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Home Church Archbishop of America Elpidophoros Says "It's Our Duty to Rebuild St. Nicholas Church"
Archbishop of America Elpidophoros Says "It's Our Duty to Rebuild St. Nicholas Church"
Tasos Kokkinidis
New Archbishop Elpidophoros embracing his mother in a touching moment at the beginning of his Enthronement ceremony
The new Archbishop of America, Elpidophoros, who was enthroned in New York on Saturday, declared that it is his duty to rebuild St. Nicholas Church, which was destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
"It is our duty and our responsibility as Orthodox Christians… to complete and open the doors of the Saint Nicholas National Shrine as a witness and vision of what is best and what is beautiful in all people of faith and religious conviction," Elpidophoros stated in his remarks during his Enthronement.
"I assure you that my heart is ready and steadfast in this task as well," he told the many hundreds of faithful and dignitaries who were packed into New York's Cathedral of the Holy Trinity on Saturday.
Construction of Manhattan's St. Nicholas Shrine, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, was suspended in December of 2017 amid rising costs and questions over how donations to the project were being managed.
An investigative committee indicated that more than $30 million would still need to be raised to complete the building, which now has an estimated total cost of nearly $80 million. Archbishop Elpidophoros told the Associated Press that one of his first actions after the weekend's enthronement ceremonies would be to convene a fundraising meeting for the Shrine.
"For me and the whole archdiocese, it is the first priority," he emphasized. "It's a matter of pride and dignity to finish this church as soon as possible."
Referring to the memorial plaza at Ground Zero, he added "We know how sacred this place is for the American people. We have to respect that."
Archbishop Elpidophoros, 51, was unanimously elected by senior Greek Orthodox officials last month to succeed Archbishop Demetrios, who recently retired at age 91 after having served in the post since 1999.
Elpidophoros also stressed in his enthronement address that he will "reach out in a dialogue of love and truth to our ecumenical and interfaith brothers and sisters."
Included in the many issues he hopes to address "with a sense urgency," he said, are those of the Orthodox youth, as well as theological education in the Orthodox Church.
"We must be a Church that embraces our young people… Our young people face an ever-growing deluge of information and access to knowledge that is unprecedented. The Church— which means all of us — must be ready to meet our youth where they live and where they learn: in our communities, on college campuses, with all of the range and resources of social media at our disposal," Elpidophoros declared.
The new Archbishop acknowledged the contributions of his predecessor, Demetrios, in remarks which elicited spontaneous warm applause, a scene repeated at the dinner which followed. Demetrios departs having earned the Diaspora's love as an ethical and devoted leader of the Orthodox Church.
A luncheon was held in honor of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America at the New York Hilton following the Enthronement ceremony at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Photo: Dimitros Panagos
"I recognize those who have preceded me in this glorious and blessed Archdiocese, all those who have shaped and defined this exceptional church. These include first His Eminence Demetrios, who has honored me with his presence today in order to transmit to me the church that he so faithfully and attentively ministered for two decades," Elpidophoros stated warmly.
He continued, saying he also recognized "Archbishop Iakovos, who boldly walked beside Martin Luther King Junior against the cultural tide of the time and even against the advice of his peers. And above all, the inspired pioneer Athenagoras, who recognized the importance of breaking down barriers with other church confessions and faith communities."
From its national headquarters in New York City, the Archdiocese oversees 540 parishes across the US, which are served by about 800 priests.
"It will be a challenge for me to get to know all of the different places," the new archbishop admitted in his address. "I have to travel to all our parishes… Already, my schedule is full for next three months," he added. Elpidophoros taught for one semester at Holy Cross Orthodox Seminary in Boston in 2004 and he has made several other brief trips to the US.
Elpidophoros
St. Nicholas Church
US State Dept approves possible $600 million sale of MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to Greece


"The government is committed to making it easy for citizens to incorporate technology in a substantial way. We are working for an Intelligent Panama. Our objectives are to modernize the state, promoting digital inclusion and improving international competitiveness.


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Virden (Gabrielle Farm) Airport  is located  south of Virden, Manitoba, Canada.

See also
Virden/R.J. (Bob) Andrew Field Regional Aerodrome
Virden (West) Airport

References

Registered aerodromes in Manitoba

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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The Royal Runaway by Lindsay Emory (Review by Taylor Bridgeforth)
I was prepared for a light romance with a meet cute and happily ever after but there were many more elements to Lindsay Emory 'The Royal Runaway.'
Thea and Nick didn't fall in love but were just BAM! in love. There's was barely a meet cute but once they met, Thea didn't even try to mourn her lost fiancé, she was ready to do all things with Nick—who turned out to be her fiancés brother!!!!!!!!!! Do I not support anyone romantically going from one sibling to the other—not entirely, but it does turn my stomach.
Nick had no reservation about pursuing his brothers fiancé, which to some would have been a red flag but not for our dear Princess Thea. Sometimes I was able to look past their incest-like relationship (if only Thea met Nick first, and Nick didn't pretend to die…so much drama!) but it turned out her fiancé (Christian) who skipped out on he and Thea's wedding was not only alive but hooking up with Thea's number one body guard AND trying to scam the royal family because he's greedy and a douche!
With all the conspiracy I was ready for the Queen to be behind it all but everything she did was for her family and I couldn't fault her—even when everyone else did. Like can she get a thank you?
I could just barely keep up with the mystery of the novel (more romantic suspense than comedy), because I was more interested to see if Nick and Thea's relationship will thrive or subside considering they spent all their time together with useless arguing.
Thea was torn between strong, independent woman/Queen and happily ever after. It was exhausting with her constant flip flop and back again. Pick one or the other or both, we all knew Nick wasn't going anywhere.
Check it out on Amazon
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Home Africa News Celebi Delhi and Astral Aviation CEOs join TIACA board of directors
Celebi Delhi and Astral Aviation CEOs join TIACA board of directors
Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management CEO, Ramesh Mamidala
TIACA is expanding its global reach by welcoming the CEOs of Celebi Delhi Cargo and Astral Aviation to the board of directors.
Ramesh Mamidala is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management, and has over 22 years of air cargo experience, having previously worked for companies including Qatar Airways and Emirates SkyCargo.
Astral Aviation CEO, Sanjeev Gadhia founded the carrier in 2000, which has grown to become the largest private cargo airline in Eastern Africa, boasting a fleet of Boeing 747-400Fs, DC9Fs, Boeing 727Fs and F27s.
Astral Aviation CEO, Sanjeev Gadhia
He is also the vice chairman of the Cargo Task Force of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA).
The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) secretary general, Vladimir Zubkov says: "TIACA represents the air cargo supply chain globally, and Ramesh and Sanjeev will help to expand the links with the regions which are fast developing and are very important for the air cargo industry – Asia and Africa."
TIACA chairman, Sanjiv Edward adds: "I am delighted to welcome two very great additions to the Board; Sanjeev and Ramesh each bring valuable insight and rich experience of managing cargo businesses in diverse areas."
Mamidala says the Indian air cargo market is experiencing one of the fastest growth rates in the world and has significant potential, and he hopes TIACA will be able to reach out to industry players in India and encourage them to join the organisation.
He says: "I am so honoured and feel privileged to serve on the TIACA Board, which I believe will give me an opportunity to integrate the Indian air freight industry with the global market through TIACA."
Gadhia says it is a privilege to join the board of the association he has been a member of for the past 17 years, and he is the only member from Africa.
He says: "My appointment will enable AFRAA members and especially the Cargo Task Force, to embrace the opportunities that TIACA will bring aboard in areas such as networking, education and training, industry relations, and participation in TIACA cargo events as a group."
Gadhia adds that for TIACA, his appointment will enable the organisation to reach out to the air cargo community of Africa and assist the AFRAA in its lobbying efforts to a global level.
He also says he plans to promote TIACA's air cargo development program to African airlines and foster greater participation from African airlines at TIACA events.
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Akutan real estate agents, Akutan home values, and Akutan homes for sale.
Compare Akutan Realtors. Keep your personal contact info confidential until you choose the real estate agent you like best.
Search Akutan home prices, find Akutan homes for sale or try the Home Sale Maximizer home improvement tool on HomeGain.
HomeGain provides Akutan, Alaska real estate information and resources to guide homeowners and homebuyers through the process of selling and buying a house, condo or other Akutan realty property. HomeGain has services to help you find a top Akutan real estate broker or agent, get the value of your Akutan home and a comparative market analysis (CMA), view Akutan real estate and MLS listings, prepare your home for sale, and more. Our real estate library contains articles to help anyone selling a home or buying a home learn more about Akutan realty services, and how to choose and work with a Akutan REALTOR. Through our partners, we also provide real estate and financial services to consumers looking for houses for sale or selling their home in Akutan, AK, such as mortgages, credit history, new homes, foreclosures and other services. If you plan to do for sale by owner (FSBO), HomeGain can connect you to Akutan real estate companies, agencies and resources to sell or buy a home. Whether you say REALTOR®, "Realator" or "Realter", realty, "realety" or "reality", real estate or "realestate", our agents speak your language..
Necesita un agente que habla Español? Muchos Agentes especializados en Bienes Raices de HomeGain hablan Español y pueden ayudarle a encontrar inmuebles a la venta, calcular el valor de su casa o su propiedad, y vender y comprar un hogar en Akutan, Alaska. Cuando se registre para encontrar un agente de bienes raices en Akutan, simplemente indique que necesita un agente que habla Español.


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A dreary Christmas season covers every corner of China
Guangzhou: Crowds of people line up at funeral home entrance
Stock price of China's biggest funeral operator rises to record high as COVID fatalities surge
Emergency hotline scrambles to recruit as China's outbreak intensifies
Land in Shenzhen meant for Evergrande headquarters put to auction: Report
The Mansion of its chairman in Hong Kong's prestigious The Peak neighborhood was seized, Nov 12, 2022. (Spotlight on China/Screenshot via TheBL/YouTube)
A plot of land in Shenzhen, with the initial purpose to build a Evergrande headquarters, was put up for auction at a starting price of 7.5 billion yuan ($1.06 billion).
According to Reuters, the 10,000 square meter land plot auction will take place between Nov 21 and 26. The news outlet said that the construction at the site had been suspended since September 2021.
This is not the first property Evergrande put on sale to creditors to fulfill its financial obligations. The real estate giant was forced to liquidate many others.
Earlier this month, the firm announced that its court-appointed receivers sold a plot of undeveloped land for residential development in Yuen Long district in Hong Kong for $637 million.
The Mansion of its chairman in Hong Kong's prestigious The Peak neighborhood was seized at the same time.
In addition, lenders also seized its headquarters buildings in Hong Kong in September.
Not just from domestic creditors, Evergrande also faced pressure from overseas lenders who have used winding-up petitions from courts to force the firm to pay its debts.
Evergrande is the world's most indebted firm. It failed to release the restructuring proposal for its $300 billion debt in late July.
Last month, credit rating agency Moody's withdrew its rating due to insufficient information. In June, another credit rating agency, Fitch Ratings, also withdrew its ratings on Evergrande because the developer failed to participate in the process.
U.S. considers COVID measures for travelers from China: Report
Chinese Traditional Medicines continuously break record highs
Japan clamps down on border control for travelers from China as pandemic overtakes the country
Beauty salon president sentenced to 16 years for fundraising fraud
Expert: Dangers of the pandemic and the lies of the Chinese regime
China's drug hoarding spreads to neighboring nations
Foxconn Zhengzhou plant increases incentives to encourage employees to stay
Funeral parlors in Guangzhou and Chongqing are full; false data delays decision-making


LAS VEGAS – Watson Ads, the cognitive advertising product that's been available to brands exclusivity within The Weather Company app and on weather.com, will be released for wider use in apps and on websites sites later this quarter.
In the meantime, in an interview at CES 2017 with Beet.TV, Weather Company CEO and GM Cameron Clayton offers some advice for brands thinking about dipping their toes into cognitive advertising.
The year 2017 will bring the debut of what Clayton describes as IBM's cognitive media platform. It will put the power of Watson directly into the hands of marketers seeking to better understand consumer intent and create content that satisfies the intent.
Among IBM's main assets is scale, as evidenced by the 40 billion forecasts The Weather Company executes each day, consuming about 44 petabytes of data (one petabyte is 1 million gigabytes). While companies like Facebook, Google, Microsoft and others also have massive scale, a big differentiator for IBM is cognitive capability.
IBM enables brands to scan the data to understand divine consumer intentions when interacting with natural language voice.
IBM isn't looking to replace humans altogether, according to Clayton. "Some companies are working on solutions to try and replace us. We foundationally believe it's about helping people make better solutions," Clayton says.


1. Got this ink a back alley shop in Saint Olaf.
4. The price is wrong, Bob.
5. We're all getting TATTTOOS!
6. Did I do Tatt?
That's a heavy dose of pun-a-cillin.
7. Is that a tattoo of your mom? Oh... I see.
8. 8 year olds, dude.
9. Too soon? Or dead giveaway?
11. Zombies don't mess with other zombie Bill Murray tattoos.
13. I'm hearing H. Jon Benjamin doing Loggins' karaoke.
14. May the odds be ever in your favor.
15. Seriously? Lannister? Why not just get I'm a blonde-headed insestual jerk tattooed on your forehead?
20. To remind you that things are looking up?


Patios made from slate, brick, flagstone, crushed rock, even mulch, are classic, easy-to-care-for designs. Versatile, slate and brick are ideal for small or large patio spaces and can be laid in a circular pattern or more traditional square or rectangular shape. For a remote or unused corner of a garden, place the slate in a circular pattern. Tuck a cozy bench along an unused wall to create your own intimate patio. Crushed granite is an easy and low maintenance stone to spread as the patio "floor".
The round, inviting shape of a circular patio beckons for a patio furniture set or bird bath. Along the brick patio, tuck perennial flowers like coneflowers and verbena flowers for bright bursts of color to the landscape. Low-growing, spreading flowers like cotoneaster provide a bright burst of green to the patio.
I am totally agreed with your this statement that patios made from slate, brick, flagstone, crushed rock, even mulch, are classic, easy-to-care-for designs. I appreciate and like it.


My aunt Merlyn paid a visit to us this week. She just went back to Quezon yesterday. She brought us two sacks of rice. Wow! We would not have any problems with rice for the next two months. She said that she would have brought at least three sacks if not for the recent typhoons that visited the country. Well, at least she brought us.
Whenever she visits us, I always tell her how I love to spend a vacation at their house in Quezon. However, since my paternal grandmother is gone, I don't find any reason in going to Quezon.
I remember when I was younger; I always looked forward for summer vacation because I would be spending my vacation in Quezon. How I loved the trees, the beach, the railroad, and the mountains. We usually stayed at our grandmother's house. My paternal grandmother was very caring. She sees to it that my sister, and me would have good breakfast. She would even fetch water for us and prepare our bath. (Spoiled!) Well, our house there doesn't have any faucet. They usually get water from a well or from "poso".
We would play with our cousins then. I remember how we asked our uncles to accompany us in climbing the mountains that surrounds our little town. We would spend the whole day walking and picking banana fruit and coconut along the way!
I remember how we asked our aunties to join us spend a day in a beach. It is enough for us to have our lunch with ginataang langka with sardines. Well, we just really want to go swimming in the blue sea.
I really miss those things from my childhood. It was as if we are on cross country moving. I am not sure if we can make it happen again. My cousins and I are all grown up. Most are married and have their own family.
But what my Aunt told me was, I can always plan a vacation there and spend the time with my daughter and with my nieces and nephews like what they did with us! Well, that would work; I just need to earn enough money for that vacation.
There are a lot of mysteries in this world. Some have been resolved. Some are to yet to be discovered. But there are quite a few which are left to be mysteries as the next century unfolds. I have read a lot of stories about world's mysteries, and Nessie the Lochness monster is one of my favorites. Let me tell you something about it and share my own beliefs and opinions.
Loch Ness is a deep lake in Scotland. It holds three times more water than any other lake in Great Britain. Maybe deep enough to hide an enormous monster. There are six rivers that flow into Loch Ness, but only one flows out. That's the river Ness. The lock is 36 km long, and over one third of it is deeper than 200 meters. It is more than twice the depth of the North Sea.
The tale about the monster started in AD 563. It was when St. Columba, the abbot of Iona supposedly saves a monk called Lugne from being devoured by the beast. It has been said that Nessie has already mauled one victim. Then, St. Columba demanded, in the name of God, that the beast retreat into the deep water and leave the monk alone. And, so the monster did and the monk was saved.
I have watched about this in one of National Geographic Specials episode. There had been a lot of sightings about Nessie. Many blurred black and white photographs have been offered up as evidence. A man standing in the grounds of a nearby castle took the first colored photograph in 1977.
In 1934, naval officer Rupert Gould published the first book about Nessie. In his books, he proposed that large sea animals, such as plesiosaurs (was a marine reptile of the Mesozoic Era), arrived in Loch Ness thousands of years ago when the lock was joined to the sea. As the coastline changed, they became cut off from the sea, and the loch became their permanent home.
However, over years of research and expeditions done to find Nessie or the loch's monster, to this date, there is still no solid proof that the mysterious beast does exist. If you have seen the movie, The Water Horse, it is actually a movie attributed to Loch Ness monster.
My opinion about this is Nessie could have existed but it is not existing anymore. I believe that during the older times, there could have been an enormous beast living in the loch. It is also possible that there was more than one monster existed in there. But today, it is possible that whatever kind of animals lived or was seen long ago in the loch has all been gone. The loch may be deep enough to hide a monster, but one way or another, those would still come out in the open to search for food or to gasp fresh air. They could be breathing under water but even blue whales and vast sea creatures came out of the waters. Another thing, if the monster exists 'til today, it could be very very old! Aside from that, it is possible that it did not live alone. It could have a family that lived and died in the loch.
Well, someday, I hope I would be able to visit the Loch Ness.
While enjoying the idle time at work today, I think about of things that ney and I have not done yet. Well, if only we have extra money, I love to cruise. Maybe we can go on Caribbean Cruise. I appreciate the beauty of the sea and enjoy the majestic sea creations. I also want discover the mystery behind the Blue hole in Belize City.
Belize's mysterious Blue Hole first explored by French Oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, is a popular stop for those visiting Belize.
I have to admit that I never been in a big ship and I want to experience the luxury that a cruise ship offers. Well, when I told ney about it, he said that we need to scarifice by not seeing each other longer than a year. So he can earn more to spend for the kind of vacation I like.
I told him, that I would still enjoy island hopping in Quezon province!
Ney sent me a text message last week asking me to look for a good box cutter and boxes for some important things he needs to pack. I got confused when I read the message. I wonder why this guy is up to. It was like a big bang when he broke the news that he is leaving for Angola in West Africa for work before the month of July ends.
He said that he accepted the offer for our future. He's been offered with a quite good compensation. According to his uncle who's been working in that country for some years now, it is a fine country and it has nice people. According to my own research, people in Angola are mostly Catholics and their language is Portuguese. The country is 7 hours behind than Manila time.
Ney will work there as heavy equipment operator. His expertise is handling the excavator. They had a trade test last Saturday and he amazed his superiors on how well he operates equipment. I told him that since they are contractors, too and they have ample of heavy equipment used for different purposes, his experience with their own equipment is his edge.
I felt sad about it but I know that he likes to go there, too. He has many plans and dreams that I wanted him to fulfill. He didn't want to let this opportunity of working in Angola to pass. He said that we may be oceans and continents away but we should be faithful to each other.
He will be away for 1 to 2 years. I told him to get a laptop once he get his first pay and learn how to use Skype. Long distance call maybe costly but we can see each other through web cam and talk to each other over the Internet.
I was on the phone with ney last night and we're talking about his new assignments. He's operating a backhoe loader and at the same time he's in charge of their other operators in their new project. He said that he will be responsible in his work and hopefully, he will not be tempted to drink liquor in a while. Hopefully!
Anyway, I told him that I trust him and that there are moments that I almost lose my patience on him, I can still keep up with him for I do love him. Their new project is located in Catanauan, Quezon. It is more on road-widening I guess. I forgot to ask him what's this new project is about. But more likely, it is something like that.
Catanauan is about an hour and a half drive from our little town in Plaridel, Quezon. From Manila it would be around 7-8 hour-bus drive. Well, I have been there. In fact, the farthest part of Quezon I was able to visit is Gumaca, Quezon.
Ney said that Catanauan offers a wide range of white sand beaches. But then, those aren't fully developed yet for tourist attractions for the town of Catanauan is not as wealthy like the towns of Sariaya and Lucban. But he said that if only, the local government of Catanauan will initiate in developing those said beaches, then the town will be one kind of a tourist spot! Hopefully one day. He said that the place is peaceful and very relaxing.
Ney had been in Boracay already and he said that Catanauan beach sand can be compared to those in Boracay already. Hmmm.. I told him that someday I would love to have a house by the sea. He said that there are a lot of land by the sea which are for sale in Catananuan. That if I wanted to own one, I can acquire one today. Well, I really didn't buy that idea. Aside from the fact that Catanauan is quite far from Manila, I don't have money to a buy a resort! Haller!
Well ney said that who knows, we can have one. I think I should start joining in some lottery games.
Anyway, because of his new assignments, it would take again a month or 2 for ney and I to see each other again. Well, I see to it that we talk on the phone everyday and make sure that my love will be felt even though we're miles away from each other.
My bestfriend Daisy was able to read my post about Nonet and I's quick vacation to Quezon. She asked me if I can take her there, ofcourse I can but maybe after she gave birth to her second baby.
I have not replied to her comment yet, but surely if our schedules will meet then I will definitely take her and her family with my own family. The place is quite far indeed, but then the place will surely paid the travel time.
I hope to offer her some free hotel stay so that they could really relax and enjoy the place. I am thinking of inviting our two other girlfriends, Pinky and Ime.
I actually miss them all already.
I took advantage of my 2-day stay in Quezon to visit the places I love to go to. Ney went to my Tita Lyn's office early in the morning to see us. Nonet was still sleeping when he arrived. It was like 6AM then. My tita and tito are already awake then. I decided to take a walk with ney and to buy food for breakfast.
We walked through the railroad on our way to the store. I remember the old days, when that railroad was still made of wood. But it has been replaced with concrete few years ago already. The means of transportation is a trolley or iskit just what the local people calls it!
The said railroad is from Manila all the way to Bicol. There used to be a passenger and cargo trains that pass by it. But ney said that there aren't any nowadays.
The picture above is the trolley I am referring to. Then, it was the only means of transportation to get to our barangay from the town proper. Today, you have the option of riding on a tricycle!
On our way to the store, we passed by Papa's old Kubo. It was built when I was in highschool. Then it was renovated when I was working. It used to be a feeds store. Then, it was turned to a videoke house. You see, there are not much past time you can do there but sing.
When my father died, my elder cousin bought it from us and it is now again sari sari store and a fish stand. I had a lot of wonderful memories in that kubo. During summer, my sister and I used to look after our little store and the videoke machine. Ofcourse I had sing couple of songs there!
Well, though I didn't stay long there, I was able to visit the places I wanted to go to and reminisce the old days! You bet I'll be coming here again and will definitely stay for couple of days!
I was reading an old magazine last night, when Nonet sat beside me and looked on what I am reading. Then she saw a picture of Mickey Mouse. The picture was taken at Hongkong Disneyland. She asked where that place it and I told her that it is Disneyland. Then she asked to bring her there..
Well, I also have this dream of going to Disneyland. It is a good thing that Disneyland found a home in Hongkong. My dream of going there will be easier to turn it into reality. But due to other priorities, my dream of going there has been set aside. Up until last night, when my dear daughter asked me to bring her to Disneyland and meet Mickey and Minnie.
I told her that, mommy will save money for it and when she's old enough to enjoy the place, we will go there. She was delighted! She said that she will eat more, have siesta in the afternoon and will not sleep late at night. In that way, she will grow up faster and we can visit Disneyland..
Well, I hope I can earn faster as well..
Sooner or later, we'll get to greet Mickey, too!
When someone speaks about Germany, we usually think of the Nazis and their not so good activities during world war. But then, Germany actually an interesting country and it offers many splendid places that a tourist can go to. I looked around the net this morning and found this awesome castle. Well, being a fan of princes and princesses, the Neuschwanstein Castle really caught my attention.
Neuschwanstein Castle was King Ludwig II's castle. It is seated on a hill with a spectacular backdrop of Alps. It is one of the most visited tourist spots in Germany.
Another important historical site that Germany has to offer is the Brandenburg Gate. This used to be a city gate and Berlin's signature attraction. When Berlin Wall fell in 1989, many Germans celebrated the reunification of east and west Germany.
A tourist can also take a visit to Cologne Cathedral. What is so interesting about this cathedral? Aside from its magnificient Gothic architecture, it is said that the cathedral's most sacred treasure and an important relic that can be found in the western world, is the Shrine of the Three Magi. There is a magnificent gilded sarcophagus thought to hold the remains of the Three Wise Men.
My father was born in Atimonan, Quezon but they moved to Plaridel, Quezon during World War II. Plaridel (Siain) was then part of Atimonan. We visit the place during vacation when I was younger. But since I have to work to support my family and my little princess, I just go there to visit my grandmother during special occasions or when I have time and extra money.
Quezon played a big part in my being. Of course, my father was a quezonian. I usually spent my childhood vacation there and I met ney there.
Quezon province has to offer many beautiful places. Like other provinces in the Philippines, this province offers scenic spots which, tourists will definitely enjoy.
Quezon is divided into 4 Districts. It is currently head by Governor Raffy Nantes. Its capital city is Lucena City. Oh I have a lot of happy memories in Lucena.
I have selected my favorite spots in Quezon but let me tell you, this province has many sites you can go to.
Quezon national Forest Park and Zigzag road.
This is the zigzag road that cuts between the towns of Pagbilao and Atimonan, Quezon. It is also called "Bitukang Manok". During the old times, provincial buses pass through this road. But due to safety concerns, a new diversion road was developed for buses. Only light vehicles are allowed to pass this. Though, there are still some hard headed bus drivers that pass this road specially on night trips. The trip is shorter is you'll take this route compared to the use of diversion road. I really miss passing that road. It is kinda scary though, but you'll really enjoy the view. I always pray when I pass that road.
This is the statue of a mermaid in Atimonan. During my visit to Siain, I always look out of the bus' window and wait till we pass this statue. It is located along Maharlika highway, and you will really see her. Well, mermaid and siren stories really interest me. There were a lot of talks and hearsay about this mermaid. As of now, I really don't know the real story why a statue of a mermaid has been built there. Though ney has his own version of the story of this mermaid thing. He said that not so many years ago, a fisherman caught a mermaid in the shores of Lamon Bay in Atimonan. A rich doctor from Atimonan, too, bought the mermaid and freed her. After that incident, the doctor became richer and really had a great fortune. Ney said that it really happened and he knows the family of the said doctor.
I am still thinking of what interesting spot our little town, Plaridel has to offer. Then I remember this beach. It is Tumagay beach resort. The water is clear and clean. Just a like ordinary resort. But the people are great here. Very accommodating.
Who will forget Mount Banahaw? It is a mystic mountain. I have never been there though. But the mountain has a lot of secrets ready to unveil for those people who are "ready" to know it. They said that there is a certain falls in there, that the waters will clean your soul. There are also talks about a certain passage, that if your soul is not clean then you'll not be able to pass it. I have found a site that talks about this moutain. You can read the full story here. The said moutain is in fact a volcano. But instead of lava and magma, it contains boiling water. There are also hearsays that the trees at the top of the mountain is kneeling. Many devotees and faith healers visit the place especially on Tuedays and Fridays. I love to go there as well. Hopefully, I will have my own story to tell with regard to my experience in going up the mountain.
This is Kamay ni Hesus in Lucban. It is a shrine dedicated to Jesus and it is about 325 steps if I am not mistaken. There is church at the foot of the hill and it is a healing center as well.
Villa Escudero can be found in Tiaong Quezon. You may check more information about it here.
If you walk into Rizal Street in Sariaya, you'll find old houses or ancestral houses. The one above is called the big house owned by Rodriguez-Gala family.
Minasawa Bird Sanctuary in Burdeos – The sanctuary is home to bird species such as the nutmeg imperial pigeon, black-naped oriole, rufous night heron, swifts.
Lighthouse in Macalelon – This century – old lighthouse was used as a watchtower fitted by a canon to protect the municipality from invaders during 1784 – 1854.
There are many more places that will interest you when you visit Quezon province.


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End Gender Apartheid
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Tagged: senate
Does halal certification fund terrorism? Maybe, maybe not. So why take the risk?
The Australian Crime Commission and AUSTRAC testified, at a Senate committee, that they have limited powers to track money once it goes offshore. So why are we taking the risk of funding Islamic organisations?
DISCLAIMER: I am not trying to suggest in this post that Australian halal certification does directly fund terrorism, I have no evidence of that myself, however various red flags have been raised, such as financial mismanagement by Islamic organisations, lack of traceability of money transfers etc, some of which deserve further investigation. Whether further inspection will find funding of terrorism I can't say, however halal certification monies have been passed to Islamic groups with extremist views (such as MUI, who endorse female genital mutilation – see my other post).
And in particular, the 4 terrorist attacks that have been carried out on Australian soil in recent years have all been by Muslims, and virtually all other foiled attacks have also been planned by Muslims. Therefore considering we currently have an enormous problem worldwide with Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism, I believe that any monies passing to the hands of Islamic groups deserves extra scrutiny.
At the time of the 2015 Senate inquiry into third-party certification of food a headline was bandied around in various newspapers that no "direct links" from halal certifiers to terrorism had been found. But many of these articles were misleading, as they did not address the fact that both the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) and AUSTRAC admitted to the Senate that they had limitations on their investigative powers, particularly once money goes offshore, i.e. as AUSTRAC testified, "We can see when money leaves Australia and goes offshore to the first point of recipient…if you were in the UK, for example, and I sent money to you, Senator, we can see the transaction. Where that money goes next is a difficult challenge for us because it is not part of what is reported to AUSTRAC."
Furthermore AUSTRAC has previously flagged the indirect funding of terrorism, by funneling money through overseas charities, as a potential high risk.
Indeed as noted in both the Senate inquiry and on ABC Four Corners, some overseas halal certifiers have either been linked to, or known to funnel monies to charities that turned out to be funding terrorism.
Of course it could also be argued that any individual or organization could be funding nefarious deeds through offshore charities, but the reason why Islamic organisations require extra scrutiny is because we do have a worldwide Islamic terrorism problem that is obviously receiving funding from somewhere.
Whilst the ACC testified that due to media interest in links between halal certification and terrorism, they "have been on a heightened lookout for any links between halal certification" and did not subsequently find any direct links, they also admitted that that they were particularly focused on "money laundering and on serious and organised crime". The point that was made to them by Senator Bernardi is that the transfer of halal certification funds, is a legitimate business activity, and therefore would not fall into the category of money-laundering, "They are not laundering money; they are just sending money overseas for a cause".
Our crime bodies also have further limitations. AUSTRAC testified that they do not generally investigate domestic transfers under $10,000 unless it has been drawn to their attention as suspicious.
The Australian, "Muslim school stripped of $45m"
Furthermore some Islamic organisations, such as AFIC, have been embroiled in legal proceedings with allegations of severe financial mismanagement, such as siphoning $45 million worth of government school funding from one of the schools they manage, Malek Fahd. This is not the only AFIC managed school that has come under fire, indeed others have had their government funding revoked. AFIC, as a registered charity, has the advantage that they are exempt from the reporting and tax obligations of most Australian businesses. A number of other halal certifiers are also not for profits, others set up as businesses.
Australian Government, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, "List of recognised Islamic bodies for halal certification of red meat" This is a screenshot of part of the list
Generally how halal certification operates is that the halal certifiers are hand picked by Islamic countries, particularly when it comes to red meat exports. It stands to reason that these countries are most likely to give their business to the halal certifiers that best fit their strain of Islam.
AFIC has a very cosy relationship with a number of these countries, and is one of a handful of halal certifiers approved for red meat exports to Saudi Arabia. They also are approved for Qatar.
Furthermore, particularly in the case of Indonesia, it has been alleged that some halal certifiers have been paying bribes to get these contracts.
The Guardian,"WikiLeaks cables portray Saudi Arabia as a cash machine for terrorists"
Whilst bribes, corruption and financial mismanagement does not necessarily lead to terrorism, when halal certifiers are handpicked by countries such as Saudi Arabia, any financial transactions should be carefully scrutinized, in light of Hillary Clinton's statement that, "Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide".
Qatar too has recently been in the news, accused of funding terrorism.
In the past AFIC also had a close relationship with Libyan dictator Gaddafi, and indeed received funding from him.
The ABC Four Corners, "The Truth About Halal" episode discussed allegations of links from halal certification to terrorism. "Overseas, some halal certifiers have been linked to Islamic charities accused of assisting groups like Hamas and Hezbollah."
Probably the most prominent Australian halal certifier to be embroiled in terrorist allegations was Mohammed El-Mouelhy.
Four Corners mentioned that El-Mouelhy "gives generously to Islamic charities, including Human Appeal International….HAI has been named overseas as a suspected fundraiser for Hamas by the US and Israeli governments. HAI's Australian branch told Four Corners it has never funded Hamas or any of its affiliates."
El-Mouelhy went on to concur that this charity does not fund Hamas, but if it were established that it did he would look for another charity to support.
And of course the ACC and AUSTRAC did mention that they have not found any evidence of direct links between halal certification and terrorism.
But possibly a major reason for why El-Mouelhy came under suspicion by the public was that it was reported shortly after the Lindt Café siege that one of his family members was in the Lindt café minutes before the siege took place. In fact both The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph, at the time, recounted lengthy interviews with her, however these reports were somewhat conflicting as to whether or not she had been in the café or nearby. And there also seemed to be some confusion as to whether she was his wife or his daughter.
In fact El-Mouelhy's business is located not far from Martin Place, so presumably it would not be unusual for he or his family to be in the vicinity of the café, but to actually be in the café at that time would have been quite a close call. As proponents of halal certification it would also be hypocritical for them to be eating in Lindt, considering Lindt chocolate has resisted the urge to become halal certified, and El-Mouelhy's business website states, "Muslims have certain dietary requirements that must be fulfilled by certification." Unless they were at the Lindt cafe to try and persuade it to become halal certified?
But these reports combined with El-Mouelhy's links to HAI may have made a nervous public jump to conclusions. Indeed El-Mouelhy ended up suing Halal Choices activist Kirralie Smith for defamation (they eventually settled out of court).
However since those early reports, no more mention of this appears to have been made again, so one would have to conclude that those reports of an El-Mouelhy being at the café are wrong. Most likely the inquest into the Lindt café uncovered the truth about this, but one has to ask, given the terrorism allegations that the El-Mouelhy family has endured, and the public unease about terrorism, surely it is in both the family and the public's interest for these newspapers to either confirm or issue a rebuttal of these stories, and if the reports were false to explain why they were made.
When it comes to misleading newspaper reports, here is one from the ABC, titled "No direct link between halal certification and Islamic terrorism, Senate inquiry told":
"Senator Cory Bernardi, who is on the committee, asked if the reason why AUSTRAC had come up with no evidence was because they were not looking at halal certifiers.
"The answer to that is 'no'," Craig Robertson, AUSTRAC's acting national manager of intelligence, said.
"We're not looking specifically at the use of those funds on the basis that I guess a third party outside of AUSTRAC hasn't been able to refer us information that provides evidence to look at it, and our own detection and monitoring systems of what we know about how terrorism financing occurs has not surfaced that information."
Whilst I'm not someone who normally questions the integrity of the ABC in terms of the accuracy of their reporting (I do at times question their bias however), having read the hansard this is not only somewhat misleading, it also appears that the ABC merged two separate sentences together, that would be fine if they used an ellipsis … to indicate the merging of two separate statements. I, myself, am no expert on correct referencing but in this case it appears to have been done to be misleading.
Because below is actually what is in the hansard:
Senator BERNARDI: Once again, I come back to this: have you specifically looked at the use of funds by organisations that conduct halal certification?
Mr Robertson: The answer to that is no, we are not looking specifically at the use of those funds. As Mrs Jamieson outlined in our opening statement, we do monitor for movements that relate to those activities. We use either names of entities or keywords, as we do for a range of things, in order to surface any information that we would then need to assess. But aside from those regular types of monitoring activities we do not have any active work against those movements of funds.
Senator BERNARDI: I have learned not to rely on ABC Fact Check. ABC Fact Check said, 'A spokesman for AUSTRAC told Fact Check it had no information to indicate that there are links to terrorism financing from halal certification fees.' That may be entirely accurate but it is because you have not investigated halal certification fees and the use of that.
Mr Robertson: Again, for clarity, we do not conduct the investigations per se—and I know it is terminology. On the basis that a third party outside of AUSTRAC has not been able to refer us to information that provides that evidence to look at it—and our own detection and monitoring systems of what we know about how terrorism financing occurs has not surfaced that information—the short answer is no."
But there are other reasons for public unease about halal certification in general. What did come out in the Senate inquiry was that much of the Australian halal certification industry is extremely unregulated
The Australian halal certification industry is extremely unregulated with much of their activities shrouded in secrecy, and some of the responses given to the inquiry by halal certifiers were evasive. For instance the Senate committee could not establish how many halal certifiers there were in Australia (though it appears that there are at least 22). Therefore if no one knows who they all are, obviously they can not have all be investigated for terrorism!
This is not to say any Australian halal certifiers are funding terrorism, but with allegations of severe financial mismanagement, bribes and corruptions, secretive and evasive behaviours, and links to countries such as Saudi Arabia, in addition to a worldwide Islamic terrorism problem, the question should not be whether halal certifiers and Islamic organisations are funding terrorism, but should we be willing to take the risk that they might be? In particular given that many of these groups hold views that would be considered misogynistic and oppressive by most modern day Australians, one would have to ask what societal benefit to our country does funding these groups bring?
If you would like to read more, below are some of the excerpts regarding terrorism taken from the hansard of the Senate inquiry into the third party food certification (please be aware I have abbreviated some of this, so as to highlight the areas I think most relevant, but I try to make that clear by my use of ellipsis. The full Hansard can be downloaded at the end of this post):
AUSTRAC's evidence (pg 13-14):
Senator BERNARDI: AUSTRAC is responsible for tracking domestic and external and international money transfers—is that correct?
Mr Robertson: Yes, in a broad sense, although we have much more limited visibility of domestic financial activity by virtue of what is legislated in terms of what is reported to us. The vast majority of the information that we hold relates to the movements of funds in and out of Australia, regardless of their value. We do have some direct reports of domestic activity, normally when they are performed in cash and when they are above a threshold of $10,000. As I am sure you have seen when you have travelled, you also have the cross-border movement of physical currency and that gets reported to AUSTRAC as well. The fourth type of report is a suspicious matter report, which does not have a threshold or a particular type that requires that report to be made.
AUSTRAC's evidence (pg 14):
Mr Robertson: …we do not have any information that suggests that the entities we are aware of that provide halal certification are linked to the funding of those seeking to travel overseas to fight in Iraq or Syria or those who are onshore seeking to undertake any attack planning—
Senator BERNARDI: But you do not really track it, in essence, do you? You do not follow the certification money through a group like AFIC into a mosque or a bookstore where there are extremist materials and the conversion of people and the inspiring of jihadis is taking place.
Mr Robertson: The answer to that is: no, we do not follow those funds, particularly, for those entities who are engaged in halal certification.
Senator BERNARDI: I will turn internationally, then. In a report published last year, Terrorism financing in Australia, AUSTRAC said:
The risks associated with the misuse of charities and NPOs are high as these organisations offer the capacity for groups to raise relatively large amounts of money over time.
I understand there are national security issues at play here, but how far do you track the funds that are used by international charities?
Mr Robertson: There is a challenge in that. We can see when money leaves Australia and goes offshore to the first point of recipient, if you like. To put a broader scenario: if you were in the UK, for example, and I sent money to you, Senator, we can see the transaction. Where that money goes next is a difficult challenge for us because it is not part of what is reported to AUSTRAC. If we identified that the transaction was suspicious, we have a number of arrangements with our counterpart type units in different countries. We could ask the question of those counterparts: what happened to those funds next? We would not do that for all the transactions. As I mentioned, we would only do that in cases where we formed a suspicion or one of our partner agencies has asked us to assist them in looking at those transactions and to engage our international partners.
The delivery of funds that go overseas for charitable purposes are often devolved into goods or cash, which are not part of what we are able to track.
Senator BERNARDI: Let me give you an example: Human Appeal International. It is an international organisation that has ties to Hamas. Hamas is not a prescribed organisation in Australia, but the Hamas brigades are. You can track the money from Human Appeal International that sends out to Hamas. Is that right? They have to send it to an end recipient, so you know that it is going to Hamas or whatever their organisation is.
Mr Robertson: If Human Appeal International has a bank account in Australia and they send funds, yes, we would see where that money was.
Senator BERNARDI: But you cannot then track what Hamas does with the funding?
Mr Robertson: Based on what is reported to us, no.
Senator BERNARDI: If a halal certifier boasts about supporting an organisation like Human Appeal International, which is directly linked to Hamas and has personnel on their international body that are linked to Hezbollah, which is not a good group of people, it is not too long a bow to draw and say, 'The profits of halal certification are linked to organisations that are not acting in Australia's interests?
Mr Robertson: That is when AUSTRAC does not have that investigative mandate in terms of an agency. If we were to see a scenario like that where funds do move, we would need to refer that to a partner agency who would investigate the offences of terrorism financing—they are not offences under our legislation, as you are no doubt aware—and/or then we could work with partner agencies to engage with the country overseas where that money has gone so that we can understand more about it.
Senator BERNARDI: I can find this out through a Google search, effectively. We have a bloke who is boasting and is contributing to a charity which is directly linked to those types of organisations. How can you not conclude that the profits of halal certification, which this man openly boasts runs into millions of dollars for him, are contributing to extremist organisations?
Mrs Jamieson: We look at the financial transaction reports that come in. As we said, halal certification, the business, does not fall under our legislation. So we revert back to the transaction reports that we then receive, which are the international funds transfers. Mr Robertson has explained to you what we do with that information when we receive it.
Senator BERNARDI: If I give money to a charity, AUSTRAC really only see the sum of money and who the recipient is when the charity distributes it. It really does not have any knowledge of my contribution to the charity—or does it? You do not have to answer that aspect of it.
Mr Robertson: It is easy to answer that in one sense. If you donated less than $10,000 to a charity in Australia and you put it into their bank account, it would not be reported to us; but if it was more than $10,000 and you put it into their bank account, it would be reported to us.
Australian Crime Commission (ACC) evidence (pg 18):
Mr Hansford: Equally, like the evidence that AUSTRAC provided earlier this morning, we have been involved in and funded for the response to Islamist terrorism by the Australian government, particularly focusing on money-laundering, and we are involved with a whole range of partners, including AUSTRAC. This is in addition to our daily work on anything from illicit drugs, gangs and high-risk crime targets, to cybercrime. So it is in this context that we made the following statement, and on 12 November—following a considerable number of media requests, and some statements by the media that actually identified the Australian Crime Commission as having found links between halal certification and terrorism—we put out a press release that said exactly what I said at the beginning: that we have found links between money-laundering, terrorism and serious and organised crime, but we have not found any direct links between halal certification and the funding of terrorism.
My evidence today is based on our operational work and the intelligence holdings that the Australian Crime Commission has. Since this issue has been highlighted in the press, we have been on a heightened lookout for any links between halal certification in our intelligence holdings, and to date we have not found any direct linkages.
Senator BERNARDI: I will draw on some of the evidence that was produced to us. For example, the Islamic Council of Western Australia the Islamic Council of Western Australia said in their 2013 annual report that they made donations to Syria, but they did it through a charity, the Al Imdaad charity, to ensure that no recriminations could be directed to the Islamic Council of Western Australia. So you could say if, for example, the Al Imdaad charity was involved in untoward activities in Syria—and I do not know whether it was, but there are no good guys in Syria, apparently—then there is no direct link to an Islamic certifier funding terrorism or extremist activity, but there may be cause for an indirect conclusion to be drawn.
Mr Hansford: I think that wherever there is a sector with large amounts of cash that are being remitted, there is an opportunity for either serious and organised crime or people sympathetic with terrorism to utilise and exploit that particular sector. That is the answer, but from the high-risk crime targets that we look at and the money laundering operations that we have undertaken, we have not seen a direct link.
Senator BERNARDI: We come back to this directly. If a certifying agency decides to remit funds overseas for whatever purpose—for humanitarian or charitable aims, either directly or through a third party—you are not really in a position to assess how those funds are utilised overseas. Is that correct?
Mr Hansford: That is correct. But we are in a position to understand how money is laundered by organised crime, and no sector in the Australian economy is really prone from infiltration by serious and organised crime, whether that is a bank or a casino, or the alternative remittance sector. All of them have the potential to be exploited, and for laundered money—
Senator BERNARDI: But we are not talking about money laundering. We are talking about legitimate businesses, or organisations in Australia, that raise money through the halal certification schemes or whatever, and then they say they are going to participate in an international outreach, either through a charity or anything else. They are not laundering money; they are just sending money overseas for a cause. There is no way you can assess, realistically, where every dollar of that money goes once it reaches an offshore destination like Syria or Iraq or Palestine, or anywhere else.
Mr Hansford: I guess the answer is that our focus is on money laundering and on serious and organised crime.
Senator BERNARDI: So we are talking apples and oranges.
Mr Hansford: Yes.
Kirralie Smith:
Kirralie Smith is a vocal anti Halal Certification activist, a prior member of the Australian Liberty Alliance she recently joined Senator Bernardi's Australian Conservatives party.
Kirralie has been researching Halal Certification for many years and gave evidence that she has been harassed by many people, including prominent Muslim leaders, and the intimidation reached such a point that she had to move house and keep her location secret, all because she "dared to ask questions about the halal certification industry in Australia."
Kirralie gave a lot of evidence in general about the Halal Certification industry but in relation to terrorism this is part of what she said:
Kirralie Smith's evidence (pg 27):
Mrs Smith: …In Canada, the example is that the Muslim Association of Canada did raise money in a number of ways, and one of the ways was through halal certification. They then gave money to IRFAN of Canada, and IRFAN then channelled approximately $14.6 million to Hamas. In that time, IRFAN has been deregistered as a charity and is no longer able to raise funds that way. That was one documented way. In the US, it was the Holy Land Foundation around 2001. CAIR, in America, was another, similar to IRFAN; it was an unindicted co-conspirator of the Holy Land Foundation, which was also found to be funding terrorism at the time.
Mrs Smith: …obviously the reports were not read in their entirety and there was some cherry picking going on this morning as well. As I have said, AUSTRAC in 2010 said that they list financial contributions through formal charitable donations as one of the three most common methods by which terrorism funds are raised in Australia. We know that these halal certifiers are giving to those charitable funds. I do not think the question was answered this morning other than it was not a direct link. Yes, we need more transparency and more investigation so that the government can comprehensively and confidently say to consumers that our grocery purchase dollars are not going to fund extremists or terrorists.
The Senate Economics References Committee into third-party certification of food (2015):
(Below is the downloadable hansard of the hearing on 24th September 2015 only, as it is relates to terrorism, you can find the hansard for the rest of the hearings in my post here about Sharia by stealth):
EconomicsReferencesCommittee_2015_09_24_3825_Official.pdf;fileType=applicationpdf#search=thirdpartyfoodcertification
ABC Four Corners, "The Truth About Halal", http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/09/07/4305337.htm
ABC News, "No direct link between halal certification and Islamic terrorism, Senate inquiry told",
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-24/senate-inquiry-no-direct-link-between-halal-certification/6801968?pfmredir=sm
Wikipedia, "AFIC", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Federation_of_Islamic_Councils
The Australian, "Muslim school stripped of $45m", http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/education/malek-fahd-islamic-school-stripped-of-45m-muslim-body-accused/news-story/bb08c4e84aa9989ec2bedc651a95b2f6
Australian Government, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, "List of recognised Islamic bodies for halal certification of red meat", http://www.agriculture.gov.au/export/controlled-goods/meat/elmer-3/list-islamic-halal-certification
The Guardian,"WikiLeaks cables portray Saudi Arabia as a cash machine for terrorists", https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/05/wikileaks-cables-saudi-terrorist-funding
News.com.au, "Qatar crisis: Is Saudi Arabia supporting terror also?", http://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/world-economy/qatar-crisis-is-saudi-arabia-supporting-terror-also/news-story/a58c4127caddf901b799fea2acaa9718
The Daily Telegraph, "The fuse of public fury has been lit as terror comes to Sydney",
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/the-fuse-of-public-fury-has-been-lit-as-terror-comes-to-sydney/news-story/85f0bc57087685e04059bb2e65178494
The Guardian, "Sydney hostage crisis: confusion and concern among crowds at scene",
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2014/dec/15/sydney-siege-martin-place-crowds
Halal Certification Authority, https://halalauthority.org/certification/
Written by endgenderapartheid 1 Comment Posted in Halal Certification, Halal Certification and Terrorism, Terrorism	Tagged with Halal, Halal Certification, halal certified, halal certifiers, Islam, Islamic, Muslim, senate, terrorism, third-party certification of food
Halal Certification – Islamic Sharia by stealth, the $2.1 trillion dollar Islamic industry we are all chipping into
Halal Certification – Islam's Sharia scheme
Halal Certification – started off with meat, then other foods, now halal certification has extended into healthcare, pharmaceuticals, travel, education, and the list goes on. Making many Muslims rich, but there is also a more sinister side to it…
The 2016/2017 Thomson Reuters/DinarStandard report into The State of The Global Islamic Economy, pg 4
Halal Certification is an over $2 trillion dollar industry which mostly funds Islam but virtually all of us worldwide are chipping into it. But it's not just our infidel money they want, they also want to change our way of life, such as segregating Muslims from non-Muslims in healthcare.
The Thomson Reuters/DinarStandard report into The State of The Global Islamic Economy 2016/17, and supported by Dubai The Capital of Islamic Economy
Global Islamic Economy Report
The halal certifiers themselves have written a comprehensive report about it, and the tidy little (well big actually) profits they are making. The 2016/2017 Thomson Reuters/DinarStandard (the latter being an Islamic company) report into the State of The Global Islamic Economy, documents all the areas that halal certification has spread into. The whole report has been "supported by Dubai The Capital of Islamic Economy" (Report downloadable at the end of this post)
Halal Certification – $2 trillion Industry
A $2.1 trillion dollar industry (ABC Four Corners 2015 figure or $1.9 trillion according to this report), but of course we are always told that costs aren't passed on to us. Hmm, so we have an industry where people are getting rich but it's not costing anyone? Seems unlikely to me, and if this is the case, then perhaps these people should run motivational get rich quick seminars.
Halal Rort extending into Pharmaceuticals
Well they would certainly be qualified to run a get rich quick scheme, after all halal certification must be the biggest scam in recent history. Someone certifies your product, such as bread, to state that it doesn't have alcohol or pork in it. And they make motza cash out of doing this! Huh! What's next, will we have halal certified oxygen – guaranteed no pork! Don't laugh, it ain't so preposterous considering the next thing on the halal certifiers list is halal vaccines! (yep it's in the report, pgs 159, 172). Oh and they plan to start making a whole lot of halal certified medicines once $148 billion dollars worth of medical patents end in 2018 (pg 172).
See my other post about halal vaccines and pharmaceuticals: http://endgenderapartheid.com/2017/05/23/halal-vaccines-medicines-segregation-infidels/?preview_id=160&preview_nonce=576e032d77&_thumbnail_id=-1&preview=true
Halal Certification not in the Koran
All for something that isn't even in the Koran (Quran). Yes the concept of halal exists there, but not halal certification, and pretty much everything is halal unless it is specified otherwise, and there are only a few food items that are not halal, specifically pork and alcohol (well they also mention a few obscure food items, such as don't eat carnivorous animals but as not too many people are going to try their luck tackling a tiger I think we can exclude that one from the list). Oh and yes there is some debate in the Koran about how meat should be slaughtered (that will be another post), but in general if it don't contain pork or alcohol then consume my dear Islamic friend! Muhammad approves! Don't believe infidel me? Have a read of the Koran.
Yes Muslims were all surviving quite well without halal certification for hundreds of years, till some devout/shrewd Islamic businessmen saw a penny in it. It became big around the 1970's but was meat only, then extended into other foods, (to the point that the majority of Australian foods, other than pork and alcohol, now appear to be halal certified), now halal vaccines are winging their way to us in 2018.
An example of mass female genital mutilation operations
Halal Certification funds Islam – FGM and other Sharia
So why should we care? Well, despite what they say, there is a good chance that the costs are passed on to us, and also the money raised largely goes back into Islamic coffers. Do you want to fund female genital mutilation, sharia law, stoning of women, throwing gays off buildings, etc? No, neither do I. Oh I'm sorry, am I "racist" for saying I object to that? Of course not all Muslims are doing that, but when you fund Islamic organisations how do you know whether it is funding the extreme versions of Islam aka Saudi style, or the "moderate" form of Islam practiced in Indonesia? Or at least that is how Indonesia is often described, despite the fact that 49% of their young girls have undergone female genital mutilation (UNICEF report based on actual Indonesia government figures).
Islamic countries demand our exports be halal certified – and they pick the certifier
Well I can tell you that we are funding the so called "moderates" and the fanatics. In Australia the 2015 Senate Economics References Committee into third-party certification of food explained how it all works. Despite this specific inquiry being Australian, its primary focus was halal certification and much of the information gleaned is pertinent to worldwide markets.
The inquiry disclosed that countries like Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and some other Islamic countries specify that red meat (and sometimes other foods, and even non food products) must be halal certified to export to those countries. Oh and the Islamic country picks the Aussie halal certifier for their country, who by the way often gives them kickbacks. In the case of Indonesia, their senior Islamic organisation, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), is the decider, yet they have had a lot of allegations of corruption and bribery, by the actual halal certifiers! This was noted in both the Senate inquiry and an ABC Four Corners report, called "The Truth About Halal". If MUI rings a bell, well I have another post on this site about their links to female genital mutilation (FGM).
A certification rort which produces no health or safety benefits
So Aussie food producers are obtaining halal certification, because basically it is a non tariff barrier to export to Islamic countries. That's the polite way to put it, others might call it extortion. Keep in mind they are paying for a certification scheme that produces nothing, has no health or safety benefits, and supposedly is to help Muslims know what they can eat, despite every Muslim knowing exactly what is permissible (halal) to them already. If they were avoiding certain products for allergy reasons or animal cruelty issues then I would be sympathetic, but considering Muslims support of halal slaughter (noted as an inhumane practice by most animal activists) it is obvious that their religious observance has nothing to do with compassion, and everything to do with out-dated dogma.
In any case most foods already have a handy little indicator on their packaging, called an ingredient list. Perhaps some lists could be made a little clearer to help vegans, vegetarians and those with allergies, but there should be no need for a separate halal certification. Yet we Aussies (approximately 98% who are not Muslims) pay the price through our grocery purchases because for some inexplicable reason Muslims aren't prepared to read the ingredient list already provided for all consumers on most foods. All for an Islamic scheme which benefits Muslims only, or at the least benefits Islamic businessmen to get richer.
The State of The Global Islamic Economy Report 2016/17, pg 4 & 5 outline some of the many areas Halal Certification has expanded into
Halal Certification is a Worldwide extortion racket
It's not just Aussies that are getting fleeced, countries all over the world are being coerced into paying into this halal scam. If they want to export to Islamic countries that's generally what they have to do, but the added problem is that even a lot of domestic foods/products that are never exported to Islamic countries are halal certified also. The Thomson Reuters/DinarStandard report makes it clear the extent of this rort. Services too, worldwide, are halal certified to supposedly appeal to the Muslim tourist, which makes me wonder what Muslims did prior to halal certification, did they just not travel? Therefore would a lack of halal certification deter an Islamic terrorist from travelling to that region? Let's ponder that one for a while.
Halal Certification – Funding Fanatics
Of course apart from making some Islamic businessmen rich, some of the funds do go back into the Islamic community, but what's the bet that the approved halal certifier for Saudi Arabia is going to be 'encouraged' by Saudi officials to fund projects in line with the Saudi approved strain of Islam? And so forth with the other countries. Oh and keep in mind Saudi Arabia has had allegations of backing terrorism (does Osama bin Laden ring a bell?) In fact Hillary Clinton herself claimed that "Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide". Qatar too has recently been in the news, accused of funding terrorism.
Limited investigative powers to track halal money once offshore
Oh but there's no links to terrorism from halal certifiers, right? Yeah you saw that headline bandied around everywhere. Actually what AUSTRAC and ACC testified at the Senate inquiry is that there have been no "direct links" found, but they admitted that once money goes offshore they have limited investigative powers to track it. But let me address the terrorism issue in full in another post here: http://endgenderapartheid.com/2017/06/04/halal-certification-fund-terrorism-maybe-maybe-not-take-risk/
Halal Certification isn't just one fee
Oh but halal certification is just a little certification fee, right? Wrong! There are allegations that the fees are many and varied, may include audits, the food producer may have to change factory processes, such as no longer using alcohol based cleaners, they may even be compelled to do factory refits. The transport itself may have to be halal certified. And each ingredient may also need to be separately halal certified. So for example the bread producer wanting to export may have to put pressure on the company that supplies the salt to also be halal certified. So it places pressure down the line for each ingredient maker to also be halal certified, otherwise they lose business.
After you have paid all the fees, your product still may not achieve halal certification as it may have become 'contaminated' such as being transported in a truck with pork products.
Halal Certification fees – anywhere from $1000 to $27,000 per month
And what do the halal certifiers charge for all this? Well who knows, not even the Senate inquiry could find this out. But, as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, there are allegations of anywhere from $1000 to $27,000 a month. Other allegations include that food producers must make their financial records accessible to the certifier, and that they must sign non disclosure agreements regarding the fees.
An industry shrouded in secrecy
Of course some of the allegations made may or may not be true, but why the secrecy? The whole industry is highly unregulated and shrouded in secrecy, so each halal certifier can pretty much make up their own rules. And if the fees are paltry why not be upfront about them?
The Senate inquiry was also unable to establish how many halal certifiers there are in Australia.
Halal Certified foods are rarely labelled as such
Very little of halal certified foods are labelled. Ironically making it impossible for Muslims, supposedly their market, to know if foods are actually halal certified. The lack of labelling would appear to defeat the whole purpose of a food certification scheme! Therefore it makes it impossible for anyone who wishes to either buy – or boycott – halal certified foods to do so. This is the reason why some politicians have called for labelling of halal certified goods, and indeed it was one of the recommendations of the Senate Inquiry. Yet 2 years on compulsory labelling of halal certification foods has not been implemented, despite having bi-partisan political support from the Senate Committee.
1982 Royal Commission uncovered corruption
What we do know for sure are the halal certifiers that are approved for red meat exports, as there is a list provided by the Department of Agriculture for that. The only reason this exists is due to the 1982 Royal Commission into the meat industry which uncovered corruption and some issues with halal certification such as forged certificates, so they recommended more regulation as well as stating that halal certification should be a cost recovery exercise only, and that fees charged should "not be seen as a way of raising revenue for other Muslim purposes unconnected with the meat industry." However fast forward to today and halal certifiers such as AFIC are making huge profits. All tax free, thanks very much, as they, and some other halal certifiers, are not for profit organisations!
Halal Certifiers making huge profits & many are tax exempt charities
AFIC (Australian Federation of Islamic Councils also known as Muslims Australia), Australia's peak Islamic body, testified at the Senate inquiry and disputed the veracity of their reported profits, until it was pointed out to them that those figures were taken from their own financial records! Profits like $751,000, which doesn't seem like merely a cost recovery exercise. By the way AFIC is a registered charity and is thus exempt from the reporting and tax obligations of most Australian businesses.
Halal Certifier and charity AFIC siphoned millions of government funding
AFIC have had a long list of controversies, including financial mismanagement of many Islamic schools. For instance they siphoned millions of dollars in funds off Malek Fahd Islamic school, an alleged $45.14 million since 2000. By the way this was government funding that was supposed to be used by the school, as a result the school had it's government funding revoked, a decision that was backed up by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (however now Malek Fahd has appealed to the Federal Court and as a result its funding has been reinstated by the government pending a decision).
Halal Certifier AFIC siphoned off $45 million, and no one seems to know or care where it ended up
You would think that over $45 million being siphoned off would raise some eyebrows, not to mention questions as to where the money ended up, but as far as I'm aware there has been no serious ramifications, such as criminal convictions, for any of AFIC's board, or any detailed investigation as to where the money ended up.
AFIC received funding from Gaddafi, and are the Halal Certifier handpicked by the Saudis, Indonesians etc
Malek Fahd's not the only school that AFIC have allegedly mismanaged, as a result others have also had their funding cut. Oh and AFIC were a big fan of Gaddafi back in the day, in fact they received a significant amount of funding from Gaddafi. Sadly for AFIC he is not around anymore, so I guess they need halal certification to keep afloat these days (as $45 million dollars taken from a government funded school mustn't go that far anymore).
On the Department of Agriculture list (part of the list shown here) you can see, for instance, that AFIC is one of the halal certifiers approved for red meat exports to Saudi Arabia. They are also approved for Qatar. (AFIC affirmed at the Senate inquiry that they also certify other goods such as non meat foods and even makeup and medicines, and they certify for "Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Gulf"). Keep in mind that if a meat producer wants to export to several Islamic countries they have to get halal certification by each country's approved halal certifier! So multiple halal certifications are often needed! The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) testified at the Senate inquiry that this was a problem raised by some of the meat producers, as the meat industry operated on low margins.
Halal Certification fees most likely passed on to consumers
We are often told that halal certification fees aren't passed on to consumers, that economies of scale absorb the costs. Whilst this may be true in some cases, it is unlikely to always be the case, particularly given the huge costs of getting products certified in some industries. The fact that the AFGC testified that the meat industry runs on low margins, and that some meat producers had flagged the cost of halal certification as a problem, indicates that some producers were having problems paying these fees. Therefore it's not much of a leap to assume they would have passed the costs onto consumers.
The State of The Global Islamic Economy Report 2016/17, above quote from pg 189
Furthermore, The State of The Global Islamic Economy Report indicates that halal certification costs are indeed passed on to the consumer.
The Export Market argument – but who needs who?
Another justification for halal certification is that it opens up export markets. Whilst we undoubtedly export a huge amount of red meat to Islamic countries, the Gulf countries also export oil to us, so why are we not demanding they pay for a Christian/Atheist blessing of their oil before we accept it? Yes we need their oil, but then again they need our beef, as 85% of OIC meat is imported (OIC consists of 57 Islamic nations/states). In fact the Salaamgateway website noted how dependent Islamic countries are on meat imports from non-Islamic countries, "These imports are worth $15 billion, two-thirds of which are paid out to Brazil, Australia, India, the U.S. and France. A key implication of such a substantial amount of imported meat coming from non-Islamic countries is that there is a very high need for halal food production certification and logistics integrity."
Actually the true implication there is that the non-Islamic countries have the power to withhold meat from Islamic countries, or at the very least set the rules, if Islamic countries make too many demands. Naturally they can play tit for tat and do the same with their oil, but we aren't the ones demanding some ridiculous religious certification of their products.
Less than 5% of Australian chicken is exported, yet most of it is halal certified
In any case the 'halal certification opens up export markets' analogy doesn't hold up in the case of chicken, because less than 5% of Aussie chicken is exported, and not all of that goes to Islamic countries. Yet it appears that the vast majority of Aussie chicken is actually halal certified, despite the small percentage that ends up being eaten by Muslims. But once again no one knows the exact amount that is halal certified because both the halal certifiers and the food industry either refuse to disclose this, or are evasive with their answers.
The State of The Global Islamic Economy Report 2016/17, pg 29, shows Australia as 2nd in the world on their Halal Food Indicator
Australia is 2nd on the world Halal Food Indicator
However we do know that according to the Thomson Reuters/DinarStandard report that Australia is number 2 on their world Halal Food Indicator. (pg 29) The Halal Food Indicator evaluates countries on the "relative strengths of the ecosystem they have for the development of the sector." (pg 28) In other words how amenable we are to being fleeced by them. Indeed they also note that we have risen from number 4 to number 2, so it appears we are giving into their scam. Therefore it seems most likely that the majority of our Aussie produced food is halal certified, and indeed we far outweigh all other Western countries (not to mention all Islamic countries other than the UAE!).
Halal Certification rort expanding rapidly worldwide – UK, USA, Europe, Asian, West etc
But halal certification is not just an Australian issue, many Westernised countries are being coerced into the halal certification food scam, but you have to wonder why we are allowing ourselves to be held to ransom over food exports when it appears that the Islamic countries need us more than we need them. Indeed the Salaamgateway website also noted that "while the 57-country Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is home to 80 percent of the world's Muslims, almost 80 percent of their food imports come from non-Islamic trading partners." Which works out to be "an estimated $190 billion in food and beverages in 2015." Admittedly total imports appear to only account for "15.9 percent of total consumer expenditure on food and beverages across all OIC countries, which implies that 84.1 percent of F&B is produced domestically."
Halal Certification isn't just food, expanding into every product and service worldwide
But of course it's not just food that the halal certifiers want to profit from, the situation is getting worse, as you can see from the Thomson Reuters/DinarStandard report, halal certification is expanding evermore, to the point where not just all of our foods but also all of our services (worldwide) are likely to end up requiring halal certification, with the majority of the profits raised funding Islam.
Indonesia has made halal certification compulsory for every product
For instance Indonesia has legislated that by 2019 it will be "'mandatory for products that enter, are distributed and are traded in Indonesia to be halal certified.' It goes on to define those products as 'goods and/or services comprising of food, beverages, medicines, cosmetics, chemical products, biological products, genetically engineered products, as well as items that are worn, used or made use by the public.'" So pretty much everything! And MUI, who helped draft the legislation (you know the same group who endorse female genital mutilation) has everything to gain, "For one thing, the law puts the council temporarily in charge of overseeing the certification process, for which producers, importers and distributors of affected products will be charged a fee."
Indonesia's Halal overlord, MUI, supports female genital mutilation (FGM)
See my other post on MUI's links to female genital mutilation (FGM).
Your grocery purchases may be funding female genital mutilation
The State of The Global Islamic Economy Report 2016/17, pg 189
Segregating Muslims from non-Muslims is part of the Halal plan
Oh but it's not just money they want, the Halal Certification kingpins also want to change our way of life, as the Thomson Reuters/DinarStandard report not only mentions the segregation of genders in education (pg 193) and health care (pg 185), but also the segregation of Muslims from non-Muslims in health care (pg 189). Hmm, I wonder who will be allocated the best doctors?
Islamic indoctrination
Oh and if you are an educator, looks like you will be brainwashed into spewing out Islamic propaganda, whoops, I mean educators will undergo religious sensitivity training and be trained to be proficient in Islamic content. (pg 195) One assumes that if you are a female teacher you and your female students will be shoved to the back of the classroom, Rosa Parks style, so you don't contaminate the menfolk. But it is not all bad news because after you are forced to convert to Islam (surely that's the next step) you might end up with an interest free loan, as Muslims are pushing for this too (Shariah compliant finance).
Though before you become too enthusiastic, remember those interest free loans are attached to an oppressive system of law – Sharia (or Shariah) that treats women and other groups as subhumans.
Halal Certification is a form of jihad
For all the concerns about links to terrorism and other forms of extremism, perhaps the most alarming part of halal certification is that it is obviously a form of silent jihad, whereby instead of using violence, our countries are overtaken by stealth.
In conclusion – Halal Certification is Islamic Sharia by stealth
Halal certification is political Islam making its insidious inroads into our Western world – sharia by stealth. In the end this may prove far more effective than terrorism in controlling us. In fact considering that virtually all Australians are funding Islam through our weekly grocery shopping, and within a few years virtually every purchase everyone in the world makes will contribute to Islam, then we already know who are masters are.
Please share this blog, or my youtube video below with friends:
The 2016/2017 Thomson Reuters/DinarStandard (the latter being an Islamic company) report into the Global Islamic Economy, documents all the areas that Halal Certification has spread into. The whole report has been "supported by Dubai The Capital of Islamic Economy". Downloadable below, even if you just have a quick skim it is eye opening:
"The 2016/2017 Thomson Reuters/DinarStandard report into The State of The Global Islamic Economy" can be downloaded here:
ThomsonReuters-stateoftheGlobalIslamicEconomyReport201617 lower res
OR it can also be found at:
http://www.salaamgateway.com/en/food/story/SALAAM03102016111130/
Other related reading:
SMH, "Why halal certification is in turmoil", http://www.smh.com.au/national/why-halal-certification-is-in-turmoil-20141222-12cmd3.html
"Halal Certification a Bitter Pill for Pharma", http://jakartaglobe.id/news/halal-certification-bitter-pill-pharma/
Salaamgateway, "Islamic countries dependence on meat imports", http://www.salaamgateway.com/en/story/islamic_countries_dependence_on_meat_imports-salaam06092015165353/
Salaamgateway, "Int'l Halal Accreditation Forum seeks greater inclusivity, raises concerns on industry practices", http://www.salaamgateway.com/en/food/story/intl_halal_accreditation_forum_seeks_greater_inclusivity_raises_concerns_on_industry_practices-salaam05042017111603/
Salaamgateway, "What are the food items OIC countries import the most?", http://www.salaamgateway.com/en/food/story/what_are_the_food_items_oic_countries_import_the_most-salaam12032017045713/
(there is a lot of material, submissions etc, and the hansard is actually on a different website to these and the final report so I have just provided below the key documents, being the downloads of the hansard of the three hearings and then the final report):
EconomicsReferencesCommittee_2015_08_21_3720_Official.pdf;fileType=applicationpdf#search=halal
Senate Committee Report
For other materials, submissions etc related to this inquiry:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/Food_Cert_Schemes
Written by endgenderapartheid Posted in Halal Certification, Halal Certification and Terrorism, Halal Certification linked to female genital mutilation - FGM, Halal Slaughter, Halal Vaccines and Pharmaceuticals	Tagged with Halal, Halal Certification, halal certified, halal certifiers, Islam, Islamic, Muslim, political islam, senate, sharia, third-party certification of food
Is Halal Slaughter Humane?
Should we fund Islamic organisations? Ask your MP, Yes or No? And vote accordingly
Halal vaccines, medicines and segregation of the infidels
Halal Certification - Sharia by stealth, the $2.1 trillion dollar Islamic industry we are all chipping into - End Gender Apartheid on Does halal certification fund terrorism? Maybe, maybe not. So why take the risk?
Halal Certification and Terrorism
Halal Certification linked to female genital mutilation – FGM
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Downloadable flyer to email, or print, to share with friends
Here is a downloadable 1 page flyer to email or print and share with friends, so everyone can be informed about Halal Certification's Sharia by Stealth


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Home / Obituaries / Obituary: Robert Wieber
Obituary: Robert Wieber
November 28, 2021 Obituaries Comments Off on Obituary: Robert Wieber 813 Views
As received from the Memorial Chapel & Plowe Funeral Homes:
Robert H. Wieber of Houghton was called to his eternal home on November 27, 2021, after a long illness. He passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his wife and family. Bob was born in Hancock on July 21, 1938; son of Robert and Ruth (Mueller) Wieber. His early childhood was spent in Manhattan, IL, until the family returned to Houghton in 1945.
Bob was a 1956 graduate of Houghton High School. He attended Michigan Technological University where he earned his bachelor's degree in Engineering Physics. He was a member of numerous organizations including Sigma Rho fraternity, student government, Blue Key, Varsity Rifle Team and Tau Beta Pi. During his senior year at MTU, Bob received the U.S. Treasury Department Life Saving Medal after saving a fisherman from drowning in Portage Lake. While attending MTU he met his sweetheart, Janet Mayer of Rudyard, MI. The two were married on June 18, 1960, at St. Joseph Church in Rudyard.
Bob and Jan began their life together in Fullerton, CA, where Bob worked for Hughes Aircraft and earned his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California. At Hughes Aircraft, he worked on fixed-array radar for aircraft carriers. He went on to work on the Apollo Service Module attitude control system for North American Aviation (now part of Boeing) and on the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory for General Electric. While working for Moog, Inc., he was the General Manager of Moog Japan and later worked on components for the space shuttle program.
A devoted husband and loving father of six children, Bob was a wise and patient advisor and teacher. In 1983, the family returned to his hometown of Houghton. Locally, Bob was known as an instructor of electrical engineering at Michigan Tech and a business owner. From 1982 to 2004, he and Jan owned and operated the Vacationland Motel (currently Copper Country Inn) in Houghton. In 1998, he opened The College Bookshelf to serve the students of Michigan Tech. Bob retired in 2012.
Bob was a man of faith and a member of St. Ignatius Loyola parish in Houghton. He enjoyed many hobbies throughout his life including carpentry and hunting, but his passion was sailing. He and Jan enjoyed many years together sailing Portage Lake and the waters of the Great Lakes. He was a member of the Onigaming Yacht Club of Houghton. He was also a Boy Scout, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout and serving as a Scout leader, and a founding member of the Screwball Hunting Club of Ontonagon.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents Robert F. and Ruth Wieber, sister Jane Neff, and son-in-law Jeff Talcott. He is survived by his wife Jan and his children: Bob Wieber of Nashville, TN; Denise Talcott of Sun City Center, FL; Jill (Jim) Johnson of Clarksville, TN; Ken Wieber of St. Augustine, FL; Tim (Annie) Wieber of Plymouth, MI; and Janine (Hal) Burton of Bark River, MI; daughter-in-law Michele Wieber of Clarksville, TN; as well as 17 grandchildren: Rob, Kristen, Natalie, Matthew, Cassidy, TJ, Allison, Sam, Ben, Nick, Tim, Jack, Ella, Hal, Amanda, Max, and Sean, and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like to express their deepest appreciation to the Aspirus Hospice team, especially Steve Foix, Scott Wagner and Roger Korby.
Services will be held at St. Ignatius Loyola church in Houghton on Saturday, December 4, with visitation at 9:00 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00; Fr. John Martignon officiating.
To view Robert's obituary or to send condolences to the family please visit www.memorialchapel.net.
Memorial Chapel Funeral & Cremation Service of Hancock is assisting the family with arrangements
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Home > ALL ART > Zoe Mac > Brooks Delight
Zoe Mac, "Brooks Delight" Limited Edition Lithograph, Numbered and Hand Signed with Letter of Authenticity.
"Brooks Delight" is a limited edition lithograph on paper by Zoe Mac, numbered and hand signed by the artist. Includes Letter of Authenticity. Measures approx. 29.5" x 23" (border), 26" x 20" (image). Please note: there may be minor wear on the corners and edges.
Zoe Mac is an internationally known artist whose paintings have been published inthe United States, Europe and subsequently marketed with collectors in all fifty states and internationally in countries that include Great Britain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Spain, South Africa, Bulgaria and areas of Australia.
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For media inquiries, contact seifert [at] nceas.ucsb.edu (Jenny Seifert), communications officer.
To contact individuals at NCEAS, see our online directory.
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We are located at 735 State Street in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. From Highway 101, exit at Carrillo Street. At the light, turn toward downtown and the mountains. (From 101 North from Los Angeles, turn right. From 101 South from UCSB or San Francisco, turn left onto Carrillo). Drive 5 blocks on Carrillo Street and turn right onto State Street. NCEAS is located in the middle of the next block on the right side of the the street.
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