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We believe that the Holy Bible was (a) written by men controlled by the Holy Spirit; (b) that it has truth without any admixture of error for its matter; and (c) therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man; the true center of Christian union and supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried. (a) II Tim. 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21; Acts 1:16; Acts 28:25 (b) Psa. 119:160; Psa. 119:105; Psa. 119:130; Luke 24:25-27; John 17:17; Luke 24:44, 45 (c) Psa. 119:89; Prov. 30:5, 6; Rom. 3:4; I Pet. 1:23; Rev. 22:19; John 12:48; Isa. 8:20; Eph. 6:17; Rom. 15:4; Luke 16:31; Psa. 19:7-11; John 5:45-47; John 5:39
THE TRUE GOD
We believe that there is (a) one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; (b) inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; (c) that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (a) Exodus 20:2, 3; Gen. 17:1; I Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6; John 4:24; Psa. 147:5; 83:18; 90:2; Jer.10:10 (b) Exodus 15:11; Rev. 4:11; I Tim. 1:17; Rom. 11:33; Mark 12:30 (c) Matt. 28:19; John 15:26; I Cor. 12:4-6; I John 5:7; John 10:30; John 17:5; Acts 5:3, 4; I Cor. 2:10, 11; Phil. 2:5, 6; Eph. 2:18; II Cor. 13:14
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; (a) equal with God the Father and (b) God the Son and (c) of the same nature; (d) that He was active in the creation; (e) that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the Evil One until God's purpose is fulfilled; (f) that He convicts of sin, of judgment and of righteousness; (g) that He bears witness to the Truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; (h) that He is the agent in the New Birth; (i) that He seals, baptizes, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. And that the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance) is the evidence of His indwelling rather than the speaking in tongues and other spectacular demonstrations. (a) John 14:16, 17 (b)	Matt. 28:19 (c) Heb. 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35 (d) Gen. 1:1-3 (e) II Thess. 2:7 (f) John 16:8-11 (g) John 15:26, 27; Acts 5:30-32 (h) John 3:5. 6 (i) Eph. 1:13, 14; Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; John 16:13; John 14:26; Rom. 8:14, 16; II Thess. 2:13; I Pet. 1:2; Rom. 8:26, 27; Gal. 5:22, 23; Eph. 5:18-21
THE DEVIL, OR SATAN
We believe that Satan was once (a) holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and (b) drew after him a host of angels; that he is now (c) the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. (d) We hold him to be man's great tempter, (e) the enemy of God and His Christ, (f) the accuser of the saints, (g) the author of all false religions, the chief power back of the present apostasy; (h) the Lord of the Antichrist, and (i) the author of all powers of darkness—destined however (j) to final defeat at the hands of God's Son, and (k) to the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels. (a) Isa. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:14-17 (b) Rev. 12:9; Jude 6; II Peter 2:4 (c) Eph. 2:2; John 14:30 (d) I Peter 5:8; I Thess. 3:5; Matt. 4:1, 3 (e) Zech. 1:3; I John3:8; Matt. 13:25, 37-39; Luke 22:3, 4 (f) Rev. 12:10 (g) II Cor. 11:13-15; Mark 13:21, 22 (h) I John 4:3; II John 7; I John 2:22 (i) Rev. 13:13, 14; II Thess. 2:8-11 (j) Rev. 19:11, 16, 20; Rev. 12:7-9; Rev. 20:1-3 (k) Rev. 20:10; Matt. 25:41
We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and (a) that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; (b) that man was created directly in God's own image and after his own likeness; (c) that man's creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; (d) that all animal and vegetable life was made directly, and God's established law was that they should bring forth only "after their kind". (a) Gen. 1:1; Exod. 20:11; Acts 4:24; Col. 1:16, 17, Heb. 11:3; John 1:3; Rev. 10:6; Rom. 1:20; Acts 17:23-26; Jer. 10:12; Neh. 9:6 (b) Gen. 1:26, 27; I Cor. 11:7 (c) Gen. 2:7; Gen. 2:21-23 (d) Gen. 1:11; Gen 1:24
THE FALL OF MAN
We believe (a) that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but (b) by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state, (c) in consequence of which, all mankind are now sinners, not only by constraint, but of choice; and (d) therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. (a) Gen. 3:1-6, 24 (b) Rom. 5:12; Rom. 5:19 (c) Rom. 3:10-19; Eph. 2:1,3; Rom. 1:18; Ezek. 18:19, 20 (d) Rom. 1:32; Rom. 1:20; Rom. 1:28; Gal. 3:22
We believe (a) that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner; (b) born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of a woman, and (c) that He is both the Son of God, and God the Son. (a) Gen. 3:15 (b) Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; Mark 1:1; John 1:14; Psa. 2:7; Gal. 4:4 (c) I John 5:20; I Cor. 15:47
ATONEMENT FOR SIN
We believe (a) that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace (b) through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; (c) that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ, the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; (d) that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven, and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and an all-sufficient Savior. (a) Eph. 2:8; Acts 15:11; Rom. 3:24 (b) John 3:16; Matt. 18:11; Phil. 2:7; Heb. 2:14; Isa. 53:4-7; Rom. 3:25; I John 4:10; I Cor. 15:3; II Cor. 5:21 (c) John 10:18; Phil. 2:8; Gal. 1:4; I Peter 2:24; I Peter 3:18; Isa. 53:11; Heb. 12:2 (d) I Cor. 15:20; Isa. 53:12; Heb. 9:12-15; Heb. 7:25; I John 2:2
GRACE IN THE NEW CREATION
We believe (a) that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; (b) that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; (c) that it is instantaneous and not a process; (d) that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; (e) that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; (f) that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life. (a) John 3:3 (b) II Cor. 5:17 (c) Luke 5:27; I John 5:1; John 3:6,7; Acts 2:41; Acts 16:30-33 (d) II Peter 1:4; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:1; II Cor. 5:19; Col. 2:13 (e) John 3:8; John 1:12, 13 (f) Gal. 5:22; Eph. 5:9
THE FREENESS OF SALVATION
We believe (a) in God's electing grace; (b) that the blessings of salvation are made free to all through the gospel; (c) that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and (d) that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel; (e) which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation. (a) I Thess. 1:4; Col. 3:12; I Peter 1:2; Titus 1:1; Rom. 8:29, 30 (b) Matt. 11:28; Isa. 55:1; Rev. 22:17; Rom. 10:13; John 6:37 (c) Isa. 55:6; Acts 2:38 (d) Isa. 55:7; John 3:15, 16; I Tim. 1:15; I Cor. 15:10; Eph. 2:4, 5; John 5:40 (e) John 3:18; John 3:36
We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is Justification; (a) that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on the principles of righteousness; (b) that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done; but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us. (a) Acts 13:39; Isa. 53:11; Zech. 13:1; Rom. 8:1; Rom. 5:9; Rom. 5:1 (b) Titus 3:5-7; Rom. 1:17; Hab. 2:4; Gal. 3:11; Rom. 4:1-8; Heb. 10:38
REPENTANCE AND FAITH
We believe that Repentance and Faith are (a) solemn obligations, and (b) also inseparable graces, (c) wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; (d) thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy; (e) at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior. (a) Acts 13:39; Isa. 53:11; Zech. 13:1; Rom. 8:1; Rom. 5:9; Rom. 5:1 (b) Titus 3:5-7; Rom. 1:17; Hab. 2:4; Gal. 3:11; Rom. 4:1-8; Heb. 10:38
We believe that a church of Christ is a congregation of immersed believers (a) associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; (b) observing the ordinances of Christ; (c) governed by His laws; and (d) exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His word; (e) that its scripturally designated officers are pastors (elders) and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures; (f) we believe the true mission of the church is found in the great commission: First, to make individual disciples; Second, to baptize them; Third, to teach and instruct, as He has commanded. We do not believe in the reversal of this order; (g) we hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit; (h) that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; (i) on all matters of membership, of polity, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final. (a) Acts 20:21 (b) Mark 1:15 (c) Acts 2:27-38 (d) Luke 18:13; Rom. 10:13; Psa. 51:1-4; Psa. 51:7; Isa 55:6, 7 (e) Luke 12:8; Rom. 9:11
BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER
We believe that Christian baptism is (a) the believer's immersion in water; (b) into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; (c) to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem of faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; (d) that in scriptural order it (baptism) precedes the privileges of church membership and is the public recognition of the Lordship of Jesus Christ; (e) the Lord's Supper is a memorial service in which the elements of bread and wine remind us of the love of God in Christ Jesus. "Who spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all," that this ordinance is to be observed in anticipation of His coming and preceded always by solemn self-examination. (a) Acts 8:36-39; Matt. 3:6; John 3:23; Rom. 6:4, 5; Matt. 3:16 (b) Matt. 28:19 (c) Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12 (d) Acts 2:41, 42; Matt. 28:19, 20 (e) I Cor. 11:23-28; Rom. 8:32
THE PERSEVERANCE AND PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTS
We believe (a) that such only are real believers as endure unto the end; (b) that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; (c) that a special providence watches over their welfare; and (d) that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation. (a) John 8:31, 32; Col. 1:21, 23 (b) I John 2:19; Matt. 13:19, 20 (c) Rom. 8:28; Matt. 6:30; Psa. 121:3; Heb. 1:4 (d) I Peter 1:5; Phil. 1:6; John 10:28; John 10:29; John 16:8; Rom. 8:35-39
We believe that (a) there is radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; (b) that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, and truly righteous in His esteem; (c) while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse; (d) and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in everlasting life in heaven and on the New Earth for the saved, and in everlasting suffering and torment in Hell and the Lake of Fire for the Lost. (a) Mal. 3:18; Gen. 18:23; Rom. 6:17, 18; Prov. 11:31; I Peter 4:18 (b) Rom. 1:17; I Cor. 15:22; Acts 10:34, 35; I John 2:29; I John 3:7; Rom. 6:16 (c) I John 5:19; Gal. 3:10; Rom. 7:6; Rom. 6:23; Rom. 6:16 (d) Prov. 14:32; Luke 16:25; Matt. 25:34, 41; John 8:21; Luke 9:26; John 12:25; Matt. 7:13, 14
We believe that civil government is (a) of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; (b) that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed; (c) except when instructed to deny or disobey the Lord Jesus Christ; (d) who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the Kings of the earth. (a) Rom. 13:1-7; II Sam. 23:3; Exod. 18:21, 22 (b) Acts 23:5; Matt. 22:21; Titus 3:1; I Peter 2:13, 14; I Peter 2:17 (c) Acts 5:29; Acts 4:19, 20; Dan. 3:17, 18 (d) Matt. 10:28; Matt. 23:10; Rev. 10:6; Phil. 2:10,11; Psa. 72:11
THE RESURRECTION, RETURN OF CHRIST, AND RELATED EVENTS
We believe in:
a. The Bodily Resurrection – Matt. 28:6, 7; Luke 24:39; John 20:27; I Cor. 15:4; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:4-6
b. The Ascension – Acts 1:9; Acts 1:11; Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Rev. 3:21; Heb. 8:1; Heb. 12:2
c. The High Priesthood – Heb. 8:6; I Tim. 2:5; I John 2:1; Heb. 2:17; Heb. 5:9, 10
d. The Second Coming – John 14:3; Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:16; Matt. 24:27; Matt. 25:13; Jas. 5:8; Matt. 24:42; Heb. 9:28
e. The Resurrection of the Righteous Dead – I Thess. 4:16; I Cor. 15:42-44; I Cor. 15:52
f. The Change of the Living in Christ – I Cor. 15:51-53; I Thess. 4:17; Phil. 3:20, 21
g. On the Throne of David – Luke 1:32; Isa. 9:6, 7; Acts 2:29, 30
h. His Reign on Earth – I Cor. 15:25; Isa. 32:1; Isa. 11:4, 5; Psa. 72:8; Rev. 20:1-4, 6
i. The Great White Throne Judgment – Rev. 20:11-15
j. The New Jerusalem and the New Earth – Rev. 21:1-22:5
*Our full Statement of Faith can be request from the secretary.
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I hate it when it's miserable outside. It makes the house feel so dark and then that makes me want to go into hibernation mode - if only.
I got home from cadets last night to an almighty rant. I was led into a false sense of security because he'd rung his friend and was blethering away to him with a happy face and a jovial banter. I made him a cup of coffee and sat down. He came off the phone and blow me, it came from nowhere. I was told I do nothing, the iron is in the wrong cupboard, the cupboards haven't been cleaned (excuse me, I've done nothing but clean cupboards) and what do I do all day - nothing, that's what I do. I didn't even put the iron away. I finished ironing just before I went out so I left it on the bench to cool down. The cupboard hubby put the iron into was the wrong cupboard, it doesn't even stand up in that cupboard, but it was still my fault.
I just let the rant wash over me with no response. I'm exhausted of this hatred at the moment. It's all my fault because I was out for two hours taking them to cadets. I wasn't here. It's simple. He wants me out of the house yet when I am (and it's only those two hours a week) he hates it. He wants me to leave him, but puts obsticles in my way to prevent it. The thought of this being the cycle within the house for years and years upsets me and the thought of him not being here at all devastates me.
Being selfish (again), I feel like this bloody illness called Dementia has robbed us, him, me and the girls. For what I can see, to him his rants and thoughts are rational, he has no emotional grasp of what he's saying and how upsetting it can be. I miss him. We've never been a lovey dovey couple, but we've always known we love each other, shown it in other ways. There's never been any public displays of affection, but there's always been affection. Now there's non. Non at all. I'm alone, lonely even. He ignores me. He shouts, rants, mumbles but it's the ignoring that I hate. It's like there's nothing there anymore, and I mean affection, not him.
I miss the smiles, the twinkle in his eyes, the looks, the "in" jokes we had. I just miss him. I'm here, but I might aswell not be. I'm just the person who tidies and cleans and cooks, and I don't even do that well as so many of the rants are about that.
It's funny because for all his memory fails, he knows exactly what to say to upset me. I've changed too. I'm not the person I was. I don't bite back anymore. I just allow whatever he's saying, because if I interupt or try to defend what he's saying he just starts again. Over and over.
Last night I was going to bed to get out of the way, but he decided to go first. So I stayed up a little longer. Why? It was like he waited for me going to bed to continue the nagging. I should have gone with him because it would have gotten it over with sooner. I get up to his bad mood and I go to bed with his bad mood and it thourighly demoralises me. If I give the girls wrong for something, it's not them that gets wrong from him, it's me. I'm too loud, I shouldn't give them wrong, I shouldn't do this, I shouldn't do that, and all in all it's my fault because they're my girls and they behave just like me. If I let them away with something to avoid getting wrong from him, I get wrong from him because I'm letting them run riot (they don't but go with me on this one), if I correct them I'm wrong again because I'm a "shite mother". They hate me, they can't stand me, they want me to leave, they want nothing to do with me, blah, blah, effing blah.
Dementia doesn't just affect the person with the illness. It affects us all. The thing I get cross with myself about this illness is that it's not just Dementia that I can resent. I sometimes resent him and that's wrong. It's not him that's making him horrid. It's the puppet master, yet sometimes I look at hubby and really, really dislike him. I imagine Dementia sitting in the corner of it's room giggling to itself about how it turns my emotions in on themselves, and how I (a strong person - I like to think...) allow it to. It hasn't just devastated my husband, it's got a hold of me and manipulates my feelings too. Thank you Dementia. They say keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Well if that's the case, Dementia is my shadow, and I bloody hate it.


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Saudi Purge
The Sheikh of Ethiopia: How Saudi purge could disrupt an African country
Mohammed Hussein al-Amoudi, one of Ethiopia's biggest investors, among those arrested in Saudi anti-corruption campaign
Mohammed Hussein al-Amoudi, an Ethiopian-Saudi dual citizen (Twitter/@amggebre)
Dania Akkad
Published date: 21 November 2017 22:46 UTC | Last update: 2 years 2 months ago
As news spread of the detention of Saudi princes and business moguls in Riyadh earlier this month, alarm bells were ringing in another capital more than 1,000km away: one of Ethiopia's most important investors was under arrest.
It remains unclear why Saudi authorities arrested Mohammed Hussein al-Amoudi, an Ethiopian-born dual citizen who is reportedly the second richest Saudi, behind Prince al-Waleed bin Talal.
Yet while Talal – and his investments in everything from Citigroup to Twitter to the Savoy – may have gained the most media attention worldwide, Amoudi's arrest is significant for its potential to disrupt the economy of an entire country.
'They are just freaking out left and right'
- Henok Gabisa, Ethiopia researcher
Amoudi – or "the Sheikh", as he is known - has invested in nearly every sector of the country's economy, including hotels, farming and mining - so much so that American diplomats once questioned how "nearly every" privitisation in Ethiopia since 1994 had involved Amoudi's companies.
"The Sheikh's influence in the Ethiopian economy cannot be underestimated," according to a diplomatic cable from 2008 released by Wikileaks.
Nearly 10 years later, it's hard to put a dollar figure on Amoudi's total investments in Ethiopia, one of the world's poorest countries, yet one of the fastest growing in Africa.
His PR team does not comment on external figures and cautions against third party figures. One analyst put a $3.4bn value on his investments – or 4.7 percent of Ethiopia's current GDP.
Another said his companies employ about 100,000 people which would account for 14 percent of Ethiopia's small private sector, according to country's latest Labor Force Survey conducted in 2013. However, World Bank analysts cautioned that these figures will have increased significantly over the past four years as the sector has grown.
Amoudi has dominated the front pages of Ethiopia's top magazines since his arrest. News agencies have covered developments in his detention – including rumours on social media - as breaking news.
"They are just freaking out left and right," said Henok Gabisa, a visiting academic fellow at Washington and Lee University in Virginia who researches Ethiopia.
Days after Amoudi's arrest Ethiopia's prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, felt compelled to hold his first news conference in two months and answered questions about Amoudi. The government, he assured, did not think Amoudi's investments in Ethiopia would be affected.
An official at the Ethiopian Investment Authority dismissed the idea that Amoudi's arrest would panic his government. "The country's economy can never ever sustain itself by a single investor – it's a 100 million population for heaven sakes," he said. "How can it just depend on a single investment? It's just funny."
Amoudi's UK-based spokesman, Tim Pendry, said in a statement: "The overseas businesses owned by the Sheikh remain unaffected by this development."
'He is someone whose presence and absence can make a difference in the economy of the country'
- Awol Allo, law lecturer
Yet while acknowledging that the Chinese – who are investing heavily in Ethiopia - now have a much greater stake than Amoudi, analysts and informed sources say even if the government isn't panicking, there will certainly be concern over how a struggle within the Saudi palaces of power could have far-reaching consequences.
"He is someone whose presence and absence can make a difference in the economy of the country," said Awol Allo, a law lecturer at Keele University.
"He is consequential, with all of the problems associated with his involvement in the country, he is a very consequential figure."
Amoudi was born in 1946 in Dessie, Ethiopia to an Ethiopian mother and a Saudi father. In 1963, he emigrated to Saudi Arabia to work with his relatives, according to his website.
His big break came in the late 1980s when the kingdom, trying to strengthen its security during the Iran-Iraq war, offered tenders on a series of underground oil storage facilities.
When Swedish contractors ABV Rock Group and Skanska grew concerned with the risks, Amoudi, according to a promotional video on his website, "stepped up... and offered to take over the challenge".
Over the course of three decades, Amoudi has spun the success of that project into a vast network of investments – including in Sweden's largest oil refinery - which Bloomberg estimates to be worth nearly $10bn.
A statue of Lenin is toppled in Addis Abab in May 1991, days after the departure of pro-communist strongman Mengistu Haile Mariam (AFP)
Amoudi then turned his attention to Ethiopia at an historic moment: after the devastating famine in the 1980s and the 1991 coup that saw the end of the brutal, 17-year-old Derg regime, Ethiopia was slowly moving from a Marxist to a free-market economy.
The state today still controls economic key sectors, such as energy and telecoms. But in the early 1990s, the government began a process of privatising state-owned enterprises.
While the majority were sold to employees or individual Ethiopians, companies acquired by Amoudi, according to the diplomatic cables, were worth 60 percent of the entire dollar value of all of the companies sold.
The enterprises awarded to Amoudi's companies covered a wide range of industries – leather, pickling, paint, coffee and tea, meat, bottling, mining and tourism.
"The Sheikh has cherry-picked the best of the companies sold to date," the cable said.
'The Sheikh has cherry-picked the best of the companies sold to date'
- American diplomats in 2008 cable
"There are no indications of impropriety in the bidding process, and the Sheikh is likely the wealthiest entity to have a significant interest in the Ethiopian economy," the cable continues. "However, Amoudi is known to have close ties to the ruling PLF/EPRDF regime, and rumors persist of favourable treatment."
'Heart not head'
Today, according to an Ethiopian journalist who has followed his business deals over years, Amoudi is thought to have as many as 77 companies in the country. The same journalist said he is the second largest employer next to the government, a fact which MEE could not confirm by the time of publication.
His projects have not only enriched his fortune, say observers, but have made their mark on the country: his flagship Sheraton Addis, opened in 1998, changed both the landscape and the reputation of the capital, putting Ethiopia on the African diplomacy map.
But as well as making a fortune, Amoudi has repeatedly stated his intentions are more benevolent. in 2007 he reportedly told Donald Yamamoto, then US ambassador to Ethiopia, that he was led "more by his heart than by his head".
Both the cables – which show Amoudi offering the Americans advice and encouragement to invest in Ethiopia – and analysts paint a picture of someone who is as much an investor as brand ambassador and one-man relief agency.
After a landslide at a garbage dump on the outskirts of Addis Ababa killed 113 people this March, Amoudi reportedly gave over $1mn to families of those affected (AFP)
"Every time there is a major crisis, he does help individuals," said Allo, the law lecturer at Keele University. "There is almost an expectation: how much did Amoudi give for this and that crisis?"
There are rumours that he has loaned foreign currency to the government when it fell short. More recently, he was the first investor to donate funds to the country's Renaissance Dam campaign, reportedly giving $88m to the project.
'We built that'
Amoudi's arrest comes at a difficult time for Ethiopia. The government's determination to push forward a Chinese-style, state-driven economic development programme to create a middle-income country by 2025 has led to widespread protests among many who feel they have been left on the scrapheap.
In 2015, passengers line up to ride Ethiopia's new Chinese-funded tramway in Addis Abada (AFP)
In the past decade, as the Ethiopian government has ploughed forward in the spirit of former leader Meles Zenawi, a Sinophile who pushed development over democracy; the economy has become its "ultimate source of legitimacy", Allo said.
"Economic development became everything in the context of Ethiopia and the government points to the number of hospitals and schools built," he said. "Whatever the underlying social sustainability problems, they can turn around and say, 'We built that'."
"As far as democracy is concerned, as far as elections are concerned, it's just a ritual that they go through every five years," he said, noting that in the last two elections in 2010 and 2015, the same party - the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) - has won almost all of the seats.
In February 2016, demonstrators chant slogans while flashing the Oromo protest gesture during Irreecha, the thanksgiving festival of the Oromo people, in Bishoftu town, Oromia region, Ethiopia (Reuters)
And increasingly, as the government's economy-over-democracy strategy has come under fire, Amoudi has become a lightning rod for criticism, fair or not, say observers.
"The things he's been associated with aren't all gleaming skyscrapers and five-star hotels – the more the rubber hits the road and the hard choices have their impact, he's been on that edge of things as well," said Jason Mosley, associate fellow of the Africa Programme at Chatham House.
One of Amoudi's projects which has garnered criticism links back to Saudi Arabia. In 2007, when prices for staple crops doubled and food scarcity became a worldwide concern, the Saudi government launched a programme offering subsidies for those who invested in foreign farmland that would eventually export crops to the kingdom.
Starting up Saudi Star Agricultural Development in 2009, a rice-farming operation in Ethiopia's Gambella region run by MIDROC Africa, Amoudi responded to kingdom's concerns by investing in his home country "to develop poorly utilised land to the benefit of both countries".
'Why do we do it in Gambella with no roads, no electricity, no skilled workers? Because if we don't, no one else will'
- Jemal Ahmed, Saudi Star CEO
"While contributing to the food security of the kingdom, the project will provide enormous benefits to Ethiopia in terms of foreign investment, job opportunities and food," his website said. "Around half of the increased production is expected to remain in Ethiopia for local consumption."
All land in Ethiopia is owned by the government and, according to an FT report last year, Saudi Star leases at least 14,000 hectares and will have invested $200m into the development by next year.
But the project has moved at a snail's pace, said one local journalist, annoying Ethiopians who see the government allowing land grabs that fail to provide sufficient return. For the Saudis, the project has so far proved fruitless - the FT reported in 2016 that no rice has been exported to the kingdom since the project began.
"He's known in Ethiopia for acquiring so much land, but many are not cultivated," the journalist said.
In the FT article, Saudi Star officials acknowledged that there were problems early on with managers and consultants, but underlined that the company wasn't only focused on the bottom line.
Employees of Saudi Star rice farm work in a paddy in Gambella, Ethiopia, in 2012 (AFP)
"If I had invested $200m in Thailand, we could easily have produced more rice," Jemal Ahmed, Saudi Star's CEO told FT. "Why do we do it in Gambella with no roads, no electricity, no skilled workers? Because if we don't, no one else will."
Amoudi's operations in Ethiopia's restive Oromia region have also come under fire. In March, regional administrators stopped work at a MIDROC pumice mine, and demanded local youths be hired to operate the facility. According to Gabisa, the Ethiopia researcher at Washington and Lee, many locals felt MIDROC's gold mine in the region hadn't brought the social benefits they expected.
"Oromo people feel like they were exploited," he said. "If you go and see that area, they don't have schools, clinics, nothing.
"Even the road his car travels on is not pavement. He didn't build his own road. That's how much people feel like he's stingy."
These critics, Gabo said, have watched Amoudi's detention in Saudi with satisfaction. "They asked, when is he going to get prosecuted in Ethiopia?" he said.
They asked, when is he going to get prosecuted in Ethiopia?
But are roads, schools and hospitals Amoudi's responsibility, asked Allo at Keele University.
"I'm sure there are a lot of people who have grievances and see his contribution to Ethiopia as a negative, but it's important to look at it a bit more broadly," he said.
"It's not Amoudi's responsibility to build hospitals. That's the government's responsibility to make sure that people who are in these areas where large-scale investments are taking place will have the social benefits that comes from their land."
Mysteries and consequences
It remains unclear why specifically Amoudi was picked up in the Saudi arrests.
A source familiar with Amoudi's business activities said many were surprised when he was in the list of those arrested because, unlike many others, he had made efforts throughout his career to adhere to Islamic banking tenants.
His detention, the source said, suggested that the arrests were solely focused on seizing assets for a kingdom challenged by dipping oil prices and a growing, young population.
Amoudi is thought to be detained in the Ritz Carlton in the Saudi capital (AFP)
MEE asked a spokesman with the Saudi embassy in the US why Amoudi had been picked up and whether particular projects or businesses were under question, but had not heard back after repeated contact.
While it is too early to know exactly how Amoudi's arrest will affect Ethiopia, it is nevertheless apparent that Addis Ababa be watching developments in Riyadh for the foreseeable future.
"It's not clear how this will actually play out in terms of the MIDROC group in Ethiopia," said Mosely, "but it's certainly an odd situation for Ethiopia to be in."
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Gulf Tensions
Gulf crisis is leading to difficult choices in the Horn of Africa
Ahmed Soliman

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Colletes intermixtus is een vliesvleugelig insect uit de familie Colletidae. De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1905 door Swenk.

Colletidae

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Deployment of 200 Marines marks extension of US presence in Pacific, but military allies deny move motivated by China.
About 200 US soldiers have arrived in northern Australia, beginning a six-month deployment that marks the beginning of closer co-operation between the allies and a deepened US military presence on the shores of the southern Pacific.
The arrival of the US Marines on Wednesday at their base on the outskirts of Darwin follows agreement between Washington and Canberra to establish a permanent joint-training hub there, with eventual numbers of US soldiers set to rise to 2,500 within five years.
In November, the US and Australia announced plans to send more US military aircraft to Australia to better protect US interests across Asia.
Julia Gillard, the Australian prime minister, said in a statement that the initial six-month rotation would not include heavy equipment, vehicles or aircraft.
"There are no US military bases in Australia, and this will not change," she said.
But, the move has sparked concern in China, where officials have questioned whether it is part of a larger US strategy aimed at encircling it and thwarting the country's rise as a global power.
Jeffrey Bleich, the US ambassador to Australia, said at the welcoming ceremony on Wednesday that the Asia-Pacific region was the "most dynamic area in the world''.
"This is the fastest growing economic area and also the one that is enduring the greatest demographic change and we want to make sure that it continues to be a peaceful, prosperous and stable area," he said.
"We don't see China or India as a threat"
"The way that we accomplish that is by ensuring that trade routes are open and that we're prepared for any issue that could come up," he added.
Stephen Smith, the Australian defence minister, speaking to the Marines on Wednesday at the army barracks, called the occasion a historic day in the 61-year-old alliance between Australia and the US.
He rejected analysis that closer military ties between Australia and the US were a response to the growing military assertiveness of China, Australia's most important trading partner.
"We don't see China or India as a threat," he said. "There is nothing inconsistent with our relationship with China and our long-standing, successful alliance with the United States.
and economic influence to our part of the world," he said.
The tropical port of Darwin is 820km from Indonesia, allowing soldiers there to respond quickly to any humanitarian and security problems in Southeast Asia, where tensions have risen due to disputes over sovereignty in the South China Sea.
When the deployment was announced last November, US President Barack Obama said: "The notion that we fear China is mistaken. The notion that we are looking to exclude China is mistaken .... we welcome a rising, peaceful China."


WHY CONSULT A NATUROPATH ?
To maintain or restore one's health, as well as improving the aging process.
Over the years individual lifestyle will have as much of an influence in the development of certain diseases, as hereditary or personal medical history.
Too few people practice preventive medicine and wait to get sick before taking treatment. The naturopath trys to change this dynamic.


text:
Home / News & Events / News / ITLS recognised for 21 years of achievement
Global recognition for transport expert who has helped "shaped the way we live"
The University of Sydney – ITLS 30th Anniversary
ITLS Research Team awarded $336,000 worth of supercomputer use
BRT+ researcher, Professor David Hensher, declared "industry champion"
Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS): Shining the spotlight on our MaaS research
Interview to David Hensher and Corinne Mulley: Public transport innovations offer a way out of the jam
Professor David Hensher wins the Smart 2013 Premier Award
Bus Rapid Transit: State-of-the-art in performance and benefits
ITLS recognised for 21 years of achievement
Recently, The Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS) of The University of Sydney, led by the Founding Director, and member of our CoE, Professor David Hensher, celebrated its 21st Anniversary. To learn more about ITLS and its 21 Years of Excellence, take a look at the video appearing below:
21 Years of Achievement – ITLS from THINKBOX on Vimeo.
Transport and supply chains are vital to the effective operation of our modern world. The Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, located at the University of Sydney Business School, is dedicated to bringing about improvements within this important domain, by fostering innovation, and communicating best practice.
Internationally recognised as a leader in logistics studies, ITLS has forged partnerships around the globe, and regularly invites outstanding international scholars to teach and conduct research at The University of Sydney. ITLS also hosts a unique, regular global forum that provides an opportunity for academics and practitioners to come together and discuss contemporary transport issues.
Locally, ITLS is engaged with, and regularly drawn upon by the state Government, to provide research and advice for the provision of public transport services. Recent research on congestion charges and dedicated bus corridors have gained extensive media coverage.
The strong leadership and vision of Professor Hensher has much to do with the success of ITLS. In a relatively short time he has built a foundation which bodes well for ITLS achieving even great success in the future. Bravo and thank you to David and his colleagues!
Juan de Dios Ortúzar, also member of the CoE, was invited to the celebrations as a Keynote Presentation. His seminar title was: "Road pricing: An impeccable public policy – how can we sell it?". Here you can find David Hensher and Juan de Dios celebrating in Sydney:
¿Comments? ¿Opinions? ¿Similar News? Send them to us!


text:
Home / News and Events / AfDB and Microsoft sign Memorandum of Understanding: Partnership will focus on increasing access to ICT
AfDB and Microsoft sign Memorandum of Understanding: Partnership will focus on increasing access to ICT
Tunis, Tunisia — July 8, 2008 — The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Microsoft today signed today an agreement to work together to increase access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for all Africans.
The objective of this new partnership is to bridge the digital divide that exists in Africa in two particular areas - between Africa's different regions and countries, and between Africa's main urban centres and its rural areas.
The signing was presided over by the Vice-President of the AfDB, Mr. Joseph Eichenberger and the Chairman for Microsoft in Africa, Dr. Cheick Modibo Diarra at the temporary headquarters of the AfDB in Tunis.
Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Eichenberger said "This partnership intends to blend knowledge and best practice from both parties. When combined further with forward looking public policy from the governments of Africa, we are confident it will inject increased momentum to meeting developmental goals."
Cooperation between the two parties will focus on the use of technology to advance e-Government; ICT institutional capacity building; business capacity building; education and e-learning; ICT skills development, and the enhancement of technology access.
The global development community, composed of governments, international organizations, development banks and NGOs, is increasingly calling upon private sector expertise and resources to accelerate development on the African continent.
The AfDB is at the forefront of this development and places public-private partnership at the core of its overall strategy which includes combating poverty and improving living conditions across the African continent.
"Our joint goal is to identify where ICT can be applied in innovative ways to support development goals – extending the scale and impact of solutions to transform education, drive local innovation, and foster jobs and opportunities,"said Dr. Diarra.
"Microsoft is proud to partner with the African Development Bank, as well as African governments, UN agencies, and other international organizations to share our core technology resources, solutions, and know-how to help them meet the greatest challenges of today."
About the African Development Bank
The African Development Bank is Africa's premier development finance institution dedicated to combating poverty and improving the lives of people of the continent and engaged in the task of mobilizing resources for the economic and social development of its Regional Member Countries. The Bank Group's primary objective is to promote sustainable growth to reduce poverty by financing projects and programmes in the RMCs through loans, equity investments and technical assistance.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.
Yvan CLICHE, Media Officer, External Relations and Communication Unit for the African Development Bank
Tel: +216 71 10 23 87, Email: y.cliche@afdb.org
Lee-Anne Poon, Tribeca Public Relations for Microsoft
Phone: +27 11 208 5500, Cell: +27 82 818 4041, Email: lee-annep@tribecapr.co.za
AfDB and Microsoft sign Memorandum of Understanding - Remarks by AfDB Vice Pr...


PPS Equity » Archive » K-8 Equity?
Great post. The inequities become really stark when you look at the math offerings. Sellwood, Gray, West Sylvan and Jackson (not sure re Mt. Tabor or Hosford) all offer Algebra 1 and 2 and Geometry. Beaumont offers Algebra 1. According to what has been written about the K-8 meeting at Rigler, many K-8s are struggling to offer Algebra 1. You can't get more "core" than math. It's pretty outrageous that math offerings depend on zipcode.
I do have a position on this topic and I hope when my responces to the questions Steve sent out are posted everyone is able to review them.
OK, so I did a little bit more digging about math offerings because it seemed to me to be a reasonable way to compare middle school and K-8 academics. All of this came from school-created web pages or brochures, so it's not scientific.
What I found is that, in addition to the schools I mentioned above, daVinci, George, and Hosford also offer math through high school Geometry. Hosford also has an arrangement with Cleveland allowing middle school students to take Algebra 3 & 4. I could not determine math offerings from the Lane, Binnsmead or Mt. Tabor websites. Also, isn't Binnsmead converting to K-8?
And here's a wee bit more from the school fact pages. Math through Geometry is offered at Mt. Tabor, but Binnsmead students need to go to Madison or Marshall to get Geometry. So, there's inequities even among middle schools.
Going back to Steve's post, though, not all K-8 schools can offer Algebra 1 as yet, but math through high school Geometry seems to be offered at most middle schools. So, as things stand right now, K-8s can't compete with middle schools even in terms of core course offerings. My guess is that the disparity in terms of electives and enrichment is much greater.
One correction to your list, Steve: "Binnsmead Middle School" as such no longer exists. All of its former feeders are now K-8s. This fall, the current Clark population will move into the Binnsmead building to eventually become another K-8. NOT AT ALL what that community wanted!
If I may wax nostalgic for a moment here: I worked at Binnsmead Middle School in the mid-90′s. Even though it is in a poor part of town, that school was able to offer PE, health, choir, band, art, shop, computer lab, and Spanish. This was in addition to 1.5 FTE for library services, 4 FTE dedicated to student management, and two full-time administrators. I think there were three secretaries. The enrollment was near 800 at the time. (Very Important Note here: the PSF did not yet exist.) When the big cuts came down in 1996, the principal cut all of the "enrichment" classes except PE and Health. Enrollment has been spiraling downward ever since. Neither the idiot principal nor his supervising Area Director were willing to admit that it had anything to do with the sudden lack of electives. Although I do remember that some Foundation money was used to restore the shop program–temporarily.
I might as well just go ahead and say it: there will be NO EQUITY in PPS as long as the Foundation exists. The drastic inequities we see all over town today, which keep increasing every year, can be traced right back to the beginning of the Foundation, even to the exact date. If you really are after Equity, the Foundation must be dismantled–and not replaced. It's as simple as that.
Thanks for the correction on Binnsmead.
Another example of middle school options being taken away from our least affluent students.
Is there any threat of taking this option away from our wealthiest families in the Wilson, Grant, Cleveland, Franklin or Lincoln clusters?
Speaking of inequities. Libraries are a key component of a good education — strong elementary schools need to be centered around them. Each school should have a strong and viable library with a person running it, preferably a librarian. This is definitely a top priority — which means it should be funded at the beginning of the budget, not scrape around at the end of the budget for a few dollars. It is a top priority. Yet PPS this year had no central funding dedicated to libraries. Next year there will be $45,000 out of a $400,000,000 plus budget! Two high schools (Marshall and Roosevelt) will not have a librarian and one middle school at least (Lane) has no library. Library funding is evidentally left up to principals and not all see libraries as important enough to support in a meaningful way.
1) Send out the word that the superintendent expects each school to solidly support its library both with people and materials.
2) Rebudget a large amount of money and earmark it solely for library improvement with the express purpose creating an excellent library in every school in the district.
3) Call upon the Portland School Foundation to move a substantial amount of their shared money into library materials support. (The schools who can raise money more easily have the option to use that money for library support and evidentally some do.
4)Create a chief librarian position held by a full-time outstanding librarian to spear head these improvements.
All of these are doable within the next year.
For what it's worth, the middle school option was reduced (but not eliminated) in the Grant and Franklin clusters, thanks to the closure of Kellogg and the reformattings of Fernwood and Tubman. Also, I would suggest that, if you are going to list da Vinci as part of the Grant Cluster even though it is a focus option that has no geographic catchment area, then you should list SEI Charter as part of the Jefferson Cluster too.
Still, Jefferson and Madison cluster students are the only ones without a middle school option.
I believe that SEI is physically located in the Grant cluster, not the Jefferson cluster. Jefferson's Young Women's Academy at Tubman (formerly one of the Jefferson cluster's middle schools) is also physically located in the Grant cluster.
I did some checking and found out some interesting things.
First, Nicole, I stand corrected about the location of SEI (even though it is only a stone's throw from Jeff).
Second, Steve, you will be interested to know that da Vinci is actually in the Cleveland cluster. Probably not too many people know that the Cleveland cluster actually extends north all the way to Broadway. Da Vinci is in the Buckman school catchment area, which makes some sense, because if memory serves, it was meant to be an extension of the K-5 arts magnet program at Buckman.
Steve, I acknowledge, sadly, your original point about Jefferson and Madison having no middle schools. The point I was trying to make is that some other clusters have had middle school offerings reduced (Grant, Franklin) while others have kept them intact (Cleveland, Wilson, Lincoln).
I am also worried that Marshall will lose their last middle school too. Lane has been suffering from falling enrollment for years, and the district deliberately passed up an opportunity to bolster them when they started bussing the Woodstock kids all the way to overcrowded Hosford instead of sending them a much shorter distance to Lane. I construe that as a sign that Lane's days as a middle school are numbered.
You know, PPS has set this thing up in such a way that there seems to be a direct correlation (Terry's gonna love me for using that word!) between income levels and the number of middle schools per cluster. Who would ever have thought that middle schools would become a status symbol?
Zarwen, I'm sure there is a strong correlation between income and the number of middle schools in any given cluster, just as there's a strong postitive correlation between high test scores and the relative wealth of students taking the tests.
There's also an obviously strong correlation between the SES profile of a school and its enrollment, or at least its capture rate. I attribute that to "white flight" and PPS' transfer policy. I can't statistically prove "white flight", but I'm not reluctant to point to the transfer policy as an exacerbating factor in school depopulation.
Ms Phillips gave us her word our new K-8 merged school would be safe.
We simply asked to hold off one year to let the 8th graders move on to HS (like some other schools were allowed). Bullets on the Bus in the Madison Cluster today. Can't wait to see the response.


See if your favourite star made the cut.
Dwayne is set to return for Smackdown.
From the pitch to the sidewalk.
The soccer star is leaving Argentina's main squad.
Expect the flick to drop sometime in the near future.
Now you can experience the fateful game from both sidelines.
It's October! Here's a look at the entertainment options coming your way in the next few weeks.
It's September! Here's a look at the entertainment options coming your way in the next few weeks.


text:
package org.apache.camel.component.netty.http;

import org.apache.camel.builder.RouteBuilder;
import org.apache.http.client.methods.CloseableHttpResponse;
import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpPost;
import org.apache.http.impl.client.CloseableHttpClient;
import org.apache.http.impl.client.HttpClients;
import org.apache.http.util.EntityUtils;
import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;

import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;

public class NettyHttpMapHeadersFalseTest extends BaseNettyTest {

    @Test
    public void testHttpHeaderCase() throws Exception {
        try (CloseableHttpClient client = HttpClients.createDefault()) {
            HttpPost method = new HttpPost("http://localhost:" + getPort() + "/myapp/mytest");

            method.addHeader("clientHeader", "fooBAR");
            method.addHeader("OTHER", "123");
            method.addHeader("beer", "Carlsberg");

            try (CloseableHttpResponse response = client.execute(method)) {
                String responseString = EntityUtils.toString(response.getEntity(), "UTF-8");
                assertEquals("Bye World", responseString);
                assertEquals("aBc123", response.getFirstHeader("MyCaseHeader").getValue());
                assertEquals("456DEf", response.getFirstHeader("otherCaseHeader").getValue());
            }
        }
    }

    @Override
    protected RouteBuilder createRouteBuilder() throws Exception {
        return new RouteBuilder() {
            public void configure() throws Exception {
                from("netty-http:http://localhost:{{port}}/myapp/mytest?mapHeaders=false").process(exchange -> {
                    // these headers is not mapped
                    assertNull(exchange.getIn().getHeader("clientHeader"));
                    assertNull(exchange.getIn().getHeader("OTHER"));
                    assertNull(exchange.getIn().getHeader("beer"));

                    // but we can find them in the http request from netty
                    assertEquals("fooBAR",
                            exchange.getIn(NettyHttpMessage.class).getHttpRequest().headers().get("clientHeader"));
                    assertEquals("123", exchange.getIn(NettyHttpMessage.class).getHttpRequest().headers().get("OTHER"));
                    assertEquals("Carlsberg", exchange.getIn(NettyHttpMessage.class).getHttpRequest().headers().get("beer"));

                    exchange.getMessage().setBody("Bye World");
                    exchange.getMessage().setHeader("MyCaseHeader", "aBc123");
                    exchange.getMessage().setHeader("otherCaseHeader", "456DEf");
                });
            }
        };
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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A lot of people ask me where I find the places that I go to for my blog. I get a lot of recommendations from people. I also just do a lot of research on the net to find places. I do a keyword search, or just go to Youtube and search through videos. It was on Youtube that I discovered one very interesting place that I decided had to be visited.
Trawling through some videos on youtube one day, I stumbled upon a video someone had made of their visit to an izakaya in Utusnomiya. Now this was no ordinary izakaya. Here, your drinks were brought to your tables by monkeys......., yes, MONKEYS!! Now, because the owners have so many monkeys (about 6 I think) the monkeys no longer bring you drinks. Imagine 6 monkeys all running around with beer and sake, that would be mayhem! Now, after everyone has finished eating, the owners bring out the monkeys and you can play with them and have photos taken with them. I had told one of my friends, Jarrett about the izakaya and to say that he was interested in joining me on the trip would be an understatement. So Jarrett, his wife Scout and myself made our way north to Utsunomiya.
From Shinjuku the train ticket is 1,940 yen, but for an extra 780 yen, you can upgrade to the green car, and instead of regular train bench style seats, you can travel in style and have your own seat.
As you can see, I decided to splash out.
A couple of extended blinks later I arrived at Utsunomiya, met up with Jarrett and Scout and started making our way over to the hotel. On our way, we bumped into Godzilla and friends who were standing guard outside a few gyoza restaurants.
We had booked rooms at the Hotel My Stays which is 3 gyoza throws (1 if you are a baseball player) or 100m from the station. At 8,700 yen for one night, and considering the location, it is quite reasonable. The rooms were your standard business hotel room, small but enough for my purposes. I wasn't here to spend my time in a hotel room! I was here for gyoza and MONKEYS!
We wandered around the city for a little, killing time and walked past a few interesting signs.
I was intrigued by the golf place, but decided not to check it out. I was pretty sure Scout would probably not have been interested.
We eventually found ourselves back near the station and decided to have some gyoza at one of the places nearby. We chose one called Min Min.
Now for all of my Aussie friends, there was nothing spooky about this place. For everyone else who doesn't understand, have a read of the wikipedia entry on min min lights here.
Min Min was clearly popular as there was a small line-up when we arrived that pretty soon got longer and more and more people had to wait in the rain.
Our number was finally called and we went in and ordered the three kinds of gyoza they had.
My favourites were probably the boiled and the regular, but they were all good.
In all of the gyoza excitement, Jarrett and Scout had forgotten about the Monkey izakaya and needed a reminder that we had to get back to the hotel and get ready for some monkey madness.
I'm going to finish this post here and get this posted. I think I will split this trip into 3 posts so as to not make the posts too long. Thanks for reading this one, I hope you enjoyed it. Bookmark this blog or put in your email address on the right side of the page to get a notification when I put up each post. Leave a message below and let me know what you think. Until next time, take care.


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A difficult condition of Acne Rosacea cured completely with homeopathy...
A 64 year old lady, Mrs. R.S. (Patient Identification Number 15619) visited Life Force Center for multiple medical problems on 9 March 2011. She was suffering from Acne Rosacea, Gastritis, Alopecia Areata, under active Thyroid and Hypertension. She appeared to be disturbed and very stressed out because of all these complaints. Her case was taken in detail and each of her complaint was inquired upon systematically. She had complaints of constant redness on face, especially around nose and cheeks. The redness was associated with continuous boil formation on the face. There was severe itching along with bleeding after scratching. She also mentioned taking Homeopathic treatment from last 2 years for it without any relief. She was diagnosed as having Acne Rosacea. The symptoms were increasing and people around her would take notice and ask her about it. This was very disturbing for her. She was also suffering from under active thyroid and high blood pressure for which she was taking regular allopathic medications. She also mentioned having acidity and a bloated sensation all over the abdomen. She would take antacids regularly without significant relief. She had this vague itching on the palate associated with raw sensation, which was better only after taking antihistamines. Mrs. R.S was tired with these multiple problems and had given up all hopes of recovery from these complaints. She was averagely built and she had a very sad look on her face. She was a vegetarian by diet, her appetite was good. There were no complaints in her bowel and urine habits. She had undergone a hysterectomy for uterine fibroid in the past. Her sleep was good but she would have lot of dreams which were very disturbing and not very meaningful. She belonged to a middle class family. Hers was an arranged marriage and she was facing some issues in her marital life as her husband was reserved by nature. Her husband was short tempered and suspicious. She couldn't adjust to his temperament. Her relation with him was not good and they would have lot of fights due to his suspicious nature. He even didn't like her talking to relatives. This was very annoying for her as she was used to a very free environment in her maiden house. The discord between them was so severe that she said with weepy eyes that her kids have grown up only seeing their fights. On several occasions she felt like leaving him; but carried on only for her kids. As time passed by, the situation went from bad to worse. Her husband is presently retired and stays at home most of the time. So she faced more criticism and surveillance. They had a big fight after which they are not in talking terms now. She expressed having a lot of suppressed anger and frustration due to such a bad life situation. She said that she was sensitive and sentimental by nature and now was getting involved in spirituality, as a means to seek solace and peace of mind. Her only support was her daughter. Her daughter understood her mothers sacrifice and commitment towards the children. She had witnessed her suffer silently. She respected her mother a lot for her resilience. After going through the case thoroughly Dr Shah prescribed her Staphysagria 30c along with our research based medicines. She followed up on 27 April 2011. Mrs. R.S. reported that there was mild improvement in the itching and redness on the face. The appearance of the eruptions was less. Her acidity, heart burn and her itching in palate was the same. Based on her feedback the medicines were enhanced. Dr Shah prescribed Staphysagria 200c. After four months, on 8 June 2011, Mrs. R.S reported that the acne rosacea was almost the same but had not spread further. She reported with definite changes in her acidity and heart burn, the itching in the palate was also much less. Her appetite had slightly reduced. Thyroid test was done in Sep 2011, the reports were normal and she was continuing the allopathic medicines for it. By 8 months of treatment, on 8 November 2011, Mrs. R.S reported having significant improvement in her Acne rosacea. The itching and redness was better by almost 70 %. The itching had stopped. There was further improvement in her acidity and heart burn. The itching in the palate was better and there was no need to take any antihistamines. She visited the center again on 3 February 2012. Mrs. R.S. reported that she was feeling much better in her acne rosacea problem. There was no redness and no boils on face. Her skin had returned to normalcy. Her acidity had almost gone. Her itching on the palate was better and there was no need to take an antihistamine. Acne rosacea is a difficult condition to cure. However we see a chronic and difficult case responding to homeopathy. She had redness and inflammation on the skin, and she had a deep hurt and indignation within. When all these aspects were taken into consideration, the prescribed remedy helped to heal her completely. (Uploaded on 25th Feb 2012 by Dr.ZAR)
A 23 years old, female patient Miss. M.B.H (Patient Identification Number 5860), visited Life Force with the complaint of unexplained weight loss.
A 23 years old, female patient Miss. M.B.H (Patient Identification Number 5860), visited Life Force with the complaint of unexplained weight loss. Her appetite was reduced. She would get tired easily and there was no desire to work. Her weight was 38 kg when she visited Life Force. She did not ha.....Read more
There is no sign of lichen planus on my whole body
22 years old Mr. T. G. (Patient Identification Number - 17672) visited our clinic on 6th December 2011 for his complaints of Lichen Planus. He has been suffering from this for last 1 year. There were minute multiple lesions all over the body. He had also observed lesions developing on his genital.....Read more
My son has recovered very fast. I am grateful to the entire team of Life Force for this.
On 14th December 2012, Master S. S. visited Life Force along with his mother. He was 10 years old smart and intelligent boy. He was suffering from Lichen Planus since 6 months. In the initial stage, he was treated with local cortisone. It had taken 2 months for recovery with cortisone. At present.....Read more
Hi! My name is Vijaylaxmi Sahu. I am 19 yrs old. From last 11 yrs I was suffering from Spasticity. I got to know about Life Force through internet. After coming to Life Force, I have got best experience. Earlier I was not even able to walk alone due to spasm and now I am managing everything by my own. Dr. Shah had acted more than a God in my life. And other doctors over here are just great. They encourage a lot to their patience. They teach them to live their life in a new way.
Vijaylaxmi Sahu, Mumbai
I have been under treatment of Dr. Shah for last two years for Migraine and Thyroid. My Migraine attacks used to be severe with vomiting and frequency would be at least 5-6 times a month. Now there is a vast improvement. The frequency and intensity of migraine is very less (once in two months). 6 - 7 kegs. Lesser. I take this opportunity to say a "BIG THANK YOU" to Dr. Rajesh Shah and his dedicated team of Doctors. Over all Experience is "EXCELLENT".
V. Verma, India
My son has not had any side effects with the medication and is in good health. He has responded well to the medication and improvement in his condition is clearly visible. His emotional state has improved and his diet, etc; is good.
M. B., Father of A. S. B., Bristol, England
Can homeopathic and conventional (allopathic) medicines be taken together? Explains Dr Rajesh Shah
Role of Homeopathy for Asthma in Children Explained by Dr. Shah


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Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition mobile phone hits Verizon Wireless
June 14, 2008 by Dusan Belic - 1 Comment
With the next Batman movie scheduled to hit theaters within a month (July 18), Verizon and Nokia are releasing the special edition of the Nokia 6205 clamshell. The device comes in a "mysterious black color" and is embellished with a subtle "The Dark Knight" emblem. In addition, the device is pre-loaded with themed wallpapers, voice tones, animated screensavers and a full movie trailer.
Specs wise, the Get It Now-enabled Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition is identical to the original device and includes such features as 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, 58 MB of internal memory and a microSD memory slot. Supported services include VZ Navigator and Mobile Web.
Finally, in the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition retail box, customers will also find a Joker playing card with a code and a link to the FightForGothamCity.com website, where they can play games to win more The Dark Knight-themed prizes, and download exclusive The Dark Knight content from Verizon's V CAST service.
The Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition will be available online for $69.99 after a $50 online instant rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.
More in Announcements, Devices, Nokia, Verizon
Nokia patent application for tube-like cellphone – redefining the Tube?
It looks like Nokia's got another take on the Nokia Tube. No, it's not a variant to the Nokia 5800...


Using the dual-polarization radar, we can get some highly accurate rainfall estimate through 8:20pm.
Black to gray, 0.01 inch.
Gray to turquoise, 1.90 inches.
Turquoise to green, 2.80 inches.
Green to magenta, 4.16 inches.
Magenta to blue, 5.48 inches.
Serious flash flooding has been reported in a number of areas along with swift water rescues.
I'm not sure I understand your legend. Are you meaning "up to" like black to gray is 0.01 up to 1.90? and then gray to turquoise is what range?
Yes, the gray area is 0.01 inches to 1.89 inches. So, your rain gauge report corresponds to the dual-pol radar estimate. Thanks for the report.


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Posted on August 9, 2016 by Times Gazette
City to save $129,000 by refunding bonds
Demolition of Colony put on hold
By Gary Abernathy - gabernathy@civitasmedia.com
What was billed as a Finance Committee meeting prior to the full council meeting Monday was attended by all council members. Clockwise from left are: Gary Lewis, city auditor; council members Dick Donley, Claudia Klein, Tracy Aranyos, Ann Morris, Rebecca Wilkin, Justin Harsha and Bill Alexander; mayor Drew Hastings and safety and service director Todd Wilkin. Council president Lee Koogler is seated at the judge's bench in the municipal courtroom where council meets.
Gary Abernathy|The Times-Gazette
Hillsboro City Council on Monday approved refunding bonds that will save the city about $129,000 combined, or about $10,000 a year in interest savings.
Council unanimously approved three ordinances refinancing the bonds following the advice of Gary Lewis, the city auditor, and a presentation on the savings by Michael Burns, director of Baird's Ohio Public Finance Group, a Columbus firm.
Burns provided a breakdown to council of how the savings will be realized. The bonds are both the Series 2007 street improvement bonds and the Series 2010 notes originally issued to pay for the new fire and police stations.
The direct placement refunding Burns recommended has several advantages, he said, including avoiding the risk of a bond rating downgrade, and a more efficient process for the city's administration.
Burns told council that Baird compared direct placement bonds in communities including Wolf Creek Local School District, the city of London, Ohio, and the Green Local School District in making its recommendation for Hillsboro. The 2007 bonds will reach final maturity on Dec. 1, 2022, and the 2010 bonds on Dec. 1, 2029.
Burns described recent events such as a low jobs report and the Brexit vote in the UK that caused the lowering of interest rates. He praised Lewis for being proactive in recommending the refunding.
"Hats off to Mr. Lewis," he said.
Mayor Drew Hastings asked several questions about refunding the bonds, but seemed satisfied with the answers.
In another matter, council delayed taking action on demolishing the Colony Theatre after some members said they did not want to tear down the facility without a plan in place to replace the façade.
As she did at last month's meeting, council member Tracy Aranyos repeated several times that she wanted to be "in the loop" about plans for the façade. Hastings said she has been invited to a meeting of the Design Review Board later this week to discuss the matter.
Hastings said there are community members who have expressed interest in having input in the decisions on how to replace the façade of the theater.
The original plan was to place the Colony into the city's community improvement corporation (CIC), officially called the Hillsboro Area Economic Development Corporation, along with funding from the city to demolish the building.
At a meeting prior to the council meeting that was billed as a Finance Committee meeting but actually was attended by all council members seated in their usual spots, Hastings said the CIC, which was created by an act of council last year, consists of Greg Van Zant, Chris Lewis, Buck Wilkin and himself.
Council member Ann Morris questioned whether it was a conflict of interest for Hastings to be on the CIC and said she wanted to make sure everything was "legal."
Hastings said that by ordinance, the CIC includes a member of the administration and that Fred Beery, the law director, had previously said that it was appropriate for the mayor to be a member.
Koogler reminded council that it had created both the Design Review Board and the CIC by legislation. At one point, after Aranyos asked about various committees, Koogler explained the purpose of council committees as opposed to other committees such as the Design Review Board.
Safety and Service Director Todd Wilkin said the cost to demolish the Colony and create the parking lot would be about $130,000. That did not include the cost to replace the façade of the building, said Wilkin. Council discussed various funding options, including money previously budgeted for street work that has been put on hold.
Hastings said the Colony issue has been before council for two years, and "we do have a plan." He said he hoped the Colony could be acted on because "there are other things we could be doing." But the committee voted to recommend that legislation to demolish the building originally planned as an emergency instead just have its first reading.
Finance Chair Dick Donley told Hastings, "I don't want you to feel we don't appreciate what you do," commending the mayor on the city's progress. But he added, "I hope we can sit down as adults and come to a conclusion… I want to see this continue. The city has moved along pretty well."
In his mayor's report, Hastings said, "I love a good quote," and proceeded to share one, "Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face." He said, "I got punched hard in January," which he said he considered a "sucker punch," referring to an investigation and indictments leveled against him.
But he said he plans to do the job voters elected him to do, adding, "We have accomplished a lot."
In other matters, council:
• Heard from Wilkin that the Fraternal Order of Police had voted down factfinding and was moving to conciliation regarding its new labor contract with the city.
• Heard street paving updates from Wilkin, along with reporting that the Railroad Street park is being repaved and bathrooms made operational again.
• Heard Wilkin report about an AEP energy rebate program available to both the city and residents.
• Heard council member Rebecca Wilkin ask about extending the moratorium on water and sewer rates that began a couple of years ago, with Lewis promising to look into the figures and report back in September.
• Heard the second reading of an ordinance amending the permit fee for mobile food vendors.
• And heard Lewis report that the city has more than $7 million on hand.
At the end of its agenda items. council member Justin Harsha asked for council to go into executive session, with just council members and the law director attending. After a 25-minute session, council members returned and no action was taken.
Reach Gary Abernathy at 937-393-3456 or on Twitter @abernathygary.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2016/08/web1_council-8-8-16-1.jpgWhat was billed as a Finance Committee meeting prior to the full council meeting Monday was attended by all council members. Clockwise from left are: Gary Lewis, city auditor; council members Dick Donley, Claudia Klein, Tracy Aranyos, Ann Morris, Rebecca Wilkin, Justin Harsha and Bill Alexander; mayor Drew Hastings and safety and service director Todd Wilkin. Council president Lee Koogler is seated at the judge's bench in the municipal courtroom where council meets. Gary Abernathy|The Times-Gazette
By Gary Abernathy
gabernathy@civitasmedia.com
Hi! A visitor to our site felt the following article might be of interest to you: City to save 9,000 by refunding bonds. Here is a link to that story: http://www.timesgazette.com/news/9574/city-to-save-129000-by-refunding-bonds


These super cute charm bracelets can be worn individually or as a set. The gemstones are labradorite (grey/ blue), sandstone (peach), and sandstone (cream). Please note these bracelets adjustable but fit a smaller wrist size.


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Robert and Margaret Branham celebrate 70th wedding anniversary and 90th birthday
Robert and Margaret Branham of Camden are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary as well as Margaret's 90th birthday on Saturday, January 7 with their family.
The couple was married on January 11, 1947 by Rev. J.B. Caston in the church parsonage on Chesnut Street in Camden.
Their children are Robbie Branham (Aimee) of North Myrtle Beach, Becky LaFrage (Jimmy) of Camden and Jody Branham (Donna) of Charlotte, N.C.
Their grandchildren are Rob and Sally Branham, Sam and Jack LaFrage (Sara Catherine), Chase and Meredith Branham (future grandson-in-law Dylan Rollins of Boston) and the late James L. LaFrage III and Laura Jane Branham.
Robert began his career after serving in the US Navy at DuPont in 1952 and retired in 1984 after 32 years of faithful service. He held several different positions in the Orlon Plant. Once the Nylon Plant came to Camden, Robert was promoted to the position of Nylon Industrial Relations supervisor.
He was always respected by the DuPont employees due to his kindness and fair treatment.
He has been retired for 32 years and has been blessed with outstanding health at the age of 93.
Margaret was born on Dec. 26, 1926 and the family will celebrate her 90th birthday on Saturday.
Margaret retired from First Palmetto Bank in Camden (formerly called Palmetto State Bank) after 38 years of faithful service. She was especially known for her knowledge in banking and customer service, resulting in a majority of customers frequently asking for Margaret. Margaret played on the Camden High School girl's basketball team in 1941 when they won the state championship under Coach Pop Small. Her 5"1 small stature earned her the nickname "Pee Wee" which many still call her to this day.
Their children and grandchildren are grateful for the values taught by Robert and Margaret Branham, especially to never judge and to follow the Golden Rule; "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."
Thank you mama and daddy for your unconditional love and Christian upbringing.
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