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Home Alt-South
Southern History Series: Slavery Myths: Southern Slavery and Human Development
Posted By: Hunter Wallace October 13, 2019
In light of Dr. Brittney Cooper's accusations about racism and the health of black women in Trump's America, I want to take a look back at what life was like for black women under slavery, which was presumably much more racist than our own times.
The following information comes from Robert Fogel and Stanley L. Engerman's 1974 book Time on the Cross: The Economics of Negro Slavery:
Did you know that the typical slave born on a Southern plantation had a significantly longer life expectancy than the average free laborer in Northern and British cities?
U.S. White – 40
England and Wales, 1838-1856 – 40
Holland, 1850-1860 – 36
France, 1854-58 – 36
U.S. Slave – 36
Italy, 1885 – 35
Austria, 1875 – 31
Chile, 1920 – 31
Manchester, England, 1831 – 24
New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, 1830 – 24
Did you know that the typical slave on a Southern plantation was less obese and had a diet that was nutritionally superior to the modern African-American diet?
"The slave diet was not only adequate, it actually exceeded modern (1964) recommended levels of the chief nutrients. On average, slaves exceeded the daily recommended levels of proteins by 110 percent, calcium by 20 percent, and iron by 230 percent. Surprisingly, despite the absence of citrus fruits, slaves consumed two and one half times the recommended level of vitamin C. Indeed, because of the large consumption of sweet potatoes, their intake of vitamin A was at the therapeutic level and vitamin C was almost at that level."
Did you know the typical slave on a Southern plantation lived in better and more hygienic housing that the typical White working class family in New York City in the 1890s?
"Comments of observers suggest that the most typical slave houses of the late antebellum period were cabins about eighteen by twenty feet …
As late as 1893, a survey of the housing of workers in New York City revealed that the median number of square feet of sleeping space per person was just thirty-five. In other words, the "typical" slave cabin of the late antebellum era probably contained more sleeping space per person than was available to most of New York City's workers half a century later."
Did you know that the typical slave on a Southern plantation was significantly more likely to live in a nuclear family than the modern African-American?
"Narratives collected from ex-slaves provide support for the prevalence of prudishness in the conduct of family life. "Dem's moral times," recollected Amos Lincoln, who was reared on a plantation in Louisiana. "A gal's twenty-one before she marry. They didn't go wanderin' around all hours. They mammies know where they was. Folks nowadays is wild and weak …
That slave live pivoted around stable, nuclear families does not mean that the black family was merely a copy of the white family. No doubt the African heritage of blacks, as well as particular socioeconomic circumstances, resulted in characteristic which were, if restricted to, at least more frequent among black than white families. For example, various bits of evidence suggest that wives played a stronger role in black than white families."
In 1850, there was little difference in infant morality among Southern slaves and Southern Whites:
"The infant death rate of southern whites in 1850 was 177 per thousand – virtually the same as the infant death rate as slaves."
Slaves were far less likely to commit suicide than Northern free workers:
"Less than one slave in ten thousand committed suicide in 1850. That was only one third of the suicide rate among the white population."
The birthrate among the slaves on Southern plantations was significantly higher than the birthrate in much of contemporary Europe. Both the White population and the slave population thrived in the South and multiplied faster than almost any other group in the world. Even though only 5 percent of slaves transported to the New World went to British North America, this is why the Confederacy was the largest slave society in the world in 1861.
The disease environment in the subtropical Deep South, which lacked African levels of malaria and yellow fever, was vastly superior to that of tropical West Africa and Central Africa. Because the slaves in the Southern states were forbidden to own firearms and their access to drugs and alcohol was restricted and whipping was the punishment for adultery and domestic violence, slaves were far less likely to die from homicide than Whites in the early 19th century.
8 Comments on "Southern History Series: Slavery Myths: Southern Slavery and Human Development"
spahnranch1969 | October 13, 2019 at 9:16 pm |
Facts and reason are of no importance as far as Muh 400 years of oppression go. It's all based on Get Whitey emotionalism, fueled of course by the scheming, malevolent joo.
Middle Atlantic States | October 13, 2019 at 9:36 pm |
A Childhood, by Harry Crews, is one of the best autobiographies. Crews grew up in south Georgia and Jacksonville in the 1930s and 40s, with black mammies attending him as an infant and toddler. He later left to join the marines. The book ends when he returns to the farms where his family lives. The conversation he has with them about the land and farming is priceless. You can't forget it once you've read it.
Marc | October 13, 2019 at 10:01 pm |
Negro slaves were indeed treated very well in the big plantations. They were very expensive property after all, especially after their prices greatly increased in the 1840s.
Wyngarde | October 13, 2019 at 10:24 pm |
It's true that negro slaves had better living standards than poor Southern whites. But was that a good thing? While negroes in big plantations enjoyed good feeding, clothing and housing, Southern white trash lived in poverty, filth and crime. An Englishwoman who lived in the Old South observed that, "The slaves themselves entertain the very highest contempt for white servants, whom they designate as 'poor white trash'."
Don | October 13, 2019 at 11:12 pm |
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000038840
The African Slave Trade from the Fifteenth to the Nineteenth Century Reports and Papers of the Meeting of Experts organized by Unesco at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 31 January to 4 February 1978
The slave trade and the Atlantic economies, 1451-1870 * Joseph E. Inikori ….at Page 68:
"Of all the slave-receiving territories in the Americas it was only in the United States that the imported Africans achieved some rate of net natural increase during much of our period."
more of the same | October 14, 2019 at 9:17 am |
If African slaves built America why can't free Africans build Africa?
Don | October 14, 2019 at 10:09 am |
ABSOLUTELY!!! The question no one ever asks.
Another issue: If the 5% of Africans who came to the Western Hemisphere are responsible for the greatness of the USA, why didn't the other 95% who were transported to the Carribbean, Mexico and Latin America create greatness in those countries?
mr PEZ | October 14, 2019 at 11:31 am |
How come its 400 years of slavery but the United States didnt even exist 400 years ago.
Cantandum in Ezkhaton 10/20/19 | Liberae Sunt Nostrae Cogitatiores


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Orient Express Writers
by Mark Morrison | January 16, 2018 · 10:16 pm
Reign of Terror
Just when you think Horror on the Orient Express is done, along comes one last carriage, and a bloody one at that.
Reign of Terror is the 20th and final chapter in the campaign, out now in hardcover from Chaosium.com and from retailers in March.
The scenario started life as the secret backer scenario at Gen Con 2013. Jason, Thomas, Tom and Travis were the four backers at the One Night at Gen Con pledge level, which got them a ticket for a never-to-be-revealed secret scenario. Penny vague blogged about it at the time, without revealing what horrors took wing in that landlocked Pullman car at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Indianapolis on a hot summer night. We all had a fantastic game and parted as great friends, with me promising to send them the written version before too long…
And then life intervened, as it does.
Or, um, let's be honest, my poor deadline management. As it does.
In 2016 when Chaosium realised that the backers were still waiting patiently for their written up version of the scenario, they asked the four players for permission to hire me to formally write it up as a proper full length piece and share with the world. The backers agreed (they got some extra bonuses), and so the Reign of Terror book was born.
Here's the short synopsis: the scenario is a playable version of the handouts in the Paris chapter of Horror on the Orient Express which describe events in France in 1789 which, as you know, was quite the calendar year. One month after the activity described in the handouts, the Bastille was stormed, and France (and western democracy) was forever changed.
Storming of the Bastille. (Source: Wikipedia)
In future posts I'll write more about what inspired the scenario and how the full sourcebook took shape, with superb help from my co-conspirators: Penny (of course), plus with James Coquillat (his scenario Terror Itself co-written with David Naylor was a launch title on Miskatonic Repository) and Darren Watson (who contributed the excellent air travel article in Horror on the Orient Express, as well as much of the new 1923 historical headlines and snippets). Until then…
Vive la Mort !
Filed under Chaosium, Writing
Tagged as Darren Watson, French Revolution, GenCon, Horror on the Orient Express, James Coquillat, Kickstarter, Miskatonic Repository, Penelope Love, Reign of Terror
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Growing devoted followers of Jesus
who share his love
9:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Child care provided at morning service
Missionary and Mission Support
Scott and Marcia Geurink - Hispanic Ministries - Classis Zeeland (
smgeurink@gmail.com
After working for 23 years with Christian Reformed Home Missions in Tijuana, Mexico, the Geurinks
moved back to West Michigan. Scott is working in a variety of Hispanic Ministries through Classis
Zeeland. He has led many evangelistic Bible studies in area greenhouses and farms, and had had
the privilege of leading many to Christ. He also represents Resonate Global Missions (formerly
Christian Reformed Home Missions) and the promotion of Hispanic Ministries in the Great Lakes
Region. He is also the USA Hispanic Coordinator and trainer for Multiplication Network Ministries,
which trains church planters. Marcia was assisting Scott in ministry and is now teaching 6th and 7th
graders in Spanish and English at Zeeland Christian School
Mwaya and Munyiva Kitavi - Kenya - (mwkitavi@gmail.com)
After living in North America for a quarter century, God called the Kitavis back to Africa to live and minister among their people. In 2009, CRWM sent them to be the first missionaries in Eastern and Southern Africa. Their work is to empower and release others in ministry in Eastern and South Africa through leadership development, theological education, Christian education, church planting and farming in faith. They partner with the local church and together advance God's kingdom.
Dan and Jeananne Kuiper - Juarez, Mexico - (djkuip@aol.com)
The Kuipers began mission and ministry in Mexico in 1981. In 2002, began teaching a two seminaries in Juarez. Dan's years of church and teaching experience uniquely prepared him to take up this challenge to help these two help establish these two seminaries with strong and consistent Reformed teaching. Dan and Jeananne have been faithful to this calling for nearly 12 years. Hundreds of pastors, teachers, and evangelists have been trained in Mexico and wilo be infulential leaders for decades to come. The all Nations and San Pablo seminaries are growing and thriving.
Mike and Victoria VanDerDyke - Nigeria, Africa - (mvan@runbox.com)
Mike serves as an advisor to the Missions Department of the Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria. The CRCN Missions Department has church planters working in various parts of Nigeria and is also sending Nigerian missionaries to neighboring countries in West Africa. Mike first came to Nigeria in April 1979 after being challenged to use his gifts for the Lord in Africa. He continues to be challenged by the need to reach out with the gospel to those who have not had the opportunity to hear it.
John and Ruth Hoekwater - Rogers Park in Chicago - (johnhoekwater@gmail.com)
John pastored West Leonard Church from 1994-1999. From there the Hoekwaters served as missionaries in Jamaica for two years. Since 2001, they have been church planters in the Rogers Park area of Chicago. In addition to pastoring Many Peoples Church, John and Ruth are very active in their community. Ruth started and operates the Common Cup House, a place where many come to seek friendship and counseling as well as a cup of coffee and a pastry.
Pablo and Jan Feliciano - Chiapas, Mexico - (janfeliz@gmail.com)
Pablo and Jan began their work in southern Mexico with the Tzeital people in 1984. Pablo was ordained as a pastor and installed into their first church in February of 1985. Over the years, God has led them to teaching in the Tzeital Bible School from 1986 to 1990 and Villahermosa, Tabasco for 12 years working with the seminary from 1990 to 2002. They returned to Chiapas to leadership in a new Tzeital Bible School. About two years ago they dedicated a new medical clinic and have had some 25 medical teams come in the last 10 years and now with the new clinic three or four are planned a year. Pablo also spends much time in counseling.
Dave and Daphne Smith - Mussoorie, India - (davendaphnesmith@me.com)
Dave and Daphne went first to Nepal as missionaries in 1990 and helped plant the first fellowhip among the Sherpas, a Tibetan Buddhist people group from and near Mount Everest. In 1997, the Smiths moved from Nepal to North India to work among the Garhwali people, Hindus living in the Himalayan foothills in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. After 15 years, there are now three fellowships in the Deolsari Valley as a result of their work. The Smiths are also involved in starting a mission business by developing an inexpensive washing machine for the poor that can be sold to the poor, provide a business and source of income for the local Christians, and used as a contact point to initiate friendships with people with whom they can eventually share the gospel.
Ken and Chris Van Weerdhuizen - Home Support in North Carolina
ken-chris_vanweerdhuizen@sil.org
In February of 2013 the Van Weerdhuizens began working at the JAARS Center in Waxhaw, North Carolina. For many years their service with Wyclliffe brought them to assignments overseas (Phillipines and Cameroon). Now they are a part of the home support team for others who are serving overseas. Ken is serving as the Assistant to the President of JAARS. He is also involved in exposing people to Bible translation through JAARS' Missions at the Airport program held at local airports across the country. Chris is a Wycliffe Resource Coordinator, serving Wycliffe members around the world encourging them, answering questions, and connecting them with helpful resources.
Mississippi Christian Family Services - Rolling Fork, Mississippi - (mcfs@bellsouth.net)
This ministry is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to reach their full potential. This is done in various ways, including education, housing, food, medical services, jobs, spiritual care, and other special services. Georgia Russell has been the Executive Director of MCFS for the past five years. Many members of West Leonard have voluteered at MCFS in the past and some continue to do so.


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Five On The Black Hand Side (Punk Edition)
We've had a lot of special guests swing through to Nostalgia King to talk about some of their favorite records and the stories behind them. It's fascinating how worlds connect for many of us in how we were initially turned onto certain things or what a certain feeling was like when we heard things for the first time although we come from different backgrounds. Their is an underlying element of culture which is the basis for most of it which and starting point for something that would last a lifetime. Our next guest and heavy collector on the scene is Kris Holmes who has amassed a serious collection of records of varying genres but today we're here to discuss the seriousness of his punk collection and his top 5 picks that shaped his ear and passion for the genre.
Kris Holmes' Five Big Bangs
A handful of indispensable Punk / Hardcore 7″ with black & white picture sleeves that shaped a life and are also a great jumping in point for people new to the genre!
Along the way in my last 20+ years of collecting and DJ'ing Funk & Soul 45's, I've met a lot of other collectors and DJ's who like me, came from a Punk Rock background. This has always fascinated me because on the surface, while the two genres have little in common, if you scratch the surface back it begins to make sense. If you choose to heed the call, you always remember the time you were made aware of Punk. For me it was the first time I heard the Ramones back in 1990. Cassette tapes (mainly dubbed) and a prized Ramones t-shir bought with paper route earnings sealed it. My life was changed, skateboarding, loud / fast music and starting middle school, I was hooked! The next few years were a blur of one who used to pause the song credits on skateboard videos to get the band names and record label details, reading Thrasher Magazine for the Skaterock column and then take it through to the heady days of the RevHQ message board and record trades. Mail-order was by, uh… mail and sending cashing in an envelope. Remembering, I was in New Zealand, half a world away from the sounds of American Hardcore that I had ultimately gravitated to. Once I reached the end of High School, I had amassed a pretty epic collection of punk & hardcore related vinyl but I had also started collecting Soul.
Through until I actively stopped collecting (i.e. tracking down / buying new release) punk / hardcore in 2010, both Soul & Punk had been running a joint race form collecting attention. Eventually Soul, Funk and R&B won out and although I'm a casual punk observer now, it never really left me entirely. Thinking about writing this column, I popped the Micke & The Soul Generation CD out of the player in my car and replaced it with Minor Threat's "Complete Discography" to get me in the mood. Talking with some friends a few years back about how we all got into collecting via Punk / Hardcore, we came to the realization that Dave "Bass" Brown, drummer for legendary hardcore band, Negative FX kind of lead the way for us all when we became Dave "Philly Soul" Brown and in a weird way, became sort of the patron saint fo all hardcore kids turned soul collectors.
I know for myself, the fact that both scenes were primarily based around the fetishism of the 7″ record release was really appealing and it's true that often the most crucial music in each genre was originally 7″ only. Ultimately, one can't stay angsty, angry or young forever and the progression to soul & funk might just be us finally growing up?
Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop (Sire, 1976)
Where it all started for me, 14 years after it was released.
7 Seconds – Skins, Brains & Guts (Alternative Tentacles, 1982)
This band changed my life sometime in the early 90's.
Bad Brains – Pay To Cum (Bad Brain, 1980)
The speed of this blew my young mind, still makes the hairs on my neck stand up!
War Zone – Lower East Side Crew (Revelation, 1987)
Ray Beez RIP. The first release on Rev, much collecting of various pressings of different releases, all of them, followed.
Minor Threat – Salad Days (Dischord, 1985)
When I first heard this, I thought it was the angriest thing ever. Tubular belles for the LOL though.
45Five on The Black hand SideKris HolmesPunk 45Punk RockSoul 45Vinyl
The Stacks Record Shop
Digging (New) Deep Funk
Rhythm Roots Allstars – Say I Do b/w Island Hustle
D-Styles & J Scienide – The Periodic Tables of Excellence
Joyce with Mauricio Maestro – Natureza
Leftover Soul 9th Anniversary (Albuquerque)
Vampirella 66 (1978) $25.00
Kardinal Offishall - BaKardi Slang $35.00


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package org.apache.calcite.sql.fun;

import org.apache.calcite.sql.SqlCall;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.SqlFunction;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.SqlFunctionCategory;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.SqlKind;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.SqlLiteral;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.SqlNode;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.SqlOperandCountRange;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.parser.SqlParserPos;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.type.OperandTypes;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.type.ReturnTypes;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.type.SqlOperandCountRanges;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.type.SqlOperandTypeChecker;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.type.SqlTypeName;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.type.SqlTypeTransforms;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.validate.SqlValidator;

/**
 * The JSON_TYPE function.
 */
public class SqlJsonTypeFunction extends SqlFunction {
  public SqlJsonTypeFunction() {
    super("JSON_TYPE",
        SqlKind.OTHER_FUNCTION,
        ReturnTypes.cascade(
            ReturnTypes.explicit(SqlTypeName.VARCHAR, 20),
            SqlTypeTransforms.FORCE_NULLABLE),
        null,
        OperandTypes.ANY,
        SqlFunctionCategory.SYSTEM);
  }

  @Override public SqlOperandCountRange getOperandCountRange() {
    return SqlOperandCountRanges.of(1);
  }

  @Override protected void checkOperandCount(SqlValidator validator,
      SqlOperandTypeChecker argType, SqlCall call) {
    assert call.operandCount() == 1;
  }

  @Override public SqlCall createCall(SqlLiteral functionQualifier,
      SqlParserPos pos, SqlNode... operands) {
    return super.createCall(functionQualifier, pos, operands);
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Scab-like lesions on potatoes, beets, carrots and other root crops is a common problem worldwide. Fortunately, it is an aesthetic problem and does not affect the plant's productivity or flavor and best of all they are safe to eat.
Reduce the risk of scab causing diseases with proper selection and care. Grow scab resistant potato varieties like Norland, Norgold Russet, and Superior when possible. And always use certified disease free seed potatoes.
Add organic matter to the soil to increase drainage, and reduce compaction. Grow potatoes in slightly acid soil whenever possible.
Rotate plantings. Some research has found planting potatoes in areas where broccoli and other brassicas were grown the previous season appeared to reduce the incidence of scab.
Water properly and do a thorough clean up in fall.
A bit more information: You will see less scabby potatoes in soils with a pH of 5.2 or lower. Lime is added to raise the soil pH while sulfur is used to lower pH. Altering the soil pH is challenging and when done improperly can have a negative impact on your garden. Always have your soil tested before attempting to change the soil pH.


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Super Mario All-Stars[a] is a 1993 compilation of Super Mario platform video games developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game contains enhanced remakes of the four Super Mario games released for the Nintendo Entertainment System: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, the last of which was the original Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2 which was not released outside Japan prior to this compilation. The games were restructured to take advantage of the Super NES hardware, featuring updated graphics and sounds and additional save mechanisms.
A second version of the compilation, which includes Super Mario World as a playable title, was released in December 1994. The original 1993 version of Super Mario All-Stars was ported as a Wii disc game in 2010 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros.
Cross comparison between the original NES version (above) and the Super Mario All-Stars version (below) of Super Mario Bros. 2. The latter incorporates color schemes utilizing the Super Nintendo's 16-bit technology, as well as parallax scrolling and elaborate backgrounds.
Super Mario All-Stars is a video game compilation that features complete remakes of the four Super Mario side-scrolling platform games that were originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Famicom Disk System between 1985 and 1990: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan), Super Mario Bros. 2 (Super Mario USA in Japan), and Super Mario Bros. 3. The gameplay of each remade game is nearly identical to its original version, though some game physics as well as character and level designs are slightly modified, and some bugs, including the "Minus World" in Super Mario Bros., are fixed.
The four games each feature enhanced 256-color graphics and updated soundtracks to take advantage of the Super NES hardware, including parallax scrolling.[2] All four games offer a save feature, which the original games lacked, allowing the player to save progress and resume play from the start of any previously accessed world (or in The Lost Levels, any previously accessed level). Up to four individual save files can be stored for each game. The games also allow the player to customize control configuration, allowing the "jump" and "dash/item throw/hold" actions to be mapped to different buttons on the Super NES controller.
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Patrolman Charles Edinger was accidentally shot and killed in a case of mistaken identity while responding to a liquor store burglary at 3703 Fifth Avenue.
He had responded to a call for help from the liquor store owner and had to retreat when the burglar opened fire. Upon the arrival of other units, Patrolman Edinger entered the store through a rear window and flushed the burglar out through the front door. The burglar, upon exiting, was shot and killed by a wagonman at the scene.
It is unclear who shot Patrolman Edinger as the bullet that was removed from his wound did not match the caliber of weapon issued by the Pittsburgh Police Department.


After the successful release of her single "Never Tire" which is still trending and has garnered a lot of radio airplay, The rapper and sensation singer/songwriter BeeCee Ugboh is out with the video of her song "Constant God".
"Constant God" is a simple worship song that is easy to learn and has been enjoying massive requests and downloads all over. In the song BeeCee features another singer Vivien Stephen.


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.: 27-Aug-2015 :.
DeltaChallenger shortlisted for the Ship Efficiency Awards 2015
Deltamarin's ro-pax of the future, DeltaChallenger, has been named as a finalist for the inaugural Ship Efficiency Awards 2015, which will be announced at the ceremony on Wednesday 9 September, straight after Ship Efficiency: The Event. DeltaChallenger was selected by the awards panel of judges to become one of the five finalists for "The One to Watch" award.
An extremely energy efficient and environmentally friendly ro-pax vessel, the "DeltaChallenger" concept has been developed by Deltamarin together with partner companies ABB, Carrier, GTT and Norsepower. The objective of the development work was to design an efficient vessel with novel technologies available today. DeltaChallenger promotes new clean technologies e.g. through the use of LNG as fuel as well as using wind propulsion. All the technologies on board aim to reduce fuel consumption.
One of the main issues with ro-pax vessels is the turn-around time in port. DeltaChallenger has several features to solve this problem. The loading and unloading is improved due to innovations in deck lay-outs. The novel pod propulsion suitable for ro-paxes and ferries along with the bow thrusters improve the manoeuvrability of the vessel.
Deltamarin has actually already received several inquiries about the vessel despite the early stage of the concept. We hope to develop it to commercially available so that the first vessels can be built within the next five years.
"We are extremely excited about the DeltaChallenger concept. The participation of various expert companies has guaranteed that the technologies used are thoroughly investigated and ready to be included in real vessels. We are confident that DeltaChallenger will truly be a concept to watch", rejoices Paivi Haikkola, Deltamarin's Manager, R&D.
The second annual Ship Efficiency Awards, hosted by Lloyd's Register and organised by Fathom, will recognise and celebrate the organisations and individuals within the maritime sector that excel in efficient operations, implement fresh thinking offer proven efficiency benefits and technological innovation.
Source: Deltamarin
Posted On:27-Aug-2015
Vancouver shows up on the international shipping community's radar as the best location globally for setting up operations
The federal Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia are partnering with the International Ship-Owners Alliance of Canada (ISAC) to bring international shipping company operations to Vancouver. The partnership efforts have reestablished the Vancouver International Maritime Centre (VIMC) which will promote Vancouver to the international shipping industry as the preferred maritime centre location.
The B.C. government is contributing $1 million to re-vitalize the Vancouver IMC and diversify British Columbia's economy. The province has committed to an additional $2 million over the next two years with all of the funding to be used by the non-profit Vancouver IMC for the development and execution of an investment attraction strategy aimed at strengthening the province's shipping industry. The federal government has also committed $3 million over three years to match the funding from the Province of B.C., and ISAC will provide an additional $300,000.
"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, our government has pursued the most ambitious trade agenda in Canada's history," said the Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament for Delta-Richmond East. "Our investment will help the Vancouver International Maritime Center position itself as a global hub for worldwide international shipowners and promote the benefits of doing business in Canada."
"An economy that is diversified through contributions from multiple sectors is our insurance policy during a time when the global economy remains fragile," said Teresa Wat, Minister of International Trade and Minister Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism. "We have a re-invigorated the local shipbuilding industry in the province, and now this new innovative partnership with the Vancouver International Maritime Centre will re-fuel the shipping sector so that its well-paying jobs can be offered to British Columbians."
This initiative, to attract international shipping head offices to Vancouver, capitalizes on Canada's opportunities as a Pacific Gateway and as a maritime province to create high-value knowledge jobs associated with global trade.
Expanded scope of Canada's international shipping tax regime
Legislative changes to Canada's Income Tax Act made on December 16, 2014, have expanded the application of Canada's shipping tax legislation making Canada an extremely competitive location for the international shipping community. Shipping activities have been redefined to include a broad range of corporate activities such as vessel management, finance, head and back office services. Simply put, foreign companies can manage their international shipping businesses from Canada without their Canadian or foreign activities being subject to tax in Canada.
"Canada's clearly defined and newly affirmed international shipping tax rules, coupled with Canada's stable economic and political environment, provide fiscal certainty for shipowners," says PwC International Tax Partner and Shipping Industry Leader Mike Shields. He adds, "These recent amendments strengthen Canada's position as one of the most attractive tax regimes in the world for international shipping companies."
Vancouver on the global stage for international business
Canada has been ranked the best country in the G-20 to do business, has the second highest standard of living in the G-20 and leads all G-7 countries regarding economic growth, according to the World Bank. The World Economic Forum has declared its banking system to be the soundest in the world. Canada's stable political environment, universal healthcare system, world-class universities, and high-tech capacity allow Vancouver to compete better than ever with business capitals around the world.
The opportunities in Vancouver are evident to companies such Teekay and Seaspan, and to nonshipping giants that have come to Vancouver such as Microsoft, Google, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Amazon, Hootsuite, Mitsubishi and Toyota.
Vancouver has become one of the most attractive locations for international shipping companies. The VIMC promotes Vancouver as a location for international shipping companies, and assists interested companies in developing their operations on the west coast of North America.
"The volume of global seaborne trade is predicted to rise from nine billion metric tonnes per year to between 19-24 billion by 2030 due to the demand for resources by China and India," says VIMC Executive Director Kaity Arsoniadis-Stein. "Vancouver, situated on the Pacific corridor, has exceptional professional corporate services, including taxation and legal, to support international shipping businesses. In addition, Vancouver can boast its very own Vancouver Maritime Arbitrators Association which is another added benefit to a maritime cluster."
VIMC Founding Chairman, and current CEO and Chairman Graham Clarke adds, "By building a maritime hub that brings together products, companies and expert services, Canada will gain the advantage of the resulting relationships, synergies and high-level jobs creation".
He further notes, "With an export dependent economy, Canada knows well that shipowners need to keep operating costs efficient in order to keep their services and their customers' products competitive. We look forward to increasing the economies of scale by attracting more shipping companies to Vancouver. This will be good for both existing and new companies, as the talent pool expands. The upscale jobs and skills that they will bring will be good for all Canadians".
Source: Vancouver International Maritime Centre
VIKING moves to expand Australasian activities
VIKING Life-Saving Equipment A/S has announced it has acquired a part of Australia-based Wiltrading Pty Ltd.'s maritime safety equipment activities effective 1 September. The move strengthens VIKING's offering in Australasia, adding 4 locations to the company's global network of wholly-owned servicing stations as well as several products and services, bringing new advantages for shipowners and offshore operators in the region.
A subsidiary of Wilh. Wilhelmsen Investments (WWI), Wiltrading offers integrated activities in marine safety, fire fighting and protection, equipment and servicing, serving the offshore, oil and gas, shipping, military and cruise industries. The company is an authorised representative and service partner for a wide variety of maritime and offshore equipment producers.
Under the new agreement, selected safety equipment and servicing activities previously managed by Wiltrading will be seamlessly integrated into the global VIKING organization, offered and serviced locally, whereas remaining activities will be carried out in close cooperation between the two. VIKING's CEO, Henrik Uhd Christensen, welcomes the new addition to his company's constantly expanding worldwide presence and the growth opportunities it provides in the region:
"We've worked in close partnership with Wiltrading for several years," he said. "They are a professional organization with a strong, service-minded approach to customers - something that makes these activities and the people who operate them an excellent fit for VIKING. We strive to be close to our customers, so we can support their competitiveness with fixed prices, flexibility and fast delivery no matter where they operate."
At the same time General Manager of Wiltrading, Michael Connolly is pleased that VIKING and Wiltrading can continue their respective growth activities, for example through their popular VIKING Shipowner Agreements:
"With the VIKING Shipowner Agreement rapidly winning favour in the market, and plans for even more capabilities in the future, VIKING has much to offer Wiltrading's customers and staff. We have always had a great deal of respect for the company, and are really looking forward to leveraging VIKING's global network resources."
Brian Jacobsen has been appointed Country Manager for VIKING Australia. He is a former VIKING sales and marketing director, and started the company's Singapore office several years ago. He has recently returned to VIKING.
Source: VIKING
Malaysia and Indonesia Forming Special Anti-Piracy Teams
Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to form rapid response teams to tackle the growing number of hijackings and piracy attacks on commercial ships in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), Reuters reports.
The agreement comes after six merchant ships were attacked in the SOMS in the span of 48 hours last week.
The crews were unharmed in the incidents, with only the tanker Elbtank Denmark reporting loss of property as four perpetrators armed with knives stole the crew's personal effects and escaped in a small boat.
The latest string of attacks brings the total number of piracy and armed robbery incidents in the SOMS to 70 this year, the highest number since 2008.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has already set up an airborne special task and rescue team stationed in Johor Bharu, First Admiral Maritime Zulkifili bin Abu Bakar of MMEA told Reuters.
The newly established team will not only respond to reported hijackings and armed robberies, but also serve as a deterrent and actively guard merchant ships belonging to companies linked to the country's government.
Maersk Line has also reportedly beefed up anti-piracy measures onboard ships passing through the SOMS, as one of its container ships - Maersk Lebu - was on of the six merchant ships attacked last week.
World Maritime News Staff
worldmaritimenews.com
Task force set up to reduce dwelling time at port
The new Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, Rizal Ramli, has set up a task force to reduce dwelling time at Jakartas Tanjung Priok port.
"Meetings cannot not be useful unless they are followed up by a task force. No significant change will happen (unless there is a task force)," he said at a press conference after holding a coordination meeting on the issue at his office on Tuesday.
He said the port authority at Tanjung Priok currently had no power to take a decision, unlike during the Dutch colonial era.
He said that during the Dutch era, the "Port Authority of Tanjung Priok" was responsible for all affairs and dared to take a decision when a problem came up at the port.
"Now, it is a mere symbol. It has no power. So, we will give more power to the organization and its personnel in order to create a port authority that has the power to take decisions," he said.
Ramli said he would not let the port authority be handled by a private company, in this case PT Pelindo II, for fear of vested interests creeping in.
"It is impossible to submit it to Pelindo II because businessmen have vested interests. The more the dwelling time is, the higher the companys income will be. So there must be an authority that is in charge of our national interest," he said.
In connection with this, he said he had appointed Ronnie Rusli Higuchi, a lecturer at the state Indonesia University, who used to hold a post in the Ministry of Finance and the office of the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs as the coordinator of the task force.
Higuchi will be assisted by an adviser to the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, Admiral Marsetio, who is a also a former Navy chief of staff, and second deputy for natural resource and service coordination, Agung Kuswandono, who is a former director general of customs and excise.
They will also be assisted by two-star police generals, two-star navy generals and two-star army generals while carrying out their tasks.
"We understand that there is a lot of "mafia" operating in the Tanjung Priok. We will banish them if they still continue with their activities. We will also remove officials who play games. We will terminate the contracts of privates businesses that protract service processes. We will not hesitate to act," the minister said.
At a cabinet meeting recently President Joko Widodo had ordered the new minister to reduce the dwelling time at the port to a maximum of four days from the present approximately six days and had given the minister until the end of October.
Source: ANTARA News
Hazira, Mundra ports gain from congestion at JNPT
Congestion at Jawarharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) container terminals, especially at Nhava Sheva port, is proving to be beneficial to Hazira and Mundra ports in Gujarat. This could be gauged from the impressive performance registered by these ports in recent years.
Recently, the Geneva-based container carrier, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) added a direct call at Hazira's Adani Hazira Container Terminal (AHCT) to enhance direct connections between India, North Europe and Mediterranean.
Chronic congestion issues at JNPT has promoted regional players like Simatech Shipping, X-Press Feeders and Orient Express and international container carriers such as Maersk Line, CMA CGM and OOCL to add direct calls at Hazira in the last two years.
Long before Hazira, India's largest private sector port at Mundra in Kutch, which is operated by Adani Port and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) started reaping benefits. The port has registered double digit growth in container cargo over the last three years. As against this, JNPT's saw a dip in container cargo growth in 2012-13 and 2013-14, while it clocked a 7.21% growth in 2014-15.
Adani Hazira Container Terminal (AHCT), operated by Adani group at Hazira port, has seen its container cargo grow by 150%.
"What is happening is that all the three container terminals under JNPT are working over and above their operational capacity. Hazira is a congestion-free port as of now and not very far from Nhava Sheva. Infrastructure created within and outside the port is far better from all the three ports in the neighbouring state," said vice-president of Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Captain Inderpal Singh.
According to industry experts, distance is another important factor. North India-bound cargo have started coming through Mundra port. Goods reach Delhi within 3-4 days as the port is well connected by rail and roads. Transporting cargo from JNPT takes little longer as it uses busy Mumbai-Delhi rail route.
"Hazira and Mundra are benefiting from the congestion at JNPT. Also, the infrastructure at JNPT has not grown in proportion with the trade. A fourth terminal is being constructed at JNPT but this terminal should have been operational 10 years ago considering the increase in trade," said Anand Sharma, director, Mantrana Maritime Advisory.
"In the last fiscal, we handled around seven million tones of container and bulk cargo including one million of liquid cargo. In 2015-16, we have set the target of achieving 16 million tons of cargo including 1.5 million liquid cargo" said COO of AHCT, A K Singh.
Being closer to industrial belt of Vapi and Ankleshwar, Hazira is also getting cargo for middle east and other countries.
Source: TNN
Kolkata Port wins recognition
Kolkata Port (KoPT) has been adjudged 'Major Port of the Year' amongst 12 major ports for 2014-15. The award was in recognition of its impressive growth rate in volumes, optimising capacity utilisation, growth in output per berth, and customer satisfaction, KoPT said in a release.
KoPT consists of the Kolkata Dock System and the Haldia Dock Complex.
According to the port trust release, KoPT handled 16.834 mt of traffic in the April to July period of 2015 against 13.698 mt handled in April-July 2014, thereby indicating a growth of 23 per cent.
This came against Indian major ports together experiencing a growth of 5.8 per cent during this period.
Haldia Dock Complex handled 11.636 mt of traffic in April-July 2015 recording a significant growth of 26.64 per cent as against 9.188 mt handled in the same period last year.
During the same period, Kolkata Dock System (KDS) handled 5.198 mt of traffic, a growth of 15.25 per cent over the 4.51 mt handled in April-July period.
Container throughput
In container throughput Kolkata Port handled 2,06,709 TEUs in April-July 2015; a growth of 3.55 per cent against 1,99,615 TEUs in April-July2014.
The Kolkata Dock System alone handled 1,78,290 TEUs (a growth of nearly 10 per cent) against 1,62,594 TEUs during the same period last year.
In July, the Kolkata Dock System recorded an all-time high monthly container traffic of 51,343 TEUs.
According to the KoPT release, the major commodities which attributed to this traffic growth included container, vegetable oil, limestone, coking coal, petroleum coke, iron & steel, and IVW traffic at the Kolkata Dock System.
At the Haldia Dock Complex, LPG, vegetable oil, other liquid cargo, finished fertiliser, thermal coal, coking coal, petroleum coke are some of the major commodities.


text:
A golden opportunity for education
By Nikos Xydakis
September 14, 2013 14.09.2013 • 14:43
The start of the school year this September has been marred by anger, a good deal of complaining, clashes of interests, streamlining efforts and cobbled reforms to the overall educational system.
The overriding sense, however, is one of deep-seated insecurity among parents for the future of their children and for that of the Greek educational system more generally. We have also seen a lot of confusion and a huge waste of energy on discussions that lead nowhere in the present circumstances, when everything is more or less up in the air. The heated debate regarding the importance of religious studies and Ancient Greek studies on the secondary school curriculum is a post-modern farce of the violent clashes sparked in Athens at the turn of the 20th century by a disagreement between academics and politicians championing the use of demotic Greek and those who wanted the language to retain its ancient roots that took on widespread social dimensions.
Of course, there is an analogy to be made, as Greece at that time was also experiencing a deep crisis that was financial, social and cultural in its nature and that affected the direction the entire country was to take. Clinging to tradition or rejecting it outright are knee-jerk reactions typical to societies in a state of fear and confusion.
The sense of insecurity felt by the entire country right now is being expressed in powerful ways, either by sinking deeper into its clutches or by lashing out at others. Education, culture and the identity of a nation that these two pillars form, are also suffering from the same bipolar behavior.
Yet, it is this important junction of our history, this crisis, that could potentially serve as a springboard for a bold overhaul of the entire educational system aimed at shaping a country that is on the vanguard of knowledge, innovation and science. The fact is that we have nothing to lose save the junk that has piled up from the past, but we have a lot to gain.
When Finland, for example, experienced its own deep crisis in the early 1990s it made a radical overhaul of its entire educational system aimed at promoting young talent and outstanding achievement. And the plan was successful with many other countries trying to emulate the country's system today.
Greece does not have fewer talented people or accomplished scientists than Finland. It has a wealth of them in fact, and also has a rich source of great minds in the diaspora who could provide valuable know-how. But such changes must be made soberly and rationally, with justice and equality so that the social contract can be renewed on a fresh basis and a national renaissance can be endeavored.
Dangerous behavior
The march of folly interrupted
A good day for justice
Utter confusion
Students are not pawns
The world is changing


Most farms in the United States, including those in Virginia, are family-operated, but not all family farms are the same.
That is the thrust of a report recently issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service. The report, using a new classification system, examined annual revenue of U.S. farms, major occupations of farm operators and family and nonfamily farm ownership. It defined a family farm as any farm where the majority of the business is owned by the operator and individuals related to the operator.
Banks noted that, with slight variation, Virginia farm sizes and characteristics are similar to the national averages in the report. In Virginia, as well as nationwide, 90 percent of family farms would be considered small, with an annual gross cash income of $349,999 or less.
The USDA report noted that, while small farms operate half of the nation's total farmland, they account for only 26 percent of production. Family farms of different types account for 97 percent of U.S. farms and 85 percent of production.
In terms of crops, the report noted that different types of farms account for the production of specific commodities. Midsize and large-scale family farms dominate the production of cotton, cash grain and hogs. Large-scale family farms and nonfamily farms dominate the production of high-value crops and dairy. Small farms produce roughly half of the nation's hay, poultry and other livestock.
Many farms have multiple operators, and many larger farms have multiple generations of operators. Thirty-two percent of U.S. farms have a principal operator at least 65 years old. The report pointed out that the presence or absence of younger related operators can affect farm expansion and contraction decisions as well as succession.
The nonfarm economy is critically important to operators of small family farms. Because many small-farm households rely on off-farm sources for most of their income, general economic policies can be as important to them as farm policy.
The full report is available at ers.usda.gov/media/1728220/eib-133.pdf.


Perhaps it was His passion or intensity. Maybe it was His persistence, or the priority He gave to His time with the Father. It might have been the visible effect His prayer brought to His countenance. Or it may have been the results—by this time it was widely known that Jesus received answers to prayer. We can't be sure what first attracted the disciples to beg, "Lord, teach us to pray." But we can be sure that Jesus had them right where He wanted them. This was the defining moment, for both their personal lives and their ministries.
"Lord." Jesus was the master prayer. Not only was He the best qualified teacher, He was the only qualified teacher. The disciples recognized that prayer like Jesus did it was humanly impossible. They needed supernatural help. They had found someone who could do for them what they were unable to do for themselves.
"US." The request was corporate. It was not, "Lord, teach me to pray." Elsewhere, Jesus taught them about private prayer: "But when you pray, go into your room . . . and pray to your Father, who is unseen" (Mt. 6:6). But this day they were asking Him to take them into His house of prayer, where they could learn to pray with brothers and sisters.
"To pray." Scripture doesn't record the disciples ever asking Jesus, "Lord, teach us to preach" or "teach us to heal" or "teach us to raise the dead." They don't seem to have asked Him, "Lord, teach us to walk on water" or "teach us to feed the thousands." Neither did they ask, "Lord, teach us about prayer" or "Teach us how to pray." They were not interested in theory; they wanted reality. They had known prayer as a duty and a discipline; they now wanted to experience it as a delight.
It was as if Jesus were saying, "Okay, you want to learn to pray? Ask the Father to give you the Holy Spirit; He will teach you to pray." This was not a casual answer to a first century question; it was the consummate answer to the heart-cry of disciples through the ages who have begged, "Lord, teach us to pray." The only hope for any of us to enjoy a meaningful prayer life is to cultivate intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Effective prayer is supernatural; it requires divine intervention. This principle is reflected other places in the New Testament, where we often see Jesus praying under the influence of the Holy Spirit. At His baptism, the Holy Spirit came upon Him while He was praying (Lk. 3:21-22). When He went to the wilderness for 40 days to fast and pray, it was the Holy Spirit who led Him (Lk. 4:1-2). On the mountain where Jesus was transfigured, the Holy Spirit came on Him "as he was praying" (Lk. 9:29). John the baptizer also prayed under the influence of the Holy Spirit. It is not a coincidence that John was "filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth" (Lk. 1:15) and that he had such a dynamic prayer ministry that he taught his followers to pray (Lk. 11:1).
During the final week of His life, Jesus taught His disciples extensively about praying under the influence of the Holy Spirit. "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever" (Jn. 14:16); and "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me" (Jn. 15:26); and again, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about" (Acts 1:4), a charge to stay and pray until they received the Holy Spirit.
Buried deep inside every Christian throughout the centuries has been a desire to communicate with the Father. Accompanying that is the painful awareness that such spiritual intimacy is humanly impossible. More than 100 years ago, in his book The Prayer Life, Andrew Murray put his finger on this dilemma: "The sin of prayerlessness is one of the deepest roots of all evil. In it are embedded all the other sins of pride, arrogance, independence, self- sufficiency, unbelief, and rebellion. . . . And it is the one sin to which we must all plead guilty. . . . The greatest stum- bling block in the way of victory over prayerlessness is the secret feeling that we shall never obtain the blessing of being delivered from it." These words have accurately described the spiritual condition of millions of believers throughout the millennia. Perhaps they describe you. There is only one answer to this tragic condition: learning to pray under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus ascended into heaven, all He left behind on earth was a prayer meeting. God sent His Holy Spirit to a prayer-prepared people. They were devoted to prayer prior to Pentecost (Acts 1:14), and they were devoted to prayer following Pentecost (Acts 2:42). Prayer leads us to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit leads us in Spirit. It is not a coincidence that John was "filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth" (Lk. 1:15) and that he had such a dynamic prayer min- istry that he taught his followers to pray (Lk. 11:1). During the final week of His life, Jesus taught His disciples extensively about praying under the influence of the Holy Spirit. "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever" (Jn. 14:16); and "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from prayer. These two themes—prayer and the Holy Spirit—are woven through both New Testament books written by Luke: his gospel and the book of Acts. Following Pentecost, the Apostle Paul picks up this same theme. He exhorts the Ephesian believers to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions" (Eph. 6:18). To the church in Rome, he writes, "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express" (Ro. 8:26).
In today's world, leading demographer David Barrett documents that "Worldwide there are about 170 million Christians who are committed to pray every day for spiritual awakening and world evangelization. Of these, 20 million believe that praying in that direction is their primary calling and ministry within the body of Christ. Worldwide there are at least 10 million prayer groups that have a major focus every time they meet to pray and seek God for a coming world revival." This means that today not only are Christians crying out, "Lord, teach us to pray," but God is answering this heart-cry by sending His Holy Spirit. Increasingly, both individual believers and entire congregations are learning to pray under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
•Tapping into Christ's supernatural prayer life under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
These five words provide us with a new paradigm for church ministry at the beginning of the 21st century. Pastors and parishioners are waking up to the stark reality that the only hope for the church is revival—and the only hope for revival is a sovereign move of God through mighty, prevailing prayer. God is eager to hear us ask; He is eager to answer through the Holy Spirit.
Fred Hartley is a Lead Pastor in Atlanta, Georgia and President of the College of Prayer International. He has written twenty books including Prayer on Fire and God on Fire. Leading people to an encounter with the manifest presence of Christ is his life's passion. He also enjoys running, golf, and playing with his grandchildren.
Used by permission of Pray! Copyright © 2003, Issue 36, The Navigators. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. www.navpress.com.


Classical beauty and utility blend seamlessly in this locking jewelry box from Mele & Co. Naomi collection. An intricate geometric laser cut design and convenient carry handle on the locking lid offer style and versatility. Custom storage options in the lift out tray and interior coupled with a posh textured lining that makes this jewelry box chic and sensible. Measures: 12 1/4" x 8 3/8" x 4 1/4.
Italian Genuine 20-Lira Coin Pendant Necklace in Sterling Silver. 18"


Getting in touch with me is simple and efficent.
If you are interested in any of my services, I'd be happy to chat through your needs, answer any questions and set up a meeting with you.
You can email or call me on the below contacts, or alternatively please fill in the below form and I will be in contact with you from there.
I check my emails every day and will reply, even if I'm at dinner!


text:
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- (instancetype)initWithFilterAtURL:(NSURL *)filterURL
{
    if ((self = [super init]))
    {
        _filterURL = filterURL;

        if (_filterURL != nil)
        {
            [self parseFilterJSON];
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    return self;
}

- (void)processCGImage:(CGImageRef)image completion:(WPFilterCompletionHandler)handler
{
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        CIImage *ciImage = [[CIImage alloc] initWithCGImage:image options:nil];

        __block CIImage *output = ciImage;
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        {
            output = [process performWithInputImage:output];
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        // crop the image using CICrop
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        output = crop.outputImage;

        // We have to convert from CIImage to a CGImageRef because trying to go
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        // when being thrown into a UIImageView.
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        dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
            handler(filteredImage);
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}

- (void)processImage:(UIImage *)image completion:(WPFilterCompletionHandler)handler
{
    [self processCGImage:image.CGImage completion:handler];
}

#pragma mark -
#pragma mark Private/Convenience Methods
// +--------------------------------------------------------------------
// | Private/Convenience Methods
// +--------------------------------------------------------------------

- (NSURL *)pathURLForFilterItemNamed:(NSString *)fileName
{
    NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSLibraryDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
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}

- (NSURL *)pathURLForFilter:(ZZArchive *)filterArchive itemNamed:(NSString *)fileName
{
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        NSAssert1(createError == nil, @"Error creating directory for filter: %@", fileName);
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    return [NSURL fileURLWithPath:[filterDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:fileName]];
}

- (void)parseFilterJSON
{
    ZZArchive *oldArchive = [ZZArchive archiveWithContentsOfURL:_filterURL];

    // We are unpacking the Filter archives in <app>/Library/Filters
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        NSFileManager *fm = [[NSFileManager alloc] init];
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            NSError *createError = nil;
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            NSAssert1(unzipError == nil, @"Error unzipping file attribute: %@", [entry.fileName lastPathComponent]);
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    // Parse the JSON
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    NSError *error = nil;
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    _filterName = serialized[@"filterName"];
    _filterDescription = serialized[@"filterDescription"]; // TODO: Need to localized
    _formatVersion = [serialized[@"filterDescription"] floatValue];
    _organizationName = serialized[@"organizationName"];
    _organizationURL = [NSURL URLWithString:serialized[@"organizationURL"]];

    // Extract out any bundled sample images.
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        NSURL *sampleImageURL = [self pathURLForFilterItemNamed:sampleName];
        if (sampleImageURL != nil)
        {
            [samples addObject:[UIImage imageWithContentsOfFile:[sampleImageURL path]]];
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    _sampleImages = samples;

    // Extract out the processing steps
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            WPBlurProcess *blurProcess = [[WPBlurProcess alloc] initWithFilter:self dictionary:step];
            [processingSteps addObject:blurProcess];
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        else if ([step[@"actionType"] isEqualToString:@"color"])
        {
            WPColorProcess *colorProcess = [[WPColorProcess alloc] initWithFilter:self dictionary:step];
            [processingSteps addObject:colorProcess];

        }
        else if ([step[@"actionType"] isEqualToString:@"adjustment"])
        {
            WPAdjustmentsProcess *adjustmentProcess = [[WPAdjustmentsProcess alloc] initWithFilter:self dictionary:step];
            [processingSteps addObject:adjustmentProcess];
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        else if ([step[@"actionType"] isEqualToString:@"curve"])
        {
            WPCurveProcess *curveProcess = [[WPCurveProcess alloc] initWithFilter:self dictionary:step];
            [processingSteps addObject:curveProcess];
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        else if ([step[@"actionType"] isEqualToString:@"gradient"])
        {
            if ([step[@"gradientType"] isEqualToString:@"linear"])
            {
                WPLinearGradientProcess *linearGradientProcess = [[WPLinearGradientProcess alloc] initWithFilter:self dictionary:step];
                [processingSteps addObject:linearGradientProcess];
            }
            else if ([step[@"gradientType"] isEqualToString:@"gradient"])
            {
                WPRadialGradientProcess *radialGradientProcess = [[WPRadialGradientProcess alloc] initWithFilter:self dictionary:step];
                [processingSteps addObject:radialGradientProcess];
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        }
        else if ([step[@"actionType"] isEqualToString:@"image"])
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            WPImageOverlayProcess *imageProcess = [[WPImageOverlayProcess alloc] initWithFilter:self dictionary:step];
            [processingSteps addObject:imageProcess];
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        else if ([step[@"actionType"] isEqualToString:@"script"])
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            WPScriptProcess *scriptProcess = [[WPScriptProcess alloc] initWithFilter:self dictionary:step];
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    _processingSteps = processingSteps;

    // Set the packaging artwork if necessary
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}

@end


RVers Dream! All brick totally renovated home on 1+ acre pristine natural homesite bordering the Timucuan Ecological Preserve w/ privacy on three sides, never any neighbor on any side. Convenient to Mayport, Beaches Interstate, airport as well as shopping and daily conveniences. 2 Car attached garage, 1 detached rear garage & large front utility work building. Paved drive to full RV hook up to include water, power & septic. New eat in kitchen with quartz counters, refinished solid wood cabinets and new appliances, butler's & walk in pantry, K Remodeled bathrooms. Large Family Room with tray ceiling, stone fireplace, leading onto a huge screened tiled lanai & heated, screened in-ground salt pool. New master bath w quartz counters. Many more upgrades only the eye can behold.


text:
package net.lightbody.bmp.proxy.dns;

import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;

import java.lang.reflect.Field;
import java.net.InetAddress;
import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;

/**
 * An {@link net.lightbody.bmp.proxy.dns.AdvancedHostResolver} that provides native JVM lookup using {@link net.lightbody.bmp.proxy.dns.NativeResolver}
 * but also implements DNS cache manipulation functionality.
 *

 * Important note: The Oracle JVM does not provide any public facility to manipulate the JVM's DNS cache. This class uses reflection to forcibly
 * manipulate the cache, which includes access to private class members that are not part of the published Java specification. As such, this
 * implementation is brittle and may break in a future Java release, or may not work on non-Oracle JVMs. If this implementation cannot
 * perform any of its operations due to a failure to find or set the relevant field using reflection, it will log a warning but will not
 * throw an exception. You are using this class at your own risk! JVM cache manipulation does not work on Windows -- this class will behave exactly
 * the same as {@link net.lightbody.bmp.proxy.dns.NativeResolver} on that platform.
 */
public class NativeCacheManipulatingResolver extends NativeResolver {
    private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(NativeCacheManipulatingResolver.class);

    @Override
    public void clearDNSCache() {
        // clear the DNS cache but replacing the LinkedHashMaps that contain the positive and negative caches on the
        // private static InetAddress.Cache inner class with new, empty maps
        try {
            Field positiveCacheField = InetAddress.class.getDeclaredField("addressCache");
            positiveCacheField.setAccessible(true);
            Object positiveCacheInstance = positiveCacheField.get(null);

            Field negativeCacheField = InetAddress.class.getDeclaredField("negativeCache");
            negativeCacheField.setAccessible(true);
            Object negativeCacheInstance = positiveCacheField.get(null);

            Class<?> cacheClass = Class.forName("java.net.InetAddress$Cache");
            Field cacheField = cacheClass.getDeclaredField("cache");
            cacheField.setAccessible(true);

            cacheField.set(positiveCacheInstance, new LinkedHashMap());
            cacheField.set(negativeCacheInstance, new LinkedHashMap());
        } catch (ClassNotFoundException | IllegalAccessException | NoSuchFieldException e) {
            log.warn("Unable to clear native JVM DNS cache", e);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void setPositiveDNSCacheTimeout(int timeout, TimeUnit timeUnit) {
        try {
            Class<?> inetAddressCachePolicyClass = Class.forName("sun.net.InetAddressCachePolicy");

            Field positiveCacheTimeoutSeconds = inetAddressCachePolicyClass.getDeclaredField("cachePolicy");
            positiveCacheTimeoutSeconds.setAccessible(true);

            if (timeout < 0) {
                positiveCacheTimeoutSeconds.setInt(null, -1);
                java.security.Security.setProperty("networkaddress.cache.ttl", "-1");
            } else {
                positiveCacheTimeoutSeconds.setInt(null, (int) TimeUnit.SECONDS.convert(timeout, timeUnit));
                java.security.Security.setProperty("networkaddress.cache.ttl", Long.toString(TimeUnit.SECONDS.convert(timeout, timeUnit)));
            }
        } catch (ClassNotFoundException | NoSuchFieldException | IllegalAccessException e) {
            log.warn("Unable to modify native JVM DNS cache timeouts", e);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void setNegativeDNSCacheTimeout(int timeout, TimeUnit timeUnit) {
        try {
            Class<?> inetAddressCachePolicyClass = Class.forName("sun.net.InetAddressCachePolicy");

            Field negativeCacheTimeoutSeconds = inetAddressCachePolicyClass.getDeclaredField("negativeCachePolicy");
            negativeCacheTimeoutSeconds.setAccessible(true);

            if (timeout < 0) {
                negativeCacheTimeoutSeconds.setInt(null, -1);
                java.security.Security.setProperty("networkaddress.cache.negative.ttl", "-1");
            } else {
                negativeCacheTimeoutSeconds.setInt(null, (int) TimeUnit.SECONDS.convert(timeout, timeUnit));
                java.security.Security.setProperty("networkaddress.cache.negative.ttl", Long.toString(TimeUnit.SECONDS.convert(timeout, timeUnit)));
            }
        } catch (ClassNotFoundException | NoSuchFieldException | IllegalAccessException e) {
            log.warn("Unable to modify native JVM DNS cache timeouts", e);
        }
    }
}


text:
  © {{ site.time | date: '%Y' }} Created by {{ site.owner.name }}.
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Still unanswered: how to keep the nuclear reins from the hands of an unbalanced president.
Donald Trump gets a new hat?
The editors of both the New York Times and Scientific American recently expressed their concerns about the fact that the US president can decide unilaterally to launch a nuclear attack against an enemy. Since the Atomic Energy Act of 1946, the president can order a nuclear strike – alone. That is, Donald Trump can exert sole control over a decision to unleash a nuclear arsenal against North Korea, Iran, or any other enemy state. That should frighten everyone, for as Hillary Clinton pointed out during the 2016 campaign, "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Unfortunately, as Alex Wellerstein said in the Washington Post last year, the one sure way to keep President Trump from launching a nuclear attack would have been to elect someone else.
The concern about the president's power to initiate nuclear warfare, and the dependence on the president's stability and judgement in making such decisions leads to Harold Hering and "The Question" – a simple query made over 40 years ago about a hypothetical presidential order to launch nuclear missiles.
The case of Harold Hering has been getting a bit of attention lately. Hering is an 81 year-old former truck driver and addiction counselor. In 1973, however, he was a major in the US Air Force, training for duty involving the control of nuclear missiles at a launch site. He was on track for promotion to lieutenant colonel. But, during his training, he asked "The Question." Hering privately asked his instructor "How can I know that an order to launch my missiles came from a sane president?" The question was never answered. Hering never completed his training – his inconvenient query resulted in the dedicated and experienced airman (several tours of duty in Vietnam) being dismissed from the missile class, and eventually led to his discharge from the military. In the nuclear chain of command, there is no room for such a question – the mere fact that Hering asked it caused his superiors to doubt his commitment to following orders at a time of national emergency.
Hering would have been largely unaware of the mental state of the president at the time, but when The Question was posed, an unstable Richard Nixon was in the last days of his presidency. Nixon's increasingly paranoid and bizarre behaviour prompted senior cabinet members to subvert the usual chain of command to ensure safety. Defense Secretary James Schlesinger, for example, circulated a secret memo instructing his commanders that any orders for a nuclear launch should be cleared through himself or the Secretary of State (Kissinger). That communication was illegal, but necessary.
The question remains unanswered, and there have been no changes to the procedures or protocols for launching a nuclear strike since Nixon resigned. Now we have Trump. And there is still no assurance that a nuclear strike could not be ordered on a whim, or during a fit of pique, or out of rage and spite.
In short, application of the PRP criteria limits involvement in any nuclear weapon-related function to persons judged to be reliable, sane, and balanced.
The PRP is comprehensive and broad in its application, covering all military, civilian and contractor personnel with duties relating to nuclear weapons and/or their components. All personnel, that is, except the president. The one person who can act unilaterally in ordering a nuclear strike is not subject to an ongoing evaluation of stability and competence. That one person is Donald Trump. And Donald Trump would likely fail the test.
Even republicans admit that president Trump shows poor judgement in many situations, is prone to outbursts of temper, acts vindictively, does not accept responsibility for failures, and is impulsive, arrogant and inflexible. Senator Flake of Arizona noted that the president's behaviour is "reckless, outrageous and undignified." All of these characteristics are disqualifying factors for certification under the PRP. There have been very real concerns expressed about the president's mental health – also a disqualifier. And, consider Trump's propensity to lie – dishonesty is noted as an indicator that the person is not suitable for certification. Furthermore, PRP assessors evaluate financial aspects of a candidate's life as an indicator of trustworthiness, stability, and potential for outside influence. Trump's history of bankruptcies, lengthy list of lawsuits by suppliers for non-payment, and continued lack of transparency regarding his financial dealings would raise big (yuge!) red flags for any assessor.
Trump would fail the test put in place to ensure that the nuclear arsenal is in safe hands. But, he still holds the reins.
During Nixon's time, extraordinary measures were taken to keep the nuclear trigger out of the hands of an unbalanced president. Those measures were likely unconstitutional and illegal. But, they were also necessary and effective. Since that time there have been numerous attempts to change the nuclear launch protocols and lessen the possibility of a president launching weapons recklessly. Those attempts went nowhere. Now that Donald Trump is in office, behaving in a manner that would otherwise disqualify him from being anywhere near a nuclear chain of command, these efforts should be revisited and redoubled.
The New York Times suggests that the president should be barred from launching a first strike without a declaration of war by Congress. At the very least, any presidential launch order should first be reviewed by senior cabinet members. There is precedent for this latter condition – Schlesinger's 1973 edict established a temporary check on the otherwise unfettered power of the president. So, why not make such a check permanent? Even if Donald Trump is not (yet) in Nixonian territory with respect to his mental state, a future president may well enter that place at some time during his or her term. Why not take steps to prevent a catastrophe?
It appears that the Trump Whitehouse may already be operating under a Schlesinger-type edict, to establish some control over the unpredictable president. Senator Corker, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, claimed that only Secretary of State Tillerson, Defense Secretary Mattis and Chief of Staff Kelly separate the country from chaos. One can assume that the cabinet trio is running interference for Trump, protecting Congress and the public from some of the president's more outrageous outbursts and/or indiscriminate actions. If the trio is in fact performing this function, then their de facto role in restraining the president should be codified in law for the most critical and consequential of all possible presidential decisions – the one to lunch a nuclear strike.
A law that would place reasonable restraints on the ability of a president to act unilaterally and cavalierly with nuclear weapons should be passed immediately. I propose that it be named the Harold Hering Act. The question Mr. Hering posed in 1973 would finally be addressed.
This is a repository for miscellaneous comments and opinions of a "retired" executive with a background in business, an interest in politics, and a view that he's not really a Luddite – he's a cyber-skeptic. Please feel free to offer your own comments, and to sign up for notifications of future blog posts. Thanks.


The rain started sometime last night, and when we woke up this morning it was still coming down in sheets. It let up after lunch for a few hours, dwindling to a drizzle, but then it picked up again in the late afternoon, this time with gusting winds. On the walk home my umbrella only kept the upper half of me (relatively) dry. Welcome to monsoon season in Korea. This was something that I did not have to deal with last year, and as a result I kind of forgot about it. It doesn't rain every day during monsoon season (which lasts about a month from late June to late July), but when it does rain, it pours.
In other transitional news, the spring semester ended about a week and a half ago, and today I finally finished up my grading. Normally this would mean transitioning into the relatively peaceful summer, when I would hunker down and pound out all that research that I couldn't give my undivided attention to during the semester. This year, though, I am teaching a summer class, which starts tomorrow. I have class on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, for three hours in the afternoon each day. It is basically an entire semester crammed into five weeks.
This is the first time I will be teaching a summer class. Usually we leave Korea during the oppressively hot summers, but since we spent the entire year last year in the States (and also spent a lot of money doing so), we decided not to go anywhere this summer. So when I was asked if I wanted to teach a class, I figured, why not? It would be an opportunity to try out a class that I've always wanted to teach—a survey of the modern Korean short story—and it would also fill a need in our department: We rarely (if ever) have professors from my department teaching these summer classes (probably because it is an international summer school and all the classes are taught in English), and it's good to be represented.
Now, on the cusp of the summer session, I have somewhat mixed feelings about the class. I am indeed looking forward to it, but it's also going to be a lot of work. As I mentioned above, this is the time of the year when I usually focus on research, and this is going to significantly cut into research time; I'll probably only be able to get any research done on Tuesday and Friday, the days that I don't have class.
It is what it is, though, and I am now committed to the course. My thoughts on it are primarily positive, and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of students will be studying with me for the next five weeks. There are only fourteen students in the class, which is a good number—enough for some variety, but not too many that people might get lost in the shuffle during discussion.
So those are the immediate transitions I am faced with: seasonal and academic. Looking at the bigger picture, I think I can also say that the transition back to life here in Korea is complete, and last year is now just a series of (very good, very fond) memories.


The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) serves as the Bay Area's transportation planning, coordinating, and financing agency, and oversees the Bay Area Toll Authority.
Riders use a "Clipper" card from MTC to avoid having to pay cash at each transit ride and when they change transit systems (over a dozen agencies accept Clipper cards). Clipper cards were introduced in 2006, just 12 years ago. Apparently the system wasn't designed with advanced technology in mind even though the area is the hub for innovative technology.
Guess how long the MTC has been working on the Clipper card update (called C2)? FOUR YEARS. And the new card won't be rolled out until 2021.
Guess how much the C2 update and maintenance will cost? Almost half a BILLION dollars.
No biggie, California government agencies always find more taxpayer monies to fund their ridiculously overpriced projects.
Here's more details from SF Gate: Clipper, once the whiz-bang smart card that rescued commuters from having to buy a ticket or pay a separate cash fare every time they rode a different transit system — Muni, BART, Caltrain, AC Transit, the ferry and so on — has grown stiff, stodgy and nearly obsolete.
Read the whole SF Gate story here.
This entry was posted in Liberals/Democrats/Left, Media, Science & technology, Taxes, United States and tagged AC Transit, BART, Bay Area, California, Caltrain, Clipper card, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, MTC Operations Committee, Muni. Bookmark the permalink.
What do you know or they Californians don't know any better, well since they have illegal alliens that don't speak English, and are like cattle hauled to vote, drug addicts, homeless, queers, lesbians, unknown genders and the list goes on, they don't care to know where the money comes from as long as they are provided with the goodies, and the taxpayers working to keep them going and the government stealing from decent people to provide body guards for the state's "senator", no other choice but capitulate and keep the scourge taking over.
Hey, it's only other people's money.


E Pluribus: What is Italian America?
•Who is an Italian American?
•What is the difference between an Italian American and an Italian?
•When do Italian Americans cease to exist?
•Why do we need Italian American Studies?
•Where is Italian American culture?
•Who lives in Italian America?
•What's in an Italian name?
•When are we Italian / American?
•Why do Italian Americans do what they do?
•How many Italian America(n)s are there? and How do we know them?
Proposals for individual presentations should have titles and be no more than 300 words in length. Proposals for panels and roundtables should include titles and be no more than 500 words in length, should include a brief biography of each presenter and participant with his/her affiliation, address, telephone number and email address and should be typed on the form accompanying this call.


Cost 20 gp Weight 4 lbs.
Favored by those with no talent for witchcraft, this exotic blade curves multiple times along its 3-1/2 feet. The sickle-sword's hilt is long and curved, and its blade bears a small secondary grip partway up its length. These allow a wielder with a free hand to rapidly twist the sword in unpredictable ways.
When wielding a sickle-sword in one hand and nothing in the other, you can spend a swift action to gain a +2 bonus on your next attack roll before the end of your turn.


Is there any way to change the specific avatar of a service? I'm not talking about my personal avatar; I'm referring to the green dots, themselves. Also, the avatars in the buddy list aren't being displayed for my buddies that are connected to yahoo or aim. I'm new to the list, so I'm sorry if this is normal.


text:
Home Busted
James L. McClinton, Ph.D.
Maybe he should change his phone number to 867-5309… In California, a man came up with a brilliant idea to hide his car from license plate readers and ticketing systems: registering the vanity license plate "NULL." He hoped his NULL license plates would make it impossible for cops to give him a ticket, since they wouldn't be able to enter the ticket into their system. His plan worked all too well. It caused a citation processing center to send him $18,000 worth of parking tickets. When a ticket is entered into the system for a car with unknown license plates, the field on the form reads "NULL." Since there was suddenly a car registered with those exact plates, $12,000 worth of unpaid tickets all got mailed to him. The DMV eventually dismissed the fines, but since he's still using those plates, he has already amassed another $6,000 worth of other peoples' tickets. (Play stupid games; win stupid prizes.)
Make sure to check the VIN number on that vehicle… In Ohio, police are searching for two men who fled a traffic stop involving an Amish buggy. A deputy in Trumbull County reported seeing two Amish men drinking as they rode on the back of the buggy. When the officer spotted a 12-pack of Michelob ULTRA® inside, he tried to get the driver to stop. The men jumped out and ran off into the woods while the horse continued to pull the buggy before eventually stopping. The deputy found several open containers of alcohol and a "radio sound system" which included several large speakers. The buggy was towed and the horse is being cared for by a nearby resident until someone claims the animal. (On a positive note, they had a "self-driving vehicle.")
This is so ridiculous that it's criminal. Oops, I mean "justice-involved"… Ever sensitive San Francisco is giving ex-cons, juvenile delinquents and drug addicts new monikers, thanks to the Board of Supervisors' new "person-first" language guidelines. For example, someone just released from prison will be a "justice-involved person"; a repeat offender will be a "returning resident." People on probation will be "persons under supervision." The under 18 criminal crowd will be known as "young people impacted by the juvenile justice system." Words such as "convict" and "inmate" "only serve to obstruct and separate people from society and make the institutionalization of racism and supremacy appear normal," the board's resolution reads. (Yeah, and the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake was a "community remodeling project.")
Wait a minute – that's not dandruff!… In Madrid, Spain, customs officials were doing their job of checking passengers on an inbound flight from Bogota, Colombia. An inspector noticed that one of the passengers had an unusual hairstyle. The man's coiffure was a very tall pompadour, something like you would have seen on a young version of Elvis. The inspector investigated the matter and found that it was not the man's real hair, but a toupee. The wearer was not trying to cover up a bald spot, but was instead covering a half kilo of cocaine which he had glued to his head. Customs reported that the traveler was trying to hide $34,000 worth of cocaine under a wig. (Hair today, jail tomorrow)
He should be sentenced to wear mittens in public… A Pennsylvania state appellate court has ruled against a man who was convicted in a lower court for disorderly conduct in 2018 for pointing his finger like a gun at a neighbor. Earlier that year, the man was reportedly walking past a neighbor's home in Manor, Pennsylvania, when the neighbor made an obscene gesture with his hand. He responded by making a shooting gun gesture with his own hand. A witness called 911 and the unnamed neighbor told police he felt "extremely threatened." The man argued that his gesture was not a hazard, but the appeals court disagreed. (I guess the exploding fist bomb is now considered a threat of terrorism.)
As he was being processed, the arrestee was overheard asking if the bail bondsman would take cash… A trash collector in Limestone County, Alabama, noticed something unusual in a trash pickup outside a man's residence. The large trash bags were filled with printed paper. The garbage man took a closer look and found the sheets of paper were actually printed $20 bills. The resident of the home apparently intended to run a counterfeiting operation and had conducted a test to get his fake bills just right. The bags were turned over to the police who discovered that the man was also somewhat of a recycler. One of the fake bills was printed on the back of an Alabama Pardons and Paroles receipt issued three months earlier. Police booked him on felony counterfeiting charges. (Does Limestone County mandate clear garbage bags?)
Where was she when I was in school?… In Evans, Louisiana, a 52-year-old woman was charged with filing false public records after it was discovered that she was writing fake doctor's notes for high school students so they could get out of class. The woman, who worked at a medical clinic, charged $20 for each excuse, according to the Vernon Parish Sheriff. He also said it was common knowledge among students that the excuses were for sale. The woman's fraud came to light when someone from the Vernon Parish School Board called a doctor about the notes which he denied having authorized. (School authorities should have known something was amiss when all the notes were signed by Dr. Phil Goode.)
Now we know who flung poo… A 49-year-old Oregon man who targeted his former friend with an improvised dog poop bomb avoided prison and was sentenced to three years of probation. He admitted to filling a plastic toolbox with dog feces and timing it to explode when the victim opened it. He put the device on the back of a Camaro owned by a former buddy. When it exploded, it sounded "like an M-80 going off and the dog doo was blown out of the toolbox," investigators said. The friend wasn't hurt. The pair had a falling out when the accused believed the friend had no intention of giving back some tools he borrowed. (Nothing says "give me back my stuff!" like an exploding toolbox full of dog doody.)


text:
An Indonesian's desire to serve
Members of iCARE, founded by Ms Tanty Tutang (extreme right) posing for a photo.
Amidst a busy schedule, iCARE's founder and religious and evangelisation head, Ms Tanty Tutang who is an Indonesian native living in Singapore with her three children, made time to meet me for a drink.
She shared stories of how God is alive and working in our world, and about the marginalised in the remote areas in Indonesia. iCARE which is affliated to CHARIS Singapore, caters to the materially and spiritually needy there.
"We wanted to share the work and be part of the Church," said Ms Tutang. This sense of unity and communion with the Church gives iCARE members a platform to share and undertake the mission of the Church.
Ms Tutang shared that in the past, she was afraid of losing her material wealth. But when she almost became bankrupt, she decided to follow the call of Jesus in her life.
With prayers and discernment, she began a new chapter filled with joy. Along the way, her trust that God would provide and not abandon her increased.
Through her personal encounter with God, she is returning to a path of joy that she had while growing up as a carefree spirit.
Ms Tutang said that "it is not in possessions, but in knowing that I am partaking in a bigger plan of love that the Lord has shown me".
Mission also plays a part in the iCARE founder's family life. As a wife and mother, an active parishioner, and one dedicated to studying and living the Word of God, she is a living witness of love at home and beyond.
Her husband, children, and father-in-law, who is a Buddhist, agree that iCARE makes the world better by reaching out to all people, regardless of creed and colour.
When it comes to those who want to be enriched and are searching for God, Ms Tutang advises them to serve the poor
"God loves a cheerful giver," she said.
To those who want to do mission work, "just do it and you will receive more than you give [as] it is by looking into the eyes of the poor that you experience God speaking directly to the depths of your heart, so listen and live", she said.
iCARE collaborates with Indonesian parishes in Karimun and Bintang to provide medical and dental care to the more remote parts of the Indonesian islands. A number of families with children and youth are involved in these missions.
Children like Ms Tutang's participate in these missions by offering their own pair of hands as a loving support in place of the head rest of a dentist's chair.
The youths also provide help during catechism classes, run flea market stalls to sell clothing, and offer assistance in the children's ministry.
Ms Tutang, also runs prayer sessions for adults.
By Catherine Lee
Read more : Mission work through the eyes of individuals
Parent Category: 2014
Category: OCTOBER 19, 2014, Vol 64, No 21
Former lawyer who turned missionary	(8 matches)
Using gifts, talents to evangelise with love	(8 matches)
ARCHBISHOP'S PASTORAL LETTER: Building community: essential for work of New Evangelisation	(7 matches)
Mission Sunday Reflection: Striving to live like a child of God	(7 matches)
Mission work through the eyes of individuals	(7 matches)
A mission trip to provide aid and interact with Philippine villagers	(6 matches)
ARCHBISHOP'S NATIONAL DAY MESSAGE: Proud to be Catholic, proud to be S'porean	(6 matches)
Archbishop's Christmas Message: Being the Good News of Christmas	(6 matches)
Archbishop's Easter Message: Be an Alleluia people of joy and hope for the world	(6 matches)
Archbishop's Easter Message: Easter joy of the Christian	(6 matches)