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The Blog that's not always wrong.

Thursday, 11 June 2009

If it aint broke don't fix it

Well I knew I wouldn't be able to do it and so did all of you. You know, the 'ostrich' approach thingy towards transfer rumours. I kept it up for nearly 24hrs and then in a moment of stress in the early hours cracked and posted on the rumour about Van Nistelroy.

Since then I have indulged several times. My name is JimmyG2 and I am a rumour addict. I made the pledge to ignore the transfer window because I seriously thought that we had reached some sort of understanding about stability and some kind of contentment, with the team, especially the defence, in view of our good finish to the season.

Now there is not a team in the world that cannot be improved, but in view of our poor starts for the last three seasons due in no small part to the constant turnover of players and managers there seemed to be an appreciation that the priority was for a settled team to deliver this.

Its not the fact that we are being linked to several dozen players and that most of the team will apparently be sold that unnerves me. That is just the normal press feeding frenzy and it can be ignored though not completely as I have proved. It is the apparent abandon of many Spurs supporters who cheerfully embrace the idea that four or five players in and perhaps more out will enable us to start the season well.

Harry has certainly earned himself another season at the very least. The team has shown signs of playing to its potential; defensive records have been broken; injured players have returned with some success; the youth teams have done extraordinarily well and we still have some talented youngsters who may well make the step up.

However the lure of foreign stars, exotic names, bargains too good to be missed, fashionable players to replace the unfashionable ones as some have it, holds sway. Never mind that most of players who are an improvement on what we have won't come, and that the rest are no better and will need time to integrate.

My advice to Spurs fans is 'always look a gift horse in the mouth' especially if its 33 yrs old and been out for 7 months with a recurring knee injury. Nor do gift horses usually demand £70 thousand pounds a week in oats and hay. There isn't even an empty stall in the stable.

Is there some sort of attention span deficit problem with football supporters in general and Spurs fans in particular? In the old days you identified with the team and its players. Familiarity was part of the deal. There was a two way loyalty between players and fans. Players like Ledley and Gareth Barry were the norm: a decade at a club was nothing. You can't be a true Tottenham player if you are just in transit. I'm not suggesting we return to the slave conditions of the 50's but we seemed to have thrown the baby out with the bathwater.

Of course success is a powerful magnet and you are more likely to retain your players if you are playing regularly at the top level as Man. Utd have shown. But at the moment we are an escalator to higher things for the Carrick's, Berbatov's, and Keane's of this world and regrettably the Lennon's and Modric's. Keane's return was not only a kick in the teeth for those that stayed but a demonstration of our 'bitch' status in the general scheme of things.

This season things are made more complicated by the sudden riches showering down upon Man. City who have the ability along with Chelsea to outbid us on any top player we might fancy. They did so last season with Bellamy which just goes to prove that too much money clouds your judgement. I wouldn't have signed him if he had been on a free and accepted an 'Opus' as his first week's wages.

With the steady improvement of Everton and Villa and Fulham, to get into the top six this year will be an achievement which I would be very pleased to welcome. But the usual impatient stirrings are evident. If we just get a left winger, get some back up for Ledley, sign another left back, upgrade the midfield and the strikers we will be able to challenge for top four. I make that at least five new signings, which in my view is four, or even five too many.

Harry has moved from 'two or three top,top signings to 'three or four, whoever we can get' and the transfer window isn't even open yet.

Arrange the following words into a well known phrase or saying: broke, it, don't, it, aint, fix, if.
There's a clue in the title.

Tuesday, 9 June 2009

To be ( there ): or not to be (there )

In response to a recent thread about the release of a further 1500 season tickets leading to a lack of tickets for general sale I found myself responding to the joy of some of the new season ticket holders with the words 'I envy you'.This led me to think about whether I really did, and the relationship of attenders at matches to those who, like me, support from afar. Is there a hierarchy of fans?

I have not been in a position to be a White Hart Lane regular since leaving London in my late teens, a very long time ago now, to go 'up North' never to return to live or work. However since the advent of the Internet and Sky it is possible to watch nearly every game. Last season I missed only the Man. City match and that was due to a Grandson's birthday party. So given the cost, the travel problems, the time involved how much have I actually missed?

If I were a season ticket holder I would probably assert the superiority of the live match experience over the TV or internet version. Apart from the camaraderie, the atmosphere, the 'craic', there is certainly the advantage of seeing the whole scene: you look where you want, get a wider angle and choose your own picture.

There must be a feeling that having endured all the downsides in order to support the team you are a true fan. But the downsides, apart from the time, trouble, and cost have to be put into the equation too.

I like to watch and form my own opinion with the added advantage of immediate slow motion replay. I usually watch Sky with the sound turned down and the internet commentary is normally unintelligible to me in any case. I have attended enough live games to know that even one's mates can be a distraction from actually watching what happens as opposed to seeing only what you want to see or confirming your existing opinions. Its usually the biggest idiot with the loudest voice who dominates. 'Empty vessels' and all that.

The great Jenas debate is a case in point. If loud-mouth and his mates behind you groan and jeer only when JJ gives the ball away and ignore it when Modric does this can colour your reaction to both the game and to the individuals concerned. This applies to other crowd favourites and fall guys. Do Robbie and Ledley ever have a bad game or Darren and Roman a good one? They do if you watch in a neutral setting.

I don't go to football matches to sing, to chant, to stand up if I hate Arsenal, to abuse ex-players or even current players but to watch the game and reflect on what I have seen. I find everything else a distraction. You may think that having spent your several thousands of pounds per season supporting Spurs then you have the right to do and say what you like, even booing the team off at half time if they have played poorly.

However you don't. This conflict was highlighted by the Sol Cambell saga which resulted in several Spur's fans being prosecuted and showed in an extreme example the limits. Moreover you are the representatives of the possibly hundreds of thousands of Spur's fans who would perhaps like to be there but cannot for a variety of reasons: poverty, distance, laziness, work, age, decrepitude and the simple fact that there is a waiting list.

You are also the public face of Tottenham's fans and have responsibilities in this regard. Our reputation especially in broadcast matches or with journalists present is in your hands. You may not see it as a privilege to be a season ticket holder, after all you pay heavily for it, but to us 'outsiders' it certainly is. All these considerations are outside the actual game and to me a diversion.

Sometimes there is an implied criticism of us external fans for not being there and therefore having less right to comment. I reject the 'Were you even there?' approach. In my view not being there has some advantages in terms of purely appraising the football and forming your own opinion.

There is probably a hierarchy of fans within the ground. I detect sometimes in the threads a sense of superiority from certain parts of the ground; the real fans as opposed to the poseurs and hangers on over there. You would know this better than me and I look forward to your guidance on this.

We outsiders may be seen as the bottom of the pile. But I come in peace brothers and I do envy in some ways these new season ticket holders. There seems to be two different experiences here: the matchday jamboree and looking critically at the game. Obviously it might be possible to do both but its harder if you'r actually at there. So I am prepared to argue the advantages that I see in not being there. But then I would, wouldn't I?

Thursday, 4 June 2009

No football and plenty of bad news

No proper football and a self imposed ban on reading and responding to transfer rumours makes for a bleak outlook at chez JimmyG2. There are ominous lists appearing on the kitchen pin board of tasks to be completed before the season starts, though I have managed to successfully argue that the season actually starts with the pre-season games. That just means that I've got the same amount to do but in less time but it seemed like a victory at the time.

But the Barry transfer to Man. City started all sorts of alarm bells ringing. Delusional Tottenham fans have been speculating that he might do a 'Robbie Keane' and come to his boyhood club citing that his two brothers were season ticket holders at the Lane. At £12 million he was a steal. If he had been £15 million we might have gone for it.

But last season Liverpool, his preferred destination because of Champions' League status, couldn't match the £18 million valuation and now he goes to a team that's not even in Europe for considerably less.

No doubt £100 thousand a week, doubling his current wage, may have influenced his decision and the silky smooth soft sell for which Hughes is famous, probably along the lines of ' Fill yer pockets lad they've more cash than brain cells this lot' clinched the job. That makes him earn in a week as much as the Prime Minister earns in a year. Oh sorry I forgot about the expenses.

No doubt his disappointment at Villa not making the top four puts Villa in the same kind of bind that Spurs are in. You need top class players to get into the top four but they won't come until you are in the top four and you are in danger of losing your best players in the meantime. But Barry a one club man for over a decade has gone to Man. City. Its like Ledley signing for Portsmouth because multi billionaires have taken them over.

And this morning the Guardians' two page spread on the finances of the Premiership League although it doesn't tell us anything we didn't know, give or take a fact or two, it just concentrates the information and the mind somewhat. I had barely got the muesli out of my beard and found my sandals before coming across this tale of financial hubris and woe.

Foreign owners, oil money, tax havens, vast debts and wage bills that in some cases are three quarters of turnover and in Stoke's case more than their turnover. It makes you wonder how this shaky edifice stays up. Reminds me of another shaky edifice called 'the banking system' and we all know what happened to that.

Another shattering figure is the amount that Chairman and directors are taking out. Step forward our very own Mr Daniel Levy. A cool £1 million and one has to ask 'For what?' Now I know we are a well run club but we aint that well run. How can an enterprise about the size of your local supermarket generate such sums for all concerned. Nearly half the clubs have a director taking out more than a million per year and in some cases at clubs who actually lost money. Mind you I can't see Sky putting on 'The Big Four: This week Sainsbury's and Tesco's go head to head'.

Our wage bill even with a big squad is only 50% of turnover which is one reason why we are financially stable but also why we can't attract the more ambitious types. For ambitious read 'greedy'. Less than half the clubs make a profit and all are in debt..Now the banks got bailed out when it all came tumbling down but I don't think that the Premiership will be.

It reminds you of the old cartoons where you were fine as long as you didn't look down and discover that you went over the cliff several minutes ago. Fascinating reading and you can draw many conclusions from it as Jim himself does in his season review. My conclusion is that it can't go on like this for ever. Regular readers will know that I have been saying this for some time.

I have a dream that the club will be sold to its fans who will elect the board annually and that our sponsors are a charity which is paid for the privilege. Oh sorry that was Barcelona. They're not a bad football team either.

It only remains for us to sell Tom Huddleston to Bolton for my bad news week to be complete. Quite what he will do there is anybody's guess.
'Passing? You can cut out all those fancy London tricks now lad'.


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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Monday, May 17, 2010

Friday was Morgan's last day of say she didn't like it.... would be an understatement. Which is confusing because she loves singing and dancing, loves her Gymboree Play N Music class, loves instruments, but she very much disliked this class. She would scream and want me to hold her, refused to participate, she even tried to escape a few times. 3 classes from the end she started to warm up and after the last class she asked when she could go back to Kindermusik! Grr......Wish I could get a refund and put it towards another semester!

At least Cullen loved it!!

Friday, May 14, 2010

"No Thank You!"

This phrase is uttered by our precious daughter every. single. night. as she is pushing away her food. No doubt she's polite...but lord I've never seen such a picky eater! She won't eat ANYTHING! She won't try new things...I have run out of things to do to get her to eat! I've put it in muffin tins, used cookie cutters to cut it into fun shapes, called it "Dora's Favorite chicken" but nothing works! She DOES eat any and all fruit, cheese cubes, mac n cheese, and over-processed chicken nuggets but that's it. She has a HUGE sweet tooth and loves ice cream, cookies, M&Ms...where did I go wrong??? She rarely eats stuff like that...maybe once a month! We keep her plate out after dinner in case she changes her mind about being hungry but it's so hard! I want to give her something she loves but I know that will lead to me making separate meals for her and I don't want to go down that road.
Last night at 8:00 she was so hungry and still wouldn't eat:

I see many more nights like this in our future........

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Archived News
Stars Climb The Western Conference Ladder After Impressive Stretch
When it mattered most, the Dallas Stars raised their play and as a result have risen up the Western Conference standings to 5th place. The past five games have given the Stars a taste of what expect in the playoffs as they battled it out with conference foes vying for the right to compete for the Stanley Cup.

Langenbrunner and Eriksson congratulate Wandell after scoring against the Predators.
The Stars completed their February schedule at home against the Nashville Predators. Both teams desperately needed a victory and the fans at the American Airlines Center were treated to an intense showdown that Saturday. After Dallas killed off a late first period power-play, Tom Wandell streaked down ice alongside Jamie Langenbrunner and beat Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne "five hole." It was the Swede's fourth goal of the year as his fellow countryman Loui Eriksson collected his thirty-seventh assist.

Two second period goals from Ryan Suter and Colin Wilson gave the Predators a 2-1 lead going into the third period. It would take a strong effort for the Stars to come away with the victory that afternoon but they rose the challenge. Recently acquired defenseman, Alex Goligoski began the comeback as he scored his first goal as a Dallas Star. Mike Ribeiro found his thirty-ninth assist of the season as he along with Stars' captain Brenden Morrow was credited with assists. Goligoski turned provider by setting up Eriksson for the game-winning power-play goal, his twenty-first of the year. Morrow and Goligoski each made it a two-point game as they picked up their eighteenth and twenty-fourth assists of the season respectively.

It was a galvanizing 3-2 win for the Stars and their head coach. Mark Crawford was pleased by the will of his players. "It was so, so important. I give a lot of credit to our guys for digging in and finding a way. I thought we started the game the way we wanted to. We knew it was going to be a hard-fought, hard-skating battle," he stated.

The NHL trade deadline passed on February 28th and Dallas General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk refused to lower his demands for coveted superstar Brad Richards. Stars' fans were delighted to hear that Richards was going nowhere and would remain in the Lone Star state. "I think in my mind, I wasn't going to move him unless someone really knocked our socks off with something we couldn't refuse. We've said all along that we want to sign Brad, and we still feel that way. We want to sign Brad Richards to be a Dallas Star for a long period of time," Nieuwendyk declared.

Dallas began a four-game divisional road trip on March 1st in Phoenix and looked to avenge their overtime loss to the Coyotes in their previous meeting. The game lived up to the hype and fans were in for another exhilarating match-up. Tom Wandell gave the Stars the lead late in the first period. It was his fifth goal of the season as Toby Petersen gained his third assist of the year.

An excited Langenbrunner and Burish rush towards their teammates after scroing in Phoenix.
The second period offered many chances but despite registering thirteen shots on goal, Dallas couldn't increase their lead. Twelve minutes into the third period, Steve Ott circled along the boards and threw the puck in front of net as Langenbrunner tipped in a goal that would double the Stars' advantage. It was Langenbrunner's eighth goal of the season as line-mates Ott and Burish collected their respective fourteenth and fifth assists of the year. Newly acquired Rostislav Klesla grabbed a goal back for Phoenix before Ray Whitney evened the game with just seconds left. Moments later, a hooking call led to a Dallas power-play.

Fans were sensing a second consecutive overtime battle between the teams but late drama left the crowd at Arena stunned. A fight along the boards was won by Ribeiro who made an unbelievable pass to Jamie Benn who buried the game-winner with only four seconds remaining. It was Benn's fourteenth goal as Ribeiro and Eriksson recorded their fortieth and thirty-eighth assists of the season. Kari Lehtonen made vital saves all night to keep the Coyotes at bay and his 25 stops helped preserve their 3-2 victory.

The Stars celebrated once the final siren sounded. Langenbrunner commented on the thrilling finish, "It was a crazy last few minutes. You go through all the emotions there. We played a very good game, then we gave them two late ones. Credit them for battling. Then it was a great play by Benner to bury the winner there with no time left."
News Archive Store Gallery
We have a variety of articles that cover Jamie's career from high school to today. The only place to get exclusive JL15 apparel. The gallery features an extensive catalog of images of Jamie throughout his career.
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Friday, November 30, 2012

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2013

It's that time of year again!

It's time to start thinking about 2013 reading challenges, and while I'm usually low key about joining challenges, I do enjoy some of the creative themes and concepts some bloggers design.

The one challenge I know I'm up for is one that includes my favorite genre, historical fiction. Historical Tapestry is once again hosting the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge for 2013, a gathering place for all historical fiction enthusiasts to link their reviews and learn about other great HF novels. Click here for information on signing up for this challenge.

I've alread started planning for 2013 by adding all of the books that I am looking forward to reading as they are released in the new year. I'm signing up for the 25+ level (Ancient History Level):

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2013:

1. The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James (Jan.)
2  The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig
3. A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn
4. The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick
5. The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley
6. Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon
7. Royal Mistress by Anne Easter Smith
8. When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman
9.  Jean Plaidy*
10. Helen Hollick*
11. Georgette Heyer*
12. Ken Follett*
13. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles*
14. Barbara Erskine*
15. Jane and the Wandering Eye by Stephanie Barron (Jan.)
16. Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by the Countess of Carnarvon (Jan.)
17. The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell (Jan.)

*From my TBR pile

Are you in? What new releases in 2013 are you looking forward to reading?

Marg said...

I have most of those on my list to read next year too!

Hope you enjoy the challenge!

Melissa @ Confessions of an Avid Reader said...

I can't wait to see what you read, Joanne! A few of the books you have listed are on my list of must reads, too.

Lauren Smith said...

I can't wait to read Diana Gabaldon's new book! I wish it were ready for Christmas. One book that you should add to your list is called, Shadow of the Sun by author Merrie P. Wycoff. This is historical fiction novel that showcases the mysticism/paranormal aspects of ancient Egypt. The author has thoroughly researched the topic and brings the reader back to Egypt during the time of the ancient Egyptian Royal Court.

I enjoyed reading about ancient Egypt and the author did such an amazing job with the story!

Staci said...

I will be paying close attention to your progress on this challenge!! Have fun!

Anne said...

I have a lot of these books on my list of books to read too! I am really excited for the next book in the Outlander series.

Favorite Period Dramas

Mount TBR

Joanne's to-read book montage

On a Highland Shore
A Light on the Veranda
The Queen's Vow: A Novel Of Isabella Of Castile
The Edwardians
Maisie Dobbs
Howards End
Lady's Maid
Instruments Of Darkness
When Maidens Mourn
Where Shadows Dance
What Remains of Heaven
Where Serpents Sleep
Why Mermaids Sing
When Gods Die
Before Ever After
The Sugar Queen
Garden Spells
After the Night

Joanne's favorite books »


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Wednesday 24th May 2017

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All Across the Land Racists Are Hard at Work Bringing Division and Discord

In 2004, in a speech to the Democratic National Convention, Senator Barack Obama gave a speech that outlined what his supporters came to call “post-racial America.”  In other words, by 2008 this speech came to epitomize Obama’s vision of an America that wasn’t divided along racial lines, an America that would actually harken back to a time when being an American, and becoming an American, was defined by the Latin phrase, “E Plurbus Unum” engraved on our National Seal.  “Out of many, one.”  No more focus on racism.

“I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.” Later, in perhaps the most quoted and quotable line of that speech, Obama insisted: “There’s not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America.”

Al Gore gave away the Democratic Party’s vision of what Democrats thought America should look like in a speech in 1994.

“We can build a collective civic space large enough for all our separate identities, that we can be e pluribus unum – out of one, many.” — From a Milwaukee speech to the Institute of World Affairs, January 1994…

Democrats, for as long as we can remember – and that’s a looooooong time – have been the party of “separatists,” meaning that they work to separate Americans into groups, drive wedges between them, and focus on the group identity rather than bringing people together to celebrate one identity – Americans.

We may expand on that in another post, but right now let’s look at what Barack Obama and his administration have done in the past six years to make us one, or, as has happened, to make us “many.”  The following isn’t meant to be list bany means, and it’s not in any priority order.  It’s simply a note on the division and discord our President wreaking on our nation.  We haven’t had enough coffee this morning to assess whether the nation can recover.

First up, “immigration reform.”  This is a signature issue for the President and his Party.  And not a few are shadow members of the Democratic Party. John McCain, Jeff Flake, Mario Rubio, Jeb Bush, etc. Are you listening?

The President is threatening to issue work permits to illegal aliens and there will be a battle, or a whimper if the Republican leadership has their way, over this in the coming months.  Specifically, what the President is doing is calling out a “group,” primarily Hispanic illegals, and giving them something that the American people are absolutely opposed to.

A record percentage of Americans polled by Quinnipiac do not want illegal immigrants to have a path to citizenship and feel illegal immigrants should be deported.

Quinnipiac found that support for a pathway to citizenship “is at its lowest level ever measured by the” independent polling outfit while the percentage of Americans who feel that “illegal immigrants should be required to leave” is “higher than this number ever has been.”

It’s obvious to all who are not drowning in denial that President Obama and the Democrats believe they’re about to create five plus million new Democratic voters.  It’s also obvious that despite the President’s assurance that this will be a plus for the economy, it will wreak havoc on the most vulnerable in our economy, the working poor.  Five million new uneducated, untrained, unskilled workers will do nothing for the group of people already legally in the US who are hardest hit in the Obama Non-Recovery.  Incidentally, that would primarily be blacks, but the President is confident they’ll overlook his sellout of them because he’s their black President.  Out of many, One.  And HE’s the “One.”  Nothing about “uniting” anybody here, let’s move on.

Second, let’s talk about “black/white” relations.

The Newsweek/Daily Beast poll shows that 72% of whites and 89% of blacks say the country is racially divided.

And almost four years after the election of the nation’s first black president, majorities of whites and blacks say race relations have either stayed the same or gotten worse.

Note that that poll, by liberal outlets, was in 2012.  Things have only gotten worse, and we can look to our President for the reasons why.

Immediately upon coming into office, Barack Obama, through Eric Holder, set up the most divisive organization in the United States Government, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.  Holder immediately announced that the CRD would only look at purported civil rights violations against “people of color.”  Their first act was to refuse to prosecute members of the New Black Panther Party for voter intimidation in Philadelphia because the perpetrators were black and the victims were white.

In 2012, at a difficult period for the President, came a gift from the heavens.  A “white Hispanic” killed an “unarmed black teenager” in Sanford, Florida.  The Department of Justice sent organizers to Florida to work with “the community” to mount protests focusing on getting “justice” for the “unarmed black teenager.” The President himself came out, way before any facts were known about the killing and said, “If I had a son he would look like Trayvon.”

The Obama administration pressured Florida’s Governor (Jeb Bush) into appointing a special prosecutor who had a long history of bringing specious cases to trial.  The “white Hispanic” was charged with murder and brought to trial where he was found “not guilty” by a jury of non-white women.

In the spirit of being the nation’s top law enforcement officers, Obama and Holder decried the verdict and promised a “civil rights investigation” and two years later, with absolutely no evidence of a civil rights violation, the investigation is still open.  Nary a word about the facts brought out in the trial that the “unarmed black teenager” was smashing the “white Hispanic’s” head into the pavement and trying to kill him when the victim acted in self-defense.

And then came Ferguson, followed by a black man in New York who was choked to death by a white cop while resisting arrest.  Both of those cases went to grand juries and both juries found no evidence that warranted an indictment of the cops.  Needless to say, the President and his Department of Justice are all over both of those cases, doing everything they can to enflame the “black community.”  They’ve promised investigations in both cases, and they’re standing by watching the nation burn while doing absolutely nothing to put out the fire.

This isn’t over.  You can be sure that President Post-Racial is looking for every opportunity to further divide the nation along any lines he can, if for no other reason that to take peoples’ eyes of his disintegrating and failing administration.

We have twenty six months left until we have a new President.  We’re not so sure the nation can wait.

In related news:

About Author

Michael Becker is a long time activist and a businessman. He's been involved in the pro-life movement since 1976 and has been counseling addicts and ministering to prison inmates since 1980. Becker is a Curmudgeon. He has decades of experience as an operations executive in turnaround situations and in mortgage banking. He blogs regularly at The Right Curmudgeon, The Minority Report, Wizbang, Unified Patriots and Joe for America. He lives in Phoenix and is almost always armed.

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Thursday, 1 October 2009

Day 244 - Pork Congee with Fried Bread

Since the only thing Mum would eat for breakfast was Plain Congee we ended up trying numerous places around the North TST / Jordan area. In the end we found a Congee specialist place with super friendly staff and great congee. My personal favourite is the Shredded Pork Congee with Thousand Year Egg and a large amount of the fried bread!

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Main | Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Former Staffers Accuse AIDS Healthcare Foundation Of Massive Kickback Scheme

According to a press release published by lawyers representing former AIDS Healthcare Foundation staffers, the combative organization has engaged in a massive patient referral kickback scheme that has defrauded the federal government to the tune of $20M a year. The press release begins:
Three former managers of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Inc. (AHF) have filed Federal and Florida State Whistleblower Act claims against the nation's largest supplier of HIV/AIDS medical care for illegal patient referral kickbacks. AHF is charged with defrauding Federal healthcare programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Health and Human Services HIV/AIDS grant programs of at least $20 million a year in false claims since 2010. Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC represents the plaintiffs.

Filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on April 3 under the Federal False Claims Act and Florida False Claims Act, the complaint is based on the personal knowledge and documentation of Whistleblowers Jack Carrel of Louisiana, Mauricio Ferrer of Florida, and Shawn Loftis of New York. All held management positions at AHF prior to their jobs being terminated– despite having federal protection under the False Claims Act – after they notified their supervisors about the company's unlawful practices.

According to the complaint, AHF conducted an organization-wide criminal effort across at least 12 states, including Florida, that boosted funding from federal healthcare programs by generating HIV/AIDS referrals to the company's various service centers. AHF did this by unlawfully paying referral incentives to employees and patients in violation of the anti-kickback statute.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation operates a chain of HIV/AIDS specialty pharmacies and thrift shops. They are perhaps best known for their aggressive advertising campaign against the use of Truvada as a daily HIV preventive and for their campaign to force the use of condoms in porn productions. Hit the link, there's much more in the press release. (Via Towleroad)

UPDATE: AIDS Healthcare Foundation head Michael Weinstein responds via email.
“With more than sixty percent of the 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States currently not in regular medical care and treatment, it remains core to AHF’s mission to try and reduce that number. Not only has AIDS Healthcare Foundation done nothing wrong, our pro-active approach to finding and linking HIV-positive individuals to lifesaving care and treatment is critical to stopping HIV in this country. The fact that the Federal Government and the State of Florida have each already formally declined to intervene in the legal action brought on behalf of three former AHF employees speaks volumes about the merits of this case. Small incentives for linking and retaining people in care are mainstays of public health interventions—including by many CDC projects. We look forward to the opportunity to rebut these baseless charges in court.”

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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Thankfully, First Lady Michelle Obama is back safely from her personal trip to Spain's Costa del Sol over the weekend. Sadly, a few vocal dissenters did all they could to stir up a controversy.

The criticism came despite the fact that it was a personal trip and the Obamas paid all of their own expenses. The American taxpayer paid for her security and staff costs, as is true with every First Lady's travel.

So what is to be gained from such strident attacks? Perhaps it furthers a make-believe narrative that the Obamas are out of touch with real America. Yes, Michelle Obama grew up in Chicago's inner city, but she went to Princeton and Harvard Law! Perhaps opponents are not happy with the First Lady's relatively high approval ratings. For them it is better to attack all things Obama!

Is Spain such an inappropriate place to vacation? Having just taken my daughter to southern Spain I can attest to its beauty, its glorious culture and its amazing history. We, however, did not get to meet the King!

Spain is a reliable supporter of the United States. They have deployed 1,500 troops in Afghanistan. They recently took five of America's toxic Guantanamo prisoners off our hands.

Meanwhile, Spain's economy is struggling. Their unemployment rate is nearly 20%. The government is under attack for alleged corruption. Some of these charges are related to Spain's southern coast, which is burdened with a glut of condominiums, many of them empty and teetering on bankruptcy.

For this reason most Spaniards were thrilled to have the American First Lady in their country. August is usually a busy time for the tourist industry. But even the popular Costa del Sol has felt the impact of the economic downturn. Restaurants are not full, stores are not doing the business they had hoped and some foreign visitors have not come this year. Residents hope that the First Lady's visit will serve as a catalyst for tourist traffic.

The First Lady went to Spain knowing full well that some critics would squawk. Perhaps that is why she did not bother to explain to these critics that her original motive was to comfort a good friend who had recently lost her father, according to the Chicago Tribune. But wait, why should she have to explain everything she does?

The First Lady was unable to attend the July funeral of Chicago physician and best friend Anita Blanchard's father. Blanchard had planned a Spanish vacation with her daughter and asked the First Lady to come along with her daughters. Mrs. Obama only took Sasha because her older daughter is away at camp. The Secret Service decided on the exclusive hotel for security reasons.

Of course, those who are critical of the Obamas will doubt this explanation and will continue to stir the pot.

And most of us will be reminded of that old maxim: No good deed goes unpunished. Especially if you are the First Lady!


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Monday, June 29, 2015

Christie for President

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is the latest Republican to announce he is running for president.  He joins an already overcrowded field of candidates seeking their party's nomination.  But Christie stands out because an overwhelming majority of his own state's registered voters disapproves of his performance in office.

His announcement speech, which will take place Tuesday at his former high school, will be given without the aid of a teleprompter.  It will reflect his campaign theme, "Telling it like it is," and be targeted to Republican voters in New Hampshire, where he will go next to begin campaigning.  He will highlight his middle-class upbringing, his family values, and his willingness to make tough decisions on entitlements and government spending.

But many Republicans have not forgotten Christie's post Hurricane Sandy walking tour in 2012 with then candidate President Barack Obama, which came in his closely contested state at the expense of GOP candidate Mitt Romney.  Teachers in the state have not forgotten his harsh attacks on educators and college administrators in his effort to reform the education system.  Public sector unions have not forgotten that the governor has run roughshod over their pensions.  And commuters have not forgotten that it was Christie's appointees who shut down lanes of the George Washington Bridge, aka Bridgegate, as political retribution against those who did not support the governor's reelection.

In his announcement Christie is expected to point to his governance of a blue state as an example of how he can work with both sides of the political aisle.  But state Democrats would argue differently.  Christie will say he can make the tough decisions, but many of his opponents will criticize his tough tactics.

Christie's brash and in-your-face style will win him supporters among Republican voters seeking a candidate who seemingly has strong leadership skills.  He will stand out among the field of announced Republican candidates, and will likely do well in the upcoming party debates.

But this self-described pragmatic conservative Republican is thought by many in the party to be too moderate to win the nomination.  While he has raised a lot of money as the Chairman of the Republican Governor's Association, more than $100 million, some of his political positions are not in sync with the Republican base, including immigration and gun control.

Governor Christie was reelected to a second term in 2013 with 60.3 percent of the vote, which was driven largely by his leadership in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.  Because he is term limited he will not be able to run for governor again in 2017.  But even if he were eligible then it is unlikely that New Jersey voters, who have soured on his act, would reelect him.  So for him a run for the presidency is his next best option to be elected to public office.

The fact is Christie has nothing to lose and everything to gain by pursuing the White House.   He has said, "I think what the American people want more than anything else right now is someone who's just going to look them in the eye and tell them the truth, even some truths that they don't like."  But the reality is do enough Republicans trust Christie enough to nominate him as their standard bearer in 2016?

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Hillary Clinton Speaks

“I’m not running for some Americans,” Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday in her first major campaign rally, “I’m running for all Americans.”   Her speech was populist in tone as she promised that if elected president she would close the income gap between rich and poor.

Several thousand enthusiastic supporters gathered on a picture perfect day to hear the Democratic frontrunner speak on New York City's Roosevelt Island, located between Manhattan and Queens in the East River.  But this speech would have better timed had it been scheduled two months ago when she officially announced she was a candidate for president.

Instead, she went on a closely guarded listening tour of voters and dodged press questions about controversies swirling around her campaign.  In that time she was subject to Republican attacks related to her private email server, her role in the Clinton Foundation and potential conflicts of interest while serving as secretary of state.   As a consequence, polling around her likability and trustworthiness has gone negative.

While Republicans have been attacking Clinton, populist Democratic candidates have been critical of her campaign as well.  Senator Bernie Sanders, a distant second to Clinton in the polls, has been particularly aggressive.  "I don't have a super PAC. I'm not going to be getting huge sums of money from millionaires and billionaires," Sanders told MSNBC last week when asked to explain how he is different than Clinton.  "So, working families all over this country are saying, Bernie, we want to stand with you, take on this billionaire class who are dominating our economics and our politics," he concluded.

In her speech Sunday, Clinton reached out to the party base by quoting Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt.  "He said there's no mystery about what it takes to build a strong and prosperous America: 'Equality of opportunity... Jobs for those who can work... Security for those who need it... The ending of special privilege for the few...The preservation of civil liberties for all...a wider and constantly rising standard of living.'"  She then added, with a smile, "That sounds good to me."

Clinton did offer policies she would pursue as president, including universal prekindergarten, paid family leave, equal pay for women, college affordability and incentives for companies that provide profit-sharing to employees.   She also said she would change the tax code "so it rewards hard work at home" rather than corporations "stashing profits overseas."  To achieve her goals she said, "Our next President must work with Congress and every other willing partner across our entire country. And I will do just that to turn the tide so these currents start working for us more than against us."

In a response to charges that she is out of touch with Middle America, she cited her humble upbringing and promised, "I've spent my life fighting for children, families, and our country. And I'm not stopping now."  For those who have expressed concern about her age, she said, “I may not be the youngest candidate in this race, but I will be the youngest woman president in the history of the United States.”

Clinton has been a polarizing figure throughout her career, and she will continue to be the target of political attacks from all sides throughout the campaign.   In her speech, she portrayed herself as a fighter, “I’ve been called many things by many people, quitter is not one of them.’’   But, ultimately, Clinton will have to be more publicly accountable for some of the legitimate questions that have been raised around her candidacy because they are not going away.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015


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Sunday, April 30, 2006

A Week with Harshad Kanetkar

For the past week, my house and my life has been filled with the wonderful sounds of Harshad Kanetkar on tabla. I was hosting Harshad for the Ann Arbor leg of his U.S. tour and spent lots of time talking about life as a musician. He arrived on Tuesday in the morning and spent the next 4 days teaching workshops at the Michigan Union on U of M's campus.

I was happy to see some of my tabla students come out and get a taste of a full time tabla maestro from India. Harshad and I shared lots of ideas about teaching, students, music, and our respective cultures. It was a very fufilling visit for both of us. He will be back before too long so keep an eye out.
On Friday Harshad played at the Sun Moon Yoga Studio in Ann Arbor. I organized the event, and it went off wonderfully. The audience was appreciative and excited. I was all smiles all night. My World Percussion Ensemble opened the night with a rendition of Austin Wrinkle's 'Wart Hog', and then Harshad took the stage for an hour long solo that held the audience captive and got a standing ovation at the end. 6 hours later Harshad and I were in a car on the way to the airport. He will be playing all over the U.S. until June. I am not sure when he will be back, but I will keep you in the loop! Here are some pictures of the event on Friday.

Thanks John

Monday, April 17, 2006

Ann Arbor's Newest Resident!!

Hello again,

It has been almost a month since my last entry, and I can't tell you how happy I am to be able to be writing in the good ol' blog again. So many things have happened in the last month that I hardly know where to start. I guess the most prominent thing is that Jody and I have moved to Ann Arbor. We got a nice little house, a little bigger and a little newer than our last house, and 6 blocks from Oz's Music, where I teach my private lessons and hand drum classes. Not commuting has already had a huge impact on my life. I feel like I have more time on my hands, which is alowing me to relax, and be much more calm in the day-to-day. Let's see, why don't I start with a short list of all my musical ventures in the last month:

March 21st: Kirtan chanting gig with a guy named Treavor at Sun Moon Yoga Studio. Awesome place to play, great acoustics, and really nice owners. Only been in business for 6 months, but already voted #1 yoga studio in Ann Arbor by the Current Magazine. I talked with them about hosting a concert and they loved the idea. More on that later...

March 23rd: Played with Paledave at the Blind Pig in A2 (that's the locals shorthand for Ann Arbor : ) I never felt privy to use it till now!) It was great to play a rock show at a storied place like that. In the green room there is a spot on the wall that has 'Nirvana" written in blue tape. Legend has it that Kurt Cobain put it there himself just before before they left the place for the last time. The show went well and prepaired us for the studio time coming up.

March 31st: Presented tabla to a high school in South Redford, MI. It was part of a community outreach program funded by the Center for South Asian Studies at the U of M. I will be doing many more of these, as they have been going very well and getting popular amongst the schools.

April 2nd: Played with Mike Waite, my old friend and lead singer of Whipple from my hometown of Marquette, MI. We played at Old Town Pub in downtown A2. His sister lives down here and set up the gig. It was a fun night. I just played on hand drums and he had an acoustic guitar. I hope he comes down more often. There is nothing like playing with old friends.

April 7th: 12 Hours of Drumming!! This should almost be it's own entry. I started the morning taking my Bassoon lesson at EMU. My teacher is Dr. Pierce. He is one of the coolest teachers I have had in a while. He has the Cal Arts style of teaching, where we just go in and play. Practice is a given, self motivation is a given, and when it is time for the lesson, it is packed with information, 'real feel' playing, and the time just rolls along. I come out totally consumed with thoughts of Basson and a bounce to my step. On this day in particular, I was steppin out extra quick so I could make it to Big Sky Studios in Ann Arbor,(3 blocks from my new home!).
I recorded 6 tunes with Paledave. We were in the studio from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It was such a great experience to record my drums in that place. The engineer Greg really knew his stuff, and the sound was great. All the rehearsals and gigs paid off. We had learned the songs well enough to do lots of takes without taxing our brains too much. Dave has been going in and laying stuff over it for the past couple of weeks. I will let you know when it comes out!
From the studio it was off to Cafe Felix for a night of drumming with Deep Blue. It was a really busy night and the atmosphere was full of energy. Nick Joseph came by and sat in a bit. The sound really came together and we got a great response. We talked about recording in my new studio, which I am right in the middle of building. I will keep you updated on that as well.
When the night was done I had been sitting on my drumset for almost 12 hours. It felt great, but made for a rough Saturday, which was our big moving day. I must thank Nick, Aniket, Malvika, Jessica, Matt, Amy, Jason for helping Jody and I move. We got a big 24' truck and did it all in one big, full load. The piano was by far the heaviest item. It was a bigger job than I had anticipated, but everyone hung in there and we got it done. I have been furiously bulding walls for the studio basement and hope to get it up and running within a week.

Wow, I think I am all caught up. Tomorrow I will be taking my Clarinet written final and my Conducting final at EMU, and then building the rest of the day. No students tomorrow because everyone is on break. This Friday is Deep Blue and coming up is Harshad Kenetker, student recital, and the release of the Go Like the Wind Montessori C.D., which we recorded last Wednesday. I have been putting tracks over it and hope to have it done within a month.

Thanks for reading, and I will be back soon!!

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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Stubborn Fact: PA Job Growth In 2010 Was Greater Than All Jobs Created In Next 30 Months

Internet ads boasting about job creation in the Corbett years of 2011 to 2013 continue to run.  That's not a joke.

The Governor, however, will discover in 2014 that facts are stubborn.  To date, less jobs have been created in the first 30 months of the Corbett Administration than in the last 12 months of the Rendell Administration.

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Sunday, April 27, 2008

Today is Sunday the 27th of April. Next Saturday Jon and I will begin his trek from Williamsburg, Virginia to Astoria, Oregon. An adventure that has been a dream of ours for several years. We began our journey more than six years ago, on a whim, to try and ride across New Mexico from West to East. We traveled through towns with names like Quemado, Pie Town, Datil, Magdalena. Through old trails like Journado del Muerto where the only refuge was a town named Bingham with two buildings; one was a magazine editor, and the other a rock salesman. The journey lasted nearly ten days and we covered over 550 miles. Little did we know at that time where our bikes would eventually take us. Since then we have ,over the course of the last 5 years, traveled roads paralleling the continental divide from Mexico to Jasper Canada. The multitudes of sites and friends we met along the way will always be a special part of our lives.
Next week Jon is undertaking what to some may seem an insurmountable task of crossing these United States. I am honored to join him for his first 500 miles. Anticipation by Merriam-Webster is "a prior action that takes into account or forestalls a later action; the act of looking forward". If I did not anticipate then half the experience of the the journey would be lost. Anticipation gives us an opportunity to develop in our minds the cans and cannots of the future. Therefore we attempt to anticipate any outcome that may be before us on this journey. But we also must be flexible, able to yield to unknown influence and adapt to change.
Riding requires an application of concentration unmatched by any other mode of transportation. First of all you must pack everything you may need to make the journey safe and possible, without packing so much that you are overweight. You must know your way without fault. Every wrong turn only adds anguish and consternation to a long day in the saddle. Planning includes clothing for any unseen change in the weather. You must maintain balance on your bike and in your mind. Wondering minds can bring you to undesirable destinations and wasted time. Fatigue will bring you to your knees. But proper attitude will allow you to enjoy the change and be flexible enough to adapt.
Someone once asked my how we could ride 50, 60, 80 miles a day and I explained that we don't think of it as a long ride but rather sever short rides in one day. We ride ten miles over and over. Every stop is a new view and a new adventure; remember "time is but a moving thing" and Jon will be pushing time from shore to shore. I am anticipating a great trip and Jon has the ability and flexibility to make it happen. I wish him good luck but I know he doesn't need it because he has anticipated this trip for years and he has the ability to adapt.
Buon Giorno!

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Home > General > Quotations

February 17th, 2004

Ozplogistan has been buzzing over an article written by perennial target of the right, Phillip Adams, accusing Bush of lying in the leadup to the war on Iraq.. Professor Bunyip leads off, accusing Adams of plagiarism and fraud, and is followed up by Ken Parish (who echoes Bunyip in his initial post, but backs off a bit in the comments thread), Bargarz and Tim Blair.

The key fact, which seems pretty clear, is that Adams has taken a series of quotes, attributed to Bush and other administrative figures, from a piece in the New York Review of Books by Thomas Powers , all of which show the Administration claiming that Saddam had large stocks of WMDs. The plagiarism count doesn’t stand up, since Adams refers to Powers, though in my view the article fails the Google test, and was a fairly lazy piece of work.

The real problem, though, is that the quotation of Bush’s State of the Union speech is inaccurate, making it appear that Bush positively asserted the presence of

500 tons of chemical weapons, 25,000 liters of anthrax, 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin, 30,000 prohibited bombs and warheads

In fact, Bush listed these amounts as estimates (quite wrong estimates as it’s turned out) of Saddam’s stocks in 1999, and then said that Saddam hadn’t accounted for them. Bush’s speech wasn’t paraphrased by Powers as asserting Saddam might have these weapons, and Adams then converted this back into a direct quote, omitting the “might”.

My guess is that this is sloppiness rather than deliberate distortion – it’s easy to find better, and more obviously false, quotes from Bush and the Administration. Still it is, or ought to be, a basic rule of journalism that you verify quotes rather than reproducing them from hostile sources, particularly when the original is as easily accessible as the State of the Union speech. Adams has failed to obey this rule and ought to publish a correction and apology – if he doesn’t the inference of deliberate distortion could fairly be drawn.

What’s interesting about this is that it is an almost direct parallel of the infamous Schneider quote, discussed at length on this blog, except with sides reversed. In this quote, widely circulated around the blogosphere despite repeated refutation, Schneider is made out to advocate scientific fraud in the interests of the environment by such quote-doctoring techniques as omission of sentences, running together of separate sentences and, in a version propagated by the late Julian Simon, outright fabrication.

Many of those who’ve complained about Adams have, in the past, taken a fairly relaxed view of the Schneider quote, and correspondingly derisive about my prissy concerns for accuracy in quotation. Quite a few still seem to see the two as differing in crucial ways. On the other hand, respondents from a left perspective have been inclined to suggest that Adams didn’t really change the meaning of Bush’s statements. (The comments thread to the Ken Parish post is a good place to observe the debate.)

In my view, the differences are entirely in the eye of the beholder. In both cases, people who are hostile to the person being quoted see the omitted sentences as mere weasel words, while those being quoted (and their supporters) see them as crucial. The same is true of fabricated additions such as those used by Julian Simon in quoting Schneider (one of many examples from both sides) – for the critics, it’s only a matter of inserting a sentence to show what the speaker “really meant”.

So we have a choice. Either we can make up whatever quotes we like and put them in the mouths of our opponents, provided we judge that the manufactured quote is an accurate reflection of the speaker’s real meaning, or we can stick to the rules of exact quotation*. Which is it to be?

* That is, quote the entire relevant statement by the person being quoted with omissions of irrelevant material denoted by ellipses. If the person being quoted objects to the omissions, or would be likely to do so, then they are not irrelevant, regardless of what the person doing the quoting thinks.

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  1. Mork
    February 17th, 2004 at 16:48 | #1

    As Chris Sheil could tell you, there is a certain irony, you might say, in Tim Blair getting on his high horse about fraudulent quotations: scroll to the seventh comment.

  2. Rex
    February 17th, 2004 at 17:00 | #2

    Speaking of sloppy journalism, Andrew Bolt gets a serve over at Crikey.

    What’s interesting is not really the detail of Iain Lygo’s analysis, but the shrill tone of Bolt’s responses.

    What stood out for me was that Lygo had written to Bolt during the course of his research, and Bolt intitally suspected that he must have written under a false name. When Lygo states this was not the case and asks Bolt for permission to Publish the letters Your responses to my questions are a hoot and I’m sure the Crikey readers would love to look but the letters are heavily qualified with “Confidential Information” clauses) Bolt does not give his permission. He ignores the opportunity for readers to see what he says to Lygo. I wonder if behind all that front if Bolt isn’t just a poor little fella who wants to be liked.

  3. February 17th, 2004 at 18:34 | #3

    Yet another piece of doodle-buggery from the blogosphere.

  4. February 17th, 2004 at 23:44 | #4

    Slightly off-topic, but regarding the Schneider quote, surely it would be better for his critics to find examples of his alleged “scary stories”, rather than just throw the (doctored or not version) quote up?

  5. February 18th, 2004 at 00:08 | #5

    The thing about quoting is that it’s so easy to get it right. The quotation marks denote … well … quotation. How hard is that? I don’t know whether Adams was being sneaky or just being sloppy, but either way he should know better.

  6. February 18th, 2004 at 00:30 | #6

    There is a real problem of asymetrical candour amongst competing ideological partisans. THis was clear in in the debate over the Gulf War, when there was attention to the other sides errors and discretion about one’s own sides errors. The Right gleefully pointed out that the Left wing’s predictions of humanitarian disasters, rising Arab streets and Battles for Baghdad were false.

    The Left is now having a field day pointing out the Right’s errors in both the objective (Disarmamemnt) and execution (resistance estimatin) of the war.

    Social science requires symmetrical falsifiability.

    Ideologists require systematic falsehoods.

  7. February 18th, 2004 at 07:42 | #7

    Obviously we have to vote for the rules of exact quotation. My objection to Blair which Mork refers to was not only that he misquoted me, and nor was it only that he misrepresented the meaning of the misquote. These two mistakes/frauds were bad enough. But the most objectionable aspect of his behaviour was that the misrepresentation of the misquote was based on a post in the blogosphere, which he dressed up as an academic opinion and criticised in another context (The Bulletin). This was thus a comprehensive distortion of the original, for which he has offerred no correction, let alone apology.

  8. Wazza
    February 18th, 2004 at 09:36 | #8

    I can’t bring myself to read enough of Adams to make a judgement about the serioiusness of what he has done here. A couple of points about the debate here and on Troppo:

    First, regardless of whether Adams is guilty of plaigarism as RWDBs allege, or sloppines as John Q maintains, he has more than earned a visitation from Media Watch, who regularly highlight trivial errors. That won’t happen, since David Marr only sees errors on the right. That doesn’t bother me much, especially where Piers Ackerman is concerned, but it is undeniably true.

    Second, even if their quotes are accurate, some columnists in this country have a hide receiving money for extensively quoting, paraphrasing or otherwise recycling other people’s efforts. Alan Ramsey has been a serial offender of late. His column’s are regularly one third to a half quotations. Today, he gives a verbatim report of an exchange in Senate estimates.

    An interesting news item, but a pretty easy day at the office (or, more likely, at home) for the old boy. Is he in semi-retirement?

  9. gordon
    February 18th, 2004 at 09:39 | #9

  10. observa
    February 18th, 2004 at 14:19 | #10

    Quotes should be deadly accurate and apologised for if not. Another crime is to selectively quote to such an extent, as to lose the writer’s intended contextual meaning. Both crimes are similar in magnitude, deliberate or not.

  11. John Quiggin
    February 18th, 2004 at 14:23 | #11

    Wazza, you can see my thoughts on recycling if you click on the link marked “Google rule”.

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Friday, May 30, 2014

Bloom 2014 tasting discoveries

Photo: Chris Jentsch of C.C. Jentsch Cellars

Those who still remember the B.C. wine industries of the 1970s, when there were six wineries, no doubt were floored when they walked into Bloom 2014, the recent spring tasting hosted by the B.C. Wine Institute.

More than 90 wineries were there, usually pouring four wines each. With only three hours, no tasting strategy could cover more than a handful of producers arrayed in that vast hall of the Vancouver Convention Centre.

I sought out several newer wineries, passing by producers whose wines I have already reviewed or will review shortly. I also tried to taste wines from several regions. That amounted to just seven producers. After all, there needs to be time set aside for conversations and note taking. In the 1970s, I would have covered the entire industry – except that wineries in that era were not even allowed to do public tastings.

These are certainly better times; and the wines without a doubt are far superior.

Here are my notes.

C.C. Jentsch Cellars

Chris Jentsch (pronounced Yentsch) opened this winery last year right beside Highway 97 between Oliver and Osoyoos. He is still getting the brand established in the market with rather moderate prices.

The wines are made by Matt Dumayne, a winemaker at Okanagan Crush Pad, assisted by Amber Jones, the on site winemaker at Jentsch. It is a solid team.

C.C. Jentsch Cellars Viognier 2013 ($22.90). This is a crisp and refreshing white that emphasizes the lovely aromatics of the variety. The floral aromas lead to flavours of apple and apricot, with good spine of minerality. 90.

C.C. Jentsch Cellars The Dance Rosé 2013 ($17.90). This wine was made primarily by Amber, who is keen on rosé wines. The wine was made by the classic saignée method, in which some juice is bled from each varietal’s must while the juice is cold soaking on the crushed skins. The blend here is 50% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% each of Malbec and Petit Verdot. This is a juicy wine with aromas and flavours of cherries and plums. The texture gives it weight on the palate and the finish is dry. 90.

C.C. Jentsch Cellars The Chase 2012 ($19.90). It would be hard to find a better Bordeaux blend at this price. The wine is 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.5% Petit Verdot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 7.5% Malbec. The wine begins with aromas of toasty oak and vanilla. The flavours are big and bold, including blueberry, blackberry and black currant with a lingering finish that includes notes of spice and liquorice. 90.

C.C. Jentsch Cellars Syrah 2012 ($28.90). Chris tells me that he likes this wine so much that he drinks it most of the time. I would, too, if I had a cellar full of it. It begins with floral aromas – probably the influence of the six per cent Viognier that was co-fermented with the Syrah. On the palate, there are ripe and spicy flavours of plum and black cherry. The long ripe tannins give the wine a plush, mouth-filling texture. 91.

Little Straw Vineyards

This West Kelowna winery is operated by the Slamka family. It opened in 1996 as Slamka Cellars. When the family decided to rebrand several years later, they simply translated the family name, which means little straw. Subsequently, they launched a companion label in French, La Petite Paille. Part of the vineyard dates from 1968 and includes the oldest Auxerrois block in the Okanagan. Peter Slamka (right) is the winemaker.

La Petite Paille Sauvignon Blanc 2013 ($16.90 for 334 cases). This wine appeals with fruity aromas of lime and rhubarb, following up with tangy lime flavours on the palate. It is dry and refreshing. 88.

La Petite Paille Pinot Noir 2009 ($21.90 for 324 cases). There are cherry and strawberry in the aroma and on the palate, along with a classic Burgundian earthy note on the finish. The texture is concentrated, finishing with silky tannins. This wine is superb value. 90.

Little Straw Sauvignon Blanc 2013 ($16.90 for 557 cases). This wine also has aromas and flavours of lime, along with tropical fruit and gooseberry flavours. The wine is also crisp and fresh but with a touch of sweetness on the finish. 90.

Little Straw Old Vines Auxerrois 2012 ($17.90 for 296 cases). The label of this wine is a photo of Joe and Freya Slamka, who planted one of the vineyards here in 1968. How they got Auxerrois into B.C. from Europe is shrouded in history. The variety does well in the Okanagan but has never had a huge consumer following. That is hard to understand when tasting this complex barrel-aged wine with peach and apricot flavours and with a rich and satisfying texture while finishing almost dry. 90.

Robin Ridge Winery

Tim and Caroline Cottrill opened this Similkameen winery in 2008 on a vineyard near the historic Grist Mill. They have been expanding in a measured way every since with additional wines and by planting a second vineyard nearby.

Robin Ridge Sparkling Finch 2012 ($26.90). This is the winery’s first traditional method sparkling wine, a cuvée of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir. The wine has an appealing creamy texture with strawberry and apple aromas and flavours. 90.

Robin Ridge Chardonnay 2012 ($18.90). While this wine was barrel-fermented, the oak is quite supple, supporting buttery, peachy aromas and flavours. 90.

Robin Ridge Late Harvest Sun Sweet Chardonnay 2012 ($16.90 for 140 cases of 350 ml bottles). The grapes for this were picked November 15 when they were super ripe. The result is a luscious dessert wine tasting of baked apples, mango and custard. 88.

Robin Ridge Flicker 2013 ($N/A). This rosé is made with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fruit. It is crisply refreshing with notes of cranberry and strawberry and with a dry finish. 88.

Robin Ridge Pinot Noir 2012 ($21.90). A pretty wine in the feminine style, this wine has aromas and flavours of strawberry and cherry with a silky finish. 89.

Robin Ridge Gamay 2012 ($23.90). This has long been my favourite red from Robin Ridge. It is a bold Gamay, tasting of spice, raspberry and cherries. The texture is rich and velvety at the same time. 91.

Robin Ridge Merlot 2010 ($24.90). This wine has aromas and favours of black currants and plums, along with savoury and herbal notes. 88.

Robin Ridge Big Bird Meritage 2011 ($31.90). This is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It begins with aromas of mint and cedar, leading to flavours of black currant, blackberry, tobacco, coffee and minerals. The texture is firm. This brooding red needs to be cellared another three or four years to show its full potential. 91.

Sage Hills Organic Estate Vineyard & Winery

Rick Thrussel opened this Summerland winery last year. A former home builder in Vancouver, he moved to the Okanagan in 2006, bought an 11-acre orchard and converted to organically produced grapes. The vineyard and the winery are on a promontory with a dramatic view over Okanagan Lake.

Sage Hills Pinot Gris 2013 ($28.90 for 844 cases). This wine is packed with citrus and apple flavours, giving the wine a juicy and satisfying texture. The finish is crisply refreshing. 90.

Sage Hills Gewürztraminer 2013 ($28.90 for 342 cases). The low tonnage viticulture practised here results in an intense wine with flavours of grapefruit and spice. 90.

Sage Hills Syrah Rosé 2013 ($28.90 for 287 cases). The nose is almost jammy, in a positive way, leading to flavours of plum and boysenberry on a rich palate. The finish, however, is pleasantly dry. 90.

Sage Hills Pinot Noir Small Lots 2012 ($44.90 but sold out). This delicious wine has aromas and flavours of strawberry and cherry, with the classic silky texture one wants in Pinot Noir. 91.

Tantalus Vineyards

This winery in East Kelowna is an authentic estate producer, using grapes only from its contiguous vineyards. The anchor vineyard here is Pioneer Vineyards which has been farmed with vines since 1927. It is just two years younger than the Sperling family’s Pioneer Ranch, which is nearby and which is the oldest vineyard in the Okanagan farmed continuously by the same family. The Tantalus property was farmed for much of its history by the Dulik family who started a winery here in 1997, called Pinot Reach Cellars. It has been owned since 2004 by Vancouver investment dealer Eric Savics, who rebranded it.

Tantalus Riesling 2013 ($22.90). This wine just tingles with racy acidity; the flavours of lime, lemon and minerals are classic and appealing, with a very long finish. This is balanced like a dry German Riesling, with 15.8 grams of residual sugar and 10.5 grams of acidity. The wine is good now but has potential to age several more years. 92.

Tantalus Old Vines Riesling 2011 ($34.90 for 150 cases). This wine is a little drier and a great deal more intense than the “regular” Riesling because the fruit comes from a two-acre block of Riesling planted in 1978. The wine has developed the classic aromas and flavours sometimes called petrol. Citrus and green apple flavours mingle with minerality on a rich palate. 93.

Tantalus Chardonnay 2012 ($29.90). Here is a crisp Chablis style Chardonnay with minimal oak. The wine showcases the green apple and mineral flavours, with a touch of citrus on the lively finish. 90.

Tantalus Rosé 2013 ($21.90). Here is a crisp and dry rosé made with food in mind. It is 60% Pinot Meunier, 40% Pinot Noir. It has aromas and flavours of strawberry, cherry and pink grapefruit. The wine is remarkable for a vibrant colour, the result of long skin contact. 88.

Tantalus Juveniles Pinot Noir 2012 ($22.90). As the name suggests, this wine is made from fruit of the youngest Pinot Noir plantings on the estate. The wine is light but pretty, with notes of strawberry and cherry on the nose; and raspberry and cherry on the palate. 88.

The View Winery

The View is one of the group of interesting wineries in East Kelowna. What sets the winery apart is its big block of Pinotage, the red variety created in South Africa almost 100 years ago. Somehow, I missed tasting the 2012 Reserve Pinotage ($24.50), so I will need to see if my local VQA store has any. It has always been a solid red.

The View Hail Mary 2013 ($16.40 for 195 cases). Perhaps the wine is so named because Jennifer Molgat, the winery’s president, needed a few prayers to get through the 2013 vintage after 15 minutes of hail devastated about 70% of the crop in her vineyard. Her prayer was answered when she found enough Müller-Thurgau in nearby vineyard to blend it with her surviving Riesling (50% each). It is a pleasantly fruity white, a perfectly refreshing summer wine. 88.

The View Gewürztraminer 2013 ($15.90 for 367 cases). The touch of residual sugar here lifts the spice and lychee flavours while the balance still leaves a crisp, spicy finish. 88.

The View Riesling 2013 ($18.90). Again, there is excellent tension between the racy acidity and the residual sugar, leaving a crisp and refreshing finish. The wine shows aromas and flavours of lime and lemon. 88.

The View Well-Heeled 2013 ($19.90 for 174 cases of 350 ml bottles). This is delicious desert wine, a blend of 85% Müller-Thurgau and 15% Ehrenfelser. A wine with ripe peach and apricot aromas and flavours, it has been slightly fortified to 15.2%. You don’t notice the alcohol behind the 50 grams of residual sugar. A true sticky, as the Australians would say. 90.

Young & Wyse Collection

Michelle Young and Steve Wyse run this winery in Osoyoos, near the border crossing into the U.S. He is a member of the family that owns Burrowing Owl and that’s where he got his training. Some people think Young & Wyse is the go-to winery when Burrowing Owl is sold out. For consumers, the good news is that the winery’s Vancouver agent recently rolled back some of the prices a few dollars.

Young & Wyse Amber 2011 ($18.90). This is a fresh and tangy blend of 43% Viognier, 37% Pinot Gris and 20% Gewürztraminer. Beginning with floral aromas, it has flavours of nectarines, apples and honeydew melons. 90.

Young & Wyse White Label Viognier 2012 ($21.90). Beginning with orange blossom aromas, this wine has flavours of apricot, peach and apple. The texture is full but the finish is crisp. 90.

Young & Wyse White Label Merlot 2011 ($21.90). Here is a good value Merlot with plum, blueberry and black currant aromas and flavours and a generous, chewy texture. 90.

Young & Wyse Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 ($23.90). This is an elegant winem beginning with aromas of cassis and blackberry. On the palate, there is a medley of berry flavours including black currant and blueberry. 91.

Young & Wyse Black Sheep Blend 2011 ($23.90). This Meritage blend begins with aromas of spicy plum and blueberry. On  the palate, the texture is ruch, with appealing flavours of cassis, coffee and liquorice. 91.

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Get the inside scoop on working from home

Getting the Most Out of Licensed Insurance Onboarding and Certification

January 27, 2015

Jennifer McDonald, LiveOps Learning Program Manager, shares some tips to help you get the most out of our work-at-home insurance onboarding certification.

You've made the decision to apply for one of LiveOps' licensed insurance agent opportunities. Eagerly checking your email, you see your invite and review and accept the online LiveOps independent contractor agreement.

The next step in your work-at-home insurance journey is onboarding and certification, which will help you learn how to use the technology, understand the client’s products and requirements, and prepare you to take your first calls with confidence.

The following tips can help you get the most out of this important step on your road to work-at-home insurance success.

  1. Use the Onboarding Dashboard as your road map to help you complete certification without missing a step. And check out the reference guides for additional help.
  2. If you don't already have a landline telephone, call your phone company to set up your landline service as soon as you accept the contract. That way your phone will be ready when you complete certification.
  3. Complete your licensing appointment paperwork and send in your proof of licenses as soon as you can. These can take time to process and you can work on your certification while you wait.
  4. When you access LiveOps University (LOU), be sure to follow the "Compatibility View" instructions on the home page so that your courses and tests load properly.
  5. Be an active participant and ask questions during the virtual classroom learning sessions.
  6. Review the eLearning courses a second time - the courses are available in LiveOps University for you to review as many times as you like.
  7. Some topics, including how to schedule calls and invoice your talk time, will be covered in more detail after you complete certification. We try to pace the information so that you have time to digest and retain everything.

And, most important, don’t be afraid to reach out to the licensed insurance onboarding team through PostBox with any and all questions you may have. We are here to help you get ready to make the most of the licensed insurance agent opportunities available to you at LiveOps!

"I am able to spend time with my husband who is retired from the military. I can take vacations any time of the year without asking for that time off. I can go spend time with my children, their school events, doctor appointments, sports, birthday parties, etc."

LiveOps Nation Member, wife, and mother from Georgia

"I could rave and rave about LiveOps! Working for them allows me to remain a stay at home mom in this economy. If it weren’t for this opportunity, I'd be away from my children somewhere, working in an office, and they would be at a sitter after school. Thank You LiveOps!"

Stay-at-home mom and LiveOps Nation Member

“LiveOps provides us with all [the] tools for certification and education of client products within LiveOps University, resources on product information, [and opportunities] for agents to share ideas and successes with other agents. Great management and tools to help your business succeed.”

LiveOps Nation Member since 2008

How do I get started? Before you apply

Work from home with LiveOps

With LiveOps you can pursue your passion and enjoy the freedom of being your own boss.

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News on : jealousy

Ranthambore’s ‘Tiger Queen’ dethroned by daughter

Ranthambore Fort in the heart of tiger territory seems to be prime real estate that every tiger envies.

Salman Khan and Abhishek Bachchan to act together ?

Most film buffs are aware of the torrid love affair between Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai from 1999 until they

Shyam Benegal makes a comedy film

Multiple National Award winning director Shyam Benegal is known as a serious film maker. He had been for long associated


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Monday, August 12, 2013

Looking Forwards and Backwards

The large Autumn spiders (Philodramus dispar, Wolf, Orb Stretch, and Sheet Web) are already spanning doorways and trails around here.  I've seen the lines of geese flying south.  The pungent hickory nuts in their green shells are also falling.  By these signs I portend an early Fall.  And some days, really, what have we to do but guess of things to come?

I like Autumn.  When the summer moisture levels and temperatures align, the blaze of colors which erupt from the sumac and maples and oaks is unlike anything else.  Besides that, it just smells good.  I suppose it’s the scent of decay, and what does that say about me?  But also, in that odd manner, the scents bring back memories of younger, easier days like certain songs I've not heard in years.  When they play I recall events and faces long absent.

I grew up in the woods, on the outskirts of town with acres of fields and Ozark forests in which to wander and camp.  Caves and bluffs and root chambers along river banks gave me and a duo of friends all we needed in terms of adventure and satisfaction.  This was in an era of pre-parental administration of every moment of a teen's summer and a smuggled fifth of peppermint schnapps might appear right about dusk (that operation a tale unto itself).  Fall camping meant fewer insects and, for a week or two, rivers still warm enough for swimming.  During two or three or four day excursions time itself could be ignored and when was the last time that happened?  Things just were, and it was glorious.
These points in time, brought back now by a sniff of brown acorns and leaves soon to turn, had, themselves, no true point.  This may be what I miss most of all.

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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Welcome to the Commercial Age

Several controversial bills have been making the rounds in U.S. legislative circles lately, one of which, H.R. 3261 Stop Online Piracy Act, otherwise known as the "SOPA bill", stands to cause the most impact on our every day lives.

We've seen the anti-piracy campaign since our childhood.  It's an old tune.  Piracy is the same as stealing, and stealing is wrong and illegal.  On the surface, it's a pretty simple concept, and one that's easy to get behind.  It's also a concept that strikes close to home with me.  I'm an author, and as such, I stand to be affected by the piracy of my own work.  I've invested some time and effort into studying the topic, and if you're an author, I suggest you do the same.  It's in your best interests.

While the anti-piracy stance seems on the surface to be a no-brainer - full of justice, integrity, and the maintenance of good law and order, it's not so simple.  Of course, nothing ever is.  There are two sides to this, and the flip side is as compelling, or more so, once you dig a little deeper into the topic.

Piracy is a Crime, © Stephen Dann

If piracy is stealing, why would anti-piracy laws not be necessarily a good thing?  How could one condone such illegal behavior with good conscience?  How could one advocate against something that supports the laws of the land, especially laws that ensure the creator of something gets a fair share of the profits gained from its sale?  Because most people don't really even understand the issue.

Part of the problem is understanding Digital Rights Management, or DRM, and what it prevents and causes, and more importantly, what it doesn't.  DRM was created with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to fight copyright infringement online and help the copyright holder maintain artistic control and keep earning money from their work.  At least that's how it's supposed to work.

The virtual world has created problems we're often unfamiliar with because of what it is and how it works.  When I was young and I wanted to buy music, a movie, or a book, I'd go to the store, part with my hard-earned money and return with a physical copy of what I wanted.  It was mine, and I was free from that point on to do with it what I wished.  I'd given the author his cut of the profits by purchasing the item.  From there, if I wanted to read it, give it to my sister to read, and then legally sell it to a friend for whatever he wanted to pay for it, I could.  The book was mine because I'd purchased it.  It didn't matter how many times it was sold, traded or given away after the initial purchase.

Complications arise in the virtual world when we purchase a book because it isn't physical, and therefore needs a place to reside.  Further complications arise when we understand that moving anything digital isn't moving it at all.  It's copying it.  Even if we destroy the original, we've still copied it to move it.  And that's where DRM becomes an issue.  To a computer, there is no difference between copying a file from an old computer to a new one, retaining possession of the work, and duplicating it to another person's computer for their use.  DRM attempts to curb the illegal distribution of virtual works, but at the expense of taking away rights the owner would have if it were a physical copy.  Furthermore, the point can be made that publishers are actually encouraging piracy with their anti-piracy efforts.

This discussion gets even more interesting when we learn that many authors are against DRM, because in clamping down on the illegal distribution of their work, it limits accessibility and arguably doesn't stop people from stealing it anyway.  And several authors have pointed out that encouraging people to pirate their works has boosted sales, not stifled them.  After all, obscurity, not piracy is an author's worst enemy.

So how does this relate to the SOPA laws the government is trying to pass now?  Well, the two are loosely affiliated, guided by the same goal, and that goal is commercialism.  The entertainment industry, including commercial television, motion picture, music, and cable and satellite distribution entities, has spent a collective $2.5 million dollars so far lobbying congress to pass this bill.  And it's all in the name of controlling content, and as a result, money from that content.

Already we're seeing the effects of a bill not yet even passed into law.  Courts are already imposing online crackdowns, much like what we'll see happening with this bill.  Because of the bill's general and ambiguous wording, entire websites can be shut down virtually at will, and indeed the popular, user-driven content site Reddit has already warned this bill would likely be the end of the site.  And if Reddit, a site owned by a parent company with a good deal of resources to deal with SOPA-generated claims, fears it won't survive, smaller sites don't have a chance.

It's been said SOPA will kill the Internet, or at least kill the Internet as we know it.  Many people are echoing this sentiment; it's not a knee-jerk reaction by a few on the lunatic fringe.  Many are voicing concerns against it, loudly and repeatedly.  It's a legitimate concern.  Unfortunately, corporations, driven by profit motives, and not wanting to adapt old fashioned business models, are throwing money at this bill hand over fist.  And because congress still seems to have the intellect of a five-year-old regarding such newfangled technology such as teh interwebz, they're going to take money and run, passing this bill along the way.

I'm scared of this bill.  I blog here, and share virtual content in part to build my online presence and let people know about my writing.  It's how many authors and artists battle the obscurity that threatens to stifle the sales and promotion of their books.  Most just want a voice.  We want our books out there for people to read.  It's not about the money, but we know the originators deserve compensation for their work.  I know if this blog disappeared, it would be a lot of extra work and time lost, and it would cost much more to get back to even where I am now.  I try diligently to use only work that's labeled for reuse, and I always credit the originator to my best ability.  But it would only take getting it wrong only once to make all this disappear, and that's scary.

In spite of huge advances in user-driven content everywhere you look, society is driven more and more by commercialism.  Big business is behind almost everything, and is going strong no matter how loudly folks like OWS scream about it, or how quickly anti-corporate sentiment trends on Twitter.  Big business is good.  It provides a lot for society - a lot we don't often even see.  But in some cases, it's driven by goals that ultimately work against it's own long-term good.  "Make the money now and get out" is the mantra repeated by those in charge.  And they repeat that because what's good in the long run for business often is contrary to their own short-term good.

Some, like those behind the "DeSopa" Firefox add-on, are already hard at work to combat the effects of SOPA, which is a good thing.  Technology is largely misunderstood because it's always changing.  It's always a step ahead of you, even when you're the one creating it.  It will survive, even against such draconian measures as the SOPA.  In the meantime, hunker down against the inevitable, watch the Internet crumble around your ears, and then stand by as those short-sighted enough to enact the bill struggle to reverse their self-destructive decisions.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Movie Review: Ladyhawke

It's one of the best cheesy fantasy films ever made.  It helped propel Matthew Broderick into the spotlight.  It was one of Rutger Hauer's few really good roles.  It starred a young and very beautiful Michelle Pfeiffer.  You've probably all seen the movie, and if you haven't, for shame.  Go see it now.  I'll wait.

Now that you've seen it, I really don't have to talk about the plot.  It's a pretty basic one anyway.  Get back to the castle in time to break the curse and end all that "hawk by day, wolf by night" nonsense that's keeping the lonely couple apart.    And while there are a lot of twists and turns along the way, you probably knew how it would turn out in the end.  Highlight the hidden text below if you want to find out what happens.  Spoiler alert:

They live happily ever after.

The real beauty of the film, besides Michelle Pfeiffer of course, was the cinematography - the setting and scenes of giant castles and quaint medieval towns.  Much of it was filmed in Italy, using the castles and picturesque towns of Rocca Calascio, Castell'Arquato, and Torrechiara.

Rocca Calascio, © Aurelio Candido

Rocca Calascio is a mountaintop fortress (lit. Rock, in Italian), in L'Aquila Province, Abruzzo, Italy.  At 4,790 feet above sea level, it's the highest fortress in the Apennine Mountains, and overlooks the Plain of Campo Imperatore in the Navelli Valley below.

Rocca Calascio, © Federi

It was built as a watchtower to accommodate a military garrison sometime around the 10th century, and was expanded over a period of time, especially in the 14th and 16th centuries.  It was never challenged in siege or battle, but was badly damaged in a powerful earthquake in the year 1461.  The movie distinctly shows how impenetrable it most likely was, with its high walls and inaccessible surrounding terrain.

Castell'Arquato, © Andrea Lodi

Rocca Viscontea di Castell'Arquato is a castle by the tiny town of Castell'Arquato in the hilly Emilia Romagna region of northern Italy.

Castell'Arquato, © Sergio & Babriella Trentanni

It's one of the best preserved castles in Italy, with picturesque views overlooking the town and surrounding countryside.  Much of the town dates back to the 13th century, allowing a distinct look into the history of the region.

Torrechiara, © Hellis Reverberi

Built in the mid-15th century, Torrechiara was the main castle "Aquila" featured in the movie, and is located in the province of Parma in Northern Italy.  Sitting high above the Parma river valley, it has remained almost unchanged since it was first built, a bold and formidable castle, a truly great setting for the final showdown with the Bishop of Aquila.

Torrechiara, © Luigi Alighieri

All in all, the movie is highly entertaining.  In part because of the actors and the plot, but also because of the magnificent scenery throughout.  It feels more like a fairy tale, an old story told around the campfire of some medieval band of merry adventurers.  So next time you watch it, take in the scenery and the footage of the beautiful Italian castles and towns.  Pay attention to the architecture and grand panoramic shots.  After all, you already know how it's going to end.


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Tuesday, 5 February 2013

During the diseases of age

5 February 2013

                In 2002 the Moffitt cancer centre cure prostate cancer with one application or intensity ultrasound!  This works for all cancers.  One example of HIUS is 150 W 40 kHz.  Applying the ultrasound through a one ended external he held 10 centimetres cylinder concentrates the ultrasound as he passes through the cancerous organ.

                This was the first cure to cancer ever developed by mankind.  Nature can endeavour to me cure cancer.  An infection stimulates production of the interleukins, and this can target the cancer cell if we have five turn infection.

                A drip of interleukin two and four will cure cancers where ever there are in the body-if the patient is otherwise well.  This produces the human antibody.  There are six such antibodies common to all cancers.

                We can isolate these drugs, and produce them in pill form.  Such pills will cure all cancers out there-all 200 varieties.

                Heart disease is caused by a simmer fragment of an infection.  Cancer is a viral rump.  Coronary heart disease is caused by a bacterial rump on the coronary arteries and the kidneys.

                One session of HIUS will cure the biggest killer of humanity out there.

Jonathan Thomason       JonThm9@aol.com

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Experimental Electric Driverless Car Design - MKI / by Joshua Flowers

Note: This project was developed only months before major driverless car concepts were unveiled by Mercedes and IDEO

This project was designed to determine what a driverless electric vehicle could look like without the bulky interfaces required for human control. The concept developed heavily around the premises of increased safety, comfort and sociability that automated systems provide. The collaborative consumption model the design focuses on is an automated 'swarm' fleet model which can be interfaced through smartphone APIs.

I would like to pay tribute to a similar concept from 2007: Ross Lovegrove's 'Kyoto Concept' vehicle, pictured below. It is humbling to discover a similar vision from a world renowned designer.

For more on this design project, click here

Ross Lovegrove's Kyoto car concept


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Monday, May 18, 2015

Choir for 8th may

Last week in choir we learnt the maori version of hallelujah
I really love this song because it shows passion in my voice.
I always show leadership by being passionate and giving it my all setting a good example for the other students.

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Sunday, August 2, 2015

kapahaka can do #1 excellence

On Friday we had Kapa haka. we practiced a new song.
The lyrics were written for our school.
We now know most of the words so we made up the actions as a group.
I showed leadership by trying my hardest and getting involved

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