'm here to see what people are interested in."
Much ire was leveled against Democratic control of the legislature and governor's office in Virginia, where a raft of gun control legislation has been proposed sparking a bevy of cities and counties to declare themselves "Second Amendment sanctuaries" and where sheriffs have threatened to refuse to enforce such laws.
Armed "patriot" groups such as the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters are reportedly expected to mobilize to Richmond to demonstrate in opposition to the laws.
"What's going on in Virginia is absolutely crazy," said Ivey, who sidestepped a question about whether he, too, would refuse to enforce additional gun control laws in Florida, saying the focus should be on preventing such laws from being passed.
"If we don't succeed there, we'll be standing ready, the sheriff's office is the first line of defense for our citizens," he said, reminding the crowd that the Constitution is tattooed on his arm.
Sabatini said any violence coming from any effort to confiscate weapons would be the fault of Democrats. Violence has not yet occurred in Virginia. Currently proposed Virginia legislation does not call for confiscation, only registration, and prohibition of sales of specific types of weapons including assault weapons.
More:Calling it a 'starting point,' Jeff Brandes' bill strikes controversial voter application language for felons
Sabatini said that registration, not confiscation, is the extent of what might be proposed in Florida under the present Republican leadership and even then he said "I do have faith that the current leadership in the house, won't expand any more gun control."
His message to gun advocates was to fight for control of the narrative.
"The air in the room (in Tallahassee) is on the side of gun control right now and I would say that should be the focus," he said.
Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon is a watchdog reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.
Contact him at 321-355-8144, or asassoon@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @alemzs


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NHL Eastern Conference playoff race
The Detroit Red Wings Fight To Find Their Footing
Dan Flaherty Uncategorized Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Red Wings articles, NHL analysis, NHL articles, NHL Eastern Conference playoff race, Pavel Datsyuk injury
The Detroit Red Wings are one of the NHL's proudest franchises, and by season's end we might see another demonstration of that. Right now though, the Red Wings are kind of puttering along. They have 50 points, which puts them as one of a group of eight teams jousting for five playoff berths in the Eastern Conference (Pittsburgh, Boston and Tampa Bay having separated themselves at the top).
Are the Red Wings destined for mediocrity in 2014, or will we see a turnaround? Let's take a closer look at what they've done and speculate on what might lie ahead.
Detroit had problems offensively all last year, as they barely scraped into the playoffs, before finding themselves to upset 2-seed Anaheim and scare the hell out of 1-seed Chicago. I was willing to write off some of the offensive woes due to the strange nature of the 2013 NHL season—the lockout meant minimal preparation, and the shortened season meant not enough games for things to balance out. It was to be expected we would see anomalies.
The early returns this year suggest it was no anomaly. Detroit is 20th in goals scored, and with their ability to generate shots only ranking 17th, you can't write it off to bad luck. Daniel Cleary is not productive, nor is Daniel Alfredsson, the forward acquired from Ottawa in the offseason to spruce up the attack.
To make matters worse, Pavel Datsyuk, one of the team's consistent threats over the years, and with 15 goals/34 assists this season, is now out indefinitely with a lower body injury (NHL injury reports are always vague—Bill Belichick would love coaching in this league). The Wings have been further hurt by the loss of forward Johan Franzen to a concussion, and no timetable for his return.
The defensive situation is better, but not sufficient to overcome a bad offense. Detroit ranks 14th in goals allowed, and is marginally better at shot prevention, where they rank 11th. Goaltender Jimmy Howard has dealt with injuries of his own this year, and is only 26th in save percentage, at 91.3%.
If Howard gets healthy and back to being the top ten goalie that he is, that can lift the defensive ranking. And Detroit does excel at killing power plays, a trait that will keep them in a lot of games. Nor can we overlook the offensive contribution that continues to be made night-in, night-out, from the magnificent Henrik Zetterberg, who has 37 assists.
This is still a team that knows how to play fundamental hockey and moves the puck, as the assist numbers of both Zetterberg and Datsyuk prior to his injury demonstrate. The question right now is whether that's enough. If this were any other organization, I would say no. Because it's the Detroit Red Wings, we have a reasonable basis for assuming they'll come up with solutions, and if they sneak into the playoffs as a low seed (6 thru 8), it's about the last thing any of the favorites would want.
NHL Metropolitan Division Update
Dan Flaherty Uncategorized NHL analysis, NHL articles, NHL Eastern Conference playoff race, NHL Metropolitan Division, NHL Metropolitan Division standings, NHL playoff race
The NHL Metropolitan Division has thus far been defined by dominance from the favorite and injuries holding back other potential contenders. The Pittsburgh Penguins are off and running to another big year, and have a 12-point lead in this division. But in the rest of the Metropolitan leaves this division confined to only the minimum three teams in the playoffs.
With the new NHL alignment having just two divisions per conference, the top three are guaranteed postseason spots, but the final two berths in the East can go either way. As of today, the NHL Atlantic Division would get five teams in. Here's how the rest of the Metropolitan is shaking out…
*The Washington Capitals are a solid second with 41 points, although that's only two points better than the fifth-place team in the Atlantic, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
*Philadelphia would be in the playoffs as the third-place team with 36 points, but the Flyers have both the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils just one point back, the New York Rangers two back and the Columbus Blue Jackets are at 32.
*The big disappointment is the New York Islanders, a playoff team a year ago, who only have 27 points and a long row to hoe to get back in sniffing distance of the 8-seed in the East.
Injuries are a big factor. Columbus has been without forward Nathan Horton all year, and Marian Gaboriki has also been banged up. Horton and Gaborik were supposed to provide scoring punch to a defense-oriented team, although with Horton's injury history I'm not sure what else the Blue Jackets were expecting.
The Rangers are missing Ryan Callahan with a knee injury and that won't change until next month at the earliest. Philly lost defenseman Chris Pronger at the start of the year, and even Pittsburgh hasn't been immune. The Pens are missing Kris Letang, one of the league's best passing defenseman.
NHL Atlantic Division Update
Dan Flaherty Uncategorized NHL analysis, NHL articles, NHL Atlantic Division, NHL Eastern Conference playoff race, NHL playoff picture, NHL playoff race
The NHL Atlantic Division is out to a strong start as the best division in the Eastern Conference. This is the year of realignment in the NHL, with two divisions per conference, rather than three, and the new playoff format makes division strength a significant issue.
Each division is guaranteed its top three teams in the postseason, with only the final two berths able to float. As it stands today, the Atlantic Division would get the maximum of five teams in the playoffs–Boston, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Detroit and Toronto would all qualify.
To further underscore the point of division strength, sixth-place Ottawa would be in fourth in the Metropolitan Division, and only three points out of the playoffs.
The Boston Bruins are setting the pace in the Atlantic with 46 points, and their archrival Montreal is right behind at 43. Montreal was a surprise division winner of Boston in last season's alignment, and the Canadiens early success suggests they're back to stay as a contender.
Tampa Bay is sitting on third, but with Steven Stamkos out indefinitely with a serious leg injury, you have to wonder how long that will last. Stamkos is more than just the best player for the Lightning, he's one of the most electric scorers in the league, rivaled perhaps only by Washington's Alex Ovechkin.
Detroit still seems to be finding itself right now, although the Red Wings also ended up as the 7-seed in last year's NHL playoffs–they were in the Western Conference then–so perhaps this 7-spot is simply their new level. We'll find out. Their own rival Toronto was the subject of a close-up look here at TheSportsNotebook. The Leafs need to tighten up defensively.
NHL Analysis: The Tri-State Trio Battles In The East
Dan Flaherty Uncategorized New Jersey Devils playoff chances, New York Islanders playoff chances, New York Rangers playoff chances, NHL analysis, NHL Eastern Conference playoff race, NHL playoff race
Hockey in the New York Tri-State area has no shortage of excitement going right now, with the New York Rangers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils are battling around the borderline of the NHL's Eastern Conference playoffs. It's possible all three could make it, and it's possible all three could miss. Although neither extreme is likely, it adds to the drama these final seventeen days of the regular season. TheSportsNotebook's NHL analysis will compare all three teams in each phase of the game.
OFFENSE: The Islanders have been one of the league's surprise teams, as they fight for relevance for the first time since their dynasty of the early 1980s. They've done with an offense that's one of the NHL's ten most prolific, and the best of the group is center John Tavarez. He's an elite scorer and a very good passer. Tavarez gets support from forward Matt Moulson, with some complementary help coming from Brad Boyes passing the puck and Michael Grabner lighting the lamp. This team does a good job both generating shots and finishing.
It's the Rangers who've had a lot of problems scoring goals, but the big caveat we have to note is that there is a significant discrepancy between the number of shots they get (6th in the NHL) and the number of goals they score (23rd). Remember, if this were a normal season, we'd only be at about the halfway point, and likely to dismiss this as a statistical fluke that would work itself out, and likely in favor of more goals being scored. That's got to give Eastern Conference powers pause if they contemplate the Rangers as a first-round opponent.
It's also an offense that's undergone some changes. The team acquired Rick Nash from Columbus during the offseason and he's a solid scorer. Then at last week's trade deadline they shipped out last year's main scorer, Marian Gaborik, also to Columbus, completing what amounted to a de facto trade. Derek Stepan and Brad Richards are good passers at the center spot, and Stepan can also score. Ryan Callahan has been an adequate scorer at forward, but is a prime example of a player who can significantly lift his game before this is over.
New Jersey lost Zach Parise in the offseason to Minnesota, and Ilya Kovalchuk has been down with a shoulder injury. Those were the two best offensive players on the team that came within two games of winning the Stanley Cup last year, and their absence/injuries really shows. The Devils are below average at getting shots and even worse at converting. There's nothing positive to speak of at center, where action has to flow from on most good offenses, and while Patrik Elias is a nice player, he's better served in the complementary role he had last year. Kovalchuk's expected back in a few days, but with the Devils already being in 10th in the East, that could be a few days too late.
DEFENSE: This segment starts with the Rangers, who are the one team in the Tri-City Trio that really excels at shutting down opponents. Due primarily to Henrik Lundqvist in goal, the Rangers are a top five team in goal prevention. Lundqvist has taken some heat for playoff losses, but don't overlook the fact that if this year's team gets in, it will be heavily on his shoulders, because the defense in front of him is mediocre. Some of it is due to injuries at the defenseman spot, but whatever the reason, the Rangers are below average at stopping shots, while being elite in stopping goals. That tells you something pretty good about the goalie.
New Jersey's Martin Brodeur is a legend in the sport, with three championships to his name, plus a couple more trips to the Finals, including last year. I hold him in high regard, but that can't stop us from pointing out the obvious—he's just that not good anymore. His 90.8% save rate might sound good to basketball fans who correlate it to free-throw shooting, but in reality that ranks him at the bottom of regular NHL goalies. The defense is doing a great job limiting his exposure, and in any one-game shot I'd never bet against a proud veteran with Hall of Fame credentials—ask the Florida Panthers about last year's Game 7 in the first round—but over the long haul, there's no denying Brodeur's significant decline.
If the Islanders don't make the playoffs it will be because of their goaltending, and whenever they lose it will be because of it. Evgeni Nabokov's save percentage is down there with Brodeur's, and in this case, there's no reason to think the Islander netminder could gut it up for one big game when it really mattered. The defense in front is decent, but not dominant enough to bail out a bad goalie.
5-ON-5/POWER PLAY: The Rangers and Islanders are the study in contrasts here. The Rangers have the most success in regular 5-on-5 play, while being subpar in both converting their own power plays and killing the oppositions. The Islanders aren't very good in standard play and are mediocre killing penalties, but have excelled when they enjoy a man advantage. New Jersey just hasn't played very well in any situation, which explains why at this writing, they are the one team of this group that would miss the playoffs.
I prefer the Rangers' numbers when it comes to projecting long-term success, with the precondition that the team must improve its ability to kill penalties. But when your offensive is reliant on the power play to score, that places you at the mercy of how a game is officiated, and as the playoffs progress, it's less likely that a good team will give you a lot of chances.
CONCLUSION: If you had never followed hockey before and looked at these teams' basic statistical profiles, I'd suggest that you would say the Rangers have the best long-term potential, with the Islanders close behind and the Devils a very distant third.
If you do follow hockey and have some context, I'd say the Rangers' edge becomes even wider—we can reasonably assume their offense will get better and there's at least a decent chance the penalty kill will improve. And with that same context, I'm hesitant to dismiss the Devils, especially with Kovalchuk's return imminent. But if anyone in the Tri-State area makes noise this spring, it's going to be the Rangers. Now, it's just a question of whether they earn the chance over these next 2 ½ weeks.
NHL Analysis: Toronto Maple Leafs Give Early Signs Of Hope
Dan Flaherty Uncategorized NHL analysis, NHL Eastern Conference, NHL Eastern Conference playoff race, Phil Kessel Maple Leafs, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Maple Leafs playoff chances
It's been quite a dry spell for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The franchise last won the Stanley Cup in 1967 and in the intervening years they've never made it back to the Finals, and only reached the conference finals a total of four times. An even bigger mark of ineptitude is the seven straight years they've missed the playoffs—let's call it the 'Curse of Gary Bettman', since that covers the entire period since the 2005 season was cancelled. Today though, Toronto is hanging in the NHL Eastern Conference playoff race, in the #7 position. TheSportsNotebook's NHL analysis today will focus on whether the Leafs are finally for real as a playoff team.
Let's begin by looking at the foundation point: the play of last year's Leafs. They finished 13th in the Eastern Conference, five spots and 12 points out of the postseason and were never really a contender. The defense was awful, the second-worst in the NHL at allowing goals. On a directly related point, the ability to kill penalties was non-existent and on the offensive side, Toronto tended to rely on the power play. They were one of the NHL's worst teams in standard five-on-five play, meaning their chances of winning games basically depended on how a game was going to be officiated.
Everything in the sport of hockey ultimately points to the goaltender, so it won't come as a shock to note that the biggest factor in Toronto's improved play is much better work by the goalies. James Reimer and Ben Scrivens have split duty, and while neither is going to remind anyone of Jonathan Quick anytime soon, the Leafs are at least getting competent work. The penalty kill now ranks in about the middle of the league.
Toronto's offense is an upper-third unit in terms of overall rank in the NHL, just as it was last season. What's more important though, is that the Leafs aren't nearly as dependent on the power play for producing goals. They now rank in ninth in the NHL in five-on-five action, giving them a much better hope for consistency each night.
When you break the offense down individually you find a unit that doesn't have star power, but does have pretty good balance. Nazem Kadri at center, and flanked by forwards Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk and all rank in the top 60 of the NHL in points. Kadri and Kessel have done it by passing, while van Reimsdyk has scored 11 goals. If you dig into the second, third and fourth lines, you find contributions from two left-wingers, Clarke MacArthur (five goals) and Nikolai Kulemin (10 assists), right-winger Matt Fratton (seven goals) and centers Tyler Bozak and Mikhail Grabovksi, who have combined for 11 goals and 10 assists.
And when we say Toronto has no star power, that's based on current production. Kessel is a very talented offensive player and if he were to break out and elevate his game, it brings a whole new dimension to the Leafs' offense.
That's all the good news. The bad news is this—we'll start with the number of games Toronto has played, second-most among the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference. In a league where the standings are done by point total rather than winning percentage, additional games skew the results. The Leafs have played three more games than the nearest contenders just outside the playoff bubble. In fairness, they have a five-point lead, so that means teams that aren't playing well would suddenly have to win all three. Nonetheless, it means that while Toronto's play to date is legitimately playoff-caliber, it's closer than the point standings alone would indicate.
The second concern is how much of the play to date is going to be sustainable. The stats that concern me the most are that Toronto is 24th in the NHL at both generating shots on goal and preventing them. It's going to be incredibly difficult to continue scoring enough to win at that rate, and on the defensive side it puts a lot of pressure on Reimer and Scrivens on goal—pressure neither has show the ability to handle for a full season.
You can tell I'm skeptical of seeing Toronto finally break their playoff drought this year, but next week will be an important testing time for them, with four games against legitimate playoff-caliber competition. The Leafs host New Jersey on Monday, then play back-to-back games against Northeast Division rivals Ottawa and Boston, the latter of which is on the road. Then on Saturday Toronto comes back home to face Pittsburgh. By late Saturday night, Leafs fans will have a good sense of whether to get their hopes up, or just to redirect their attention to baseball and the new-look Blue Jays.
But whether you're skeptical or not, whether this team meets its test or not, at least the Toronto Maple Leafs have given the fan base some hope as the season reaches the halfway point. That, in of itself, says plenty.
What's Wrong With The Washington Capitals?
Dan Flaherty Uncategorized Braden Holtby, NHL Eastern Conference playoff race, NHL playoff picture, NHL playoff race, Washington Capitals, Washinton Capitals playoff chances
We're almost one-third of the way through the lockout-shortened NHL season and the Washington Capitals have to feel a sense of urgency. The Caps are only four points behind in the race for the last playoff spot, and as this article goes online, they play head-to-head with the New York Rangers, currently the team holding the cutoff spot at #8. But Washington also opened Sunday in 15th place among 15 Eastern Conference teams, meaning it will take some sustained winning to leapfrog everyone else. Let's take a look at what's wrong with the Caps this year and how it compares to the last two years.
The problem isn't on the offensive end. While Alex Ovechkin hasn't really cut loose yet, with five goals and five assists, he's at least productive. And the rest of the Washington front line is very balanced and deep when it comes to scoring threats. Joel Ward has five goals on the opposite wing of Ovechkin, as does Troy Bouwer. The passing is excellent, with centers Mike Riberior and Nicklas Backstrom, along with forward Jason Chimera, doing a good job getting the puck to the scorers. Washington can attack from any point on the ice and do it two lines deep.
Washington is 10th in the league at lighting the lamp, so clearly it's not goal-scoring that's the problem. That only leaves one other possibility and the defensive end has been a disaster in the early part of the season. The Caps are 29th in a 30-team league at stopping goals. Most of the blame for this falls, as you might expect, on the goaltenders. Michael Neuvirth and Braden Holtby have split time and been equally ineffective.
Furthermore, the defense in front of the goalies has not exactly been stellar. While the Caps aren't rock-bottom awful at preventing shots, they're still in the lower half of the league. Thus, you have a team that leaves it goalies exposed, and those goalies aren't any good. Yes, that would qualify as a problem.
If we flip back to the offensive side, you might say things are actually going to get worse, because Washington's scoring ranks significantly above its ability to generate shots on goal, normally two stats that merge together. However, I'd go to bat for the Caps on this one—the same phenomena existed last season, and it's not unusual for teams with a signature offensive star (in this case Ovechkin) to be able to convert goals at a rate higher than their total shots would suggest. And in fact, Washington is doing a better job getting shots this year than was the case a year ago.
What's most alarming about this franchise though, is the way the defensive play has fallen off steadily for two consecutive season. The 2011 Caps were a vintage team that got the #1 seed in the East before losing in the second of the playoffs. Last year's team got some respect for winning a playoff round over Boston as an underdog, but it was still a second-round exit and the team was obviously worse throughout the regular season, coming in as the #7 seed. Now the Caps are sitting on #15. Their ranking in goals allowed has gone from 4th to 21st to 29th over this timeframe, with the ability to prevent shots going from 9th to 16th to 19th.
Thus, while the loss of goalie Semyon Varlamov after 2011 obviously hurt, and seeing last year's main goalie Thomas Vokoun performing at least respectably in Pittsburgh, the Caps can't ignore that the defensive play has been a team-wide problem. Maybe the 22-year-old Holtby is just going through some growing pains and can find the insanely hot mojo he had in the Boston playoff series a year ago. Because that's what it's going to take. Fixing a team-wide defensive epidemic takes time, and time is not something that's on Washington's side in a season where there's no time to dig out of a hole.
NHL Playoff Race Report: East Stabilizes, West Up For Grabs
Dan Flaherty Uncategorized Capitals-Sabres playoff race, NHL Eastern Conference playoff race, NHL Paciific Division playoff race, NHL playoff landscape, NHL playoff race, NHL playoff scenarios, NHL Western Conference race
Eight more days. That's how much time is left in the NHL regular season, which wraps up on Saturday, April 7. The Eastern Conference race looks to be stabilizing, while the West appears ready for a wild crackup in the Pacific Division. The SportsNotebook summarizes the landscape for fans distracted by March Madness and the onset of baseball season…
Washington and Buffalo are tied for the last playoff berth in the East, and it's fair to say these two cities haven't been on each others' minds this much since the Redskins and Bills dominated the NFL all year long in 1991 and ultimately met in the Super Bowl. This historical reference is my coping mechanism as a Redskins fan. Our present state of affairs is so porous that I'm desperate for any reason I can find to insert 1991 into a discussion and the year that ended with a not-as-close-as-it-sounds 37-24 win in the Super Bowl.
While the Capitals and Sabres are tied in points, Buffalo does have one additional game left. They play Pittsburgh tonight. Then on Saturday, both contenders are in action, as the Sabres get NHL Network coverage in Toronto at 7 PM ET, and Washington hosts a Montreal team that's in disarray. As a Bruins fan, seeing Montreal in disarray is only slightly less enjoyable than seeing the Lakers and Cowboys in disarray. Which is only slightly less enjoyable than seeing the Yankees in disarray. And once the latter happens, I can die in peace.
Anyway, back to hockey and away from my personal musings, the rest of the East is pretty well set. The New York Rangers and Boston Bruins appear to have staved off divisional challenges from Pittsburgh and Ottawa respectively and will likely be seeded 1-2 in the East bracket. Florida's comfortable in the Southeast Division and will probably be #3. The Penguins and Flyers look headed for a 4-5 series, and while Pittsburgh holds a two-point lead right now, home ice is very much up in the air for that one. New Jersey is settled in at #6. It's possible any of these could change, but with just a handful of games left, it would take a dramatic move to upset the applecart beyond who's #8.
Now that wild, wild, wild West. Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Jose are still separated by one point. There's still only room for three of the four in the playoffs and that number could be reduced to two. Some of the pressure has been eased by Colorado's four-game losing streak. The Avalanche are still just two points back of the Pacific quartet, and Calgary's three points back, but in this race, being up two points seems like a lot. Of the Pacific Four, Dallas and Phoenix are tied for first at 89 points, while Los Angeles and San Jose are at 88. The division would pick up the 3, 7 & 8 seed positions if they can hold off Colorado and Calgary.
Dallas is the team under the gun this weekend. They visit Vancouver tonight and then have a road trip to San Jose. Even stealing one win from this road swing would be a huge relief for the Stars. Phoenix's next game is on Sunday against lowly Anaheim. Los Angeles is the team you have to wonder about—they have the opportunity in front of them, with games against Edmonton and Minnesota, both non-contenders. But both games are on the road and teams like the Kings are ultimately in the position they're in because they haven't been consistent. Los Angeles needs to step up and get two take-care-of-business kind of wins. On the outside of this group, Colorado visits Calgary tonight in a game that has all the earmarks of a de facto elimination battle. The best case for the Pacific teams would be for Calgary to win there, and then go lose at Vancouver on Sunday, with the Canucks playing well, sitting at #2 in the West and still just two points back of St. Louis and New York for the best record overall.
Elsewhere in the West, the biggest note would be that Chicago has finally given its fans room to breathe. The Blackhawks had been sitting in the 6-spot and had the Pacific Four at arm's length, but a strong 7-1-2 run in their last ten games have put seven points of distance between Chicago and the end of the playoff ladder. It looks like the Blackhawks will pair up with whoever wins the Pacific. The Blackhawks could move up to #4—they're only two points back of Detroit. But here's the question: Given that the #6 seed gets the Pacific champ even though the division winner will be one of the three worst teams in the draw, are you better off being there, rather than moving up to the 4-5 matchup? It would certainly seem so. I never like to suggest teams should lose, as I think an anti-competitive mindset within is more dangerous than any opposition from without. But if you're a fan with vested interests in the Detroit-Nashville-Chicago trio, there's no reason to get too worked up about being #6, unless you've got access to playoff tickets and want the 4-spot and an extra home game.
Two Weeks Notice: NHL Regular Season Hits Final Crunch Point
Dan Flaherty Uncategorized Detroit Red Wings slump, NHL Eastern Conference playoff race, NHL Pacific Divison playoffs, NHL playoff race, NHL Western Conference playoff race, Penguins-Rangers playoff race
The NHL's regular season only has two weeks left, ending on Saturday April 7, and the Pacific Division is nowhere closer to being settled, with four teams stacked within two points of each other, and current playoff standings allowing only three of them to survive. The Pacific Division race is just the biggest highlight, as TheSportsNotebook seeks to make sure readers don't lose sight of hockey amidst the Madness that is March.
Los Angeles and Phoenix are tied atop the West with 86 points, a point up on Dallas and two on San Jose. Here' the rub—the LA/Phoenix loser and Dallas hold the last two playoff spots, so not only is San Jose out, but to get in there's no getting around they have to take out a fellow Pacific member. Which I'm quite certain troubles no one in NoCal, but it's rare for the NHL to have a division championship race of such high consequence. Saturday will be a big day in this race. Dallas faces Calgary—who by the way is only two points out of the playoffs. Los Angeles hosts Boston, who will not playing up to their #2 in the East standing, have stabilized a bit over the last week. San Jose and Phoenix go head-to-head in the Bay Area in a huge hockey game that would be worth for Center Ice subscribers, given that the puck will drop out west after the NCAA's regional finals action is over. Then on Sunday there's no rest for Phoenix who has to quickly come home and face St. Louis—who happens to be the best team in the league.
Oh, and if all this doesn't make the four-team Pacific race dynamic enough, Colorado is joining Calgary in the fight to push a second division team out of the postseason. The Avalanche are tied with the Stars for the 8-spot, even if they'd lose a tiebreaker today. Colorado has a stiff test at home against Vancouver on Saturday night. I know the good people of Denver got some good news on the NFL front this past week, but don't forget your hockey team when they need you.
The East's race for the bottom isn't nearly as packed, but the battle between Washington and Buffalo is no less intense. The Capitals hold a one-point lead and host Winnipeg tonight, while the Sabres have a tough trip into Madison Square Garden to play the East-leading New York Rangers. Then the Minnesota Wild will try and be a spoiler in the East, as they go to Buffalo on Saturday, then Washington on Sunday.
While the unpredictability of the NHL postseason make the race just to get in the most important, and while seeding position might not carry the same weight it does in the NBA, you're surely better off with home ice then without, and there's more races within the playoff teams that look likely to go to the wire. Pittsburgh has closed to within one point of New York in the Atlantic Division, and the winner of that race gets the #1 seed. The loser will be slotted at #4. The Penguins are still the hottest team in hockey, 9-0-1 in their last ten and with the return of Sidney Crosby, a sure favorite for NBCSN when the playoffs start. Boston keeps holding off Ottawa—the standings still show these teams will meet in a 2-7 series, although Florida continues to nip at Boston's heels for the two-spot. Ottawa plays at lowly Montreal tonight, but then has Pittsburgh in town on Saturday. The Bruins wrap up a west coast trip with the aforementioned Saturday game in the Staples Center, then a visit to a bad Anaheim team.
And is any team skidding backwards into the playoffs faster than Detroit. Once the toast of the league and indeed a lot of the sports world for their record home winning streak, the Wings have lost six in a row, have been blown out by St. Louis in the Central Division and may no longer have home ice. With 93 points, they hold down the 4-spot, but Nashville and red-hot Chicago are both just one point back. Although with the winner of the shaky Pacific guaranteed the 3-hole, it bears wondering if the loser of the Detroit/Chicago/Nashville race is best off going into the 6-spot.


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Arni bei Biglen es una comuna suiza del cantón de Berna, situada en el distrito administrativo de Berna-Mittelland. Limita al norte con las comunas de Walkringen y Landiswil, al este con Lauperswil, al sureste y sur con Oberthal, al suroeste con Grosshöchstetten, y al oeste con Biglen.

Formada por las localidades de Arnisäge, Hämlismatt, Kleinroth y Lüthiwil. Hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2009 situada en el distrito de Konolfingen.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

 Sitio oficial de la comuna de Arni bei Biglen

Comunas de Berna

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Wow! Wow! Wow! I am ONE year old! I mean, when I woke up this morning, I didn't really feel any different. Everyone was really excited though. I got so many smooches and extra special messages today. I think today was a day for me and family and also for all of you who've been with me this whole crazy year? What a year it has been. I was born. I lived. I had a heart transplant. I lived. My friends and family all call me a miracle. Whatever that means? I think it means I'm strong. At least, that's how I understand it. In my first year in this world, I have been strong. I have been really brave. I have conquered all of my adversities. I have survived! Big time! Everyone is so proud of me and I am proud of me, too. This was the most important year of my life. Wow. I am one!


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Challenges in the digital and data era: The need for a personal data protection law in Bolivia
Diandra Cespedes Sagardia
Have you ever wondered how you have been scammed online or why you receive calls or messages from companies you never subscribed to? It all starts with your personal data.
Let's think about the number of times and places where you left your personal data: name, last name, identity card, address, bank account, health status, emails, passwords. Now, let's think about the number of times in which they asked you for photocopies of your ID to do paperwork (In Bolivia, for any paperwork you need to do, the Government will ask you to provide a photocopy of your ID!) such as the enrollment in an educational center, the installation of a service, or even the correction of erroneous information somewhere. Finally, let's think about the number of times you have left your personal data on internet platforms and social media: Facebook, Google, Twitter, Tik tok, among others.
Can our personal data be violated?
We leave a bunch of personal data everywhere and we do not realize it. Our personal information is collected by public and private institutions and most of the time we do not reflect on where and why this is happening.
Alone, this is not that bad. Actually, our personal data is needed so that various things can be done. For example, to allow the execution of certain public policies or services, developing contracts, personalizing ads. However, such processing of personal data must have specific regulatory frameworks that allow the guarantee of the rights of the data subjects – people-, because in those cases in which there is a personal data infringement there may be enormous consequences.
In this context, we must reflect on the number of cases that have occurred in Bolivia related to the improper use of personal data (just to mention a few):
Registration of persons as militants of political parties[1].
Disclosure of the state of health of persons without their consent by public authorities.
Dissemination of videos and photos of a sexual nature.
Leaking of personal data of Covid-19 patients[2].
Bank scams through unauthorized access and use of personal data[3].
These are examples of just some of the most notorious cases related to the violation of personal data, ranging from hundreds of people who, without knowing it, were registered in political parties (which in some cases did not even know they existed), the disclosure of sensitive health status data which resulted in discrimination processes related to diseases that are still stigmatized, and finally when more than thirty people lost around one million Bolivianos (the Bolivian currency) due to illegal banking transactions related to the use of personal data in an unauthorized way. In addition to these cases, other situations arise in our day-to-day life, such as: unsolicited messages sent to our e-mail addresses, telephone calls offering services, publication of attendance lists for events, among others.
Personal data, digitalization and human rights
The Constitution of Bolivia outlines protections around access to basic services, including telecommunications (where we would include the Internet) including rights and guarantees to privacy, intimacy, honor, self-image, as well as informational self-determination. Therefore, despite not being established literally, the protection of personal data is indeed recognized and must be guaranteed, both in digital and non-digital environments.
The Covid-19 pandemic forced broad digitalization in Bolivia and around the world. Many of the activities and services that were provided in a physical form were transformed into digital ones; There was an increase in digital wallets and digital payment methods Companies had to transform to give continuity to their services and delivery of products, pushing a 150% growth in electronic transactions, and although there are still great challenges for Bolivian companies, a significant growth of e-commerce is expected.
At the public level, the aim remains to strengthen e-government and digital citizenship in order to improve the efficiency of public services, optimize resources and facilitate bureaucracy for citizens. This path started some years ago and was consolidated with the creation of the Agency of Electronic Government and Information and Communication Technologies- AGETIC (2015) and the Implementation Plans of Electronic Government, the Digital Citizenship Law (2018), among other actions. However, there is still a long way to go and most of the procedures and services of public institutions are not yet digitalized.
Some public institutions are starting this process and generating interoperability between them to verify and share information – including, of course, personal data-. Among these institutions are the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Supreme Court of Justice, the Ministry of Government, the Magistrates Council, the General Service of Personal Identification, Civic Registry Service (SEGIP), and the Bolivian Police. Although there are some regulatory guidelines related to interoperability including Law No. 1173, Supreme Decree No. 3525 and Supreme Decree No. 3946, these regulatory frameworks have been established only in certain areas and without clearly determining relevant aspects related to personal data protection.
Some actions referring to digital economy, e-government, digital citizenship, and interoperability of data, among others, have been established. But there are no clear regulations in this regard because in some cases there are only few articles in-laws (for example Law 1173 that modifies Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code) and the other existing regulations are in Decrees or covenants that lack a strong legal background.
The lack of a personal data protection law prevents the handling of personal data from being carried out with a mechanism that fully respects the standards of personal data protection. We don't have obligations established for public and private institutions that process personal data or specific rights determined for the owners of personal data.
All the aspects mentioned above are extremely important and will allow strengthening the digital transformation in Bolivia, because it is indisputable that we are in the digital and data era. However, Bolivia is not fully prepared because we lack clear and current regulatory frameworks because many of our laws a) are not updated and do not contemplate ways to exercise rights in digital environments, and b) do not establish obligations and some regulation are not at a legal level (decrees and covenants). All of this makes a weak normative regulatory framework that can cause some abuses and does not allow a real guarantee of the rights of individuals.
Where should we go from here?
Bolivia is one of the few countries in the region – not to mention the world – that does not have a specific law governing personal data protection. In the absence of this kind of comprehensive federal regulation, we have scattered regulations that allude to personal data protection in some dispositions but without a specific data protection law the issue is seen diffusely and it is not clear what are the obligations and rights related to personal data processing.
In a moment in which everything is becoming digital and the cases in which personal data is being used without consent are putting in danger people's privacy, we can no longer think in a future that does not have adequate regulation.
Having a personal data protection law is important because:
It is a human rights issue that will fully guarantee what is established in the Constitution, allowing personal data to be protected by both public and private institutions, and both in a physical and digital environment.
It is an enabler to advance in digital transformation, e-government and digital citizenship, because the strengthening of these aspects allows for more efficient public institutions, where bureaucracy is transformed and the population can optimize their time when dealing with public services. All these aspects require clear regulatory frameworks that allow both the improvement of the public function and the guarantee of rights.
It strengthens the digital economy. Companies face new challenges to transform themselves using information and communication technologies but they also need a regulatory framework to be able to empower data-driven businesses and guarantee people's rights.
It will allow a clear and solid regulation at the legal level, which constitutes the mechanism through which rights and obligations must be established.
Having a personal data protection law is a necessity which must be resolved as soon as possible. The law will be only the first step, followed by a process of institutional integration, socialization processes for the understanding of obligations and rights, and the insertion in national and international debates on the subject. The time to take this first step is now.
Bolivia has entered the digital era and must assume this challenge by seeking to update the regulations and public policies in the digital field. This updating process must be implemented in a responsible and planned manner, since the digital world encompasses different aspects that must be addressed in order to improve state services, strengthen the digital economy, guarantee human rights and digital inclusion so that the digital transformation does not deepen social inequalities. The essential step for this digital update is to have a personal data protection law that establishes the rights and obligations in the personal data processing, and thus, to promote digital transformation processes where there is a clear basis of human rights guarantee and applicable to both the public and private sectors.
[1] https://www.opinion.com.bo/articulo/el-pais/surge-ola-denuncias-gente-registr-oacute-ning-uacute-n-partido-figura-como-militante/20181119160300633030.html
[2] https://www.paginasiete.bo/seguridad/2020/4/15/investigan-robo-de-datos-de-enfermos-con-covid-19-de-la-gobernacion-crucena-252737.html
[3] https://rcbolivia.com/clientes-de-banco-union-denuncian-robos-virtuales/
https://www.lostiempos.com/actualidad/economia/20211118/victimas-robo-virtual-suben-37-banco-union-promete-devolucion
https://eju.tv/2021/12/victimas-de-robo-virtual-prefieren-ya-no-gastar-banco-union-se-hara-cargo-del-proceso-penal/
Diandra Céspedes Sagardía is a feminist lawyer with a Master in Human Rights, Peace and Sustainable Development . In 2016 she obtained Rafael Altamira´s investigation award from Universidad Complutense de Madrid for the research on "Conventionality Control: from Inter-American Law to Bolivian Law". She was also a university professor on different topics of Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Political Thought. During her career as Human Rights defender she got experience as a public official as well as a private advocate and non-profit sector staff. She is the Privacy and Data Protection Officer of the InternetBolivia.org Foundation.
Desafíos Comunes Sobre Protección de Datos En Ecuador y Bolivia
5 minutes /
Privacy in the Wake of Digital Lending and Surveillance Technologies
Why Ethiopia Urgently Needs a Robust Data Protection Policy
El futuro distópico de los datos es ahora


Today, Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) announced its support for Amendment 7, a three-fourths of one percent increase in Missouri's sales tax dedicated to the improvement of priority transportation projects in Missouri.
The CMT Board of Directors weighed the options very carefully when considering the priority list for the St. Louis region. After many discussions with St. Louis City, St. Louis County and MoDOT, the list moved closer to creating a vision for the future of transit, including the addition of a light rail station and studies for future expansion and funding. There is significant commitment on the part of the City of St. Louis to ensure transit receives more than 30 percent of the revenues over the 10 year time period.
Currently, Missouri ranks near the bottom of the list nationally with regard to transit funding. In the current year, Metro has received less than $400,000 in state funds for transit operations; Metro's annual budget is in excess of $250 million. Without additional state funding, the St. Louis region cannot continue to compete for federal funding for public transit projects.
This referendum affords the St. Louis region the opportunity to move transit forward. According to the American Public Transit Association, every dollar invested in transit returns four dollars to the region. Millennials, older adults and immigrants are demanding more public transit options. These demands cannot be met without the help of the state. According to AARP, older Missourians increasingly rely on public transportation resources like city bus services and OATS. Nationally, more than 8 million adults aged 65 and older do not drive. Public transportation is seen as a "lifeline" for older adults.
Amendment 7 provides statewide funding for multiple transportation modes and allows regions to direct their funds to local priorities. In many Missouri communities, Amendment 7 will provide new public transportation funding to increase access and options for Missourians who don't drive or don't have access to a car. In the St. Louis region this equates to more than $145 million in public transit projects over 10 years including a new light rail station in the City of St. Louis, studies for future light rail extensions/incremental build-outs, streetcars, bus rapid transit and other transit improvements.
Funds cannot be diverted by current or future politicians to non-transportation spending because Amendment 7 is a constitutional amendment, and necessity goods such as groceries, prescriptions drugs and fuel are exempt from this tax.
The measure passed through the Missouri General Assembly with overwhelming bipartisan support. Amendment 7 has also been endorsed by business, labor, agriculture and community groups throughout the state. CMT is pleased to join with others in support of this initiative.
Delmar/ Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station Area improvements.
– Bike, pedestrian, transit station, and vehicular improvements.
– Widen sidewalks, construct ADA ramps, & improve lighting along Hodiamont from Delmar to Skinker.
– Narrow Hodiamont & install multi-use path alongside.
– Road diet on Delmar from Hodiamont to Goodfellow with parking lanes (coincides with Loop Trolley design).
– Re-establish vehicular connections between Hodiamont and Enright, Clemens, Cates, and Maple.
– Pedestrian bridge over MetroLink tracks to connect west side of Pershing to existing Metro parking lot.
– Connect Ackert Walkway to Delmar Station.
– Connect Ruth Porter Trail to Forest Park Station and Forest Park, per TOD Plan done by H3 Studio with Bernardin Lochmueller & Associates and M3 Engineering (2013).
Bus Rapid Transit – Downtown to Chesterfield line via I-64.


text:
Q: Custom configuration section defined in executable I have defined custom configuration section class in the same executable assembly (IVITerminal.exe) as this section for. In App.config I have:
<configSections>
....
<section name="myconfig" type="IVITermital.Configuration.Section, IVITerminal"/>
....
</configSections>
....
<myconfig>....</myconfig>

But when I want to read section:
static void Main(string[] args)
{
    var s = ConfigurationManager.GetSection("myconfig") as Section;

I got exception Could not load type 'IVITermital.Configuration.Section' from assembly 'IVITerminal'. of type System.Configuration.ConfigurationErrorsException.
Is it possible to define configuration sections in same exe?

A: That error usually means that there was some sort of syntax error in your file. I.e. the placement was wrong, the spelling was incorrect, or an unclosed section.
Was there an inner exception?
The MSDN documentation describes the format as this:
<configuration>
    <!-- Configuration section-handler declaration area. -->
      <configSections>
    <sectionGroup name="pageAppearanceGroup">
      <section
        name="pageAppearance"
        type="Samples.AspNet.PageAppearanceSection"
        allowLocation="true"
        allowDefinition="Everywhere"
      />
    </sectionGroup>
      <!-- Other <section> and <sectionGroup> elements. -->
  </configSections>

  <!-- Configuration section settings area. -->

</configuration>

More here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/2tw134k3.aspx

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
He's a Derek and Dereks don't run
And another batch of Poltergeist: The Legacy questions for you. I think that's it for now!
1) In the episode Revelations, the team investigate strange goings-on at Rachel's old girls' school. It seems that there may be some ritualistic child abuse going on. Rachel admits that she doesn't have any memories from the school. Why does she not make more of a deal of this?
2) In the same episode, the old headmistress comments on how Rachel was one of her star pupils and then points to a picture of her at her graduation. Is she really in the habit of keeping pictures of all her top girls in her office? We see a couple of others, but what are the chances that, over the 20+ years the headmistress has been teaching, Rachel is still her top pupil?
3) Also, if Rachel was such a clever girl, why does she not make more of the fact that the headmistress looks younger than her? Assuming Rachel is in her 40s, the headmistress must be at least 60+. This is an extremely conservative estimate - the old girl is more likely 70+.
4) At the end of Bones of St Anthony, Derek takes an artefact from this adventure and (like Mr Benn) puts it in a secret room, where there seem to be numerous other souvenirs. Can Derek do this, by which I mean basically steal items that should be securely stored, and lock them in a room? If he were to become possessed, or turn evil, he'd have all the tools he needs to take over the world.
5) In The Reckoning, Nick says that he will check the front door is locked before he goes to bed. Not a very impressive security system they have in place then, is it? Also, wouldn't the butler, whom we keep seeing wandering around, have done this?
6) In the episode A Traitor Among Us Derek is on trial for incompetence. We are told numerous times that the journals (that everyone keeps) will act as his defence and prosecution. At the end of the episode, the real reason for this investigation is revealed and everything goes back to normal. Er... why? The journals quite clearly show that Derek has been incompetent. Why is he not booted out?
Liam Bowker
1) Some people just have bad memories. Maybe Rachel doesn't fully realise that this lack of conscious memory is abnormal. After all, none of us query the fact that we cannot remember being babies. Also, some people just have bad memories. What was the question again? Who are you, and how did you get hold of my email address?
2) It could be that Rachel was exceptionally gifted. After all, she made the grade to become a member of the Legacy. Alternatively, maybe the headmistress is an obsessive flatterer and keeps photographs of all her former pupils. Whenever she sees one of them approaching through her window, she whips out the relevant photo and puts it on display!
3) Actually, Rachel does mention the fact that the headmistress hasn't aged much. Maybe the old dear uses Oil of Olay. Perhaps Rachel hasn't looked after herself so well. Or maybe there's a supernatural element to the headmistress's age and her amazing photo collection that has yet to be explored...
4) You make a valid point. If Derek were to fall prey to a malign influence, the world would be in big trouble. It would make more sense to have everything under lock and key in the main London office. However, such a policy might be considered a case of putting all your eggs in one basket and this might be exactly what the evil forces would expect. Demons and such might therefore be less likely to break into a small chapter of the Legacy. Furthermore, Derek is a competent individual and he has all his well-qualified Legacy buddies to back him up and act as checks and balances for each other. Anyway, obviously Derek won't turn bad - he's the star of the show!
5) It could be that the butler is getting a little senile (he does seem to be getting on a bit) and that Nick just wants to double-check that the door has been locked. Maybe Nick has borderline obsessive-compulsive tendencies about locking doors. Alternatively, this could be a ruse. Perhaps Nick wants an excuse to go and make himself a midnight snack, but is embarrassed, or wants to have a crafty smoke. So he pretends that he is going to lock the door so that Alex will go to bed and he can fill his face or light up!
6) Didn't I just tell you that Derek is a competent individual? It could be that the Legacy cleverly orchestrated all of those events months ago to trap the enemy in their midst. Think Season 3 of 24. It may be that all of the irregularities of which Derek is accused (and which are written in everyone's journals) are deliberate - that he was told to make the occasional slip-up so that they would be recorded by his team. That way, when the investigation is underway there is sufficient evidence to keep it going while Derek tries to work out who the real enemy is.


This is the first in a new series of blogs about people in our community that inspire us to be active, healthy and engaged as we age.
Jessie Strauss led a satisfying and full professional and personal life up until her retirement and she had no intention of slowing down. Now in her 70's she's used that free time to touch the lives of people internationally with her commitment to Habitat For Humanity and the Guatemalan anti-poverty program Safe Passage while locally she continues energetic engagement with family and community. Her humanitarian contributions and vibrant living won her recognition in 2012 as Senior Services Inspiring Senior of the Month and, in 2013, as Outstanding Senior Volunteer of the Year for Washington State.
Strauss viewed retirement as an opportunity to pursue a wide range of goals. Before her last day at work she was already busily making the list of things to do. On that list were playful ideas such as joining Sweet Adelines or attending clown school and adventuresome ones like hiking with the Mountaineers or taking a walking tour through the British Isles where ancestors lived. There were inquisitive ideas like joining a book group or learning handwriting analysis and there were humanitarian aspirations. Twenty percent of her goals supported her dedication to helping others. Today, she's reached more than 50% of them!
Volunteerism is a foundation in Strauss' life. She took her first Habitat For Humanity trip 17 years ago having heard about the organization's international involvement while on a vacation to Mexico. She remembers admiring a 73 year old Habitat team member then and thinking, "Wow, isn't that something." Habitat work, hard and physical, seemed like a difficult challenge for someone over 70. She laughs about those impressions now. She's been leading two or three trips a year since her retirement and, at 75, continues to plan for more. To support her strength for those trips she usually starts her day with a walk or visit to a local gym. She keeps up with her Spanish by joining a small local weekly language group she heard about on a Habitat trip to India. She keeps her mind active by playing bridge, canasta, and mahjong.
She got involved with the Guatemalan organization Safe Passage after discovering the program during a conversation in a hotel lobby at a Habitat event. Safe Passage, or, in Spanish, Camino Seguro, a top rated charity in 2012, brings education and support to children of families that work the garbage dump in Guatemala. "I really wanted to do something for the poorest of the poor," Strauss said. Since that encounter, she's returned to Safe Passage with a team. Having accomplished her goal of attending clown school by then she brought her clowning tools and tricks along— to the joy of all the children. When Stauss speaks about her travels she often talks about the good work of Safe Passage and was delighted to learn that she inspired a friend to follow the organization and, in addition, to pledge a donation in Strauss' name. One of the lessons children learn from the support and education at Safe Passage is that life has potential when you pursue your dreams. In a Safe Passage video eighteen year old Junior Rollingstone Perez, formerly a child worker at the Guatemala dump says, "Everything is possible if that's what you want." That young man knows now that dreams can be realized. Jessie Strauss shows us how to make them come true!
This entry was posted on Friday, February 28th, 2014 at 9:26 am	and is filed under Inspired Aging. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Lovely and truthful. This is our Jessie!!
Great post! I hope to read more from you.
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The President's Press Conference: "The Most Productive Post-Election Period We've Had in Decades"
In a press conference as this session of Congress draws to a close, the President reflects on the flurry of productivity for the American people during the final stretch.
In the opening remarks of his press conference, the President lamented the fact that the DREAM Act was successfully obstructed by Republicans in the Senate, and readily acknowledged that there will be tough fights over how to cut spending where it's not needed while maintaining the investments critical to our economy and out future -- but nonetheless expressed hope in the massive slate of accomplishments from the last few weeks.
First of all, I'm glad that Democrats and Republicans came together to approve my top national security priority for this session of Congress – the new START Treaty. This is the most significant arms control agreement in nearly two decades, and it will make us safer and reduce our nuclear arsenals along with Russia. With this treaty, our inspectors will also be back on the ground at Russian nuclear bases. So we will be able to trust but verify; and to continue to advance our relationship with Russia, which is essential to making progress on a host of challenges – from enforcing strong sanctions on Iran, to preventing nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists. This treaty will enhance our leadership to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and seek the peace of a world without them.
In the last few weeks, we also came together across party lines to pass a package of tax cuts and unemployment insurance that will spur jobs, businesses, and growth. This package includes a payroll tax cut that means nearly every American family will get an average tax cut next year of about $1,000 delivered in their paychecks. It will make a difference for millions of students, and parents, and workers, and people still looking for work. It's has led economists across the political spectrum to predict that the economy will grow faster than they originally thought next year.
In our ongoing struggle to perfect our Union, we also overturned a 17-year old law and a longstanding injustice by finally ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell. As I said earlier today, this is the right thing to do for our security. And it is the right thing to do, period.
In addition, we came together across party lines to pass a food safety bill – the biggest upgrade of America's food safety laws since the Great Depression. And I hope the House soon joins the Senate in passing a 9/11 health bill that will help cover the health care costs of police officers, firefighters, rescue workers, and residents who inhaled toxic air near the World Trade Center on that terrible morning, and the days that followed.
So, I think it's fair to say this has been the most productive post-election period we've had in decades, and it comes on the heels of the most productive two years we've had in generations.


Yesterday is "the beginning of winter", a Chinese traditional festival, which mean after that day the weather will get colder and colder. Swimming is a four seasons activity, winter swimming have much more benefit. It can not only train your body but also you will, to make you become stronger.
Cold water helps boost the white blood cell count because the body is forced to react to changing conditions. Over time, your body becomes better at mobilizing its defenses. There's a reason why so many people who participate in cold water swimming are rarely sick.
Endorphins are produced by the brain, making us feel good about certain activities. Cold water swimming is a form of exercise that has been shown to treat depression. Cold water swimming brings us close to the pain barrier. Endorphins are released when we painfully help us cope.
Therefore, cold water swimming is particularly helpful for the release of endorphins. Who can say no to some additional endorphins?
The heart must speed up for pumping and the body must work harder to keep everything warm while swimming in cold water. In general, swimming in a hot environment consumes more calories. The idea of drinking cold water to increase the amount of calories you burn may be a myth, but in fact, cold water will lower your body temperature and cause the body to take action. It is no coincidence that cold water swimmers are usually very thin.
More news about swimming pool equipment please contact swimming pool equipment suppliers - poolking.


Do you think, you are the only one who has got dry skin and whiteheads, then you are not the one. As if blackheads weren't enough trouble, we also get whiteheads that look plain ugly on the skin.
For the fortunate ones, whiteheads last for short periods during adolescence. However, for the unfortunate ones, it can be a lifelong struggle to remove whiteheads. But don't be disheartened we have methods on how to treat whiteheads which will surely give you positive results.
The first step to whitehead treatment is to do nothing — that is, you just have to keep your hands-off from your face. Touching your face not only invites more pore-clogging dirt, oil, and bacteria, but it can also cause irritation and whitehead acne which can lead to permanent scarring. Better to use other removal and preventive measures.
Eggs ,a rich source of nutrients and contain Vitamin A which promotes soon healing from acne and it also reduces wrinkles. This face mask for whiteheads deep cleanses your skin, tighten your skin and pores, it also helps to control oiliness.
Separate the egg white and egg yolk as we only need egg white for this mask.
Slightly whisk the egg white with the help of a fork.
Before you applying egg white on your face make sure there no makeup.
Begin with gently apply a thin layer of egg white on your face but focus more on the nose and below the lips.
Take a thin tissue there are usually two layers of tissue so separate them because we only need one sheet.
Place the tissue paper on your face and apply the second layer of egg white.
Leave this egg white face mask for completely dry I think it takes 30 minutes.
In case you have whiteheads on your forehead along with your nose then this home remedy is perfect for you.
Take two tablespoons of honey and half spoon of baking soda.
Mix them very well unless it makes a thick paste.Apply this paste on your affected area and massage for 5 minutes.
Leave it for around 10 to 15 minutes. After that wash it off warm water.
Honey contains antibacterial properties that will kill the bacteria if and any nutrients present in tomato soften your skin.
Cut one tomato in half.
Apply honey and crush sugar on it.
Massage it on your nose or where whiteheads born.
Massage for 2 to 3 minutes and it stays for 10 to minutes.
After that wash it off with water. this scrub for whiteheads can provide you guaranteed results.
If other methods fail to clear up your whiteheads, it may be time to make a dermatologist appointment. They can help by prescribing stronger medications to remove whiteheads and also used in whitehead spot treatment.These may come in the form of topical treatments or oral tablets.
Treating whiteheads and other forms of acne often takes trial and error. If natural and home remedies fail to clear your whiteheads, you may consider OTC (over the counter) treatments.Take care not to use all the following ingredients at once. Using too many acne products together can dry out the skin. Patience is also important with OTC acne products. These treatments can take months to take full effect.
Benzoyl peroxide can be helpful as both a spot treatment and a full face treatment. It helps get rid of bacteria and excess oil. If you have multiple whiteheads in one spot, benzoyl peroxide may be helpful because it can reduce inflammation in the surrounding area. Look for a product with at least 2% benzoyl peroxide.
Examples include Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment (2.5%) and Murad Acne Spot Fast Fix (3.5%).
Follow the above outlined tips about How to Get Rid of Whiteheads on face, chin and nose to get a blemish-free, clear, charming and glowing face.