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Tourism and Leisure

This weekend

415 Grill—At the Hospitality House karaoke and DJ, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. 415 Richmond Rd.

Annual Charity Golf Tournament—Sponsored by James City-New Town Lions, 8 a.m. at Kiskiack Golf Course. Includes a silent auction and lunch. 259-6878.

Bellydance Social—Ages 13 and up runs 6-7:30 p.m. at the James City Rec Center. Monthly open floor dance time. 259-4200.

Berret’s Taphouse Grill—Kari Velandria performs 7-10 p.m., weather permitting. Free, no cover.

Better At Night Concert Series—Colonial Downs sponsors at the New Kent County track,...


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VLC All Church Retreat

Getting Away, Slowing Down, and Enjoying Life Together
Friday – Sunday, June 9-11

We will be gathering again at Camp Koinonia. This is a wonderful time to hang out with your church family on the beautiful Koinonia campus, nestled in the Santa Cruz mountains.

The cost for this retreat is:

  • Adult, ages 9+            $160
  • Children, ages 3-8      $80
  • Children, under 3        Free

Click here to register and pay for this retreat. If you have any questions, please contact Ken Karnes.

Men's Prayer Gathering

Men's Prayer Gathering – Saturday, May 6, 2017

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!
Psalm 133:1, NASB

Dave Tousley has opened his house for a men's prayer gathering on Saturday, May 6, from 9–10am. If you are looking for some encouragement or want to be a blessing to a brother in Christ, please consider spending an hour in fellowship and prayer this Saturday morning.

To RSVP or for more information, please click here to email Dave.

Dave & Betsy Tousley
1138 S. Daniel Way
San Jose, CA 95128

Please add this event to your calendar.
iCalendar  •  Google Calendar  •  Outlook  •  Outlook Online  •  Yahoo! Calendar

Community Classes for Spring 2017

The Spring Session of our Community Classes start on Tuesday, March 28 and continues each Tuesday until May 30, 2017.

Our community classes are a missions effort to reach our neighborhood with the love of Jesus in practical ways. The classes we offer are ESL (English as a Second Language) and Kids' Club. We want people to know that we love them before we say that Jesus loves them. These classes are on Tuesday evenings, 7pm. Please consider where and how you would like to help. Thank you.

ESL – English as a Second Language

A shared meal at the end of a 10 week session. People and food from all over the world!

A shared meal at the end of a 10 week session. People and food from all over the world!

ESL is a part of our Community Classes. The Spring Session starts March 28 and continues through May 30. It's a free class to our neighbors who need help in learning conversational English. The class is conducted in small groups led by a teacher. There is no cost for the class. Students can just arrive at the class, register, and the registrar will place them in a group of like competency with English. Please spread the word! A class like this can be life-changing, not only for the students but their families as well!

If you are interested in helping with ESL, please arrive at 6:45. We can find a place for you to lend a hand. Thank you!

Kids' Club at VLC's Community Classes

On Tuesday evenings (March 28 – May 30), we host Community Classes for adults seeking help with learning English or getting a handle on their finances. The spring session starts March 28 at 7pm. There are quite a few families that need childcare in order to make these classes work for them. We have provided a Kids' Club for these families.

Each season we look to add people to the team that would love to hang out and play with these kids. As well, we need help with set-up, clean-up, and being available as a runner for supplies or whatever is needed. The ages of the children in this class range from toddlers to pre-teens. If this is something you enjoy doing and have the evening available, please email Brook Fonceca by clicking here. Thank you!

Shopping Resources for Guatemala Donations

Families Helping Families

Each summer Valley Life Church hosts a service trip to Guatemala through Now Is The Time For Missions. The purpose of this trip is to BE the good news to our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in the areas surrounding Antigua, Guatemala. A significant part of this trip is to provide clothes to children of families living in extreme poverty. We bring on average 2000 pounds of donations each summer, most of which are clothes. Throughout the year we collect and receive donations of new and like-new clothes. Our goal this year is to bring as much new clothing as possible, and only bring the best of the like-new clothing items. In order to do this, we need to be intentional with our donation purchases. Below you will find links to email lists from some stores that we have found to have great deals on children's clothes. Please sign-up to these email lists to receive announcements of sales as well as special coupons that will stretch your donation purchases.

Children’s Clothing Items We’re Collecting

New Items:

  • Socks
  • Underwear
  • T-shirts/undershirts
  • Anything from the list below.

New or Like-New Items:

  • Non-branded shoes for school or sports
  • Fleece jackets
  • Conservative children's clothes

School shoes are required for Guatemalan children to attend school.
  • Black Oxford or slip-on shoes for boys.
  • Black Mary Jane shoes for girls.
Scroll to the bottom of the homepage
to sign-up for their email list.
Click here to go to the Payless Shoes homepage.

If you want to shop for shoes through a local store, we recommend going to the Payless Shoes on Hamilton Ave. in Campbell. (781 W Hamilton Ave, Campbell, CA 95008-0402, 408-370-6860) Speak to the store manager, Esperanza, and tell her that Betsy sent you there to buy shoes for Guatemala. She has offered us 25% off for the shoes listed above.

Be the first to know about new arrivals, big sales & exclusive email offers. If you are a new subscriber, Old Navy will give you a 30% off coupon for your first purchase.
Click here to sign-up for Old Navy's email list.

Great kids clothes at a good price. Scroll to the bottom of the homepage to sign-up for their email list. The Children's Place will give you a $10 off coupon for signing up.
Click here to go to The Children's Place homepage.

Name brands at an affordable price. Sign up for our email Sale Alerts today and save an extra 15% on your next purchase in store or online!
Click here to sign-up for Kohl's email list.

    Easter Brunch with Our Neighbors, April 16, 2017

    A part of our Easter Sunday Celebration is a shared meal with our neighbors after the gathering and Egg Hunt. We will do brunch!

    Our Easter brunch will be a shared meal. We need your help to make sure we have enough food for all. Please bring three times the amount you would normally bring to the monthly shared meal. These are some items we're looking to serve.

    • Baked egg dishes (quiche, strata, breakfast casserole, etc.)
    • Pastries (including muffins, doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, etc.)
    • Fruit and veggie platters
    • Your favorite brunch dish!

    If you know what you would like to bring, please click here to let us know

    A Family Easter Celebration

    SUNDAY, April 16, 10AM — 12PM

    Easter is a time of celebration! We can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to invite all our Santa Clara neighbors to join in with us.

    Bring your family and friends and help us celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This gathering is a family friendly church service with live music, dance performances, goodie bags for the kids, and refreshments for everyone after the service.

    Our hope is that as you join us, you will not only enjoy yourself but will experience God’s love as we spend time celebrating the new life offered to us all in Jesus Christ.

    Neighborhood Family Festival 2017

    A Festival with a Mission

    Inviting the neighborhood for a time of food, friends, and fun in an environment where they can experience the generosity and love of God and find the opportunity to participaate in changng the lives of needy families in Guatemala.

    If you are interested in helping with the festival, please contact Ken Karnes by clicking here. Check out the festival website by clicking here

    VLC Youth Gatherings for March, 2017

    The VLC Youth Group meets twice a month on Sundays in Room 20 of the VLC campus during the VLC worship gathering.

    Here is what Gio Serrato said regarding March's gatherings.

    For the month of March, we'll be talking about finding our identity in Christ. In order for us to understand that we must first understand who Christ is and what he did for us. We will also be exploring what doors are opened when we discover who we are in Christ. As for the "youth night," we either want to have a movie night at our place or go out mini-golfing or something.

    Here are the scheduled youth gatherings for March.

    • Sunday, March 5 – Our Identity in Christ
    • Sunday, March 19 – Our Identity in Christ, Part 2
    • Saturday, March 25 – Youth Night (Activity TBD)

    Financial Peace University

    A nine-week class that will change your life and give you peace! Class starts January 10 at 7pm.

    Are you worried about money? Would you like to live in peace with regards to your finances? Then you need to check out Financial Peace University. FPU is a 9 week video course, featuring Dave Ramsey, starting January 10 at 7pm. If you are interested, the first lesson is free! All you need to do is register to attend by visiting the FPU website. If you want to continue, the cost is around $100 including materials. For more information visit the Financial Peace University website or talk with Pastor Stuart.

    Guatemala Mission 2017

    Registration Opens Friday, December 16, 2016

    Below is a message from Shawn Smith regarding this summer's mission to Guatemala.

    "Feliz Navidad from Guatemala!

    Next summer, Shawn and Damaris Smith, Directors of "Now Is the Time for Missions", are hosting their 12th annual mission to Guatemala to love and serve hundreds of children in the name of Jesus, who are living in extreme poverty.

    Since 2006, Now Is the Time For Missions has safely hosted over 1,500 volunteers ages 7-77, from all over the U.S.

    They know that many of you have talked about joining them on their mission someday, so they made this video especially for you…

    If you have EVER wanted to go on a mission trip…

    …and if you have EVER wanted to serve children living in extreme poverty in a powerful, transformational way...

    ...and if you EVER wanted to share this experience with your children, spouse, or friends…

    ...NOW is your chance, and NOW is the Time…

    Shawn and Damaris really need your help next summer, more than ever…they are trying to serve more children next summer than ever before!

    Please consider serving on one of their mission teams for a week or two next June or July.

    Registration launches on Friday, Dec 16th, and spots are limited to 40 volunteers/week.

    If you are interested and want more information, please click here to email Pastor Stuart, and Click here to sign the Guatemala 2017 mailing list and find more information about this year's mission.

    Guatemala Mission 2017 Information Page

    This mission opportunity may never be offered again.

    Now is the Time…because there's never a good time to go!

    Thank you for your help and support of this important mission project, and Feliz Navidad from Shawn and Damaris, and our Brothers and Sisters in Christ in Guatemala."

    Christmas Eve Gathering

    Our Christmas Eve Gathering will be on Saturday, December 24 at 6pm.
    It will be a fun time of signing Christmas carols, listening to Scripture readings, hearing children's Christmas story, and a candle lighting. Following the service there will be refreshments, so bring a plate of Christmas cookies. We look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ with you! See you there!!

    Back to School Shopping

    As summer winds down, and we return from vacations, we start thinking of back to school shopping. It's an event/expense we're all too familiar with.

    Did you know that your back to school shopping can benefit Valley Life Church and Santa Clara Christian School? In fact, all of your Amazon.com shopping can be a source of support for us.

    Simply click on this link. It will take you to Amazon.com. Amazon will give us a percentage of any purchases you make during that shopping session. Once you follow that link into Amazon, make sure you bookmark that website address so that you can return to it anytime, not just for back to school shopping. Thank you for your continued support!

    Guatemala Child Sponsorship

    On Sunday, August 7, we are launching our Guatemala Child Sponsorship program. Our sponsorship program is a way for us to continue the benefits of our summer mission project to the children and families in the communities surrounding Antigua, Guatemala. Sponsorship provides the means for these children to stay healthy and get an education. The money you donate monthly ensures that child gets medical and dental care, school supplies, school uniforms, and other necessities. For more information or to sponsor a child, visit valleylife.org/sponsorship.

    Fall Women's Retreat

    Ladies, mark your calendars for this gathering, October 21-23. This weekend retreat at Old Oak Ranch with Margaret Feinberg is one you won't want to miss. Not only do you get to experience life changing ministry, you also get to hang out with friends on the beautiful Old Oak Ranch campus in the mountains above Sonora, CA.

    If you are interested in going, please click here to let us know. Thank you!

    Click here for retreat information and how to register.

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Rioting teen Nathan Kotylak and family face backlash, forced to leave home

Denise Ryan, Vancouver Sun

(Story published June 18, 2011.)

VANCOUVER -- For Nathan Kotylak and others caught on camera during the Stanley Cup riots, the consequences have been swift and devastatingly public.

Vigilante retribution delivered via social media and online “name and shame” sites is delivering what may well be life sentences to riot participants while the legal system is just beginning to work its way toward due process.

Kotylak, a 17-year-old star athlete photographed apparently attempting to light a police car on fire, has been vilified online. A UBC student photographed leaving Black & Lee Tuxedos with a piece of clothing in her hands has been called out online by one UBC donor, who is threatening to pull his annual donation if she isn’t expelled.

Some have been fired.

Alex Prochazka, 20, a professional mountain biker, was photographed during the riots with a T-shirt emblazoned with the name of a sponsor. He has since lost multiple sponsorship deals and told The Sun, “I didn’t go there for the riot, I went for the hockey game and got caught up in the hysteria of it afterwards.”

They’ve all been exposed through photos and videos posted on social media sites.

All will have a lot of explaining to do well into their futures, and some whose only crime was standing by after the riot act had been read are also being targeted as troublemakers.

Kotylak and his family had to flee their home last Thursday night after their address appeared online, and threats started coming in said his lawyer Bart Findlay.

Mayor Gregor Robertson said he understands the public anger: “I feel it too, but we have police and a justice system to deal with this thoughtfully.”

On Sunday, Kotylak released a long written statement, taking full responsibility for his actions, apologizing and expressing shame and remorse.

Robertson said Kotylak’s statement is a positive step. “It’s important that those responsible come forward and own their tragic mistakes, and accept the consequences.”

He expressed dismay at the growing rage targeted at individuals in online forums.

“It’s unfortunate to see the hatred boiling over on websites. It just makes things worse, and ramps up the hatred and the anger we were all shocked by during the riots.”

Robertson, who has been downtown every day at the “citizen’s wall” where Vancouverites have gathered to share messages of support, said the escalation of hostilities online is not helping.

“The online forums have gotten pretty ugly. It enables a whole dark side of our psyche to go public ... it’s too bad and I hope it turns around quickly.”

After Kotylak released his statement, the Twitter chatter was immediate, and much of it was hostile, even questioning his motivations.

Lawyer Bart Findlay said his client is deeply sincere. “Nathan felt very strongly that he needed to make an apology. He feels horrible about what has happened.”

Although the 17-year-old’s photos and identity has been beamed around the world through social media sites, his identity in traditional media is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

On Friday, Kotylak made an application to provincial youth court to seek permission to come forward and name himself although, ironically, he had already become the social media poster boy for the riots.

In the statement, the youth apologizes to his friends, family, teammates and the Vancouver police and the public for “becoming part of the mob mentality that swept through members of the crowd” after the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup.

Like other rioters that have been unmasked online, Kotylak has already been delivered consequences. He has been provisionally suspended from the national water polo team, did not attend his high school convocation ceremonies this week and will likely face criminal charges.

Findlay said the young man’s father, a Maple Ridge surgeon, has had to temporarily close his medical office.

“The mob mentality that took place at the riots is now happening on social media. The family is very disturbed ... they have concerns for their safety,” said Findlay.

If a young offender is charged, mainstream media would be prevented from publishing the child's name, but social media is unlikely to abide by the same rules.

Christopher Schneider, a UBC sociologist and expert in criminology and social media, said the massive online reaction to the Vancouver riots is unprecedented and potentially as groundbreaking as WikiLeaks.

“There will be a lot of fallout, and we will probably see a lot of case law coming out of this.”

It will also, perhaps, change the way citizens move in the virtual world, forever. “The mob mentality has moved into cyberspace for the first time.”

Schneider said: “Many of the comments are horrific, threatening things that these people might not normally say.”

“There is a profound disconnect between who we are online and in life. We are still learning how to be cyber citizens,” he said.

A photo of a person, or a joke posted on Facebook, could be taken out of context. “This could ruin people’s lives even if they are cleared in court.”

In an interesting twist, although the photo of Kotylak holding a lighter to the gas tank of a police cruiser has become one of the most unforgettable images of the riot, further video provided by a bystander appears to show he did not set the car ablaze.

Schneider said it’s an example of how individual images may not tell the whole story.

Schneider, who was targeted with online death threats himself after being misquoted by a news source about the riots, said, “It’s important to remember that there is no real anonymity online. If you are making credible criminal and death threats, you can be found.”

with files from Matthew Robinson


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Breaking News

Oil tops China-Nigeria talks agenda

ABUJA â€“ China’s For eign Minister Yang Jiechi held talks with Nigerian officials Friday on oil exports to energy-hungry Beijing.

China was looking for imports but negotiations with Nigeria had only started, said Yang, who is on a tour of Africa.
“Of course, in China, we do need to import oil from other countries including Nigeria but at the moment, I think we have just made a beginning,” he told reporters at the end of a closed-door meeting.

Yang said the two countries enjoyed “good cooperation” in energy matters and “it is a mutually beneficial relationship and progress has been made”.

He gave no details of the talks which were also attended by former OPEC secretary general and Nigeria’s Oil Minister Rilwanu Lukman.

China’s state oil giant CNOOC last year made an offer to buy six billion barrels of oil from Nigeria, but the bid was turned down. The amount is equivalent to one in every six barrels of the proven reserves in Nigeria.

The bid pitches China into competition with Western oil giants operating in Nigeria including Shell, Chevron, Total and ExxonMobil.

Nigeria was for years Africa’s largest oil exporter but it has been caught up recently by Angola.
China has aggressively stepped up trade and economic ties with the resource-rich Africa in recent years, prompting critics to accuse it of taking a “neo-colonialist” attitude.

Yang said Nigeria’s exports to China shot up about 50 percent in 2009. “We are going to import even more from Nigeria,” he said.

In November at a meeting of China-Africa leaders in Egypt, Beijing pledged 10 billion dollars in concessional loans to African countries.

The Friday talks also discussed boosting communication technology and the development of Nigeria’s dilapidated railway infrastructure, officials said.

A 257-million-dollar Chinese-built satellite launched into space less than two years ago for Nigeria’s communications’ revolution failed last year and could not be recovered.

On the political front, the west African giant, struggling to regain the international clout built during former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s era, is also seeking Chinese government backing for its for a UN Security Council seat.

“We believe that African countries deserve a bigger say within the framework of the UN Security Council,” said Yang pledging to work closely with Nigeria in attempts at reforming the UN Security Council.

Immigration, security, extradition issues were also lined up for discussion, said the ministry of foreign affairs, adding that Nigerians had built up a reputation for violence, drug-trafficking and over-staying their visas which is an “embarrassment to the image” of the country.Yang has already been to Kenya and is due to continue on Saturday to Sierra Leone, Algeria and Morocco.

Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.


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Breaking News

Revealed: What Amodu needs to inspire Eagles

Onochie Anibeze
Hassan Shehatta, the coach of Egypt was in the central defence for Egypt during the 1980 Nations Cup in Nigeria. He was in the team that Nigeria beat on their way to winning their first ever Nations Cup, the only other time being in Tunisia in 1994.

Hassan was a warrior of many battles for Egypt. He was a great player and could now be regarded as great manager. He was in charge when Egypt won the Nations Cup in Ghana.

You cannot say that of the Nigerian coach, Shuaibu Amodu. He did not play for the national team and was not a star player in any top Nigerian club. He was in Niger Tornadoes when they were in second division although he was a good full back.Â  Still, you cannot hold that against him.

From Arsene Wenger to Jose Mourinho and to Ottmar Hitzfeld,Â  the world of football has known great coaches who were never top players. But the difference is that while these coaches stamp their authority in their teams, national team close observers believe Amodu does that outside the team. The confidence Amodu displays before the media, in meeting and before FA officials somehow eludes him before the players who are all based in Europe, a seeming complex, one may conclude.

One top Nigeria Football Federation official told this reporter early this week that the day Amodu overcomes this problem, he will be a better handler of the national team â€œbecause he was not like this when he coached BCC and some other clubsâ€.Â  He hopes that there will be a change when Eagles begin their battle in Angola with their first matchÂ  against Egypt Tuesday.

â€œI expect a change in the few days we will train in Durban. If Amodu exudes confidence and becomes authoritative before the players, some seriousness will set in,â€ the top official said in a friendly discussion in which he said that he felt free to discuss with this reporter knowing that â€œyou are mature enough not to quote me.â€

Eagles have consistently exposed flaws in marking collectively. They allow opponents a lot of space and this has always counted against them. Again, they lack aggression and their reaction to counter attack is not fast enough. These three major problems were pointed out by this reporter and the top football official totally agreed and consequently opened up on the coach who leads Nigeria to the Nations Cup and hopefully to the World Cup in South Africa.

â€œI think that Amodu knows he has these problems in the team but Iâ€™m not sure he can be hard on the players to effect a change. The day he develops such guts that will make him insist on certain things in training and match situations then the world will see a different coach in Amodu because he is not as bad as people portray him in terms of knowledge of the game. But he simply lacks authority and that compounds issues. It doesnâ€™t help him in implementing ideas. Letâ€™s hope he changes. If he does, it will show in the game of the Eagles. Letâ€™s hope he changes and takes absolute control of authority in directing the team tactically and otherwise.â€

Amodu will need authority to face a side coached by Shehata, a team so bruised by their failure to qualify for the World Cup in spite of their belief in their good game and history. They have won the Nations Cup a record six times and boast of clubs so professionally run that Europe is not a major attraction to many of their players. Amodu may need to be more imposing to ginger his players to action. He begins with Egypt on Tuesday. Nigerians are wishing him luck. But he needs to command the game and deserve the luck that everybody prays for including his opponents.

Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.


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Breaking News

El-Rufai to Buhari: “Our APC administration has failed”

Kaduna state Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, in an alleged memo to President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2016, told the President that the All Progressives Congress, APC, party “has not only failed to manage expectations of a populace that expected overnight ‘change’ but has failed to deliver even mundane matters of governance outside of our successes in fighting BH insurgency and corruption.”

He also said in the letter that, ““Overall, the feeling even among our supporters today is that the APC government is not doing well.”

Mr. El-Rufai also told President Buhari that he(Buhari) remained Nigeria’s only hope now, adding that it is not too late to reverse the situation. He also said in the memo that “…it is also clear to many of us that have studied your political career, that so long as you remain in the political landscape, no Northerner will emerge successfully on the national scene.”

He said,“All those wasting time, money and other resources to run in 2019 either do not realize this divinely-ordained situation or are merely destined to keep others employed and rich from electoral project doomed to certain failure.”

Buhari and El-Rufai

Read the full letter below:

  1. Background:

In April 2015, I sent a short memorandum to you, Sir – then as president-elect. We never discussed the memo in detail and I am not even sure you got to read it bearing in mind the levels of human traffic visiting you in those heady days.

I crave the indulgence of Mr. President to please read the memo(attached herewith as Annex II) and see how like every aspect of life, the memo was sometimes presciently accurate and at the same time off-target! Itis on the basis of that message, and my commitment to write anytime I feel compelled that matters of urgent national importance confront you, that I address this with greatest respect and humility.Mr. President, SirI address this and other past memos with all sense of responsibility for at least three reasons.

First, I owe my modest political ascendency so far toyou. Without your adoption and trust reposed in me and the recognition you have shown in spite of attacks on my person by some people around you, I will not be where I am today. I remain eternally grateful for this.Secondly, Sir, poll after poll in Kaduna State before and after the 2015 elections clearly show that my fate politically and otherwise is uncannily tied to yours. If you do well, I stand to benefit immensely. If you do not do well Sir,whatever I try to do in Kaduna matters little to my present and any future political trajectory.

Finally, Sir, I am of the strong opinion and belief that you are our only hopenow and in the medium term of saving the Nigerian nation from collapse, and enabling the north of Nigeria to regain its lost confidence, begin to be respected as a significant contributor, and not the parasite and problem of the Nigerian federation.Mr. President, it is also clear to many of us that have studied your political career, that so long as you remain in the political landscape, no Northerner will emerge successfully on the national scene.

All those wasting time, money and other resources to run in 2019 either do not realize this divinely-ordained situation or are merely destined to keep others employed and rich from electoral project doomed for certain failure. As I explained to you shortly after your election in April 2015, you have to run again in 2019 if your objectives of national restoration, economic progress and social justice are to be attained in the medium and long term.

You must therefore succeed for the good of all of us – individually and collectively, and particularly those of us that have benefitted so clearly from your political ascendance.Mr. President, Sir As stated in my April 2015 memo, you have inherited serious political,economic and governance problems that you had no hand in creating but now have a duty to solve.

These inherited problems were aggravated by the continuing slide in crude oil prices and the renewed insurgency in the Niger Delta that reduced oil production by more than 50 per cent! In my honest opinion, we have made this situation worse by failing to be proactive in taking some political, economic and governance decisions in a timely manner.

In very blunt terms, Mr. President, our APC administration has not only failed to manage expectations of a populace that expected overnight ‘change’ but has failed to deliver even mundane matters of governance outside of our successes in fighting BH insurgency and corruption.

Overall, the feeling even among our supporters today is that the APC government is not doing well.It is in light of all the foregoing that I intend to analyze where we are, and present some suggestions for Mr. President’s consideration and further necessary action in three areas –

Politics, National Economy and Governance

  1. Political Situation:

Mr. President would recall the tribulations we went through with membership registration, congresses and the first national convention. And with the games played by various groupings within the party, it is correct to assert that you got elected in spite of our party leadership, and not due to its wholehearted support.

At the moment, with the appointment of B.D. Lawal and Dikko Radda to executive positions in the Federal Government, we have no more than one or two clear supporters or sympathizers in the NWC out of 20 members. We have no footprint in the party structure today and this situation can remain unchanged until the national convention of 2018!

Mr. President, Sir Your relationship with the national leadership of the party, both the formal(NWC) and informal (Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso), and former Governors of ANPP, PDP (that joined us) and ACN,is perceived by most observers to be at best frosty. Many of them are aggrieved due to what they consider total absence of consultations with them on your part and those you have assigned such duties.

This may not be your intention or outlook, but that is how it appears to those that watch from afar.This situation is compounded by the fact that some officials around you seem to believe and may have persuaded you that current APC State Governors must have no say and must also be totally excluded from political consultations, key appointments and decision-making at federal level.

These politically-naive ‘advisers’ fail to realize that it is the current and former state governors that may, as members of NEC of the APC, serve as an alternative locus of power to check the excesses of the currently lopsided and perhaps ambivalent NWC.

Alienating the governors so clearly and deliberately ensures that you have near-zero support of the party structure at both national and state levels. It is not too late to reverse the situation.You appear to have neither a political adviser nor a minder of your politics.

The two officials whose titles may enable them function as such generally alienate those that contributed to our success. The SGF is not only inexperienced in public service but is lacking in humility, insensitive and rude to virtually most of the party leaders, ministers and governors. The Chief of staff is totally clueless about the APC and its internal politics at best as he was neither part of its formation nor a participant in the primaries, campaign and elections.

In summary, neither of them has the personality, experience and the reach to manage your politics nationally or even regionally.Those of us that look forward to presenting you again to the electorate in 2019 are worried that we need to sort out the party’s membership register,review the primaries system to eliminate the impact of money in candidates election, and reduce the reliance of the party on a few businessmen, a handful of major financiers and state governments for its operations and expenditures.

A surgical operation is needed in party machinery, financing and electoral processes if the future political aspirations we desire for you will not be made more difficult, if not impossible, to actualize.Mr. President, Sir It is a constitutional reality that to succeed, the Federal Government must work harmoniously with two other arms of government; the National Assembly and the Judiciary.

These relationships need improvement as well.The relationship with the Senate was marred by the betrayal the party suffered at the hands of many of its members, while the recent ‘padding scandal’ has created tensions with the leadership of the House of Representatives.

These challenges are difficult, but not impossible, to fix once the Judiciary concludes the Saraki cases in a timely manner.The paralysis within the National Judicial Council in the face of the current worrying state of the Judiciary, compounded by the lack of harmonious relationship with the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and the all-important Federal High Court, make the expeditious disposal of the Saraki cases not only unlikely, but puts the administration at risk of a humiliating loss of some key anti-corruption cases.

Once again, it is not impossible to reverse the situation.Mr. President, Sir The public service we inherited is the product of one and a half decades of doing business in the mould of the PDP. The senior public servants are largely corrupt, with a sense of entitlement that they have a first claim on the country’s resources, before any is spent for the benefit of the 99.5 per cent that are ordinary Nigerians (and voters!).

Persons on director grade today in the federal public service were mere Grade Level 9-10 officers when President Obasanjo took office in 1999, so PDP’s way is the only way they know and are comfortable with. Due to these orientational and ideological differences between the federal public service and what you believe Mr. President, most of them are unable to serve you with integrity, dedication and commitment. We therefore generally have an uneasy relationship with the bureaucracy as well.

This state of affairs is far more difficult to reverse immediately, but must be attempted if you are to succeed, as no nation develops beyond the capability,competence and capacity of its public service. It is within the realm of both politics and governance that you must navigate to extract the best out of the public service while suppressing its base desires.Mr. President, Sir This memo started with the state of our politics because it trumps everything else. If we don’t get the political machinery smooth and working, it will be a miracle if we are able to get the economy and governance right.

The distraction of genuinely unhappy political actors will affect our ability to face our national problems; we need to pull together in the same direction to resolve them.We have been incredibly lucky and successful so far without the support of,and in spite of, the prevailing patron-client political system, Mr. President.

Weare now in power and in a position to shape our national political culture in your image through active stakeholders and process engagement. We are not engaging at all, and taking things and important matters for granted. The consequences can be negative.

  1. The State of the National Economy:

Without any doubt, Mr. President, you inherited an economy in dire straits.The Yar’Adua-Jonathan administrations not only blew the national savings of about $27bn in the excess crude account (ECA) and ran down over $40bn in foreign reserves they inherited in 2007, but earned and wasted nearly $300bn of oil and gas income between 2007 and 2015. At the time you were sworn into office, ECA was down to some $2bn and net reserves (allowing for swaps, forwards and other set-offs) were less than $20bn with little or nothing to show for it.

Between 2007 and 2014, we used to earn an average of over $3bn monthly from oil and gas sales and taxes. By May 2016, this had collapsed to about$500 million. Mr. President, it is a simple truism that no nation loses nearly 80per cent of its foreign exchange earnings without significant reprioritization and painful adjustments. This is a message we have failed to transmit to Nigerians clearly and we must. This, however, is merely the symptom and simplest explanation of our current economic problems.

However, we cannot, after more than a year in office continue to rely only on this ‘blame them’ explanation. We were elected precisely because Nigerians knew that the previous administration was mismanaging resources and engaged in unprecedented waste and corruption. We must therefore identify the roots of our enduring economic under-performance as a nation, and present a medium-term national plan and strategy to turn things around.

We must persuade Nigerians that they have to withstand the individual pains of today for the collective gains of tomorrow.With a clear economic strategy that shows our citizens some light at the end of the tunnel, it is not only easier for them to sacrifice and bear some pain,but enough to highlight the wasted opportunities, wrong choices and sub-optimal decisions made by previous administrations. We have no such clear roadmap at the moment.

Mr. President, SirIn this era of global interconnectedness, nations compete viciously in the economic arena – for a larger share of international trade, investments, maritime and aviation services, and a whole raft of knowledge-based services and industries. This competition is neither moral nor fair, even if the advanced nations pretend to present it as such to those that are gullible.

No one cares about, or will ‘help’ us unless we get our act together and organize our political economy and national affairs to be regionally, continentally and globally competitive. It is not rocket science. In the last 50 years, many countries in Asia (Japan, China, Malaysia, Singapore, etc.), and Botswana, Mauritius and Seychelles in Africa have done it.

We can do it within a generation, and we must begin this journey of redesigning our political, economic and governance structures, systems and staffing for superior performance and global competitiveness as soon as possible, under your leadership!Mr. President, SirIn every crisis there lies an opportunity for fundamental change.

The current crisis of reduced oil production, unit prices and earnings, which has led to the deterioration of the exchange rate, escalation of levels of debt and interest rates, and reduced levels of industrial production and employment constitutes an opportunity for our nation to change decades of bad habits and wrong direction in our political economy and governance.

This crisis should not be wasted.Devoid of all the economic jargon and the many, even conflicting, opinions of the experts, the Nigerian economy suffers from the following fundamental and structural defects that must be addressed for us to move forward:i.

Oil Revenue Addiction:

The nation’s economy, politics and governance are centered around, and focused on distribution of easy oil and gas revenues amongst all tiers of government.

The Nigerian economy has therefore been consistently reliant on oil and gas revenues – averaging 90% of foreign exchange earnings and 80% of government revenues, and accordingly characterized by low levels of:a. national savings averaging about 15% of GDP evidenced by the low levels of ECAb. taxes (5% of GDP versus global average of 20%), andc. investment (FGN’s recurrent budget is 107% of its revenues and the capital budget is only nominally 30% of total budget, and is entirely borrowed).

Rentier Economy, Perverse Incentives:

Easy oil money creates anunproductive society with weird incentives. Today, our best andbrightest people are attracted not to productive endeavors and sectorslike agriculture and manufacturing, but ‘get-rich-quick’ schemesparticularly in the telecoms, financial services, wholesale and retailtrade, and the extractive industries, that appear to offer quick returnswithout creating jobs, adding very little value or doing little or nothing. Awhole generation of Nigerians now believe that not only does corruptionpay very well, but that honesty and hard work do not pay at all! This hasto change and only you Mr. President has the antecedents to lead this.

iii.Persistent Infrastructure Deficits:

No society can develop without physical and governance infrastructure. Our consistent reliance on government control, funding and management of the infrastructure sectors has led to persistent inefficiencies, corruption and escalating deficits:

, which is the heartbeat of any modern economy is in very short supply in our country. Currently, we produce less electricity than the city of Dubai. The electricity supply industry whose reforms began in the year 2000, earlier than the reforms of telecoms, is now in serious crisis and nearly at the point of total collapse.

Water supply, which is largely under the purview of sub national governments, is also in crisis, exacerbated by the failed participation and intervention of the Federal Government bureaucrats interested only in awarding contracts, collecting kickbacks and not caring if the projects are completed or even feasible in the first place.

Transportation– interstate (Federal) roads are generally in a state of disrepair. The national rail system is still the colonial narrow gauge constructed by the British for the extraction of needed raw materials rather than for the encouragement of intra-national trade and connectivity. The dual track, standard gauge national railway system initiated by the Obasanjo administration in 2006 has been partly abandoned in favour of piecemeal implementation of sections rather than the integrated programme.

There is significant potential in the development of inland waterways but there has been no serious effort at seeing the dredging of Rivers Niger and Benue to completion. The aviation sector is largely private and mostly insolvent. Virtually all the major airlines are beholden to AMCON, and their services are poor,unreliable and expensive.

ICT infrastructure

is slightly ahead of other sectors due to thederegulation and privatization efforts of 2001. We have nationwideGSM system but without full 3G and 4G networks. Furthermore,there is as yet no national fibre optic backbone with redundantsatellite back-ups in case of natural disaster.

E-Governance infrastructure

with a foundation in a national biometric identification system is almost non-existent. While the NIMC is struggling to register 10 million Nigerian adults out of some 100 million, we have wasted billions in parallel biometric ID systems (FRSC, INEC, PenCom, Nigeria Immigration Service,NCC, CBN’s BVN, etc. to mention a few) without a central,validated and rogue-free AFIS engine.

The national potential to deploy these data and linking them with GIS, Land administration and tax compliance has therefore not been realized.Mr. President, Sir It is not difficult to reverse these negative trends and change the narrative to one of a nation with a growing, efficient and well-managed national infrastructure. All the plans and strategies are there. What is needed is political will, technocratic capacity and focus, which you, Mr. President must ensure are present here and now.iv.

Absence of a Clear National Strategy of Export Orientation and/orImport Substitution:

Countries like Nigeria with large internal markets tend to first pursue generic import substitution strategies before graduating to some form of export-oriented industrial strategy. Small countries like Singapore are forced by their demographic circumstances to aggressively export to survive.

It is a matter of regret that with the exception of cement (2003-2007),Sugar (2008 to date) and Automobiles (2012 to date), no clear effort along any of the two strategies has been invested in recent times by governments. Indeed, only the cement strategy initiated by the Obasanjo administration appears to have totally succeeded.Today, our country spends between 45% and 60% of our foreign exchange earnings to import what it should be producing (food and fuel).

Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, OFR Governor of Kaduna State September 22, 2016

Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.


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Breaking News

Warning to Men: These 3 Foods is killing your Erection.

Have you ever found it hard to get into the mood with your partner, or maybe you cannot get yourself up again after just the first round?

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 Fried Foods

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Consuming trans fatty acids can also cause abnormal sperm production in men and interferes with female gestation. You and your significant other would be wise to skip the french fries at dinner, since they could be at fault for more than one sexual problem.

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Any refined carbohydrates, like those found in bleached white flour and white rice, are bad news for your sex drive. This includes many pastas, cereals [rice and wheat], breads, and snack foods like crackers, cookies, and chips.

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Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.


text:
Saturday, May 13, 2017

Gifts for Mother's Day!!! #LoveandRelationships

Mother's Day is round the corner and the market is flooded with various gifts, flowers, schemes in restaurants and pizza hubs.

Since a decade or so, the celebration of this day has kicked the market and the children's emotions are satiated by celebrating this day and the market does a brisk business on such celebrations.

When we were young, we weren't aware of the celebrations but thanks to technology and globalization, now we too ardently wait for the celebration on this D day.

My idea is to gift something which can be readily used by the receiver and a Mother, a symbol of love craves for love and care from her offspring and though at the time of the birth, the connection is severed but the connection of hearts remains intact throughout life.

Gifts for Mother's Day:

1. A beautiful saree or the latest trend of sober dress can be a great gift for the Moms. Buy a dress of her color choice and give her a surprise. She will be very happy for your concern for her and I am sure she will turn emotional while accepting the gift.

2. Perfume can be one of the best gift for Moms. Before buying, introspect her dressing table and find her choice and give her a surprise.

3. Trendy Jewelry: Women and jewelry are indispensable, so buy it for her as your pocket allows. If she is longing to have some piece of jewelry but aren't able to make it, buy for her. She would be touched. Generally, Moms are more concerned about their children and save for them and in the run of saving for the future, at times, they sacrifice their wishes. If you are earning, gift her the piece that she longs for.

4. Lady Purse: A purse as a gift can be wonderful and the size of the purse should be in respect of her profession or wish. A child well knows their mother's choices, so gift her accordingly.

5. Cosmetics & Skin care Products: These days market is flooded with cosmetics & skin care products of all range. Gift her according to her skin type and cosmetics as per her choice. Women love to dress and maintain her style and her favorite product will tickle her soul.

 6. Coffee Mug: Gift her a coffee mug with her image imprinted on it. She will love to have coffee and if you are staying long distance, this small token of love will always be cherished by her.

7. Book a table at restaurant: Take her out to the market and surprise her with her favorite cuisine. She always presents sumptuous meals, throw a party on this eve.

8. Cook her favourite dish and melt her heart by your hard work and love.

9. Gift her a voucher of spa and she will be delighted to relax at spa rejuvenation program and will feel fresh and lively.

10. Gift her a bunch of flowers of her choice, sing a song for her and submit yourself fully on this day.

Mother's day is not a day to be celebrated. Celebrate everyday by showering love and concern for her keeping tantrums aside.

Women love to flaunt their wardrobe and are conscious about her looks and persona and these gifts will help her to maintain her style and a gift from her children are really heart warming for her.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love. Stevie Wonder

  1. That's a good list. Personally, I love a hug and maybe dinner with the family outside 😊

    1. Thanks Naba for stopping by....yeah visit to a restaurant would be lovely and is in my list of options.

  2. Happy Mother's Day, Ila! Lots of choice in gifts for Moms. I must agree with Naba - I prefer to spend it with family enjoying something together!

    1. Wish you the same Vidya. Spending time with family with gifts is a wonderful thing, any Mom will cherish.

  3. I am pretty sure if I ask my mom what she wants, she would say grandchildren �� Purse sounds like a great option.

  4. What a beautiful post Ila .All moms love saree ,jewellary and spa therapy.We cant go wrong with it.Thanks for linking up with #Mondaymommymoments

    1. Thanks Amrita...a surprise gift does wonders n Mom feels special. She is special but receiving gifts from the fragments of her heart is in-explainable...beyond words.

  5. Lovely post and great list. I love flowers and music. Also some me time will be great. Thanks for linking up with us #MondayMommyMoments :)

    1. Thanks Deepa...point 10 is about flowers, music and me time for child n Mom.


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Joseph Scaminace ’71 returns to VASJ as keynote speaker at career fair

More than 40 alums and community members, along with the entire student body, gathered in the gym on Wednesday morning for VASJ’s career fair. Careers ranging from law enforcement to engineering, and everything in between, were represented. Students were able to visit the tables of their interests and ask questions about the various professions.

The keynote speaker was Mr. Joseph Scaminace, a 1971 graduate of St. Joseph High School and a very proud Viking. Mr. Scaminace, who has had a long and very distinguished career in business, is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Director of the OM Group, a leading global provider of specialty chemicals, advanced materials and unique technologies.

Mr. Scaminace has been deeply loyal to his high school alma mater and has been a major supporter of VASJ. He was the Presenting Sponsor of this year’s Vikings Classic Mixer, which was the most successful fundraising event in our school’s history.

Scaminace spoke to the students about finding their calling and the profession that is right for them. “Not all of us are going to know what we’re meant to do. Listen for it,” he said. “When I was sitting where you are, I didn’t know what my calling was.”

Scaminace attributes much of his success to his time spent at St. Joseph High School. “This school had a huge impact on who I am today,” he said. “It grounded me in my faith and taught me values that I carry with me today.”
He shared some of those values with the students: respecting people, being a team player, acting with integrity, “and most importantly,” he said, “(VASJ) taught me to be humble.”

Overseeing more than 8,000 people globally, Scaminace knows what it takes to be an effective leader and shared his leadership secrets and expertise with the students. “Every single interaction with another human being is important,” he explained. “You will build bridges with every interaction and these bridges will help you along the way.”

Scaminace encouraged the students to start developing their leadership skills now, during their time at VASJ. “My bet is on all of you. Because Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School is great and all of you are great.”

A special thank you to all of the alums and community members who took time out of their busy schedules to educate the students.


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Improving Performance in a Complex World

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improve and sustain performance in an uncertain, volatile and complex world by turning that complexity and uncertainty to your advantage.

We do this by

enabling a deeper understanding of the cause-and-effect relationships driving performance within your organisation and with your suppliers, customers, competitors and regulators

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• Improve insight driving better decisions
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• Encourage experimentation

Ventana can provide you with everything you need from consultancy, software and training to analysis and project support.

See a breakdown of who we have helped and where.

More about Ventana Systems.

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WoW held up StarCraft II for a year

Monday, 29 June 2009 18:29 GMT By Patrick Garratt

Blizzard boss Rob Pardo’s told EG that work on World of Warcraft is to blame for the fact StarCraft II’s taken so long to finish.

StarCraft II dev started in 2003, but Blizzard didn’t even announce the game until 2007. Apparently Blizzard’s had a playable version of the game since late 2005.

“One of the reasons that StarCraft II had some delays very early on in development is because a fair amount of the design team went onto World of Warcraft for a year to really help finish that game off,” Pardo said.

“They had a lot of really great experience to bring, with their knowledge of how they approached the map editor problems, how they dealt with balancing – which we could then leverage into class balancing.”

Beta very soon. Hit the link for more.


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The 30 Wildest Twitter Rections to Keyshia Cole Taking Shots At Beyonce

It looks like the Twitterverse is at it again. Yesterday, Keyshia Cole slammed Beyonce’s new single “Bow Down/I Been On,” and Bey’s fans have already unleashed more than a few harsh words towards the singer and her career. The stans may have damaged their keyboards this time with these tweets. Take a look a some of the most wildest jabs to Keyshia Cole. It’s all in good fun, right?


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Pipeline foes face off via online videos

Aug 26 2012
Enbridge's video — which omitted island in Douglas Channel — has sparked criticism from opponents of the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline to Kitimat.

Enbridge's video — which omitted island in Douglas Channel — has sparked criticism from opponents of the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline to Kitimat.

Photograph by: Enbridge Inc.

Videos are the latest weapon in ongoing wrangles over the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline.

Hot on the heels of outcry over an Enbridge animated video that omitted 1,000 square kilometres of islands from Douglas Channel, a videographer has produced a video titled This Is Not an Enbridge Animation, which has drawn more than 40,000 views since being posted a week ago.

The video was created by Dave Shortt, a supporter of Dogwood Initiative, a public interest group opposed to Northern Gateway, and shows dramatic nature scenes from along the planned pipeline route.

"I think a lot of British Columbians live here because of the environment and how beautiful it is," Shortt said.

"To think we would risk that in any way so a company can make more money doesn't make sense to me."

Shortt said he was surprised at the amount of attention the video was attracting.

Images of spawning salmon, frogs and dragonflies are interspersed with scenic shots giving the distance along the pipeline route.

When the video reaches Kitimat, the port where the pipeline would end, the caption reads "Yes, these islands are real too," and concludes with "Let's get real about what's at risk."

The video then links to Dogwood Initiative's notankers.ca petition.

"That has resulted in 2,400 new signatures on the petition in the last two days," said Emma Gilchrist, a Dogwood spokeswoman.

The petition has more than 130,000 signatures.

The Enbridge video, posted on its website, includes a disclaimer saying it is "broadly representational."

Opponents of the pipeline accused Enbridge of trying to mislead the public with the video, but the company said the video, with stylized trees and sketches of snow-capped mountains, was an obvious animation.

Enbridge spokesman Todd Nogier said the video was "illustrative purposes only," and "meant to illustrate the pipeline route, not the marine aspects of the operation."

The proposed pipeline, which would carry bitumen from the Alberta oilsands to Kitimat, from where it would be shipped by supertanker to Asian markets, is under environmental review by a joint federal panel.

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Calogero Kisses Jane

The clip Calogero kisses jane from A Bronx Tale (1993) with Lillo Brancato, Taral Hicks

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text: With all the christmas lights up, its the perfect setting for me as a wedding videographer to create a really beautiful festive wedding video. Anthony and Rachel's wedding day was only a week from Christmas and everyone was feeling festive. The beauty team Amanda Conlon (Makeup Artist) and talented Hair By Jacqueline, looked after the ladies. Balla Florists Mayo, achieved a warm festive feel with their amazing flowers. Setting up some killer shots was local photographer Corinne Beattie. This helped give the wedding video a beautiful natural flow. It was great to catch up with all of these local wedding suppliers just before the Chrimbo! Check out Rachel's festive foot ware in their wedding video highlights below. Thanks to everyone for their warm welcome on the day at Castle Dargan Sligo.


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Pre-Launch Giveaway! Asian Dumplings Online Class - Viet World Kitchen

« Cozy Asian Pumpkin Recipes and Ideas | Main | Stovetop Salmon Teriyaki Recipe »

October 24, 2013

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  • Welcome! Join me to explore and contribute to the culinary traditions of Asia.

    Andrea Nguyen
    Author + Teacher + Consultant
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Sunday, November 14, 2010

The Birthday Boys

Happy Birthday to the two Mr. A's!
Not quite the big one yet, but nevertheless, still a milestone.

Aren't they just "two peas in a pod?!"

Pin It!

On Crooked Creek said...

What a great day to celebrate!
59 and holding! "Mr. Ed" celebrated his 60th last Thanksgiving Day. . .it was a true day of celebration with son and daughter~in~law! Thanks for sharing this milestone in your family's life!

Anonymous said...

I have a message for the webmaster/admin here at

Can I use part of the information from this blog post above if I provide a backlink back to your site?

The Tablescaper said...

What a great way to celebrate, by the fire with a fluffy one!

- The Tablescaper

Mariette said...

Dearest Delores,

Happy birthday to both of them!

Have a great week.

Kathy said...

Wow that is special, don't you sometimes wish you had twin, I do. They are adorable

Sarah said...

Happy Birthday to the Mr. A's! I'm married to a twin myself. ;-)

Patricia Torres said...

aaaww.. thats a fabulous birthday!! Happy Birthday!

Kathysue said...

Happy Bday to the two Mr.A's. it is fun to see them sitting side by side, like seeing double!!xo Kathysue

Lori E said...

Are they twins? Happy Birthday to the both of them.

Lori Lucas said...

Ha! I just spent the day celebrating the birthday of my twin nephews, Landon and Layne. They turned 18. My nephews also look exactly alike, just as your birthday twins. Happy Birthday to them! Lori L

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

Ahhh. I get it. At first the photo was smaller and I thought the second Mr. A was the lap pooch...then as I expanded the pic...I saw mirror image A!

Happy Birthday. Twice.

Rose H (UK) said...

Happy birthday to both!

Rettabug said...

How fun it must be to have a twin!! Happy Birthday to your Mr. A & his brother, as well. This is a great photo...I think you should frame it for each of them.

Loved your India inspired table, too. Very cozy there by the fireplace.

ButterYum said...

Two peas indeed! Happy birthday to the both of them!!

NanaDiana said...

Well, I had my laugh for the morning! When I first opened this up all I saw was the MR holding the dog....I thought-Okay she is joking and the pup musta had a birthday too. However, then I scrolled down and saw everyone's response and went back up to the picture and realized I was only seeing part of it....the other side of the picture didn't show until I double clicked on it.

THAT being said~ Happy Birthday to the Twins! Hugs- Diana

Linda in AZ * said...

* EVERYBODY'S always so fascinated with TWINS... and that includes me, too!!!

Our precious grandnieces are cutie-pie, lil' toeheaded twins, & we love 'em to pieces... and they're soooo different from each other!!!..... Are YOUR "boyz" really different too???

HAPPIest of HAPPYNess to both of them!!!

Linda in AZ *

Nancie Mills Pipgras said...

It looks the celebration was a lovely evening. The world is a better place because of these Mr. A's.

eddieross said...

Happy Birthday to the two of them! That is a perfect picture for this post!!

Johanna said...

Hi Delores,
it is really funny but it happened to me the same as to NanaDiana. It took me a while to discover the twin. Now I also want to say:
Greetings, Johanna

Gayla said...

What a great picture. Neat idea!

Suzette said...

Happy Birthday Mr. A! Love your blog!!

aneyefordetail said...

Happy late birthday! What a great moment/picture!

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Our 10 Best Cookies in NYC

Dining trends may come and go, but cookies are eternal. And for good reason: There are few foods that more skillfully combine comfort, nostalgia, pleasure, portability, and economy than the cookie, be it thin and crispy, plump and cakey, molded into bars or served as sandwiches stuffed with marshmallow fluff, buttercream, or gelato.

The word “cookie” derives from the Dutch koekje. And while cookies arrived in America before the Dutch did, New York, thanks to its first Dutch settlers, can lay claim to the word itself, which was subsequently Anglicized and spread across the land. So in a nod to both the city’s history and its current abundance of superlative bakeries, we present our picks for our 10 best cookies.

As always, our list may not conform to your own, so feel free to tell us what we missed — or perhaps have never had the chance to try — in the comments section. And please note that while some may define brownies as cookies, we don’t; also, as much as we love them, we’re not including ice cream sandwiches, either, as they merit their own list.

10. Momofuku Milk Bar’s corn cookie (everything that’s good about a corn muffin, in cookie form), 207 Second Avenue, no phone

9. Boomtown Bakery’s mint Oreo cookie (gluten-free and vegan, and still utterly delicious),

8. Little Buddy Biscuit Company’s ginger-molasses cookie (chunks of crystallized ginger, spice, and plenty of chew), 635 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-369-6355

7. The Meatball Shop’s brownie cookie (dense and chocolaty as a brownie, complete with a crackly shell), 84 Stanton Street, 212-982-8895

6. The Treats Truck’s peanut butter sandwich cookie (basically just peanut butter, butter, sugar, and perfection),

5. Birdbath Bakery’s chocolate chip cookie (perfectly straddles the crispy-chewy divide, and packs enough butter and chocolate to incapacitate an elephant), multiple locations,

4. Takahachi’s almond-miso cookie (chewy and soft, with both floral sweetness and salty depth), 25 Murray Street, 212-791-5550

3. Baked NYC’s whoopie pies (cakey, creamy, and utterly deserving of their namesake exclamation), 359 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn, 718-222-0345

2. Levain’s walnut-chocolate chip cookie (weighing in at almost a quarter-pound thanks to hefty cargo of whole walnuts, butter, and chocolate, considered by many to be the form’s Platonic ideal), 167 West 74th Street, 212-874-6080

1. Bouchon Bakery’s Nutter Butter (a transcendental riff on the childhood favorite; capable of inducing both food comas and hot, salty tears of joy), 10 Columbus Circle, 212-823-9364

Most Popular


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News & Politics

WaPo Investigation Finds $300 Million in Earmarks Redirected by Congress for Pet Pork Projects

A new, investigative report from the Washington Post reveals that congressmen have diverted, in total, nearly $300 million in congressional earmarks to projects that benefit them or their families directly. These projects included:

  • Funding to widen a 1.5-mile stretch of road near property belonging to a Texas representative’s family.
  • A $100 million renovation of a downtown Tuscaloosa area near a senator’s commercial office building.
  • A $486,000 bike lane near a Michigan representative’s home.

Earmarks (sometimes referred to as “pork spending”) are nothing new. Many congressmen often point to the amount of federal money they bring to their home states as proof that they serve their constituents well — one senator is so proud of pork spending that he actually voluntarily refers to himself as the “King of Pork”! Politicians have been using them for years to bring federal money to their home states, under rules which are loose at best.

The funding riders are tacked on to large, popular bills, and therefore often receive little scrutiny for content or appropriateness. Until recently, congressmen (and women) were even allowed to trade stocks based on insider information from government hearings. (Fortunately, a new bill will likely put that practice to an end.) So, no, there is no reason it should come as a surprise that congress members are benefiting themselves through their positions.

Since congress writes its own ethical rules, none of this is technically illegal, and the people responsible aren’t even required to disclose it publicly. The rules only state that politicians and their families cannot be the sole benefactors of the spending, which makes projects OK as long as they are in areas that the public also has access to (roads, parks, downtown business areas).

Here’s to pork! May it always be free-flowing and succulent.

Go to Runnin’ Scared for all our latest news coverage.

Most Popular


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Type of Venue

Or Venue Name

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image for Restaurant - Pub item typeAlfredadd to shortlist

Restaurant - Pub, free entry

Located in Meanwood, Alfred takes the baton from North and runs with it. Amazing drinks are brought to your table by welcoming and knowledgeable staff in surroundings that mix your local social club with 50’s Hitchcock.

Alfred also serve cheese boards which generally include smoked cheese, something local and something vile and French etc. Chorizo, hams, all that fancy continental stuff. Stuff to make your burps smell spicy and put hairs on your chest.

Saturdays and Sundays are special because Alfred also have cakes baked by a beautiful local lady and they open early in the afternoon. So you see, although they may not be a food destination – they are willing to keep you in decent snacks.

On-site cateringOn-site light refreshmentsPublic toiletsAccepts groups

Mobile phone coverageDisabled accessDogs not accepted (except guidedogs)Smoking not allowed

Opening details

Monday – Friday: 17:00pm – 23:00pm
Saturday: 13:00pm – 23:00pm
Sunday: 13:00pm – 22:00pm

Free entry

6 Stonegate Road,

See location of Alfred on Google mapsSee location on Google maps

Map reference: SE 286369  Lat: 53.82837 Long: -1.56583

By Car:

Starting from Leeds City Centre, start out on East Parade and continue driving forward onto Calverley Street at Junction 4 (Civic Hall) continue forward onto Calverly Street. Turn right onto Portland Way and turn left onto Woodhouse lane keeping in the left-hand lane then at traffic signals continue forward onto Woodhouse Lane. Then turn right onto Shaw Lane and turn right onto Stainbeck Avenue.

By Public Transport:

There are plenty of bus services from Leeds City Centre.

  • On-site cateringOn-site catering
  • On-site light refreshmentsOn-site light refreshments
  • Public toiletsPublic toilets
  • Accepts groupsAccepts groups
  • Mobile phone coverageMobile phone coverage
  • Disabled accessDisabled access
  • Dogs not accepted (except guidedogs)Dogs not accepted (except guidedogs)
  • Smoking not allowedSmoking not allowed


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Amber Preload Bolt Headset (discontinued)

Amber Preload Bolt Headset V14-headset cap-group
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Product Amber Preload Bolt Headset
Riding Type Freestyle
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Type Lightweight Alloy Bolt Designed To Keep Your Headset Adjusted Properly. Extra Long Threads w/ Cut Lines for Removing Excess Length
Colors Matte Black, Matte Red, Matte White, Matte Blue, Matte Purple, Matte Gold
Weight 0 lb 0.5 oz (15 g)
Miscellaneous Buy at
Price $7.99
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We’re conducting a survey and would appreciate your input. Your answers will help Vital and the BMX industry better understand what riders like you want. Survey results will be used to recognize top brands. Make your voice heard!

Five lucky people will be selected at random to win a Vital BMX t-shirt.

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Dr. Allen Kessler II MD Patient Reviews

  • General Surgery Salem, VA

Vitals cannot verify whether or not this professional is currently practicing. We recommend that you attempt to contact the provider to verify their status. Please email us at if you have any additional information.

Overall Rating

  • 1 patient rating
  • 1 comment

1 Patient Reviews

  • Highly Satisfied
  • Satisfied
  • Neutral
  • Dissatisfied
  • Highly Dissatisfied
  • Wait Time 15 minutes
  • Easy Appointments
  • Promptness
  • Friendly Staff
  • Fair and Accurate Diagnosis
  • Bedside Manner
  • Spends Time With Patients
  • Appropriate Followup

Showing 1 - 1 review

5.0 of 5
June 12th, 2012
Wait time
15 minutes
Easy Appointment
Friendly Staff
Fair and Accurate Diagnosis
Spends Time with Patients
Appropriate Follow-up
He is an excellent surgeon.Sharp , right to the point.He is a real gentleman; kind , caring and very knowledgeable.His skills and professionalism exceeded my expectation.
Was this review helpful? Yes No

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Patient Reviews

Reviews reflect patients' level of satisfaction with the care they received from this provider. Dr. James Major xhas an overall rating of 3.8.

Dr. James Major, MD is a Doctor primarily located in Tucson, AZ. He has 39 years of experience. His specialties include Geriatric Medicine and Internal Medicine. He speaks English.

Find out the languages this doctor/ or staff may speak.

Learn where this doctor attended medical school.

Locations & Directions

Camp Lowell Medical Specialists

3190 N Swan Rd
Tucson, AZ 85712

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Patient Reviews

Reviews reflect patients' level of satisfaction with the care they received from this provider. Dr. Melvin Mackler xhas an overall rating of 4.2.

Specialties & Expertise

Dr. Melvin Mackler has the following 17 areas of expertise, 1 specialty and 1 board certification.

A urologist is a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating conditions affecting the male reproductive system, as well as the urinary tracts of both males and females.
These doctors cover the kidneys, ureter, urinary bladder, adrenal glands, urethra, and the male reproductive organs which include the testes, epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate and penis. Some common disorders that urologists treat are urinary tract infections (UTI), stress incontinence, benign prostatic hyperplasia, kidney stones, erectile dysfunction, kidney cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and cystitis. These urological specialists also perform vasectomies and vasectomy reversals.

See areas of expertise for treating specific conditions, procedures and surgeries for this doctor.

Board Certification

See the board certifications this doctor has received. Board certifications provide confidence that this doctor meets the nationally recognized standards for education, knowledge and experience.

Locations & Directions

Urological Associates Florida

8940 N Kendall Dr
Miami, FL 33176

Urology Center of South Florida

7400 SW 87th Ave
Miami, FL 33173

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VN CARES Relay for Life Team

Every year, VN CARES  participates in the UC Davis Relay for Life hosted by the American Cancer Society to spread cancer awareness, celebrate the lives of cancer survivors, remember those who we have lost to cancer, and fundraise for cancer research.

Relay For Life is an exciting 24-hour event where participants camp-out on a UCD grass field to raise cancer awareness.  Participants are encouraged to walk, jog, run, sprint, and frolic around the track as many times as possible to support the fight against cancer.  Prior to the event, participants are asked to raise money and gain sponsors to support them at the event. Then during the event, they can continue to raise money though sponsors (who will donate certain amounts of money for every lap completed) or by selling items to teams participating in the event.

Many teams host exciting games that aim to educate participants about cancer, as well as to raise money for the American Cancer Society.  Entertainment consists of various games and competitions amongst teams, including the scandalous cross-dressing talent show–Mr. and Mrs. Relay. UCD clubs will also be present to keep participants amused with various performances, and guest speakers will be there to inspire us to continue to fight.

Relay for Life History

In the mid-1980s, Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma colorectal surgeon, wanted to enhance the income of his local American Cancer Society office. He decided to personally raise money for the fight by doing something he enjoyed – running marathons.

In May 1985, Dr. Klatt spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma for more than 83 miles. Throughout the night, friends pair $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him. He raised $27,000 to fight cancer. That first year, nearly 300 of Dr. Klatt’s friends, family, and patients watched as he ran and walked the course.

In 1986, 19 teams took part in the first team relay event on the track at the colorful, historical Stadium Bowl and raised #33,000. An indescribable spirit prevailed at the track and in the tents that dotted the infield.

One person can make a difference.

Copyright © - VN CARES. All Rights Reserved


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Sentencing of Syrian Student Blogger Not Unusual, Says Activist

  • Cecily Hilleary

Sentencing of Syrian Student Blogger Not Unusual, Says Activist

Syria’s Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) this week sentenced a 19-year old student blogger, Tal Al-Molouhi, to five years in prison - allegedly for spying for a foreign government.

Her sentencing came just two days after sharp criticism by the U.S. State Department. Last week, spokesman P.J. Crowley called the charges against al-Molouhi “spurious". He called on the government of President Bashir al-Assad to release all prisoners of conscience and allow Syrian citizens the right to free expression. Al-Molouhi was arrested in December 2009 and held secretly for a year. Her trial took place behind closed doors, so few details of the case are known.

Syria’s SSSC is not part of the country’s regular criminal justice system. The New York-based Human Rights Watch says the SSSC functions only to silence those who criticize or threaten the Syrian government. Defendants sentenced by the SSSC do not have the right to appeal their verdicts.

Anas Qtiesh is a Syrian blogger and activist. He is also an editor for Global Voices Online.

Hilleary: What do we know about her case--and just how typical is it in Syria?

Qtiesh: Her unfortunate sentencing is definitely the norm in Syria for people who are perceived to be online dissidents. Other bloggers or online journalists have received sentences of between three and five years in the past, so her sentencing is typical. And even the period in which she was held incommunicado – we’ve seen it before with other Syrian bloggers such as Tariq Biasi.

Anas Qtiesh
Anas Qtiesh

Hilleary: What kinds of restrictions do Syrian bloggers face? Are websites monitored?

Qtiesh: Oh, absolutely. Public web cafes are required to copy information off of photo IDs of people who wish to use their computers to get online. They are provided with monitoring software by security agents. And bloggers have been arrested through being monitored through these programs.

So even though Facebook is open and YouTube is open, it’s just an intelligence-gathering tool.

Hilleary: What about your own experience blogging in Syria - how careful did you feel you had to be?

Qtiesh: In Syria, unfortunately, the “red lines” are not clear, so you don’t really know exactly what is okay and you’re always worried that what you write might or might not put you in trouble. So this promotes common sense or practice of self-censorship. You have to make a conscious decision whether you want to use your own name or just go with a pseudonym online, which a lot of bloggers feel affects their credibility. So they prefer to use their real names and just suffer the consequences--which unfortunately happened to Tal al-Molouhi.

Personally, I tried to push the line a little bit. I was writing in English, so I felt a bit safer. But I wrote against online censorship and I promoted tools to circumvent the censorship.

Hilleary: Recently, [Syrian] President al-Assad told the Wall Street Journal that he would be pushing through some reforms--among them, a new media law. What kind of laws are already in place and what would change?

Qtiesh: The current media law does not apply to the internet. It’s archaic and basically just enforces a pervasive level of censorship. They talked about a new media law, but I see it as just extending those same controls to online platforms, whether it be news websites or even blogs and social networks.

Hilleary: Recently I read - in your blog, as a matter of fact--that Syria’s Telecom Minister, Imad Saboni, was calling for an end to internet censorship. How did that go down in government circles? And is this a sign of division in the government on these issues?

Qtiesh: In Syria, Ministers of Telecom come and go really fast, compared to other ministries. The situation is that the Ministry of Telecom does not have a say in what websites get censored or not. I don’t know if it signifies division or not, but I think it basically signifies that some people who are part of the government oppose the censorship and see it as ineffective. And it actually is, because everybody can just go around it.

There’s just this inner conflict between the Old Guard, who are set in their ways with monitoring and censorship, and people who see that these methods do not work in this day and age. So it’s definitely signifying a transfer in the mentality and way of thinking in the government. And we might see some more changes soon. But unfortunately, what we saw with Tal al-Molouhi makes me a little pessimistic about the possibility of this happening as quickly as needed.

Hilleary: Can the US play a role in helping to secure some of these reforms?

Qtiesh: Syrian internet users suffer daily from the US sanctions. Some very basic software that is necessary for everyday use is blocked due to the sanctions. Software such as Google Chrome Browser or Google Earth and necessary software that you need to run a computer properly and have a complete online experience that allows you to express yourself, to get information, to get education online. And continuing the sanction policy is definitely harmful to the people and it certainly does not help with the anti-American sentiment that the US is definitely trying to combat.

NEW: Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter
and discuss them on our Facebook page.


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