Well, if you know me well, you'll know I like to launch myself into any new project with speedy aplomb. So, without further ado, let me introduce to you the start of the next instalment of Alicia's Pulp Redux book, The Museum of Forgotten Things.
I've picked up where Alicia left off. Hester, our main character, has shut herself away in her house after murdering her husband (this part of the story is Alicia's invention and is told so well by Alicia using various invented documents in her book - you'll see these in due time after each of us from Pulp Redux has completed our respectrive books). Thus, Hester's house, like her mind, has become something of a museum and a prison...there are things in it she'd rather forget but can't. However, although Hester has become a recluse, this does not prevent her from taking many a secret lover! So, although a part of Hester's life is lost forever (Paradise Lost) she has gained a new one - albeit tainted with grief and guilt but also coloured with secrets and passions.
Now a bit about what I've been up to. Well, as you can see in the picture immediately above, I have made good use of an old Cigar box that I purloined from the Sanson market for only two bucks (!) this weekend. Perfect! It fits the format and size of Alicia's book perfectly. I love the fact that it's Jamaican and that one of my favourite stories in the whole wide world is Jean Rhy's Wide Sargasso Sea. Hester reminds me of the mad woman in the attic (Rhys' story is a spin on Jane Eyre - from the point of view of the first wife). In Jane Eyre, the mad woman in the attic tries to burn down the house. In Alicia's story, Hester uses fire as a means of dispatch. Of course, I'll say no more here, lest I give the whole story away!
The front of my page looks like this - I've used crackle paint (Ranger's Black Soot - thanks Alicia for sending me a bottle!) and a range of metallic paints. Heavy duty watercolour paper was used to get a really awesome thick texture that I then took to with my red colouring pencil. The result is pretty specky if I say so myself. A secret hides under the door and the black void of the front cover will contain an illustration.
Crap photo this one, but it gives you an idea. Little compartments will be carved out of the book I have placed in the compartment. The book, as mentioned earlier, is Paradise Lost, though I'm still deciding about that. I may yet just make a series of frames for the compartments. Anyone got any tips on how to carve nice little boxes out of the book?
I'm really proud of this paper! I hand dyed it myself and I love the way it has come out all marbled like that. This is the secret compartment area. Like I said, I'm still undecided about how I'm going to frame the forgotten artifacts I have for this compartment area. Nor have I gotten any closer to a solution as to how I'm going to allow book binding to happen, since the box opens right to left instead of left to right. Give me time, I might do the whole book within a drawer thing within a box, yet.
Now, just a quick little post about the receipt of Alicia's book in the post. Here are the photos I took. Hopefully I haven't conveyed some of the trembling excitement I experienced when opening the box. If the shots are fuzzy or shaky looking, at least you know why! Lol!
I feel like Howard Carter as he opens Tutankhamun's Tomb!
Is there a story contained within?
oooohhh what fun! am clapping my little hands delightedly!!
I'm clapping with La Doce Vita! Awesome post, I am hanging off every word and picture...I love what you've done so far, your box, the idea for it and your lovely paper...you rock Debs! This is going to be a fantastic spread!
I LOVED Jean Rhy's Wide Sargasso Sea and I LOVE what you are doing, this is so exciting. Conceptually and technically this is VERY cool stuff.
The name of his studio, which I have visited: The Forgetting Room. Delicious.
I really like what you've done with this. I wish I could put my HANDS on it!
Hello, hello!!! Thank you so much dear Cat and Lisa for your encouraging comments!!! I clapped my hands when the box was opened, ha ha. Too exciting alright!!
Jafa - it is such a privelege to hear such wonderful words praise from one such as yourself! You are the diva of concepts and technicality in your own art!
Mr Cachet - I love Nick Bantock! He is too cool that guy!
The Museum of Purgatory. Oooooh weeee! I'm going there now! (Mother always said I would anyway).
This is wonderful. Oh if only to see it and touch the pages.
It has been so much fun watching this collaboration unfold step by step. And what you have created so far is magical!!
I am totally in love with your little box and what you have done to it. I feel like I'm right there with you, opening the box, inspecting the contents, popping the bubble wrap (grin). This swap is starting out great and I'm sure it will continue to inspire many of us.
This is so amazing. I knew yo made beautiful things, I had no idea they had such magically woven stories too.
One of my favourite themes we studied when I was doing my degree, was the the "madwoman in the attic". I love Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre is filled with so much symbolism. Can't wait to see what you do next.
Oh yes, forgot to say, I agree with MrCachet; Nick Bantock's The Museum at Purgatory is brilliant and would make a great reference.
I just love what you're creating and reading about the story. The ``Wide Sargasso Sea,'' is so intriguing, too. Love! Love! Love!
Watching this unfold in your post is magical. I can also feel the suspense in the package opening sequence. Nice!!
Fabulous fun and beautifully done!!! You have created such suspnse!!!!
you are a creative genius and so is Alicia..what wonderful stories the two of you have conjured up..i love the follow up you are creating..Bravo talented lady!
Fabulous! You're just wonderful.. can't wait to see more.
This is all so exciting! I'm enjoying every moment of this Pulp Redux swap. Off to check out The Museum at Purgatory.
Hi everybody! I went off to check out the Museum of Purgatory only to discover the book is called The Museum at Purgatory! Duh. My listening and reading skills are absolutely terrible these days. Perhaps it's always because I'm in a bit of a rush!!!
Anyway, thanks Dave for the references to Bantock's book - I'm going to HAVE to buy it now. It's way too intriguing not to!
Hey everone else - I'm slowly coming round to see each one of you. Jo, your knitted underwear posting is such a crack-up. The crochet bikini is something else! I wonder if they wear those sorts of things in the West Indies??
Thanks for stopping by on my blog.
Yes I did get your paper..It was wonderful...I do hope you enjoyed what I sent you.
What a super project that you and Alicia are partnering on. I love integrating a story with the altered book. And your book opening right to left and your cigar box are great. Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are some of my all time favorite books. The compartments are such a super idea for the "secrets" concept-and can't wait to see what you place inside them. The crackle paint, beautiful paper you've made, and the slow reveal of Alicia's package all have such allure! Love watching your project unfold!!
Debrina, what dynamic work! Lots of inspiration here. Georgous creations with yummy colours, textures & ideas. Thanks for sharing!!!
Hello Aunty Em - thanks for the new addy! I've deleted your comment just so that you get privacy with regards your address, ok?


text:
Beavers Edge Unicorns, 3-2
UTICA, Mich. – Left-handed pitcher Kevin Matthews tossed 6.0 strong innings, striking out 11, and Todd Weiss went 2-for-3 and drove in a run to lead the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers (22-20) to a 3-2 victory over the Utica Unicorns (22-22) on Thursday night at Jimmy John's Field.
Thomas Roulis drove in a run for the Beavers, going 2-for-4 in the game. RHP Brian Heldman earned his fourth save of the season, retiring the only batter he faced in the ninth inning.
Dan Ward homered for the Unicorns, pushing his season total to a league-best 10. Jimmy Latona went 2-for-2 and drove in a run.
Margie Wax
UPCOMING GAMES/EVENTS
Westside Woolly Mammoths (19-22) vs. Eastside Diamond Hoppers (21-19), 7:05 p.m. first pitch (Gates open at 6 p.m.)
Promotions: Fireworks Spectacular Friday powered by XFINITY, Detroit Pistons Night – Read More
Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers (22-20) vs. Utica Unicorns (22-22), 7:05 p.m. first pitch (Gates open at 6 p.m.)
Promotions: 99.5 WYCD Country Music Night, Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Scout Night – Read More
Eastside Diamond Hoppers (21-19) vs. Westside Woolly Mammoths (19-22), 1:05 p.m. first pitch (Gates open at Noon)
Promotions: Sunday Fun Day with the Troll Princess, Kids Crafts – Read More
2 Dallas Oliver OF 5 1 0 0 0 3
15 Christ Conley C 4 0 1 0 0 1
9 Kyle Bonicki INF 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 Marc Stewart 2.0 2 0 0 0 2 8
25 Mike Elwell 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3
18 Kyle Olliges 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3
18 Sam Cottingham-Beard 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 4
17 Gio Abreu 1.1 1 1 1 2 1 7
22 Thomas Roulis INF 4 0 2 1 0 1
19 Brandon Rawe OF 3 0 0 0 1 1
13 TJ Ward 3B 3 0 1 0 1 0
1 Todd Weiss OF 3 1 2 1 1 1
99 Braxton Morris INF 3 0 0 1 0 2
24 Kevin Matthews 6.0 3 1 1 2 11 24
40 Chris DeRue 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3
4 Matt Dallas 0.2 2 1 1 0 0 4
22 Dylan Collett 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 5

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Choosing the really should be adapted to the purpose of space. Such as, family area. Offered it's function as place to gather as well as conversation alongside one another, it's good to select a cosy sofa and a little big and this relies on the number of families. Choose also furniture that is proof against the risk of food or beverage spills. As to beautifying and make a neat and elegant impression, you can also add special furniture to hold the object. Due to today, there are numerous cabinets and drawers that have interesting models and designs. Numerous places that provide home furnishings with diverse forms along with the prices are also varied, what's more, it according on your wishes. If you wish the equipment looks simple then you can certainly buy home furniture using a cheap price and the other way round if you want a more elegant next the price was somewhat more to eat. The biggest thing is we've got to determine the ideal budget to get a good and then we must consistency without shopping forgoods that are more expensive compared to budget even if we enjoy the goods. All home furniture must have a good shape and design and interesting. However, problems arise when few are adjusting to mix and match the furniture with all the room concept. To make sure that even a great furniture doesn't guarantee the house space can look stunning and appealing.
Do you realize plays a crucial role in your own home design? It doesn't matter how little or perhaps pointless the factor is actually, it may affect the general ambiance and even usefulness from the house. Not surprisingly, we frequently become complacent, not really realizing it's essential use until finally it's ruined or even removed. Consider some of the benefits you take from it? Consider some of the issues to consider in choosing something? Just what exactly factors must you think of?
is the second necessity that is definitely always essental to all homes. Without furniture, a room will simply appearance bare and look unpretentious. Consequently, the use of furniture is viewed as essential. There are various points to know about selecting the furniture. Choosing furniture that suits the property concept. Because the thought of the house is quite decisive what furniture would work to fill our homes. Before purchasing furniture we should adjust the size of the furniture design with the length of our homeroom. How big the the furniture it doesn't match the size and style and condition of our home tends to make everyone in the room of your home to look full. By way of example for the method of a simple home then inside choosing to avoid substantial house household furniture since it may eat a lot of places.
Still, if your home theme is fashionable, fit this theme to your you would select. Don't intermix it if you have not try this before.Don't pick up too ample if your house isn't too comprehensive. It not only cause your home is entirely but also look highly dirty. Adapt the measure as well. if needed, request for a guarantee of the goods you have obtained. It is greatly significant, if your was broken, you may claim it as your guarantee. Then, following thing should be considered is about quality. Get it in the well known furniture trade in your area.
Moreover, to contemplate the shape and size of your home, in selecting furniture we must also observe the temperature in the room that is to be utilized to squeeze furniture. Because this will affect the upkeep of your house furnishings. For furniture made of wood, you need to stick it in a very cool room. Are you aware that furniture made from glass, you can put it in a somewhat hot room. If you possibly could pick the best design, this may give a great impact around the room your own house, and definitely will attract the eye of anybody who saw it. Although the type in your home is not so large, if you usually prepare the room and select the right , you are able to still feel your home can feel spacious and comfortable.
You must understand that functionality is top, and it's also sensible to include a little your trait to the design. Although the tips will need to help so you shouldn't rush things when deciding to buy that you desire.
Choosing is truly a simple element, so long as the idea meets to the area idea which is to be built, spending plan, along with needs. The full can also be performed on your own, and never having to consult and also use internal design. In selecting house pieces of furniture not surprisingly you must take note of the top quality and the price. This is due to around excellent and value problems typically just like lots of completely wrong selecting it. To get many different home furnishings excellent items don't invariably should be pricey, most significantly you are able to pick a quality even the actual price is not very pricey.
Currently, there are several styles which might be custom-made with many home planning themes, consequently you don't need to worry about discovering which would work for your home. There is home furniture built with lots of operates to save area and also a one of a kind along with simple design. Hence we've got to become more thorough inside deciding on the home furniture this is absolutely wanted or perhaps great for your home. Choice of the proper pieces of furniture could add inside accessories to your home. Your home results in being better in addition to comfortable. Be sure you cannot opt for the appropriate furniture. In case you have large flavor, a selection process connected with furniture from time to time gets to be a tough thing. You will see quite a few considerations in selecting a pieces of furniture, the two with regard to preference and also needs.
For folks who already have their own residence, definitely aren't going to be split up through the naming of .Most of these tools will be very helpful for enhancing your own home. Currently, this type of equipment is very easy to find, as it would be acquireable anywhere. Numerous items are created by adapting from the hopes of shoppers, so we'll be incredibly free to determine which furniture are usually in our residences. In every nook of the house that we've got certainly will be built with furniture in accordance with the function and also effectiveness since the pricing is not cheap, usually, people purchase furniture one by one. By collecting the standard furniture first, including beds, platforms, chair, electronic objects and cooking eating utensils from the kitchen.
You can discover the which has a traditional or current pattern. A vintage design is normally crafted from wood having a natural coloration, including the colour of wood darkish. Though current patterns commonly make use of loads of materials produced from aluminum which is in addition to wood design. Although there are other types, you should choose furniture with finishing quality and good upholstery, like varnish materials and techniques, effectiveness against dirt and dust, simplicity of care, and color quality. For longer age along with endurance, it is possible to opt for timber furniture. Together with all-natural opinion, solid wood has much better resilience, compared to other materials just like lightweight aluminum and also wood particles.


George Washington Papers, Series 4, General Correspondence: George Washington to Moses Bush . 1779. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/mgw455685/.
(1779) George Washington Papers, Series 4, General Correspondence: George Washington to Moses Bush . [Manuscript/Mixed Material] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/mgw455685/.
George Washington Papers, Series 4, General Correspondence: George Washington to Moses Bush . 1779. Manuscript/Mixed Material. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/mgw455685/>.


text:
Q: Insert file into azure container I have this code that works fine, however I need now for .net core, it does not work:
public class StorageAzure
{
    private CloudStorageAccount storageAccount;
    private CloudBlobContainer containerPadrao;
    public StorageAzure()
    {
        this.storageAccount = CloudStorageAccount.Parse(
            CloudConfigurationManager.GetSetting("StorageConnectionString"));

        this.containerPadrao = inicializarContainer();
    }

    private List<CloudBlobContainer> ListaContainers()
    {
        CloudBlobClient blobCLient = storageAccount.CreateCloudBlobClient();
        return blobCLient.ListContainers().ToList();
    }

    private CloudBlobContainer getContainer(string NomeContainer)
    {
        CloudBlobClient blobCLient = storageAccount.CreateCloudBlobClient();
        return blobCLient.ListContainers().ToList().Where(c => c.Name == NomeContainer).FirstOrDefault();
    }

    private CloudBlobContainer inicializarContainer()
    {
        return getContainer(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["containerpadrao"]);
    }

    public void AdicionarArquivo(string caminho, string nome)
    {
        CloudBlockBlob blob = containerPadrao.GetBlockBlobReference(nome);

        blob.UploadFromFile(caminho, FileMode.Open);
    }
}

How can I list the containers in .net core ?
He can't find ListContainers, I found some examples, but none I could make it work.
EDIT
In .netcore does not have the same libraries, so I don't know which libraries to use to be able to list a container, and also send a file.

A: If you are just looking for .net core code to upload blobs and list containers, just try this .net core console app below:
using Azure.Storage.Blobs;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace blobUpload
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string localFilePath = "<path of file to upload>";
            string containerName = "<container name>";
            string storageConnStr = "<storage account connection string>";

            BlobServiceClient blobServiceClient = new BlobServiceClient(storageConnStr);
            Console.WriteLine("====listContainers====");
            listContainers(blobServiceClient);

            Console.WriteLine("====listContainerBlobs====");
            listContainerBlobs(blobServiceClient, containerName);

            Console.WriteLine("====upload files to a Container====");
            uploadFiles(blobServiceClient, localFilePath, containerName);

        }

        public static void uploadFiles(BlobServiceClient blobServiceClient,String filePath,string containerName) {
            var container = blobServiceClient.GetBlobContainerClient(containerName);
            var blobClient = container.GetBlobClient("testFile.zip");
            Console.WriteLine(blobClient.UploadAsync(filePath).GetAwaiter().GetResult());
        }

        public static void listContainers(BlobServiceClient blobServiceClient) {
            var containerEmulator = blobServiceClient.GetBlobContainers().GetEnumerator();

            while (containerEmulator.MoveNext()) {
                Console.WriteLine(containerEmulator.Current.Name);
            }
        }

        public static void listContainerBlobs(BlobServiceClient blobServiceClient,string containerName)
        {
            var container = blobServiceClient.GetBlobContainerClient(containerName);
            var blobEmulator = container.GetBlobs().GetEnumerator();
            while (blobEmulator.MoveNext())
            {
                Console.WriteLine(blobEmulator.Current.Name);
            }

        }

    }

}

Result :

the uploaded file:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


When those we love die they are, in death, very often more present to us than while they were alive. This is evident when we recall memories we thought were long forgotten. It may be some words or gestures or something they did that impressed our minds more than we ever knew.
Traditionally, the words of Jesus from the cross have always been a source of strength and consolation for Christians. Down through the ages the story of Jesus life, death and resurrection has been told and retold. Our ways of meditating and remembering the resurrection bring healing and hope. The Seven Last Words certainly make Jesus more present to us and recall significant actions for our redemption.
Our life story finds true meaning only when we can relate it to Jesus. Through the creative use of our faith we imagine ourselves to one with the Lord. By visualizing and meditating on Christ's words, healing occurs. The spiritual, emotional and physical healing we need to maintain and continue our journey in life has been given to us by Jesus in His redemptive action of suffering on the cross for us once and for all. We pray that we will have eyes to see and ears to hear what this means for us, especially during critical moments.
Meditation permits us as Christians to ponder the mysteries of our existence. Meditating on the Seven Last Words is very much a ''conducted'' meditation for us and for those whom we serve. Jesus himself conducts this for us as His words, recorded through revelation, act as a commentary not only upon His own suffering but also on suffering as we have come to know it in our lives.
Meditation is a way to turn from self and empty ourselves into the love of God. This is our motivation, and it is also the healing reality while we grieve our losses in life. We need to let go of our very self and rise to the presence of the Lord. So many times the bereaved hear the words to ''let go.'' Yet they do not hear the rest of the story, which is to let go not into the void but into the love of God.
Meditating on the Seven Last Words has long been a highlight for parishes on Good Friday. However, it certainly is a meditation that extends to many other times. Retreats, support groups, special holy hours and individual prayer are other occasions where this prayerful meditation brings healing. It is especially an outline for preaching about suffering and the hope we all yearn for with our loving God who gave his Son to us on the cross.
We need to place ourselves at the foot of the cross. Our souls need to hear Jesus' words as they help us to accept and continue to live out our lives graced by what He has done for us. Our conversation with the Lord on the cross brings about not only new hope, but also ways to channel our feelings of anger, emptiness, guilt, yearning and anxiety into the context of trusting in the Lord and change for our lives.
The Seven Last Words are an expression of devotional tradition among many believers in the Church. For centuries, communities of faith have heard and pondered these words as a way of devotion and inspiration for their lives. The number seven is a meaningful scriptural number. In itself it symbolizes the fullness of life. We recall the seven days for creation, the seven diadems in the book of Revelation, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments that, together, point toward religious fulfillment in revelation.
The Seven Last Words understood correctly give deep insight into the spirituality of the Cross. In these words, Jesus gives us direction to the very end of His earthly life. He is completing His journey to the Kingdom, and His words give us ways to express our emotions as we stand at the foot of the cross.
Everything Jesus did was to give us life. The living words of this devotion put our lives into focus. We realize not only Jesus' unconditional love, but also how unselfishly He acted. The Christian life must conform to Jesus' life, death and resurrection. We experience through the cross how our journey takes on meaning only in light of what has been given to us. Jesus shows us the way to tell our story.
The following references from sacred Scripture, along with some meditative points, reflect aspects of grief which need to be addressed by those who are presently grieving. By addressing these needs in the context of faith, real healing and hope occur. At the same time, these meditations illustrate how spirituality is not something merely added on to the way we grieve.
This spirituality connected to grieving is essential for a meaningful outcome to the way we accept and manage our losses. Each meditation has a few thoughts for those who are grieving. The thoughts are not meant to be exhaustive. The Holy Spirit speaks to each one of us in unique ways. Certainly when we preach and proclaim the Seven Last Words, new awareness and new insights will be given to us.
''Father, forgive them, they know not what they do''Luke 23:34.
While grieving, we may find ourselves angry that others do not offer kindness and compassion. We need to forgive them and realize that they may not be aware of how deeply we hurt. Forgiveness also relates to our need for reconciliation. We may now need to be reconciled with our loved one who has died. During grief we need to seek ways to have a new relationship in the spirit with those who have gone before us. We need to meditate on ways to express our guilt or misunderstandings.
Another point for meditation may be our disorientation due to loss. We need to be more accepting and reconciled with the fact that our loved one is no longer physically present. Grieving entails letting go of our physical relationship and welcoming a new spiritual relationship. We too must cry out to God the Father as Jesus did, and in His words seek hope in the Kingdom.
''Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise''Luke 23:43.
These words remind us that, for the Christian, life is not ended, but changed. We need to pray for trust that everything ultimately will be all right in Paradise. As Christians we must first seek the Kingdom of God; then everything else follows. We need to be called back to our understanding of our shared journey -- a journey we all must take en route to the Kingdom. These words bring comfort and consolation that there is Paradise and the heavenly reunion.
We recall the words ''Life is not taken away, it is changed.'' There is, then, the transformation of our souls as they cross over the waters of death. In our age there is a constant need to emphasize that life is eternal and that we all hope for the Kingdom. This for us while we mourn is an assurance in faith.
''He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your son'''John 19:26-27.
Mary is the Mother of Consolation. In her life she suffered the seven sorrows. We seek Mary's intercession as our mother who brings that kind of gentle love to each person who is brokenhearted. She who knew the pain of loss intercedes for us. We may want to picture her loving embrace not only for ourselves, but also for our loved ones gone before us in faith. How consoling it is to have this beautiful faith image in our minds to lift us up while we grieve.
''My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?''Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34.
Feelings of abandonment often accompany our grief. We feel lost and alone. We cry out like a lost child. Spiritual abandonment means that, even though we feel lost and are crying, we still surrender ourselves to God. This surrendering is essential for spiritual well-being and growth. Unless we surrender ourselves to God's love, we are forever chained to our attachments. Our faith allows us in our woundedness to surrender, and in surrendering to experience the love of God that gives solace and healing. Letting go means trusting again that only goodness and kindness are with us all the days of our lives.
Yearning and searching are so very descriptive of grief experiences. We thirst for meaning, we search for our loved ones, we long for their presence. We must admit with Jesus that, while we thirst, we need to drink deeply from the spiritual waters of everlasting life. We need to call upon the grace of that moment when water gave us new birth with the Holy Sprit.
We must seek through prayer a quenching of our thirst. We are reminded of St. Augustine's words:'' What the parched soul longs for may be found in a quiet place.'' We too feel parched and dry, and these words speak to our need to be still and experience the Lord's love while we meditate.
Again we must accept that the journey on earth has an end. The eternal life in the Spirit is everything; it is the very source and ground for our being. There is a wonderful grace to see that this transformation is occurring. We ''walk by faith, not by sight.'' It is our faith that leads us to see that our loved ones are called, as we are, to cross over the waters of death into the Kingdom. Our loved ones are born to eternal life while we still await the kingdom of Heaven.
The Word of God is dynamic within the believing community. When we hear the Word, we experience the healing presence of the Holy Spirit. As hearers of the Word we explore ways to relate revelation to our needs as we journey through life. Our loneliness, emptiness, feelings of abandonment, searching and longing for fulfillment and many other emotions cry out for purpose. These words speak to the brokenhearted, as well as to those who are compassionate healers. All of us find ourselves in either place at various times during our lives.
Dying, death, and bereavement are in our culture's consciousness more so than in the past. Along with constant reports of terrorism and wars comes this new awareness of the need to relate these losses to the realities of faith. The person for others is Jesus, and his message is continually revealed among believing communities.
FATHER CURLEY is the former President of the National Catholic Ministry to the Bereaved. He is a member of the faculty for St. John Seminary Master of Arts in Ministry program for the Archdiocese of Boston where he teaches Pastoral Studies. He has written numerous books and articles on the subject of loss. His books may be found on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.


EMS Namboodripad was a former chief minister of Kerala and has the unique distinction of having formed the first non-Congress government in independent India. Kerala is a benchmark in its achievements in the fields of education, health and social indicators – success which was largely down to the policies laid by Namboodripad.
EMS was from an upper-caste Brahmin family; his affection towards the working class brought him into the Communist movement. He fought casteism and directed all his efforts to the upliftment of the masses. He studied and wrote extensively about the economic and social problems facing Kerala, which included insufficient agricultural output, high unemployment, and overpopulation. After being elected, he enacted the Land Reform Ordinance and the Education Bill as soon as he became the chief minister of Kerala, landmark legislations that transformed Kerala's society for good. The decentralisation of power and resources in the state and the spread of literacy all over Kerala was the chief aim of Namboodiripad throughout his stint as a politician in the Kerala state government.
In 1959, the Congress government in Delhi, fearing that communism would spread beyond Kerala, dismissed the Kerala state government through the infamous Article 356 and imposed presidential rule. It is widely reported that Indira Gandhi convinced Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to take the decision, a decision which Nehru was hesitant to take.
EMS Namboodiripad became a member of the Madras Legislative Assembly in 1939. By this time, he had gained a strong foothold in the Indian National Congress and it was socialism that the politician worked towards establishing and believed in during his initial years in politics. His love and association with the working class of the society inspired EMS to adopt communism in his political ideologies. He gradually established the Communist Party of India (CPI) in Kerala.
He was also a versatile writer and has authored many books in English and Malayalam.


text:
Granville House Holiday Cottage Luxury holiday cottage on the Pennine Way in the prettiest of Yorkshire Dales near Skipton and Settle
Provided for you when you arrive
Granville House and local history
Policies and contracts
Granville House history
BOOK YOUR BREAK NOW
Granville House used to be called Granny House Farm with 34 acres, the lane is locally known as Granny Lane. It is actually Mark House Lane, but Mark House nearer to the river disappeared many years ago. This is the old Roman Road from Otterburn to Gargrave. The fields are called Granny Croft, Lower Granny Croft, Granny Pasture and Lower Granny Pasture. Our house dates back to the 16th centuary and was a hostelry, the barn has intact 17C king trusses. Drovers from the highlands would stay over and put their livestock in the fields. On maps from the 18centuary Granny house is larger than it is now and L shaped. This hint of an L shape is just visible when
you look at the barn from the lane.
The house was always independent from surrounding estates at Nessfield Hall, Gargrave House and Coniston Hall.
Granny House is mentioned in 'Through Airedale from Goole to Malham', written in 1891, it refers to Granny House as a stout old edifice, an old dwelling, 3 centuries old, which had been a public up until 1820, a familiar rendezvous for the packmen in ancient days.
Just over 100 years ago the front of the house was ruined by fire and rebuilt.
In 1841 it was occupied by John Dixon and family - cotton weaver
In 1851 by James Winterton and family – railway labourer
In 1861 by Henry Hirst and family – shoe maker
In 1871 uninhabited
In 1881 by Thomas Jowett – a postman, he lived here with his family and boarders for about 30 years.
The Holgate family (yeomen from Long Preston) then sold Granny House to the Lister and Dowson family in 1904 who sold it to the Giffords in 1912.
The Giffords were horse dealers and had been living in Station Road Bell Busk. Descendants of this family have gone on to become famous horse trainers. We have a racing horse weather vane from their time here.
The Giffords lived here until 1991 and became involved with Whittakers chocolates in Skipton, all the chocolates were stored in the barn.
We have lived here since 2010 and just before we bought it, it was on Escape to the Country 2009. It was in a sad state.
We have tried to renovate the house, the barn, create a garden and vegetable patch, a wild flower meadow, an orchard and some native woodland. It is still very much 'work in progress'.
Bell Busk
Bell Busk is situated about a mile from Coniston Cold on the Otterburn Road. It did not appear on the map until 1627, when it probably consisted of one house on the east bank of the River Aire between the old bridge and the
ford. The house lay near the track for packhorses between Skipton, Settle and the North and a bell is thought to have been hung nearby in a conspicuous bush and rung as an indicator of the route to be taken across remote
pastures, or as a warning after dark if the water was high. This is probably how the village got its name; a bell hung in a busk or tree.
We have also been told that Bell Busk comes from the word beale which was a sacrificial site in bronze age times. If you look towards Haw Crag there is a lower flat mound to the West where bronze age villagers sacrificed
animals. Bell may come from the word bel, which is a ford, so a ford over the river by a bush,
The village is one of the earliest seats of Quakerism in Yorkshire. A Toleration Act license was granted in 1689 and Quaker meetings were allowed to be held. There was also a Wesleyan chapel, which is now a garage for a
householder, but Bell Busk has no parish church. An infant school was built in 1871, this later became the post office and is now a private house. Bell Busk was a bustling place though only a hamlet of Coniston Cold. There
was a school at Hill Top House, a post office and even tennis courts.
The very first works day outing in England arrived in Bell Busk when Sir Titus Salt brought 1600 workers from Saltaire on 2 very long steam trains. They were supposed to walk to Malham for a picnic but many stopped off along
Bell Busk railway station was the main terminus for the Dales. Milk, eggs, chicks, cattle and sheep would all leave the Dales from here. Sadly it closed in 1959.
There was a huge and productive quarry on the hills above the village and the last witches in Craven were supposed to have been burnt at Haw Crag.
In 1781 Peter Garforth, the grandfather of James Garforth, built the 5 storey cotton mill on the river at Bell Busk. This later became a silk mill. It was a huge building and gave employment to many persons from the surrounding
area. The insignia for the mill was a Bell in a tree. The mill was later bought by the Rickards family, then the Dewhirst family and finally the Slingsbys before being dismantled in about 1905. The outline of the mill pond and the mill race is at the end of Mark House Lane.
The cottages in the village (some of them back to back} were built as dwellings for the employees and a four-berth toilet was constructed across the road for their comfort. Now not in use, it is a listed building. There was also a
communal wash-house, now converted into a cottage.
The bell which must have called the employees to work can still be seen on the end gable of one of the rows of cottages. The last time it was officially rung was for the Queen's Coronation day in 1953.
An old Roman road; Mark House Lane named after Mark House which no longer exists, commences just over the bridge on the Coniston Cold side of the village and is referred to locally as Granny Lane after our house; Granny House Farm and connects Bell Busk with Gargrave. This was the main road until 1820 and was still a through road until the 1970s.
Bell Busk Bridge and Red Bridge are both grade 2 listed. The only other listed properties are Essbottom and Ravenflatt, many others should be listed.
So what happens in Bell Busk today?
Hesper Farm is one of the best dairy Farms in The Yorkshire Dales and produces a unique product called Skyr.
Metcalfe models design and create the famous railway model kits.
A motor bike museum and motorbike assembly factory is planned
Bell Busk is home for the hounds of the Pendle and Craven Hunt
Sleeps 6 in 3 large bedrooms
Luxurious and spacious
Beautiful views and large pretty gardens
Logburner
Piano and guitar
Bespoke kitchen with aga
Pennine Way
View Full 5 Day Forecast
Granville House, Bell Busk, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 4DU. United Kingdom
Here is a link that will get you to your front door
retrieves.pheasants.showdown


text:
Q: Is there a way to speed up this VBA macro running to perform a Vlookup on a large range 1000's of times? Sub Questionnaire_to_Ventilation()
'
' Questionnaire_to_Ventilation Macro
'
' Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+M
'
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    Sheets("Ventilation").Select
    Dim LRow As Long
    LRow = ActiveSheet.Cells(ActiveSheet.Rows.Count, "E").End(xlUp).Row
    For i = 0 To LRow
        For col = 8 To 13
            Sheets("Ventilation").Range("Y10").Offset(i, col - 8) = Application.IfError(Application.VLookup _
            (Sheets("Ventilation").Range("E10").Offset(i, 0), Sheets("Scheduling Questionnaire").Range("$B$11:$N$3337"), col, False), "")
        Next col
    Next i
Range("Y10").Select
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

A: INDEX/MATCH replaces VLOOKUP (VBA Formula)
Option Explicit

Sub Questionnaire_to_Ventilation()
'
' Questionnaire_to_Ventilation Macro
'
' Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+M
'
' Write the following formula...
' =IFERROR(INDEX('Scheduling Questionnaire'!I$11:I$3337,
'     MATCH($E10,'Scheduling Questionnaire'!$B$11:$B$3337,0)),"")
' ... to the range 'Y10:ADlr' and remove the formulas (leaving values).
'
    Const sName As String = "Scheduling Questionnaire"
    Const slCol As String = "B"
    Const svCol As String = "I"
    Const sRows As String = "11:3337"

    Const dName As String = "Ventilation"
    Const dlCol As String = "E"
    Const dvCol As String = "Y"
    Const dfRow As Long = 10

    Const cCount As Long = 6

    Dim slAddress As String, svAddress As String

    With ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(sName)
        Dim sNameRef As String: sNameRef = "'" & sName & "'!"
        slAddress = sNameRef & .Rows(sRows).Columns(slCol).Address
        svAddress = sNameRef & .Rows(sRows).Columns(svCol).Address(, 0)
    End With

    Application.ScreenUpdating = False

    With ThisWorkbook.Worksheets(dName)
        Dim dlRow As Long: dlRow = .Cells(.Rows.Count, dlCol).End(xlUp).Row
        Dim dlrg As Range
        Set dlrg = .Cells(dfRow, dlCol).Resize(dlRow - dfRow + 1)
        Dim dvrg As Range
        Set dvrg = dlrg.EntireRow.Columns(dvCol).Resize(, cCount)
        Dim dFormula As String
        dFormula = "=IFERROR(INDEX(" & svAddress & ",MATCH(" _
            & dlrg.Cells(1).Address(0) & "," & slAddress & ",0)),"""")"
        'Debug.Print dFormula
        dvrg.Formula = dFormula
        dvrg.Value = dvrg.Value
        Application.Goto Reference:=dvrg.Cells(1), Scroll:=True
    End With

    Application.ScreenUpdating = True

    MsgBox "Ventilation updated.", vbInformation

End Sub

A: This (using Match once per row and copying the data as a single block) will be faster:
Sub Questionnaire_to_Ventilation()
    Dim wsV As Worksheet, wsSQ As Worksheet, rngData As Range
    Dim i As Long, v, m

    Set wsV = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("Ventilation")
    Set wsSQ = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("Scheduling Questionnaire")
    Set rngData = wsSQ.Range("$B$11:$N$3337")

    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    For i = 10 To wsV.Cells(wsV.Rows.Count, "E").End(xlUp).Row
        v = wsV.Cells(i, "E").Value
        If Len(v) > 0 Then   'the value to look up
            m = Application.Match(v, rngData.Columns(1), 0) 'match in data?
            If Not IsError(m) Then
                'got a match:copy over values from I:N on that row
                wsV.Cells(i, "Y").Resize(1, 6).Value = _
                         rngData.Rows(m).Cells(8).Resize(1, 6).Value
            End If
        End If
    Next i
End Sub


Australian Business Coaches – What the difference between good and great?
Australian Business Coaches – what's the difference between good and great?
Like many professions there can be a big difference in the results you can get from one Australian Business Coach to the other.
Yeh sure… a good business coach will seek to understand your business, your prospects and even your customer demographics.
They'll understand your numbers and discover some hidden profits.
They'll even recognize opportunities and give you the right steps to take to achieve the goals you set together.
A great business coach understands SEO, PPC, Re-Marketing, Custom Audiences, and Social Ads.
They know how important it is for your business to be on the first page of Google… in fact you should search their own name and see how many first page listings they have on the first page of Google themselves.
A great business coach can help you master social media.
And not just give you a nice looking facebook page – but they'll give you the exact steps for converting fans and followers into customers and clients. We call this social media conversions.
A great business coach will be your sales and marketing mastermind.
This does not mean they'll be using the "old-school" out-dated sales techniques, phrases and scripts that never worked anyway – they'll be able to show you how to build relationships in the information age.
They'll show you how to build your brand and dominate online – exactly where your prospects are looking. They'll know how to automate your marketing and build a pipeline that makes money for you whether you go to work or not!
A great business coach can show you how to increase your sales quickly and easily… because they have done it many times before in their own online and offline businesses.
And you won't find a great business coach on O-Desk, ELance or Fivrr – and there's a good reason for that.
They don't need to be… and that's why you want them working for your business!


Add frozen coffee, milk, 4 teaspoons chocolate syrup, and ice together in a blender and pulse until well blended. Use 1 teaspoon caramel syrup and squirt the inside of the serving glass while turning the glass. Do the same with 1 teaspoon of chocolate syrup. This gives it a little character. Then pour in the drink mixture.
Then top with whipped cream. Drizzle the remaining caramel and chocolate syrup over the whipped cream. Shave some of the Hershey bar over the top until you get as much as you want (here is my formula: shave one square, eat one square and save one square to poke into the whipped cream, which you will also get to eat). Enjoy!


text:
Global actors gather to forge a common front against illicit trade
Illicit trade threatens achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and better, more synchronized efforts are needed to combat it.
The global economy loses more than US$2 trillion annually due to smuggling, counterfeiting, trafficking of humans and wildlife and other forms of illicit trade that hold back progress on the global development agenda.
To address this alarming problem, UNCTAD and the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT) are convening the first-ever Illicit Trade Forum on 3 and 4 February at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
The forum is designed to encourage an open dialogue among representatives from member states, experts and non-governmental observers, with the aim to share expertise, promote international enforcement cooperation, coordinate resources and ensure countries are adequately equipped to mitigate illicit trade.
"Illicit trade endangers all aspects of development and all 17 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It creates a triple threat to the financing of development: crowding out legitimate economic activity, depriving governments of revenues for investment in vital public services and increasing the costs of achieving the SDGs by eroding the progress already made," UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi said.
TRACIT Director-General, Jeffrey Hardy, added: "Given the scale and damaging effects of illicit trade, a coordinated and sustained global response by governments and companies is urgently needed."
The international response to illicit trade is largely fragmented among many sectors vulnerable to illicit trade, which necessitates a joint approach that considers the interconnected nature of the problem, commonalities and points of convergence among its various manifestations.
"Every country is feeling the malignant effects of illicit trade, underscoring the need for expanded partnerships and cooperation among governments to push back against this deterrent to global sustainable development," said Pamela Coke-Hamilton, UNCTAD's Director of International Trade.
Magnitude of illicit trade
Illicit trade drains nearly 3% of the world's economy. If it were a country, its dark economy would be larger than Brazil, Italy and Canada – and as large as Mexico and Indonesia combined.
It endangers public health, as sub-standard and fake antimalarial medicines alone cause more than 100,000 deaths per year in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Illicit trade also pushes endangered species to the brink of extinction and causes irreversible damage to ecosystems. For instance, illegal logging, with an estimated annual value of up to $157 billion, is the world's most profitable crime involving natural resources.
Further, it threatens the rule of law, owing to its links with organized crime – from human trafficking networks and tobacco smuggling to the involvement of organized criminal groups in fuel theft and the trade of counterfeit goods. Even more frightening are the links to terrorist financing that heighten threats to national and global security.
Defending the SDGs together
Experts at the forum will deliberate how to act together to defend the SDGs against the onslaught of illicit trade.
They will explore the different methods used to measure illicit trade and identify common approaches by governments and industry actors to counter this problem and deter associated illegal activities, like money laundering.
Participants will examine the role of the private sector in ensuring that illicit trade does not compromise the integrity of legitimate markets or jeopardize the well-being of consumers.
The forum will discuss how stakeholders can better deter illegal trade across sectors, address vulnerabilities in supply chain systems, report criminal activity, promote sustainable resource management and protect against forced labour and other human rights abuses.
It is expected to generate a roadmap for collective action by government, business and other stakeholders, including a call for shared policy guidelines and a process to ensure Member States benefit from intergovernmental experiences and expertise.
Facts and (estimated) figures on illicit trade
(Source: Mapping the Impact of Illicit Trade on the SDGs report by TRACIT)
Counterfeit goods
Up to 5% of goods imported to the European Union are fake. Imports of counterfeit and pirated goods are worth nearly $500 billion a year.
Food and fish
Fake, substandard, smuggled and illegal agri-foods cost the global food industry an estimated $30 billion to $40 billion each year.
Côte d'Ivoire lost about 125,000 tons of cocoa to smuggling in the 2017- 2018 season, equivalent to 9% of the harvest – a significant loss in a country where cocoa accounts for 20% of exports.
One in four alcohol bottles worldwide are illicit, representing 25.8% of all global consumption.
Global losses to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing are estimated at between $15 billion and $36 billion, representing 14 to 33% of global marine capture value.
Between 72,000 and 169,000 children may be dying from pneumonia every year after receiving ineffective illicit medicines.
South Africa's illegal trade in precious metals is estimated at $1.3 billion a year, a significant drain on the country's GDP, export and trade balances. Illegally extracted gold and platinum alone cost the legal industry 5% to 10% of its annual production, according to South Africa's Chamber of Mines.
Illegal gold mining in Ghana degrades forests, pollutes around 75% of the waterways and erodes biodiversity. The water contaminated with heavy metals has resulted in cases of poisoning.
COVID-19 recovery a chance to remake society for a better future
Making trade multilateralism fit for purpose after COVID-19
Public procurement is a powerful tool for sustainable development – UN report


BEIJING –China welcomed on Thursday a US offer to hold fresh trade talks, adding that the two are discussing the details and providing some hope the world's top economies could step back from the brink of an all-out trade war.
Mnuchin's offer comes just under a week after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on all $500 billion worth of imports from China.
The possible resumption of negotiations sent Asian markets rallying with Hong Kong surging 2.5 percent -- having fallen for six straight days and into a bear market -- and Shanghai more than one percent higher.
Trump imposed his first phase of tariffs this summer on $50 billion of Chinese goods, including high-end technology parts and manufactured goods, while Beijing fired back dollar-for-dollar at US soybeans, autos and other farm goods.
Top White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow told Fox Business Network on Wednesday: "Secretary Mnuchin, who is the team leader with China, has apparently issued an invitation. Talking is better than not talking, so I regard this as a plus."
The next wave of 25 percent tariffs on a further $200 billion in imports will loom over any talks -- after a public consultation period for affected businesses came to an end last Thursday.
Beijing has pledged to hit back with five to 25 percent tariffs on $60 billion in US imports in retaliation for any measures from the US.
The business lobby urged Washington to reconsider its approach. More than half of US firms are already feeling Beijing's wrath from non-tariff measures like heightened regulatory scrutiny, more inspections and slower customs clearance, according to the survey.


text:
De Slag in de Baai van Manilla vond plaats op 1 mei 1898 gedurende de Spaans-Amerikaanse Oorlog. De Amerikaanse Aziatische Vloot onder leiding van commodore George Dewey trof daarin de Spaanse Aziatische Vloot onder leiding van admiraal Patricio Montojo y Pasarón. De slag vond plaats in de Baai van Manilla in de Filipijnen en was de eerste belangrijke confrontatie van de oorlog. Resultaat was de totale vernietiging van de Spaanse Vloot.

Aanleiding
Op 15 februari 1898 ontplofte het pantseroorlogsschip USS Maine (ACR-1), dat al twee maanden in de haven van Havana lag, onder mysterieuze omstandigheden. 266 manschappen verloren hierbij het leven. De explosie werd de aanleiding voor de Spaans-Amerikaanse Oorlog. Deskundigen voorspelden een nederlaag voor de kleine Amerikaanse vloot, maar vlootcommandant Dewey bij Manilla en commandant Schley bij Santiago de Cuba, bewezen hun ongelijk.

Geschiedenis
Als gevolg van de crisis rond Cuba, naar aanleiding van een Cubaanse opstand tegen het Spaanse regime, wachtten de bemanningen van vier Amerikaanse pantserkruisers in Hongkong op de onvermijdelijke oorlog met Spanje.
De kanonniers oefenden voortdurend en de witte schepen werden grijs overgeschilderd. Op het vlaggenschip USS Olympia (C-6) wachtte de 61-jarige vlootcommandant George Dewey op orders uit de Verenigde Staten. Ruim 30 jaar geleden was hij als luitenant in actie op Farragut's vloot bij New Orleans. Dewey meende dat hij als een onbekende uit de actieve dienst zou terugtrekken, maar hij kreeg nu de kans op roem en eer met de nakende zeeoorlog.

Twee dagen nadat de oorlog was verklaard ontving Dewey orders van president William McKinley:
"Vaar onmiddellijk uit naar de Filipijnen. Val onmiddellijk aan, in het bijzonder de Spaanse vloot. U moet vijandelijke vaartuigen in beslag nemen of vernietigen."
Versterkt met een vijfde pantserkruiser voer de vloot uit. Bij Luzon verwachtte iedereen de Spanjaarden, maar er was niets te zien. Te middernacht bij heldere maanlicht en nog voor het begin van de slag, bereikte Dewey Corregidor, dat de nauwe ingang tot de Baai van Manilla bewaakte. Hij liet, op de heklichten na, alle lichten doven en stipt in kiellinie voeren ze langs het eiland.

De slag

In de morgenuren van 1 mei 1898 zag Dewey de Spaanse Vloot - 7 kruisers, 5 kanonneer- en 2 torpedoboten - verschanst in de haven van Cavite. Dewey naderde, zocht een gunstige positie en opende het vuur. De USS Olympia voerde de slaglinie aan die na elk salvo naderbij kwam. Commandant Dewey riep vanop zijn open brug zijn vlagofficier toe:
"Geef vuur zodra je klaar bent, Gridley !"
De vuurleider Gridley, stond boven op de open toren om een beter overzicht te hebben op de strijd. Van beide zijden vloog een stroom van granaten naar de pantserschepen. Weldra was de baai gehuld in dikke rook. De kanonneerboot onder bevel van Edward Merritt Hughes voer de haven in en beschoot vijf Spaanse schepen. Voor deze prestatie werd hij geprezen en met vijf rangen in officiersrang bevorderd.

In de hete, broeierige morgen bedienden de kanonniers met ontbloot bovenlijf de kanonnen op het gloeiende dek. Beneden in de machinekamers, in de hitte wierpen de stokers in hoog tempo kolen op de vuren om vaart te blijven behouden. Door het dreunen van de stukken werden de dekken en bemanning besproeid met roet en stoom uit de schuddende pijpen. Toen de kruitdamp zo dicht werd als zware mist, brak commandant Dewey de aanval af en voer naar de overzijde van de baai, voor het ontbijt en een korte rust.

De balans

De Spaanse viceadmiraal Patricio Montojo y Pasarón zou die rust niet verstoren. Zijn schepen waren ernstig beschadigd en hij dacht dat de slag voorbij was. Maar al gauw kwamen de Amerikaanse oorlogsschepen opnieuw in actie en beschoten met 100 tot 250 pond wegende projectielen de Spaanse schepen. De granaten brachten grote vernielingen in de bepantsering van de Spaanse oorlogsschepen. Nadat twee Spaanse schepen tot zinken werden gebracht en acht in brand stonden, streek de Spaanse viceadmiraal Montojo de vlag. Hij had 161 gesneuvelden en 210 gewonden.

Commandant Dewey telde slechts enkele gewonden. Wel was er één man gesneuveld en één iemand kreeg een dodelijk hartinfarct. Zijn overwinning en de beslissende Slag bij Santiago twee maanden later, betekende het einde van het aandeel van de Spaanse marine in deze zeeoorlog en verloor het zijn monopolie op de Filipijnen en Cuba. De Filipijnen, Cuba en Puerto Rico werden bezet door de Verenigde Staten, en daarmee begon voor het land een nieuw tijdperk.

De USS Olympia is thans opgelegd en dient als maritiem museumschip te Philadelphia.

Betrokken schepen

Verenigde Staten
 USS Olympia (C-6) (Vlaggenschip)
 USS Baltimore (C-3)
 USS Raleigh (C-8)
 USS Petrel (PG-2)
 USS Concord (PG-3)
 USS Boston (1884)
 USRC McCulloch
 USS Nanshan (AG-3)
 USS Zafiro (1898)

Spanje
Reina Cristina, vlaggenschip, ongepantserde kruiser, 3042 ton, 6x 160mm-kanonnen, 16 knopen
Castilla, ongepantserde kruiser, 3289 ton, 4x 150mm-kanonnen en 2 x 120mm-kanonnen, kon door defect enkel drijven, niet varen
Don Antonio de Ulloa, ongepantserde kruiser, 1152 ton, 4x 120mm-kanonnen, 13 knopen
Don Juan de Austria, ongepantserde kruiser, 1152 ton, 4x 120mm-kanonnen, 13 knopen
Isla de Cuba, gepantserde kruiser, 1030 ton, 6x 120mm-kanonnen, 14 knopen
Isla de Luzón, gepantserde kruiser, 1030 ton, 6x 120mm-kanonnen, 14 knopen
Marques del Duero, kanonneerboot, 492 ton, 1x 160mm-kanon en 2x 120mm-kanonnen, 10 knopen
Velasco, ongepantserde kruiser, vocht niet mee, stoomketels in reparatie
Mindanao, bewapend transportschip, vocht niet mee
El Coreo, vocht niet mee, kanonneerboot
General Lezo, vocht niet mee, kanonneerboot
Argos, vocht niet mee, kanonneerboot

Zie ook
 Slag bij Santiago de Cuba, de andere grote zeeslag in deze oorlog

Externe links
 USS Olympia (C-6) Independence Seaport Museum
 USS Olympia (C-6) Historic Ships Zone
 USS Olympia (C-6) The Spanish-American War
 USS Olympia (C-6) Foto's
 Amerikaanse schepen tijdens de aanval in de Baai van Manilla

Baai Manilla
Baai Manilla
Geschiedenis van Manilla
Spaans-Amerikaanse Oorlog
Geschiedenis van de Filipijnen (1521-1898)
1898

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Take some time and page up. Described it there.
The above on Page 4, Dec. 15.
On the video (Dec. 16th) I put up, Jen covered that in the early part of the video.
BTW guys, apologies for the focus issues in that video. The Lumix DMC-ZS100 I shot that with was on its first outing with me.
Having read it, and talked to several pros and experienced amateurs along the way, I can't believe it was never brought up. I distinctly remember buttonholing a guy about struggles with the ear pinch; having him flip my dogs ear open, and show me exactly where to pinch to make him scream so I could pop the bumper in his mouth.
I also wonder if this wouldn't cut down on the trade of bottlecap/zip tie thumb rings I see at training days for difficult cases.
I have the "Orange Book". It's just more about jowl pinching and ear pinching to get your dog to hold and reach for dummies so I don't think JONOV would be interested. Rynar might though.
Once again, there is a paradigm shift about how we go about teaching animals (yes, dogs) a number of fundamental tasks. The transition might not be complete before you old farts give it up but assuredly it's on the way. Maybe the next edition of the "Orange Book" will include some of it?
AverageGuy wrote: Bruce, take a look at my post under NAVDHA just now.
That is really something! There's nothing quite like the bond between us humans and our dogs.
I don't quite get it either. With a propper jowl pinch, much of the ear pinch is eliminated. People are in such a rush today but what they don't realize is that the extra time and step early, saves time and distress to the dog later. I've never bit ears, used bottle caps or zip ties but I do have a special FF collar from the old days I use. One key to the ear is propper preparation, another is, like the ecollar, a quick sharp pain of extremely short duration so the dog is able to perform the given task.
Now all that being said, some dogs are nearly untrainable. I found them mostly in GSP lines. No matter the method used, they balk at anything they HAVE to do. They, fortunately, are quite rare.
The old ways are the best and as long as there are field trials and untractable dog's will never be given up. They're too effective and produce dog's far faster than PR methods and produce more reliable dog's.
I have the "orange book" it is the foundation of the method I've been taught. However, we still use a lot of praise in the teaching phase, and even treats with certain young dogs if they are so motivated but the method of the orange book is still the backbone of what we're accomplishing.
I use a lot of praise at that stage but I also expect the dog to be a little more focused. I keep the sessions really short though and I always give a happy release command letting the dog know it's "free" and I'll either put it up for a bit with a treat or we'll go do something fun and then come back for another quick session just to try to build.
Last edited by ryanr on Tue Dec 18, 2018 9:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
AG, when did you get the latest issue of VHD? Mine didn't come yet.
In 2005 I was using the Orange Book to guide FF on one of my griffons. The book says at one point, "Pinch the finger and thumb together hard and quickly so that the dog yelps... if you cannot make him yelp with your fingers alone , you may need a hard object (metal) placed on one side of the ear to press against. The yelp is his way of saying 'OK you win'." So I did that and my dog screamed bloody murder. I thought her freaking out was a little over the top so the next day I said "fetch", but before I could pinch the ear the dog screamed again. I waited a week and she screamed again. Jesus, all I had said was, "Fetch"!! I eventually solved the problem by dropping the pinch, changing from a "fetch" command to "take it" command, and switching to the ecollar with continuous stimulation on level 1 with the command to "take it". Some time later I was able to move back to "fetch" and dropped the "take it" command. That's basically what I do today, but only after the dog knows the commands "fetch", "hold", and "drop" with PR and is compliant with them. The dog never liked the collar much but she accepted it enough to get her HRCH Retriever championship and would have never gotten there without it.
Here's the thing, based on the dog's I've seen I agree with GH that with proper use of the jowl pinch beforehand (combined with plenty of praise during this teaching phase) seems to do a very good job of setting the stage for a smooth transition where the ear pinch is done 2 maybe 3 times and you're done with it and the dog moves thru the finishing stages of the entire fully trained retrieve process. Today, even with still using the process in the orange book as a backbone, I think more of the teaching of it (the retrieve process) is done using praise and PR concepts. I think where a trainer can sometimes fall short is when they become fixed on "I'm only a traditionalist" or "I'm only PR trainer."
Yes, I don't want the dog to really vocalize unless I have an A-Hole to work with. A whimper is fine. I told my clients for them to visualize themselves in pain. Too great and you only scream, you can't perform any task. Too little and you do nothing. Remember on the playground getting your arm twisted behind your back? Same thing. YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A DOG SCREAM IN PAIN! No one ever did other than the sadists. A lot of the early WEST COAST FF was based on the dog transitioning to the 70 collar. The dog's all screamed with the 70 because there was no lesser stimulation so the dog had to learn to deal with pain. That's where the stick was so vital in the transition.
Today everything is different yet people won't admit or see it. Wake up people, everything is different today. Back in the 70's had we had the TT500 collar, history would have been written differently.
Ryan, Your pro may not have told you not to FF during season, but he didnt give it as an option. again, ask if he has ever done it? And what bad outcome did it have.
So, my question was can why cant we FF during Season? I would like the Pros to keep in mind that there are young folks here that have been advised not to do it.
1, We hunt the dog and let him munch birds all season. (Gonehuntin says he would enforce steady to WSF. But there are really issues with restricting retrieves. If its too much to FF during season, than correcting WSF issues will be a real headache.
2. We can take a break and FF before going afield. Of course the downside is fewer bird contacts. I have a friend whos dog had major surgery and missed out on several weeks at least of its first season. Is the dog ruined? should he get another? Or is the dogs breeding going to overcome the loss of exposure. If your answer is keep the dog, then you just gave up any argument against taking a break and FF.
3. We can FF and hunt. Once again, we will only enforce in the field what we have proofed in the yard and prepared the dog for. There wont be any issues because we wont create them . Theres NO undo pressure in the field because we wont apply any. The pressure is in the yard.. Willie said it would be OK for OB training in the yard but not enforce in the field. Whats the difference?
Ive found over the years that there are accepted principles we are told, but they dont always hold true. Like you have to have a pointer to hunt upland. I was told not to throw marks for pup while FF. The problem was they didint tell me until after I had been doing it for years. So I work on the table. Then take pup out and throw bumpers. I dont enforce any thing that hasnt been proofed. Never hurt a thing. What happens in the yard stays in the yard until we take it someplace else.
I wouldnt take a dog into the field that wasnt prepared to retrieve to hand. I want that taken care of before we go afield so I can focus on one thing, the dog pointing. But I believe its worth correcting the issue without going through the whole season entrenching a bad habit.
Do you know what the nice German Fraulein does to make a living? Shes a magician and she uses it in the video. While you were watching the hand with the cheese doing PR, her other had was using pressure conditioning. So its not a video about PR, its a video about Jowl pressure as Gonhuntin suggested.
So no, I dont believe PR is here to stay. It has a long ways to go. I use PR methods but PR cant take you to the dogs best work.
Also , I dont beleiev PR provides a better relationship. Dogs love discipline. While I cant really put in words how it works. Ive seen with my own dogs the adavnatge of using PC.
And therein, Bruce, lies the rationale for recommending the "Orange Book" (a/k/a "Training the Sporting Dog") to JONOV - the step-by review of what you should do if you perceive that the dog didn't do as expected with each successive step in imparting/teaching/training FF.
That's easy for a retired pro to say. You've gone through it with how many dogs? And is it fair to assume that at various points in the process, you had other trainers to troubleshoot with? I only say that because understanding the dog's reaction and how to react to it when it isn't in the book you're reading is frustrating. It isn't difficult in the sense of requiring lots of skills, its difficult recognizing an "alternative behavior presentation" and knowing how to handle it. Is it the dog shutting down? Is it avoidance? Is it a confused dog? And, as an amateur, trying to balance not letting the dog win and ending on a high note with not losing your won temper or getting frustrated.
Watch that video again. Jen explains exactly how she's gripping that muzzle and how much 'pressure' she'd putting on that pup. There's no slight of hand involved.
Mind, this pup is in front of a bunch of people and other dogs that she's had a day or so to socialize some. The pup's feet are on the floor with a lead held by one of these strangers. The pup is also just 5 months old.
There's 'pressure' to put the buck in the mouth. Really light pressure, but still. Kept in the jaws by hand. Release word is given. Praise and cheese for a good job.
The pup picks up pretty quick that buck in mouth has something to do with a treat. No buck. No treat. Something wasn't right?? Pup gets a 'No' and no treat. Pup is learning what is expected, what the task is and that there's something in it for her she likes.. cheese.
Compare this to a dog strapped by the collar to a post with a toe-hitch. Work on that dog for a 5 -10 minutes and stop to talk to the group in front of you. While you're talking, I'm thinking that the dog on the table would be more interested in being somewhere else... anywhere else, much less even thinking of trying to put it's nose on that bumper some more?
There's pressure, and then there's Pressure.


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Official Presentations
Consultant Reports
Legal/MOUs/Bills
Talking Points/Writing Points
← Comment on State Comptroller Franchot's Facebook page — pithy statement of the case against the boondoggle
City releases new hotel MOU, sets M&B Workshop for May 23 →
City bails out of state compliance board contest — leaves me with last word
Posted on 2018-04-23 by petersamuel
Normally a contest at the state attorney-general's Open Meetings Compliance Board goes four rounds: (1) Complaint (2) Response by City to Complaint. (3) Complainant's Comment on City Response (4) The Final Words — from the City. But on this occasion the City bailed out in the final round, taking only 15 minutes to inform the state Board. Naturally my immediate thought was: "I made such a great case, they had no comeback," Then moments later: "Perhaps the attempt to refute me would take too much effort, and take staff away from other promised work." Of course they may have thought I did such a lousy job they didn't need to pile on? But what matters is what the state Board thinks and it is often said such bodies are reluctant to side with a lone citizen complainant against a local government body. Who knows.
Regardless, of one thing I'm certain. A few City officials engaged in classic contract corruption in steering the hotel project to Plamondon. A number of good people are in denial. They are embarrassed because they didn't see it at the time. Some just don't want to know. Others say it's years ago now, 'history' they say. I've also heard people say fatalistically: "It's just the way the City works. It's always been like this. It's who you know." No one makes the case it was fairly competed. No one.
The evidence of a scam on competitors and taxpayers is overwhelming:
— Plamondon himself has said he and Richard Griffin got the project launched as City sponsored
— Plamondon and Griffin were always active in the Hotel Advisory Committee (HAC) beginning life as an informal Chamber of Commerce lobby group for the project, then made Mayor McClement's hotel project team in 2009/10
— Plamondon was on the inside of the project from early days and was a member and introduced as such at a Mayor & Board meeting as late as February 2013
Pete Plamondon
— taking advantage of insider knowledge the Plamondon hotel proposal was with the HAC and worked on by HAC/City consultant JLL by Dec 2013 a couple of months before the RFP was even issued Feb 2013
—the switch from a competition-friendly two-stage procurement as outlined in the summer of 2013 to the quickie 6-week single-stage bring-your-site procurement of February 2014 gave those like Plamondon with inside knowledge and one of the four approved sites a huge advantage
— scoring of the two proposals was heavily biased against Plamondon's competitor
— proposed complex is valued at $30m on completion based on the City's consultant MuniCap making the expenditure of $80m+ a gross waste and a recipe for financial disaster
— the site is so ill-suited by way of lack of street frontage to a hotel complex of the size they still haven't worked out access to the parking garage, deliveries or trash pickup (the PO and Galleria sites nearby are way superior)
My complaint is posted here:
http://frederickhotelboondoggle.us/2018/03/complaint-to-state-open-meetings-compliance-board-about-backroom-deal-on-city-procurement/
The City Attorney's Response of four pages focussed its criticism heavily on a side-issue of my Complaint — the City Purchasing Manual's apparent requirement that all RFPs or other solicitations over $50,000 be approved by the Mayor & Board. The language of the Manual is sloppily written and on reading their reasoning I concede, not that
Saundra Nickols, City Attorney
there's any right interpretation but that it can be read either way. And most RFPs don't get referred to the Board of Aldermen, I guess because they are the kind of regular purchases authorized in the last annual budget.
But the hotel RFP deserved close scrutiny by Aldermen because on July 31, 2013 they were offered a Workshop presentation on the planned procurement and promised a later one, which never eventuated as a public meeting. The Frederick News-Post reported that the followup meeting might be a closed meeting. With the format the procurement changing from a competition-friendly design to highly restrictive format the Aldermen should have met to hear the argument for that change.
The City Attorney also claimed it couldn't address any violation of the Act in closed meetings because I hadn't given details of the date and the action. That's a no-win argument. If a meeting is secret then by definition those excluded from it won't know when it occurred. Under the Open Meetings Act a public body like the Mayor & Board of Aldermen are allowed to go into closed session to discuss certain listed topics — purchase of property, personnel matters, negotiating strategy etc — but they have to vote first for the closed session and put on the public record a statement of the topic of the closed meeting. They've never done that on the hotel.
The City Response relied heavily on a lawyerly kind of pseudo-denial. The city response included am affidavit of Richard Griffin, key sentence being: "I have neither convened nor participated in any meeting of the Board of Aldermen regarding the issuance of RFP#14-J or any other matter related to plans for a hotel and conference center in downtown Frederick that was not conducted fully in compliance with the Maryland Open Meetings Act."
Of course that is not a denial of closed meetings. It that leaves open the possibility of closed meetings, just that such closed meetings as may have occurred were in compliance with, or allowable under the Act.
Here is a copy of the City Response:
COFresponse20180413
My COMMENT on City of Frederick Attorney's Response to my Complaint of March 28, 2018 against the City of Frederick Mayor & Board of Aldermen, Downtown Hotel project
Open Meetings Compliance Board, c/o Janice Clark and Ann MacNeille, Counsel, opengov@oag.state.md.us
BACKGROUND: The City of Frederick's Downtown Hotel is a serious scandal which was concealed at the time by officials meeting behind closed doors in violation, I submit, of the Open Meetings Act. At the last public meeting before the issuance of the Request for Proposals (RFP14J February 19, 2014) a competition-friendly procurement procedure was presented at a public Mayor & Board of Aldermen Workshop July 31, 2013. Both printed/pdf materials and the spoken narrative envisaged a two-stage procurement — the City choosing a site and gaining legal 'control' over it by purchase or, more likely, by a conditional contract-to-buy; then in the second stage open competition among hotel developers making their best proposals based on the City site for the privilege of being able to draw on substantial City, County and State upfront money (about $30 million on last accounting.)
In the seven months between the Workshop presentation and the release of the RFP City officials contrived, behind closed doors, to jettison that publicly presented and promised competitive procurement in favor of a highly restrictive solicitation whose rules restricted competition to the ultimate winner and a straw 'competitor.' The ultimate winner Pete Plamondon Jr of the Plamondon companies and Richard Griffin, director of the City Department of Economic Development have been the two principal activists advancing (albeit at glacial speed) this project starting in November 2005. Plamondon has said he called Griffin immediately he read the news that the State Highway Administration was set to start construction of the new East Street interchange on I-70 promising a new 'gateway' to the eastside of the City where hotel sites were located and said to him: "Now we can talk seriously about a downtown hotel." (recounted by Plamondon April 13, 2016) According to Earl Robbins the chairman of the Hotel Advisory Committee (HAC) Plamondon himself was a member of the insider HAC promoting the hotel as late as February 2013 when it was considering sites and specifying the features of the hotel on behalf of the City. Toward the end of 2013 Plamondon had a first draft of his proposal in the hands of the HAC as evidenced by invoice time-sheets of consultants from Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), who were simultaneously working on the RFP. The fake nature of the competition conducted by the HAC on behalf of the City was clear in the restrictive nature of RFP14J as compared to the competition-friendly two-stage approach previously presented, then dumped without any public discussion. Apart from the bring-an-approved site requirement, there was the very short period — 6 weeks — from the release of the RFP to the deadline for submission of proposals. This alone almost precluded any proposer without inside knowledge getting a bid done in time.
We are dealing with a clearcut case of a fake competed procurement enabled by violations of the Open Meetings Act via (1) outsourcing to a closed-door Hotel Advisory Committee (HAC) the specification of the hotel, control of the procurement, and scoring of the proposals (2) misleading the public with a description of a competition-friendly two-stage procurement then going to closed meetings to authorize the single-stage restricted competition.
City Purchasing Policies & Procedures or Purchasing Manual
Taken on its face the City's written purchasing manual does require Board of Aldermen approval of solicitations over $50,000. In my Complaint I cited page 36 which suggests that for projects over $50,000 "the solicitation documents along with all backup" be submitted for review, then "This item with supporting material shall be placed on a public meeting agenda for approval by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen." There is more. On page 25 under the heading "Competitive Invitation to Bid (ITB) Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Qualifications (RFQ)" the Manual reads: "All purchases for commodities or services that have a cumulative total for life of the contract of $50,000 or more must be made by formal competitive solicitations. The approval of the Board of Aldermen is required." The sentence saying approval of the board of aldermen "is required" follows directly on the word 'solicitations' and so logically it is the solicitations that must be approved by aldermen. If the drafters meant that aldermen need only approve the purchase after the solicitation, say at the time a contract was ready to be signed, then the last sentence would read: "The approval of the Board of Aldermen is required before a contract is signed." As it reads without the bolded clause the plain meaning, I submit, is that the solicitation (or RFP) must be approved by the Board of Aldermen.
For citizens and taxpayers, the City's purchasing manual is useful only to the extent it is used by City officials to promote open competition for provision of goods and services. If the City Attorney and other executive branch officials view ambiguities of language as loopholes enabling them to avoid conducting a competitive procurement then they are colluding to allow cronyist exploitation of taxpayers for the benefit of insiders. They are thwarting the competitive intent of the City purchasing manual.
City practice
The City Attorney does have a point that in recent years the Board of Aldermen do not seem to have been reviewing many RFPs before their issuance, although many of those cited by her would be below the $50,000 threshold that in my reading triggers the requirement for Aldermanic review. But the practice for regular, straightforward purchases is not relevant to review of the Downtown Hotel project solicitation. The hotel project's huge cost, its complexity and its unusual nature made public review of the solicitation process essential. That was conceded by proponents and skeptics alike. And so there was some review of the solicitation in its consideration at the Workshop of the Mayor & Board July 31, 2013. That night the proposed hotel solicitation was one item of several on a long evening and a followup meeting to discuss the hotel solicitation further was promised by the HAC chair Earl Robbins — twice. It was also promised by John Gibb of JLL. And a followup meeting was reported planned in the Frederick News-Post.
The second reason why there needed to be the followup public meeting was that the HAC decided after July 31, 2013 to change the form of the solicitation from the competition-friendly two-stage procurement presented at that forum to a highly restrictive insider-friendly single-stage procurement.
Meetings did occur
Some followup meetings did occur, we know. Of the five aldermen of 2013 (M O'Connor, K Young, S Aloi, C Krimm, and K Russell) the first three have acknowledged there were followup meetings, the last two
Michael O'Connor
have not, at time of writing, responded to my questions. Aloi has said there were several followup meetings with HAC secretary and City Department of Economic Development director Richard Griffin. Griffin himself has provided you with an affidavit which states that he did not convene or participate in any meeting related to the hotel "that was not conducted in full compliance with the Maryland Open Meetings Act." Similarly, O'Connor and Young say that no meetings they attended were in violation of the Open Meetings Act. Those statements are not a denial that private or closed meetings occurred. They are simply assertions without evidence or argument that such private meetings as may have occurred to discuss the hotel procurement were in compliance with the Open Meetings Act.
Such assertions beg the whole question being put to this Compliance Board. The Compliance Board is asked by my Complaint to rule on whether private meetings on the hotel procurement were in compliance with, or in violation of the Open Meetings Act.
One follow-up private meeting was predicted at the time. The Frederick News-Post in its report of the July 31, 2013 workshop meeting concluded with this sentence: "The city's hotel committee plans to present to elected officials in a few week(s) preferred sites for the hotel, although the public may not be included in that discussion." (Frederick News-Post August 1, 2013).
Under the proposed two-stage procurement outlined at the July 31 Workshop the City would conduct negotiations with the owners of four favored hotel sites on the eastside of downtown. The Open Meetings Act at § 3-305. CLOSED SESSIONS (b) (1) (3) specifically allows going into closed session to discuss "acquisition of real property."
There is no record in meetings subsequent to the July 31 Workshop of any vote by the Board of Aldermen to go into closed session or any statement of the subject matter of such meetings as required by the Act. § 3-104. MINUTES FOR CLOSED SESSION. Without such a vote and such statements of the topic of the closed meeting, such meeting is in itself a violation of the Open Meetings Act, as I read it.
The larger issue that deserved open, public discussion was the decision to dump the competition-friendly two-stage procurement outlined at the July 31, 2013 public Workshop meeting for the insider-favoring, single stage procurement that emerged from the City Purchasing Office as RFP14J February 19, 2014.
Richard Griffin
On March 24, I requested under the Public Information Act "copies of communications between the City Department of Economic Development and the City Purchasing Office relating to solicitation of proposals for a downtown hotel (which became RFP14J) in the months prior to its issuance (Feb 19, 2014.)" I said: "I am looking in particular for any reference to authority to issue the RFP14J solicitation."
These communications should provide evidence of meetings held to discuss the form of the hotel solicitation or people consulted. At time of writing the City has not responded.
It is possible in such communications that Griffin cites the Hotel Advisory Committee (HAC) as the main source of his authority to ask the Purchasing Office to structure the RFP as the insider-only single-stage quickie procurement which emerged. At that time the HAC was being characterized as a City advisory body created and controlled by the Mayor with staff work out of the City Department of Economic Development – essentially a city body. So, the City Purchasing Office might quite reasonably have seen HAC endorsement as adequate authority in 2013/2014.
But last November faced with my earlier Complaint to you (11OMCB90-2017) about the closed-door operations of the HAC the City Attorney gave you the line that it was not a 'public body' of the City, but merely a creature of the local Chamber of Commerce, and therefore exempt from the requirements of the Open Meetings Act. Our City Attorney would now be saying that City government in Frederick fully delegated to a local Chamber of Commerce body the power to conduct an insider crony deal with $30 million in City, County and State taxpayer money. This after the Board of Aldermen and the public had been told there would be a competition-friendly two-stage procurement.
None of these City Hall shenanigans would, I submit, have been possible without extensive closed-door activity in flagrant violation of the Open Meetings Act. I ask you to find that the City of Frederick has conducted important public business in connection with its sponsorship of the Downtown Hotel behind closed doors in violation of the state Open Meetings Act.
Peter Samuel, Frederick
boon•dog•gle
North American / informal
work or activity that is wasteful or pointless but gives the appearance of having value.
waste of money or time on unnecessary or questionable projects.
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Peter Samuel
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Qaterji appropriates houses on Aleppo's airport road
A man standing in front of his house that was damaged by the Syrian regime's shelling on Aleppo city. The house's front is decorated with the Syrian regime's flag after its forces re-controlled the city - 21 January 2018 (AP)
قاطرجي يستحوذ على منازل في "طريق المطار" بحلب
Enab Baladi – Aleppo
Syria's People's Council member and businessman Hussam Qaterji has seized tens of houses in the neighborhoods of Jabal Badro, Ard al-Hamra, al-Ahmadiyah, and Masaken Hanano, after offering less than half of their values to their owners. Qaterji appropriated the houses on the pretext that some of these neighborhoods are classified as "slum areas" with no officially registered real estate records or on the grounds that the owners of the houses are wanted by the Syrian regime.
Enab Baladi monitored the selling of 23 houses in the Jabal Badro area near Aleppo International Airport in just two days, according to a broker informed of the selling operations. The broker, who refused to be named for security concerns, told Enab Baladi that some of the houses were under seizure because their owners joined the ranks of the armed opposition. The other part of these houses was destroyed, and their owners could not afford to restore them.
The residents of some of the destroyed houses in neighborhoods of only one or two intact houses agreed to sell their properties because the entire street was subject to demolition, the real estate broker said.
Residents of informal houses in the Masaken Hanano neighborhood were presented with selling offers with a one-week deadline to accept; otherwise, their places would be demolished for being illegally built. According to the broker, the offered price is acceptable to some," and some people sell their houses because they own other dwelling places. Other people endeavor to leave Syria once they receive the money.
Selling real property under threat
Aleppo governorate has witnessed the highest levels of destruction in Syria, according to the Reach Initiative in 2019. The eastern part of Aleppo bore the effects of the military campaign that ended in the Syrian regime and Russia's control of the city in 2016, after displacing the residents to the northern countryside, which is still under the control of opposition factions.
According to a source from the military formations of Qaterji, the businessman's elements threatened homeowners who refused to sell with arrest. They intimidated them for either having relatives in the opposition-held areas or dealing with opposition factions when they controlled the city's eastern neighborhoods.
The source pointed out that the houses purchased by Qaterji in the Jabal Badro and al-Ahmadiyah areas were about 60 houses, some of which are destroyed, and others are at risk of collapsing. Qaterji's elements reached out to the families displaced from Aleppo to buy their properties, as the purchasing operations were made through legal agents for families living in other governorates like Damascus or Tartus.
Compulsory sale of property
A property owner in the Masaken Hanano neighborhood, who asked not to be named for security concerns, told Enab Baladi that Qaterji's elements visited him almost daily to pressure him to sell his house, and their harassment increased day after day.
The owner forcibly accepted the elements' offer and sold his house for 15 million Syrian pounds (SYP = 5,000 USD). This price is little compared to the property's value, but the elements' argument of demolishing his property for being informal without compensation left no room for refusal on his part. The owner could not afford to buy an alternative house, especially with the little money he received and the area's high property prices; therefore, he was forced to live with his brother in the Qadi Askar neighborhood.
Another young man, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, told Enab Baladi that when he refused to sell his family's home in the al-Ahmadiyah neighborhood, he was directly threatened with arrest for "damaging the prestige of the state." He said, "one of Qaterji's members came to my house and asked me if it was for sale, but I refused his offer. Several days later, I received an anonymous call threatening me with arrest."
The young man signed the property sale contract in fear of threats and after witnessing the demolition of 16 neighborhood houses with bulldozers. The seized houses belonged to people accused of having connections with the opposition.
With a loss of more than half of the value of his house, another owner in the Masaken Hanano neighborhood sold his property after being threatened with his son's kidnapping by Qaterji's elements, he told Enab Baladi, asking not to be named.
The 150 meters, two-story house's value is 55 million (SYP = 18,835 USD), but it was sold for only 20 million (SYP =6,849 USD). "I was forced to sell out of fear for my children's safety," the property owner told Enab Baladi, pointing out that he had to move to live in his relatives' house.
In the Jabal Badro area, a man sold his house after being detained for two weeks by Qaterji's elements. He was offered 15 million (SYP = 5,136 USD) for his 40 million (SYP = 13,698 USD) property. He said, "I was arrested by elements who were driving an unidentified vehicle, and during my stay in prison, I was not investigated or beaten, but I was told to comply with the chief's orders," in reference to Hussam Qaterji.
After being released from prison, the man looked for an alternative house to which he moved his belongings, and authorized another person to complete the sale contract and follow-up on the property sell and delivery procedures."
According to the city's residents, the fate of the sold houses is not limited to demolition, as Qaterji hands over some of the appropriated properties to members of the General Intelligence's divisions, who are affiliated to him. These elements are deployed in the Bustan al-Qasr, al-Kalasah, al-Sukari, and al-Fardous neighborhoods. Qaterji also settled some people's situations on condition that a member of their family would join his military groups, including around 4,500 fighters, according to one of the elements.
Who is Hussam Qaterji?
Qaterji is one of the most prominent businessmen who emerged on the scene during the Syrian war years. Qaterji was born in al-Raqqa province and is 39 years old. His name was linked to commercial activities with eastern Syrian regions when they were under the control of the Islamic State (IS) organization and then the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Qaterji supervised oil and wheat deals for the benefit of the Syrian regime.
The businessman chaired the International Qaterji Group and contributed to the establishment of six companies and had shares in them, according to the al-Iqtisadi website. Qaterji has also represented Aleppo Province in Syria's People's Council since 2016. In 2019, the businessman apologized to the Council for a video recording showing fighters giving him a military salute in al-Raqqa countryside. He said that the video aimed at discrediting him, as he is not a military figure in the first place.
Last November, the US Treasury listed Qaterji on the list of businesspeople subject to economic sanctions, as part of the Caesar Act sanctions, for business deals he made on behalf of the Syrian regime.
In 2019, the Qaterji family established the Steel for Metal Industries in Aleppo with a capital of 100 million (SYP = 34,246 USD). They founded a factory to make and cast metal, remove iron wires, and metal fusion and molding. The company trades and imports machinery, engines, and building materials and undertakes contracting works.
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النسخة العربية من المقال
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