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“Journey from being a monk to a Transwoman”

Tenzin Mariko – The first Transwoman in the Tibetan Community in India

Walking around the streets of Majnu ka Tilla (A Tibetan Refugee colony in New Delhi), I came across a poster about a cultural programme in the Unite for Tibetans Association, on which Tenzin Mariko was had appeared as a guest artist. Indeed the program had already taken place a few weeks back. My friend pointed to the poster and told me that she is the first trans woman in the Tibetan community. I was really surprised to hear that, as I had never heard about it before. So, my curiosity lead me to get to know about her more and when I did. I felt like the world needed to know her story. The world needed to know how being accepted for who you are can be really hard and mostly get to know her story.

Tenzin Mariko, lives in Mcleodganj as a transgender woman. She lived her entire life as a boy who was a monk and then transitioned into a woman as she never felt comfortable in her own skin as a boy. Mariko grew up happily in Bir, Himachal all her life with her parents and her brothers. But, a tragic situation took place in her family when her parents divorced and had to separate. That is when her father made the decision to take Mariko and her brother to Darjeeling to be monks. She and her brother had no idea what was in store for them, thinking it would be a fun family vacation, they went along with him and took a train to Delhi from which where they travelled to Darjeeling.

Mariko and her brother didn’t know that monkhood would be so different, they had no idea of what was going to happen next. But, being with their father they obeyed him and lived their lives as monks. After a few years when Mariko moved to Mcleodganj, she knew that she wasn’t being true to herself and that she did not just want to be a monk but rather wanted to be a woman. Her journey and her story is deeply moving and now Mariko is a proud transwoman and is happy to live life the way she wants to.

According to the UNDP, “Being LGBT in Asia: China Country report 2014”. The national law in China only allows transgender people to change their gender on ID cards and household registrations with the difficult procedures which are only accessible to those who have gone through full sex-reassignment surgery (SRS). In addition to that, gender change is not allowed on many official documents, such as university degrees and other education certificates. Many transgender people like Mariko, struggle to access employment and pursuing higher education in China. Acceptance by the society and the government is still a huge deal in a country like China. Let’s look at Tenzin Mariko’s journey on overcoming all the obstacles and being brave enough to come out and be herself and recieving a great response from her community as well. “The Tibetan community has been very accepting of who I am now and respect me for the decision that I have made.” said Mariko.

  1. Considering the fact that you have recently transitioned into a woman. So, most of your life you have lived till now has been as a boy. How has the experience of transitioning been for you?

Answer: I transitioned just two years back and came out in the Tibetan Beauty Pageant. Since I was a little kid, I was really feminine. All the teachers and students in my school would say that I talk and dance like a girl. I had so much femininity inside me that even though I wouldn’t walk or talk like one but when I danced I wanted to move my hips like a girl. Most of my friends were and are still women, I didn’t have many men as my friends in my circle. So, I lived like a boy all through out my life for 17 years. I had no idea about things like transitioning and changing into a woman since I was really young. But, I always had those feminine feelings inside my body and had the urge to be a woman.

2. Going back in time, to your childhood. Has there been any experiences that has remained in your heart till now, any experiences of people bullying you or not being able to accept you.

Answer: Well, some of my very fond childhood memories were going to school and playing with my girl friends, there isn’t any experience that has really remained in my heart. But as our society is a little conservative and people were not able to accept me first when I came out because it never happens in the Tibetan Society. People think that it is something horrible to do, changing your gender and since there is a gender discrimination where families wish to have a boy instead of a girl, just like in the Indian society. But, for me “I didn’t choose to be a boy, but I was born as one.” When I first came out a few people couldn’t accept me, and many were very discouraging of my decision, not everyone but yes a few people did talk behind my back and said things about me. But, I just ignored them and came through that phase in my life. As time is slowly changing, people have changed too and have accepted me for who I am and truly respect me. I am definitely happy about the situation around me now and that people are happy about my decision. I try to encourage everyone through my posts and spread positivity around as well.

Tenzin in her red stunning dress. Picture Credit- Tenzin Mariko’ Facebook Page

3. Can we talk about your decision to become a monk. What led you to accept Monkhood?

Answer: Monkhood was not my decision, it was my father’s decision. When we were little, my parents got divorced and we got to know after a few years. That’s when my father decided to keep me and my younger brother in a monastery in Darjeeling. He told us that we are go onto being monks and will have to take a train to Darjeeling and change a few buses. For us, it seemed like an adventure as we were just little kids and didn’t know much. As my school friends always went to places and came back and shared their adventures with me. I thought it would be something like that. A vacation indeed. So, since I was in Suja, Bir, Himachal Pradesh because that is where I was born and brought up. We took a bus to Delhi and from Delhi we took a train to Siliguri and from Siliguri to Darjeeling we took a jeep. We didn’t know what was in store for us, we were unaware of the fact that our lives would change completely after becoming monks.

4. How did your family and friends respond to you coming out? Are they accepting of you now? Have you faced any prejudice from those who were close to you?

Answer: My father was not really happy when I wanted to leave my monkhood and become a woman. He wasn’t happy with the idea of me transitioning but over the period of time, my father gradually opened up and accepted me. Now, I would say our relationship is way much better as he has accepted me and he wants me to do good and be successful and happy in whatever I do in life.

Now my family and friends have truly accepted me and are proud to walk with me. My parents are really proud to see me perform, yet there are a few people who still are against me. They aren’t still open-minded about things and accepted me for who I am. I have many friends and I believe if there are hundreds of people ignoring me and hating me, then there are thousands who support me and are constantly there for me, loving me and respect me. Many people say that I inspire them and I will continue to do so. My family always prays for me to have a successful life. And now I really feel like I can face people as ‘Mariko’, who so ever can respect that person. In the Tibetan society, all the NGO’s and the settlements they are very fond of me and know me very well. Everywhere in the Tibetan society, I have a really good name and am known with respect, so I’m extremely happy about that.

5. What has been your experience living in Mcleodganj as a transgender woman?

Answer: So, Mcleodganj is a small town and I came out in Mcleodganj in June 2015 in the Miss Tibet Pageant. I performed in the pageant, More than the fear of coming out, I was really nervous to come out dressed like a woman. Since, I was a monk in Mcleodganj and disrobed from a monk and became a transgender woman in Mcleod. I really didn’t think that I would get a positive response from the people. I was really scared how people were going to react after the show, but Thank God! That people loved my performance and cheered for me and could accept me being a woman. After that I appeared for a several interviews and came out publicly and changed my name to ‘Mariko’.

6. Why did you change your name? Does the name ‘Mariko’ have any special meaning to you?

Answer: I changed my name particularly because I didn’t want to be called Tenzin as it is a very common name for a girl or a boy in the Tibetan community. I wanted to stand out, so that when people talk about me, they would know who I am. The name ‘Mariko’ comes from a Japanese word and it means ‘The Truth’.  I certainly believe that everyone should be truthful and live a truthful life.

7. Who did you first share your gender identity with?

Answer: So, this is something I remember clearly. It was on 15th August 2014, I was in Delhi for a friends wedding. I was still a monk at that time, I wore an orange gown with a wig and high heels and the next day I wore skinny jeans with an orange tank top with my heels. People recorded my dance that night on WeChat and it went viral. When I came back to Dharamshala, everyone asked me if that was really me. I denied and said it wasn’t me as I was still a monk. My brothers knew that it was me and my family got to know about it and told me to disrobe from monk hood and that I couldn’t disrespect being a monk and being a woman simultaneously. The next day I went to the temple dressed up like a women and people stared at me thinking that I’m crazy and wondering what is wrong with me. After that I disrobed and left monk hood. The first person who I spoke to about were my brothers because I share a close bond with them.

9. There is a lot of misconception about the transgender community in India. Many people refer to all transgender people as Hijras. Have you faced any such particular behaviour? How can this misconception be tackled with?

Answer: I have been through that situation where people think that Hijra’s and transgender people are the same but that is not the truth really. They are totally different because transgender people like for example a trans woman like me who wants to be a woman but is a man, where as Hijra’s are castrated from birth and sometimes not even given the choice to choose to live that way. But, transgenders have a choice and they can decide.

The best to tackle these misconceptions and stereotypes, especially for me is to jus ignore these people who think a certain way. I believe ignorance is the key, because I have my own life to live and I cannot always please people. Also, people say what they want to say but you just have to live your life and move forward.

10. So, in some of your Instagram posts you have called yourself as a feminist. What is your stand on feminism or being a feminist? What are some ways or things that has awakened the feminist in you?

Answer: I really love posting positive quotes and my different views on feminism. Feminist to me means when you a woman and

11. You recently spoke at an event on the role of women’s empowerment in the Tibetan community. What was that experience like?

Answer: Women’s empowerment is something that is very close to my heart especially in the Tibetan community. There is always this comparison between the role of men and women, when women are tend to looked down upon and told that they cannot do what men do. But, I believe what men can do women can do as well. I believe in equality. There is no such thing as women being the weaker ones, in fact I believe that women are stronger than men as they give birth to men itself. So, when I got to speak in the event, I spoke about how everyone must respect a woman and it is not only about the beauty that you see on the outside but on the inside too. Each and every woman is different than each other and unique in their own ways and they should be respected for that. I believe that empowering women in my community would mean that women can do so much better and be treated as equal to men.

12. Tenzin, you are a dancer, a designer and a model. How do you plan to take your career forward? What are your dreams, your passions, etc.

Answer: Yes, I am a performer and a dancer. I am not a designer yet but I love to design and do modelling and photo shoots. My biggest dream is to be a Victoria Secrets model, but I don’t think it would be impossible. But, you never know how things can go around as I believe in Karma. Apart from that I really want to develop myself as a make-up artist because that is my ambition and its something that I love to do everyday and it is something that is really important to me. Creating a new look for women and making them look more beautiful. Even if I won’t be able to make it as a Victoria Secrets model, I really want to pursue my career as a make-up artist and hopefully be a well-known successful artist one day.

-Tenzin Mariko”


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Jeremy Corbyn, Battle of Britain Day and the Politics of Commemoration

Tuesday marked the official date of the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Fifteen September has long been recognised as that date, in part, because it was shortly after the aerial battle over London on that day that the Hitler indefinitely postponed Operation Sea Lion. However, rather than being a moment of silent contemplation and commemoration about the role played by the RAF and the other services in the Battle of Britain, it seems we woke up to a debate over the new leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn is an old stye socialist and his appointment has, or will, arguably, take the Labour Party back 20 or 30 years; New New Labour is a return to Old Labour? Now I have no issue with Corbyn, though I do not agree with his ideological stance on some issues, in particular defence; however, I do think his appointment is a positive step as it will at least give some choice to voters. For too long the mainstream parties have fought over the middle ground and Corbyn will, hopefully, offer some genuinely new ideas. Now, given the character of British politics, and the unwillingness to change our electoral system, it is, of course, open to question whether Corbyn is electable; however, that is a discussion for another time…

However, what about the Battle of Britain. Well, the issue appears to stem from how he appeared at the ceremony held at the St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the commemoration of the 75th Anniversary. The media have crawled all over the fact that he did not sing the national anthem and that his appearance was perceived as less than respectful to the occasion. Most pictures showed him stood close to the current Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, who, of course, was dressed in uniform with medals and associated regalia suitable for the occasion. The juxtaposition should not be lost on anyone, and that is what the media were going for. While critics have suggested he looked scruffy and that he was forced to be there, it has been questioned whether it really mattered. In my opinion it does. I have no issue with him not singing the national anthem as long as he illustrated a degree of respect through it – we know Corbyn is a republican, but, in my opinion, there is a time and place for political stances and a commemoration event is not one of them. For me the key issue was his appearance and this really relates to how politicians project themselves. The image created, whether intended of not, was one of questionable respect for the past. It should, however, be noted that Corbyn praised his parents work during the war and that, despite his stance on defence, he had the utmost respect for the sacrifices made during the Second World War. However, we know how the media can spin an image – just think of Michael Foot at the Cenotaph in 1981, which has been the parallel referenced all week.

Does all of this matter? The simple answer, in my opinion, is yes. The memorialisation and commemoration of the past is a highly charged and political matter. One only has to look at the lack of western leaders at the recent commemorations in China to mark VJ Day. Clearly, a decision was taken by those leaders not to attend because it was felt that the event was deemed to be more about China flexing its military muscle rather than a commemoration of the past. We also saw similar last year at events to mark the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. Buried behind the rhetoric, there was clearly a message being delivered about Russia’s actions in the Ukraine. The list can go on. Such events are an opportunity to deliver messages, either consciously or unconsciously, and an important element of this is image. Image is a key aspect about how messages are delivered to your prospective audience. In this respect, Corbyn delivered a message that suggested that he did not care. I genuinely do not think that this was his aim; however, that is how it has been perceived as such in the media. Indeed, it is a shame that this is what the media decided to focus on rather than the commemorations themselves. That in itself is a damming indictment of western media and the issues they focus on. There were bigger and more important issues that should have been on the front pages. It should, however, be noted that this is not, as James Kightly discussed on his site in 2010, an issue limited to Corbyn. The then newly elected Prime Minister, David Cameron, made his own faux pas around the time of the 70th Anniversary in 2010 when he described the UK as the junior partner in 1940! As such, this is not the first, nor will it be the last, time that politics gets in the way of the commemoration of the past.

2 responses to “Jeremy Corbyn, Battle of Britain Day and the Politics of Commemoration

  1. Yes, the point about Cameron is well put. Quite apart from anything else we had no ‘partner’ in 1940. His knowledge of history is tenuous to say the least. Melvyn Bragg was astonished that he (Cameron) had no knowledge of the Magna Carta. He put it down to a poor education. .

  2. Pingback: JEREMY CORBYN, BATTLE OF BRITAIN DAY AND THE POLITICS OF COMMEMORATION | The Second World War Military Operations Research Group·

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Saturday, August 31, 2013

On atheism and the burden of proof.

Lothar over at approvingly points us towards this article concerning the burden of proof by the Evangelical Enrichment Journal. I mentioned negative dogmatism in a recent post so it's worth dipping into.

Second, the atheist also bears the burden of proof in making the claim, “God does not exist.” Keep in mind: The atheist is actually making a claim to knowledge just as the theist is. So rather than shrugging off any burden of proof, the atheist should understand that both claims needs justification, not just the theist’s. If you make a claim to know something, you should be able to justify that claim when challenged. The atheist — if he or she is a true atheist — says that God does not exist. But we can ask, “Why think this? What positive arguments are there for this claim?” To date, there just has not been any argument coming close to showing how this is so. Some might say, “Arguments for God’s existence do not work.” But that is not enough. You need to show why God does not exist (more on this below). In my experience, the “atheist” more often than not turns out to be an agnostic.
This is the old 'atheists are really agnostics' move. But why is rejection of the positive argument for God dismissed as "that is not enough" and why is the burden then firmly placed on the atheist to justify a negative dogmatic position under terms defined by the evangelist?  Why is rejection not sufficient?

The atheist who rejects the positive argument for God may argue along these lines:

[P] It is rational and responsible to believe a proposition one finds convincing because it is sufficiently supported by reason and evidence.

['P] It is irrational and irresponsible to believe a proposition one does not find convincing because it is insufficiently supported by reason and evidence.

We can interpret these premises as being either normative or causal.  Here will I simply note the distinction.

A normative interpretation asserts we should not believe a proposition insufficiently supported by reason and evidence. This is an ethical statement that we sometimes struggle to achieve. The causal interpretation asserts our character or disposition causes us reject an argument we find unconvincing because of poor reasoning and a lack of evidence. It is not a matter of choice or free ill.

Both P] and ['P] can be defended fairly easily at the cost of broadening the conversation.

However most atheists are not especially interested in philosophy.  Their primarily concern is the political and social implications of organized religion. So I recommend giving the following cheeky answer when challenged for positive proof of atheism: God does not exist because such a loving God would not allow the continued existence of the Roman Catholic church (replace with relevant sect). This is a twist on the problem of evil and focuses the conversation away from deism towards the social implications of religious authority.

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Just. One. Book. Thoughts and thanks.

IMG_8095 This is the very sweet Natasha Griffin. She came out to Greenville from Portola to pick up some books for Portola High School. Many of our duplicates went home with her. Portola is the only incorporated city in our county and is home to a more diverse (in terms of Latinx) population of students. I hand picked some books that my daughter and I thought the kids would love over there from our overflow.

So I’ve been reading about banned books because you know there are always a few people in every community who start running around like Chicken Little and think the world is going to end because a student read……well anything really.

I’m trying to wrap my head around the violence from the news, and the TV, and the video games where the point is always to shoot something. I’m trying to wrap my head around teen and tween conversations which seem to always conclude with talk about farts and other bodily functions. What I’m trying to say I guess is do people who want things banned—have they ever even talked to their own kids? Been around kids? Listened to pop music? Geez.

So THANK YOU all again because you know what you guys did? You’ve sent me every book that was on the challenged or banned book lists of the last few years. We have every book that’s been challenged some place in the USA. I LOVE THAT.

I mean we all have our thresholds with out kids. My kids haven’t seen some films because I deemed the screenwriting shitty and as a writer I WANT GOOD SCRIPTS AND THE WRITERS PAID. My son sometimes tries to explain that when other kids ask, have you seen that? And my son groans, “No, can’t watch that with my mom around. It has a bad script…”

I remember being a kid and sneaking around “bad” books too. It’s what kids do. Do censors realize that some things just go over kids’ heads and that also it’s a thrill to see a ‘bad’ word on a page?

So, no banning on my part.  Parents get to sign a form at the beginning of the school year stating whether or not their kids can check out books and how far up the ladder of maturity they can go. But we only have 200 kids in about 120 families. It’s not that hard to keep track of stuff.

Meanwhile my 13 year old and my 11 year old are still reading whatever they can get their hands on.

I’m betting if I ban something though, I could probably ensure that every child reads it. Because that’s how bans work.

I used to work in a record store in college. Moms were always coming in FREAKED out that we’d just sold some rap or heavy metal tape to their precious angel.  The parents who went apeshit wound up with kids who listened to that stuff even MORE because it bothered the parents.  The parents who  were okay with it saw their kids move on to other stuff. It’s a time honored tradition really—kids only want what their parents don’t want them to have.

I’d like to take this opportunity to remind Senator Amanda Chase that her hatred of the Eleanor & Park book just helped clinch the deal that every kid in her district will now read it.

Have a good day. Go read something banned.

2 Replies to “Just. One. Book. Thoughts and thanks.”

  1. Bravo. When my kids were little, the local libraries[in Orange County] required a parent signature to check out certain books. I signed the firms since I felt that restricting what a kid could check out was wrong.

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Listen to Your Mother…The Start of it All

Ah Listen to Your Mother Plumas County goes up on May 20. I think I have something to say about all this.

So those that were going along trying to have a career and suddenly became mothers and then began a somewhat different trajectory than anticipated might relate to me when I say that in 2002 when I became pregnant with my first kid, I switched paths…I chose to teach instead of write feeling like the income would be steadier. My husband and I chose the mountains over the cities thinking that a smaller town might be less nerve wracking–that and raising our kids by my mother. I felt strongly (still do) that kids need extended family close by.

What I’d been planning to do before meeting the awesome husband/father of my children was to be a novelist and live in a studio apartment in the city and have crazy wild adventures to write about. The end. So stupid, I know. You don’t have to  tell me.

But my writing was dormant and my mothering was full and my thoughts kept to myself for the most part. I’d slowly started writing again when the kids were toddlers. A colleague at a website I worked for told me about LTYM and said I was funny and should totally send them something (thank you, Lela Davidson). She’d been in LTYM down in Arkansas. Okay I thought–what have I got to lose? Besides Lela thinks I’m funny.

Living in a small fairly conservative town makes you not quite sure who your audience is when you’re a person like me. I was writing a story about my kids having lesbian grandmothers. Well shit. I mean if that won’t fly in a San Francisco LTYM where will it?

The week of auditions was a messed up one for me and my buddy Emily. We were both strapped for cash and hitting the city like reckless teenagers. We crashed at her sister’s in the Mission (thanks Elizabeth Creely) and ate sparingly and spent our only cash on booze and gas money. The kids stayed with their father and my mom.

It felt like a weekend I needed to have.

I was unsure whether my reading went well or not or how many people were in the running. There were these two very sweet really quite adorable women hosting the audition–but they were mostly good about keeping a pokerface and I left thinking that was cool ! Good experience. Now back to mothering and my low lying existence. (Thank you, Kim Thompson Steel and Kristin).

And then they emailed and I was in and soon enough heading back west on the I-80 to meet the cast. That first round of readings we were all balling our eyes out at the sad ones and then came my story and everyone was laughing and I was so happy because I so wanted to make people laugh and I wasn’t having to explain what was funny and everyone got it and I felt so relieved. I felt like I’d known this room full of women (and one man) for a very long time and we’d just met.

Fast forward…

And then a  year later my SF 2012 LTYM video went viral. Whoa. Thanks Upworthy.

Since that first LTYM show five years ago, I’ve quit teaching all the time and am now writing for a meager living (and sometimes teaching on the side). My kids are teens and tweens now and don’t like to be written about because MOM JUST STOP ALREADY.

LTYM gave me the confidence that was dormant in me. Courage. And I’ve brought the show up to the mountains for four years now. Including this year.  It has been an important part of me gaining confidence for the next steps in my life. In my mothering. In my writing. I hope that has also been conveyed to the women ( and one man thus far) who have done the show in Plumas County. They’ve all had important perspectives to lend to the mothering discussion. Humor and sorrow. A chance to be real.

I’m happy to be back for the final year of LTYM and be part of our grand finale. Next year co-director Tina Terrazas and I have plans to do a different storytelling event in its place. We also have our third play together to produce and direct in February 2018.

And um, Thanks Ann Imig! Thank you for coming up with this crazy idea and spawning all these dormant writers to spread their wings.

But all the bustle and writing/publishing/stage work I’ve done since the SF 2012 LTYM show really does start there. The moment those two directors decided my story needed to be heard. Below is my debut…

One Reply to “Listen to Your Mother…The Start of it All”

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Rocket 3D Modelling

I was inspired by the film Gravity to create a sequence of a rocket in space and the interior of the rocket. I decided to use the 3D software by Autodesk called Maya. I created 7 different sequences of a rocket flying through space, the planets in space, the inside of the rocket, birds eye and close up shots of the rocket coming towards the screen. This involved modelling the rocket first of all which was done by using the polygons tool and extruding and adjusting the edges etc to create the shape desired. The planets/space was created by using textures and shaders. The interior of the rocket involved looking at different images on Google and taking inspiration as to what sort of things are in a real rocket and including what i thought would look good in my particular creation. The fire was a particle effect used in the programme.

I used 3D modelling for this clip. After i completed each sequence, they were rendered in Maya individually as images to which i then edited them all into one video for this assignment with the programme Adobe Premiere Pro CS6. Then i uploaded it to Vimeo. Unfortunately, i do not have any screen shots of this project i worked on in Maya as my external hard drive broke that had the project files on.

I am mostly happy with the results of this clip. I think it looks well put together as a sequence but i also feel that it is very obvious that there is two different designs of the rocket in it as i had to model a second rocket due to my project file disappearing. I also wish i had added more texture and colour to the interior of the rocket.

The final video is below.


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New Tinnitus Treatment Methods

Posted by in Tinnitus Treatment

Tinnitus Treatment Research

Tinnitus treatment really hasn’t changed that much lately. There is one newer therapy which is being utilized with some success and we’ll talk about that today. In general, the most impressive treatments for this common ailment, which is typically harmless to the health but triggers a lot of psychological wear and tear, is a holistic one, which is all about adopting a lifestyle which reduces the severity and frequency of tinnitus attacks.

Click here for more information

We’re going to talk about the latest natural treatments. They’ve been around for a while but work so well. We believe in them as the best line of defense against tinnitus and we want you to understand their value. We’ll also spend a bit of time explaining why medications for tinnitus really aren’t that effective. Basically, these medications mask symptoms without treating the underlying issue and we’ll talk more about that later.Once you’ve learned the ropes, you’ll be ready to decide which forms of treatments are right for you.

Why Natural Tinnitus Treatment?

Natural treatments for tinnitus are gentle. They aren’t toxic and they won’t hurt your body. This is why they are definitely the best starting point for tinnitus treatment. When you choose the right holistic treatments, you’ll find that the annoying ringing and buzzing (a range of sounds are heard by tinnitus sufferers) decreases and that you feel more balanced in terms of mind, spirit and body.

Without the right tinnitus treatment, you’ll have to deal with tinnitus as you are dealing with it right now. Help is out there. The right natural cure for tinnitus tips will give you the help and direction that you need. For example, you’ll learn the right diet for fighting tinnitus. You won’t need to follow some weird fad diet or starve yourself. You’ll simply learn how to add the most beneficial, tinnitus-fighting foods to your diet.

Tinnitus Treatment

Most people don’t know that certain foods help and others hurt. The truth is that what we put into our bodies has a profound effect on how our bodies operate and this extends to the inner ear. So, you need to be mindful of what you eat and drink each and every day.

Simple changes, such as eliminating or reducing sodium consumption and caffeine consumption, will pay off in a major way and these tips just scratch the surface in terms of what’s possible. It’s all about understanding which food and drink triggers this illness and then staying away from it. There are also “power foods” which will help tinnitus sufferers to ease their symptoms and avoid new attacks. Diet is really important, but it’s only one part of the equation.

Another facet of natural treatment for tinnitus is supplements. Some supplements help to strengthen the immune system and boost performance in the inner ear (where tinnitus originates). When you choose right tinnitus treatment options, you’ll be able to discover which supplements help and which ones are overrated. You will be able to stop wasting money on cure-alls which just don’t work that well and you’ll experience so much relief, too!

Some people try a lot of things that don’t work and they get frustrated. A good guide will allow you to learn what really works and get good results. You won’t want to give up because nothing is working. You’ll be able to try holistic tinnitus remedies which are working for so many people!

Sleep and hydration are also important. In addition, regular exercise plays a role. The best tinnitus treatment guide will detail a full and comprehensive lifestyle plan, which doesn’t require drugs or surgery.

As you can see, natural treatments are the way forward. They are stellar ways to improve your health and to get tinnitus out of your way. If you continue with your anti-tinnitus lifestyle, you’ll be able to enjoy benefits over the long term.

Even if still have an occasional tinnitus attack, you may be able to dramatically remove the frequency and your attack will be stop. Most people are able to resolve tinnitus entirely just by using our tips.

Now, let’s talk about common medications for tinnitus. These are prescription medications and they may be described as “heavy duty”. They are not gentle and they alter mood as they relieve tinnitus symptoms. It’s important to know that these medications also carry the risk of side effects, some of which may be very serious.

Related : Tinnitus Cure News – Tinnitus Cure Options

Is Tinnitus Medication Effective?

Tinnitus medication typically isn’t that effective. There isn’t much of it out there. For example, antibiotics won’t cure this condition or ease symptoms. They also won’t prevent attacks. In general, medication for tinnitus also has the potential to cause side effects.

Tinnitus Medication

Medication for tinnitus comes in two forms, which are anti-anxiety agents and anti-depressants. As you can imagine, both medications influence mood and this aspect of treatment may be unwanted. For example, if you’re not depressed, you may find the concept of taking anti-depressants in order to relieve tinnitus to be a bit strange. This is why it’s best to take a natural approach.

Next, let’s look at some other treatments which help tinnitus sufferers to feel better. These treatments don’t work as well as natural methods. After all, they don’t address the root cause of tinnitus, which is typically lifestyle-related. However, they work ok for most people and it’s important that you discover each element of tinnitus treatment.

Other Forms of Tinnitus Treatment

Biofeedback is often utilized in order to treat tinnitus. Results vary widely and these treatments require a bit of skill and education. Another treatment option is known as a tinnitus masker. Tinnitus maskers are worn as hearing aids are and they emit sounds which cancel out tinnitus sounds. They work fairly well but some people find that this kind of treatment is a hassle.

If you don’t want to buy equipment or wear devices which look like hearing aids, or master the science of biofeedback, you should know that there is an easier way. It’s all about living the right lifestyle and this comes easy once you know what to do. So, why not treat yourself to a natural tinnitus treatment guide which is loaded with helpful facts and tips?

Find the Right Tinnitus Treatment Today

Now, that you know about the value of natural treatments for tinnitus, you’ll be able to look for the right natural tinnitus cure guide or ebook online. The best one will offer you practical lifestyle tips which are simple to follow and very effective. These tips won’t require you to spend a lot of money or spend a lot of time. They will be tips which you may integrate into your lifestyle without any problems. Simple adjustments work wonders. You just need to learn which ones work the best and then go from there.

Natural Tinnitus Treatment

Your tinnitus treatment guide and/or e-book may be printed out or stored on your home computer and mobile. You’ll be able to check it whenever you like. If you keep a digital copy stored on a mobile device, you’ll be able to refer to it while you’re on the go. For example, if you want to shop for groceries and supplements, but have forgotten some of the recommended foods and supplements listed in the ebook, you may open the document and look at them.

You should be able to find the information you want easily and most of these types of e-books are extremely easy to read. Written by fellow tinnitus sufferers and health experts, they feature sensible information which is tailor-made for you. The writing is compassionate in tone and it’s designed to assist sufferers in a truly practical way. Without these tips, you may find that getting a handle on tinnitus is really hard. We all need help and support and that’s what you’ll find in this type of e-book.

Hopefully, this guide has made it easier for you to understand the value of natural treatments for tinnitus. Now that you know the best way to get the proven treatment that you need. So, download Tinnitus Cure Secrets eBook today and Stop Tinnitus Forever!

Tinnitus Cure Secrets

Note: This Page was last updated on Monday 23rd of October 2017

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Friday, March 2, 2012

Call your friend with his own number: Call Spoofing

Call spoofing is the process of making FAKE CALLS. You can call your friend with his own number. Also, you can call him from any others number using only your phone and Internet.

On Internet you will get various Free and Paid Call Spoofing Services, One of them we have tested and going to Demonstrate here. A website called "" is giving to service to do Free Spoofed Calls in any Country Free of Cost and Yes it is as much easy as to prepare sandwich.

Steps to Do Spoofed Call :
1.) Open and Select Country where you want to call.

2.) Enter Number A = The Fake number you want to Display to Victim
3.) Enter Number B = Victim's Number
4.) Now Click "Get me a Code" . Done !
5.) On right side of page you will get A mobile number + Five Digit Unique Code.

6.) Now do a call from another number (say Number C) on Given number in Step 5.
7.) It will ask you to Enter the Code, that you get in Step 5.
8.) Done ! The Victim with Number B will Get a Call from Fake number A, Even you are using Number C for calling.

Remember, This is an ISD call and ISD call charges will be applied. Don't blame us.
Enjoy Hacking. Don't misuse it.
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Embroidery Software with Options: Embrilliance

Getting started in machine embroidery can be overwhelming, and you may not know where to start.  When I began machine embroidery, and because my computer is a Mac, there weren’t many choices for embroidery software that was compatible with my computer. I searched the internet, and found one company that was exclusively dedicated to mac compatibility.

Briton Leap created embroidery software to work with Mac computers called Embrilliance Essentials.  They have since made it Windows compatible, as well as taken it to new levels for creativity, and ease of use.

Why I love this embroidery software!

Embrilliance Essentials by Briton Leap  is a basic embroidery software that has evolved into different levels. You can choose the very basics or advance to their latest digitizing software, if you want more creative control. I like that it offers so many options. Since I am somewhat of a beginner, I have not experimented with all of the Embrilliance embroidery software features, but I can tell you a little about them, and share the ones that I have used for my machine embroidery projects. For more detailed information, or to purchase, please visit Embrilliance.com.

Embroidery Software for MacEmbrilliance Essentials embroidery software allows you to arrange and manipulate designs. You can resize, group and ungroup, merge designs, and add lettering and words. It includes a stitch simulator to view how your design will stitch out, you can change thread colors and add special effects, just to mention a few of the features in the basic version. I have used this version for many of my embroidery projects and love that I can alter placement, size, angle, and add special effects, or lettering, to the designs. It gives me some extra creative options to the designs that I purchase.

Below are the main components of Embrilliance software. You can start out with the basics, and build on your knowledge and expertise. Many of the software programs are add-ons to Embrilliance, but some of them can also be stand-alone programs. There is a fee for each program, as you build out the embroidery software to your desired skill level.

Embrilliance Essentials Add-ons

Alpha Tricks:  I love Alpha Tricks! The advantage of having Alpha Tricks as part of your embroidery software is that you can take any embroidery alphabet and convert it into a keystroke alphabet. No more struggling with aligning and maneuvering individual letters!

Density Repair:  Density Repair is exactly what is says…it removes hidden and excess stitching that may cause your design to be bulky, especially in overlaps. It will also help you analyze and determine the density based on your design and the fabric that you are sewing – saving you time and thread!

Enthusiast:  This is my favorite level, as it added many more features for detailing the designs, but is not a digitizing program. Stitch editing has come in handy for me, and allows me to select a portion of a design, and cut it out, so I can separate a design, and have ability to tie off ends. They also added several other special effects such as carousel, scatter, mirroring x4, instant repeat, and precise position. Multiple hooping allows you to split a design into different positions to be sewn separately and tiled together.  I have not tried this yet, but many have found this to be an invaluable tool.  Enthusiast can be a stand alone or added to Embrilliance Essentials.  I think Embrilliance Essentials is a must, and it makes sense to add these additional tools to the basic software.

Stitch Artist Level 1:  Welcome to design creation! This is the first level in creating your own designs from scratch with Stitch Artist. I have to be honest, and tell you that I am still learning this. I’m very interested in knowing how to create my own embroidery designs, but there is a learning curve. Level 1 is for someone who wants to create their own designs, but is looking for something simple, that isn’t overwhelming, and is limited to simple running stitch designs, basic shapes, and fill elements. This is not a full meal deal for digitizing, but it will give you a taste of creating a design from scratch!

Stitch Artist Level 2:  Ahh! Level 2!  I am not there yet, but for those of you looking to expand your embroidery knowledge in learn new skills, this is the perfect software to get started creating your OWN designs!  Learn the ins and outs of design creation.  A basic education of embroidery, and stitches is advisable for this level.

Stitch Artist Level 3:  This level is geared toward the professional or commercial embroiderer. If you’re interested in learning design creation from the ground up, Stitch Artist will reward you with that achievement.  All it takes is the program, enthusiasm, and dedication to learning.

Air Stitch:  A convenient app that works with iPad for unzipping designs and saving them in a dropbox folder. A nice convenience.

Please visit Embrilliance.com for more detailed information on each of these programs.  We hope you will find the embroidery software that works for best for you, and we wish you success in all of your embroidery ventures!

We’re affiliates for Embrilliance Essentials Embroidery Software, but we will only recommend products we use and love – that is our promise to you. For more information on our affiliates and ads, please read our Terms of Use.

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Ask / Submit

Jolla C: main camera shows no live picture and stays black

asked 2016-11-23 04:14:20 +0300

willz gravatar image

Occasionally it happens that the main camera will not show a live picture. Instead it stays black and no picture can be taken at all. The front camera still works though. I cannot reproduce it willingly, it happens randomly (and as Murphy suggests often in the funniest moments I'd like to capture). Also it will not reappear for sure after rebooting the device. Then it suddenly works again (sometimes).

Is this a hardware issue with a loose connection from the camera to the board or the camera itself? Is this software related? Someone else who experience this? Any suggestions what to do?

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I don't own a Jolla C, but either of your suggestions could be the case (loose connection or software problem). Before any dismantling of your device, I would be tempted to remove the camera application from the device and install again. Removal of the camera needs to be done via Terminal, using the command pkcon remove jolla-camera and to install, use pkcon install jolla-camera (I am assuming that jolla C is using the same software as my Jolla1).

Edz ( 2016-11-23 10:10:48 +0300 )edit

For me the same issue: After Fiskarsinjoki-update - It started exactly as in your description. For now my main camera permanenty stays black while the front camera works. Camera-software removal and re-installation: negative result. Complete system-reset and test before and after updating to Fiskarsinjoki: negative result. Check for hardware connections: no visible defects... Anyone an idea? - (I´m afraid the hardware of the C is crap.)

valerian ( 2016-11-26 21:35:57 +0300 )edit

My Jolla C developed the same problem during this summer (Iijoki, wasn't fixed by updating to Jämsänjoki). Front camera works fine in Whatsapp etc., but main camera doesn't even seem to be an option anymore (first it just complained about not being able to contact it). I'm sort of hovering between trying the whole uninstall-reinstall stuff and just bearing with it until Sailfish X...

Pände ( 2017-08-31 13:54:04 +0300 )edit

4 Answers

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answered 2017-05-18 17:18:27 +0300

kerbacho gravatar image

I have a similar problem with my Jolla 1. Camera screen stays black as well, interface opens properly... In some android apps the front camera works fine though...

Terminal shows this:!AuG_41MNCmhVxF9H_Hy-IjKqkFpX

Has anyone an idea how to fix that?

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answered 2017-06-24 12:52:37 +0300

Edz gravatar image

updated 2017-06-24 12:55:12 +0300

@ragzy - The camera package comes in 2 parts, try installing 'jolla-camera-settings' first, that's how it works for Jolla1....pkcon install jolla-camera-settings

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The evening I posted I got the camera working again after reinstalling the camera with the command pkcon install-jolla-camera (I just needed to refresh pkcon).

BUT today the camera was black again (pkcon install jolla-camera-settings did not help, but thank you for the suggestion, that command seems to install the other packages too), occasionally the front camera is working, but not the back one. KiK worked saturday (can´t recall if it was both front and back) and another android camera app worked, but today KiK says it can't connect to the camera and asks me to close any app that is using the camera.

When I run jolla-camera I get:

[D] unknown: 0 - using wayland-egl
[W] unknown: 0 - CameraBin error: "Could not initialize supporting library"
ragzy ( 2017-06-26 21:43:57 +0300 )edit

answered 2017-06-24 11:35:37 +0300

ragzy gravatar image

updated 2017-06-26 21:46:44 +0300

I also had a black viewfinder on my Jolla C. I uninstalled the camera but now I can't install it again, version :

root@Sailfish nemo]# pkcon install jolla-camera
Waiting in queue
Refreshing software l…
Resolving dependencies
Installing packages    [==========]
The following packages have to be installed:
Jolla Camera application
a.armv7hl       Setting page for jolla-camer
Proceed with changes? [N/y] y

Waiting in queue
Waiting for authentic…
Waiting in queue
Refreshing software l…
Resolving dependencies
Installing packages
Downloading packages
Fatal error: File './non-oss/armv7hl/jolla-c
l.rpm' not found on medium 'https://releases

EDIT: I had to pkcon -refresh to be able to reinstall the camera. problem came back today though, see below.

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answered 2017-06-27 03:26:44 +0300

wganis gravatar image

i persist problem but after pkcon update and reboot my camera normal again , u will try, i hope its solve ur problem

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Asked: 2016-11-23 04:14:20 +0300

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Last updated: Jun 26


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Archive | June, 2013

Old Church

30 Jun

I wish I knew what church this was. All I know that it is somewhere in the western part of Ukraine. I had just bought a Kiev 88 medium-format camera, some Soviet era film and I was learning how to use the camera. This is probably one of my first photographs that was half decent. The camera, a copy of a Hasselblad had, and still has, many idiosyncrasies that needed to be learned.

Weekly Vinyl – Future Shock

28 Jun

Future Shock
Herbie Hancock
Here’s the album that introduced the world to scratching, synth funk and the lot. Not really the album actually but the first on the first side.
That’s the song that made Herbie Hancock a household name. That’s the song that pas propelled to stratospheric heights on the base of a fantastic video that is still cool to watch today. That’s the song that ushered in the whole synth-sampling pop music phenomenon that we are still in today.
Yes, Kraftwerk were doing similar music a decade earlier, but that was infused with Germanic detachment and aloofness. Here you had the funk. Here you had an explosion of soul.
I think there is no doubt that Herbie Hancock was influenced by Kraftwerk and all the other synth pioneers but he elevated the music to a new level. Technology had advanced immensely since Kraftwerk’s Autobahn and Hancock used this brilliantly. The soul and funk influences are really evident on the other tracks in this fantastic album that is forever overshadowed by that one song — Rockit.

Weekly Wine – Passion

26 Jun

SONY DSCPassion of Portugal Red
13% ABV
$8.05 (LCBO)

For me, this is a love/hate wine. The all consuming question is do I hate it or love it passionately?
As I write this an sip the wine delicately, I like the wine. Do I love it? Do I passionately love it? No, on the latter but a guarded perhaps, for the former.
This is an inexpensive wine. The first taste alone will tell you that. It has an unrefined quality about it. But the thing is that it is not bad. It’s a late night kind of wine. Listening to Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits. Perhaps Edith Piaf. Perhaps a Portuguese singer — but not Nelly Furtado. It is late and you should end the night but there you are. Good music and a fair bottle of wine with a taste that has a presence on the palate. Of course the wine must be drunk out of plain water glasses.
I’ve had this wine on several occasions and depending on the ambiance of the time and place it has pleased and displeased me. In some situations the wine did not arouse a passion, either negative or positive, but did not earn a like.
Tonight, I am chalking it up in the like category, just shy of passionate.

More stuff

25 Jun

I’ve written about this before. Stuff and things. I have a lot of stuff and things and am getting more and more because it is now garage sale season. I buy something, for very little money, from someone and somehow it becomes useless but precious and dear here at home.
The vicious stuff and the horrendous things.
Looking for my ink-pad, I have revealed to myself that I have two drawers and a storage box that are chock full of office supplies. I also have a shoe box full of pens. Confounded stuff and terrible things. There will be a good purge tonight.
Then a trip to the dollar store to by another ink-pad.
I won’t buy any more stuff. Just one thing.

Moth Beauty

23 Jun

We were leaving a cottage on the Magnetawan River. This insect cane to say farewell. If all the forsaken insects that wanted a sample of our blood were so elegant, we would have stayed longer.

Weekly Vinyl – Wings over America

21 Jun

Wings over America
Paul McCartney and Wings
I bought this album during the Boxing Day sales from either A&M Records or Sam the Record Man. I know this because there was no other way I would have been able to afford a triple album as a very young lad. Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, was always an adventure — take the subway to downtown, wait in line for about half-an-hour to get into the store and then buy what you could afford. There were always amazing deals on albums on Boxing Day in Toronto.
I saw Sir Paul McCartney a while back on the Colbert Report and they noted that this album was being re-released with digital enhancement and all.
I’m not going to buy the new CD because I have the original album. I listened to this album a lot. One can say it is well worn. It still sounds wonderful. The band is on fire and is tight reproducing not just their songs but a bunch of Beatle tunes as well. The band is so tight some songs, actually most, sound like they were recorded in a studio with live cheering sounds added in the studio.
It’s a good album. I’m glad I hung on to it. I sold most, if not all, my other Beatles albums to finance other record purchases. It is a great live album that presents an artist at his peak.

Weekly Wine – Boyar

19 Jun

Domaine Boyar Cabernet Sauvignon
13% ABV
$7.95 (LCBO)
Bulgarian wine. To some this might sound like a frightening idea since Bulgaria is not well known as a wine producing country. I’ve had Bulgarian wine before. While I was in Poland as the whole system was crumbling in the late eighties and early nineties. You bought wine to have a change of pace from the vodka/beer standards. The wine that was readily available was Sophia — named after the capital of Bulgaria no doubt. All I remember is that this wine did not make anybody sick. It was unremarkable to say the least.
Now this wine is remarkable in that it is the first wine that I have tried since starting these reviews where the taste matches the price. There is a harsh edge to it. A kind of strange feeling, a sourness, as it washes down the back of my throat. The label proclaims there are sulphites and I think they are here in spades.
I took a look at all the reviews I’ve done so far and this is not the least expensive wine but this is the first wine that I’m not impressed with.
Drinkable? Sure. But only if you are normally ping-ponging in a vodka/beer loop.


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The good: 4th of July in Bushwick

This gallery contains 10 photos.

Hello there dudes! The week of the 1st of July was so packed for me that I haven’t even gotten the chance to tell you what what went down! I had quite a few friends visiting from Canada, Germany, and … Continue reading


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Toronto’s man at the Vatican: Father Thomas Rosica

Fr. Thomas Rosica, C.S.B., served as the Vatican's English language spokesperson for the transition in the Papacy during February and March, 2013

Wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, at his desk at Toronto’s Salt and Light Television, Rev. Thomas Rosica took a break from wearing his trademark white collar and black clerical clothes that millions of people have seen him wear on TV around the world.

His work clothes were at the dry cleaners, where he had just dropped them off hours after landing back in Toronto from a four-week whirlwind he calls, “the most intense period of (my) life.”

It was clear from the bags under his eyes and his occasional yawns that Rosica still needed to catch up on his sleep. Before sitting down to talk, he took a moment to show this reporter all of the climactic moments caught on camera by the Vatican Photographic Service, including one snapshot of Rev. Rosica and the new Pope Francis merrily greeting each other.

“From the moment I arrived on Feb. 18 until leaving yesterday morning [March 20], we were kept busy,” Rev. Rosica said. “It was an incredibly exciting, exhilarating, moving and exhausting experience. We worked 18 hours a day.”

Rosica, 54, is a Canadian Basilian priest, originally from Rochester, N.Y., and is the CEO of Salt and Light Television in Toronto, a Catholic news agency.

On Feb. 11, Pope Benedict surprised the world by announcing he would resign. On Feb. 13, Rosica received a phone call from the director of the Holy See press office, Rev. Federico Lombardi.

“He said, ‘When are you coming?’ I said, ‘I’m coming with Salt and Light Television. We’ll cover the activities in March when the conclave starts.’ He said, ‘No, come immediately.’ I said, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘Come immediately, I need help.’ So I went,” Rev. Rosica said.

His main duty was in dealing with the English language media at first, including translating for Rev. Lombardi during news briefings. But he soon started answering hundreds of questions for French, Italian, Spanish and German media too. Rosica also speaks Hebrew and Latin, understands Arabic and studied Biblical Greek.

Fr. Thomas Rosica, the last one to leave the Sistine Chapel before the first voting session of the Conclave began on March 12, 2013
Rev. Thomas Rosica, the last one to leave the Sistine Chapel before the first voting session of the Conclave began on March 12, 2013 (Courtesy Vatican Photographic Service)

While Rosica says he didn’t anticipate the magnitude of what he was getting into, at first, he is now thankful for the opportunity.

“I viewed all of this as a teaching. I didn’t view it as anything else. It was an opportunity to teach and to offer the good message of the Church,” Rosica said.

During his time at the Vatican, Rosica described the daily routine: mass was held at around 7 o’clock every morning in the Vatican’s crypt or at one of the altars. Following a quick breakfast, his work day began. His days ended around 9:30 p.m., after which he would have supper with colleagues in the Jesuit headquarters, where he was staying.

In addition to daily press briefings, Rev. Rosica was also interviewed approximately 165 times by global media outlets, up until the morning he left for Toronto.

“It was a tremendous privilege and a blessing. I’ve never been astounded by the numbers (of Catholics worldwide). I realized what we were doing, the world was watching,” he said. “And apparently a lot of people in this part of the world watched it on TV because I have 600 emails right now, so I’m trying to go through them, it’s extraordinary.”

A french-language journalist for Salt and Light TV, Charles Le Bourgeois, travelled to Rome with Rev. Rosica when he was appointed as the Vatican spokesperson. Le Bourgeois said it’s no surprise his boss was called because he has spent years proving himself to be a smooth communicator.

“He’s very professional, he knows the Church and Vatican very well because he was the director during World Youth Day in Toronto in 2002. After, he was spokesperson during the Synod about Word of God. After, he had the same role during the Synod of the New Evangelization and now the Vatican called him to say ‘Come to the Vatican because we need you,’” Le Bourgeois said.

Rosica kept in touch with employees back at the TV station while he was working at the Vatican.

“Fr. Tom is an incredibly talented person. Not only is he an amazing person just in terms of his priestly role he has, but as a CEO and as someone who is so deeply connected and so full of information, he’s an incredible resource,” said Cheridan Sanders, a producer at Salt and Light TV.

She chuckled because at one point, station staff were flicking through the channels and saw him on nearly every channel simultaneously.

“It was crazy,” Sanders said.

Alicia Ambrosio, another producer at Salt and Light TV, originally didn’t think much of seeing Rev. Rosica being interviewed on television.

“At first, it was ‘Oh yeah, Fr. Tom, whatever,’” Ambrosio said. But then folks around the world reported they had seen him in many languages.

“And we were like, ‘Wait, so last night he was on CBC, CNN, Spanish Teve, the Portuguese national television station and he’s been mentioned in twenty different articles that we’ve read. Wait, this is huuuge!’ That’s when it started to sink in,” Ambrosio said.

Rev. Rosica continues his full-time commitment at Salt and Light TV and is also head of Assumption University in Windsor.


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An Interesting Early European Flintlock Holster Pistol

$ 4,250.00

An Interesting Early 18th Century European Flintlock Holster Pistol, circa. 1690 - 1730.  13.5", .62 cal. worked steel barrel with a fantastic silver 'RAMPANT LION' and silver front sight.  The lock is deeply engraved with decorative scrolls and a LION (the top of the frizzen has been chipped).  Fantastic worked and engraved brass furniture includes a LION on the trigger guard bow, an open work side plate featuring a LION, and a royal crown over a shield escutcheon (vacant).  The stock is solid with decorative raised carving; several small period repairs, stress cracks, dings and scratches.  20.5" overall length.  Wood ram rod.  The pistol is in its original flintlock configuration.  A very interesting holster pistol that has seen a lot of action but has a great look !

Note; the touch hole is excessively large exhibiting the result of being fired hundreds of times.

Consignment; Collins Collection, 2015.


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What If…?

If Al Gore had become president in place of George W. Bush, we would have wound up with Joe Lieberman in Dick Cheney’s stead. Plus ca change

Don’t say the neocons don’t keep their bases covered.

4 thoughts on “What If…?

  1. Nick Bradley May 19, 2008 / 4:51 pm

    1. Invasion of Afghanistan would have still occured, but it would have been under a UN flag. No war in Iraq

    2. A carbon tax shift proposal would have been introduced that would have put a small carbon tax in place in exchange for an across-the-board payroll tax cut.

  2. Daniel McCarthy May 19, 2008 / 5:52 pm

    Good points. I think also 3. Wolfowitz would still have been deputy secretary of defense and 4. Feith woulda still been Wolfie’s deputy. Perle might have found a real position in the administration, too, since he’s always remained a Democrat, “out of respect for Scoop Jackson’s memory” or something like that.

  3. Black Bloke May 20, 2008 / 3:26 am

    If anyone thinks that Gore would’ve been a “different kind of president” than Bush is today I advise them to watch this:

    Now think back to pre-election 2000. Does anyone remember Bush talking about terrorism, Iraq, regime change, etc.? I don’t. And even if he was doing that, was it at the level and to the extent that Gore was doing it? Combine what we read of Lieberman’s speech, with what Gore said in the video, with Bill Clinton’s legacy, the 2001 recession and 9/11 attacks, and many of the same key players in the same key positions, and you get a sum not very different than today.

    There were no good choices in 2000, other than anarchy. It’s the same this year. Let’s choose wisely, shall we?

  4. Tim May 20, 2008 / 10:55 am

    I agree with (1) but I very much doubt it would have been under a UN flag. The UN may have been called in for ‘post-war’ ‘nation building’ (actually ‘nation creation’ in the Afghan case).

    I suspect the Iraq sanctions would have continued as they had before and the US would have continued to derail any attempts thru the UNSC to wind them back. This is just the continuation of the Clinton policy.

    On the Korean peninsula Gore would have probably continued the reasonably successful Clinton policy, a formula the Bush administration has reluctantly returned to after a hiatus that saw North Korea actually test the bomb.

    President Gore, perhaps eager to display US military power in the mid east and so, at least theatrically twink the nose of terrorists etc, would probably have turned up the Iraq Liberation Act a notch or two. At the very least this would have had some domestic popularity post-9/11.

    As Iraq was already somewhat gutted by years of war and sanctions, it is not out of the realms of possibility that a Gore run Iraq Liberation Act campaign, barely fitting the name covert, may have ultimately sparked renewed Shi’ite rebellion in western / southern Iraq. This time the ‘no fly zone’ would be used to prevent Saddam Hussein using his limited rotary wing air power against the rebels as he did after Gulf War 1.

    With Iraq under pressure, and perhaps falling apart between the hammer and anvil of US-manipulated UN sanctions and a US-sponsored insurgency, Turkey may feel it has a legitimate role to occupy rebellious Kurdistan, especially without the US Army to constrain them.

    Frankly with all this mess in our alternate reality Mesopotamia, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that some form of UN, or more likely, NATO “humanitarian intervention”, but with a larger European component, akin to the Kosovo intervention may actually see President Gore put US boots on the ground in Iraq. Indeed the usually perceptive Brendan O’Neill pointed out that this is what the French and German alternatives proposed before the real world US invasion actually amounted to.

    So maybe Iraq would be in the midst of insurgency today under the last days of President Gore. Perhaps with McCain and Jeb Bush running for the GOP candidacy against Lieberman and Clinton.

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African safari inspiration

May 12, 2015 at 1:48 pm Leave a comment

Still plugging away at my new African Safari postage stamp cushion series… and now I’m up to the elephant! The challenge is capturing those enormous ears – and the enormous size of these amazing animals – while still making him look friendly. Stay tuned…

Elephant postage stamp

Entry filed under: Cushions, Inspiration. Tags: , , , , , , , .

Saturday Special: Simplicity 8539 Saturday Special: Butterick 9265

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Monthly Archives: April 2015

“The Sky is not your Limit, God is!”

“It takes those who can see the invisible and touch the intangible to do the impossible!”

Tope Popoola

Tope Popoola is the Chief Empowerment Officer of HERITEK SUPPORT SERVICES, a consultancy outfit. He was for many years, the Executive Secretary of the NIGERIAN PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION. He also briefly served as the National Executive Commissioner for the Boy Scouts of Nigeria.

A seasoned administrator and Manager of men and resources, writer, inspirational speaker, pastor and entrepreneur, he is a man of many parts but only ONE passion – cultivating men and women of influence and affluence for whom godly excellence is a culture.

Tope Popoola is a widely travelled and highly sought-after conference speaker. A Trainers’ Trainer, he is

Tope Popoola, Life Coach

Tope Popoola, Life Coach

a Life Coach to many company executives. A Management Development Accredited Trainer, he speaks regularly on Leadership, Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship. He has been instrumental to the training of leaders from over 40 countries. He serves on the International Faculty of Haggai Institute of Advanced Leadership where he teaches on the subject of Leadership. He writes a weekly column EMPOWERED FOR L.I.F.E (Leadership, Impact, Finances, Excellence) in The Tribune, a national newspaper in Nigeria. He has featured severally on national and local television. He is the Host of a daily inspirational program on radio that reaches an audience of over 3 million.

He is an author and has written and published several books. His publications, LIVING INTENTIONALLY (published 2009) and FIRST THINGS FIRST – How To Live A Life of Priorities as well his recent one THE LEADERPRENEUR, have been rated very highly as veritable Leadership and Personal Development tools.

As a Pastor, he is the founding Overseer of THE BUSINESS CHURCH (Luke 2:49).

A consummate family man, he is married with children.

Is it possible to “befriend yesterday,” as you wrote in one of your blog posts? What if “yesterday” means a “past failure?”

The story of your life is told in THREE DAYS. I once preached a message titled “YOU HAVE ONLY THREE DAYS TO LIVE. This can be watched on our website You also referred to the writeup on my blog. The three days are yesterday, today and tomorrow. The way to befriend your yesterday is to learn the lessons it teaches. The past is meant to be a school, not a prison. If you do not learn the lessons of past failures, mistakes or even successes, you become a victim of your history and will live in regret mode. This only widens the distance between you and the future you desire.

Tell us, how people can leave behind a “victim mentality” and become “their best under God?”

To become your best under God, you must first be under God. Secondly, you must believe that no matter what happens, he has you covered. As Job said, “He knows the way that (you) take…”! TRUST is the key! Trust God more than you trust your circumstances or your feelings. Believe resolutely that God who created you did so with a purpose and a plan which are woven into the fabrics of your experiences. The pain we have from negative experiences for instance comes from our inability to embrace that plan or see such experiences as part of His story of our lives. Embrace the future. Believe that in God, where you are headed is better than where you have been. Catch a vision in God and use it to motivate you. A vision is the compass that guides into the future. It takes those who can see the invisible and touch the intangible to do the impossible!

What is behind the phrase you frequently use “The sky is not your limit, God is!” By the way, is this phrase of your own?

Yes, I coined that statement. It is often said that the sky is the limit. Whatever you set as limit already sets the boundaries of your achievement. The sky is a creature just like you. So, why would you like to

Tope Popoola speaking to business leaders in an international conference

Tope Popoola speaking to business leaders in an international conference

subject your life to something you were created to dominate? As you know, man has conquered the skies and ventured into planets beyond the skies that we see. Aircraft now fly up to 40,000 feet above sea level, far beyond the clouds. ‘Sky’ is defined by how far a man can see in the firmament. God is limitless. Greater than anything created. He is the Spirit of creation and creativity. He is beyond what we can see with naked eyes. Thinking with His mind simply takes your capacity beyond the stratosphere and makes you see possibilities beyond human comprehension.
By the way, by God, I mean the One who created the heavens and the earth, not any of the idols fashioned by men and worshipped by those who have no understanding.

Finally, what would you say to those who might not be followers of Jesus Christ but want to experience what you just shared with us?
There is only ONE WAY by which men can be saved from the shackles of sin. It is by committing one’s life to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Sin is primarily responsible for man’s depraved state. Trying to experience the liberty of the benefits of God without the knowledge of His Son Jesus is like trying to cross a deep and wide river without a bridge, a boat, an aircraft or even the basic ability to swim! To enjoy God, you begin with a relationship with Him through His Son as He has said in the scriptures, “there is no other name under heaven by which men must be saved except the name of Jesus Christ” It is as simple as that! To truly be a partaker of the unlimited and unlimiting blessings of the unlimited God, there is always a trade-off. But the good thing is that what you have to give up is that thing you can least afford to keep, your sin-nature!


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Albania - Alternative and nuclear energy (% of total energy use)

Alternative and nuclear energy (% of total energy use) in Albania was reported at 17.92 % in 2014, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources.

 albania alternative and nuclear energy percent of total energy use wb data
Trading Economics members can view, download and compare data from nearly 200 countries, including more than 20 million economic indicators, exchange rates, government bond yields, stock indexes and commodity prices.

The Trading Economics Application Programming Interface (API) provides direct access to our data. It allows API clients to download millions of rows of historical data, to query our real-time economic calendar, subscribe to updates and receive quotes for currencies, commodities, stocks and bonds.

Clean energy is noncarbohydrate energy that does not produce carbon dioxide when generated. It includes hydropower and nuclear, geothermal, and solar power, among others.

Albania | Energy & Mining


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Spain - Income share held by highest 20%

Income share held by highest 20% in Spain was reported at 41.83 % in 2012, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources.

 spain income share held by highest 20percent wb data
Trading Economics members can view, download and compare data from nearly 200 countries, including more than 20 million economic indicators, exchange rates, government bond yields, stock indexes and commodity prices.

The Trading Economics Application Programming Interface (API) provides direct access to our data. It allows API clients to download millions of rows of historical data, to query our real-time economic calendar, subscribe to updates and receive quotes for currencies, commodities, stocks and bonds.

Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.


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United Kingdom - Royalty and license fees, payments

Royalty and license fees, payments (BoP, current US$) in United Kingdom was reported at 12939516998 USD in 2015, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources.

 united kingdom royalty and license fees payments bop us dollar wb data
Trading Economics members can view, download and compare data from nearly 200 countries, including more than 20 million economic indicators, exchange rates, government bond yields, stock indexes and commodity prices.

The Trading Economics Application Programming Interface (API) provides direct access to our data. It allows API clients to download millions of rows of historical data, to query our real-time economic calendar, subscribe to updates and receive quotes for currencies, commodities, stocks and bonds.

Royalty and license fees are payments and receipts between residents and nonresidents for the authorized use of intangible, nonproduced, nonfinancial assets and proprietary rights (such as patents, copyrights, trademarks, industrial processes, and franchises) and for the use, through licensing agreements, of produced originals of prototypes (such as films and manuscripts). Data are in current U.S. dollars.

United Kingdom | Economy & Growth


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Contact a manager at, and we will find you a suitable Apartment or property from among our 90,000 offers across 50 countries around the globe

Apartment – Malaga, Andalusia, Spain

1,200,000 €
4,669 € /m²
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Total area: 257 m² 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms
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  • Total rooms: 5
  • Balcony or terrace

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Villa – Calpe, Valencia, Spain

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2 bedrooms 2 bathrooms
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  • Garden

Views: this villa situated in a magnificent urbanization in calpe, offers panoramic views of the sea and the rock of ifach. this built in 2005 in a rustic style. dispatched in 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, large lounge, dining ylavadero. it has a pool of 9 x 5 kidney type with jacuzzi and heat pump. extras: alarm, jacuzzis, pergola, water tank, large garden, etc…

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All 11 photo

Contact a manager at, and we will find you a suitable Villa or property from among our 90,000 offers across 50 countries around the globe

Business premises of 0 bedrooms in Torrevieja

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2 bathrooms
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Fantastic Sports Lounge, without doubt this is the most exclusive sports lounge in this well known Costa Blanca resort. Purpose built and designed this property is superbly presented and offers the very best in comfort even to the extent of having a specific VIP area; this is the standard that other businesses, of this type, need to measure themselves against. Here is a description compiled by the owner: A well-established sophisticated and trendy pool lounge with 15 metre bar in large freehold premises in a central location with high passing trade. Client base of 650 and fully equipped with alarm and security system, connected to the police headquarters. The premises are well maintained with no expense spared. There is an exclusive VIP area a large bar area, DJ equipment, and an office with private shower room. Customer toilet facilities include provision for the physically impaired, and are styled to the same high standard as the rest of the bar… The premises consist of 339 square metres internally. The main bar area has three red baize pool tables with a giant pull down screen and beyond is an exclusive VIP room with seating and a further red baize pool table. Currently trading six days per week and closed on Mondays. Opening hours 22.00pm till late.

Location and nearby objects

Cafe and restaurants

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Valeriya Chikalova
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