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Orwell Redux
November 26, 2016 January 8, 2021 No Comments
Okay, so I am getting over my depression, but not my fear. Running the US is not like running a business. Appearances really matter. The events of the last few days should serve as a warning for those who voted for Trump looking for understanding and relief. The appointments of more very wealthy folks who are, perhaps, even more out of touch with your concerns than the so-called elites you voted to oust. And there are many more to come.
Last night Ruth and I and friends went to see the moving, Loving, the story of the successful Supreme Court case than threw out state laws banning interracial marriage. As we walked out, I wondered if we would have to go through all of that again. Since Loving, we have freed others who seek loving (small "l"), committed relationships to realize their deepest intentions. Care for others beats all the trumped up reasons that stand in the way. I have written about care as the most basic of the human essence. Nowhere is it more evident than in the cases where two human beings who do not fit the mold of the majority exhibit the deepest form of caring.
That we see this evidenced in these loving acts and lives is better proof than all the theory or philosophy I and others use to establish our claims about care as underpinning human existence. I am very concerned that the inclusion of relationships that do not fit the mold of those holding political power has been endangered. Certainly the rhetoric of the election process suggests that, and the lack of explicit repudiation of that rhetoric reinforces it.
If I had to find a single word to describe the reasons that people voted for Donald Trump, I would pick care or, better, the lack of it from both the public and the private sectors. One could hear in all the news stories, "Nobody cares about me." Ironically, the predominant anger was directed against the government when it should have been aimed at the private sector. Ironic because this is the selfsame set of institutions that is supposed to be the savior. Jobs are not lost because of the government. Jobs disappear as a natural process of capitalism and free market economies. They are supposed to as technology makes work more and more efficient.
Jobs go as the wealth produced by the economy goes disproportionally to the already wealthy. If it were not for public policies that attempt to level the playing field, the imbalance would be even greater. Trade deficits are indicators that we in the US buy more from abroad than we sell. That is the result of the availability of cheaper goods than we can produce even if our economy is more efficient. Efficiency cannot beat lower wages at come point. Putting tariffs to level the playing field would make it much harder to buy the goods that the poorer people do have. Those who voted for Trump should do an inventory of what they own and count up comes from overseas.
I used irony above but should really use a word with a much more sinister tone, doublespeak. George Orwell especially and others warned us against what has become known as "doublespeak." Here's its definition from Wikipedia:
Doublespeak is language that deliberately obscures, disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words. Doublespeak may take the form of euphemisms (e.g., "downsizing" for layoffs, "servicing the target" for bombing), in which case it is primarily meant to make the truth sound more palatable. It may also refer to intentional ambiguity in language or to actual inversions of meaning (e.g., "I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace."). In such cases, doublespeak disguises the nature of the truth. Doublespeak is most closely associated with political language.
Orwell, the author of 1984 where this idea of doublespeak became well known, wrote in a more academic piece,
In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defence of the indefensible … Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness … the great enemy of clear language is insincerity. Where there is a gap between one's real and one's declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, …
The word "insincerity" jumps out. Perhaps there have been other elections where insincerity and outright lying have been greater, but not in my quite long lifetime. I have voted in 16, maybe 17 Presidential elections and cannot remember one that came close to this. Orwell's novel ends very badly for those concerned with authoritarianism and freedom. The danger of being bamboozled grows immensely when the press is a captive of the authorities or vice versa. I doubt if Donald Trump has ever read 1984, but, judging from the attacks against a responsible and free press, some of his advisors and plotters have. Now with technology enabling the ease of capturing the sources of truth by malicious or Machiavellian interests, protecting and supporting sources of information reflecting reality is essential. Reality may not be what is used to be, but there is a real difference between those to try to speak truths and those that deliberately do not.
Thinking about all those that think they "won," I believe that will be bitterly disappointed or worse. I also believe it is already too late to do much about forestalling the disappointment. But is it not too soon to assure that there are strong and independent voices that will not allow the inevitable anger be directed at the wrong targets. History points to the extraordinary threats to freedom when it does. Given that some of this has already begun, those that treasure their own freedom should/must protect the freedom of those unjustly being blamed or risk losing their own.
Photo: George Orwell
Getting Ready for Turkey Day
Beware the Messiah: A True Kabbalistic Story


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Family receive £125,000 ransom demand to free West Hampstead mum Nazanin from Iranian jail
Published: 10:15 AM January 28, 2017 Updated: 1:51 PM October 14, 2020
Nazanin and Richard Ratcliffe with daughter Gabriella - Credit: Archant
The family of West Hampstead mum Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe have reported that they have received an offer to arrange Nazanin's release from jail in return for paying a ransom of 600 million Iranian toman to a fixer - the equivalent of £125,000.
Nazanin with her daughter Gabriella - Credit: Archant
The demand was made by someone claiming to have "connections with the Judiciary" to facilitate her release.
But it has been rejected by Nazanin's husband RIchard Ratcliffe who has branded the fixer as an opportunist making a "predatory attempt" to exploit his family's vulnerability.
Richard revealed that the offer was made to Nazanin's Iranian family on Thursday night via a relative who had been approached.
But he said: "It is unlikely the person had an official mandate from the Judiciary to negotiate. We believe them to be someone looking to exploit the vulnerable situation of Nazanin's family, moved to look at desperate options following the inexplicable failure of her appeal.
"In return for payment the contact promised was to liaise with judiciary officials to quietly arrange her release. Payment would have been required only upon release," he added.
As reported in the Ham&High, on April 3 charity worker Nazanin - who has dual Iranian and British nationality - was arrested with Gabriella, at Tehran airport as they prepared to return home from a holiday visiting her parents.
Nazanin was thrown into jail without charge and Gabriella's British passport was confiscated.
The toddler is now being looked after by her Iranian grandparents.
In August Nazanin was sentenced to five years in jail with no clear charges. Her family launched an appeal which was heard by the Revolutionary Court on January 4. Nazanin and daughter Gabriella
Last week her appeal against her sentence was rejected by the Iranian Revolutionary Court.
Although the exact charges against Nazanin have never been officially revealed, her Iranian lawyer has now been told she has been charged with: "Membership of organisations aimed at disrupting national security." He has provided no further comment to the family.
Richard said that he was making the ransom offer and his family's refusal public as a message to others who try to exploit his family.
"The emotional strain of this experience for my wider family continues to astonish. This is a predatory attempt to exploit a suffering family. It also highlights the attempts to exploit the legal system. I continue to hope that justice is served,"he said.
"Our view is that her case is one that requires government level negotiations, where encouraging these kinds of offers risks creating all sorts of disruptions and additional claims.
"I have reassured my family in Iran, that although it looks bleak, the UK is continuing to negotiate to end her ordeal. Nazanin is not abandoned; we will bring her home. This nightmare will end."

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Two colleagues, Ajay and Isha, work at the same company in adjacent cubicles. They both joined the company in the same month, they're both MBA graduates from reputed colleges, with three years of experience each and are at par in performance metrics and achieving targets.
The difference? Ajay is paid 25% more than Isha.
Many women like Isha face the Gender Pay Gap. Discrimination while hiring, gender stereotypes, cultural barriers, among many other reasons, result in a gender gap in pay.
Gender pay gap is a measure of inequality in earnings between men and women. Although there are various measures to assess gender pay gap, it is by and large accepted that men are paid more than women… and the gap still remains too wide in many nations, both developing and developed. Let's look at some of the recent statistics that illustrate this.
The Global Gender Gap Report 2016 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) indicates that on average, women across the world are paid 46% lesser than men. Only 54% of working-age women take part in the formal economy globally, as compared to 81% of men. This number is even more skewed in India, where only 28% women are in the formal workforce as compared to 82% men.
As per the Monster Salary Index 2016 report, Indian women make 25% lower than men. Out of 144 countries evaluated, the WEF report has given India an overall rank of 87. On wage equality, India ranks 103rd – which is lower than countries like Nepal, Iran, Yemen, Uganda and more.
Given such statistics in India, and around the globe, gender pay equity is the need of the day to bridge this gap. Gender pay equity is about ensuring women and men performing the same role are paid the same amount, and women and men performing different work of equal or comparable value are paid equitably. Various reports show that gender equality leads to not only improving individual capacities of a woman and her family, it's also effective at improving the company's performance and productivity along with a nation's GDP. According to recent study by the International Labour Organization, India's GDP would grow by $1253 per person if the gap in participation rates was closed by a mere 25%.
A 2015 McKinsey report read that India could add 60% to 2025 GDP by bridging gender gap at work.
The Constitution of India through Article 39 envisages that all states should ideally direct their policy towards securing equal pay for equal work for both men and women. While the government has been attempting to address this gap (Equal Remuneration Act), the Indian law does not actually mandate wage equality yet.
The WEF report further estimates that at the current rate of change, gender gap in the economic space across the world will not be closed for another 170 years(!). That's close to two centuries for the world to be gender equal! We cannot wait to change until 2186, can we?
Disheartened by these statistics? Do tell us what you think about this issue in the comment section below and how you think companies worldwide could address this.


3.1 What does gender have to do with the enabling environment?
Vanessa Erogbogbo is an independent consultant with over 12 years' experience in development finance.
Esther Eghobamien is the Interim Director, Social Transformation Programmes Division (STPD) and Head of Gender at the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Elizabeth Pimentel is an independent consultant working in the policy and practice areas related to issues of gender and gender equality.


Join us on January 31, 2019 as NV Realty Group (formerly Golden Bear Realty) will host an art reception and exhibit of the works of local Charleston Artists, Barbara Greaux and Kathy Lynn Goldbach, on Thursday, January 31st, 2019 from 5pm-7pm. All residents, art enthusiasts, and friends are welcome to attend. The event will be held at 91 Broad St, Suite A in Downtown Charleston.


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Woman's shock at £90m electricity bill
metrowebukmetroMonday 16 Jun 2008 3:24 pm
Alison Turner shows off her hefty bill
A woman got a shock when she received a £90 million electricity bill.
Alison Turner, 50, a barmaid from Cambridge, was stunned when the demand from npower arrived through the post.
The mother-of-two, who lives alone in a one-bedroom flat, normally spends about £20 every two weeks to top up her pre-payment electric meter.
But the letter, on npower headed paper, said: "We have checked your account and there is a balance to pay of £90,454,217. This is because your token meter was undercharging you because our prices have changed since it was last reset."
It said the "balance was now due" and invited Ms Turner to contact the energy company to "discuss repayment options".
Ms Turner said: "I know energy bills have gone up but this is ridiculous.
"It's lucky they didn't send this letter to an old-aged pensioner because they would have probably keeled over.
"Luckily, I was with my daughter and we knew it was wrong."
Ms Turner said she switched to npower in November, but changed suppliers again four weeks later.
An npower spokesman said: "We found the letter and what has happened is our eight digit account number has been inserted in place of the outstanding balance. It was a human error.
"When the customer contacted us, we immediately apologised and wiped the debt, which was actually £22."
Massive 9ft python found up neighbour's tree five days after escaping


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Educator Impact recognised as a 5-Star Service Provider
Educator Impact has been included in The Educator's 5-Star Service Provider Awards 2021
Online PR News – 12-October-2021 – St Leonards, NSW – Sydney-headquartered Educator Impact has been selected in The Educator's 5-Star Service Providers 2021 Awards. This prestigious list celebrates the cream of the crop in Australia's education service provider market.
"While COVID-19 has affected schools around the country in different ways, the pandemic has universally reshaped the way education is delivered. Schools have had to adapt, react and hike a steep learning curve over the past two years," says The Educator team. "Between May and June 2021, The Educator invited education service providers catering to schools across Australia to participate in our inaugural 5-Star Service Providers awards. Entries were invited across nine categories: learning management systems, recruiters, student and school management systems, school uniforms, interactive learning, performance tracking, suppliers, professional development and security software. By the end of the judging process, The Educator team narrowed the entries down to 43 of the sector's most outstanding service providers, producing the highly anticipated TEW 5-Star Service Providers 2021 list."
Educator Impact has been awarded in three categories: Student and School Management Systems, Interactive Learning and Professional Development.
Educator Impact (EI) has been helping schools become a better place to teach and learn since 2012. EI supports school leaders, teachers and staff by delivering actionable insights on wellbeing, culture, engagement and vocation to help them improve student outcomes.
EI has always focused on building long-term partnerships with schools. In fact, EI continues to partner with the schools it has been working with since its inception. EI has a passionate team of customer success specialists, with a dedicated member of that team assigned to each school.
"This helps us understand each school individually," says Joe Thurbon, co-founder and chief technology officer of EI. "Our pursuit of transformational technology never hides the fact that it's people who make a difference – we build the platforms that amplify their impact."
To view the full report and to find out more about Educator Impact, click here: https://http://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/best-in-education/5star-service-provider-awards-2021/278673
The Educator is Australia's only independent publication for senior education management professionals. Aspirational industry reports and rankings and high-level case studies provide a global and national perspective on education leadership and management best practice, as well as interviews with the finest minds in education.
The website http://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12 features daily news, an industry forum and exclusive multimedia content.
The Educator is published by leading independent media company Key Media. Find out more about Key Media's magazines, events and websites at http://www.keymedia.com.
Michella Gonzales
The Educator
https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12


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Interactive map shows Suffolk's Covid hotspots
Suffolk has 17 areas with a case rate of more than 800
Daniel DefalcoTrainee Reporter
The COVID case rate has increased in every part of Suffolk (Image: UK Government)
The latest government data has shown a huge rise in Covid cases in some parts of Suffolk, with Ipswich becoming one of the worst affected areas in the UK.
The most recent Public Health England data shows that all five districts of Suffolk have had case numbers increase in the seven day period up to October 15.
In recent days, there have been calls from NHS chiefs to the government to reimplement Covid restrictions, such as making face masks compulsory in public places again.
Read more:Try our quiz to see if you could pass the British citizenship test
Indeed, Suffolk County Council this week announced that from November 1 the mandatory face mask rule would be reintroduced in schools in response to the huge number of Covid-related absences since September.
The government's own interactive map of Covid cases in Suffolk gives a glimpse at just how spread the virus is across the county.
Some parts of the county have seen just a small case rate rise, while others have increased sharply over the course of a week.
For example, the Yoxford, Wenhaston and Walberswick ward had a case rate of 80.3 for the seven days up to October 8, which increased to a still relatively low 144.5 in the most recent set of data.
Most parts of East Suffolk had a case rate of under 400, while most of Mid and West Suffolk was between 400 and 800.
The most alarming new data was shown to be in Ipswich, which now has one of the highest Covid infection rates in England after the number of cases rose above 1,000 last week.
11 parts of Ipswich now have a case rate of more than 800 (Image: UK Government)
In the whole of Suffolk, 17 wards are coloured dark purple on the interactive map, which means they have a case rate of more than 800.
The new data shows that 11 of the Covid hotspots are in Ipswich.
The town's Belstead Hills and Whitton wards each have a case rate of 1,367.3 and 1,321.8 respectively - the two highest in Suffolk.
In the week up to October 15, there were 3,950 new COVID cases recorded in Suffolk, up from 2,927 the previous week.
Suffolk's case rate in the week to October 15 was 339, which is 22.9 more than the average for England as a whole.
In August, the vast majority of Suffolk wards were coloured light blue on the interactive map - meaning they had a case rate of between 100 and 199, but throughout September and October cases have slowly been creeping up in all parts of the county.
Make sure you are following SuffolkLive on Facebook, Twitterand Instagram to ensure you stay up to date with the latest news in Suffolk.
Alternatively, you can sign up for our Daily Newsletter for the top headlines straight into your inbox.
Little girl born with no bones in her legs walks for the first time
East Bergholt: The picturesque Suffolk village where one of the most talented painters in English history was born
Suffolk Trading Standards issues warning over 'aggressive' door knock scammers
The scammers were targeting residents in a village near Ipswich


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World Dispatches
BEIJING, China Rescuers expected to save more than 90 from mine Dozens of miners have been pulled alive from a flooded coal mine in northern China more than a week after 153 workers were trapped. State television says a total of 86 people are expected to be pulled from the mine, in addition to the […]
By From news service reports
Rescuers expected to save more than 90 from mine
A boy takes a picture of his parents on the 124th-floor observation deck of the world's tallest skyscraper Sunday in Dubai. The deck was shut in February after an elevator malfunction. The Associated Press
Dozens of miners have been pulled alive from a flooded coal mine in northern China more than a week after 153 workers were trapped.
State television says a total of 86 people are expected to be pulled from the mine, in addition to the first nine soaked miners who were rescued early today. The state-run Xinhua News Agency says more than 90 survivors are expected.
A live broadcast showed miners wrapped in blankets being carried to ambulances. Before rescuers heard tapping noises from below Friday, they feared this would be China's deadliest mine disaster in two years.
Anti-government protesters plan to spread out in city
Thousands of defiant anti-government demonstrators vowed today to expand their protests to other parts of Thailand's unnerved capital after ignoring police orders to end their occupation of Bangkok's paralyzed commercial district.
The protesters, mostly farmers from impoverished provincial areas, have sworn not to let up their pressure until the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva steps down and new elections are called.
Jatuporn Prompan, a protest leader, said Sunday night that the demonstrators would branch out to an undisclosed location, but also maintain bases within both Bangkok's commercial heart and the separate historic quarter of the city where they began to encamp March 12.
The weekend protests forced the closure of more than six upscale shopping malls and tough security measures at nearby five-star hotels, with economic losses estimated at up to $15 million a day.
Viewing deck reopens on world's tallest skyscraper
The observation deck of the world's tallest skyscraper reopened Sunday in Dubai, two months after an elevator malfunction left visitors trapped more than 120 stories above the ground and forced it to close.
Dozens of tourists were lining up Sunday for tickets to take an elevator to the 124th-floor observation deck of the half-mile-high Burj Khalifa.
The deck was shut in February after an elevator packed with visitors got stuck between floors for 45 minutes before rescuers dropped a ladder into the shaft so those inside could crawl out. It's still unclear what caused the elevator to fail.
The accident proved a major embarrassment for Dubai, whose rulers hoped the Burj Khalifa, which opened in January, would be a tourist draw and buoy the Gulf city-state as it struggles amid questions about its financial health.
At 2,717 feet, the tower ranks as not only the world's highest skyscraper, but also the tallest freestanding structure in the world.
Fugitive drug lord pledges he'd kill himself if caught
One of Mexico's most famous reputed drug lords said in a rare interview published Sunday that he lives in fear of getting caught and believes the military has closed in on him four times.
"I'm terrified of being incarcerated," Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada told the Mexican newsmagazine, Proceso, adding that he would even contemplate suicide if he was about to be caught.
Zambada and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who allegedly control the Sinaloa cartel, are Mexico's two most notorious fugitives, with a $2 million reward offered for information on their whereabouts.
Zambada offered to meet with Proceso founder Julio Scherer, saying he always wanted to meet the journalist.
It is almost unheard-of for Mexican drug suspects to speak to the media while still free.
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Something Called A Pineapple
You could never accuse writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos ("The Lobster", "The Killing Of A Sacred Deer") of being dull, or 'by the book'. The Greek writer/director is anything but and here, with the first feature length film he's directed but not written, he continues his pattern.
The Favourite is a dramatized take on the true story of Queen Anne who ruled over Great Britain for five years from 1702. Played by Olivia Colman ("Murder On The Orient Express", "The Lobster"), Anne is perhaps one of the lesser known Queen's but has the most remarkable story.
Anne was plagued throughout her life with a variety of illness, suffering from gout in her legs which sees her mainly either in a wheelchair, in bed or hobbling about the vast palace in the dim of candlelight.
She also had some 17 miscarriages which, no doubt, added or played a large part in her depression and manic mood swings. Colman's performance is a tour de force, she gives the Queen a personality and, whilst it would have been easy to portray this woman as barmy, Colman does so sympathetically, meaning you laugh at the dark humour, but also feel sorry for this woman.
You feel sorry for her as she is manipulated first by her close confidant, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, Rachel Weisz ("Denial", "The Lobster"), and second by Churchull's cousin Abigail, Emma Stone ("La La Land", "The Amazing Spider-Man 2").
For years Churchill was the Queen's right-hand woman, in fact, the film shows that it was the duchess who was pulling the levers behind the scenes. Weisz is perfect as this power-woman, lording her power over the men in parliament, bowing to the Queen and keeping everything running accordingly.
When her cousin, Abigail, arrives unannounced looking for work, she starts her off as a maid, despite Abigail having once been an educated Lady. It doesn't take long however, before Abigail begins to worm her way in with the Queen, looking to usurp the duchess and take her power.
So begins a battle of wills, of deviousness, of backstabbing and manipulation worthy of any tall-tale, only, a lot of this is true.
Both Stone and Weisz perform admirably, shining together and apart on screen as they do battle for everything at stake. But, make no mistake, The Favourite belongs to Colman and her portrayal of the Queen.
It's every bit as delicious as you'd hope from the trailer, with one small problem: what you see in the trailer is all but the majority of Colman's role. She's not in it nearly enough, which for story purposes works as the story is, ostensibly, about the rival for her attention from Abigail and Lady Sarah. But Colman is so good, so funny, so moving, so brilliant, you wish there were more of her on screen.
The men in the film are the ones who believe they have power, the parliament, which mainly centre's around Nicholas Hoult ("Mad Max: Fury Road", "Deadpool 2") as leader of the opposition and James Smith ("The Thick Of It (TV)", "The Iron Lady") as the current prime minister.
Both men must court the ladies of the film in order to get anywhere near the Queen, vying for their attention and what little time they can bargin for with Anne.
Lanthimos directs and pushes the strangeness buttons as we've come to expect. It's perhaps the most accessible of his movies thus far, though that's not saying a lot. Lanthimos uses some interesting stylistic choices such as the employment of fish-eye-style lenses and swivelling cameras on their axis when most directors would cut. You quickly get used to it, but you're aware it's there.
Obviously, outside of the main narrative being slightly oddball, there are a few quirks thrown in for good measure as well, a naked man in a wig and make-up having fruit thrown at him, a man referred to as 'God' but who is just seen f*cking women in the background and Horatio, the Fastest Duck in the City.
The Favourite is good, it's not as good as I was hoping from the trailer, but it is good. When you have an actor who is giving one of the performances of their lifetime, it just seems a shame that we don't get to see more of it, though maybe less is more, in which case, Lanthimos should be applauded and Colman revered.
Yorgos Lanthimos
Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend, Lady Sarah, governs the country in her stead. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.
Deborah Davis, Emma Stone, James Smith, Mark Gatiss, Nicholas Hoult, Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Tony McNamara, Yorgos Lanthimos
91st Oscar Nominations Revealed


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Home UK Brexit "Last night was a humiliating & entirely avoidable defeat for the Tory...
Questions to the Secretary of State for Exiting the European U...
David Davis Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union vs Keir Starmer Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
Posted by Parliament Today UK on Thursday, December 14, 2017
"Last night was a humiliating & entirely avoidable defeat for the Tory Government."
Keir Starmer, Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union: "Whatever comes out of the negotiations, this House voted last night that Parliament should have a meaningful vote, enshrined in law, at the end of the process.
That was a humiliating and entirely avoidable defeat for the Government.
This House now having spoken, will the Secretary of State give an assurance that the Government will not seek to undermine or overturn last night's result on Report?"
David Davis: "Let me first make an observation about last night's result. The effect is to defer the powers available under clause 9 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill until after the withdrawal agreement and implementation Bill receives Royal Assent, which means that the timetable will be very compressed. Those who want a smooth and orderly exit from the European Union will hopefully want to see a working statute book, so we will have think about how we respond to last night's result. We have always taken the House of Commons' view seriously and will continue to do so."
Starmer: "That was not the basis upon which the debate was conducted yesterday, so we will obviously have to come back to that.
The next accident waiting to happen is Government amendment 381, which seeks to put a fixed exit date on the face of the Bill.
Rather than repeat last night's debacle, will the Government commit to dropping that ill-conceived gimmick?"
Previous articlePMQs in full: "When it comes to housing this Tory government has been an absolute disgrace."
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Applying for FAFSA
Golden Opportunity Scholarship
Maintaining Minimum Standards of Academic Progress
What's New in Financial Aid
Tuition and Fees - Costs of Attendance
Financial Aid Forms and Documents
Consumer Information - Areas of the University you should be Familiar with
vpfinance-admin@neiu.edu
Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration
Tuition Rates Residency Determination
Each semester, students who are enrolled at Northeastern Illinois University are billed for tuition plus a combination of mandatory and optional fees. All tuition and most fees are billed at a per-credit-hour rate. A credit hour corresponds to one 50-minute lecture or discussion period, or two laboratory periods per week, for one term. Each course is typically offered for three credit hours per semester.
The tuition and fee rates depend on the year of admission to the University, a student's residency status, and whether a student is enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student. Additional tuition and fees may be billed for specific courses.
Tuition Guarantee for Undergraduate Students
Through the University's Tuition Guarantee Plan, newly enrolled full-time and part-time undergraduate students (freshmen, transfer students, undergraduate students-at-large) seeking their first bachelor's degree are guaranteed their same initial tuition rate for four consecutive academic years. (This guarantee does not apply to fees. Fees may increase during this four-year period.)
Extension to Tuition Guarantee Plan
Students who qualify for the Tuition Guarantee Plan also qualify for two additional years of guaranteed tuition, but at a different rate than under the four-year guarantee. During the two-year extension, students are billed the tuition rate that had been set by the University during the academic year following their initial enrollment.
For example, a student whose first semester is Fall 2017 will be billed the tuition rate set for the 2017-2018 academic year for four years. If the student does not graduate by Summer 2021 (i.e., four academic years after first enrolling), he or she will be billed the 2018-2019 academic year's tuition rate for new students for the fifth and sixth academic years.
Tuition Guarantee for Readmitted Students
Students who withdraw from the University for any reason (other than being called for active military service) and who re-enroll within their four-year tuition guarantee period will resume the tuition guarantee until the end of the fourth year.
Students who withdraw from the University and do not re-enroll within the continuous four-year period of their tuition guarantee, but then re-enroll in the fifth or sixth year, will be eligible for the extension to the tuition guarantee plan. In other words, their rate of tuition will be that of the academic year following their first enrollment, until the conclusion of the sixth year from the point of initial enrollment.
Students who withdraw from the University and who do not re-enroll within the four-year tuition guarantee period or the fifth or sixth year of the extension to the guarantee must submit a new admission application. If admitted, the students will be billed the tuition rates for newly enrolled students for their academic year of re-enrollment.
Special consideration may be given to students who withdraw from the University because they have been called for military service.
A student's residency will determine whether he or she will pay the in-state or out-of-state tuition rate.
Eligibility for In-State Tuition
The following students are eligible for in-state tuition rates:
Illinois Residents: For tuition purposes, the University considers any adult student (18 years or older) to be an Illinois resident if he or she has lived in Illinois for at least six consecutive months immediately preceding the official beginning of any term of registration. Evidence of residency is submitted at the time of application for admission. A student may have his or her residency status reclassified at any time by the University on the basis of additional or changed information.
Residents of Neighboring States: Students who are residents of Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin are eligible for in-state tuition rates.
Veterans, students on active military duty, and dependent children of veterans and active military duty students.
Undocumented students: Undocumented students may qualify for in-state tuition by submitting an Affidavit.
Eligibility for Out-of-State Tuition
Students who do not meet the criteria for in-state tuition rates, including international students, are billed the out-of-state tuition rates.
The tuition rates charged will depend on the year of admission to the University, a student's residency status, and whether a student is enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student. The maximum number of credit hours of tuition that students will be charged per semester is 16 credit hours.
Undergraduate Tuition Rates for 2019-2020
Undergraduate students are students who have not completed a bachelor's degree and who are enrolled as degree-seeking students or undergraduate students-at-large. These students are billed at the undergraduate tuition rates.
In-State Tuition: $404.11 per credit hour
Out-of-State Tuition: $808.22 per credit hour
Tuition and fees are subject to change without notice.
Second Bachelor's Degree Tuition Rates for 2019-2020
Students seeking a second bachelor's degree will be billed at the second bachelor's tuition rates.
Graduate Tuition Rates for 2019-2020
Graduate students are students who have completed a bachelor's degree and are enrolled in graduate degree, graduate certificate, endorsement or licensure programs, or are enrolled as graduate students at large. These students are billed at the graduate tuition rates.
College of Business and Management Differential Tuition Rates for 2019-2020
Beginning in Fall 2017, students registered for courses offered through the College of Business and Management, regardless of major or degree program, will be charged a differential tuition rate for those courses, based on their residency status, whether they are undergraduate or graduate students, and their term of admission.
For 2019-2020
In-state differential tuition for undergraduate students: $444.52 per credit hour
Out-of-state differential tuition for undergraduate students: $889.04 per credit hour
In-state differential tuition for second bachelor's students: $472.82 per credit hour
Out-of-state differential tuition for second bachelor's students: $945.63 per credit hour
In-state differential tuition for graduate students: $472.82 per credit hour
Out-of-state differential tuition for graduate students: $945.63 per credit hour
Northeastern Illinois University is committed to graduating leaders and advocates with a quality education with the least amount of loan indebtedness possible. To make this possible, students are encouraged to meet direct costs (tuition, fees, books and supplies) with federal, state, institutional and private grant and scholarship assistance. The first steps include the completion of the free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA, the Northeastern online scholarship application and profiles for at least three scholarship searches. Although loans are often included in a financial aid package as an offer, Northeastern requires a request form for the Federal Direct Loan Program. The University also requires that the Federal Direct Loan Program be exhausted prior to applying for private, credit-based loans. Unlike grants or tax benefits, loans do not discount tuition. Loans do not reduce the net price of college—they simply postpone payments. Ultimately, students still have out-of-pocket expense.


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Vindhyabergen är en bergskedja i nordvästra Indien. Vid dess fötter ligger städerna Indore och Bhopal. Floden Narmada rinner strax söder om Vindhyabergen.

I Vindhyabergen har fynd av mänskliga aktiviteter från paleolitikum hittats. I sandstensmassiven finns klippmålningar med djurmotiv, vilka är daterade till 8000 f.Kr.-5000 f.Kr..

Se även
 Indien
 Indiens historia
 Indisk konst

Bergskedjor i Indien

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If you reenact as a period Baptist minister, I would recommended that you at least read the first four chapters (pages 1 – 75) of the book, "Baptist in America, A History", by Thomas S. Kidd & Barry Hankins, published in 2016. 329 pages. I ordered a copy and read it this week. You may be able to get hold of a copy through inter library loan. It is footnoted and the names, etc. are indexed in the back. However, I did not see any description of a period Baptist service. I recognize some of their information from another book that I own and recommend, "A History of Kentucky Baptist, by J.H. Spencer, Vol I published in 1886. I forget if that one has a description of a period service or not. I have mostly used it as a reference book and that 15 years or so ago. I also own volume II of this same book, but I think that volume one is the most useful. I am planning to visit the Kentucky Museum's on Western Kentucky University campus, my alma mater, in the next couple of weeks and explore the Draper Manuscripts an see if some of the ministers in Kentucky during the 18th century were interviewed by Lyman Draper. It could contain information about services? I hope so. I will let you know what I find.


The American Red Cross has activated family tracing services for area residents hoping to make contact with loved ones missing in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.
Orange County residents can initiate tracking cases by calling the Red Cross' local chapter at (714) 481-5300. Concerned residents can also email the agency at sos@redcross.org.ph, or go to familylinks.icrc.org.
The Red Cross has asked Southern California residents to continue to try to reach missing family members — bearing in mind that many phone lines are still down — before initiating a tracking case.
Haiyan slammed the Philippines on Friday, devastating coastal areas and leaving a death toll that is expected to rise to 10,000 or more.
The American Red Cross is sending "limited personnel and communication aid equipment" to help in relief efforts led by the Philippine Red Cross, and will continue to monitor the situation, according to a news release.
To donate to relief efforts, go to redcross.org, call (800) REDCROSS or mail checks to the Red Cross local office at 601 N. Golden Circle Drive, Santa Ana, CA 92705.


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Imprint: Vintage Digital
Behold a Fair Woman
Francis Duncan
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Amateur sleuth Mordecai Tremaine is back in another classic mystery from the author of Murder for Christmas
Mordecai Tremaine's hobby of choice – crime detection – has left him in need of a holiday. A break away from that gruesome business of murder will be just the ticket, and the picturesque island of Moulin d'Or seems to be just the destination.
Amid the sunshine and the sea air, Mordecai falls in with a band of fellow holidaymakers and tries to forget that such a thing as foul play exists. He should have been wiser, of course, because before too long villainy rears its head and a dead body is discovered.
With a killer stalking the sand dunes, it falls to Mordecai to piece together the truth about just who has smuggled murder on to the island idyll…
Francis Duncan is the pseudonym for William Underhill, who was born in 1918. He lived virtually all his life in Bristol and was a 'scholarship boy' boarder at Queen Elizabeth's Hospital school. Due to family circumstances he was unable to go to university and started work in the Housing Department of Bristol City Council. Writing was always important to him and very early on he published articles in newspapers and magazines. His first detective story was published in 1936.
In 1938 he married Sylvia Henly. Although a conscientious objector, he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps in World War II, landing in France shortly after D-Day. After the war he trained as a teacher and spent the rest of his life in education, first as a primary school teacher and then as a lecturer in a college of further education. In the 1950s he studied for an external economics degree from London University. No mean feat with a family to support; his daughter, Kathryn, was born in 1943 and his son, Derek, in 1949.
Throughout much of this time he continued to write detective fiction from 'sheer inner necessity', but also to supplement a modest income. He enjoyed foreign travel, particularly to France, and took up golf on retirement. He died of a heart attack shortly after celebrating his fiftieth wedding anniversary in 1988.
Also by Francis Duncan
Deadly Cross
We Are All the Same in the Dark
Julia Heaberlin
I Am Pilgrim
Anxious People
Private Moscow
James Patterson, Adam Hamdy
Moonflower Murders
Wrath of Poseidon
Clive Cussler, Robin Burcell
Either Side of Midnight
Benjamin Stevenson
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Following Circuit City's lead on closing 69 stores, CompUSA is now said to be closing 126.
A Vista Bug Already? No Way!
Way! Not much more than a little aggravation, but hey, a bug is a bug right?
"A bug in Windows Vista's built-in antipiracy technology is telling some users that they need to reactivate the operating system after they install new device drivers or run newly installed software.
Microsoft Corp. quietly issued a patch designed to fix the flaw in its Software Protection Platform (SPP) technology late last month. Criticized by some when it was announced last fall, SPP is an updated and more aggressive version of the Windows Genuine Advantage antipiracy tools that Microsoft included with Windows XP. But because of the bug, SPP may suddenly demand that a copy of Vista be "activated" even though the user and/or the computer maker did so earlier.
This would be fun to play with.
"The United States military has been working for quite some time on advanced non-lethal weapons to use in combat situations. Non-lethal weapons can be effectively used against insurgents or unruly crowds of people that could pose a threat to troops.
In December, DailyTech reported on the USAF's Active Denial System (ADS) which shoots millimeter waves at human targets causing their skin to feel like it's on fire. The USAF likes to quip that the ADS has a "Goodbye effect" which causes its "victims" to instinctively run away from the source of the beam.
It was pretty accurate at reporting mine, give yours a shot.
Hmm…let's see, we've got downtime, and plenty of security issues, here's an idea, put all of your business apps in their hands! Yeah right.
Google Desktop Search exposing user files?
Posted in Bad, Desktop Search, Google | Comments Off on Google Desktop Search exposing user files?
Now this is something that could help Linux out quite a bit. Especially if your favorite Windows-only apps are developed using .NET.
Apple infringing on more patents?
This is a surprise? It's how they got their start!
Posted in Apple, iPhone, Patent Infringement | Comments Off on Apple infringing on more patents?
You are currently browsing the Mostly Tech News blog archives for February, 2007.


The Music Lounge at Vicky's is flanked by dual fireplaces and centered with a 9-foot concert grand piano and built-in dance floor. Food and Cocktail Service at all times. No reservations. Open seating. No covers. Every Friday The John Stanley King Show! | 8pm to Midnight | No Cover. Friday Nights are for Some Musical Cocktails and the Sounds of a Great Band called THE JOHN STANLEY KING SHOW. Kick it up on the floor or just listen in to a Music Mix of Originals, R&B Classics, and Favorites from The Beatles, James Taylor, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton and a hand full of Sinatra Type Songs for all the lovers. The Band Members: John Stanley King: Vocalist and Multi-Instrumentalist. Norman Merten, Guitarist; Malcolm Turner, Bass & vocals; Richard Turner, Piano.
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Americas Tourist Guide
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Attractions in Seattle
Tourist Attraction in Seattle:
Is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, a landmark of the Pacific Northwest, and an icon of Seattle. It was built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World's Fair, which drew over 2.3 million visitors, when nearly 20,000 people a day used its elevators


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Home / Dodge News, Pricing and Reviews
By Patrick Rall G+ Jun 23 2017 - 12:55pm
Cuda Trademark Filing: New Muscle Car or No Big Deal?
FCA has filed for a trademark of the Cuda name, leading many people to believe that this is a guaranteed sign of a new muscle car coming in the future, but does this filing point towards a new model or is FCA just looking to protect one of its classic monikers?
The Mopar gurus at Allpar discovered recently that back on June 16th, FCA filed for a trademark of the word "Cuda" for use on a passenger vehicle. This filing follows the company's move to protect the name Barracuda for automotive use back in 2015 and together, these two trademark filings lead a great many people to believe that Dodge is working on a modern Barracuda or Cuda. Considering the fact that the original Barracuda (and Cuda) were from the now-defunct Plymouth brand, it seems unlikely that FCA would that model name to Dodge, but since there have long been rumors of a new Cuda – today we look at the possibilities behind the legal protection of the Cuda and Barracuda names.
The History of the Modern Cuda Rumors
The modern Dodge Challenger was introduced in concept form at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and just over a year later, the new Challenger debuted as a 2008 model year vehicle. Shortly after the 2006 Dodge Challenger Concept debuted in Detroit, rumors began traveling through the Mopar message boards that the company was working on a high performance model called the Cuda.
The belief that there was a new Cuda coming was reinforced when Mopar rolled out the Cuda Concept (shown above) at the 2007 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. That car was really just a then-new Challenger with a custom carbon fiber body, including a Shaker hood design, but the bones of that Cuda Concept were all Challenger SRT8 parts, right down to the 6.1L Hemi V8. While it was little more than a rebodied Challenger, the 2007 Cuda Concept looked great and drew lots of attention in Vegas – strengthening the rumors that there was a Dodge-based Cuda on the way.
The problem was that after that 2007 Cuda Concept at SEMA, there was no real sign that the company (then known as Chrysler rather than FCA) was developing a specially designed, high performance Challenger with the classic Plymouth Barracuda name. The discussion continued, but they were based entirely around that 2007 concept car and as time went on, it became clear that the Cuda from SEMA wasn't going to be showing up at the local Dodge dealership.
Fast forward to 2013 and there were new rumors of a Dodge Challenger which would wear the Cuda name. The folks spreading those rumors insisted that it would be the most powerful Mopar muscle car ever thanks to a supercharged Hemi and in interviews with Dodge execs, there were even hints to the existence of this incredible, supercharged muscle car. Since the Cuda was originally a Plymouth rather than a Dodge, it was expected that the new Cuda would join the 2013 Viper as SRT brand vehicles rather than Dodge vehicles, but in 2014, the Viper became a Dodge again and the SRT brand was eliminated.
Come 2015, we learned that Dodge had indeed been developing a supercharged muscle car which would reign as the most powerful muscle car ever, but it wasn't called the Cuda – it was called the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. At that point, the Hellcat was officially the supercharged Challenger and the SRT brand was gone, so it seemed that the odds of seeing a modern day Cuda were as low as ever.
However, during the 2015 calendar year, FCA filed for a trademark of the Barracuda name, followed by the recent filing of the Cuda trademark – once again adding fuel to the discussion of a rebirth of the famed Plymouth muscle car.
A New Cuda?
While there has never been any official information from FCA proving that a new Cuda is in the works, there are still plenty of rumors floating around the internet which suggest that the old Plymouth model name could find its way onto a high performance Dodge Challenger.
At this point, the rumor has evolved to the point where the "new Cuda" will be a convertible version of the next generation Dodge Challenger. That new Challenger is expected to arrive for 2019 or 2020 and when it does, it will likely ride on a similar Alfa Romeo chassis to the one which underpins the Alfa Romeo Giulia. The rumors also suggest that the Cuda will have slightly smaller dimensions than the next generation Dodge Challenger, so it would (in theory) compete more directly with the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro – both of which are markedly smaller than the current Challenger.
I will admit that I am skeptical that Dodge will roll out a high performance convertible version of the next generation Challenger and call it a Cuda rather than a Challenger convertible, but since the rumors are out there – they are worth mentioning.
Protecting the Cuda Name
As much as I would love to see yet another high performance car from Dodge, I have a hard time believing that the Plymouth Barracuda is going to be reincarnated as a high performance version of the Dodge Challenger. What I believe is happening here is that FCA doesn't want another automaker to use the historic Barracuda or Cuda name, so they continually trademark it to keep it in their pocket even if they don't plan to use it.
Hopefully I am wrong, but I wouldn't bet money on the Dodge Challenger Cuda being a thing in the near future.
Dodge News, Pricing and Reviews
Dodge Challenger News, Pricing and Review
A Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye with 855hp Might Be in the Works
2020 Dodge Challenger: Building a $100,000 Mopar Muscle Car
Dodge Challenger, Charger Give the People What They Want
Prefix Challenger Scat Pack Championship Tribute Car Available for Purchase
Dodge Charger Bucks Industry Trends, Posts Huge Sales in 2019
2019 Dodge Charger Production: 2,285 Hellcats, 128,273 Total Units
Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye with 1000hp Could Be Yours
2019 Dodge Challenger Hellcat Production Numbers Arrive Online
2020 Dodge Challenger: Hemi Pricing for True Budget Shoppers
2020 Dodge Charger: Building and Pricing the Scat Pack
2020 Dodge Charger: Why There is No All-Wheel-Drive V8
2020 Dodge Charger GT: AWD Added to the Sporty V6 Package
Dodge Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition Order Banks Open Today
Five Reasons Why the Dodge Durango SRT is the Perfect Year-Round Daily Driver
Last Chance to Win a Challenger Hellcat Redeye from Dodge
Update: Dodge Challenger Special Edition Redeye with 855hp was Inaccurate


Today's news headlines are full of the £15bn which the Government are planning to spend on roads over the next few years.
While £15 bn is a headline grabbing figure, it is a third of the cost of HS2, which currently is costed at £50 bn (or a mere £43bn if you ignore the cost of the trains).
And significant parts of the project have already dropped out of the price tag: the link to HS1, the link to Heathrow. Euston station, where changes will be needed, is in a state of limbo: we expect that when the next set of plans are put forward, they budget for HS2 will be increased to pay for them.
The road schemes announced today are across the country, from smallish schemes, to a bigger schemes for long distance travellers. A key difference between these schemes and HS2 is that people close to them will be able to use them.
With so few stations, people affected will have to travel significant distances just to access HS2.
For example If you are near Bicester, and affected by HS2, you would have to travel an hour north to Birmingham to the nearest HS2 station. If you are near Bicester and affected by plans for the suggested "expressway link between Oxford and Cambridge via Milton Keynes" there will be junctions near you that you would be able to use.
Finally, the capital costs for HS2 do not stop at £50bn. Much of the recent publicity coming out of Department for Transport is about the need for other spending related to HS2. To build the transport infrastructure to get people to the HS2 stations – and that will be necessary but is not included in the £50bn.


The sleeping giant that is Meadowbank has awoken - increasingly trendy & sought after.
Around 10 years ago, this affordable suburb was a magnet for first home buyers - today, with its central location between Remuera and St Johns, and excellent public transport, it is one of Auckland's most sought after suburbs.
The sleeping giant that is Meadowbank has finally awoken. Who would believe that around 10 years ago, this affordable suburb was a magnet for first home buyers? Today, with its central location between Remuera and St Johns, and excellent public transport, people clamour to get in.
Though there are two pockets of retail, it remains largely residential with safe, quiet streets rambling over gentle north-facing slopes. Locals love the convenience of the CBD, Newmarket and Parnell just 10 minutes to the west and great swimming beaches five minutes away to the east. It helps the local train station has been upgraded – so the commute to Britomart takes a mere six minutes.
Not surprisingly, prices have shot up but you still won't pay the premiums neighbouring Remuera commands. Life is easy when you can walk to medical clinics, the Countdown supermarket, Paper Plus, travel agents, hair salons and more at Meadowbank Shopping Centre and the big box stores and restaurants are a bit further down the road at Lunn Avenue.
Meadowbank people love the great outdoors. Grab your running shoes and roam the boardwalks over the mangroves of Orakei Basin Walkway loop or meet up with friends at the Rutherford Reserve and Bonnie Brae Park kids' playgrounds and other green spaces.
On Friday night and weekends, locals head to Meadow, once a garden centre. When they called on top interior designer Virginia Fisher to turn it into a trendy café, bar and restaurant, owners kept the garden theme. Good thinking! Now diners swarm on weekends, cosying up to the outdoor fire to drink their cocktails and juices, sup on pizzas and fresh seasonal fare in the courtyard. Takeaways are across the road and other shopping and dining places a short commute away. For the best chocolate eclairs and custard squares or perhaps something healthier, head to the Meadowbank Bakery, a foodie's delight on the corner of Meadowbank Road.
The swanky looking, architect-designed St Chads is a focal point for community activities including a crèche, toy library, dance, drama and musical classes. A garden society meets the first Monday of every month and weekly activities include Rotary, Taekwon-do and BareFIT exercise.
Families move across town to go to Meadowbank School, one of Auckland's top primary schools and Mt Carmel Catholic School gets really positive ERO reports too. Half of Auckland eventually ends up in Purewa Cemetery, which the local residents' association promotes as a beautiful parkland. This busy little organisation works hard at keeping locals informed with events like 'Meet the Mayoral Candidates' and what's happening with the three Housing New Zealand Developments destined for the suburb.
They're a smart lot those who live in Meadowbank. Many are professionals who have chosen well to come and live here because it's a comfortable, convenient, healthy lifestyle, with plenty of activities to keep them happy.
A stunning renovated bungalow on Meadowbank Road.
Meadowbank was named after a Canadian, William Morrin who came to New Zealand in 1855 and made his fortune in business. This forward-thinker purchased 250 acres east of Remuera and named it Meadowbank after his parents' farm in Montreal. A farmer bought the land when he returned to Canada in 1877 and renamed it Sunnybank but Morrin's younger brother Thomas later purchased the land in 1880 and the former name was restored. Bankrupt by 1885, Morrin's farm was taken over by the bank who auctioned off property to investors and leased it to Chinese market gardeners. The Anglican St John's Trust also used its endowments to increase the college's estate, leasing land to graziers then selling it off as residential leases.
Subdivision began in 1913 with 62 Glasgow leases and the total rental for the first 21 years amounted to £516.19 a year. In 1927 the Trust began more subdivision but it was slow.
The impact of the Great Depression of the 1930s was profound causing poverty and homelessness. Many landowners went bankrupt.
When the Labour Government came into power, it sought to soften the blow of future economic downturns filling up swathes of formerly rural land east of Remuera with rows of modest state houses.
By 1958, Meadowbank was a flourishing suburb with its own post office and shops, an excellent bus service and its own drive-in shopping court.
Through the 1950s and 60s, development gathered pace as the government made sure state houses could be purchased at a reasonable rate and St Johns College continued to subdivide so hundreds of sections were available.
When in the 1970s rents rose at the time of renewals, there was such an outcry the Trust gave the lessees an opportunity to buy and the offer was taken up with speed. It happened again in the 90s when property values soared between 2000 and 3500 percent in the wake of inflation. Many lessees continued to become owners as Meadowbank rapidly became a very desirable place to live.
Unlike Remuera, which was founded by the business elite, Meadowbank's growth was due to the first Labour government's social policies of the day. Houses were not grand but they were practical and well-built family homes. Those hard-working egalitarian roots seem to have encouraged a legacy of cooperative community spirit that is instilled in this friendly neighbourhood today.
A modern masonry & weatherboard home on Puroto Street.
Unlike the grand mansions on expansive grounds with swimming pools and tennis courts of Remuera, houses built by the government in Meadowbank, between the 1930s and 50s were rather austere and box-like. As the local press noted, 'they were all that can be expected in a period of mounting cost and with emphasis on speed and construction'.
Yet today these same homes today are highly sought-after. Solidly built of brick and featuring native timbers inside, they offer a blank canvas for creativity. In an age of cheap interest rates, it makes sense to stay put rather than move on to more expensive finished properties a suburb over. So many homes are being extended and upgraded. It's becoming harder and harder to find a true original.
Several construction booms have since seen bursts of activity, in the 1970s, the 80s and again in the 1990s, creating an interesting and varied mix of housing styles. Due to its unique heritage, the suburb has very much a character all of its own in Auckland.
It's still possible to find a generous section yet to be sub-divided. Some have caught the attention of wealthy Aucklanders who have used the opportunity to create some compelling new architectural designs. And when you think of Meadowbank, you don't usually think waterfront. But a few dramatic properties boast their own jetties inviting you to launch the kayak and journey peacefully on the tranquil stream up to Orakei Basin.
A renovated 1950s bungalow on Blackett Crescent.
Designed by famed interior designer Virginia Fisher, Meadow is welcoming and comfortable - complete with an expansive courtyard and cozy outdoor fire. The eatery's farm-to-table approach focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients hailing from the owner's Clevedon farm.


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Home Cricket Pak v Aus Mohammad Abbas skittles out Australia with yet another promising show
Pak v Aus
Mohammad Abbas skittles out Australia with yet another promising show
Sarah Waris
"The reason for Abbas' brilliant bowling on the day was his keenness to stick to a good line as well as a good length"
Australia may have been mightily pleased with their dominance on the first day of the second Test but they were brought crashing down to earth by an inspired Mohammad Abbas spell that had fierce written all over it. Chasing a first innings target of just above 280, Australia had set their hopes up for a first Test win in Asia since 2011 but their hopes were jostled by an 80mph bowler who has been making waves ever since he set foot in the white flannels just over a year ago.
Just 10 games into his career, Abbas has already scripted a jaw-dropping average of 16.89, which is by far the best by any seamer since the 1880s. His 5/33 in the second innings, to go with a match-haul of 7 wickets in the first game highlight his unerring consistency and his willingness to adapt to the match situation. Pakistan are a side that has boasted of some of the best fast bowlers in world cricket, who have set their mark even in the toughest conditions, and it was no surprise then that on a surface where the quicks were hardly getting assistance, Abbas pitched in with his best.
If the bowler prospered due to his reverse swing bowling at Dubai, it was his seam movement on a track that had plenty in it for the batsman that stood out. After dismissing Usman Khawaja and nightwatchman Peter Siddle on the first day to leave Australia in a precarious situation heading into Day 2, Abbas returned to worry the rivals with a nagging line, questioning their technique and skills. Australia could very well have played softly and evaded his threats, but by attacking shots that should have been left alone and playing with the bat in front of the pad, they scripted their own doom.
"Having watched Mohammad Abbas now for over a year, I have decided he would get me out every time within about 6 balls," quipped former England skipper Michael Vaughan on Twitter after his devastating spell.
Aaron Finch was worked up by a plethora of balls that jagged back into the opener after he had started the day with three boundaries. However, deliveries that came back in off the seam kept the opener quiet and his spell enabled Bilal Asif to latch on to the white-ball expert when he was on 39. Shaun Marsh was tentative and his footwork left much to be desired. He tried to poke at a ball that should have not been tampered with, but against such quality bowling, even the best are prone to succumb.
Travis Head was much more intent and he looked set for a long haul, however, he was troubled by the angles created by the 27-year-old, eventually pushing a ball inside its line to edge a simple catch. His current strike-rate after Head's wicket in the series was 31.2 – by far the best by any fast bowler in Tests in UAE since 2002. His consistent bowling also ensures that he has the lowest economy rate, lowest average and lowest strike-rate by any quick in the series – which also has Mitchell Starc.
The reason for Abbas' brilliant bowling on the day was his keenness to stick to a good line as well as a good length. 35% of his deliveries could have hit the stumps, which only shows how much he troubled the batsman, who should have been accustomed to batting against bowlers of his calibre. With his career-best haul, Abbas went past 50 Test wickets, at an average of 16.89, which is the best among Test bowlers since 2010.
Finch summed up the reasons for Abbas' terrific form by stating, "The simplicity of his plan to just bowl at the stumps with nice straight fields, limit your scoring, that's been his real strength. I think at times we've done that really well for periods and at times we've leaked a few. Our plans have still been good and that's a little bit of execution at times. I don't think when you've got guys who are a little bit quicker than him and looking for a little more out of the wicket – I think that can happen, you go searching a touch more. He's just very simple, very good, but nothing we can't overcome in the second dig".
The second outing, as Finch said, will be crucial but with an in-form Abbas raring to go, Australia will do well to be on their toes.
Mohammad Abbas
Pakistan v Australia 2018
Previous articleLiverpool needs a break from Jurgen Klopp
Next articleOlly Stone, a promising find England sorely needed
This postgraduate in English Literature has taken on the tough task of limiting the mystic world of cricket to a few hundred words. She spends her hours gorging on food and blabbering nineteen to the dozen while awaiting the next sporting triumph.
Abid Ali and Mohammad Rizwan: Pakistan need to nurture them
Mohammad Amir's slump in ODI cricket
Pakistan failing to deliver on their own tactics


Due to nature of water damage and disaster mitigation, you can't predict when customers will call. Whether you're running your own marketing or using lead generation, there will be times when you're working a job and get a call about another. Good organization and communication skills are the keys to prioritizing multiple jobs. Whether you're an owner-operator or are operating several crews, these skills will keep all of your customers happy.
The best time to prepare for managing multiple jobs is when you're taking on a new job. When writing up the estimate and project schedule for that job, leave yourself some room for adding a second or even a third job.
By planning for multiple jobs from the start, you'll be in a better position to complete each job on time. The worst case scenario is you finish the job ahead of schedule if you don't pick up another one.
While notes might not see that important when working only one job, they are extremely helpful when prioritizing multiple jobs. They ensure you don't forget to do something or confuse one job with another. They are especially important if several employees will be working on that job at a different time.
Most people think about a schedule for employees and customers but forget about managing your gear too. Keeping an updated schedule of who will be at which job with what equipment is important when prioritizing multiple jobs. This ensures you have the people and tools to complete each job on time.
You should always manage your customer's expectations, but it's especially important when prioritizing multiple jobs. Regardless of how many jobs you're working, make sure you're setting realistic timelines and communicating effectively with your customers. This not only ensures they are happy with your work but that you also earn their repeat business and referrals.
If you find yourself stretched too thin, you may want to consider other options before trying to renegotiate with your customers. You probably know a few different people who might be able to join you on a short-term basis to wrap up a few jobs.
If you are short on gear, consider calling an equipment rental store. In a pinch, you may even be able to rent something from another contractor. While extra labor or equipment will add to your expenses, they might be worth it to finish your jobs on time.
As a last resort, contact your customers and briefly explain the situation. Have a new timeline prepared in advance. While you don't need to offer a discount, you may consider having one prepared should your customers pushback.


text:
Schemat serii – tablica zmiennych losowych postaci  gdzie   Zmienne  są niezależne i zdefiniowane na tej samej przestrzeni probabilistycznej.

Rachunek prawdopodobieństwa


We were delighted to welcome Melanie Hough from IAS (Integrated Autism Services) to Double Click recently. Melanie took our staff through some of the challenges facing people with autism day to day, and introduced us to the 'Can you see me?' scheme, which aims to improve access to a range of businesses and activities for children and adults with autism.
Autism is a 'hidden disability' and whilst some people may not want you to know they have the condition; many do. By individuals letting you know that they have autism, the hope is that you can make some small changes that will make things easier for them. As many people find it difficult to tell you they have autism, we have developed a scheme to help you recognise when an individual has autism.
The 'Can you see me?' scheme, provides individuals with autism with a wristband, card and screensaver for their mobile device so they are able to let you know in a discrete manner, that they have autism.
You can find out more about the scheme, along with printable materials such as posters and leaflets here.
All our staff found Melanie's visit invaluable, and Double Click is now proud to call itself 'autism aware'.


Shrewsbury Town fans celebrated their end of season awards last night at the Greenhous Meadow.
Paul Hurst and his squad were in attendance as Shrewsbury Town's different supporters groups gave out their yearly awards.
There were a number of winners on the night including Abu Ogogo, Mat Sadler and Junior Brown.
There were also awards for fans who have supported the club throughout the season.
Mat Sadler was one of the big winners on the night and he was honoured to pick up the awards.
"It was lovely", said Mat.
"There was a really nice atmosphere there and people who really take the club into their heart, love the football club and go above and beyond the call of duty for the football club.
"It was really nice to meet those people and it was obviously also nice to win a couple of awards and a couple of runners-up awards as well.
Sadler has been one of Town's outstanding players under Paul Hurst and he was delighted to pick up the award, but admitted that it will mean nothing if Town don't stay up.
"If you'd have said to me in August, September or October that I'd be winning an award at the end of the season then I would have said that you were mad, smiled Sadler.
"Obviously, on a personal level I am eternally grateful for picking up those awards. I've said before and I will say again that I love playing for this club. Every single time I put the shirt on I love it and it means a lot to myself and my family, so to then win an award means a lot to me.


Visual: Pale hazy lemon juice. Thin off white head a few seconds in after an initially large head on the pour.
Nose: Fresh squeezed lemon with the leftover lemon rind in it. Cake sponge. Pineapple. Lime touch.
Body: Tart and fresh. Vanilla. Slightly peppery. Lemon juice. Creamy lemon. Sherbety feel. Orange slices. Mild peppercorn. Slightly dry.
Finish: Creamy lemon and vanilla. NY style cheesecake. Fresh orange slices. Salted lemons. Mild peppercorn sauce.
Conclusion: I swear that I didn't look at the back of bottle before specifying in the notes above that it was NY style cheesecake that this seemed like. It just turns out that my impressions and how they describe it were identical for once – that slightly drier bodied cheesecake style. Good shout from them then.
Despite that, the cheesecake side of this is actually lighter than I expected. This has a drier take on a wit that seems to call to the pre inbev Hoegaarden (Well – I say that – my only experience is of the Celis white which was made by the original brewer, and is apparently very close to the original Hoegaarden, so my comparison is at least a few stages separated from the original). It comes in with lots of tart lemon notes that feel very natural fruit in character. There are some creamier edges as the vanilla mixes in, giving slightly fuller feel on the way out, but main body definitely emphasises the dry and fresh character.
What I did not expect from the bottle's description though is the peppery character – coming in from standard pepper into subtle peppercorn sauce in flavour – adding that traditional wit spice behind the more creamy lemon notes.
So, looking at this as a cheesecake beer, well it does have influence from that idea, and it definitely shows the vanilla and lemon it uses, but they come more as discrete elements that a coherent cheesecake whole for the most part.
As a beer in itself thought it does it right. Initially it seems only ok, but it develops into a traditional dry wit backed by creamier, fuller edges, and subtle solid backing behind the lemon freshness that is easy to drink while still being rewarding.
It is better to be a good beer that doesn't quite deliver on the concept that a good concept that doesn't deliver on the beer, so I am happy with this one.
Background: I'm not sure if that is the longest beer name I have ever had on this site – but it is at least in the top 5. So, a Belgian wit made with lemon and vanilla – a simpler beer than the cool name makes it sound, but still the idea sold me pretty much instantly. Another one grabbed from Independent Spirit. I make no apologies for grabbing so much from them. Drunk while listening to the 50th spektrmodule podcast for some gentle background music.
Visual: Cloudy lemon juice. Thin white head – mainly sud bubbles. Low carbonation.
Nose: Lemon. Pineapple juice. Coriander. Wheat. Dry. Meringue.
Body: Dry. Lemon juice and lemon curd. Cinnamon. Coriander. Carrot. Traditional lemonade. Light greenery. Palma violets. Slight cardboard.
Finish: Carrot. Dry. Wheat. Greenery. Cardboard. Palma violets. Menthol. Lime. Orange zest.
Conclusion: This seems very dry for a wit – feels quite highly attenuated, which is a mixed blessing here. It leans the beer away from the overly sweet popular interpretation and gives a good platform for fresh lemon flavour to come through. That element, combined with the dry base, makes for a pleasant mouth refresher in the mid body. It also lets the spice work delicately, it can be a rounding note rather than having to be pushed up to fight with a sweet base – coriander and carrot on the savoury side, and cinnamon dusted doughnuts on the slightly sweeter edges.
So with that said, what is working against it? Well the dryness also has characteristics similar to an over attenuated America Pale Ale – it gets slightly harsh near the end of the body and brings out an unpleasant cardboard like element in the finish. It is that finish that really hurts it – while the dryness can introduce weaker elements in the rest of the beer, they are usually contrasted by very well done elements. In the finish there is little redeeming to contrast the flaws. A pity, as shown by the first paragraph there is a lot of good in this beer but the finish just stomps on it.
So, it has promise, but really needs to work on the dryness balance as it really lets itself down in overtime (AKA the finish). I would recommend they keep trying though, as this feels like if the brewers keep pushing at it, it could be fine tuned to something very nice.
Background: OK, I grabbed this one because it is from Norway – we don't see many of their beers over here, and they tend to be fairly solid. I went for their Wit as you don't see that many of them comparatively, and it is a solid beer style, done here without and fancy craft twists. Felt it would be a good way to get a handle on the brewery. I was surprised by the can – the ring pull takes the entire top of the can off, more like a soup can kind of ring pulls. Drunk while listening to a mix made up of my most listened to tracks, so definitely ones I would enjoy for this beer session :-). This was grabbed from Independent Spirit of Bath.
Visual: Pale hazy lemon juice. Massive loose fragile white bubbled head.
Nose: Crisp. Light kiwi. Slightly soured. Wheat and lightly earthy. Lemon juice. Coriander.
Body: Lightly tart. Shredded wheat. Moderate bitterness. Light kiwi. Tart lime. spirtzy feel like a touch of white wine.
Finish: Squeezed lemon and lime. Shredded wheat. Sour dough. Kiwi. Solid bitterness. Dried passion fruit. White wine dryness.
Conclusion: Would this beer work better if the base beer was more rounded before you started adding the extra ingredients in? Hard to say, but it does feel like the underlying wit has been either neglected, or hidden by the fruit. The base beer isn't bad, but it doesn't seem to have anywhere near the character a top end wit should have.
It has a solid, if somewhat leaden hopped bitterness, and a slightly cloying sourness, but the usual tart character and spice is very muted and lacking from the beer. The fruit does add a bit to help offset that. While muted the fruit is there, especially creating a kiwi kind of note in the interactions, and it is this that gives most of the flavour where the base is lacking.
By doing this it does become a passable wit, refreshing due to the sour, slightly cloyed nature, and the flavour comes from the fruit backing. It is evident though that the quirk is basically propping up the wit though.
So, it comes in as drinkable, in fact that is the most impressive quality. It is very easy to drink, but not especially impressive. Still at least it avoids going the over sweet route that a lot of shoddy wit's go for. An ok beer , but not much above that.
Background: This is how easy I am to sell to. I see a bottle with no label on the front. I look at it, I see it only has the (pictured) label on the back. I buy it. I have no willpower. So, a wit made with Passion fruit and key lime, part of Omnipollo's "Magic Numbers" small batch series. This is my first experience with Omnipollo, so I'm hoping they will be good. Picked up from Independent Spirit, which is probably a surprise to no one by now.
Visual: Cloudy lemon juice. Medium white bubbled head.
Nose: Wheaty. Lemon and grapefruit juice. Dry spices, with a pepper touch. Funky yeast. Milk. Acidic apple.
Body: Lemon curd and meringue. Sparkling feel and fizzy. Elderberry and sour grapes. Grapefruit. White wine. Turmeric.
Finish: Elderberry. Dry finish. Muesli. Sour white grapes. Wet oak.
Conclusion: I remember trying this one many a year ago and not being much of a fan of it. Odd how time changes things. This is a very drying wit beer, much more so than most takes I have encountered – there is a lot of tart, refreshing, fruit notes, but sharply done so they head out leaving you drier than when they came in. The beer's obsession with grapefruit and sour grape notes make me think of NZ hops, though I doubt they were used here, probably a case of parallel evolution and all that.
Despite being so drying it does make for a very refreshing wit, it is the sparkling, sometime slightly over fizzy character – it dries but leaves that sheen in the mouth that makes it feel awoken. Oddly for a wit the beer doesn't seem to reply on the spices too much – they are there, creating a grounded dry effect, but they aren't a huge part of it.
It makes for an almost grapefruit wit, and as of such it is something I appreciate for its mentioned refreshing character. It is still more a beer I appreciate than adore, for all I have come to enjoy it more over the years. It could be the dryness, dry beers have to work a bit harder for my affection – but it is very interesting, both as a call to the less sweet, traditional, wit and as progression in the style of its own.
As such, it is still not a favourite beer , but it is worth checking out. Most of my disagreements with it are matters of personal preference, and I'm sure there are a lot of people that this would work perfectly for.
Background: St Bernardus are pretty awesome in general, as mentioned in the review I have tried this before and wasn't too big a fan, but decided to give it another go. I picked this up from The Beer Emporium which has very nice bottle selection and is a great bar as well. That's about it at the moment.
Visual: Rose wine coloured, low carbonation. Clear white half inch of tight bubbles for a head. Leaves sud rings.
Nose: Perfume. Light wheat and bitterness.
Body: Bitter. Sesame seeds. Perfume. Musty. Sour dough. Wheat. Light sweetness at back. Barley. Some very subtle strawberry and vanilla after drinking for a while.
Finish: perfume. Somewhat musty. Dry. seeds.
Conclusion: The new Hibiscus Wit, is it much different from the old Juniper Wit? Unfortunately no, it is pretty much in the same ballpark quality wise. It smells and tastes quite perfumed (that is the taste you can get in your mouth when smelling perfume, not when you drink a bottle) mixed in with a certain sour dough element. There is a taste like chewing on rose petals that lasts far too long into the finish. There is a wit base, but it is very hard to tell from the flavours you get, it is nigh unrecognisable as that style.
It is too cloying to be refreshing, and the flavours set in too long to be sessionable, the taste range is small and unappealing. There is a light barley sweetness, which is about the only element I don't dislike in this.
I wasn't a fan of Juniper Wheat, and this really hasn't changed enough from that to appeal to me at all (Now I will probably find out the recipes are completely different or something – my point on the unimpressive flavour still stands). I am actually surprised that this went from being a small keg tester release to being actually bottled.
So no, not impressed with this one at all.
Background: So, Brewdog are poking fun at the blatant corruption of FIFA. Good. I mean I'm hardly a footy fan, but seriously, FIFA are so obvious Captain Planet level early morning cartoonishly corrupt it takes the piss. Speaking of FIFA and taking the piss, check out John Oliver on FIFA, it is one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time. Anyway this is a hibiscus wit beer, originally it was going to be called "Hibiscus Wit" (Shockingly) and be keg only, but a quick FIFA piss take later it is now also out in bottles. As always I am not an unbiased actor on Brewdog beers. Note: The rose colour doesn't seem to have come across in the photo, I swear that is what it looked like in the bar!
Visual: Yellowed grain with very large suded mounds of froth for a head. Quite hazy main body.
Nose: Wheat and pepper. Lemon fresh jiff. Light bitterness. Turmeric earthy hints.
Body: Bitter and wheaty. Tangerine juice. Mild gingerbread. Prickly and peppery. Robust up front, thinner at the end. Mild malt toffee middle.
Finish: Light bitterness. Digestives. Light zest and orange. Pepper. Lemon curd. Light peppermint.
Conclusion: Clown Shoes, take 2. Here they are using a very traditional wit base, but with a bit of a twist in the effects of the flavouring and spice. I say effects as the ingredients are pretty standard, coriander and orange peel, using either of these is not unusual in any way. However here the orange feels fuller and sweeter than most, while the spice feels more pepper like and dry. In many ways it inverts my expectations of slightly tarter fruit and more grounded spice.
The wheaty base layers the bitterness on a bit heavier than normal, and more notably the bitterness is more hoppy in style as well. What does this create? Well a more up front beer. The Belgian takes can go from overly sweet in some of the more mainstream efforts, to quite dry and subtle in some of the more traditional. This is more up front without being pandering, but still has some of the subtle lemon notes of the traditional take.
How well does it work? Well it is pleasing, the hop bitterness and pepper give a rough edge that works well with the wheat, and the orange is a good contrast. It has a limited range of flavours, but lines them up so they work reasonably well off each other. It doesn't seem to be trying for challenging like Blanche du Paradis. or booming like not just another wit. It is instead an everyday enjoyable wit that mixes American hop obsession with Belgian wit subtlety and in that it makes for a good summer filled yet bitter beer.
Now a showstopper, but pleasant and brightens a day while still having some edge.
Background: Made with orange peel and coriander, which is pretty standard for wit beers. This was picked up from Brewdog's guest beer selection. I was trying for an impressive head on the pour of the is, and went a bit overboard, resulting in having to rapidly sip the rising froth to stop it overflowing. Not much else to add on this one.
Visual: Pale yellow. Moderate off white bubbles and low carbonation.
Nose: Thick and musky fruit. Pineapple and passion fruit. Cloves. Cream. Lemon cordial. Pepper.
Body: Sprityz. Fresh lemon. Meringue. Cream. Sweet lime jelly. Lemon curd. Cinnamon. Toffee. Orange.
Finish: White grapes. Meringue. Cream. Cinnamon. Dry lemon. Wheaty. Passion fruit. Vanilla. Bubblegum.
Conclusion: This would probably have been more highly rated if it had not come hot on the heels of its Canadian competition. It really did have bad timing to be entering my tasting notes list.
By itself it is a pleasant, sweeter edged take on the wit style, though with a satisfying dryness behind it which tempts it back from being compared to the more commercial and over sweet wits. It has slightly unusual notes such as toffee in amongst the lemon, and a pungent fruit thickness in the aroma that hints as some good experimentation with the style.
Also odd is that the beer is nowhere near as spiced as many examples of the style, they are not completely absent, but the beer does seem to be focusing elsewhere for its most prominent elements.
Where it is most traditional is the finish, drying and with that Belgian yeastiness given full effect. It's a nice touch that allow the slight oddities of the body to coexist with the style expectations.
Its main problem is that it came after Dieu Du Ciel awesomeness, and in comparison it seems very mainstream despite its quirks. It really isn't though, yes it is sweet like a lot of mainstream wits, but it uses that full funky yeast character and pushes its own way with its different interpretations.
Not bad, but not up there with the greats.
Background: Beer from Iceland! Ok, I'll admit that was mainly why I picked it up. I'm allowed my quirks. Anyway, picked this up from Independent Spirit, I've seen their bottles around a bit in craft beer pubs recently, but never got around to giving it a try. Anyway, not much to say on this one, so few preconceptions going in.
Visual: Light grain to yellow. Yellow white head.
Nose: Funky Belgian yeast. Slightly tart. Lemon. Coriander. Banana sweets.
Body: Big amounts of banana and yeast. Cream. Apricot. Lemon curd. Meringue. Coriander. Banana milkshake.
Finish: Carrot and coriander. Funky yeast, Dry. Milk. Meringue and lemon curd. Banoffee milkshake. Wheaty hop character.
Conclusion: Throw away your hoegaardens boys and girls, this is full on wit with no compromises. Lots of that funky yeast character and lots of fruity esters with it. In fact the normally prominent spices are very light behind it, merely giving enough for a tingle to work in the place of other beers hop characters.
Despite the full on yeasty style, the finish is actually delicate enough to nigh instantly invite further sipping in a session style. There is no lasting harshness or anything to put you off continuing the beer. Though don't be mistaken, if you do manage to hang on and not take the next sip then the light banana, lemon curd and meringue elements that hang around are far from boring, and definitely last.
There is almost a banoffee milkshake character to the backbone of the beer (and please don't tell me if there is, in fact, no such thing as banoffee milkshake, let me have my dreams), it is again a low element behind the massive funky yestiness , so never gets sickly, but is a delicious note to back up the main character.
For criticisms, well I would put Mikkellers "Not Just Another Wit" ahead of it for sheer enormity of flavour, however that is a much heavier beer, so they are barely even in the same style for comparisons. One is a beer to relax and take your time with, while this is just slightly too strong to be a perfect session beer.
So frankly an awesome, nearly sessionable, Belgian wit and far from the over sweet and watered down mainstream efforts you too often find. Lovely flavour, lovely feel and perfect use of yeast. Spot on.
Background: Canadian craft beer! Woo! I've been keeping an eye on PEI Beer Guy's blog for a while, and bemoaned my inability to find some of the tasty sounding beers over here. Then I found this on tap at Brewdog Bristol. So I drank it. I had been told beforehand that this was very much an old style Belgium wit so was very much looking forward to it.


Update #19 — wow, has it really been that many, this long? The numbers have begun to escape me, and it was the nurse yesterday who figured out that I'm halfway through the Taxol segment, 3/4 of the way through chemotherapy. Already? And *still* going on?
The two Anna's hummingbirds continue to visit. We've named the second one Teapot because it's short and fat, like the vessel in the children's song, "I'm a Little Teapot." So now we have Robin Hood and his sidekick…. Teapot.
Since I felt energetic this morning (still the steroid high) and the rain let up, I did some yardwork, and it felt wonderful to be out there in some sunshine (though I may regret this activity later). I used to wonder why my mother enjoyed — no, thrived — on yardwork, when as a child I wondered just how many times you had to rake a yard in the fall. (At least we got the reward of roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the burning piles in the outdoor fireplace, back when you could burn leaves.) With my situation now, being outdoors has taken on even greater meaning — all that green life out there, and the clear air. I took off my hat and let the breeze blow through the peach fuzz on my head.
The Popsicle Report: The Popsicle wizard has been looking out for me this week. When I peeked in the freezer at the infusion center, I counted FOUR boxes of the tastiest Popsicles, the boxes that harbor my favorite flavor. This time, I thought I'd be adventurous and try a new flavor: blueberry-strawberry. Very good, but the blueberry-lemon is still best so far.
The infusion center was a busy place yesterday, with a couple of patients going through their first rounds of chemicals and getting the initiation talk from the nurse and the Cancer Society rep. Listening to the routine made me feel like a veteran. Already? There are far too many of us traveling this road.
The white cell count is a healthy 6.7 with one shot of the Neupogen last week, so we'll stick with the routine of one booster a week, which should help keep me swine-flu free. That's a good thing, since since the vaccine is nowhere to be found here for us regular folk. The red cell count continues its slow downward trend, but I seem to be adjusting OK as long as I don't do too much.
Just for fun: Elvis' Blue Suede Shoes, Ricky Martin (also good for dancing), Leon Redbone, Blondie, and the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo, who also hit the charts about a decade ago with their CD of Gregorian chant.
While I listen to music, some people use visualization during their infusions to help their healing along. In one of his books, Dr. Bernie Siegel describes images his patients described. One person imagined the white cells as sharks preying on cancer cells. Others imagined polar bears or laser light, and a little boy said his were white cats pursuing the "cat food" cancer cells. A friend said she was told to think of stomping out the cancer cells with stiletto heels, while someone else imagined the chemo drugs as white knights on horses, doing their heroic battle with the cells (and winning, of course!).
This week, it was hard to miss the news from the government task force that released its guidelines on mammograms, guidelines that starkly contradict the recommendations from the American Cancer Society and practically all other breast cancer organizations (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091117/ap_on_he_me/us_med_mammogram_advice).
These guidelines made my blood, and all its resident chemicals, boil. And then I remembered: the mammograms didn't work for me anyway, so the new recommendation about starting mammograms at 50 would have made no difference in my case. It does, however, make a difference for those women whose disease would be caught by mammograms during their 40s, and though the task force doesn't think this number is significant, I suspect it would make a huge difference to the women whose lives would be affected. As I've commented before, mammograms aren't always effective, but it's better than nothing, which is what these guidelines seem to recommend, even saying self-exams are of no use. Gee, nothing like the feeling of being a sitting duck. Given that so many women are affected by breast cancer (the popular statistic says 1 in 8, but that's over a lifespan of 85 years), you'd think the government could come up with a better recommendation, perhaps even start looking into better methods for early detection.
In my continuing play with headwraps, I tried a public experiment a couple weeks ago. At night, after I've donned my pajamas, rather than put on another hat or scarf, I usually take my black shawl and wrap it around my head and shoulders, in the Middle Eastern style of the hijab. It supplies a surprising amount of warmth and privacy, if wrapped well. One morning, I met a friend for breakfast in a very public setting, the local I-Hop, and I decided to wear the hijab, wondering if there would be any reaction since it was the day after the awful shooting at Ft. Hood. In all the time we sat and chatted, not one person stared, commented, or seemed disturbed by my appearance. Who knew that a non-event could be so heartening.
of the movie theater to catch the two o'clock.
serves up a cheeseburger and a Coke.
admires a fresh bed of tulips.
enjoying the bustle of the crowd.
the dingy sidewalk ahead wet and glistening.