text:
Returning to matches, no riskier than leaving home for any other reason – Messi
The Argentina captain, Lionel Messi says he looks forward to getting back to playing matches believing that he is better off not thinking too much about the risk of being infected by the coronavirus as Spanish football clubs step up their return to activity.
After La Liga's four-phase protocol for returning to activity since it was halted in March due to the pandemic Messi and his FC Barcelona team mates have been back at the club's training ground conducting individual sessions since last week.
All 11 remaining rounds of fixtures in La Liga will take place without spectators, with President Javier Tebas saying last week that matches could start as soon as June 12.
ALSO READ Youth group '7th Republic' salutes Gov. Makinde Over World-Class Lekan Salami Stadium Project
While some players and clubs have spoken out against football returning out of fear of picking up the virus or passing it on to others, Messi is indifferent.
He said returning to matches was no riskier than leaving home for any other reason.
Messi said, "There's a risk of infection everywhere, when you leave your house there's a risk.
"So, I think we shouldn't think too much about it because if you do you won't want to go anywhere," Messi said on Friday.
"But we must understand that it's essential we comply with the protocols and follow the prevention measures as much as we can. `
"Returning to training is the first step. But we shouldn't get complacent and we must take all precautions necessary."
ALSO READ Why I Donate Jerseys, Support Volleyball - DCP Hasso
Messi said while he is excited about returning to matches he is opposed to La Liga's proposal for teams to be quarantined together, away from their families, once matches resume.
"Personally I'm looking forward to the competition returning. We know it's going to all be very strange, without anyone in the stands, I've done it before and I found it out," said the Barca captain.
"With regards to being quarantined, the truth is we don't like the idea of being separated from our families at all. But we'll have to see what the final plan is."(Reuters/NAN)
ALSO READ Basketball: Nigeria's Men Basketball League Come Alive After Years In Hibernation
Related Topics:BarcelonaFootballLa Ligamessi
Park wins in golf's return to action in South Korea
Messi leads Barcelona to quarter final as club trashes Napoli
Celtic emerge champions, Hearts relegated as Scottish season ends
English Premier League clubs to resume training from Tuesday
RSDF, Naija Ratels Congratulate Ilerika Over Sports Award
Following his decoration as the Sports Administrator of the year by My Media Africa Ratels Sports Development Foundation (RSDF) has congratulated the Secretary of FCT Football Association Haruna Usman Ilerika.
President of the Foundation, and proprietor of rising Nigeria Women club, Abuja-based Naija Ratels, Barr. Paul Edeh, described the honour as well-deserved.
Barr. Edeh said he has known coach Ilerika as a hardworking administrator and technical personality in football affairs.
"On behalf of the Foundation and the Naija Ratels, I congratulate you for this honour which I believe you deserve. I have always known as a hardworking coach and administrator.
ALSO READ RSDF, Naija Ratels Congratulate Ilerika Over Sports Award
"You have continued to make FCT and Nigeria proud in many ways. I know that this award will propel you to continuously do more," Barr. Edeh, a seasoned sports administrator said in a statement on Saturday.
Ilerika is on the services of the Federal Capital Territory Administration as the Secretary of the FCT Football Association and at the same time, a professional coach.
ALSO READ Messi leads Barcelona to quarter final as club trashes Napoli
He is a CAF C and CAF B Licensed coach and a CAF/NFF football instructor who has a masters degree in public administration.
ALSO READ Celtic emerge champions, Hearts relegated as Scottish season ends
Six teams to Slug It At NSK Polo Tournament, In Argungu 2021 World Tourism Celebration
Six Polo giant-teams and clubs across the country are billed to take part in the five-day stretched program of events competing for various trophies as part of the activities pencilled to celebrates 2021 World Tourism Day in Arungungu in Kebbi state.
The teams include; the Vibrant polo teams NSK Farms, Ayutan Farms, Weststream Ponies and NFVCB Polo Team. Others are Gagdi Farms and Pali Resorts Polo Team.
In a statement signed by the Director, Media & Public Relations Ahmed Mohammed Sule said that teams will battle it out for quite a number of highly rated and prestigious trophies which includes the President's Cup, Governor's Cup and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation's (SGF) Cup. As well as the Sultan's Cup and the Emir of Argungu's Cup.
ALSO READ FG Unveils Committee For Ten-Year Nigeria Football Development Master Plan
According to the statement, activities are bracing up for the NSK Polo Tournament and cultural festival as part of events line up for the 2021 World Tourism Day Celebration holding in Argungu, Kebbi State from Saturday 25th to Monday 27th September 2021.
"Our search on the level of preparedness of the team showed that all the teams are in high spirit bracing up to the challenges of the game with each hoping to emerge victorious over and above the rest. This is a clear indication that all the teams are potential champions.
"NSK Farms Polo team from Kebbi state will be led by Nura Kangiwa, Ayutan Farms team from Yola Adamawa state is led by Alhaji Tanko Ayuba, first President of Nigerian Polo Federation. The polo team of Weststream Ponies from Zaria, Kaduna State is led by Abdulkarim Jibrin, Treasurer of the Nigerian Polo Federation
ALSO READ English Premier League clubs to resume training from Tuesday
"Others are NFVCB Polo Team\ from Abuja, FCT under the leadership of Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, Gagdi Farms polo team from Jos, Plateau state led by Alhaji Adamu Gagdi and Pali Resorts Polo Team from Bauchi, Bauchi state.
"Organizers of the polo tournament promised that the tournament as part of activities lined up for the observance of the 2021 World Tourism Day is going to a spectacular sports tourism event with visitors and spectators expected to come from within Nigeria and beyond, including the neighbouring country of Niger Republic."
FG Unveils Committee For Ten-Year Nigeria Football Development Master Plan
The Federal Government Thursday unveiled Ten-Year Football Development Master Plan for Nigeria as part of its determination to ensure growth and development of football in the country.
This follows the charge given by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammudu Buhari to stakeholders in football administration in the country to produce a Ten-Year Football Development Master Plan for Nigeria, a committee was on Thursday constituted by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to carry out the assignment.
In a statetment issued by ministry in Abuja, the members of the Committee are listed as follows Emmanuel Babayaro, Sunday Oliseh, Chief Olusegun Odegbami(MON), Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo, Barrister Adokiye Amiesimaka(MON), Barrister Musa Amadu
Other membrs include, Dr. Bode Durotoye (Ministry Rep), John Opubor (NESG. Rep. OPS), Hon. Ayo Omidiran, Mr. Ogbu Augustine Ojiabor, Tobechukwu Okigbo(MTN), Ade Ojeikere, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, Alhaji Mohammed Sanusi(SG NFF), Ogbuefi Tony Nnachetta, Mr. Yemi Idowu and Muhammad Daha Umar Faruk .
ALSO READ Six teams to Slug It At NSK Polo Tournament, In Argungu 2021 World Tourism Celebration
The date and venue of their inauguration, as well as their Terms of Reference and other relevant information will be communicated in due course.
ALSO READ Park wins in golf's return to action in South Korea


text:
MALI: Islamists oust Tuareg-nationalist MNLA -- making the reality official.
After the Malian government in Bamako was overthrown in a military coup on 22 March, the Tuareg nationalist-secularist National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), with support from the al-Qaeda-linked Islamists of Ansar Dine, exploited the chaos to advance and seize control of northern Mali. Since then, more than 300,000 people are estimated to have fled northern Mali.
See MALI: Christians flee as jihadists seize control of north
Religious Liberty Monitoring 11 April 2012
As long as the MNLA and Ansar Dine were fighting their common enemy (the Malian government) the alliance worked well. However, the mismatched forces proved unable to work together in government, for while the MNLA's goal is an independent state, Ansar Dine's goal is the imposition of Islamic Sharia law across the whole country. From the very beginning, despite the MNLA's leadership and elevated profile, the reality on the ground has always been that the al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Dine is the stronger force and the one in control.
See MALI: Islamist's weapons seizure will greatly boost AQIM's striking power
Religious Liberty Monitoring 5 June 2012
ISLAMISTS OUST TUAREG-NATIONALIST MNLA
-- making the reality official.
On Tuesday 26 June, the Islamists seized control of Gao from the Tuareg MNLA. Twenty-six people were killed (mostly armed militants; mostly MNLA) and dozens wounded in fighting which involved the use of heavy weapons. MNLA political leader, Bilal Ag Cherif, was wounded. The al-Qaeda-linked Islamists took over buildings that had been occupied by the Tuaregs -- including their headquarters.
Claiming to have merely made a tactical retreat, the MNLA denies it has lost the fight. "Right now some MNLA units, stationed at the borders of Azawad, are coming back to completely rid the city of Gao of Islamist groups that are terrorizing the population," MNLA spokesman Mossa Ag Attaher said in a written statement.
Reuters reports that a Timbuktu resident said on Thursday (28 June) that MNLA fighters who had been stationed at the city's airport and port had now even abandoned those positions. (Confirmed by AP)
See Reuters: Islamists declare full control of Mali's north
By Tiemoko Diallo and Adama Diarra
BAMAKO, Thu 28 June 2012
Details in Serge Daniel's account will give Bamako cause for concern, along with all the Christians, secularists and moderates who have fled there:
"The Islamists slowly moved their chessmen into place, first blocking the Tuareg from accessing the heavy weapons they had brought back from Libya and hidden in the AQIM-controlled mountains in north-eastern Mali, experts said.
"Then they won sympathy on the ground among the different tribes in the north, where Tuareg are a minority, by distributing basic goods and insisting they wanted to maintain the territorial integrity of Mali.
" 'When the mujahideen took Gao, they walked through the town brandishing the Malian flag, we liked that,' said Saly Toure who works for the Sahel Museum in Gao which has been closed since the beginning of the crisis.
"But to win 'the Islamists also played the corruption card wholeheartedly,' said an African diplomat based in Bamako, on condition of anonymity. 'A very influent leader of a citizens' association in Gao was "bought". Since then he turned his back on the Tuareg to support the Islamists.'
"He said the defeat of the MNLA would change the framework of negotiations with transition authorities who took over from the junta.
"Lacking money, abandoned by their supporters and riven by internal divisions [between French and Arabic speaking factions], the Tuareg rebels have been sorely weakened, and only hold small towns such as Gossi, Menaka and Anderamboukane.
See: Islamists rout Tuareg from their own rebellion in north Mali
By Serge Daniel (AFP) 28 June 2012
Al Jazeera has a more detailed report:
'Dozens killed' in northern Mali fighting
At least 20 people dead as Islamist and Tuareg groups battle for control of northern towns.
Al Jazeera 28 Jun 2012
NOTE: Al Jazeera reports there are at least two Islamist factions involved: the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) - which seized parts of Gao - and Ansar Dine, which based itself in Timbuktu. Both Islamist groups are believed to have links to al-Qaeda.
Posted by Elizabeth Kendal. at 12:31 AM
Labels: Mali
MALI: Islamists oust Tuareg-nationalist MNLA -- ma...
EGYPT: echos of Algeria as SCAF trumps Islamists
EGYPT: The military versus the Islamists
MALI: Islamist's weapons seizure will greatly boos...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Sondergut leather travel backgammon game rolls up to the size of a pocket umbrella (10 x 2"). Great for travel or the home! Keep the game in the RV or boat? How about a game with your wife before dinner at the hotel lobby? Where will you take your game? Whether relaxing on the beach, at the campsite or at the hotel lounge, you can play backgammon almost anywhere -- and with style.
Purposefully, the game was designed with two things in mind: To weigh next to nothing and be the highest quality travel game on the market. This is not a game to throw away when the vacation is over. Instead, it will be the first thing you pack for the next trip.
This hand-sewn, full-size board in velvety cream or rich mocha colored suede and has a rich look and soft, pliable feel.
When the game's over, store the dice, doubling cube and both sets of 15 playing stones in the zippered pocket. When rolled up, the size is 10 x 2". Open the game and the board is full sized at 10 x 12-2/3".
All playing pieces neatly fit in the zippered pocket for easy and reliable storage and transport. Playing pieces are 2cm in diameter (about the size of a penny).
SPECIAL OFFER: Buy 2 sets and instantly save $4.95 off the individual price. Or, pair it with our Travel Chess/Checkers set.


text:
You are here: Home › Articles › The Struggle Continues: Reflecting on the Past And Moving Forward, by Jason Renard Walker #1532092
← Texas Prisoner Suffering Stroke, Denied Medical Care and Left for Dead on Cell Floor for Over Twelve House by Prison Guards
I'm Off to Florida and a New Phase of Reprisals for Publicizing Abuses in U.S. Prisons (2017) →
The Struggle Continues: Reflecting on the Past And Moving Forward, by Jason Renard Walker #1532092
July 8, 2017 | Filed under: Articles, Uncategorized	and tagged with: United Panther Movement
Reflecting on the September 9, 2016 prison work stoppage from the perspective of a marginalized dissent, within the nucleus of this historic event, basically I'd like to show three things: 1) What brought thousands of men and wimyn to this point of resistance, or as Chris Hedges calls it: The New Slave Rebellion. 2) The success gained from our organizing, support building and resistance. 3) The positive and negative lessons we learned through trial and error, and suggestions to help us move forward.
The New Slave Rebellion
The literal perpetuation of slavery in today's prison system (mainly in Texas) has existed since the 13th Amendments loophole legally sent slaves from the plantation to the penitentiary as commodities of the state.
For a very long time the then: Texas Department of Corrections was effectively able to hide prison slavery through leased convict labor. Even the slaves didn't know they were being used as slaves. It was here in Texas that the racialized southern prison model (that has since drifted across Amerika) morphed out of the slave plantation. The leasing of convict labor, which had prisoners rented out to U.S. corporations, had these standards set by profiteers in Texas.
So what brought us to this point of national resistance during the post antebellum slave era? Simply speaking, it was the consciousness of select prisoners that formed protracted mass movements like the Free Alabama; California's hunger strikes and agreement to end all hostilities; and the End prison slavery in Texas campaign.
But these movements weren't something that sprouted overnight. After years of prison officials' empty promises, horrible conditions and our extensive research, we've finally come to realize that the system profits and operates off our exploitation, so it's obvious that it has to be shut down at our leisure or they'll keep exploiting us. And the only way this can be done is through a collective mass movement – with the effects being a loss of profits for the prison industrial complex (P.I.C.) and officials having to do the work that we once did. Not to mention an economical ripple effect.
The First Wave Was A Success
In April 2016, Alice Speri, a writer for the intercept.com released a statement about a random multi Texas prison lockdown, which was the result of prisoners refusing to work. TDCJ media mouth piece, Jason Clark countered the claim to keep the public and prison population in the dark. Clark propagated that this mass unit lockdown was a routine one.
In effort to kill the momentum or any copy cat resistance, Clark released a statement this same month explaining that TDCj created a new rule which made it illegal to post content on social media through a social media account.
Prison officials are aware of the economic damage that can result from prisoners peacefully protesting inhumane living conditions, poor health care and unpaid forced labor. So even the slightest flash of organized resistance will draw an oppressive reaction. Their aim is to disrupt any progress, separate the most advanced elements and deter others from re-building to carry-on.
Many of us faced some of these problems during the first wave which included: sudden and unverifiable rule changes, illegal moves to solitary confinement, and official's disregard of rules entirely. But there were also some positive things that happened – which I will now touch on.
Through this very short lived act of civil disobedience came journalists, writers, activists and concerned members of the public, who were unaware that prisoners were being subjected to such treatment. Small rallies were held, article circulated and worldwide awareness was brought to the U.S. penal system as being one that operates to profit off of forced and unpaid labor. This being done with no regards to our health and safety.
The same week of the national workstoppage campaigns, I wrote an article for the progressive website "truth-out.org" titled "Unpaid Labor in Texas Prisons is Modern day Slavery". This also raised some awareness as several readers spent hours debating back and forth in the comments section on slave labor and other issues.
We must also remember that it was the resistance throughout the U.S. that marked our plight as the first to ever take place in Amerika. Without this practical attempt not many would've acted and aided us as much as they did.
The reason I believe the first attempt was a success is because we were able to build support in places that previously had little interest in what goes on in prison. We were also able to get confirmation that prisoners across the U.S. had a common interest in struggling to create better prison conditions.
This goes to say that we've created a firm platform that will help us move forward, we just need to be more firm in our standstills.
Recognizing And Correcting our Errors
Propagation tools, like news and media outlets are key to our success. They keep interested parties informed on our progress and regress. Since it is up to prisoners resisting within the belly of the beast, to convey inside info to the outside, any public supporters that choose to pass this message to prisoners in other parts of the country have to stick to the specifics. Watering down and politicizng our words can cause more harm than good.
During the climax of the past workstoppage, Paul Wright, editor of Prison Legal News and Azzurra Crispino, a former organizer with the Incarcerated Worker Organizing Committee (IWOC) blew a huge shot to inform the world about our national campaign.
During an interview on National Public Radio (NPR) both parties stated that the campaign was over. Neither explained where this info had come from, which gave the interviewer the opportunity to use bourgeois rhetoric to change the core question to: was the campaign a flop?
Wright and Crispino's failure to clarify that we'd just begun hurt the project and insinuated that it really was over. The death punch came when Crispino claimed that a prisoner stated to someone that he wanted to know when the next prison workstoppage would occur and how he could get involved. She could've repaired some of the collateral damage by stating that he, or anyone, could get involved how since there was no actual stop date. But again she missed the mark.
What needs to be realized is that information in prison spreads slower than information on the outside. Most of us rely on snail mail which takes several days to send and receive, thats if the mailroom doesn't ban it. So once we or the the public receive a message, things have changed either correspondingly or contrarily. This is why the botched radio interview caused so much harm.
I was approached by several prisoners who'd listened to the interview, that thought the campaign had ended. In my opinion this interview itself was the coup de grace to the movement here in Texas. NPR is a very popular radio station in Texas and being the only daily national news station we get here at the Clements Unit in Amarillo, Texas; We are forced to take the info at face value.
Since other odds and ends cause delays in our communicating to the outside and general struggle, I will list what I saw as errors and propose a comprehensive list which will correct these mistakes and strengthen our effort in moving forward.
List Of Errors
Freelance writers and independent media correspondence circulating reports using unverified info.
Multiple grassroots media outlets printing the same redundant info on workstrikes, which is already banned.
Our failure to recognize and round up the most advanced writers, poets, artists, speakers, organizers, etc and making them the face of the campaign – as to build up its prestige in the public eye.
Our failure to locate more versatile prison approved media correspondents that are flexible enough to communicate with more prisoners than impractical popular faces
Our failure in creating a body of organizers within the belly of the beast who are used for the purpose of sending out reports at their particular prison on progress, conditions, reprisals and any problems that occur during our national struggle.
Broadly propagating a start date.
Proposed List To Correct These Errors
Anybody that choose to report on our progress I recommend that before publishing anything or giving interviews, you verify any critical information relayed from anywhere by contacting the prisoners or their supporters. Never rely on what prison spokesmen or the warden's secretary say. Their aim is to restore order, not be truthful – no need to rush.
Most of the info that's relevant to prison life come from publications like the Bay View, Prison Action News, Incarcerated Worker Newsletter and Socialist Viewpoint Magazine. On a scale of cost vs benefits, the benefit of reading something that's common knowledge i.e. the fact that a second effort is being made, doesn't outweigh the cost of a series of publications being rejected for the exact same article. To counter this it would be wise for these media outlets to only publish content that give us new insight while redacting content that normally gets banned that we are already aware of. And give these articles names that don't draw attention to them e.g. "Poodle Wins 5th Annual Prettiest Dog Award." As much as I don't agree with self censorship, its better not to print something at all, than waste resources on something we all know will be denied.
During the first month of publications released that gave an update or spoke on the campaign, I noticed most of the reports I read lacked accounts from prisoners that were engaged in an actual work stoppage at their prison. To my disappointment the focus seemed to be on publishing rehashed sentiments from prisoners that weren't actually refusing to work; but whose influence with grassroots media outlets sensationalized their input. I suggest that supporters and media correspondents that will be keeping tabs on our struggle learn who the charismatic resisters are at each participating prison and rely on them for insight, writings, data collecting etc. in order to get a comprehensive account on the general event; as opposed to academic and subjective views and analysis. Our use of media outlets should be to give each resisting prison a voice, not pick one or two prisoners then use them as the voice for the entire event; when in fact our reasons for resisting, how long we will resist and the reprisals vary from state to state, for instance, if members of the Free Alabama Movement decide to call it quits, this technique will prevent the start of rumors that the workstoppage is over, while clarifying what prison has folded or got their demands met.
Another area that could use a little work is finding more dedicated prison approved media correspondents. This will give the public a chance to learn about what's going on throughout the nation simultaneously, while giving us the liberty to send out reports that aren't delayed or banned through mailroom censorship. Our first struggle seemed a bit slow which was probably due to mailroom scrutiny and the few media correspondents around choosing to focus on popular prisoners as opposed to those who could provide anecdotes for their articles, since these prisoners were involved.
After correcting the censorship problem we could focus more on realizing what prisons will participate, then locate particular participants at each one to send in reports and other critical info. John Washington, who was reporting for "The Nation" magazine, released a preamble on the work stoppage; but from my knowledge he never followed through with an article on what prisons were at a standstill. I believe this was due to a lack of flexible journalism coupled with the prisoners being unorganized and unaware of when and who to send reports to. This method will also make it easier on the recipient of the reports; since it will quell the amount of redundant mail one has to scan through, relay and reply to.
In our first wave the date was set on the 45th anniversary of the attica prison rebellion.
This was a great day to do such a thing, but since it was emphasized so much; prison officials were aware of it just as much as we were. This before hand knowledge resulted in the prison I'm housed in to be put on lock-down on labor day to prevent any possible disturbances. As for the new date, it will be better if those on the inside are given the chance to circulate it, as we all know when it is. It will also be helpful if this date is redacted from literature that will be censored by the prison mailroom. Mailrooms feast on such mishaps and often obtain info that can be used against us. Just because they allow some literature concerning our event to slip in, doesn't mean that they aren't using the info to stay a step ahead and disrupt our plans.
Organizing against the establishment, whether it's government officials or prison officials, isn't easy. They hold a certain level of prestigious power which ultimately give them the ability to create rules and policies that keep us at a disadvantage. The minute we figure out a legal way to organize around their polarization, they break their own rules to keep us contained.
This is the motivation and driving force to our resistance: knowing that the politics of polarization and containment in Amerika is racialization and incarceration. It keeps us divided, at odds with each other and exploited and repressed by the penal system at the same time.
This reality is how we got to the conclusion that if we don't come together and let the crops rot in the fields, we'll continue to be exploited, divided, and promoted to be the masters of our own slavery and eventually the masters of our own destruction.
Jason Renard Walker #153207
Clements Unit
9601 Spur 591
Written by Jason Walker


text:
De Blasio, Cuomo Vow to Protect New York City from Trump Threats of Muslim Registries, Deportations, Stop-and-Frisk
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio (photos: Getty Images)
By J. David Goodman, New York Times
NEW YORK — Faced with a Republican president-elect willing to draw hard lines on immigration, policing and funding for social programs, Mayor Bill de Blasio in a formal address on Monday drew some of his own, presenting New York City as a national model of resistance and "a better way."
De Blasio, a Democrat, vowed to mount a legal challenge if the federal government tried to create a registry of the nation's Muslims. He promised to protect immigrant families threatened with deportation. He pledged that an aggressive stop-and-frisk policing policy would never return to New York.
"The president-elect talked during the campaign about the movement that he had built," said the mayor, referring to Donald Trump and the huge rallies he led. "Now, it's our turn to build a movement — a movement of the majority that believes in respect and dignity for all."
The mayor's 40-minute speech — billed as a major address and delivered to supporters, invited guests and 11 center rows filled with city workers at Cooper Union — echoed in theme and some content one that another Democrat, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, delivered a day before, also in Manhattan.
Cuomo, in his remarks at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, said he would create a new unit of the State Police to investigate hate crimes, move to expand state human rights law and seek new funds to provide legal representation to immigrants. De Blasio, too, said he would provide immigrants with lawyers, working with the New York City Council to do so.
De Blasio's speech, delivered as he has begun his own re-election campaign, included several instances of call-and-response with the friendly crowd drawn from the full panoply of New York diversity, both in the seats and on the dais. An openly lesbian Protestant chaplain from the fire department helped to open the gathering along with an imam from the police department.
De Blasio spoke from a lectern adorned with a hashtag — #AlwaysNewYork — meant to inspire tales of solidarity and pride in New York values. He reminded the audience that Trump defended those values in abstract on the campaign trail during the Republican primary contests.
"We ain't changing," de Blasio said, before listing his promises to defend New Yorkers from deportation, unconstitutional police practices and any cuts to federal funding for Planned Parenthood. "We will ensure women receive the health care they need."
Former city lawyers said the mayor could rely on the federalism of the Constitution as well as established case law to challenge undesired programs from Washington. It could be many more months, if not years, before the issues would be resolved in court.
"There is important value in reassuring people that the city and the state maintain considerable sovereignty over its own policy," said Victor A. Kovner, a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine and a former city corporation counsel.
The federal government may have broad authority over immigration, said Michael A. Cardozo, a partner at Proskauer who served as the corporation counsel under former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican turned political independent. "But those laws do not give the federal government carte blanche to do whatever it wants with an immigrant."
Since the presidential election provided a shock to residents in the city and in many areas of the state, de Blasio and Cuomo have offered similar messages, appealing to Trump's New York roots while also presenting themselves as defenders of their constituents who are worried about a new administration that neither of them supported during the campaign.
The speeches were met with derision from state Republicans on Monday. Edward F. Cox, the chairman of the state Republican Party, in a statement accused both of a "naked and unseemly fight" to position themselves for a future presidential run.
"These two scorpions in a bottle are each trying to outdo one another with slanderous fearmongering hyperbole," he said.
Asked about de Blasio's attempt to calm fearful New Yorkers, Kellyanne Conway, a top adviser to Trump, mocked the mayor to reporters outside Trump Tower: "Fearful of the jobs he's killed? Fearful of the bike lanes?"
That sentiment was repeated in the response to de Blasio's hashtag, which for much of Monday provided a forum on Twitter for those opposed to his handling of the city to vent frustrations, as well as for supporters.
"Mayor de Blasio rolled over for the NYPD after they did a back-turning protest," one user wrote. "You think he won't roll over for Trump?"
"So proud to be a New Yorker," another wrote. "They should both be impeached," another said of the mayor and the governor.
Even with a shared antagonist in Trump, de Blasio and Cuomo have not been able to bridge the gap between them that, those close to both men say, has seemingly widened beyond repair. They have not held an event together since the election and have appeared content to go their own way in assuaging the concerns of New Yorkers, even as they end up finding very similar ways of doing so.
"We will stand up and say, 'Yes we are black, white and brown — but we are one,'" Cuomo said in his speech.
De Blasio said in his remarks the next day, "To all Latinos who heard their culture denigrated — we stand by you."
"Yes we are Christian, Muslim and Jews, but we are one," Cuomo said.
"To all the Muslims who have heard their faith belittled — we stand by you," de Blasio said.
"And that is the New York way," Cuomo said.
"We are always New York," de Blasio ended.
New York Appeals Court Calls for End to Police Stop-and-Frisk Tactics (by Rose Bouboushian, Courthouse News Service)
Conservatives Decide Trump Qualifies as a Fascist (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
Donald Trump Has a Plan for Deporting Millions of California Illegal Immigrants (by Ken Broder, AllGov California)
Mario Sr. 3 years ago
It's only a matter of time before these UN-Constitutionalists (Cuomo,Deblasio)are prosecuted for their crimes against our founding fathers! Lawlessness is what Progressives are all about! We will take our country back no matter what these thugs demand!


text:
Beginners course
Saxons 5 mile race
The Saxons operates as one of the sporting sections of the Saxmundham Sports & Recreational Club, a registered charity that owns the Carlton Park sports ground at Saxmundham, Suffolk. We currently have over 50 members.
Qualified athletics coach and 11 times British Triathlon Champion, Gordon Merfield, formed The Saxons in March 2005. It has grown from a small club catering mainly for new and inexperienced runners and people wishing to get fit, into a club catering for would-be triathletes and members aiming to compete in the UK and abroad.
The club has had success at local level and abroad, up to World Championship levels. The club has good facilities with a 23 acre field, changing rooms and an indoor hall for circuit training. We are open to people of all ages from 16 upwards and for all abilities from beginners to experienced athletes. The aim of our club is to teach the principles of running and training with the emphasis on having fun while getting fit. We have a number of coaches offering help and advice.
The club is run entirely by volunteers. The Saxons Committee Members for 2021/22 are as follows:
Lifetime President: Gordon Merfield
Chairman: James Wilson
Vice Chairman: Ann Granger
Secretary: Jo Clifton
Treasurer: Sarah Vick
Publicity Officer & Social Secretary: Linda Mitchell
Web Manager: Sarah Stacey
We have a Saxons Facebook Page where you can catch up with latest news and events .


text:
My favorite memories of 2022
A letter from Executive Director, Dr. Charu Mishra
by Snow Leopard Trust January 4, 2023 January 12, 2023
http://snowleopard.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/My-favorite-memory-of-2022-16X9-FINAL.mp4
Dear Snow Leopard Trust supporters,
The lone snow leopard walked into an ice cave as we watched from a distance. This incredible sight was captured for posterity by National Geographic photographer Prasenjeet Yadav, who was by my side.
I was back in Spiti Valley in February 2022 after a pandemic-related gap of three years. Earlier that week, another snow leopard had walked directly toward us at a distance of fewer than 5 meters before turning and walking calmly away.
As I look back at the year, I am filled with gratitude for so many different moments, big and small. The ability to travel to the mountains and breathe the crisp winter air again, to meet and even hug friends, colleagues, community partners and our supporters.
At any other time, one of those amazing snow leopard sightings would have easily been my favorite memory of 2022. But my most treasured memory of 2022 is the brief time I spent with Dolma and Choldon at Dolma's house in Spiti Valley.
I had the privilege of showing a never-before-seen film to Dolma and Choldon on my laptop. It was an unusual film premiere as these two women are its main protagonists. I hadn't laughed so much in a long time as I did with the two of them, watching their overjoyed and amused expressions.
Living in the harsh and high Himalayan mountains, these women are true heroes. Day after day, they look after their children, their livestock, cooking and caring for their families. Throughout summer, they tend to their crops. When there's some respite from the fields during winter, they make handicrafts. They do all this with joy and pride and make it look easy. They also protect snow leopards.
Not long ago, Spiti Valley used to stay cut off from the rest of the world during winter. Today, hundreds of photographers and tourists flock here to try and see snow leopards. Many of them are rewarded with nature's ultimate prize. Yet, few are aware of the role of people like Dolma and Choldon in helping their dream of seeing a wild snow leopard come true.
Dolma, Choldon and their people used to live in fear and contempt of snow leopards. Though they rarely ever saw the predator, they suffered all the time. Losing their favorite yak to a hungry snow leopard, feeling angry, fearful, and violated as the cat would enter their corral and kill their prized animals. Snow leopards would be killed in retaliation when there was a chance.
Today, the same people are the snow leopard's greatest protectors. They set aside part of their land to enable populations of wild blue sheep and ibex to recover. They run community-managed insurance programs to help families when they lose livestock to snow leopards and wolves. They predator-proofed their corrals. If outsiders go to the area to hunt, they are turned away. If tourists make noise, Dolma, Choldon, and their friends educate them about the importance of not disturbing snow leopards. They record all their conservation actions in a shared diary. Such can be the transformative power when local and indigenous communities are allowed and empowered to lead conservation efforts.
The world is taking notice of the leadership that communities such as Dolma and Choldon's have shown in protecting wildlife. In the first half of the year, we were privileged to receive global recognition for our approach to community-led conservation. This approach, called PARTNERS Principles, was accorded this year's Whitley Gold Award (known as the Green Oscars).
In the autumn of 2022, the Snow Leopard Trust was once again privileged to receive the BBVA Foundation's Worldwide Award for Biodiversity Conservation in Madrid for our role in helping create and manage an intergovernmental alliance represented by Environment Ministers of all 12 snow leopard range countries.
Coctel tras la ceremonia de entrega de los Premios de Conservación a la Biodiversidad FBBVA 2022.
@KIKE PARA.
We end 2022 even more inspired by the recognition accorded to local and indigenous peoples in the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreement signed by nearly 200 countries.
I sincerely thank you for your support and for believing in the power of ethical, community-led conservation to protect snow leopards and the planet's biodiversity. As we welcome the new year, I hope you will reflect on and celebrate your role in enabling ethical and effective conservation efforts. You are creating hope for the earth's magnificent diversity of life.
Charu
P.S. You help make this kind of ethical community-led conservation possible.
Nearly 2,0000 supporters from more than 45 countries recently helped us surpass our year-end revenue goal, raising over $739,000 (and still counting!) to ensure a future for snow leopards. There is hope for this endangered cat because of you. Thank you!
P.P.S. The film, Living with Snow Leopards premiered in Seattle in 2022. We're working on a global premiere in 2023.
Francisca James Hernández says:
You're doing it the right way. Working with local and indigenous communities to conserve wildlife. Long live snow leopards, the Himalayan people, and SLT!
Previous Previous post: How a Tailless Snow Leopard Inspires Hope
Next Next post: Positive views of Tibetan communities toward snow leopard conservation


Virginia is a great state and holds a special place in my own heart since I have spent quite a bit of time there. For many years I had relatives living and working in Rockbridge County and I myself lived in Virginia for two years while attending graduate school in Rockingham County in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.
But I digress. This post is about gold in Virginia and the state has a long history of mining both lode and placer gold. In fact, placer gold mining began in Virginia in or around 1804, followed by discoveries of the placer sources and the inevitable lode gold mining. There were a number of large nuggets and unique pieces of specimen gold recovered from the early mining days in Virginia, and some of these can still be seen in mining museums, including (please correct me if I am wrong here) the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. Significant gold mining continued off and on in Virginia until the 1940s when the Federal government halted nearly all gold mining operations in the United States.
More than likely many of the potential placer gold areas in Virginia lie on private property so do your research first. The last thing you want to do is trespass and "bring the heat down" on other placer gold miners in the state. It's tough enough these days finding open areas to prospect and mine, so please don't make things worse for all of us. Also note that you cannot file a mining claim on public lands in Virginia because the state did not sign the 1872 Mining Law agreements.
From my own experience and research I know that the State of Virginia has a very active small-scale or recreational mining community, including a number of prospecting/treasure hunting clubs. If you live in Virginia or are anticipating a trip there this summer, you might want to do a quick search online and contact one of these mining clubs. One thing I learned during my time in Virginia is that the people there are friendly, solid, hard-working folks who are always willing to lend a helping hand. So why not?


Make sure it isn't too late!
Leave safely your most important digital assets, wills, online legacy and choose who to share them with when you'll no longer be able to deal with them.
Thanks to special security protocols and procedures for accessing data, you can be sure that your data will be stored with the utmost care. Your heirs will be able to access your online legacy, wills, and digital assets only after your death.
Leave messages and personalized videos to your heirs.
WillBox.me LifeCheck can be customized to suite your needs.
You can save your documents, passwords, photos and videos and leave them to you heirs.
Key codes needed to access your data are sent securely with a personalized message to your heirs.
Using our simple web interface you'll be able to save passwords for access to online services and any other important information (ex: PIN, N. Identity cards, N. Passport, Alarm Code, Safety Deposit Boxes, Credit Cards, etc.).
Data not shared with your heirs will be destructed using Secure Data Destruction DoD 5220.2M standard.
Soon you'll can able to synchronize your data directly from the main Cloud Storage services.
All data is transferred securely via SSL 2048 bit and stored encrypted in AES 256 bit on WillBox.me servers.
WillBox.me cannot access any of your data because it does not retain any access key in any way. We protect you privacy.
At the suggestion of a friend I used WillBox to leave my son a letter for when he grows up in case something terrible happened to me. I also left a photo of the two of us together.
With WillBox I was able to leave confidential information to my partners to keep the company going.
Thanks to WillBox I can leave my last wishes to my children and grandchildren and tell them where I put my last will and testament.
My lawyer advised me to use WillBox to communicate to my wife all the information of my inheritance and our possessions for tranquility about the future.
I use WillBox to prevent my son and my daughter from quarreling when I am gone. I also left specific instructions on my last wishes for those who will be looking after my animals.


text:
Joe and Frank
This is the last excerpt from "Patch of Dirt" prior to publication of the novel May 6th. For pre-publication orders please contact: www.hawkinspublishinggroup.com. For the latest updates go to www.patchofdirt.net.
Down to his last few dollars Joe has had enough—it's time to move on and forget about the last couple of days.
The sooner he found a ride the better. A few cars roared by, each sending up sprays of rain, but the drivers didn't stop to look. Once it had been easy to catch a ride in the rain. Somehow people always took pity on a lone figure beside the road. It was different these days—people thought they were going to have their throats cut for the change in their pockets.
A familiar pickup with EAGLE CREEK RANCH painted on the passenger door stopped several feet ahead of him. The door swung open in invitation.
He backed up a few steps.
"Get in," said a deep voice.
Joe hesitated.
"Get in."
The driver moved as if he was readying to get out of the truck. Joe didn't need another fight. The guy looked like he meant business. He climbed in quickly. The cab smelled faintly of Rita's perfume. He couldn't forget how she had aroused him as he carried her back to this same truck.
Was this square-jawed driver Rita's husband? He was rugged-looking, with large calloused hands. He had graying hair and wore jeans, a plaid shirt and a sheepskin jacket. On his left hand he wore a wedding ring. Under bushy brows, his deep set green eyes were intent on Joe.
Joe's suspicion grew. His stomach twisted into knots and he clenched his fists. He imagined being driven to a deserted spot, beaten and left to rot.
"Where you headed?"
"Billings," said Joe.
"I'm not going quite that far," said the man.
"That's all right," said Joe. "Just drop me anywhere."
"Not sure I can do that."
Joe couldn't read the expression on his face. His throat felt dry. What had Rita told him? He readied himself for the worst.
"What happened to you?" said the man. "Jealous husband? I hope she was worth it. I hate to see a man get beat up for nothing."
Joe was silent. He didn't like being toyed with. He thought of how to escape.
"Love's a funny thing if you ask me," said the man. "I'm still finding out. You'll get over it. That's the way it is."
Something was wrong; either Rita had told him about last night and he was taking his time before he did anything, or she hadn't told him. If that was the case, then why not? In spite of the way she had treated him, he knew there had been something between them. Not like when he first met Anna, but something.
Joe drummed his fingers on his thigh and looked at the passing ranches. "I wasn't in love with her," he said.
"That's what they all say."
"I wasn't." He tried to hide his irritation by glancing out the window.
"What do you do?" said the man.
"Ranch work mostly," said Joe.
The man nodded.
"I was like you once. Never could settle down, even after I got shot up in Vietnam, then one day I fell in love, I mean really in love. I was knocked right on my ass. It happens. After thirty years I'm starting to live again. It's quite a feeling."
Joe stared out the window. Rain slashed at the pickup.
"I got a nice little ranch near the Eagle Creek. Not big, but enough. A few cows and a couple of hay fields. I want to build it up into something to be proud of."
He had described the kind of place Joe dreamed about. He tried to hide his envy with a cough.
"I found I had oil under my place. Only a small well now, but there'll be more. I'm in no hurry. The price ain't going nowhere but up. It's like I won the lottery."
"Sounds like quite a setup," said Joe.
Was this the same Frank Hill that Gunnar had told him about?
"I could use some help, if you're interested?"
What was going on? His stomach churned.
"I got two, maybe three month's work, then I'll have to let you go. Pay you in cash. How much money do you have on you right now?"
Joe began to squirm. "I'm going to Billings."
"Sure you are. Four thousand. There'll be a bonus in it too if you do a good job."
"What kind of bonus?"
"The best kind." He looked Joe in the eye. "The kind men like you wish for,"
he said in a condescending tone Joe didn't like.
"What would I be doing?"
"You'll find out."
"I want to know," said Joe, trying not to anger the man.
"Of course you do," said the man. "Five thousand?"
"I still want to know what I'll be doing?"
"Seven thousand, and that's my final offer."
Joe stared out the window at a vacant ranch house. He knew the fear in a rancher's eyes, not knowing whether he would make it. He wondered if the man next to him had ever known such a feeling.
"If I was in your place, I'd jump at the offer," said the man.
"Well, you're not," said Joe.
"Touchy, aren't you?"
"What if I am?"
"I just like to know the kind of person I'll be hiring. What do you say?"
The seven grand was more than he'd ever made at one time. If this guy wanted to throw his money away, it was all right with Joe. If he was careful with his money this time he might be able to get his life back on track.
"All right," said Joe with some hesitation.
Frank reached into the glove compartment, found a bottle, which he offered to Joe. Joe shook his head. The man took a swig, put the cap back on, and placed the bottle on the seat between them.
"I'm Frank Hill."
Frank extended his hand. The grip was strong.
Joe stared at him hard. What twist of fate had brought them together? He had never been one to believe in such things, but this meeting with Frank was more than a coincidence. It had to be.


text:
De Sint-Vincentamazone (Amazona guildingii) is een amazonepapegaai uit de familie Psittacidae (papegaaien van Afrika en de Nieuwe Wereld). De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort werd als Psittacus Guildingii in 1837 gepubliceerd door Nicholas Aylward Vigors. Het is een door habitatverlies kwetsbaar geworden vogelsoort die alleen voorkomt op het Caribisch eiland Saint Vincent.

Kenmerken
De vogel is 40 cm lang. Er zijn verschillende kleurvormen die in het wild voorkomen. Meest algemeen is een vorm met een witte kop en een gele kruin. Van boven is deze kleurvorm verder bronskleurig, van onder ook gedeeltelijk met een meer groenachtige buik. De vleugeldekveren zijn oranje en rood en de handpennen zijn geel met zwarte punten. De staart is donkerblauw, aan de basis oranje en met een gele eindband. Er is ook een meer groen gekleurde variant met minder contrast in het verenkleed.

Verspreiding en leefgebied
Deze soort is endemisch op het Caribisch eiland Saint Vincent. De leefgebieden van deze vogel liggen in vochtig natuurlijk bos in heuvelland tussen de 125 en 1000 meter boven zeeniveau. Deze papegaai wordt ook wel in gedeeltelijk in cultuur gebracht landschap waargenomen. De vogel broedt in losse kolonies van ongeveer 12 paren.

Status
De Sint-Vincentamazone heeft een beperkt verspreidingsgebied en daardoor is de kans op uitsterven aanwezig. De grootte van de populatie werd in 2016 door BirdLife International geschat op 250 tot duizend volwassen individuen. De populatie-aantallen nemen toe dankzij de instelling van reservaten en een hertintroductieprogramma. In het verleden was er veel illegale jacht en vangst verder bestaat op langere termijn nog steeds het gevaar dat leefgebieden worden aangetast door ontbossing, waarbij natuurlijk bos plaats maakt voor intensief agrarisch gebruikt land (bananenteelt) en verder de aanleg van infrastructuur.  Om deze redenen staat deze soort als kwetsbaar op de Rode Lijst van de IUCN.

Er gelden beperkingen voor de handel in deze papegaai, want de soort staat in de Bijlage I en II van het CITES-verdrag.

Psittacidae
IUCN-status kwetsbaar
Dier uit het Neotropisch gebied

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
How Does Archie Really Feel About Having A Little Sister?
By Effie Orfanides/June 9, 2021 8:57 am EST
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son Archie became a big brother on June 4 when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their baby girl. News that they were expecting their second child together came on Valentine's Day 2021. At the time, photographer Misan Harriman took to Twitter to share a black-and-white pic of Harry sitting in the grass and Meghan lying with her head in his lap, gently resting her hand on her baby bump.
Archie has been the sole apple of his parent's eyes for the past two years of his life. Now, however, he's going to be sharing the spotlight with the new gal in town! Shortly after Lilibet Diana was born in a Santa Barbara hospital, she and her mom were discharged, and said to be "settling in at home," according to a statement on the Archewell website. As many parents know, the transition from one child to two can have its stressful moments, and sometimes it's not always easy for an only child to adjust to having a new sibling. So, the question on the minds of many is how Archie is handling being a big brother. Fortunately, it sounds like Harry and Meghan did quite a bit to prepare him for the new baby. Keep reading to find out how Archie is adjusting.
Archie is 'too little to understand'
Pool/Getty Images
A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle told People magazine that Archie is "very happy to have a little sister." The source went on to talk a bit about the initial adjustment period, and how Harry and Meghan got Archie ready for the new baby. "They prepared Archie by talking a lot about the baby. He is too little to understand though. He is big enough though that he is now starting to have his own life too. He enjoys preschool and outdoor activities. He will have a fun summer," the spokesperson explained.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be "taking time off to focus on their family," as they all adjust to becoming a family of four. There's no doubt that having Harry at home will be a huge help, as he can take Archie out in the yard, on bike rides, or to the beach — which are some of his favorite things to do. During his interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired back on March 7, Harry expressed his love for the outdoors, according to Town & Country.
So, now that we know how Archie is handling being a big brother, we can go back to waiting for the first photo of Lilibet Diana!


The MetLife Survey of The American Teacher presents important research to support what we already know. Teachers' job satisfaction is lower than it has been in twenty years (44%). Leaders are working in buildings and districts, where keeping the morale up has become a paramount challenge. The conditions of the economy as they affect the schools result in teachers and principals facing reductions in staff, services, and programs that help students maneuver through the process of growing up, while learning academics, and participating in activities that contribute to their development as young men and women. The experience for our students is diminishing as teachers and principals work even harder to make up the difference, but it is becoming too difficult to do. The disheartened cannot teach...at least not with the enthusiasm that children deserve. The data supports the reality. We live in the midst of these findings. Yet, they help tell our compelling story and raise important questions. In this first of a two-part post, we will examine the teacher data.
Not only are we charged with teaching student academic subjects, we must meet the needs of each and every student who walks through our doors. Sixty four percent of teachers are reporting that the number of students and families needing health and social support services increased. Simultaneously, about one third report a reduction in those very services. Who is meeting the needs of those students and families? If they are not met, how ready can those children be to learn? These responsibilities fall upon the teachers and their principals. For many, this has reached the tipping point. Even the best attempts at making up for the lost class offerings and services fail. Too frequently, this leaves the social, emotional, and academic needs of our children only weakly addressed. Children fall through the cracks of disconnected and also depleted systems.
The world we live in is abandoning paper in the form of magazines and newspapers. Encyclopedias are no longer publishing. Digital resources abound. College applications are now emailed, books are being published as eBooks. The data reveal 34% teachers have reported that educational technology and learning is not up to date. Teachers face their students knowing full well that their classrooms lag behind in the use of technology, contributing to the inadequate preparation of students for college and career. We are running the Race to the Top...without the proper equipment. What successful athlete or soldier could win a race without the required fundamental gear?
At the same time, state departments of education are instituting new evaluation systems for teachers and principals. As much as 50% of the evaluation components are dependent on students' academic growth in some states. For many, these evaluations are based on curricula new to teachers and students, as are the assessments. But in few places do we see the increased professional development that prepares and supports successful change. Pressure to achieve, with less than full capacity resources and with every child, is increasing. Frustration and, ultimately, stress increase also. The other growing, invasive threat to success in classrooms and schools is fear. Fear may be fear of judgment, of conflict, of change, of loss of job, or image or identity. After Newtown, it is also be fear of what the next moment will bring. Schools become a breeding ground of cynicism...one of the powerful barriers to change. Is it any wonder that the percentage of teachers who are likely to leave the profession has risen to 29%?
Parker Palmer, author of The Courage to Teach, suggests that good teaching requires teachers who are authentically present in the classroom, in an active connection with students and subjects alike. In a recent newsletter he wrote "We need to open a new frontier in our exploration of good teaching: the inner landscape of a teacher's life. ...Reduce teaching to intellect and it becomes a cold abstraction; reduce it to emotions and it becomes narcissistic; reduce it to the spiritual and it loses its anchor to the world. Intellect, emotion, and spirit depend on each other for wholeness. They are interwoven in the human self and in education at its best, and we need to interweave them in our pedagogical discourse as well."
"teaching and learning are not mechanical processes but deeply human ones that call upon not just our minds but our hearts and souls. Good teaching requires teachers who can fully show up day-after-day and year-after-year, cultivating their own identity and integrity, in the face of both heartbreaking challenge and exhilarating success..."
Amen to this. The same holds true for leaders. Now, more than at any previous time, it is imperative to support both teachers and leaders with an additional kind of professional development. Let's breathe new life into those disheartened teachers and leaders. Knowing what we now know from the MetLife Survey, can we deny any longer that we must find ways to sustain the efforts and the hearts of those upon whom we are heaping demands? With dwindling resources, public outcry against salaries and benefits of teachers and leaders, with positions being eliminated and demands for individual accountability increasing, isn't it the least we can do?
Blog authors' correction: The data used in this blog was based upon the 2012 MetLife Survey data. Results that are comparable are consistent. One difference, however, is teacher job satisfaction has gone from 44% in the 2012 report to 39% in the 2013 report.
NB Ann is a facilitator of Courage to Teach® and Courage to Lead® programs.


text:
'use strict';

module.exports = sessionStorage.manoSessionId = require('time-uuid')();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Covid19 and Politics
My Current Location: Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)
Using Fear to Justify the Flu Vaccine
Teaser: This article was first written in 2003 in the USA, when watching the wheels of propaganda role out as the flu season began. Seventeen years later, we are facing a similar situation with a magnitude of 100 as the mainstream media propel a specific narrative about Covid-19 pandemic which only reflects one particular solution: another vaccine.
We like to think that the advice we get from health organizations and medical professionals is determined solely by unbiased concerns and supported by scientific evidence. However, as most of us are aware, other factors influence decisions regarding health policy. The most obvious of these is the economic and political influence of the drug companies, which has grown considerably in the last 20 years. Another factor is the psychological and social impacts of the events of September 11, 2001, which have helped to create in this country what many are now calling "a culture of fear."
changing recommendations
Only a few years ago, the flu vaccine was recommended mainly for elderly people, who were considered to be at risk for flu complications such as pneumonia. In 2002–2003, the flu vaccine was recommended for children who already had diseases such as asthma, and who were also considered more likely to suffer flu complications. By April of this year, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended the flu vaccine for all children ages 6 through 23 months, as well as for household contacts and caregivers of all children younger than two years. In the fall of 2004, the flu vaccine will be added to the United States Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule, which is approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the CDC, the AAP, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
According to a September 24, 2003, report in USA Today, the CDC was already recommending that everyone get the vaccine in the fall of 2003 (in contrast to the CDC's official published material, which at that time did not recommend that healthy people under age 50 get the vaccine). Due to a rare abundance of the vaccine, it was possible for everybody to be vaccinated. The article stated that the flu kills an average of 36,000 people in the US each year—nearly twice the previous estimate—and that about 20 percent of the population will become infected and 114,000 will be hospitalized.
The routine application of the flu vaccine raises questions that are rarely asked in the medical community or by the public. What has changed in one year? Has a new and virulent flu virus suddenly taken hold? More important, have there been any long-term vaccine trials, especially on children? The answer to these questions is no. The truth is that most children, especially those being breastfed, are at small risk of getting the flu (as opposed to the common cold), and that if they do, they usually recover quickly, without complications.
In addition, injected flu vaccine still contains ethyl mercury in the form of the preservative thimerosal. There is alarming evidence of a possible connection between the mercury found in vaccines and the spiraling rate of autism in children. Because of concern about mercury in all vaccines, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) directed vaccine manufacturers to remove mercury from all childhood vaccines in 1999. In that same year, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the United States Public Health Service (USPS) issued a joint statement calling for the elimination of mercury content in childhood vaccines. Even the Institute of Medicine said, at its July 15, 2001, meeting, that the link between autism and thimerosal was "biologically plausible," and recommended that drug companies remove all mercury from vaccines and over-the-counter drugs. However, several vaccines still contain thimerosal, and
neither the AAP nor the CDC will warn citizens to choose thimerosal-free flu vaccines in the fall.
In addition to the potential risks to children from mercury in vaccines, adults should be concerned about the risks they themselves accumulate by taking the vaccine each year. According to Hugh Fudenberg, MD, one of the world's leading immunogeneticists, if an individual had five flu shots between 1970 and 1980 (the years studied), his or her chances of getting Alzheimer's disease are ten times higher than a person who had one, two, or no shots. He explained that mercury and aluminum are found in every flu shot. The gradual buildup of mercury and aluminum in the brain causes cognitive dysfunction.
the epidemic of 2003
Why was so much attention given to the flu in the winter of 2003–2004? Even a cursory study of the media reveals an explosion of concern that predates the actual epidemic, which everyone was predicting. The first big media interest in the flu was in November 2003, when five Colorado children died of the disease. That month, one could read something about the flu in most newspapers every day—often in a front-page lead story, many of which predicted a flu pandemic. An article in the San Francisco Chronicle (November 28, 2003) quoted experts who stated that a flu epidemic similar to the last serious one, in 1968–1969, which killed an estimated 34,000 in the US, was due to hit sometime soon. The article also cautioned about the possibility of a direct transmission of the flu from poultry to humans. The avian flu, which perhaps originated in China, was apparently not seen before 1997, but recent outbreaks have occurred in Hong Kong, Canada, and the Netherlands. The possibility of a serious flu pandemic is fueling concern in medical circles. That will no doubt lead to even more pressure on people to get vaccinated.
On December 6, a headline in the Chronicle read, "Their Vaccine is all Gone, the Two Makers of the Vaccine in the U.S. Say." The paper followed this article with a front-page headline on December 12: "Outbreak Stirs Frenzy in Flu Shots." On December 16, the Chronicle ran a smaller front-page article about new guidelines being implemented by the Catholic Church to help prevent the spread of flu. On December 20, an article on the inside pages told of emergency measures by the CDC to combat the flu.
This is but a small sampling of a single newspaper's flu coverage in the fall of 2003. No wonder so many people rushed to their doctors to get the vaccine, creating huge lines outside many clinics throughout the country. By December, manufacturers had run out of the vaccine, after mass hysteria had broken out across the country in response to some well-publicized deaths attributed to the disease. The CDC was even thinking of importing more influenza vaccine. However, by January 2004, there was virtual silence about the flu, even though we were still in the middle of flu season. The massive media attention had evaporated, leaving us to wonder what had happened. One thing is sure: all the vaccine had been used. The heightened media coverage had been effective in getting people to purchase the vaccine. Questions remain, however: Was the vaccine effective? Was the flu actually more virulent than in previous years?
So far, the evidence suggests that the vaccine was not very effective, and that the outbreak was no worse than in most other years. While other deaths were attributed to the flu, there is no evidence that any more people died in the 2003–2004 flu season than in previous seasons. Also, when someone dies of a complication of a disease such as the flu, it is as much a reflection of the general weakness of the person's immune system and overall health as it is an indication of the virus's virulence. In addition, it is often not the flu itself that actually kills a person, but secondary bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, to which some persons are more susceptible.3
A 2001 report in the British medical journal The Lancet stated that the flu virus itself may not be the reason that so many die of infectious disease during winter. Another virus, commonly known as RSV, has been found to be more prevalent than the influenza A and B strains.
effects of the vaccine
Although one can read differing opinions of the flu vaccine's efficacy, it has been admitted, by the CDC and other experts, that the vaccine did not work that well in the 2003–2004 season because the strain of flu virus differed from the strain from which the vaccine had been prepared. Historically, the flu vaccine has been made from cultures of viruses taken in Asia from migrating ducks. (Over the years, an association has been established between bird and pig viruses and the following year's epidemics of human flu.) The vaccine is then prepared from the body fluids of chick embryos inoculated with a specific type or types of influenza virus. The strains of flu virus in the vaccine are inactivated with formaldehyde and preserved with thimerosal, the mercury derivative. The vaccine protects against only the three specific viral strains of flu included in any given year's vaccine.
Because the influenza vaccine is grown on hen eggs, the AAP recommends that children with actual or suspected allergic reactions to chicken or egg protein not be given the flu vaccine unless they undergo desensitization.
Given the unpredictability of matching each year's flu vaccine to the actual strain of flu virus that will later spread among the human population, it is highly questionable whether the vaccine is anything more than marginally effective. The CDC report on the 1994–1995 flu season stated that 87 percent of influenza A virus samples and 76 percent of influenza B virus samples were not similar to that year's vaccine. Although researchers today are more accurate in matching vaccine to virus, it is still a hit-or-miss affair that makes the vaccine's efficacy inherently unpredictable.
risks of the vaccine
The very people who traditionally have been encouraged to get the flu vaccine—the elderly and the immunocompromised (those with weak or impaired immune systems)—are those most likely to suffer from acute consequences of the vaccine's side effects. The CDC lists these effects as fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and headache. These symptoms, which sound remarkably similar to flu symptoms, are exactly what many people experience after taking the vaccine. More serious side effects have also been noted that specifically link the flu vaccine to Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune nervous-system reaction characterized by unstable gait and loss of sensation and muscle control.
In 1976, the US government mounted a mass vaccination program in which 45 million Americans received the swine flu vaccine. Statistical studies have confirmed a causal relationship between the vaccine and GBS. During that year, the rate of GBS in Ohio was 13.3 per 1,000,000 in vaccine recipients, compared to 2.6 per 1,000,000 in nonrecipients.14 These statistics left doctors reluctant to administer the flu vaccine, and diminished the trust that the public had in the flu vaccine campaign. More recently, an increased risk for GBS occurred in patients during the six weeks following the administration of flu vaccine in the 1992–1993 and 1993–1994 flu seasons.
Since 2001, the CDC has recommended that all pregnant women receive the flu vaccine in their second or third trimester. This recommendation has been made despite the fact that the vaccine remains a Category C drug (one for which the risk to pregnant women and their fetuses is unknown). The vaccine's mercury content is a major factor in its potential impact on fetal brain development, but no adequate studies have been conducted to monitor the flu vaccine's safety for mother or fetus. According to the CDC, two groups are most vulnerable to thimerosal, or ethyl mercury: the fetus, and children ages 14 or younger. A 1999 article in the American Journal of Epidemiology stated in regard to ingested mercury, "The greatest susceptibility to methyl mercury neurotoxicity occurs during late gestation." Even the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, despite its own recommendation, states, "additional data are needed to confirm the safety of vaccination during pregnancy."
the FluMist vaccine
The latest development in the flu vaccine campaign is FluMist, an intranasal vaccine administered via a spray directly into the recipient's nose. MedImmune/Wyeth, the manufacturer of FluMist, announced in August 2003 that it had signed an agreement with Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, making the vaccine available in all Wall Mart pharmacies. An intense, $25 million advertising campaign in support of FluMist was launched in the last few months of 2003. Each FluMist dose costs around $70 retail, which MedImmune hoped would push its annual revenues to more than $1 billion.
This did not happen, despite the frenzy for flu vaccine this past winter. Although many insurance companies eventually agreed to cover the cost of FluMist after the traditional flu vaccine began to run out in November and December 2003, MedImmune/Wyeth reported FluMist sales of between $35 and $55 million, instead of the $120 to $140 million expected. As a result, MedImmune/Wyeth donated 250,000 doses of FluMist to the CDC.
The FluMist vaccine contains live (attenuated) influenza viruses that replicate themselves in the recipient's nasopharynx (nose and throat). A live vaccine carries specific risks that must be considered. Researchers have documented some of these risks, including the possibility of enhanced replication of the attenuated virus in individuals with compromised immune systems, and the possibility of bacterial superinfection (a reinfection or second infection) if the replicating live virus disrupts nasal membranes.
In addition, the live virus can be spread from the vaccine recipient to other, nonvaccinated people for up to 21 days. A warning on the FluMist package insert states, "FluMist recipients should avoid close contact with immunocompromised individuals for at least 21 days." Therefore, those living with or coming into contact with people who have compromised immune systems should not take the FluMist vaccine. However, it is difficult to see how such contacts can be avoided. When you consider the numbers of people in the country whose immune systems have been compromised by conditions ranging from AIDS to cancer, allergies, and dependence on corticosteroid drugs, the list of vulnerable people becomes very long.
According to the FluMist package insert, a randomized, double-blind trial in healthy children 1 through 17 years of age was conducted through the Northern California Kaiser-Permanente Health Maintenance Organization to assess the rate of medically attended events within 42 days of vaccination. In an unplanned retrospective analysis, a statistically significant increase in asthma or reactive airway disease was observed for children 12 to 59 months of age after the first dose. Because of this finding, FluMist is currently not licensed by the FDA for children younger than five. The insert admits that further evaluation of safety data in this age group is needed.
The FluMist vaccine can be obtained only through a doctor, and, because of the risk of contagion due to this use of a live virus, can be administered only by a doctor or trained health professional. Children under 12 can be vaccinated only in a doctor's office or clinic. It is possible that the live virus used in FluMist could trigger the very flu epidemic the vaccine is intended to prevent, as a community's older and weaker members are the very ones who would be more susceptible. In short, the cure could be worse than the disease. By introducing a live vaccine into the bodies of thousands of people, FluMist could easily spread the virus to others and create a flu outbreak.
The AAP does not recommend the live flu vaccine for the following people: children younger than five, those with a history of allergic reaction to egg or chicken protein, and pregnant women. In addition, individuals receiving salicylates, or those with known or suspected immune deficiency, history of GBS, reactive airway disease or asthma, chronic pulmonary disorders or cardiac disorders, chronic metabolic disease, or renal dysfunction should not receive the live virus vaccine.
The FluMist vaccine is created using chicken kidney cells grown in "specific pathogen free eggs." However, there is a risk of contaminated avian (bird) retroviruses crossing over into human beings, with unknown consequences. Viruses crossing the species barrier has been an issue of serious concern for some time; other vaccines made with animal organs have been found to contain animal viruses. In fact, a vaccine is the most immediate way to transmit a virus from one species to another, breaching the species barrier that normally prevents cross-contamination. Cross-species transformations of viruses may be a factor in understanding the evolution of other diseases, such as AIDS. This concern has already been hotly disputed within the AIDS and medical communities.
The possible risks of the FluMist vaccine have yet to be seen. However, they seem grave enough to warrant serious consideration before FluMist is put into general use, especially considering the limited risks of the disease it is intended to prevent, and the historical ineffectiveness of flu vaccines.
increasing fear and its exploitation
In the last five years, the pressure on people to take a flu vaccine has increased greatly. Only three years ago, flu vaccines were recommended only for elderly people and those with compromised immunities. Flu vaccines were next recommended for young children with problems such as asthma, then healthy children and adults, and then, in 2003, the entire US population. If you called Walgreens in November 2003, the first thing the recorded message told you was when you could get your flu vaccine. Costco put up signs at store entrances telling shoppers where they could get the vaccine. Employers advised their employees to get the vaccine to reduce the number of sick days taken; nurses actually came to some offices to administer the vaccine. Health insurance companies sent materials to their clients asking them to get vaccinated, especially people they considered to be at risk.
If all this activity reflected the latest in medical knowledge and research, you might imagine that it would be replicated in other countries. It is not. Flu phobia is unique to the US; European countries do not advocate blanket flu-vaccine policies. Such disparate health policies in different countries make one question the scientific rationale for such a massive health policy.
In the US, the influence of drug companies, with their connections to health-policy organizations such as the CDC and the FDA, is having a profound impact on health policy. The population is already susceptible to the influence of "experts" in the shadow of 9/11, and the fear of biological warfare can be exploited for economic and political reasons.
What we saw during the winter of 2003–2004 was an explosion of fear fueled by the media's insatiable desire for sensational news, a country already in the grips of post-9/11 fear, and a medical industry caught up in this fear and driven by economic and political agendas. It has been frightening to see how easily people can be convinced of the dangers of the flu, with precious little questioning by media and medical "experts."
About Richard Pitt
Nomads of the world disunite
Some of these writings have been motivated by the sense of disbelief, shock, indignation, and many other things regarding the state of our world in covid times. Never has so much insanity been so well coordinated. If ever there was a need to see the bigger picture of what is happening to us as a species, this is it. Maybe our growing disconnection to the planet and to each other has allowed such an event to become what it is with this profound disconnect from the truth. How can we suppress a virus by shutting down the world. It doesn't make sense but in another way it does. Our human civilization has reached a crossroads and we facing a crisis. I believe that there are those with power and influence seeking to impose their vision onto the world, one where modern technology will be used to control all of humanity. It will be a very dark place if we let them succeed. Even if we believe things have to change and we can't keep on doing the same thing in the same way, this is not the way to do it. Some very pathological people want to recreate the world in their own vision. They have forgotten to ask the rest of us though.
Other writings are a collection of electic pieces during my time living in Africa, India and other places. They are infused by my experience as a practitioner, teacher and author in Homeopathic Medicine and experience living and working for 10 years in Africa, 20 years in the USA, travelling in India and other places and my roots in the UK.
You can also find my writing here:
The Natural Medicine Guide
covidwatching.org
Richard Pitt Homeopathy
© 2020 TALES FROM THE ROAD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


Take the opportunity to view Alaska's brown bears in their natural habitat! Enjoy a six-hour guided tour to the entrance of Lake Clark Wilderness Preserve, home of Redoubt Bay Lodge and incredible bear viewing. This tour includes a flight 70 miles southwest of Anchorage to the entrance of Lake Clark. Flight time in your four to 10-passenger float plane is approximately 50 minutes in each direction, and is narrated by your pilot with the headsets provided. An experienced natural history guide will take you by boat through bear country; look for bears as they fish for salmon, and don't forget to watch for other wildlife along the way. You'll receive a Redoubt Bay Field Guide that provides interesting facts about bears and a checklist of Flora and Fauna specific to this region. Relax and enjoy a homemade lunch on the lake or in the cozy lodge before your return to Anchorage.


text:
Home > Media Center > News > Gornitzky & Co. Sponsors and Presents at IACC Luncheon with NSW Premier Mike Baird.
Gornitzky & Co. Sponsors and Presents at IACC Luncheon with NSW Premier Mike Baird.
Gornitzky will be sponsoring and presenting at a luncheon of the Israel-Australia Chamber of Commerce to welcome an Australian trade delegation headed by the Hon. Mr. Mike Baird, Premier of NSW on 7 April 2016.
The delegation represents the first ever visit to Israel by the Premier of NSW to Israel, underscoring the growing ties between Israel and Australia. The event will be attended by senior Australian and Israel business, banking and industry representatives. The event will be covered by both Australian and Israeli media outlets.
Gornitzky represented Bank Hapoalim in a financing transaction in which the real estate investor Hadar Goldman purchased solar energy systems which produces clean electricity for Kfar Hayarok and the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC).
Gornitzky is proud to announce the appointment of our Of Counsel Shai Sharvit as a Member of the Court of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA). Shai is the first Israeli to be admitted as a member of the LCIA Court.
Litigation Risks in Transitioning out of LIBOR – The imminent discontinuation of LIBOR and the potential litigation risks it carries for market participants
Coronavirus – Emergency Regulations that Came into Effect on March 25, 2020 and on March 27, 2020
COVID – 19 | For all Updates
Broadcom will not pay NIS 150 million in taxes.
Gornitzky represented Gav-Yam by providing legal services for a large-scale and complex tender for the purpose of setting up and operating the "Hujitech" – a business park for the high-tech industry at the site of the campus of the Hebrew University
Gornitzky represented Fattal Hotels Ltd., in a transaction for the lease of 8 floors at Menachem Begin St. in Tel Aviv
Gornitzky is representing the Fox Group in a claim for NIS 40 million against City Mall Tel Aviv Ltd.
Client Update: First Decision by the Competition Commissioner Regarding Instruction for Direct Importer.
Client Update: The Israeli CFC Rules Apply to Foreign Real Estate Companies Controlled by Israeli Shareholders
Israel is missing out on the cannabis industry.


text:
Iraq's rising price tag
President George Bush has said he plans to ask Congress for $87 billion in extra spending on Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Britain is sending more troops to the Gulf
FOUR months after declaring the war in Iraq essentially over, President George Bush told the American people on Sunday September 7th that their commitment in Iraq would be "difficult and costly". Continuing violence, he noted, had claimed the lives of American and British soldiers, aid-workers and Iraqi moderates. Mr Bush also said that he was asking Congress for $87 billion in extra spending on Iraq and Afghanistan, most of it to pay military costs. This is substantially more than many had expected him to request, and essentially amounts to an admission from the White House that the situation in Iraq is more troubling than it had previously acknowledged. Britain, America's chief ally, is also facing up to the difficulties in Iraq: it announced on Monday that it was sending 1,200 more troops there.
Mr Bush hopes to justify the extra spending on Iraq by stressing that the stakes are high. In his speech, he described Iraq as the "central front" in the war on terror that was launched following the September 11th attacks two years ago. Though a connection between Saddam Hussein's regime and al-Qaeda has yet to be proved, there are increasing reports that foreign fighters are slipping into Iraq to do battle with America. "They know that a free Iraq will be free of them—free of assassins and torturers, and secret police," said Mr Bush. Making democracy work in Iraq is also crucial to America's efforts to reshape the Middle East. On Sunday, Mr Bush vowed that despite the setbacks, America would stay the course: Iraq, he said, will be no Beirut or Somalia.
His words, ringing with references to freedom, were intended to rally a nation that is increasingly worried about the Iraq mission. Mr Bush originally told Americans that the war was about getting rid of an evil dictator armed with weapons of mass destruction. So far, no such weapons have been found, and the near-daily deaths of American soldiers at the hands of militants have led to muted murmurings about Vietnam. Mr Bush's poll ratings are slipping (though the economy is also to blame for this) as the 2004 presidential-election campaign heats up. Newly emboldened Democratic candidates no longer think he is untouchable on matters of security.
With the news from Iraq (and still-troubled Afghanistan) still bad, Mr Bush's frank talk is welcome, if overdue. For months the White House has been trying to put a brave face on grim news, and it has been vague about the price-tag of Iraq. No longer. The $87 billion that Mr Bush will request, which will go mostly to Iraq, is a vast sum—about one-and-a-half times Iraq's estimated pre-war GDP. That comes on top of previous spending on Iraq of nearly $80 billion. Members of Congress are likely to approve Mr Bush's request, albeit with a few shudders. If so, it would push America's already-record budget deficit next year to well above $500 billion.
Over the long term, though, this is unlikely to be enough. Reconstruction costs will account for only around $20 billion of the budget request. This does not reconcile well with the estimate by Paul Bremer, America's top administrator in Iraq, that providing clean water alone will cost $16 billion. Iraq's vast oil resources will contribute some cash, but not as much as the administration hoped: oil production and exports have been slowed by sabotage and antiquated equipment.
As the financial and human costs of occupying Iraq mount, the Bush administration has begun energetically seeking outside help. Last week, American officials circulated a draft United Nations resolution to members of the Security Council urging other countries to commit money, troops and other support towards the rebuilding of Iraq. This is a marked shift for an administration that sidestepped the UN on its march to war. The draft resolution sanctions the creation of a multinational force under "unified" command—ie, with America still in charge. It also endorses the American-backed Governing Council of Iraq, and suggests UN oversight of the council's plans for a new constitution and elections.
Still, the draft resolution may not go far enough to win international backing. Already, President Jacques Chirac of France and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany have implied that the resolution still leaves America with too much control of post-war rebuilding. Without a UN resolution, potential contributors of troops, such as India, are unlikely to join the American-led coalition. Meanwhile, America has extended the time its National Guard and reservists must spend in Iraq, the Washington Post reported this week—though Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary, has so far resisted calls from congressmen and others to send more American troops to the region.
Might other countries be persuaded to contribute money, if not troops? America certainly hopes so. At a meeting last week in Brussels, prospective donors agreed to create a fund, controlled by the UN and the World Bank, that would distribute donations independent of the coalition. But how much other countries will contribute to the American effort—with or without a new UN resolution—remains to be seen. America will be sure to press its richer allies for commitments ahead of an aid donors' conference in Madrid in late October. That battle, like the military one, is far from over.


text:
Strand Book Stall Says Adios To Bangalore
Bangalore In Pictures
On Jan. 14, 2014 | By Staff Report
Book lovers across Bangalore who haven't yet adopted Kindle and Tablets will feel a loss. Strand Book Stall, which was famous for its sales pulled down its shutters and is now focusing on its operations in Mumbai.
Speaking to Explocity, Vidya Virkar, owner of Strand said, "It's sad, but pragmatic. Despite a decline in sales, we tried keeping the Bangalore store open for as long as possible. But peoples' interest in physical books has reduced drastically and it was just not feasible to keep things going."
Virkar reminisced about "earlier times" when Bangalore, due to its cosmopolitan and "quality" crowd, was conducive for book stores. "We used to get a nice blend of customers, most of them young and very enthusiastic about reading."
Talking about the declining population of lovers of physical books, Virkar said, "Everyone has a smartphone, tablet or Kindle now and they do most of their reading online. Piracy hasn't helped either and you can download PDFs for almost any book from the internet. Also, with SMS, Facebook and Twitter being the norm in terms of communication, people have a very short attention span - they don't like reading too much."
Virkar was enthusiastic about the Mumbai store though and said that the store in Mumbai was doing quite well. "In fact", she added, "our annual book sale is a very popular event for book lovers and readers."


Brand-new full colour Early Reader edition of this charming story from the CARNEGIE-winning and HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN AWARD nominee author Margaret Mahy, with brand new illustrations by Terry Milne.
Timothy's sisters think that boys are all rubbish at cooking so Timothy sets out to prove them wrong - by making the most delicious chocolate porridge ever. The only trouble is... who is going to eat it?
A brand-new full colour Early Reader edition of this favourite story, with charming, classic illustrations that have the same warmth and appeal as Shirley Hughes.
Terry Milne has illustrated both pictures books and fiction for children, working with authors such as Martin Waddell, Penelope Lively and Jenny Nimmo, as well as writing and illustrating her own picture book, LOUIS' DREAM PLANE. She lives in Oxford with her architect husband and two young daughters.


Do yoou mind if I quote a fеw of yoսr articles as long aѕ I provide credit and sources Ьack tߋ your site? Ӎy blog sire іs in the νery samе niche аs yοurs аnd mу users աould trսly benefit frοm a lot oof the ijformation yߋu рresent here. Ρlease leet mе know if tҺis okay with уοu. Regɑrds!


text:
International tourists Selene Bragato, 24 and her mother, Gianna Carraro, 53, visit from Venice in Italy. Picture: Liam Kidston
Queensland fights back for tourism crown
by Jeremy Pierce
9th Jan 2019 5:14 AM
QUEENSLAND is back baby!
After years of losing ground to southern states, Queensland has fought back in the battle for the title of Australia's tourism capital.
Statistics to be released today by Tourism Research Australia cover the year ending in September but will come as a belated Christmas present to the state's tourism industry.
Travel data almost always reports increases in visitor numbers and spending, but for the first time in years, Queensland has made up ground against southern rivals NSW and Victoria.
Queensland now welcomes almost 20 per cent of the country's international visitors - an increase of 1.1 per cent - and almost 27 per cent of the domestic holiday market - up 1.3 per cent.
Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham.
While the increases aren't huge, they eclipse NSW and Victoria, which went backwards in some categories.
NSW has long enjoyed the most visitors - partly due to its bigger population and having the country's biggest international airport - but the new figures have Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones confident the state is on the right track.
"These figures show our strategy to grow Queensland's tourism industry is working," she said.
"The data proves we're outperforming NSW and Victoria.
"Our share of the cash international tourists spend in Australia grew more than all other states, and international visitor expenditure grew 11.5 per cent - more than double the Australian rate."
Queensland also saw record highs in international visitor numbers, with 2,762,000 tourists spending $5.9 billion in the state.
The Whitsundays saw a huge 34 per cent increase in the number of tourists. Picture: Tourism Whitsundays
Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said the figures were a show of confidence in Queensland.
"It's wonderful to see record numbers of international travellers keen to experience the magic of Queensland, with its many iconic tourist destinations, from the Sunshine Coast all the way up to the Daintree and even beyond," he said.
Domestic figures were also outstanding for much of regional Queensland, with the Whitsundays (up 34 per cent), Townsville (27 per cent), Fraser Coast (24 per cent), Capricorn Coast (16 per cent), Tropical North Queensland (15 per cent) and Bundaberg (10 per cent) all recording double-digit visitor growth.
Tourism and Events Queensland chief executive Leanne Coddington said the strength of the state's "Your Perfect Next" marketing campaign was reflected in the rise in visitors and spending.
"The year ahead is exciting and full of opportunity for Queensland's tourism operators, with these results providing positive momentum from which to strive for further growth," she said.
FOREIGN GUESTS SPLASH OUT
INTERNATIONAL tourists are digging deeper into their wallets while in Queensland, with spending soaring by more than it is in NSW and Victoria.
The amount shelled out by foreign visitors in Queensland rose by 12 per cent last year, new figures reveal.
And Brisbane has emerged as the new hot spot for big-spending international guests, with expenditure in the capital up a whopping 20 per cent, the data, to be released today, shows.
The opening of new five-star hotels and expensive restaurants in Brisbane has helped drive up the amount tourists are spending in the capital.
W Brisbane is among the five-star hotels extracting cash from big-spending tourists.
Queensland is the third-fastest-growing tourism market in terms of spending after Tasmania and the ACT, both of which are coming off much lower bases.
Foreign tourists spent more in NSW ($10.6 billion) and Victoria ($8.3 billion) than Queensland ($5.9 billion) in the year to September, but the two largest southern states are growing much slower.
Spending in NSW inched up just 2 per cent, while Victoria grew by 9 per cent, compared to the Sunshine State's 12 per cent surge.
It's a trend that rings true for Italian tourist Gianna Carraro and her daughter, Selene Bragato.
"Brisbane's weather and ambience is so much nicer than Sydney, so the people seem to be so much more relaxed here," said Ms Bragato. "Brisbane is also a better city for young people."
The pair said they had spent a lot of money on restaurants in the city.
"We spend a lot more going out to eat than we would at home," said Ms Carraro.
"Sometimes we eat out for every meal of the day, and we've been spending a lot of money getting around."
Why you will now pay to leave Japan
premium_icon Why backpackers are 'easy targets' for criminals
Incredible red dust storm pictures
queensland tourism travel
premium_icon Emergency crews on their way to crash at Bucca
News EMERGENCY crews are currently on their way to a crash at Bucca.