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Fighting Covid-19: East Asian Responses to the Pandemic
A toolbox of policy options
No magic formula, but key ingredients
Fighting Covid-19:
East Asian Responses to the Pandemic
Policy Paper - April 2020
Policy Paper ( 65 pages)
Mathieu Duchâtel, François Godement and Viviana Zhu
Mathieu Duchâtel is Director of the Asia Program at Institut Montaigne since January 2019. Before joining the Institute he was Senior Policy Fellow and Deputy Director of the Asia and China Program at the European Council of Foreign Relations (2015-2018), Senior Researcher and the Representative in Beijing of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
François Godement is Senior Advisor for Asia to Institut Montaigne, Paris. He is also a non-resident Senior Associate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C., and an external consultant for the Policy Planning Staff of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Viviana Zhu is the Policy Officer for Institut Montaigne's Asia Program since January 2019. Before joining Institut Montaigne, Ms. Zhu worked as Coordinator of the Asia Program of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).
What are the lessons from East Asian countries on their management of the Covid-19 crisis? Can the early methods that many of them deployed to avoid full lockdown be useful for our post-confinement phase in Europe?
In the first three months of 2020, East Asian states used several policy tools to prevent an exponential increase of cases: masks of course, but also strict quarantine implementation, epidemiological investigations, massive use of digital tools, strong mobilization of the industrial sector for medical supplies.
The first lesson of this policy paper is about the importance of early warning and immediate action, through previously set up centers to communicate and coordinate public action. First signs of a severe pneumonia of unknown origin spreading in Wuhan were confirmed on December 31, 2019. Monitoring for symptoms in incoming passengers from Wuhan helped to contain local outbreaks of Covid-19. There, the lessons learned from SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) played a useful role.
China is of course a special case, where appropriate responses only started on January 20. In Hubei province, the contagion had reached such a level that the only option was a full lockdown. Nonetheless, if lockdown and quarantines have been more forcefully used in China than anywhere else, other policy tools bear some resemblance to the actions by the five other East Asian countries. The other unique feature that stands out is China's ability to mobilize its industry quickly for medical supplies. With this policy paper, Institut Montaigne offers a comparative overview of the policy responses of China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan to the pandemic. Each case study includes a detailed timeline of events and measures taken in anticipation or during the crisis, to contain the spread of the virus, adapt social behavior and the healthcare system to the pressures created by this new virus, and favor emergency support of public welfare and the economy.
The six cases have different political systems. China is an authoritarian state, Singapore and Hong Kong present a combination of the rule of law and authoritarian features, while Taiwan, South Korea and Japan are full democracies, with vibrant public debates and an ever contested political space.
But apart from China's initial reluctance to acknowledge the seriousness of the virus threat, the responses do not reflect a huge difference in governance models. Japan has been more cautious than others on compulsory requirements and the use of big data. Still, from Seoul to Singapore, there is an East Asian toolbox with similar features, the use of which varies through unique policy packages from country to country:
Enforcement of individual quarantine including with digital surveillance tools, rather than mass confinement.
Early border controls to track imported infection at early stages of the crisis, also as an alternative to confinement, including with meticulous - sometimes intrusive - contact tracing.
The mobilization of industry in support of the national need for medical equipment, especially protective items like masks.
Focused economic measures rather than massive plans, without any regional coordination at all: this does not seem sustainable in the long term.
No country has entirely eradicated the virus, and rebounds or what could be a "second wave" is happening here and there. The recent (late March-early April) accent on border closures reflects a general sense of uncertainty about the near future. A weakness of Asia's toolbox is indeed the lack of regional cooperation, and Europe still has a chance to show the way in this regard.
Europeans will find it useful to focus on the strong points of East Asia's fight against the pandemic:
China is impressive for the strength of its industrial mobilization capability, and the extremely strict confinement measures in Wuhan and many other cities.
South Korea is unique for its testing policy and easy access to tests, but also for the targeted epidemiological investigations the country conducted.
Taiwan, least affected of all, provides a positive answer regarding the use of digital tools in a democratic system and the importance of strictly enforced individual quarantines to prevent a general lockdown.
Japan, an intermediary case with Europe because of its legal restraints, has made use of compulsory hospitalization (with an abundant supply of ICU beds) for Covid-19 cases. It also showcases the importance of social self-discipline intimes of epidemic.
Singapore offers a remarkable option for retrospective contact tracing via the application TraceTogether, which stores close social contact on Bluetooth phones for future warning action when a contamination is detected.
Finally, Hong Kong is a model of rapid reaction, and of the importance of social responsibility in a crowded city.
The exact measures taken by these six governments deserve our full attention. None of them taken in isolation is sufficient to eradicate the virus. Caution is also necessary, given the as yet unknown features and perhaps the mutating nature of the Covid threat. Two countries, Singapore and Japan, are adopting more restrictive measures for their populations at the beginning of April 2020. Doubts persist on risks from asymptomatic cases and undetected clusters, including in China.
Despite this caveat, the number of cases recorded in East Asia remains far lower than the hundreds of thousands of infections experienced in Europe and the United States. The importance placed by these countries on measures focused on individuals and case-by-case monitoring of patients, is an alternative to an all-out effort aiming at "flattening the curve" of contagion. Lockdown is indeed a last resort strategy, to avoid overwhelming hospital resources.
The measures that made it possible to avoid confinement in Northeast Asia and in Singapore, the managed re-opening of Wuhan and other cities under lockdown in China are relevant in the context of discussions on the exit from confinement in Europe.
This policy paper underlines six lessons in particular:
The importance of pre-planned standardized procedures
The opportunities offered by digital tools backed by democratic safeguards
Strict enforcement of quarantine measures as opposed to general confinement
The challenge of improving the supply of protective medical equipment to manage the crisis
The role of masks as the first line of defense against infectious respiratory diseases
and the necessity of thinking strategically about the post-crisis period to minimize the economic consequences of the pandemic.
As European countries start thinking about the most effective strategies to ease the lockdown, from both a public health and an economic standpoint, the analysis of crisis management in East Asia is essential to fuel these reflections, contain the pandemic and thus avoid the prospect of renewed lockdowns.
Lernen von Ostasien
In the media | 6 May 2020
Die Volksrepublik China inszeniert sich als Vorbild für den entschlossenen Kampf gegen die Covid-19-Epidemie. Doch fünf ihrer Nachbarländer haben das Virus unter Kontrolle bekommen, bevor Ausbrüche mit exponentiellen Zuwachsraten wie in Wuhan auftreten konnten: Singapur, Hongkong, Taiwan, Südkorea und Japan.
Les 10 leçons de l'Asie pour lutter contre le Covid-19
In the media | 16 April 2020
Dans un épais rapport, l'Institut Montaigne compare les solutions asiatiques au coronavirus. Un manuel de survie pour surmonter la crise sanitaire.
Policy Paper -


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3D Virtual Reconstructions	VR Experiences
Games	Early Access
James (I, King of Scotland 1406-1437)
Born 1394 Born At
Died 20 February 1437 Buried At
Father Robert (III, King of Scotland 1390-1406) Mother Drummond, Annabella
Born 1394 /
Died 20 February 1437 /
he poor leadership of Robert III, King of Scotland led to an uprising by the barons. The most powerful baron was his own brother, also called Robert, but known as the Duke of Albany. Albany arranged for the King's eldest son, david, to be imprisoned where he died from starvation. In 1406, the King attempted to send his younger son James, and now heir to the Scottish throne, to France in an attempt to save the boy from the hand of Albany. But James was captured by pirates and handed over to the English. A month later Robert III of Scotland died and James should have become King of Scotland, but he was held prisoner by the English. James was held for eighteen years while Scotland was ruled by the Duke of Albany acting as regent. Albany and his son Murdac both refused to ransom James as they prefered to hold on to power in Scotland. While in captivity James was given a good education befitting a king and he married an Englishwoman Joan Beaufort, the great-granddaughter of Edward III, King of England. When James was finally released in 1424 he returned to Scotland to be crowned, He then set about destroying the barons, but in February of 1437 he was attacked at Blackfriars monastery in Perth and killed. Joan and their son, the future James II, escaped.
Family (7) Parents
Beaufort, Joan
Margaret (Stewart)
Isabella (Stewart)
Eleanor (Stewart)
James (II, King of Scotland 1437-1460)
Joan (Stewart)
Stewart, David (Duke of Rothesay)
Robert (III, King of Scotland 1390-1406)
Drummond, Annabella
Family Tree Details
Father: Robert (III, King of Scotland 1390-1406) ( - d.1406)
Mother: Drummond, Annabella (b.1350? - d.1401)
Show Graphical Tree
James (I, King of Scotland 1406-1437) (b.1394 - d.1437)
+Beaufort, Joan (b.1404? - d.1445)
= Margaret (Stewart) ( - d.1445)
| +Louis (XI, King of France 1461-1483)
= Isabella (Stewart) ( - d.1494)
= Eleanor (Stewart) ( - d.1480)
= James (II, King of Scotland 1437-1460) (b.1430 - d.1460)
| +Mary (of Guelders) (b.1433 - d.1463)
| = James (III, King of Scotland 1460-1488) ( - d.1488)
| +Margaret (of Denmark) (b.1456 - d.1486)
| = James (IV King of Scotland 1488-1513) (b.1473 - d.1513)
= Joan (Stewart) ( - d.1480)
= Margaret (Stewart) ( - d.1445)
|   +Louis (XI, King of France 1461-1483)
= Isabella (Stewart) ( - d.1494)
= Eleanor (Stewart) ( - d.1480)
= James (II, King of Scotland 1437-1460) (b.1430 - d.1460)
|   +Mary (of Guelders) (b.1433 - d.1463)
|       = James (III, King of Scotland 1460-1488) ( - d.1488)
|           +Margaret (of Denmark) (b.1456 - d.1486)
|               = James (IV King of Scotland 1488-1513) (b.1473 - d.1513)
= Joan (Stewart) ( - d.1480)
Stewart, Robert (Duke of Albany)
1406 (Age: 12yrs)
James (I) captured by the English
Robert III of Scotland had fled from the Duke of Albany to Rothesay Castle and had attempted to send his son James to France. English pirates intercepted James and he was sent to London and imprisoned.
James I of Scotland
With the death of Robert III, King of the Scots, James I became the new King of Scotland but as he was imprisoned by the English, his uncle Robert, Duke of Albany, acted as Regent until the release of James in 1424.
Robert III dies
Robert III, King of Scotland died at Rothesay Castle. His son James, although the rightful heir to the Scottish throne, was not crowned until 1424.
Treaty of London
Treaty allowing James I, of Scotland to be freed from his prison where he had been for eighteen years and return to Scotland and become King.
Treaty of Durham
At the Treaty of Durham, James I of Scotland was released from his captivity allowing him to return to Scotland and claim the throne. Note: This appears to be the second treaty allowing his release, so need to understand why there were two,
James I crowned
James I, King of Scotland was crowned at Scone Abbey.
Stirling Castle executions
When James I returned to Scotland and take the thone he found that the country was in a poor state of affairs. There were many barons who had used the time of his imprisonment to further their own ambitions rather than to protect Scotland and it's people. These included Murdoch Stewart and his sons, Walter and Alexander. Murdoch had been acting as regent since the death of his father, Robert Duke of Albany in 1420. King James had Walter, Alexander and finally Murdoch arrested and executed at Stirling Castle.
Earl of Strathearn
King James continued his oppression of the barons by granting the title of Earl of Strathearn to Walter earl of Atholl. Walter was James' uncle by his grandfather's second marriage. By granting the title for life this meant Walter's sons would inherit the title after his death.
Parliament at Inverness
The Highlands of Scotland did not regard King James as their soveriegn. So the king called a Parliament at Inverness and invited the clans to attend. Once there the King had many of the chiefs of the clans arrested, tried and executed. Many more were imprisoned.
Birth of James II of Scotland
Joan Beaufort, the wife of King James I of Scotland gave birth to twins, James and Alexander at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. Alexander did not survive long.
Assassination of King James I
James I of Scotland spent Christmas at Pearth. Late in the evening of February 20th, assassins found their way to the King's private appartment. James' wife managed to hold off the attackers while the King attempted to escape through vaults underneath the room, but his escape route was blocked and he was brutally murdered. The attackers would by found guilty of his murder and executed.
James II becomes King of the Scots
After the death of his father, James II became the King of the Scots.
Transport yourself back up to a thousand years and explore historical buildings as they may have appeared in the past.	Built using the popular game development tool Unity 3D, these reconstructions will run in the most of the popular web browsers on your desktop or laptop computer.
More medieval people
Uncover the lives of the hundreds of kings, queens, lords, ladies, barons, earls, archbishops and rebels who made the medieval people an exciting period of history to live through.
< Medieval People
Kings and Queens of England >
2. R. L. Storey, The Medieval World 800 - 1490, ISBN:0-09-178264-3
Virtual Buildings
Transport yourself back up to a thousand years and explore historical buildings as they may have appeared in the past.
Motte & Bailey
Stone Keep
Siege Engines
Tower House
Middleham Castle

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Trace your roots back to Belgium. This DIY kit provides you with a growing list of tools to help you write the story of your Belgian immigrant ancestor.
If you decide you need professional help, visit chainlines.com, where you can read about my services, or email me at kristine@chainlines.com
Anatomy of Belgian Birth Records
Dutch and French Browsing Vocabulary
Selected Online Resources
Examples of several Belgian birth records with translations. Last updated 22 July 2020.
Anatomy of Belgian Birth RecordsDownload
Useful words to know when navigating a Dutch or French language website.
Dutch and French Browsing VocabularyDownload
Where to find dictionaries, gazetteers, family trees, blogs, user groups, and other resources for Belgian genealogy online, Last updated 22 July 2020.
Online-Resources-for-Belgian-Genealogy-1Download
Kristine Smets
My name is Kristine Smets. I am a professional historian and genealogist. I grew up in Kalmthout, a town north of the city of Antwerp in Belgium, not far from the border with the Netherlands. In 1987 I moved to the United States, and for the last twenty-three years have been living in Baltimore, Maryland. I frequently travel to Belgium to conduct research.
Looking for your ancestors in Belgium? Kristine is a professional family historian who can help you with your research. Visit www.chainlines.com to learn more about my services.
FamilySearch to Digitize Belgian Civil Registration Records from 1910 to 1950
More of the Gazette van Moline Online
Finding Your Belgian Ancestor In US Naturalization Records
The Gazette van Moline
Finding Belgian-Americans in United States' Ship Manifests. Part II: Research Tips
Finding Belgian Americans in United States' Passenger Lists. Part I: A Brief History
Research Your Maternal Line with MamaMito
Belgian Population Registers
Where to find Belgian Mourning Letters and Memorial Cards
De Mortuis Nili Nisi Bene
Categories Select Category Belgians in America (9) Community Life (1) Destinations (6) Canada (2) United States (5) Illinois (2) Texas (1) History (3) War Brides (1) Origins (1) Stories (1) Genealogy Articles (20) DNA Research (1) Repositories (1) Sources (19) Birth Records (5) Death memorial cards (2) Death Records (6) Ethnic Newspapers (3) Marriage Records (8) Mourning letters (2) Naturalization records (1) Passenger lists (2) Population registers (1) General (2) Learn More (4) Belgian-American Communities (2) Belgians in Illinois (2) Memoirs etc. (1) Reference (1) Handbooks and Manuals (1)
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'Copper': Franka Potente on BBC America's dark new crime drama
By Sandra Gonzalez
Updated August 19, 2012 at 12:00 PM EDT
Credit: BBC America
Franka Potente had no reason to worry about the quality of BBC America's Copper. With veteran producers like Homicide: Life on the Street team Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson at the helm, she knew they were in good hands. But even so, the actress admits to being a little nervous.
"Honestly, if it doesn't look awesome, it's embarrassing," the actress, who plays a madam named Eva Heissen, remembers thinking. "I've seen it too often." Luckily, she reports, relief washed over her after she watched the first two episodes. "I was like, 'Oh my God, this is great.'"
Copper, the network's first original scripted series, follows Det. Kevin Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones), a man who solves crimes while also tracking down information on his daughter's murder and wife's disappearance. Potente's (Run Lola Run, Bourne Identity) Eva is Corcoran's "f–k buddy," she jokes, and one of many people in the detective's elaborate network of crime solving helpers. "We basically pick up sort of where [Gangs of New York] left off," she says. "There was a lot of anger going on [at the time] and the police was sort of like a gang in itself."
In the first episode, airing tonight, Corcoran aims to solve the murder and rape of a young girl who lived on the streets. The dark subject matters tackled week to week are, says Potente, authentic of the time. "It was a melting pot, and there were hundreds and hundreds of poor people with nothing to eat. This is where the heart of the story is set," she says. "The second episode, I think, is even darker. You get a real [idea] of what we're going for."
Copper airs tonight on BBC America.
'Doctor Who': BBC announces 50th anniversary TV movie


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Roy Moore begs for help with legal defense fund to 'make ends meet'
Moore decried the costliness of his attorneys and described how his resources "have been depleted" and he's "struggled to make ends meet."
Roy Moore begs for help with legal defense fund to 'make ends meet' Moore decried the costliness of his attorneys and described how his resources "have been depleted" and he's "struggled to make ends meet." Check out this story on coloradoan.com: https://usat.ly/2oRfSYj
Sean Rossman, USA TODAY Published 9:18 a.m. MT March 3, 2018 | Updated 7:21 a.m. MT March 5, 2018
Roy Moore prepares to take the stage Dec. 12, 2017, in Montgomery, Ala., where he announced that he will be pursuing a recount of election results that have Doug Jones winning the U.S. Senate race in Alabama. (Photo: Albert Cesare, Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser)
A cash-strapped Roy Moore urged supporters Thursday to pour more donations into a legal defense fund formed to fight a defamation lawsuit by a woman who said he molested her when she was 14.
In a lengthy Facebook post, the unsuccessful U.S. Senate candidate decried the cost of his attorneys and described how his resources "have been depleted" and he's "struggled to make ends meet."
More on Roy Moore: Trump is tone deaf on domestic violence, women's issues
Read more: Roy Moore accuser's house destroyed in fire, under investigation for arson
"I have lawyers who want to help but they are not without cost and besides their fees, legal expenses could run over $100,000," he wrote. "I have had to establish a legal defense fund, anything you give will be appreciated."
Post by JudgeRoyMoore.
Moore, a former judge on the Alabama Supreme Court, lost the race for Senate to Democrat Doug Jones in December.
The Republican started the fundraiser, which aimed to raise $250,000, in late January, to fight the defamation lawsuit filed by Leigh Corfman, the Associated Press reported.
Corfman told the Washington Post in the run-up to the election Moore took her to his home in 1979, undressed her and ran her hand over the front of his underwear. Moore denied wrongdoing with Corfman as well as two other accusers. Her lawsuit highlights his denials and accusations that the women were paid or had political motivations.
"All these statements by Mr. Moore are defamatory," the Jan. 4 lawsuit read. "Mr. Moore sexually abused Ms. Corfman in 1979, when she was 14 years old and he was in his early 30s, and Mr. Moore's denials of these facts are false and his characterizations of Ms. Corfman and her motivations are untrue."
Read more: Roy Moore supporters disappointed, but holding onto hope for a recount
Read more: Caption this: Roy Moore heads to the polls on a horse
In an email to supporters in late January, Moore explained how the unsuccessful Senate run left him with "very minimal" resources.
His recent call for donations drew on the touchstones of his campaign: bashing the "Washington establishment" and appealing to God. He included a link to the donation website.
"The liberal media, in association with some who want to destroy our country do not want my influence in the 2018 elections and are doing everything they can to stop me," he said. "Gays, lesbians, and transgenders have joined forces with those who believe in abortion, sodomy, and destruction of all that we hold dear. Unless we stand together we will lose our Country."
He vowed not to back down.
"My resources have been depleted and I have struggled to make ends meet," he said," but I have not lost my faith in our God, who is our true source of strength and will never leave or forsake us."
Follow Sean Rossman on Twitter: @SeanRossman
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2oRfSYj


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Kirsty's Genealogical Blog
This blog started because of the "#52 ancestors in 52 weeks" challenge and is all about the people in my family tree/history that I've managed to research so far. I find genealogy absolutely facinating and can lose myself in research for days at a time! I hope you find my ancestors as interesting as I do.
#52 Ancestors: #1 - Cyril Francis Prince 1920 - 1991
This is the first of 52 blogs this year, one a week, that will be about an ancestor of mine or my husbands. A lady called Amy Crow, from www.nostorytoosmall.com set a challenge to blog about one ancestor a week for a year, and quite a few people around the world have accepted the challenge, including me.
The person I'm going to start this challenge off with is my maternal grandfather, who was a wonderful man and loved by all who knew him.
Cyril Prince 1942
Cyril Francis Prince was born on Sunday 13th July 1920, at 44 Bridge Road, Northam, Southampton, Hampshire, England, to parents William Charles Prince and Annie Frances nee Cox. He was their 2nd child, his brother, Charles William Prince being 2 years older than him.
He was baptized at St James (Docks) Southampton on 22nd August 1920. The record states that his father was a seaman and the family were still living at 44 Bridge Road.
He grew up in the Chapel/St Mary's area of Southampton, with his dad often away at sea. When Cyril was 4, his dad dropped his brother at school one day, then disappeared from their lives. A year later his mum Annie met another man, George Richard Wight, and in May 1926, Annie and George had the first of 5 children.
At the start of WW2, Cyril joined the Royal Air Force and was stationed at a base at Little Rissington in the Cotswolds. It was a training school for airmen as well as a maintenance unit, and Cyril's job was as part of the maintenance crew who fixed all the aircraft, so our airmen could go back out to fight.
One day, Cyril was on the bus to the market, when he met a beautiful young woman called Joan Coombes. Her father Walter ran a pub, The New Inn, in a nearby village called Nether Westcote. A lot of the men from the base went to the pub, as it was the nearest to the base.
Joan and Cyril courted throughout the rest of the war, then in 1945 Cyril was set to be posted to Singapore, so they got a special licence and married on Saturday 18th August 1945. Then suddenly, wonderfully, the war ended and Joan soon found out she was pregnant. She had a number of problems throughout the pregnancy which ended more than 2 months prematurely, when she haemorrhaged badly and nearly died, along with the baby. Collin was born in the pub, but they were both rushed to the hospital and treated, and survived. The following year, the young family moved back to Cyril's hometown of Southampton, Hampshire and were housed by the council in a pre-fab in Sholing, until the council houses had finished being built. By the time they were given a 3 bed roomed council house in Bitterne, Joan & Cyril also had a little girl, Ann (my mum) and in 1950 they had another little girl, Janet. In 1952, Joan became pregnant again, but like with Collin, she had terrible problems which ended with a premature birth and another haemorrhage, but this time the baby boy died.
Me, Nan & Gramps 1977
Cyril found a job in security, working for the council in the museums and council buildings around Southampton. With an interest in the city's history, he soon learnt all he could from the different museums and became a guide as well as a security officer.
Me & Gramps 1980
In 1972, aged 51, Cyril became a grandfather for the first time, when Collin and his wife had a baby girl. The following year I was born and Collin had a son around 1979. As Collin and his wife had moved out to New Zealand with their daughter in 1974, and very rarely came back to the UK, I got to spend a lot of time with my grandparents, especially as my parents ran a pub and needed someone to look after me on weekends. I got my love of history from Gramps as well as my love of books.
Joan & Cyril Prince, December 1987
In the early 80's he developed stomach cancer and it took a long time for him to be clear from it, and he had several stomach problems after. As an adult he was a small man, barely 5ft 6in and always very slim built. We've recently found out my mu has coaeliac disease, and it's most probable that's what was wrong with Gramps as well. After Nan died in November 1988, he gave up on life, they were absolute soul mates, perfectly made for each other and couldn't live without each other. Nan was only 64 and had a sudden stroke that took her right away and it's something that Gramps, Mum, Aunty Jan and I never got over. Gramps just seemed to waste away, and the cancer came back with a real force, this time it couldn't be stopped. But just as he was diagnosed and given 3 months to live, I found out I was pregnant, and he determined to hold on to see the baby. My son was born on Wednesday 13th February 1991, we went to see Gramps on Sunday 17th, by which time he didn't recognise anyone in the family, but he knew who I was and that I had his first great grandchild. We spent about an hour with him before he was too tired, and when we got home the hospice called to say he'd slipped into a coma. He died on Thursday 21st February 1991, just 8 days after my son was born, but he'd kept his promise and stayed to see my baby, so he could tell Nan all about him.
Gramps and my son 17th |Feb 1991
Posted by Kirsty Williams at 09:21 No comments:
Intro Blog
Hi, my name's Kirsty, I live in Hampshire, UK, am married with 5 kids aged 15 -23, all of whom are on the autistic spectrum to varying degrees, as are my hubby and I. We have our first grandchild on the way, due in June, which we're all very excited about.
We also have 2 dogs, Rosie, a border collie and Radar a black lab. Rosie's a bit of a freak of nature, as they are from the same litter, born in the same sac so are actually supposed to be identical twins, but look like 2 completely different breeds! The mother was a pedigree lab who coupled with her own son, also a pedigree lab, and no-one can explain why Rosie came out a border collie! They can't be parted or they just pine for each other. Radar has epilepsy and Rosie can always tell when a fit is coming, which is good for us. They're getting on a bit now as they're 10 1/2 and Radar also has arthritis, so can't run around or play ball in the field anymore, which he loves almost as much as food! He's a typical black lab and loves food, playing ball and water. Rosie likes food, will only play ball if she's walked on her own and will only paddle in water unless you throw her ball into it!
Bella-Donna
As well as the kids & dogs, we have 3 cats. We got our eldest cat in June 2010 at 6 weeks old, after my beloved 15 year old Tilly-Anna had to be put to sleep after a long illness. I'd always really wanted a female silver tabby called Bella-Donna and was so pleased to find one. I went out and bought a pink bed, collar and loads of pink toys and she was SOO cute! However, 2 weeks later we discovered she was a HE!! I was really upset but we were all so in love we couldn't even think of sending him back, so spent hours coming up with a new name. In the end we chose Osiris, though everyone calls him Ozzy or Oz. He was really cuddly as a kitten and would always curl up on me, but after a few months he stopped and doesn't curl up on anyone. He's quite skittish and shy around people and stopped being playful until we got our 3rd cat. He can usually be found on his bed at the top of the stairs, and insists on a fuss whenever anyone walks past. If he's feeling particularly friendly, he'll put his front paws on your shoulder and rub his head all over yours, but beware, you'll get wet as he's a dribbler!
Our 2nd cat, Isis (Izzie) came to stay with us in November 2011 when she was 12 weeks old. She originally came as a favour to a friends daughter while she was between homes, but she ended up staying for good. She then surprised us 5 months later in April 2012 by having a litter of 6 beautiful kittens, when I thought she was too young to get pregnant! Izzie is quite a small cat, with a big attitude and thinks she's a dog! She has extremely fluffy black fur, with a small white bib and one white back toe. She's playful but vicious with her claws; climbs well, gets into anything and everything and eats almost as much as the dogs! She's always pinching food and you can't leave anything unattended if she's in the house. She's even run off with a half eaten sausage with the fork still in it, and taken chops from under the grill while they were cooking!
In her surprise litter, she had 2 pure smokey grey kittens, 2 pure white and 2 pure black. Unfortunately she had quite a traumatic labour, and needed a lot of help. Once they'd been born she wouldn't feed them so they had to be hand-reared. Giving them all names was opened to the children, my neice and the friends daughter. The first one born was the male grey and as he'd done really well to survive he was called Trooper, which meant the female grey was called Super! The white male was called Snowball and the female was called Wiggles as she was the most active. The black female was called Aconite, and we asked our then 18 year old daughter to name the black male and she called him Default Dave! By the end of the day they were born, we'd sold all 6 of them to friends and family! However, sadly, they died one after the other in the first few days, only the black ones hung on. Aconite's name was changed to Lister and I spent every night hand feeding them every 4 hours, but then we lost Lister at 2 weeks as well.
When Dave survived, none of us could let him go, especially me, so he became our 3rd cat. At first he was really loving and fell asleep curled up on whoever had fed him (usually me) but as he's got older, it's very rare he'll curl up with anyone, although he does like a fuss and purrs as soon as any of us touches him, and he has a very loud purr. He's extremely playful but vicious like his mum and is hardly ever in, unless its really cold. As he grew, there was a bit of a power struggle between Dave and Ozzy, with Dave trying hard to be top cat, but Izzy soon showed them both who's boss in this house!
What can I tell you about me? I'm 40, have ADHD and several OCD's, am really into history, murder mysteries, genealogy and crafting. I love reading and have a library/craft room instead of a dining room. I have a hugely hyperactive imagination that never stops, and have written some short stories, started a series of children's stories as well as several novels. However, I lose interest quite quickly, get bored with sticking to one thing at a time, so have never finished any of them, except one I wrote when I was 15, and I ended that by suddenly killing everyone as I'd got bored with it! I also have several other ideas for novels swimming around in my head that I haven't even started putting on paper yet, but am constantly thinking about and working on in my head.
My crafting really took off about 10/11 years ago when my mum-in-law taught me how to cross stitch. At first I was stitching small things and making cards with them, then I started doing more to the cards and was soon making cards without the cross stitch. I also like photography and as a way of displaying my photos I got into scrap-booking as well. In 2004 I created my own company, Celtic-Rose Designs, but never really tried to sell my cards, just made them to give my family & friends. Now money's tighter than ever, and with our first grandchild on the way, as well as having a ton of stuff to make cards with that's just sitting there, I've decided it's time to try and make cards to sell, so am currently building a website. On it I'll be selling cards, prayer cards, cross stitched bookmarks and I've recently started making jewellery as well.
One of my other main interests, is genealogy. I find it so absorbing and its like being a detective trying to find out about all the different people, connecting the dots and making sure you have the right information. I started in 1993, when there wasn't much internet and most records were on paper. I stopped doing research for a few years, but got right back into it about 9 years ago, and have now taken several of mine and my husbands lines back to 16/1700's. Part of my husband's tree goes right back to the year 545AD as he's a direct and legitimate descendant of King Edward 1st! That branch has been so much fun to research, and with so many records now online it's been quite easy to find people, but takes a lot of research to make sure everything is true.
One of the things you'll find on my blog, will be entries with titles like "52 Ancestors: #1 name". This is part of a challenge set by an American genealogist, for people to blog about 52 ancestors in 52 weeks, so 1 ancestor each week. If you're interested in taking part, please go to her website; www.nostorytoosmall.com for details.
Anyway, this is my first blog, so please be patient with me as I learn what I'm supposed to be doing, no doubt I'll make mistakes along the way! I hope you enjoy reading them.
Kirsty Williams
I'm a 40 year old mum of 5 kids aged 15-23, and married to my soul mate. I'm really into history, genealogy, murder mysteries and crafting. I've been knitting on & off since 1990, cross stitching since 2002, making cards & scrapbooks, since 2004, but haven't really tried to sell any until now. I've now got into making 3D pictures, jewellery & keyrings as well and have sold some at local craft fairs. My next new craft to try is making traditional sweets & cupcakes. I'm completely new to blogging, so please be patient and don't laugh too much at my mistakes, as there's bound to be a few!


2009 was a big year for Amy. As she was now in the Junior U19 category she was finally old enough to make her international cycling debut, with her first trip being to Moscow, Russia for the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships. At the Australian National Championships in Adelaide, as a junior U19, she raced alongside other Tasmanian athletes to finish 3rd in the Elite category in the Teams Pursuit.


If you can look past the comparisons to Renaissance era artists and disregard the self importance you might expect from a company that makes ultra exclusive supercars, this 15 minute video produced by Pagani offers an awesome behind the scenes look at the Huayra.
From footage of the external vendors assembling various mechanical components to an explanation of the process that went into designing Pagani's most recent model, it's clear every aspect of the car is executed with an insane level of detail.
We might still think it looks like a catfish, but at least thanks to this video we now know how to pronounce Huayra.


Q1. Which of the following numbers will be obtained if the second digit of the lowest number is subtracted from the first digit of the largest number after subtracting one from each digit of each of the numbers?
Q2. If in each number, the first and the last digits are interchanged, then which of the following will be the third highest number?
Q3. If in each number, the second and the first digits are interchanged, then which will be the highest number?
Q4. If one is subtracted from the first digit of each of the numbers and then the first and the third digits are interchanged, then which of the following will be the lowest?
Q5. If in each number, all the three digits are arranged in the descending order, then which of the following will be the third lowest number?
Q6. How many 3s are there in the above arrangement, each of which is immediately preceded by a digit which has a numerical value of more than five?
Q7. Which of the following is seventh to the right of the twentieth from the left end of the above arrangement?
Q8. If all the odd digits are deleted (dropped) from the above arrangements, then which of the following will be ninth from the right end of the arrangement?
Q9. How many such 1s are there in the above arrangement each of which is immediately preceded by an odd digit and immediately followed by an even digit?
Q10. How many such 3s are there in the above arrangement, each of which is immediately preceded by a perfect cube?
Directions (11-15): These questions are based on the following six numbers.
Q11. If two digits numbers are formed by taking the 2nd and 3rd digits respectively of each of these numbers and then the two digits of each of these two digit numbers are interchanged, then which number from the given numbers will be the second highest number in the revised form?
Q12. If all digits are arranged in the ascending order within each number, then how many numbers are less than 500?
Q13. If the resultant of every number is calculated by adding all the digits of each of the numbers, then how many numbers will have resultant which is a perfect cube?
Q14. If one is subtracted from the first digit of each of the given numbers and then each digit is arranged in descending order within each number, then which of the following number is third smallest?
Q15. If one is subtracted from middle digit in each given numbers and then all the digits in each number is arranged in ascending order then which of the following number is second highest?


The amount of U.S. pork exported each day is equaled to the weight of 30 Statues of Liberty. Just one of the excellent pork trade facts you need to commit to memory.
Over 96% of the world's population lives outside the United States. Around the globe, consumers vote with their hard earned money for pork. Worldwide, 42% of the animal protein consumed is pork. According to the USDA, U.S. pork producers shipped a total of $5.7 billion pork and pork variety meat outside of the United States in 2016, doubling the value since 2006.
Making trade the No. 1 priority is smart business for the U.S. pork industry. The industry is laser-focused on growing its marketing footprint. With the ever-changing political atmosphere, it is the time for all pork producers to tell their story and show the world why U.S. pork is safe, high quality, delicious and nutritious.
Along the storytelling trail, it is equally essential that key government officials also understand why the United States can't damage the pork trade ties now.
Here are five trade numbers you need to know now.
According to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, the U.S. exports the equivalent by weight more than 30 Statues of Liberty each day on the average or 13.7 million pounds.
In 2016, the USDA FAS states 26% of U.S. pork and pork variety meat production was exported. This accounts for $50.20 per hog marketed. In comparison, U.S. exports 14% of beef production and 15% of poultry production.
Although U.S. pork is exported to every continent except Antarctica in 2016, five countries — Japan, Mexico, Canada, China and South Korea — account for 81% of U.S. pork exports (in value). Top six countries by volume in 2016 were South Korea, Central and South America, Canada, Japan, China/Hong Kong and Mexico.
How valuable is the North American Free Trade Agreement for U.S. pork? NAFTA is worth $12.40 per pig marketed according to calculations by Dermot Hayes, Iowa State University ag economist. Altogether NAFTA partners account for 37% of the U.S. pork exported.
Putting pencil to paper, Hayes computes the U.S.-Korea free trade agreement is worth $4.71 per pig marketed.


The on-line ordering was easy & intuitive, the delivery was fast, adn the food was dleicious. Thank you.
Super delicious and quick delivery!
Sunday night - and the food was good, delivered fast and hot, although the "fried rice with pineapple" wasn't fried rice, but tasted quite good, and probably a lot more healthy. They even remembered extra hot mustard.
Very quick and accurate delivery. The food was fresh, tasty and prepared very well. Ordering online was easy and convenient.
Great Lunch! Food was delicious. We placed and order to go and was ready when we picked up. Definitely would recommend!
Fresh food, great service. Nice inside the restaurant as well. Great place to eat!
Everything was delicious and they followed my prep instructions!
Has become consistently excellent over the past year or so.
Everything was excellent! Great food, fast delivery!
Great sushi and entrees!! We order at least once a week and are never disappointed.
Hot & ready when we arrived for pick up! Plenty for everyone with leftovers for the next day!
Food took an hour and 20 minutes to get here and the shell of the shrimp was left in the tempura which was not enjoyable.
Everything was delicious. Well done!!
Typically good food/service. Only had order hicups a few times. This time they gave us wings instead of fingers, and no mustard with our order.
Didn't actually get the Maki. Sushi Chef doesn't start work at the restaurant until 5 o'clock. Had Crab Rangoons instead. Still good stuff.
Service always prompt. Food always great. Love Jiingd Medfield!
Prompt delivery, friendly service, amazing food!


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Australasia, Australia, History, Military, Museums, Photography, Travel
Posted by Deano on April 19, 2013 March 9, 2014
The Armoured Corps of most nations armies originally started as horse borne cavalry units. With the introduction of the tank in World War One by the British who first used Mark I tanks on the Somme battlefield in France on September 15th, 1916 the face of warfare changed completely (they were introduced to break the back of trench warfare). Cavalry units began converting to the armoured role (machine guns and armoured vehicles made men on horseback just too vulnerable).
A British Mark I tank on the Somme Battlefield in 1916
The first tank on tank battle did not occur until April 24th, 1918 near Villers-Bretonneux in France – this was due to the fact that the Germans did not deploy their first tank the A7V until March 21st, 1918 and had produced only 20 by wars end on November 11th, 1918.
A German A7V tank during World War One
From its introduction, tanks were just there to assist the army, but by World War Two and the onset of the German Blitzkrieg the importance of the tank in battle as a striking force and as an army in itself, was never better understood. Today the armoured corps is an integral fighting arm of any nation.
German Panzer Korps 1940
The Australian cavalry has a long history dating back to the Boer War and World War One, but the Royal Australian Armoured Corps was not officially formed until 1941. Prior to this date the Australian Army did first operate armoured cars in 1916 during World War One (Sinai and Palestine campaigns) and tank units were first formed in late 1920's/early 1930's using the British designed Vickers Medium Tank.
Vickers Medium Tank
During World War Two the Australian Army operated British, American and home designed armoured vehicles such as the M3 Grant and Matilda II tanks. These tanks were primarily used in the Middle East and Pacific War.
The Australian designed Sentinal medium tank of WW2
M4 Sherman tanks
M3 Grant
Various models of Matilda II tanks were deployed in WW2
After that war the line of heavy Main Battle Tanks included the British Centurion (operated from 1952 to 1977 including service in the Vietnam War), the German Leopard (1976 to 2007 – we had quite a variety of these as you can see in the photos) and now the mighty US designed M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank (the first tank was delivered in 2006).
Centurion bulldozer tank
Centurion MBT
Centurion bridge layer and a Centurion bulldozer tank
Leopard MBT
Leopard training tank
Leopard recovery and repair tank
Leopard with a mine removal device
Royal Australian Armoured Corps M1A1 Abrams (Photograph by LSIS Andrew Dakin
1st Joint Public Affairs Unit)
More than 70 armoured vehicles along with cannons, other weaponry, artefacts and uniforms are on display at the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) Tank Museum at the Puckapunyal Army Base in Victoria. These displays show not only equipment operated by Australia and her allies but also includes tanks from former Cold War foes and neutral countries along with captured equipment and tanks from World War Two (German and Japanese), the Vietnam War (Chinese built tanks and armoured vehicles) and the Iraq War (tanks and armoured vehicles).
A Mk.I male tank (mock-up) at "Pucka"
A captured German WW2 75mm anti-tank gun and 88mm anti-aircraft gun
Captured Japanese WW2 Chi-Ha tank and Type 97 Tankette
U.S. M-24 Chaffee light tank
A former East German T-72
A captured Iraqi T-62
The unique Swedish Stridsvagn 103 tank destroyer
Saladin armoured car
M113 Fire Support vehicle
M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier
LAV-25 APC
I have been visiting Puckapunyal or "Pucka" as it is also known, since I was a kid and there is always something new there to see. I always enjoy visiting the museum and have now taken two of my little nephews who loved it! As it is an active military base you must have a valid Government ID and you are only allowed to visit the museum area of the base. The tank museum is well worth a visit if you are ever near the Seymour area of Victoria.
Centurion MBT near a parade ground in Puckapunyal Army Base
Armoured VehiclesCold WarIraq WarPuckapunyalRoyal Australian Armoured CorpsRoyal Australian ArmyTanksVictoriaVietnam WarWorld War OneWorld War Two
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Gordon Mason says:
I would like to contact Major John Baines on his email site to find out my fathers light horse unit ww2, could he please email me for my father details I have.
Deano says:
Hi Gordon, if you have not already checked on the National Archives of Australia this may help http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/explore/defence/service-records/
Hi Deano,
I was at a Defence Abuse Taskforce Conference, My Defence representative was Warrant Officer Class 1 Don Spinks from Canberra
requested me to have direct contact with Major John Baines an email
address to see if he may help to find my father's Army number, light horse unit WW2 CMF. Australian territories service. I only have his birth, death certificate and black and white photograph showing his shoulder patch. He resided in Lithgow and Sydney NSW.


Perl , originally a Unix scripting tool first launched in 1987, grew to become common in dynamic web sites Java came for use for server-aspect programming, and bytecode digital machines became in style again in industrial settings with their promise of " Write once, run wherever " ( UCSD Pascal had been widespread for a time within the early 1980s).
Ruby was made common by the Ruby on Rails framework, a full-stack net framework optimized for programming happiness. Java is designed to work throughout a number of software platforms, that means a program written on Mac OS X, for instance, could also run on Windows.
The invalid operation could also be detected when the program is compiled ("static" sort checking) and might be rejected by the compiler with a compilation error message, or it could be detected when this system is run ("dynamic" type checking), resulting in a run-time exception Many languages permit a operate called an exception handler to be written to handle this exception and, for example, at all times return "-1" because the end result.


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In 2009, the 100th anniversary of the Diaghilev Saisons Russes was celebrated throughout the world. And next year, one of the Sergei Diaghilev enterprise's most successful productions, the ballet Petrouchka, will also be marking its centenary. The Petrouchka premiere took place on 13 June 1911, at the Theatre du Chatelet, in Paris, and was a great success. Igor Stravinsky's innovative and complex music ("Petrouchka is an example of the fact that it is possible, in torturing the ear, to pour balm on the soul" — the words of the ballet's producer), which was subsequently to become a 20th century classic, Mikhail Fokine's, brilliant in its apparent simplicity, 'puppet-like' choreography, and Alexander Benois's bright, exquisite and at the same time permeated with the spirit of the Russian lubok (cheap, popular print) and vertep (puppet Nativity play), sets and costumes.... Sergei Diaghilev managed to bring to life and combine the creative aspirations of three people who, in the final count, created a real performing arts masterpiece each component of which was remarkable and formed an inherent part of the whole. Vatslav Nijinsky danced Petrouchka — a role which was to become his crowning achievement, the charming Tamara Karsavina — the Ballerina. This ballet, permeated with the spirit of Petersburg, the Silver Age and the World of Art movement, would appear from time to time — like a precious jewel — in the theatre. In 1920 it was produced at the former Maryinsky Theatre, in Petrograd, by Leonid Leontiev, who himself at one time had danced in the Diaghilev enterprise productions. At the Bolshoi Theatre Petrouchka was presented in 1921, 1964 and 1982.
The present Bolshoi Theatre production is the work of choreographer Sergei Vikharev and ballet scholar Pavel Gershenzon — it was thanks to them that last year the ever popular with the public Coppelia entered the Theatre's repertoire.
The premiere series of performances will be on 2, 3 (at 12.00 and 7.00) and 4 July. Shown together with Petrouchka on 2, 3 at 7.00 and 4 July will be Russian Seasons and the Big Classical Pas from the ballet Paquita; and on 3 July at 12.00 — the Big Classical Pas from Paquita.
Sergei Vikharev is rehearsing with Ivan Vasiliev. Photo by Damir Yusupov.


Throughout postcolonial Africa and its Diaspora, women have emerged from the double oppression of patriarchy and colonialism. They have become the unsung heroines of artistic creation and cultural production. This major event has taken place everywhere: from Djibouti to Dakar, from Yaoundé to Cape Town.
Unfortunately these women have received very little attention. The great majority of their efforts remains invisible.
In focusing the cameras upon the work of six Sub-Saharan African women, Vibrancy of Silence : A Discussion with My Sisters, creates a visual and archive their work, their goals, their achievements, their hopes, their dreams and their struggles. As Michel Foucault says, the archive is the first law of the sayable—its absence is precisely that which renders invisible.
For the minority all production is a treasure trove, whether it involves books, thought or the visual arts. In a world in which "normal" still correspond to white, affluent, heterosexual men, representations of difference are rare and therefore precious.
This documentary emphasizes the necessity for diversifying knowledge as well as an appreciation of the creative acts of women on and beyond the Continent. Léopold Sédar Senghor (poet, writer and the former president of Senegal) and Ousmane Sembène (the Senegalese filmmaker) understood this a very long time ago; they maintained that women would be the ones to change Africa. But one must see them at work to believe it!
The archive created by this documentary is without precedent. It brings to light the immense artistic and cultural contributions of three generations of Sub-Saharan African women and, through interviews and presentations of their work, explores and interrogates culture, art and their destiny.
The archive focuses upon two facets of their work. First, the process of "self actualization." To understand African modernity involves comparison with the "Colonial Library": This is the work of revisiting concepts so as to improve self-understanding and the reappropriation of the self by the self. These women redefine and problematize prejudices about modernity, women and artistic production as they have been conceptualized thus far.
Marthe Djilo Kamga, Frieda Ekotto, Marie Laure Endale Ahanda aka Silex Silence, Marie-Geneviève Labarrière aka Zolan'Gono, Koyo Kouoh and Marie Sabal-Lecco aka Ajomo are all pioneers who have been marked by transnational experiences. Having chosen to live around the globe, they do not hesitate to appropriate the rich perspectives that result. Some live abroad; others develop in Africa. This movement nourishes their political engagement with questions related to genre, which is then is translated into their work, and which highlights emotional landscapes and a global setting.
be conscious of how art both exposes and hides this duality.
as we endlessly reevaluate antiquated epistemologies in the light of new critical approaches. Women make seminal contributions to African culture and history, which should never, for any reason, be interpreted as "his-story." In short, just like the digital revolution of the contemporary world, these women are pushing beyond barriers.
Vibrancy of Silence : A Discussion with My Sisters is the first installment of my research project on Vibrancy of Silence : Archiving the Images and Cultural Production of Women in Sub-Saharan Africa.