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Sunday, April 08, 2007

We have received information that the liberty and life of Badee Izzat Aref, prominent Iraqi lawyer to Tariq Aziz and several members of the government of President Saddam Hussein, is in danger.Aref has been under US house arrest for 17 days and the Maliki government is demanding he be handed over by US authorities to face charges of defaming the Iraqi judicial system following comments he allegedly made on the unfair trials and summary executions of President Saddam Hussein and others.Given the Maliki government's eagerness in summarily executing its political opponents -- including their lawyers -- we have firm reason to believe that Aref is in immediate danger of being tortured and/or assassinated.On 21 June 2006, lawyer Khamis Al-Obaidi, defence counsel for late President Saddam Hussein, was tortured and assassinated in Baghdad, joining lawyers Sadoun Al-Janabi, killed in October 2005, and Adel Al-Zubaidi, killed in November 2005. In all cases, witnesses alleged the Iraqi government was involved. Al-Obaidi was the ninth person connected with the trial of President Hussein to be killed.Throughout the proceedings of the Iraqi Special Tribunal lawyers were repeated threatened. This fact alone is testament that all defendants before the Iraqi Special Tribunal faced unfair trials.The United States is directly responsible under international lawWe remind occupation authorities that Badee Izzat Aref is a protected person under international humanitarian law, which governs the US occupation, and has guaranteed rights under international human rights law.[i] International humanitarian and human rights law outlaws torture and summary execution, incommunicado detention, the ill treatment of detainees, or denial of access to legal counsel.Further, Aref -- as a human rights defender -- is additionally protected by the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.[ii] It is a grave violation of international humanitarian law to put protected persons in danger by consciously handing them over to any party that might violate their fundamental human rights. Given the appalling human rights record of the Maliki government, we believe that Aref will be subject serious violations of his human rights -- including his right to life -- unless there is urgent intervention on his behalf and US authorities respect their duty to protect him.The BRussells Tribunal demands assurances of the wellbeing, liberty and security of Badee Izzat Aref. The US occupation is directly responsible for Aref's welfare and must guarantee his security.The imminent danger faced by Badee Izzat Aref illustrates once again that the US-Maliki plan for Iraq has failed and that all they can now propose is repression and executions.Take action now!We call on all news agencies, human rights organisations, national and international press associations and freedom of expression advocacy groups to stand in solidarity with Badee Izzat Aref and all patriotic human rights defenders in Iraq and take immediate action to help secure his rights and all those defending the integrity of law against the ravages of the occupation.The BRussells Tribunal Committeehttp://brusselstribunal.orgPlease circulate this alert widely. For information contact:[i] See Articles 6-7 and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Articles 113 and 116 of the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.[ii] See UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the UN General Assembly (A/RES/53/144) 8 March 1999. Article 12, subsections (2) and (3) read: "The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration. In this connection, everyone is entitled, individually and in association with others, to be protected effectively under national law in reacting against or opposing, through peaceful means, activities and acts, including those by omission, attributable to States that result in violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as acts of violence perpetrated by groups or individuals that affect the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms."Dr Ian DouglasVisiting ProfessorPolitical Science DepartmentAn-Najah National UniversityNablus, Palestine+44 207 067 8399 (fax)+972 59 9 426 906 (mobile Nablus)+972 54 794 1029 (mobile Jerusalem)+20 12 167 1660 (mobile Cairo)

Friday, March 30, 2007

Enough is enough, do not say SUUNIS and SHIITES; the AMERICANS who directed the DEATH SQUDES in El Salvador are the same BLOODY AMERICANS. They are ready to eliminate the whole IRAQIS to make IDIOT BUSH touches the victory he is insisting on his war in Iraq. Those Sunnis and Shiites who are killing each other, their leaderships are being paying highly by the Americans.. IRQAIS BE AWARE, YOU ARE GOING TP LOSSE EVERY THING.
Because of the DEATH SQUDES the Iraqis stopped speaking about the occupation; they are speaking about the SUNNI TERRORITSTS and SHIITE DEATH SQUDES.. IRAQIS your first enemy is the American occupation.According to Neweweek, the American weekly, «the Pentagon may put Special-Forces-led assassination or kidnapping teams in Iraq"
Read the following American article to realize the truth. The Americans organized and financed death squads in El Salvador killed even Americans just to demonize the resistance in El Salvador.

‘The Salvador Option’
The Pentagon may put Special-Forces-led assassination or kidnapping teams in Iraq

By Michael Hirsh and John Barry
Jan. 14, 2005

Jan. 8 - What to do about the deepening quagmire of Iraq? The Pentagon’s latest approach is being called "the Salvador option"—and the fact that it is being discussed at all is a measure of just how worried Donald Rumsfeld really is. "What everyone agrees is that we can’t just go on as we are," one senior military officer told NEWSWEEK. "We have to find a way to take the offensive against the insurgents. Right now, we are playing defense. And we are losing." Last November’s operation in Fallujah, most analysts agree, succeeded less in breaking "the back" of the insurgency—as Marine Gen. John Sattler optimistically declared at the time—than in spreading it out Now, NEWSWEEK has learned, the Pentagon is intensively debating an option that dates back to a still-secret strategy in the Reagan administration’s battle against the leftist guerrilla insurgency in El Salvador in the early 1980s. Then, faced with a losing war against Salvadoran rebels, the U.S. government funded or supported "nationalist" forces that allegedly included so-called death squads directed to hunt down and kill rebel leaders and sympathizers. Eventually the insurgency was quelled, and many U.S. conservatives consider the policy to have been a success—despite the deaths of innocent civilians and the subsequent Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal. (Among the current administration officials who dealt with Central America back then is John Negroponte, who is today the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. Under Reagan, he was ambassador to Honduras. There is no evidence, however, that Negroponte knew anything about the Salvadoran death squads or the Iran-Contra scandal at the time. The Iraq ambassador, in a phone call to NEWSWEEK on Jan. 10, said he was not involved in military strategy in Iraq. He called the insertion of his name into this report "utterly gratuitous.")

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Silence Is No More Golden

With the fifth anniversary of the ongoing Iraqi agony, President Bush is still trying to change the World but not himself. We should go through the changes he brought creating the “New” Iraq: according to the international organization and UN more than 20% from the Iraqis became under poverty line, more than 700 000 civilians lost their lives; more than 4 million Iraqis became refugees inside and outside Iraq because of the ongoing violence; more than 300 000 poor women were widowed; more than 2 million women became the bread winners of their families; the Baghdad morgue receives more than 60 dead bodies on daily bases. Iraq was destroyed as a country and state by the decrees of Bush viceroy in Iraq Paul Bremer who established the so called the Governing Council on sectarian and ethnic bases that led to the sectarian violence. By dismantling the Iraqi military and security forces; Bremer and the occupation forces let Iraq to be the battle field of Bush war against the alleged terror to make the world safer for the Americans!! on the expense of the Iraqi blood. The whole infrastructure systems were bombed and the general services including electricity, drinking water and fuel became very rare. Yet and to be fair; one should admit the achievements of the “new” Iraq: Iraq became on the top of the corrupted states according to the International Transparency Organization by reaching 70-100% corruption, more than 10 billion dollars were lost! (stolen), Iraqis are gaining perfect bodies because of walking due to the concert barriers and barbwires blocking the streets in front of the cars and running away from the explosions and terrorist actions; the whole ex air forces bases turned into jails!!Bush, Blair and the others coalition invaded Iraq according to false documents regarding the Iraqi WMDs and Saddam’s links with Al-Qaeda. Bush himself had admitted this painful fact yet UN did not ask him to apologize, rebuild Iraq and withdrew. UN even did not ask him to apologize when Abu Gharib scandal was disclosed. Security Council did not ask urgent meeting while Bush was and still violating the all international laws and Geneva Treatments. Four painful years, the world is watching the Iraqi ongoing bleeding silently. It is time that silence in no more golden. We all should recall what Nelson DeMille, the American writer who participated as an officer in the American military forces in Vietnam War, he said, “If everyone howled at every injustice, every act of barbarism, every act of unkindness, then we would be taking the first step towards a real humanity.” It is time to shout: enough is enough; Bush should try to change himself and the Americans should try to change their regime. Almost one million civilian Iraqis bloods is enough for giving the Americans safer world, more fuel for their cars and more prosperity. We should all shout put in mind that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said those who watch injustice silently are evils and Martin Luther King said that silence is betrayer

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Do Appeal Now

Dear friends,
Sorry for not writing every day or at least every week.. The situation is too painful that could not be described. Yet I received the following letter from a friend; please do read it well and raise your voice; do appeal. Read it well to discover that JUSTICE in Iraq is not but a BAD JOKE.

the following is the letter:
Below is disturbing information we received from Iraq . The imminent execution of three Iraqi women: Wassan, Zainab and Liqa, without a fair trial, is expected to take place on March 3.

The executions of what they call " Terrorists" and " criminals" in their dozens have been going on over a year now. A public execution took place in Mosul City , North of Iraq, two months ago. however, this is the first time we hear about sentencing women to death. Amnesty International has led the way demanding an end to this practise in the " new Iraq ".

According to Mohamed Khorshid, head of Human rights orgs in Iraq in his statement to Asharq Al Awsat newspaper on 6th April 2006, there are over 2000 women classified as " security detainees " under the supervision of both the occupation and the Iraqi puppet regime, in various prisons, camps and detention centres.

In a recent statement at the Parliament, the Iraqi Minister of Human rights, said that there are over 1000 women security detainees, only to deny her own statement within a day after a public outcry.

This is the signal of the opening of an era of "legal" executions in Iraq . It is a horrible proof that the illegal executions of Saddam Hussein and other Baath leaders were not "isolated" or "exceptional" incidents, but that they laid the groundwork for employment by the Iraqi ruling clique of "judicially sanctioned" executions as a legitimate "measure" against those who oppose their puppet regime and the illegal US occupation.

We believe it is vitally important to protest and take action, to compel the Iraqi authorities to revoke this sentence. Do appeal to relevant institutions and ask them to intervene to stop this. Send your protest letters to Iraq ’s Justice minister: Hashim al Shilbi:

Let’s all raise our voices. NOW !!

Abdul Ilah Al Bayaty, Member BRussells Tribunal advisory committee.
Ayse Berktay, World Tribunal on Iraq organiser.
Dirk Adriaensens, Member BRussells Tribunal executive committee.
Hana Al Bayaty, Member BRussells Tribunal executive committee.

Helped to write this appeal: Haifa Zangana. Additional comments from Abdul Ilah Al Bayaty –in French-, Tahrir Numan and the appeal of Amnesty International underneath.

The Supreme Iraqi Criminal Court sentenced the death by hanging of three women, on charges of complicity in the murder of Iraqi police loyal to the occupation in Baghdad and participation in what the Court considered Terrorism.

News from a source in the Iraqi Lawyers Union :

The three women are:

- Wassan Talib (31 years old). The charge is killing five police officers through the participation with gunmen in an attack on police.

- Zainab Fadhil (25 years). The charge is attacking a joint patrol of the Iraqi army and the the American army last September with her husband and Her cousin in Baghdad .

- Liqa Omar Muhammad (26 years old). The charge is the participation with her husband and her brother in the killing of an official from the Green Zone.

Walid Hayali, lawyer and member of The Iraqi Lawyers Union, said the Court issued a ruling against the three women under item 156, without allowing them to engage counsel from a lawyer.

The lawyer asks the whole world to move to stop the execution of the three women and to Condemn the Court's ruling.

He points out that Liqa Omar Muhammad gave birth to her daughter in prison a few months ago and is still nursing the child, and

Wassan Talib has a three-year-old daughter. He explained that the three women are now in "Kazimiah prison" in the Kazimiyah region.

The execution is scheduled for 3 Mars and the trial was not revised in appeal as there was no lawyer to ask for this.

Dear all,

It seems such a terrible crime to execute women who have allegedly killed members of the Iraqi police, when the story of Luana Martiri, a 22-year-old Christian student in Iraq tells us what members of the police and the army are capable of. Two months ago she was raped by an Iraqi soldier following a raid at her home.
This must be the good US training.
Iraq: Fear of imminent execution/death penalty
PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 14/005/2007 09 February 2007UA 33/07 Fear of imminent execution/death penalty IRAQ Samar Sa’ad ‘Abdullah (f), aged about 25Wassan Talib (f), aged 31Zeynab Fadhil (f), aged 25Liqa’ Qamar (f), aged 25The four women named above have been sentenced to death, and at least one of them is in imminent danger of execution. The president has the power to pardon them, or commute their sentences.Samar Sa’ad ‘Abdullah was sentenced to death by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq (CCCI) on 15 August 2005 for the murder of her uncle, his wife and three of their children in the al-Khudra’ district of Baghdad. She reportedly blamed the killings on her fiancé, who, she said, had carried them out in order to rob her uncle. Her fiancé was said to have been arrested, but Amnesty International does not know what charges, if any, have been brought against him. Samar Sa’ad ‘Abdullah's death sentence was upheld on appeal, and she is facing imminent execution.In a separate case, Wassan Talib and Zeynab Fadhil were sentenced to death by the CCCI on 31 August 2006 for the 2005 murder of several members of Iraqi security forces in the Baghdad district of Hay al-Furat. Both women denied they had been involved, and Zeynab Fadhil reportedly claimed that she was abroad at the time of the killings. Liqa’ Qamar was sentenced to death on 6 February 2006 by the CCCI, for a kidnapping which reportedly took place in 2005. Her husband is said to have been detained and accused of the same crime. No further details are available.All four women are held at Baghdad 's al-Kadhimiya Prison. Two have young children with them: Zeynab Fadhil her three-year-old daughter, Liqa' Qamar her one-year-old daughter, who was born in prison.

Justice minister: Hashim al Shilbi:
Talabani's office:

Sunday, December 31, 2006

Executing Saddam; Executing Iraq

After Execution of Saddam; Iraqis lost forever the relations that destroyed their country. Saddam was not sentenced to death because of 148 Iraqis were executed when they planned to assassinate him while visiting Dujail in 1982 when he was President; this sentence came to save the “face” of the White House and many Iraqi politicians who are now key players in Iraq. The whole world remember Bush the father, the vice US president in 1983, saying; “he (Saddam) is our man in the there”! What was the relation between Bush the first and their (man) who drove Iraq to this end? The Iraqis will never discover the odd relation between Saddam and Masoud Barzani whom he helped against the militia of Jalal Talbani, now the Iraqi President, in 1996, to ”liberate” Erbil? Iraqis will never know again the odd relations between Saddam and Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak whom Saddam helped to restore leading Arab League which was shifted to Tunisia after the Egyptian former President Anwar Sadat visited Israel in 1977? Iraqis will never know the reason of the strange meeting between Saddam and Tanzanian retired President Julius Nayriry who visited Baghdad on the last day of 1988; then Saddam announced the forming of the Arab Cooperation Council in February 1989. On that visit, Nayriry said that he came to advice Saddam to establish regional councils to lead the region!! That council made Mubarak knew every thing about Iraq giving the data to US becoming one of the leading Arab leaders toward destroying Iraq. Execution Saddam is the last step of eliminating secrets would make the world to discover how America played changing the face of the region and destroying Iraq. The first step was the Tons of Iraqi official documents taken by US officials on the day Baghdad was occupied. Saddam was executed in the coming days. Who would sentence Bush who executed the whole Iraq? Bush made Iraq drown in Iraqis bloods while still until now telling lies after lies and smiling!! The all crimes committed by Saddam is being committing in Iraq now by the American occupying forces.
Executing a President in Iraq is not a strange matter. Going through the history of the modern Iraq; one can easily see that the all rulers of the modern Iraq, since 1921, were assassinated, executed and massacred brutally. The only President escaped this fate was Abdul Rahman Arif (1966-1968) who toppled by the Ba’thists in 1968.
While Saddam was buried one piece; I mean his body was one piece; only AlMighty Allah knows how the Iraqi “new” rulers would be buried?

Regarding the Iraqis new rulers, the execution is a “victory”. The followers of the Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr who suspend their participation in the political process protesting the meeting between Bush and the Iraqi Prime Minister weeks ago, said they will activate their participation after the execution. The Iraqis who are losing their country after losing more than 100 civilians every day know very well that the trial of Saddam was not but a political play to give “glory” to Bush who cheated the whole world alleging “Saddam is threatening US security”. Saddam’s lawyers who met him on the day of ratifying the sentence said he was smiling with high morals!! If he was smiling or not; the question is how the Iraqi cause would be finished?
Like it or not; one image no body will forget it: Saddam went to the gallows refusing wearing head cover while his executers were covering their heads and faces!!

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Any Body Could Help Marwa?

Marwa Adel Karam, 13 years old, lost her eye because of an American mistake.
Her mother interviewed by The following is the story:
At 3.30am, Oct. 30the 2006, a unit from the American DIRTY Tasks Force raided our house in Al-Safina neighborhood- Al-A'dhamiya district. Their pretext was: searching to find the kidnapped American soldier. (An Iraqi tear: An American soldier from Iraqi origin was called Qusay Al-Qaisi was kidnapped from Karrada while he was visiting his Iraq wife family. Al-Qaisi was the cousin of Intifadh Qamber, the spokesman of Ahmed Chalabi the liar who gave Bush the false documents about the Iraqi WMDs.. Qamber was given a military post, he was appointed as the Iraqi military attaché in the Iraqi embassy in the States. That soldier was not found until now). The mother continues saying: their armored vehicles blocked the street. They exploded our door. There was no man in the hose; my husband died years ago; my son in law was detained by the police for sectarian reason. The Americans found no body and nothing in the house. They stole our money, passports and IDs. While exploding the door, shrapnel entered into the right eye of my child Marwa. When they found the crime they committed against an innocent family; they apologized and took Marwa to Ibn Sina hospital in the Green Zone. She was brought back home after 3 days confirming that she needs more two operations as Dr Hamilton recommended. Yet; they did come back again to take her.
Young Marwa; according to her mother, was very clever in her school; but she refused going to her school this year because of her eye.
The operations need $15 000.. If there is any could help her; please send a comment; I will give you the email account you can be in touch with Marwa campaign through it.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Another American Crime

The Baker-Hamilton report said that unless the Iraqi government made "substantive progress" on national reconciliation, security, and good governance, the US would have to reduce its political, military, and economic support to that government.
The Kurds were displeased with the report, which recommended that the central government supervise the "distribution" of the oil revenues. Shiites disliked the fact that the report urged dialogue with Baathists and blamed the militia for massacres. And Sunnis were annoyed because the report gave Iran a legitimate role in Iraq.
The strange thing is that those Iraqi officials who often say that Iraq is a sovereign country are the same ones who want the occupation forces to stay in the country. Where is the sovereignty when the US forces killed 17 civilians in Al-Ishaqi, 40 km north of Baghdad, one day after the report? Those who reject the report do so because it conflicts with their own interests. The Kurds, for example, want to annex Kirkuk to their areas -- and the militia leaders want to maintain their grip over the country.
In a telephone conversation, Dr Ayadah Al-Jaghifi, chief of forensic medicine at Tikrit Hospital, told the repoeters that the hospital has received the bodies of 17 people, including two women and five children. All had been killed with a bullet to the head with a small weapon. A US statement earlier claimed that US planes shelled two houses in Al-Ishaqi, killing 17 terrorists, including two women. This would be the third massacre of Iraqi civilians in Al-Ishaqi since May. The families of the victims are stunned by the silence of the government and the Arab and international media. But some are hoping against hope that a US serviceman would speak out to clear his conscience or that a US or western journalist would pick up the story. Otherwise, the case would never be investigated.
Untill that day, when such journslist would publish the story; the Maliki government will stay silence; Bush will say nothing; no invistigations would be.. The victims were IRAQIS; who does care about IRAQIS or of IRAQI blood.

Iraq and Different Reports!!

Of Repetition Compulsion, War Crimes, and National Narcissism (Again)
Arthur Silber
Once Upon a Time...December 9, 2006As a followup to my observations yesterday that nothing will fundamentally alter with regard to our Iraq policy -- regardless of the supposed "seriousness" of the Iraq Study Group, and regardless of the new Democratic Congress -- here are some key excerpts from a recent column by Norman Solomon:
The lead-up to the invasion of Iraq has become notorious in the annals of American journalism. Even many reporters, editors and commentators who fueled the drive to war in 2002 and early 2003 now acknowledge that major media routinely tossed real journalism out the window in favor of boosting war.But it's happening again.The current media travesty is a drumbeat for the idea that the U.S. war effort must keep going. And again, in its news coverage, the New York Times is a bellwether for the latest media parade to the cadence of the warfare state....During the weeks since the midterm election, the New York Times news coverage of Iraq policy options has often been heavy-handed, with carefully selective sourcing for prefab conclusions. Already infamous is the Nov. 15 front-page story by Michael Gordon under the headline "Get Out of Iraq Now? Not So Fast, Experts Say." A similar technique was at play Dec. 1 with yet another "News Analysis," this time by reporter David Sanger, headlined "The Only Consensus on Iraq: Nobody's Leaving Right Now."Typically, in such reportage, the sources harmonizing with the media outlet's analysis are chosen from the cast of political characters who helped drag the United States into making war on Iraq in the first place.What's now going on in mainline news media is some kind of repetition compulsion. And, while media professionals engage in yet another round of conformist opportunism, many people will pay with their lives.With so many prominent American journalists navigating their stories by the lights of big Washington stars, it's not surprising that so much of the news coverage looks at what happens in Iraq through the lens of the significance for American power.Viewing the horrors of present-day Iraq with star-spangled eyes, New York Times reporters John Burns and Kirk Semple wrote -- in the lead sentence of a front-page "News Analysis" on Nov. 29 -- that "American military and political leverage in Iraq has fallen sharply."The second paragraph of the Baghdad-datelined article reported: "American fortunes here are ever more dependent on feuding Iraqis who seem, at times, almost heedless to American appeals."The third paragraph reported: "It is not clear that the United States can gain new traction in Iraq..."And so it goes -- with U.S. media obsessively focused on such concerns as "American military and political leverage," "American fortunes" and whether "the United States can gain new traction in Iraq."With that kind of worldview, no wonder so much news coverage is serving nationalism instead of journalism.In this manner, the status quo protects itself and its prerogatives -- and its propaganda is dutifully amplified by a subservient press. This is why I have maintained that, even after the journalistic debacle of the leadup to the Iraq invasion, the media in this country have learned absolutely nothing. And Ralph Peters may be a repellently extreme and destructive example of this nationalistic narcissism -- with his endless emphasis on what "we" must do in Iraq, even though there never was and never will be any justifiable reason for our invasion and occupation, and despite the slaughter that is the direct result of our actions -- but the identical underlying perspective is revealed by most Americans, and by almost all of our press. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis are dead and horrifically injured -- and still, it's almost all about us.For a further discussion of the moral implications of these incontestable facts, implications that our national leaders, our media and most Americans resolutely refuse to understand and acknowledge, I turn once more to Jacob Hornberger:
Hanging over the Iraq debacle, however, is that one overriding moral issue that unfortunately all too many Americans have yet to confront: neither the Iraqi people nor their government ever attacked the United States or even threatened to do so. That means that in this conflict, which has killed more than 600,000 Iraqis, the United States is the aggressor nation and Iraq is the defending nation.Why is that issue so important? Because it involves morality, not pragmatics. Do U.S. troops have the moral right to be killing people, when they are part of a military force that has aggressed against another country? Do they have the moral right to kill people who have done nothing worse than defend their nation from attack or attempt to oust an occupier from their midst? Does simply calling an action "war" excuse an aggressor nation from the moral consequences of killing people in that war?In other words, does the United States have the moral right to violate the principles against aggressive war, for which it prosecuted Germany at Nuremberg and condemned the Soviet Union in Afghanistan?By invading and occupying Iraq, Bush and Cheney have put the American people in the uncomfortable position of either supporting their government and its troops or supporting morality. Should a person support the actions of his government and its troops or should he obey the laws of God, when the government has placed its actions in contravention to those laws? What are the moral consequences for each individual faced with that choice?Americans, quite naturally, want to continue believing that the federal government projects its power around the world just to help people. They want to believe that their government invaded Iraq just to help the Iraqi people -- well, at least after the WMDs failed to materialize and that primary justification for the invasion fell by the wayside.But it's all a life of the lie -- a life of self-imposed deception and delusion -- a life that has refused for decades to confront the brutal and hypocritical role of the federal government in the affairs of other nations, including ouster of democratically elected leaders (e.g., Mossadegh in Iran and Arbenz in Guatemala), assassinations and miltary coups (e.g., Vietnam and Chile), the support of brutal dictators (e.g., Saddam in Iraq, the Shah of Iran, and Musharraf in Pakistan), brutal and deadly sanctions and embargoes (e.g., Iraq and Cuba), foreign aid to socialist or authoritarian regimes (e.g., Israel and Egypt), the teaching of torture to Latin American military brutes at the School of the Americas, interference in the domestic affairs of other nations (e.g., Venezuela) under the guise of promoting "democracy," and, of course, the far-flung secret empire of torture camps run by the CIA.But the prospect of indefinite failure and continuous death might well cause people to face reality and cause them to confront the painful facts and truth about U.S. foreign policy.I deeply hope that Hornberger is correct that ongoing slaughter and destruction might cause people "to face reality" and "confront the painful facts and truth about U.S. foreign policy" -- but thus far, the signs are not at all encouraging.The myth of Western, and more particularly, of American "exceptionalism" is a fundamental part of our nation's view of itself. It is deeply embedded in our national psyche, and I strongly doubt it will be dislodged in the foreseeable future. I recently quoted from Hampton Sides' new book, on the subject of the U.S. war against Mexico. Recall this sentence especially:"To conquer Mexico, in other words, would be to do it a favor. "And that remains the American perspective, and it very accurately captures our colonialist, condescending, and racist national attitude toward Iraq and its peoples: we were doing them a favor. If it turned into a genocidal murder spree, well, that's only because it was managed "incompetently." Most people still will not see the inescapable moral meaning of what we have done. And most people will never acknowledge that if we had implemented a murderous plan of conquest "competently," that would only make the results infinitely worse, not "better."We have murdered an entire country, and an unconscionable and entirely unforgivably huge number of innocent Iraqis. We have murdered them, without even the merest shadow of a justifiable reason.Remember it for next time. And unless our entire perspective and worldview is challenged and rejected, there will be a next time. That is the single fact of which you can be absolutely certain.
:: Article nr. 28904 sent on 10-dec-2006 04:28 ECT The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Uruknet .


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Friday, 2 June 2017

Norse, revisited

It was my Mum’s birthday last weekend so we popped across to Harrogate to go out for dinner.  Now, I’ve written about Norse not once but twice before, and there are only so many ways that you can say somewhere is super delicious and lovely and that everyone should go.  But this visit was worthy of a slight further note because it was our first since the Norse team moved into their new location.   Where previously they were situated in Balthezen’s café, only emerging at night after the last coffee and cinnamon bun had been served, now they are down in the Montpelier quarter and you can visit for lunch!  Hurrah!

The new restaurant is in a cellar underneath a hotel but still manages to be a bright, airy space, in perfect keeping with the light, Scandi influenced food.  It seemed a lot bigger than before (I’m not sure how the number of covers compares) and yet was still packed out on Saturday night, with people several deep at the bar.  In fact, if there was one small criticism to level it is that they could have done with another staff member out front – the ones on hand were rushed off their feet and, occasionally, plates took slightly longer to clear than they should have done.  (NB: We fed this back to them and they have been in touch to thank us and to say that they are looking into it.)

The food, though, was fabulous.  They no longer do a set tasting menu but offer a list of thirteen savoury plates of various sizes, recommending three apiece.  We ordered the entire menu between four, with a view to sharing everything.  Thirteen plates plus two snacks and three desserts and yet, such was the lightness of touch and balanced parade of ingredients that none of us left feeling over-full.

General consensus round the table that the top dishes were, surprisingly, two vegetarian ones.  The Hasselback potatoes with cheddar and pickled leeks were always going to appeal to a family of cheese monsters.

The grilled hen of the woods were a revelation though – who on Earth knew that mushrooms could taste so luscious and smoky and meaty?

I must also give a special mention to the hake, beautifully cooked and bathed in a fabulous, run-your-finger-round-the-bowl shellfish sauce.  The only problem with sharing was that I only got a bite or two – this was one that I was tempted to hide under the table and keep to myself.

Puddings: marginally less successful, as it turns out that D fundamentally objects to Jerusalem artichoke ice cream (I didn’t really mind it myself).  I do think that the elderflower parfait was terribly, terribly pretty though.

It goes without saying that, if you’re in the Harrogate area, this is a top destination.  And it was gratifying to see the place doing so well.  Long may it stay so bustling and busy, even if it does mean that dirty plates linger a little longer than they should do – fabulous local places like this are to be treasured.

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Monday, January 30, 2017

It is a mystifying spectacle

From A Parliament of Clocks by Shannon Love. A most pertinent column from way back in 2007. Well worth reading in its entirety.
Essentially, a parliament of clocks votes on the correct time. (Even scientifically, this is true.) By fiat, we say that the clocks that deviate from the consensus time are inaccurate, but logically that need not be so. Different technologies or different levels of care in setting, winding or servicing the clocks could lead to the minority clocks being more accurate. However, if all the clocks agree, then no lay person will have grounds for suspecting that the majority clocks don’t keep accurate time.

As a practical matter, articulate intellectuals face the same problem. They deal in areas in which no means exist for easily or quickly falsifying and testing their ideas. Like the king with the clocks, lay people looking at their work from the outside cannot evaluate the accuracy of their work. No means exist to make an objective measurement that would determine the accuracy of a particular literary criticism. Historians agree that certain events occurred at certain places and times and then argue furiously over the events’ import and consequences. Journalists do the same thing. Various theories in many academic fields knock around for decades before simply fading away, apparently because people grow bored with them.

In order to maintain their power and position within society, articulate intellectuals must convince the larger population that they really do have a superior understanding of the issues they study. The do so using a parliament of clocks. By enforcing rigorous conformist standards on their members, they seek to create the illusion of accuracy by making it appear that all people knowledgeable in a particular field all reach the same conclusion. If all the supposed experts in a particular field all tell the same story the lay people are much less likely to guess that none of the experts know what they are talking about.

You can see this effect quite clearly in the herd mentality of journalists. Researchers have shown that journalist rapidly converge upon the same perspective on even very complex stories. Why? Well, how does an ordinary consumer of news media judge whether a particular news story is accurate? Simple, they check with another news source. What if the different sources disagree? What grounds does the consumer have for determining which source is correct? The consumer might conclude that none of the sources are making an accurate report and they may stop consuming news media. The media prevents this from happening by converging on the same story. If every source that the consumer can reasonably check tells the same story, then the consumer won’t have grounds for doubting any of the sources. (Notice that news outlets brag that they get stories before the competition, not that they provide superior information to the competition.) Back in the ’70s when a tiny handful of media outlets dominated, trust in the media ran very high. Only with the coming of cable and the Internet did trust in the media begin to seriously erode when consumers began to see that not all news sources held the same perspective. Like the king, they began to wonder just which shops really sold the accurate clocks.

The desperate attempt to substitute consensus for accuracy shows up in the articulate intellectuals’ perspective on everything from artistic critique to climatology. When people really cannot prove what they believe, they must resort to peer pressure to keep people from questioning them. Yet history, both recent and ancient, shows that elite consensus fails far more often than it succeeds. Without some means of objective falsification such as experimentation, functional technology, military victory or business success, the consensus of any group merely serves the social needs of the group and not the decision making needs of the broader society.
There is a common trope that the mainstream media are Democrats-with-bylines and in terms of observed behaviors, it is reasonably true. Even the bulk of political donations from journalists at Fox News goes to Democrats. But that is an observed outcome, not an explanation.

Why would the mainstream media be so ideologically aligned. My explanation has been that it is primarily a function of shared circumstance - that they are all college educated, upper income, city-living and that those are the drivers of the outcome. Universities in general, and humanities in particular, are overwhelmingly Democrat. Cities are overwhelmingly Democrat. They are a product of their environment.

I have also made the point that there is a strong element of virtue signaling in any community. It pays to be seen as among the in-group and you signal your status in the in-group by virtue signaling which leads to conformity.

Love introduces a new element, which now that I read it, I suspect is true. There is the further pressure among journalists to conform with one another in order to, guild-like, protect their collective brand and shared commercial model.

Seen from this perspective, the frenzy of hysteria, fake news, partisan reporting, irresponsible reporting, etc. which has been so marked since the election begins to make a little more sense.

I can remember the election of seven presidents (four more elections when you count second-term challengers who lost) - Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II, Obama, and Trump. In all cases, with some ebbs and flows, the mainstream media was always derogatory of the Republican candidate and reasonably oppositional during their administration. I do not, however, recall any period of such blatant and almost unhinged partisan opposition as we are seeing at the moment. So what is different?

It in't enough to simply claim that Trump is different. All the allegations of mental inadequacy, ignorance, erraticism, ideological intransigence, etc. were certainly present with Reagan (and the others) though he is now held in high regard.

My suspicion is that Love's insight is part of the explanation. What is different this time is that there is a crack in the oligopoly of mainstream media. Their power has been eroding for some decades but I wonder if perhaps this election reflects a tipping point which has spurred the hysterics. They were not, despite their best efforts, able to deliver the win for their overwhelmingly preferred candidate. If they are not able to deliver when they are in lock-step, then likely they are concerned about their perceived future relevance.

Certainly Trump's use of Twitter and YouTube to circumvent the media is part of the equation. Layer that on top of the public's distrust (only 8% have a great deal of trust in the media) and you can see where, as a guild of news purveyors, they might view their business model as under threat. Finally, with the increasing influence of non-guild members - Drudge, Breitbart, Daily Mail, and legions of others, it begins to seem likely that the perceived threat of loss of influence is what is driving the craziness.

An outsider looks at the behavior and sees it as unprofessional and disqualifying but if you are inside the bubble, I am guessing that it seems to make sense to appeal more strongly to your kin-spirited in-group readers by being increasingly partisan. It is essentially doubling down on the only business model you know, despite its declining effectiveness. This, perhaps, isn't about Trump but about loss of influence, loss of prestige, loss of money, and loss of relevance. The same dynamic is affecting two close-allied guilds, universities and entertainment and so the panic, both intra-guild and inter-guild is likely self-fueling and disorienting. Thus explaining what we are seeing. For the other 95% of the citizens, it is a mystifying spectacle.

Regardless of what Trump does (and almost certainly he is in the short term, good for media business), in the longer term, members of the guild will have to become accustomed to being a specialized rump purveyor of information to a minority of consumers, or they will have to broaden and diversify their orientation. It is not clear to me yet which way they will evolve.

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Im in awe of how clever ceramic artist Diem Chau is. It is a complete mystery as to how she is able to stitch her ceramic pieces. There is only one word for it - AMAZING!

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lilysmakebelieve said...

I completely agree about the plates and the toys! They're so great. :)


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rekindled china cabinet...

Im a sucker for to an interesting brooch & this one, by Lindsay Pemberton, caught my eye at the recent craftwerk.
Best known for her bangles, Lindsay's work evolved through a fascination with the simple domestic ritual of making a cup of tea, leading her to explore & experiment jewellery making with the humble, salvation army rescued, teacup.

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Friday, January 13, 2012

I've been sharing a lot of information about Lucas and what he has been/is going through on Facebook and Twitter in sort of short bursts. It serves well to keep family members and friends informed about what is going on, but it can be a bit disjointed. So I wanted to take a minute and kind of put a number of things in one place, as well as where he is headed, so anyone who is interested can be on the proverbial "same page".

We found out on the day we were supposed to take Lucas home that he had a congenital heart defect called TAPVR (Total anomalous pulmonary venous return). So the first question everyone generally has is "What is that?".

TAPVR is when none of the four veins that take blood from the lungs to the heart is attached to the left atrium (left upper chamber of the heart). This sounds bad, and in all honesty it is, but luckily his body compensated for this and he has an extra vein called a "vertical vein" that helps his blood somewhat get to where it needs to go. Unfortunately this isn't an effective system, and if left uncorrected, would prove to be fatal.

The next question just about everyone asks is "Why didn't they catch this before he was born?"

TAPVR effects how the blood flows to and from the lungs. When a baby is in utero, they don't breathe oxygen, and therefore don't really get or need the blood flow through the lungs. So in essence it just doesn't show up on an ultrasound. Also, if it is diagnosed in utero, they have no way of correcting it until after birth. In Lucas' case, he looked like a healthy baby, so at first there was no concern. Fortunately for us, his pediatrician heard a heart murmur while checking him before sending him home with us and had him checked out.

While I'm answering questions I will follow with "How did they diagnose him?"

To figure out what was going on when he came to Children's Hospital to be checked out, they did what is called an echocardiogram. This is essentially an ultrasound on his heart. This allowed them to look at his blood flows, the structure of his heart, as well as a number of other things.

And lastly everyone wants to know "How do they fix this?"

To keep it simple, they cut an opening on the pulmonary veins that came together behind his heart, and they cut a hole in his heart where they were supposed to go and sewed them together. Technically there is a lot more to it than that, but that's the short and sweet version.

So now with a little background, here is what went on with Lucas a bit more specifically. Like I mentioned previously, he appeared to be a perfectly healthy baby for the first couple of days after delivery. We were getting set to take him home when we were told that he had a heart murmur and would have to go from Akron General to Children's Hospital to have it looked at. After a number of hours of tests, we sat down with the cardiologist who explained to us about the TAPVR and that he would have to have open heart surgery.

Initially they put him on the positive end of the spectrum since he was healthy, decent size for his age (8 lbs, 9 ounces), and just so darned cute. We were told that the thought was that he had about a 90% chance of success with the surgery, and though it was scary we were optimistic. They were planning on doing the surgery the next day, Friday morning.

Lucas wanted to make us worry a little more though, so he developed some issues with his kidney function. The doctors decided since he looked healthy otherwise that they would postpone the surgery until that Monday in hopes they could get a better grasp on what was going on with his kidneys. That Friday night, unfortunately his condition seemed to worsen and his breathing became very labored. After some more xrays, ultrasounds, and tests they found out that one of his extra vein structures had become obstructed. This is a very bad thing, and what determines whether a child with TAPVR falls on the "healthy" side of the spectrum, or the "very sick" side.

So the surgeons were called and he was scheduled for emergent open heart surgery to correct the TAPVR first thing Saturday morning. The operation was about 6-8 hours long because it require a lot of prep as well as a lot of steps after the surgery. So we waited in the surgery waiting room with a lot of family and friends (whom we can't thank enough by the way), while getting periodic updates from one of the doctors that watched over the operation. After sitting down with the doctors that morning it was made clear to us that he was no longer in that 90% range, and could very well be in the 50% range of coming through the surgery. To say that thought made this a long day is an understatement.

Luckily every update we got was good and he made it through his surgery without any complications. By about 7 pm that night we were back in his room hanging out with our baby boy and enjoying pretty much the best Christmas present we'll ever get. When they do open heart surgery, the person's body generally retains a lot of fluid and they swell up so they leave their chest open. This sounds a little gruesome, but it really isn't. He had a patch sewn in place and some dressing over top of the area, so you really couldn't tell. After about 5 days his swelling had gone down and they closed up his chest. He just has a thin line now with a couple of really tiny stitches.

At this point I realize I left one question unanswered that may be fairly important, and that is "Why is his recovery taking so long?"

So since his blood didn't flow through his heart how it would in a normal baby, the left side of his heart isn't as big as it normally would be. So once they did the surgery, it had a lot more blood flowing to it than it had previously had. This means it has to work harder than before. Along with this the condition causes pulmonary hypertension. This basically means the vessels in his lungs are really constricted and need time to open up. So now that the surgery is over his body basically has to grow to adapt to the changes. The good side of this is that he is a baby, so growing is what he does. The down side is of course that it takes time.

After the first time going back on the ventilator, the doctors decided to do a heart catheter on him. This basically means they run a wire through one of his arteries and into his heart and use it to get a better look at everything and how his blood flows. This showed them that his heart still had high pressures and needed more growing time. It also showed them that one of his four pulmonary veins connected a little lower than they had previously thought. They think it will need to be corrected at some time, but not until he is bigger and healthier.

To help his body make this adjustment the doctors have put a number of things in place. Some of these are drugs that help his heart work easier, as well as Viagra that helps his vessels in his lungs relax. The main thing is the breathing tube they have him on, which does his breathing for him so he doesn't have to work as hard as he would if he was doing it on his own.

Obviously one of the goals is to get him off of the breathing tube and breathing on his own. Before they do this, they do what is called a CPAP trial. This is just basically them turning down the ventilator support for a short period of time to see how he handles it. A week or so after his surgery they decided he was doing well enough to take out the breathing tube. The first day he did well, but then he started to get worse again, so after a couple of days with it out they had to put it back in. After doing this he started to get much better again and the doctors were very pleased. So at the beginning of this week with the thought that the breathing tube would be coming back out they tried again. He did alright with his first CPAP trial, but on the second one he had some trouble.

So this brings us up to now. Over the past day or some we've had some discussions with doctors about what they think on his progress so far and his path going forward. Their general consensus is that they gave him a short period of time to let his heart adjust, but it hadn't grown enough to handle the load. So would giving him another short amount of time see much change, probably not. So what can be done?

The answer we have been discussing with the doctors is a tracheotomy. Basically they cut a hole in his throat and insert a more secure breathing tube there. This of course sounds bad, but when you weigh everything it seems like the right answer for a number of reasons. First of all, this will allow him to be more mobile. That means mom and dad will be able to hold him, and he will be able to come off of his sedation and be able to act like a baby as well as get treated like a baby. Secondly it gives us an avenue to eventually take him home. The doctors said most likely once he gets it we can expect to take him home in about 4-6 weeks. Of course nothing is set in stone, but just the idea of finally taking our boy home is a huge thing.

The other plus side to this is it isn't permanent. It is something that can be taken out, and will leave just a small scar. Along with the tracheotomy they are going to change how they run his IVs to reduce the risk of infection. So as parents we never want the best option to be "another procedure", but weighing everything it just seems like the best thing to do for Lucas. We're excited to see him awake and able to move around, even if it means a little bit of extra hardware.

So that is Lucas' journey so far and where he is at. I feel like it is worth saying that the staff at Children's Hospital are not only responsible for saving our child's life, but also for saving our sanity. They are some of the nicest people we have ever had the pleasure to meet, and we owe them more than we could ever give. This has been the hardest time in our lives, and I honestly hope no one ever has to go through anything like it. Even once you make it through the phase where you have no choice but to take things day by day, you enter a phase where you're constantly unsure of what the future holds, and when the future holds it.

We've been in the hospital for a little over three weeks now, and it is hard to stay positive, but it's something we have to do. Again we owe a lot to friends and family who have helped us carry this since it all began.

The best thing to remember, is at the end of all this it will be worth it.

tamiolsen said...

Still sending you every blessing I can think of, and wishing the little guy strength and luck.

Sonuchi said...

Thanks for the update and glad to hear everything is turning out fine so far. Thoughts and prayers go out to you, your wife, Lucas, and the rest of your family members. Be strong and your friends are here for you. ^-^

Divine Mrs D said...

We continue to pray for you guys and our church prays for you daily. We are so glad that you are being well taken care of.

You know what I just thought of earlier too? Didn't you raise money for Akron Children's Hospital during your 24 hour gaming?

MnM said...

You guys amaze me with your strength and the graceful way in which you've been able to handle all of this.

I think about and pray for you guys every day.

Adam Fites said...

Thanks for all the details, man. We're so happy that Lucas is pulling through and that there's a plan to get him home sooner rather than later. We're praying as well, and are very grateful for good doctors.

Holly Pierpont said...

I've been following your story via Lori Sacks on FB. I find myself reliving much of the experience we went through two years ago, when one of our twins had Abnormal Origin of the Right Pulmonary Artery (also discovered by detecting a murmur at 3 days of life). We too transferred to Akron Children's and spent the next few weeks of waiting and watching our baby endure so much. We saw his health deteriorate with this heart defect leading to lung failure, pulmonary hypertension, and renal failure. Ours is a happy story and has brought many much hope when I've shared it with others. I know I felt a sense of peace and calm when I began to hear how others came through a congenital heart defect with a newborn. I have been praying for Lucas, and agree that he's getting amazing care at ACH (they become extended family... )! It's moments like these, parents show strength they never knew they had. God Bless! (I've included the URL to our journey.

Kristi Fites said...

All my love to you guys- praying lots. Thanks for the update!

PryncezzVivien said...

Keep strong Dave...if not for your sake, for Lucas'. He is very fortunate to have such loving parents like you guys. Our thoughts are with you and maybe one day Lucas will be able to play with Maddie and my son, JaeDrien.

Anonymous said...

Christina and Dave . . . I think of you often and pray for Lucas every night. Big hugs to you both ( )!


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I've spent last week watching iCarly episodes and hangin' around at places. I pressed my latest zine, which you should buy, and officially released my MC karel tape. And that's why this blog has been neglectished.

Anyway, let's scroll back to Monday, quick show at the rockcafé.

First band was Rage Inside. I don't know, I didn't really like it. Two similar vocalists, generic guitar riffs, not enough rage. Maybe next time, babes.

ILLS. Holy mothershit. Solid band. Coming from Finland, they sure had a metal-vibe going on in their brand of the 'core. Solos and some heavy metal-inspired riffage gave the whole band a unique flavour and it worked quite well. Very 'Scandinavian'. Very 'cool'.

Grim was up on the next, and they're also influenced by metal, more on the death metal side of things though (genre Obituary, Death, Morbid Angel). They're cool, very heavy and very 'grim'. Possibly the heaviest band in belgian hardcore right now? Possibly! Kids are into it, I'm kinda into it. I like when they say "THIS WORLD IS GRIIIIIIM" and everyone goes apenuts. New 7" Seeds Of Love out in November or something, new tunes sounded good.

Abyss AD, from Germanee, closed off the night but I think I got my 'klopke' so I couldn't focus or even be damned for shit. They were probably good but I just couldn't bring myself to it. Truth be told, it was all kinda 'safe' to me. But who am I? Apparently an idiot who doesn't know what he's talking about.

Then I went home, cause, as I said, I was tired, and as you might have read, I had a rough weekend.

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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

It was a sad day...  The day I had to pack up my machine for service...  and well, lets just say that I have not recovered.  HA!

As I waived by to the store after dropping off my machine, I must admit, for a brief moment, I was a tad happy, maybe even overjoyed.

Bernie's Dr.'s Office...
But then last night, as I was sitting here in a VERY quiet house ... I was really bored.  And on top of that I was flooded with all kinds of fun and creative ideas that I could do nothing about - HA!  I know, silly right... I could of gone to bed hours, seriously HOURS, earlier, but instead I sat in bed and could not sleep.  I guess I am so used to being up working on all those precious orders and new designs, that my mind doesn't turn off during that time anymore.

So now what to do.  I called today and it appears that it is going to be a full 2 weeks left for service due to the inclement weather that we had.  BOOO for the backlog!!  But on the otherside... there is a rather important day that needs tons of prep that I could go ahead and get out of the way.... what do you think?!?!?!  maybe???
We shall see.  But until I figure out fully what I am going to do with all this free time, I will continue to browse and search for all kinds of fun, new ideas for when the shop re-opens :o)

Until next time, Squeeze your MoNkEyS tight!

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Thursday, June 13, 2013

Free Printables

That's right. I said FREE. Now if you are like me, you love to score a good deal, especially when you don't have to pay a cent for it. If you are in a new apartment or home, you may want to add some color and decor, but might not have the money for it. I created this printable with one of my favorite quotes:

You can save and print it by clicking directly on the picture. Hope you enjoy! Also check out these other cute printables I found online.

Dream Big download here.

Love Printables found here.

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Monday, October 24, 2011

Bloomin' Tueday

Time for one last Bloomin' Tuesday at Ms Green Thumb Jean's blog.  Not much is blooming anymore, so all I have to offer is dried blooms, favorite things, and visiting critters getting ready for Winter.

One of my favorite decorations for Fall is my pumpkin made from barbed wire ~

The bushes are ready to feed the birds for the Winter ~

And the Squirrels are burying acorns anywhere they can dig a hole.

Sometimes, I cut my Hydrangea when the flowers are white, sometimes when they are green, and sometimes not at all.  I hot glued green and brown blooms into a styrofoam wreath and wired it to my old screen window for the Winter.  It will be interesting how it holds up over the Winter.

I put my trusty old wheelbarrow in the front with pumpkins, a little hay bale, and a bushel basket with pots of Sedum Autumn Joy, Rudbeckia, yellow Mums, Kale, and Purple Fountain Grass in it.  A tip I read a couple of weeks ago was to spray your pumpkins with flat polyurethane to keep the squirrels from chewing them up. They haven't gone near it and the pumpkins at the neighbors across the street has been eaten down to the bottom.

I hope you are enjoying Fall where you are.  While it's a very pretty time of year, I don't look forward to Winter at all.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Changes, visitors, final bloomers and plans . . .

I wish I would have taken a picture of the Redbud tree when it was all in bloom, but now it is putting on it's Fall show.  From purple buds, to green leaves, to yellow leaves.

Our Red Jade Crabapple has gone from being covered with white flowers ~

To now offering berries to the birds ~

There has been such a change in my Japanese Blood Grass, Sand Love Grass, and Sedum Autumn Joy - these pictures were taken 2 weeks apart ~

We haven't seen the Hummingbirds since September 23, but they'll be back next year.  We did have a larger visitor over the weekend though.  This Cooper's Hawk has been hanging around the backyard hoping to catch something to eat.  To give you an idea how large it is - the rabbit beside it is 9 inches tall.

Our next visitor came Sunday.  This is a Red Tailed Hawk that had caught a squirrel and was eating it in the parkway in front of our house.  He is one B I G bird!!

I also went to a sale this weekend.  It's a great place to find old 'stuff' for the yard.  I picked up this old garden cart for half price ~

I have been looking for one for years!  I have admired one I see when I take my walks.  In this photo, they have cosmos and ground cover.  There have been years when they have it filled with Coral Bells, or Spring blooming bulbs.  I may plant some bulbs in mine in a week or so.

This is the last of the blooming flowers in our yard.  My Lancifolia Hosta is the first one to come up in the Spring, and the last one to bloom.  A lot of my other hostas have already turned yellow and shriveled to the ground.  When my other hostas come up and bloom, I can't wait to cut their flower stalks off - on the other hand, I leave these on.  I like that they are a light airy, arching bloom, as apposed to the others that stick straight up from the plant.

Thank you to Jean for hosting Bloomin' Tuesday.  While our weather has been beautiful, I'm afraid there won't be too many more Tuesday's with new flowers blooming.  Check out Jean's blog for more beautiful gardens.


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Sunday, October 04, 2015

Common Brimstone / Citronsommerfugl

Gonepteryx rhamni

The Common Brimstone has a wing span of 54-64 cm. When it is resting both sexes are easily recognizable because of the wing shape. During flight the male is easy to know because of the lemon yellow colour, while the female reminds about a Large White butterfly.

The middle spots varie a little in size and colour, but else are almost no variations. Flying time is July-October and again after overwintering in March-June. It is one of the earliest butterflies of the year. Usually it shows in the first sunny days, when the temperature is above 10 degrees (Celsius). It can live almost one year as an adult butterfly.

The brimstone overwinters as adult butterfly among branches and leaves. The fodderplants are alder buckthorn and common buckthorn. Its habitat is forest and thicket with alder buckthorn and common buckthorn  The brimstone is roaming and is often seen in open flowerrich terrain, like in lucerne fields, where the species seek nectare before overwintering.

The brimstone is very "seeking" to flowers, both spring and autumn. In late summer it seeks especially the Asteraceae-family,  like cabbage-thistle and other thistles -  and to red clover and lucerne, or to the buddleias in the gardens.The species is seen on the first sunny days of the year where the temperature reaches 8-10 degrees Celsius. It flies unsteady and low, and in early spring it is often sitting upon sunny spots in the forest floor to get some warmth.

Frequency and spread:
Common Brimstone lives in Europe, North Africa and Asia; across much of its range it is the only species of its genus and is therefore simply known ad "The Brimstone"

The brimstone is very common in Denmark, especially in and around moist thicket-woods. It is rather scarce in West Jutland. The frequency varies from year to year, and the species might roam far and wide and reach even small islands with no permanent living conditions.

Source: Michael Stoltze. Dagsommerfugle i Danmark, 1998.
text and photo: grethe bachmann

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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Annual leave frozen? WTF ohhh

WED - KUALA LUMPUR: With influenza A (H1N1) cases on the rise, more local transmissions being reported and schools being closed, health authorities have warned that its resources will be stretched unless the public heed preventive and quarantine orders.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the authorities not only had to contain the spread of H1N1, but other communicable diseases as well such as dengue.

"We are battling two diseases, dengue and H1N1, at the same time. We have frozen annual leave and recalled staff from leave to tackle this."

Liow said the ministry had deployed personnel from other states to the Klang Valley to help local authorities.

"Klang Valley is the most populated area, as well as the main entry point to the country. If any outbreak happens here, it can spread easily.

"We are already working very hard to contain this." -- Bernama

source taken fromthe new straits times

No leave for 100,000 medical officers and staff

The Health Ministry has frozen the leave of 100,000 medical officers and staff with immediate effect in view of the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

The directive involves all medical officers in hospitals throughout the country, medical staff and laboratory personnel.

"The move is to ensure all the workforce can be utilised to combat the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak effectively," said here today.

Liow also hoped employers would allow their staff who returned from overseas, especially countries like Australia, Philippines and United States, to go on unrecorded leave so that they can be "self quarantined".

"The proposal will be discussed in cabinet as it is important for employers to give unrecorded leave to ensure the safety of the public and the country," he said.

Liow said since the outbreak of the disease was becoming serious, those quarantined must follow the procedures and directives, strictly.

Those who do not adhere to the directives set for the quarantine, can be charged under the Disease Control Act 1998 which carries a RM10,000 fine or two years'' jail or both, he said.

He also urged ''contact cases'' to come forward and seek treatment voluntarily, instead of waiting and advised the public to discard any information circulated via SMS with regard to H1N1 because only the Health Ministry issues official statements on the disease.

"We (Health Ministry) will not hide any statistics or information and will continue to send out statements. So I advise the public to refrain themselves from listening to rumours.

"If there was a case detected at 8pm, the ministry will immediately release a statement," he said.

People who receive SMS messages with regard to H1N1, should forward such messages to the ministry so that those responsible can be identified, he said.

Liow said he had also asked the Education Ministry to notify all schools in the Klang valley to avoid using air conditioning in their schools and instead open their doors or windows to allow fresh air. -- BERNAMA

source taken from the new straits times

Pharmacist-pharmacist sekalian, what do you think?

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Solo TPN, level 16

Saturday, 27 June - Solo-ed TPN, double my experiences. There were 9 cases for TPN on friday (1 adult, 3 paed bags and 4 paed syringes) and i did my on call today and the next one will be next Monday.

I was quite excited. BULL SHIT. I managed to survive through 7 cases during a Sunday on call, with 'that person' missing for at least one hour. Thinking of 9 cases can make me faint. The truth is, i quite hate to handle all 9 cases alone.

Fortunately, 4 cases OFF today because they are able to tolerate oral feeding. Huuuray :) Means left with 2 paed bags and 3 paed syringes.

After finish clerking, i told 'that person' today off 4 cases, 'that person' replied "case sikit, saya tak akan masuk awal, i stay di luar untuk kerja lain'. Kerja lain included reading giant leaflet, newspaper, gossips etc. Why this is so similar with what Qristine told me?

The biggest surprise came after i finished my lunch. When i came back to TPN room at 12pm, 'that person' said "Ding, pn roshidah called me, we are all invited to New York Hotel to makan buffet, you want to go?" Kan she already know i went out for lunch already????

After all, i managed to finish everything by 2.50pm. And you know what, i saw 'that person' coming back to TPN at 2.55pm. 'That person' is getting paid for reading Giant leaflet, newspaper, gossip, missing for at least 2 hours for buffet lunch at new york hotel...

Saturday, June 06, 2009

The story of Ah Singh

click to enlarge the picture

Anymore to add or not?

Re : khai's challenge

I would like to express my views regarding khai's post - a challenge to myself.

"Dear Khaiyong,

I hereby challenge you to QUIT your 8-5 job by the end of your 1 year term at the hospital.

You have until November 17, 2009 to prove that you can have a stable online home business running on minimal hours a day. Thereby allowing you to double triple your success when you work on it full time..."

I think it would be a great idea to earn money via blogging. I have experienced earning via blogging and i am still doing it as a part time side income to pay for my internet bills. It is very easy to earn - eg. my previous post earned me USD 2 = RM 7. It took me less than 3 mins to do it. However, in order to start earning, you need to do alot of reading, plus put in alot of efforts + time.

I will be following khai's blog closely because i am very interested to know his proggression in the business.

It is really going to be a big challenge for Khai because i can see that there is a sudden rise of smart bloggers since the past one year. Those who know how to earn via blogging will manage a few blogs in order to maximise their income. Khai's aim is a bigger one - to work full time home-based business.

I know it would be such a waste to quit being a pharmacist, but if you are able to become more successful by starting home-based business, why not give it a try?

I wish you all the best and we shall start supporting Khai by making daily clicks to and

ADV - online strategy game

If you love online gaming, you might want to check out Hyperiums - a multiplayer strategy game focused on the theme of planet conquest, space wars and empire management. In short, every startegy gamers will love this game.

Monday, June 01, 2009

Just to you...

Me : Hey, tmr can bring ah mah2 hkl for eye clinic first appointment? cos her first appointment is on 23rd June but she will be in Sabah that time. I tried to change the date to 11th june where i will be going back home but its full. If not, need to skip her first appoinment and follow up on 21st July.

One hour jo still no reply...
Me : Hey. can or cannot please reply.

A few mins later...

Him : I can't, i have work. I can't take leave.

Within a min, i replied...

Me: EL definitely is a choice. and it will always always work. no matter you are the boss or prp/frp.Lol.nvm. I want to go see the doctor by myself. ciao.

After another few mins...

Him : My boss not around i cannot take leave

And this time i got really angry and dulan already. So i replied immediately...

Me : U know what is EL???? I dont give a F*ck to my work when i know i need to do something more important. Zhong zhi nvm larh nnr.

And that was the end of our conversation.

Okie lets go through the facts that i hate :

1) well, you are so care about your work, are you really that great?? Why not you show this concern to your grandmother by telling me 'Oh i cant take leave tomorrow, how about any other day?'.

2) You are not trying to discuss and solve a problem related to both of us. You are trying to ignore a problem. Again, you are a great frp/good grandson? I doubt so.

3) Yes im a very emo person. I scold gao the person who told me a patient will have to miss her first appointment if she would have to change date of her first appointment. I will speak to the eye specialist one day.


text:
The play «We are all Lovely People»

The play «We are all Lovely People»

  • Main information
    Recommended age 16+
    Award Nominee
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Masterpiece drama by Turgenev's "A Month in the Country" into the hands of the master Yury Butusov. And comedy changed in the original show. What can you expect from the audience posing, decided to buy tickets?

The story of uncontrollable passion and omnipotent love, erasing the boundaries between reality and desired. Dimensions and certain estates Islaevyh life in a single moment dilutes the appearance of a young teacher. Alexey Belyaev is keen senses, not only the young the female, but also a happy housewife Natalia Petrovna. And she has the most to determine the price of his own happiness. It will be decided whether the main character on the mistake or will correct the longstanding principles? In Turgenev's stories a variety of characters and a flurry of conflicting emotions captivate everyone.

The musical setting is multifaceted. Melodies from George. Puccini to Nirvana's harmony with butusovskim chaos in the scenery. The whole spectacle turns into morning tea on the background of rural life. The tragic hopelessness and the world of dreams, unbridled passion and adherence to the rules of society are faced on the stage of the theater. And given the final choice of the viewer. Conversion of Turgenev's comedy performed by great actors theater. Lensoveta worthy of your attention.

Directed by Yuri Butusov
Starring: A.Kovalchuk, A.Bagrov, M.Sinyaeva, G.Subbotina, S.Pismichenko, S.Peregudov, I.Brovin, O.Andreev, G.Chaban, R.Baranov, A.Dyukova
The premiere: November 1, 2013
Running time: 3 hours with one intermission

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Week Two, and I'm Still Very Much Alive!

Well, there it is!!  GREEN STUFF.  It is one of the additions I have made in my quest for a whole-grain, plant-based lifestyle...and surprisingly, it is TASTY.  At least to me, it is.

I was so pleased when my mother told me that this was one of the best things I could do for my body...and that she was proud of me for changing my lard-eating, carb-absorbing ways.  Keep in mind, my mother lives in California - the land of the healthy.  I am languishing in the fried-food heaven of the South, where food must be covered in either batter or cheese to be considered edible.  And let's not mention my former addiction to batter dipped and fried cheese.  In fact, let's not tell my mom....ok?

My father passed away last August from chronic heart problems, and even though I am adopted, logic dictates that if I continue eating like I have been...I will follow in his footsteps.  I can't.  I won't.  I refuse.  I just have to convince my body that it doesn't NEED fat.  It doesn't NEED McDonald's french fries. It doesn't NEED bacon.  It doesn't NEED those cute little candy hearts that they only put out around Valentine's Day.   And over time, I hope to convince my heart that the love of those things will be deadly - because I can't tell you how much I LOVE those kinds of foods.

Week one of "The Change" went well.  I had no cravings for beef, cow's milk or soda.  None.  I didn't cheat once.  Since the beginning of the year, the only meat I have had is one boneless chicken breast, one tilapia filet, and a few small chunks of chicken in a quesadilla.  I haven't eliminated all the animal products from my diet, but I AM working toward that goal.  Yes, I'm getting plenty of protein.  No, I'm not tired.  I feel better than I have in a long time...honestly!  And I am more regular than ever (and yes, I just admitted that on the internet).

So, how do I make this green stuff?  Well, it's easy!  I usually prepare the bulk of the smoothie the night before in my blender:
1 cup baby spinach leaves (I make sure to rinse them and pack them down in my measuring cup to get a full cup)
1 cup kale (Which I had NO clue was something you ATE.  I thought this was just the decorative stuff you put UNDER the meat and cheese on the party tray!)
1 pear (I cut mine into bite-sized pieces before adding)
1 1/2 cups orange juice (Make sure you do NOT get sugar-added juice! Just PURE JUICE!)
1 frozen banana (Bananas need to be peeled BEFORE you freeze them, FYI.)

Now, I put everything in the blender EXCEPT the banana the night before.  In the morning, I cut up the banana, pop it in, and blend on the "smoothie" setting for a few minutes, or until the kale pieces are pretty tiny.  I like how the orange juice tends to saturate the greens overnight, making their taste almost non-existent.

I had a rude awakening when I realized that I am now drinking more fruits and veggies every day than I had been eating over a two-week period.  I'm not ever sure that this smoothie would qualify as half my daily requirements.  We hear that "fruits and veggies" business all the time...but have you ever tracked how many you eat?  You might be surprised how LITTLE you eat.  And if you take away all the "processed" fruits and veggies, with added salt and sugar...you might be even more shocked.

On to a healthier life...and to document the next part of the experiment...tofu.

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

A New Year - I Want a New ME!

It's the start of a new year, and I am going to try blogging again!  AND...I am really making an effort to start a "new me."  Previous efforts to get fit (lose weight) and get healthy (eat right) involved me jumping in 100%, with both feet, and usually ended up with me backsliding and then failing altogether.

However, I'm scared now.  I recently watched two movies - "Food, Inc." and "Forks Over Knives."  And this time, I'm going to start changing what I put into my body.  For real.

This is NOT going to be easy.  I love cheese.  And cheeseburgers.  And ice cream.  And cheese.  And cheesecake.  And cheeseburgers.  And fries.  This is no one-sided love - these things love my thighs, my butt, and my gut.  Unfortunately, they have made their way into my heart that is decidedly unhealthy.  Wait...did I mention that I love cheeseburgers?  Sigh.

I purchased "The Engine 2 Diet" by Rip Esselstyn.  It's a primer for change, and I am still reading and learning and scaring myself.  Day One involved going to my local grocery store, and being dismayed at what I COULDN'T find.  But there was success - I discovered I like the taste of vanilla almond milk.  Eliminating cow's milk will be an easy change.

Day Two?  I made my own hummus!  I am not a fan of plain hummus, but it's healthier than cheese dip or ranch dressing.  I want to wean myself off these things, and store-bought hummus contains olive oil or other fat....so I did an experiment with hummus, adapting a recipe from the book.

(That is not my actual hummus pictured.  Mine had no garnish, and was in a Tupperware bowl!)

Here is what I used:
1 can chickpeas - rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic
4 Tablespoons of lemon juice
3 Tablespoons of water
5 sun dried tomatoes
1 jalapeno, seeded and drained

I tossed it all in the food processor, until it made a creamy paste.  It was fabulous!!! It also tasted a lot better than store-bought hummus.

Baby steps.  I think I will do better that way.  Week one - I will eliminate all soda, cow's milk and beef, and do my best to avoid foods that are not whole grain or plant-based.  "DO MY BEST" being the key phrase.  I have to change my mindset, retrain my taste buds, and realize this is a LIFESTYLE change...not a diet.

And breaking up with cheese?   Oh, the agony.  You have no idea.  Wish me luck.