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Russia-Ukraine War will Last Long, France's Macron Warns
The world must brace for a long war between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow launched an invasion of its pro-Western neighbour, French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Saturday.
"I can tell you one thing this morning it is that this war will last," Macron's told France's annual agriculture fair.
"This crisis will last, this war will last and all the crises that come with it will have lasting consequences," Macron added, warning: "We must be prepared".
Macron cut short his visit to the agriculture fair, usually one of the main fixtures on the French political calendar, in order to return to dealing with the crisis triggered by the Russian invasion.
"War has returned to Europe, this was chosen unilaterally by President (Vladimir) Putin, with a tragic humanitarian situation, a (Ukrainian) people who are resisting and a Europe that is there and resisting by the side of the Ukrainian people," said Macron.
Macron has again called an emergency defence council of top ministers and military security officials to discuss the situation in Ukraine which will take place at 1600 GMT, the Elysee said.
With the war and sanctions against Russia risking damage for specific sectors in France, notably the wine industry, Macron vowed a "plan of resilience" to help them cope.
The French leader was a key figure in efforts to avert conflict, repeatedly speaking to Putin and seeking in vain to broker a summit between the Russian leader and US President Joe Biden.
The war has also broken out as the clock ticks down to France's presidential elections in April.
Macron, who is expected to seek and win a second term, has left the official declaration of his candidacy to the last minute, although he must make a move next week ahead of a March 4 deadline to register.
February 26, 2022 wazobiatimesFeature, Featured
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Bad weather, increasing competition work against show's current January date.
The NAIAS has seen a sharp drop in the number of new product previews, though there were still some big ones in 2018, including the introduction by CEO Akio Toyoda of the new Toyota Camry.
Thirty years ago, a once-backwater car show suddenly became the most important event of its kind, at least in North America, but the North American International Auto Show has begun to see its shiny star tarnish, at least from the perspective of new car previews.
And that's got the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, the sponsors of the annual event, thinking about whether it makes sense to continue staging the show in January. It won't happen next year, the NAIAS media preview scheduled for January 14-15, 2019, with the public days running through the 27th. But 2020 might be an entirely different story.
Why change the schedule for an event that has worked so well for three decades? At its peak, the NAIAS saw more than 70 new models launched during a three-day media blitz. While sponsors insist 2018 was "a very successful show," with solid media coverage and strong public attendance, the actual number of new product debuts fell to barely two dozen. That's a level not seen since the economic slump that marked the auto industry's lowest point since the Great Depression – a point that brought the bankruptcies of both General Motors and Chrysler.
GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra chose to reveal the Chevy Bolt EV at CES in 2017.
It isn't just the NAIAS that's been struggling. Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, which host the other three major U.S. shows, at least from a media preview perspective, have been struggling in recent years.
Then there's old man winter. Detroit itself is in the midst of a major renaissance, but it's difficult to tell when the temperature is in negative territory and a foot of snow has fallen.
Chevrolet unveiled the 2019 Silverado in Texas and then followed with an off-site event in Detroit before the 2018 NAIAS.
While DADA brags that 5,000-odd journalists routinely attend the annual show, many come grudgingly and there's little doubt there could be an even bigger turnout – and a lot more enjoyable an event – if the weather were nicer. Civic leaders would certainly like an opportunity to show off Detroit in a better light.
While the weather can be problematic in October it's still a far cry from Detroit in mid-winter. Meanwhile, that would put the show more or less at the start of the traditional new model-year. And NAIAS would get a leg up on its traditional competitors, the Los Angeles Auto Show. It would also get a jump on CES, possibly stealing some events from both of those shows.
Some folks in Detroit actually like having a big auto show in January, especially restaurants and hotels that get a burst of business at a time when they would normally be struggling.
Add the fact that the DADA has contracted with the Cobo Convention Center to hold the NAIAS every January through 2025.
If Detroit does move to October there's some debate on how it would manage the change. Not that many years back, Los Angeles also switched dates – in this case from early January to November. It actually held two shows in the year it transitioned. But some speculate Detroit might put the show on pause, waiting from January 2019 until October 2020 to return.
Back in January DADA President Rod Alberts revealed his willingness to be flexible in an interview with TheDetroitBureau.com earlier this year. "It's time for auto shows to make an adjustment," he said.
The NAIAS now includes a variety of overlapping events, including Automobili-D, a conference which focuses on autonomous vehicles and other advanced technologies, as well as The Gallery, an invitation-only preview of exotic brands. Those could just as easily move to October, along with the media preview and public days, of course.
So, while it may be a while before organizers decide what to do, the idea of moving the NAIAS from frigid January is generating a warm response.
This entry was posted on Monday, March 5th, 2018 at and is filed under Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Chicago, Concept Cars, Detroit, Executives, First Look, Los Angeles, NAFTA, New York, Nissan, Personalities, Technology, U.S./North America. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 . Both comments and pings are currently closed.


All styles of wedding photography covered. Great quality photographs captured in a fun and relaxed atmosphere guaranteed. Call John or Angela for more details.
Come and experience a unique photo shoot in our studio, big enough to cover all family portraits or still life photographs. Sitting costs are £25 and reprints start at only £12.00 for a 5" x 7". Ask about our baby photography and family packages.
Claire Reasons – 5 starFantastic pictures that captured my 8 month olds personality to a tee. Cheeky but gorgeous! The pictures look natural and she looks relaxed and happy to be there. Can't thank you enough.
Melissa Garrett – 5 starAmazing job done every time. Great with my baby and myself, nothing is too much trouble. Today was my 4th visit and already have 3 so far booked for 2014. I'll never use another photographer again.
Gemma Hylands – 5 starBest photographer I have ever seen. Fantastic with the kids!!! Brilliant prices and all together wonderful guy!!!
Andrew Pearce – 5 star We booked john for our civil partnership after meeting him at a friends wedding, he was charming, knowledgable and did exactly what we wanted from our day. Most photographers just do the normal pictures, but john created an album that was fun, full of pictures that no one posed for it was amazing, thank you john and your team for making us feel at ease,in fact he was truly professional, lovely to be around, and totally adores what he does. We highly recommend him to anyone looking for some different and special.


Carpet labels serve an important role.
The labels give important information about the carpet, such as the name, pile and colour all while strengthening your brand image. Carpet labels can also be used as an easy way to store contact details and guarantees, giving customers a peace of mind knowing they can depend on your product.
Carpet labels can also provide usage and cleaning instructions, making sure that your customers get the most from your product.
Carpet labels are not only important POS tools but also can be used to make your business run more efficiently. Able to print in variable data, the carpet labels can include barcodes and custom product information, making it easier for employees to track stock levels.
High quality. At Soabar, we believe in providing only the best. That's why our carpet labels are made of the highest quality.
Personalised. With a large variety of styles and designs, we can print your labels to your exact requirements, ensuring that they are perfectly matched to your business.
Easy to apply. With heat-seal labels, attach them directly to the carpet and seal with heat for a perfect application, every single time.
Durable. Incredibly long-lasting, our carpet labels are designed to give ongoing durability and strength, ensuring that they will last a products lifetime.
Great for POS. As well as giving vital information, the carpet labels are a great way to strengthen your brand awareness and remind customers of the quality of the product they're about to buy into.
At Soabar, we have 40 years of knowledge and experience in the label industry. With full in-house overprinting facilities, artwork department and range of printers, software and material, we're ready to provide the perfect label solution for your business, giving you the perfect carpet labels as and when you need them.


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Danske Bank Under Fire Over AML Shortcomings
The FSA has reprimanded Sweden's Danske Bank over 'shortcomings' in its anti-money laundering controls.
According to a Wednesday (Oct. 20) report from the Financial Times, Denmark-based Danske Bank is once again under regulatory scrutiny for lacklustre Anti-Money Laundering controls in place, following a money laundering scandal.
In a 7-page letter, Karin Lundberg, the FSA's head of banking supervision, highlighted deficiencies in the Danske Bank's AML protocols and stated it had not adequately measured how financial products and services could be exploited by fraudsters. Danske Bank has been given a deadline of June 22 for fixing the underlying issues, per the report.
Sweden's Financial Supervisory Authority on Wednesday ordered the local subsidiary of Danske Bank to address significant deficiencies in its understanding of the financial-crime risks it faces by June 2022 to avoid an enforcement action: ($) https://t.co/LUHBalT58r pic.twitter.com/aJSas6Cz6S
— ACAMS ml.com (@ACAMS_ml_com) October 20, 2021
Prior to this, Danske Bank revealed that it was under investigation by regulators in the USA, Denmark, Estonia, and France over suspicious transactions that passed through the bank's Estonian branch in December 2020. Following further fraud allegations, the stock prices of Danske Bank dropped by 4.2%.
According to the Financial Times, the bank is awaiting the outcome from U.S. regulators and criminal investigators, who can levy hefty fines and sanctions on former Danske executives for not complying with AML regulations.
AML regulations have been mandated by governments worldwide to curb money laundering and terrorism financing-related activities. Criminals typically exploit loopholes in banks' AML controls to carry out illicit activities, making the bank subject to heavy fines and penalties on top of reputational damage.
Regarding the previous USD 235 billion money laundering scandal, Philip Richards, a senior bank analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence in London, said that "regulators are now all over Danske's operations, checking everything, challenging everything." The bank was also forced to pull back from overseas operations and other trading areas where the regulator deemed Danske to be taking too much risk.
Suggested Read: Danske Bank Facing the Long-term Cost of Money Laundering

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Product prices and availability are accurate as of 2019-04-10 02:02:02 EDT and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on http://www.amazon.com/ at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
A pixel logos crewneck tee featuring a repeating graphic print of iconic Calvin Klein logo.


For the Breakbulk trade fair at Antwerp Expo, CAVEMEN was asked to design a central fair booth for DP World that matched their promotion and marketing activities. The booth itself was a high, open construction with the big DP World logo in the middle. The result was a stylish, white booth with a gigantic industrial harbour image to create contrast.


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Trump's Private Clubs In Florida Are Seeking Visas For Foreign Workers
By Greg Allen
Published July 20, 2017 at 3:23 PM PDT
The Trump helicopter is seen at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., in April. The president's club is requesting foreign worker visas to staff up during peak season.
The Trump Organization is asking the federal government for special visas to hire scores of foreign workers for two of President Trump's private clubs in Florida — the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach and the Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter.
The requests for H-2B visas, posted on the Department of Labor website, are for 26 cooks, nearly 50 waiters and waitresses, plus housekeepers, a hostess and a bartender. The jobs range in pay from just under $12 to less than $14 an hour. Mar-a-Lago and the Jupiter club have relied on foreign workers in past years for staffing during their peak seasons, which run October through May.
This year, the request for foreign workers comes in the middle of "Made in America" week at the White House. Trump, who has had his own line of ties manufactured overseas, says he wants U.S. companies to focus this week on ways to create more opportunities for American labor.
The Trump Organization hasn't responded to questions about the visa requests.
In the past, Trump has defended hiring foreign workers at his Florida properties, saying that "getting help in Palm Beach during the season is almost impossible."
On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would be boosting the number of nonagricultural H-2B visas available this year by 15,000.
As NPR's Miami correspondent, Greg Allen reports on the diverse issues and developments tied to the Southeast. He covers everything from breaking news to economic and political stories to arts and environmental stories. He moved into this role in 2006, after four years as NPR's Midwest correspondent.
See stories by Greg Allen


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Q: How to handle events when application gets killed in IOS? Is there any way to handle the ios application when it is killed or any way to open my app programatically in ios 9.

A: No.
When your app is killed, that is equivalent to being force quit.  There is no signal or notification.
There is no way to cause the system to open your app automatically because that would be a security risk as well as being really annoying to the user.
You can use push notifications and/or extensions to make your app's presence known more to the user.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


When Spotify brought in folders and subfolders for playlists, organizing your playlists became a whole lot easier. Playlist folders were recently made available on the iPhone app after a long wait (previously, playlists could be viewed only in one long, relentless list).... It won't show those songs that auto play from related playlists after an album has finished playing through. Trying to find a song from one of those playlists, can't remember the title or artist. Trying to find a song from one of those playlists, can't remember the title or artist.
When Spotify brought in folders and subfolders for playlists, organizing your playlists became a whole lot easier. Playlist folders were recently made available on the iPhone app after a long wait (previously, playlists could be viewed only in one long, relentless list).... When Spotify brought in folders and subfolders for playlists, organizing your playlists became a whole lot easier. Playlist folders were recently made available on the iPhone app after a long wait (previously, playlists could be viewed only in one long, relentless list).
Does Spotify keep track or have a recently played song list?
If you start entering some of the words you think were in the playlist title it should come up with playlists titles with that word in it. However I don't think you can search playlists by searching for the song.
Moreover, it could have been a lot tough to find out the right kind of music within the app. Anyhow, if you feel the requirement of transporting and converting your Spotify playlist to YouTube, the MusConv can help. This multipurpose app comes up with a wide range of dynamicity and it endures an attired level of innovation in the making.


First article in the new Unless series.
These days, I find it a bit overwhelming that there are so many things going wrong with the world. Our oceans are dying, our planet's species are dwindling, our American school systems are failing our future students before they're even born, and there's the threat of being thrown back to the days before Roe vs. Wade, which particularly concerns me because most younger Americans don't even know what that ruling was all about.
I'm a doer. I like to get things done. If there's a problem, I want there to be something I can at least start actively doing to make it better. I've always been this way. When I was eight, I wanted to grow up, change the world and save the environment. My perception was that this was a feasible task to accomplish in the lifetime of a professional adult. And at the age of eight, I actively chose to be a vegetarian because, honestly, I thought that would make a difference to the state of our degrading environment (although these days, consuming only vegetarian options isn't necessarily helpful).
I think it at least made an impact on my parents and some of the adults in my life… but here I am, 18 years later, a marine sciences graduate student, still wondering if I'll ever be able to make the impact on the world I thought I could as an 8-year old. I felt particularly destitute about my impact the day I heard that the NYTimes Environmental Desk team has been dismantled and redistributed.
At times like these, when all seems doomed, I usually watch an episode of Ocean Girl. Ocean Girl, you say, what tomfoolery is that? Don't you know, I say, the Australian ecologically responsible kids show from the mid-1990s?!
Neri, on her awesome island home, looking fabulous.
As a kid, I was lucky enough to grow up with cable, and Ocean Girl was aired on The Disney Channel in the early evening. I used to fight with my brother over the remote to watch my favorite show versus something on Nickelodeon. I suppose it was fated I'd love the show – I was already tracing pictures of whales and giant squid out of guide books in my elementary school library, grooming myself for a career of marine biology-ing (not a real word). But Ocean Girl was absolutely what motivated me to become a marine biologist. Hands down, at the age of eight, I was hooked (this was obviously a big year for me).
The 'ocean girl' of the show is a mysterious teenage girl named Neri who lives on an island and her best friend Charlie is…a humpback whale! And yes, she can communicate with him, no joke.
Brett and Jason, the sons of my first female scientist role model, accidentally stumble across Neri and her island and unravel the mystery of where she's really from. However, they need a trusty gang of kids to help keep Neri safe from the bad in this world (especially evil UBRI scientists running around in white tyvex suits).
Neri, hanging out with Brett (left) and Jason (middle).
The thing is, the kids almost always succeed (with a little bit of help from adults) because they care about the whales, the fishes, the ocean and most importantly, they care about Neri.
As an 8-year old, Neri was who I wanted to be when I grew up. I figured I could learn how to talk to whales, hold my breath for an hour, swim like a dolphin and be super strong. They have schools for that, right?
As an adult, I now see Neri as that good conscience that resides in all of us. She loved the ocean, but she also loved people. She thought both were important and that people and Earth could reach some harmonious balance. Now that, that's inspiring as not only a kid but as an adult. As campy as the show is, I place the messages it sends on the same level of Star Trek episodes. A little bit of idealism can be a good thing.
Environmental conservation as an ideal is not a new thing, but sometimes the way the message is presented is very negative. Our worldwide problems are often depicted as something too big for each one of us to tackle or our own impact on an issue is too small to matter. However, each and every one of us matters, as Ocean Girl and countless real life role models have made me realize. I think so, not because of necessarily what we can do individually, but because we can all represent an idea, a hope, a goal, a message to one another. It only takes one person to symbolize such a thing and then it never really dies.
The Lorax, a story about the consequences of industrialism, is a perfect example of this, although a far more negative story, initially, than Ocean Girl. I watched the new movie version, and although it is a bit hokey, I thought the message was clear – It can take just one seed, one person to care an awful lot to make some change for the good in this world. But it still takes one, someone, anyone, to plant that seed of caring, and doing something about it.
With all that is wrong in the world, who will it be that sets that seed of idealism in people to work together to fix our problems? Will it be me? Will it be you? I hope it's the Neri in all of us that does it.
Neri, hanging out on the reef.
Neri: I help find something under the sea. Something they call "titanium." Mother says if it is learned of, many greedy men will come here and search.
Mera (Neri's sister): Well, then, it must be kept a secret.
Neri: The one they call Captain already knows. And if he tells others, they will tear the heart out of the ocean. I don't understand. There is everything anyone could want here. Isn't it enough for them?
Mera: You said Father warned. For some men, there is never enough.
Well written, humorous and OH SO important! With all of the issues out there, it can be easier to withdraw and focus only on your own small reality. But this is exactly the time to get engaged if you care about something in the slightest!! I fully agree with this, Skylar. Thanks for bringing the optimism and enthusiasm back to my day!


Dolby True HD is one of the two best surround sound formats found in today's Blu-ray-based home theater systems. This lossless surround format is identical to the sound heard at the theater and comes across best via HDMI connection from Blu-ray players.
Dolby TrueHD is a lossless audio format, which means there is no fidelity lost when encoded onto Blu-ray.
The only ways to get Dolby TrueHD with an HDMI connection to a receiver that can decode it, or with a 6-channel analog connection between a BLu-ray player with such outputs and a receiver with a multi-channel input.
The next step down in fidelity with Blu-ray players is Dolby Digital Plus, which is found on some Blu-rays and on some streaming titles from Netflix and some other streaming services.
Also, look at the other HD audio standard: DTS-HD Master Audio.


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Carnival Cruises Unveils Best Live Music Series
Carnival Cruises has unveiled its new Carnival LIVE Concert Series for spring 2015, bringing more of the best live music to the sea from of the world's most popular acts. At the beginning of the year, Carnival Cruises will be bringing Journey, Rascal Flatts, Little Big Town, Smokey Robinson and Styx. The exciting 2015 concert line-up continues this one-of-a-kind entertainment option, whilst building on the success of a debut year of high-energy, sold-out on-board performances.
In addition to this incredible mix of GRAMMY award and CMA award-winning artists and nominees, the cruise line will announce even more acts scheduled for the latter half of 2015. Carnival LIVE was created to give guests the opportunity to experience exclusive live entertainment from major music artists, at tremendous value and with great convenience. The shows take place in the ship's main theaters – ranging in capacity from 900 to 1,300 – for an intimate performance. There isn't a bad seat in the house.
Guests will have even more Carnival vessels, homeports and itineraries to choose from with a total of ten "Fun Ships" departing from six U.S. homeports hosting concerts in spring 2015. Carnival LIVE voyages will originate in Miami, Port Canaveral, Tampa, and Jacksonville, Florida; Charleston, South Carolina; and, for the first time, Galveston, Texas - the line's second largest homeport.
The 2015 Carnival LIVE Concert Series kicks off next March and will feature one or more major artist each month, performing multiple shows on Carnival ships docked in one of three ports of call: Cozumel, Nassau and a new port for the programme, St. Thomas. Artists board the ship in port, perform in the main show lounge, and then debark following the concert.
Journey will kick off the 2015 roster with two rock anthem-filled performances on 18th and 19th March in St. Thomas
The award-winning Little Big Town brings their unmistakable sound to "Fun Ships" in Nassau for three appearances on 30th and 31st March, and 1st April
Guests "Cruisin'" to see Smokey Robinson sing timeless classics from his 50-year music career can catch the icon 21st, 22nd, and 23rd April in Cozumel
In May, country trio Rascal Flatts, one of the top-selling live artists in any genre, will perform a series of three shows for guests in Cozumel (5th, 6th, and 7th May)
Rock fans are invited to "Come Sail Away" to see one of four Styx concerts to be performed in Nassau (16th, 17th, 18th and 20th June).
For more details on cruising the 'Carnival way', contact our experts on freephone 0808 168 6211.
Louise Hopper
Carnival Cruises Carnival LIVE Smokey Robinson Journey Little Big Town Rascal Flatts


Registration opens August 1. Please contact Jen Schafer or Anne Williams if you have questions.
Parents can register their children and bring them to whichever class works best for their schedule. For planning purposes, we will ask parents to designate the day they will typically attend, but they will have the freedom to come to either.
We will focus on one Bible story for a three-week span. Students will rotate to a different station each week, rather than rotating to three stations in one hour. The stations we will use throughout the year include Art, Games, Science, Cooking, Storytelling/Drama, Spiritual Practices and Mission Projects. At the end of the three-week rotation, we will have a worship day. Church school will not be held in the classroom on these days, but families will be encouraged to worship together instead.
Groups divided by grade level in classrooms. Shepherds will welcome students and read/review the Bible story in a different way each week, depending on which station they will attend.
Students will break into three groups. Each group will go to an assigned station for the remainder of the hour. Station leaders will guide them in themed activities relating to the story.
Note: Preschoolers will not follow this format. Their class will be held in the preschool wing next to the Sanctuary. They will follow the same church school calendar, but their activities will be modified so they are developmentally appropriate and contained to their classroom.
Shepherds – These volunteers will lead a small grade level group in discussion and reading the story. They will also accompany and supervise their group in the station.
Station Leaders – They will lead a group of students in activities related to the Bible story for approximately 30 minutes with the help of the groups' shepherds.
Preschool Teachers – They are responsible for teaching three and four-year-olds in a classroom setting.
Substitute Teachers – Subs are will to be on an email list to be fill in church school spots as needed.
Greeter/Hall Monitor – This volunteer will help welcome students and parents upon arrival, direct parents at drop-off and pick-up times, and monitor the hallways during class time.
Cleaner – Cleaners will come in after church school to help stack chairs, wipe tables and tidy classroom supplies.
Large Group Leaders – Occasionally we will have large group time when all students will gather for a devotion, activity, singing or other lesson. Large group leaders are welcome to come share with the group at this time.
Christmas Program Helper – These volunteers will assist with planning the program, practicing songs or directing the actors, and setting up.


When artist, Murray Zimiles was growing up rough in Brooklyn, the son of impoverished immigrants, the last thing he could have dreamed of was the style, colors, beauty and traditions of fox hunting.
When he and his wife, artist, Martha Zimiles, finished working on their fixer-upper on Charlie Hill Road in Millerton, and finally moved in, they were shaken out of bed on their very first morning by the clatter of hooves and the baying of hounds as the Millbrook Hunt rallied below their window. They were sure they were hallucinating. That was in 1973.
Farm animals and horses have surrounded them ever since, but Murray was focused in his art career on other subjects and on the formal concerns germane to a contemporary artist . His work has been sold and exhibited around the world and is in many collections and museums. Most recently he had one-person shows in Paris and in Chelsea, NY.
Being an artist meant getting to Europe, and other countries, as often as he could and he became acquainted with the pageantry, rivalry and even danger of the famous horse race around the campo in the Tuscan city of Siena., called "The Palio".
All his artistic life Zimiles has been challenged by the difficulty of showing movement on a two-dimensional canvas. Four-legged creatures lend themselves well to this exploration.
After painting several canvasses showing the whirl and medieval pagentry of the Palio, it dawned on him, one Fall morning as the hunt gathered again by his house, that there was action, grace, movement and tradition enough right here. Thus began his fox hunting series. What he did not want to do was follow the venerable and popular tradition of English hunting prints. Rather he turned his contemporary eye on the landscape, the riders, hills, fences, hounds, barns and wood lots of our own Dutchess County; tossing them into different angles of perspective and using overlapping images to show movement. Just as he had sought to reinvent landscape painting for at least eighteen years before that, he created works unlike anything done on the subject. They are perfectly readable as images of the hunt, but entirely new.
The 15 large paintings will be on exhibit at The Warner Gallery at The Hollbrook Arts Center at The Millbrook School from June15- August 1. The opening reception is from 5-7 p.m. on June 15.
Jessica and Richard Johnson (Ralph and Susan (Chauncey) Horky's niece and her husband) run "Elcie Expeditions," wonderful coastal and offshore expeditions around the world, on their 62 ft catamaran (comfortable for 6-8 guests). Interested individuals can sign up for one or more legs of the trip and participate in the sailing/navigating process. My words do not do Elcie justice – their website gives a much better picture.
Jess and Rich are highly professional and have done this for many years. They enjoy MacMahan, and we thought that, similarly, their expeditions might appeal to people who spend time on MacMahan. Please contact them directly through their website.


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Dioceses of Quincy, Chicago explore reunification
A press release from Canticle Communications:
DIOCESES OF QUINCY AND CHICAGO CONTINUE REUNIFICATION TALKS
Bishops, Diocesan leaders seek to build relationships, conduct due diligence
CHICAGO, IL, May 6, 2012—On Saturday, April 28, leaders of the Dioceses of Chicago and Quincy met in Chicago to continue discussing the possible reunification of the two dioceses, which were created when the Diocese of Illinois divided into three in 1877. Provisional Bishop John Buchanan of Quincy, and Bishop Jeffrey Lee and Assisting Bishop Christopher Epting, both of Chicago, attended the meeting along with clergy and lay leaders from both dioceses.
The assembled leaders agreed to develop a plan and timeline for future reunification discussions, which will continue with a meeting on August 18. Both dioceses hold their annual conventions in the fall—Quincy in October and Chicago in November—and plan to discuss reunification possibilities at those meetings.
Before the August meeting, the dioceses will form a due diligence working group to examine various issues involved in reunification, including the Diocese of Quincy's ongoing efforts to regain buildings and funds currently in the possession of a breakaway group of Anglicans who left the Episcopal Church in 2008.
While acknowledging the complex legal and practical issues inherent in reunification, Lee expressed his hope that a spirit of discernment would continue to guide the discussions. "This is not just a structural conversation," echoed Buchanan. "It is about people."
Acknowledging the need to involve laypeople and clergy from both dioceses in future conversations, the assembled leaders agreed to plan visits and hold events to foster relationships between Episcopalians in Quincy and Chicago.
The Rev. Kristin Orr, dean of Chicago's Joliet Deanery, which borders the Diocese of Quincy, reminded the group that some parishes in her deanery are closer to Quincy than fellow Chicago congregations. "We would like to visit for Sunday worship," she told the Quincy leaders. "My parish in Flossmoor and others are praying for you all every week."
The Episcopal Diocese of Quincy, established in 1877, is a continuous diocese in union with The Episcopal Church, which welcomes all who worship Jesus Christ in 109 dioceses and three regional areas in 16 nations of the world. The Provisional Bishop of Quincy is the Rt. Rev. John C. Buchanan. To learn more, please visit www.thedioceseofquincyonline.com.
The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago comprises 40,000 people in 124 congregations in Northern Illinois. The Episcopal Bishop of Chicago is the Rt. Rev. Jeffrey D. Lee, who leads the diocese to grow the church, form the faithful, and change the world. To learn more, please visit www.episcopalchicago.org.


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Articles have appeared from time to time advocating various races and strains of honeybees as superior to any other. Yet, at the same time beekeepers complain about the undesirable qualities found while trying other races or strains. It is interesting to notice the wide discrepancies between their various statements comparing one rational to the other. Why should beekeepers differ so radically? Is it because the various honeybee races and strains vary in productiveness about as much as in disposition or is there some underlying causative effect taking place? I believe the latter, THAT THERE IS AN UNDERLYING CAUSATIVE EFFECT TAKING PLACE.
Some beekeepers feel that bees must necessarily be vicious in order to be productive. This old way of thinking going back to the turn of the century is, however, a gross mistake showing absolutely no correlation between viciousness and productiveness. It is not necessary to have vicious honeybees to make large amounts of honey and pollen. Besides, one certainly can't work more violent bees than one can work gentler ones. Besides, as our historical pendulum again is swinging and beekeepers are under pressure to not keep today's vicious so-called "Killer Africanized Honeybees in the Americas" beekeepers are again turning to the black races and strains they abandoned so long ago. Yet, is this fair to Italian honeybee bee breeders? Could this be another bum rap going full circle? We have found no evidence that smaller naturally sized honeybees are more vicious than their artificially oversized domesticated siblings. In fact, the opposite was found. We have found smaller naturally sized honeybees, no matter what the color variation, to be gentler. Therefore, one should ask and we do: "Is there an underlying causative effect taking place?"
One of the safest and best ways to obtain good honeybees is from one's own best honey and pollen gathers from one's own apiaries or to purchase them from a good queen breeder. We have several good queen breeders here in the United States and I am sure most countries overseas have several good queen breeders too. However, beekeepers sending away for new stock gamble on most any queen or package that has traveled a long way to be composed of bees that will produce well. They also gamble upon the bees safe arrival without transportation problems that could effect the performance of the bees they have bought. Further complicating, many beekeepers then have no follow-up plan keeping records to show that their apiary was much improved temper-wise, production-wise, etc., with feed-back to the breeder the bees or queens were purchased from.
There is one thing to remember when you read claims for different kinds of races and strains of honeybees: THAT MUCH OF THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE PURCHASING BEEKEEPER AND IN HIS MANAGEMENT STYLE, AND NOT IN THE PURCHASED BEES OR IT COULD ALSO BE AN UNDERLYING CAUSATIVE EFFECT NOT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. Again I now state: I have found nothing wrong with the honeybees and queens being produced by our nation's bee breeders. They are some of the best to be found around our world. Yet complaints abound today about inferior stock and inferior queens. Again, could there be an underlying causative effect not being taken into account in the keeping of todays modern domesticated honeybees? Probably, but what is it?
Perhaps, investigation of our past for clues will help with answers. How often has this occurred to help those in distress learn from past mistakes so as not to repeat them in a continuous recycling mode? We are now at the end of our century and the pendulum is swinging. It is time for beekeepers to relearn their traditions and history, and to undo and retool that which is wrong for our honeybees survival. We must follow the long hard way back to biological beekeeping to overcome our problems. It's not hard, but it must be done. Chemicals, essential oils, drugs, artificial feed, size, and to some degree inbreeding, are killing our nations industry and it must be reversed.
It is important for beekeepers today to keep in mind that there are basically only three major races of honeybees in Europe: 1) Carnolian 2) Italian and 3) Mellifera (the dark bee). Caucasian honeybees are from Eurasia. These are the main races and strains of honeybees to be found in our United States. All of these races are excellently adapted to the original climate and nectar plants of their respected areas, but unfortunately if exported to another area or climate, let's say a different continent, these major races very soon break down by natural selection and are hybridized, if left by themselves without man's interference, into new strains and then races, fully adapted to the new climate and nectar plants of their adopted new geographical areas. All three of the major races of bees from Europe have played key roles in beekeeping in the Americas along with the lone caucasian bees from Eurasia (Asia Minor).
If one reads back over the years of acquired beekeeping knowledge, one learns through Mackensen and Roberts in the 1940s, that every major breed of animal and fowl that modern man knows of today was originally introduced to the European mainland during the 1,000 year plus reign of the Roman Empire. Bearing this in mind, one would also assume that the Romans introduced yellow hot-weather (tropical zone) honeybees to the European mainland too. If so, then probably other strains of bees throughout the Mediterranean area were imported also as early civilizations traded wares back and forth.
Through reading, beekeepers can learn that Egyptians kept honeybees up and down the Nile river prior to 2600B.C., and early prehistoric man through his drawings, left behind in caves in Africa, show that man kept bees long before this. It is also a known fact that the color of gold was a worshiped color in ancient times in temples and at numerous ceremonies. To keep animals the same color was a blessing to be sought. That man kept bees up and down the upper and lower Nile river, and followed the planting seasons of many crops via Nile barges, just as we migrate bees today from crop to crop, only instead using modern day vehicles is also a well known fact.
Easy it was for early civilization to bring the yellower hot-weather (tropical zone) honeybees out of Africa and scatter them throughout the Mediterranean states, only to have them very soon break down by natural selection and be hybridized into strains and then races to create the various yellow strains of honeybees to be found throughout the Mediterranean area. Not to say that the honeybees could not have come north on their own, just like the purported so-called Africanized honeybees that came north through the Americas in today's age, but it's probable that man did not slow down their progress any over the centuries, especially if one looks at how today beekeepers spread bees around in migratory vehicles. While the various strains and races of European, North African, and Eurasia (Asia Minor) honeybees took several centuries for Nature to perfect through natural selection, this is not true for our American continents.
First there is the issue as to whether or not honeybees are native to the Americas.This fact has never been qualitatively proved either pro or con, but popular belief, the politically correct answer is, that the American tropics, void of true honeybees, were artificially colonized by European races. These European races and strains were able to survive because they had little competition. Today in modern times it is claimed that a true tropical honeybee has recently been introduced and adapted, from South Africa, and the earlier introduced European races had no chance in tropical conditions of the Americas to survive if exposed to natural selection. But is this a true assessment of the situation relative to natural selection in Nature? I think not. It does not parallel history in Europe and other parts of the world as bees were spread by man. But note, it is politically correct and modern popular thinking! I can see it being accurate in a Tropical Zone this assessment, but not in a Temperate Zone. History dictates otherwise.
This would be true in the tropics because the purported Africanized honeybees would have truer hot-weather (tropical zone) characteristics and traits, while bees kept artificially of European descent would be either races and strains of cold weather (temperate zone) characteristics and traits or a hybridization of hot/cold weather traits which would be at a breeding disadvantage in a pure Tropical Zone.
Africanization of honeybees is a political issue that must be addressed by beekeepers on the way back to biological beekeeping because it is a force that is shifting the pendulum back from a centuries tradition in the United States of selecting for yellow Italian honeybees away from the Old Black Bees of Europe. It (Africanization) has now caused our industry to shift away from breeding yellow strains to the darker black strains of the true Temperate Zones: i.e. Carnolian and Caucasian, etc. Because of this pendulum swing, compounded with a problem of parasitic mites and accompanying secondary diseases, necessitating the use of chemicals, essential oils, and antibiotics, and an underlying causative affect not apparent to the common everyday beekeeper, we have major problems today in keeping honeybees alive.
Beekeepers must understand that names on honeybees technically mean nothing to Nature in the real world. They are notions given by man. Neither color is of real use in discriminating races and strains of honeybees because Nature adapts over a given period of time. Having the same color does not mean that bees are related. The black color of bees in Madagascar has nothing to do with the black bees in Norway, and the yellow of Saharians has nothing with that of Italians. Other characteristics have to be used to discriminate many of the world's bee races and strains.
While all hot-weather (Tropical Zone) type bees are various shades of yellow, and all cold-weather (Temperate Zone) type bees are various shades of brown to black, and hybridized honeybees exhibit traits of each other where the cuff Temperate Zones are located (where yellow and black bee areas overlap), each are different in characteristics and traits because of the climates and nectar plants of each of their respected areas, that dictated that this had to be so in order to survive, by natural selection of the fittest. In keeping this in mind, beekeepers must remember that latitude equates with altitude in defining Tropical and Temperate habitat for honeybees.
However, since popular belief is that our so-called Africanized honeybees are yellow, then it is an excellent idea to work exclusively with darker (black/brown) cold-weather bees in ones bee yards here in the United States in order to make any hybridization instantly evident. Thus to win against the purported Killer honeybees, a theoretical truer yellow hot-weather bee of the Tropics, beekeepers must use a bee of a dramatically different color, which is a truer cold-weather honeybee of Northern latitudes to win a breeding battle in a Temperate Zone. This would be because not only would a bee of a dramatically different color give us instant recognition of hybridization evidence in our beehives, but would also give beekeepers concerned, dramatically different enough racial characteristics and traits to be able to either throw-off the so-called Africanized honeybees through out-of-season cold weather stress mating; or a better chance to hybridize the Africanized honeybees hot-weather traits with the milder cold-weather traits or northern bees, for a newer more gentler strain similar to the way racial honeybee strains and races developed in the Mediterranean area thousands of years ago with the help of the Roman Empire and early Egyptians thus giving rise to our Modern Italian honeybees so popular for so long.
Now, since the so-called Africanization we hear about is almost like a doomsday honeybee going through our American continents and in the real world this does not actually happen, then there must be another explanation for what is going on with the racial spread of these aggressive honeybees. IS THERE AN UNDERLYING CAUSATIVE EFFECT TAKING PLACE TO ARTIFICIALLY OVERTURN NATURE'S NATURAL SELECTION OF NEW STRAINS AND RACES WITH ADAPTATION TO NEW CLIMATES AND NECTAR PLANTS OF THEIR ADOPTED NEW GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS? We shall have to investigate this aspect in our writings here, for in the real world in our cuff zones (where tropical meets temperate), Nature never slams shut the breeding door of the seasons putting one race or strain of honeybee more dominate over another or one could not have evolution going forward or into reverse to correct problems of survival of the fittest. Instead, in Nature there is a gradual seasonal change-over of climate, a transition zone of breeding overlap that is always there taking place year-round allowing for interracial bee breeding pressure as all elements dictate that follows centuries of Earth, Fire, Wind, etc., beliefs of many cultures worldwide.
If we believe that there is an underlying causative effect not being taken into account in the keeping of todays' modern domesticated honeybees, causing the pendulum to swing back to black strains and races of honeybees for popular keeping again, then will this swing alone correct the problem? We DO NOT BELIEVE SO IF THERE IS AN UNDERLYING CAUSATIVE EFFECT STORY NOT BEING TOLD THAT DOES NOT FOLLOW REALITY. We must therefore investigate the past for clues that will give us answers. After all, how often has this occurred to help those in distress learn from past mistakes so as not to repeat them in a continuous warp loop?
It is therefore time for beekeepers to relearn of their traditions and history and to undo and retool that which is defective and wrong to overcome our problems. We must follow the long hard way back to biological beekeeping to overcome our problems without the over use of artificial inbreeding (nothing in Nature inbreeds for long without evolution collapse), chemicals, drugs, essential oils, and artificial feed. Everything must be done naturally or as close to natural as we can if we are to alleviate and correct our problems of parasites, secondary diseases and so-called Killer Africanized Honeybees to put Nature back into synchronization.
We have talked a bit about movement of animals by the Roman Empire now let's go over a little bit about some needed bee traditional history that is relevant and necessary to solving today's problem and could be a major underlying causative effect bringing all these situations about, NAMELY COMB SIZE AND ITS RAMIFICATIONS.