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UK Constitutional Law Association

Roger Masterman and Colin Murray: A House of Cards?

The ability of the constitution of the United Kingdom to respond to the ebb and flow of political and societal change has long been presented as a strength, and as one of the defining features of a system whose fundamental features have otherwise remained relatively stable. Significant renovation has occurred, but for the most part change has been incremental and, perhaps as important, relatively fragmented. Even the accelerated period of reform in the post-1997 period saw attempts to integrate change into the existing constitutional order and saw the rejection of proposals which were inconsistent with the UK’s constitutional traditions. Thus, as Jennings observed, the constitution has been ‘constantly added to, patched, and partially re-constructed, so that it has been renewed from century to century; but it has never been razed to the ground and rebuilt on new foundations’. The consequences of the referendum on EU membership may prove to be the undoing of this edifice.

Within days of the referendum, Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, has noted the instability of established features of the United Kingdom, pre-emptively perhaps (but with the benefit of advocating a delay before initiating the terminal Article 50 process) commenting that ‘England (sic) has collapsed politically, monetarily, constitutionally and economically.’ One immediate consequence of the referendum has been to give rise to unprecedented uncertainty in our institutions of government. Our constitution, which might be expected to provide a framework in such circumstances, has shown itself to be worryingly deficient. Its legal dynamic is primarily reliant on a hitherto little-known (and never before used) article of the Lisbon Treaty; doubts exist over the nature of the power by which Brexit is actually triggered, the constitutional actor(s) who might be responsible for its initiation, whether the Article 50 process can be reversed, and over whether the process might never in fact begin (see here, here, here and here). Hopeful speculation has even attended to the possibility of a legal challenge to withdrawal from the EU (a sort of reverse ex parte Rees Mogg, with as little prospect of success).

The constitution’s political element meanwhile has revealed itself to be almost completely hollow, with one of the main political parties turning in on itself and the other facing an effectively directionless period in the transition between (pro-remain) leader and his (potentially Brexit-supporting) successor. The immediately-apparent absence of any clear plan as to what might actually happen following a vote in favour of Brexit – on the part of both sides of the campaign – is as damning an indictment as the speed with which the victorious side has distanced itself from many of the promises on which that vote was secured. JAG Griffith famously found the constitutional virtue in inactivity – ‘everything that happens is constitutional … if nothing happened that would be constitutional also’ – it is unclear that the political vacuum of the referendum’s immediate aftermath is what he had in mind.

A further product of this period of uncertainty has been speculation as to the knock-on effects upon the UK constitution of the vote to leave. The most pressing of these, with the different constituent elements of the UK displaying markedly different attitudes to the EU, is whether Brexit could precipitate the UK breaking apart. Nicola Sturgeon has already declared a new independence referendum ‘highly likely’ and bestrides Brussels like she is already a sitting head of government of an EU member state. And well she might. Far from being disheartened by the response that no deal can be done for Scotland whilst it remains part of the UK, she can use this response to generate the pressure for a speedy referendum, on the basis that if the Scots beat the Article 50 process the Scottish Government could claim to represent a continuing state and remain within the EU.

The independence timetable drawn up before the last referendum on Scottish independence suggested that independence would occur within 18 months of the result, and with current projections of a prolonged period of preparations before Article 50 TEU is triggered and a two year countdown from then, a window of opportunity is open to the Scottish National Party (SNP). Their problem, as with the 2014 referendum, is that without authorisation from Westminster the Scottish Parliament has no legal power to call a referendum. And whereas David Cameron saw the 2014 referendum as a means of heading off independence pressures, his successor may not be so accommodating. Sturgeon, however, has been assiduous in laying the groundwork for a renewed push. She can claim that she has a mandate to proceed in light of the SNP’s manifesto commitment to a referendum if the UK decides to leave the EU. Westminster resistance may only serve to bolster the SNP position.

In Northern Ireland, constitutional upheaval might unfold more gradually than it does in Scotland, but it is no less likely. The referendum casts a shadow over the DUP-Sinn Fein programme for government, and undermines the benefits of the corporation tax powers that Stormont fought so hard to gain. Whilst the Northern Ireland Assembly could still lower corporation tax to a level comparable to the Republic of Ireland doing so is now less likely to produce a major upsurge in inward investment whilst the uncertainty of the UK’s post-Brexit arrangements remains. In terms of the 1998 settlement, the North-South Ministerial Council is denuded of much of its workload as it will no longer be dealing with harmonising the transposition of EU law on both sides of the border. Moreover, visible symbols of the border, such as customs posts (necessary, dependent upon the shape of the Brexit negotiations, given that the border will be an access point into the European market) will become a lightning rod for dissident Republican sentiment.

Brexit also threatens to unleash a wave of isolationist sentiment that it is difficult for a new Conservative Party leader to resist. The Leave campaign made much of the claims by former head of MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove, that Brexit would reap security benefits for the UK. Those claims were based on Brexit enabling the UK to ‘dump the European Convention on Human Rights’. Theresa May launched her leadership bid by dampening down speculation that she would seek withdrawal from the ECHR, but only on the grounds that she accepted that such plans were not feasible in given the attitudes of MPs in the current Parliament. Other candidates will likely see the benefit in playing to the party base with prominent attacks on the ECHR and the Human Rights Act.

All of which could be rendered nugatory given the upheaval that Brexit has produced in the UK’s political order. Hannah Arendt once praised the UK’s two-party order for making it easy for the electorate to recognise authorship of particular policies and make judgments on performance. But Brexit cannot be “claimed” by the Conservatives or Labour and has exacerbated rifts in both parties. Just as the Liberal Party split over Home Rule in the 1880s, or the Labour/SDP split of the 1980s, the deep fissures within the parties threaten to tear them apart. But unlike those rifts the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 opens up the possibility that rather than new political parties that are subjected to the test of public opinion, the leaders of the two main parties might be saddled with parliamentary factions that they cannot control. The Prime Minister cannot simply call a general election. For all the talk of a snap election, either a vote of no confidence is needed by a majority of MPs, with all the associated impact on a government’s credibility, or two-thirds of MPs need to back an election. Unless both of the main parties feel confident that they can gain from this scenario, at the other’s expense, there is little chance in an election before 2020 or of a prime minister cobbling together enough votes to repeal the 2011 Act.

In the face of such changes, Jennings’ metaphor is entirely apposite. As the constitution has been modified over time, what was once a new addition becomes embedded, and the foundation upon which further change is built. Given the cumulative extent of these potential changes, some thought ought also to be given to the process by which the decision to leave the EU was taken, the process which may – in turn – prove to precipitate rather more significant constitutional upheaval. The margin of victory for the leave campaign was that 51.9% of votes were cast in favour of exiting the EU to the 48.1% in favour of the United Kingdom’s continued membership (on a turnout of 71.8% of those eligible to vote). The winning differential was therefore a relatively narrow (or decisive, depending on your viewpoint) 3.8% of votes cast. The legitimacy of the referendum is itself a topic of debate, but it can be agreed that its outcome is both advisory (as a matter of constitutional law) and difficult for Parliament to reject (as a matter of constitutional practice). What can also be said is that if a referendum is a bald device for the gauging of popular opinion on an apparently isolated question, it looks even more so when the implications of the result are potentially so wide ranging as to be transformative of a constitutional order.

Consideration of the status of the decision reached by virtue of the referendum also hints that sovereignty – a term which is as misused as it is malleable but which still undoubtedly occupies a central place in the constitutional milieu – may also be under threat. The sloganeering of the Brexit camp offered the promise that the exercise of direct democracy via the referendum would ‘bring back control.’ What of that control – what of the will of the popular sovereign – in the event that the ‘all of the benefits, none of the costs’ model of integration with Europe turns out to be a pipe dream? What of the popular sovereign if – faced with an immovable EU looking to guard against further fractures – parliamentarians make concessions on free movement in order to secure access to the single market? In appealing to the sovereignty of the people on the basis of promises which may not in practice be deliverable the referendum holds the potential to expose a rift between direct and representative democracy. Should that rift widen – and in so doing undermine the notion of parliamentary sovereignty by diminishing its representative underpinnings – then Brexit may well turn out to be more damaging to the domestic constitutional order than the external influences of EU law may ever have been.

The resilience of this unwritten, flexible, responsive and cumulative constitution will undoubtedly be tested in the weeks, months and years to come. It remains to be seen whether, in the face of such structural trauma, it will be robust enough to survive.

Roger Masterman is a Professor of Law at Durham University.

Colin Murray is a Senior Lecturer in Law at Newcastle Law School.

(Suggested citation: R. Mastermind and C. Murray, ‘A House of Cards?’, U.K. Const. L. Blog (4th Jul 2016) (available at


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No, an op-ed published in the Guardian on Nov. 14th (Judge Hamas by the measures it takes for its people) was not the first time a Hamas member was granted a forum by the media group.

Guardian, Nov. 14th

Over the past couple of years the Guardian has published commentaries by the deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau, Musa Abumarzuq, Hamas’s ‘Prime Minister’ Ismail Haniyeh, their head of international relations Osama Hamdan, and advisor Azzam Tamimi.

However, what stands out in the piece by Ahmed Yousef (senior political adviser to Ismail Haniyeh), which attempts to rebrand the Islamist terror group as a benign democratic political movement, is a claim in the following passage, which follows a risible defense of their (evidently misunderstood) racist charter.

Were pundits to truly scrutinise Hamas’s actions since its inception, they would find not a single official statement or position that is based on denigrating another faith, certainly neither Judaism nor Christianity. Nor can anyone produce a shred of evidence that Hamas formally encourages prejudice against anyone’s ethnicity.

Though we know by reading public opinion polls that Palestinian society is nearly universally compromised by the acceptance of anti-Jewish bigotry, you don’t need to even burden yourself with fisking the methodologies of such empirical analyses, or to even read the group’s antisemitic founding charter, to familiarize yourself with Hamas’s ‘official’ embrace of the most racist narratives about the alleged danger posed by international Jewry.

Indeed, antisemitism can accurately be characterized as “a major pillar in the ideology of Hamas”, and Hamas’s state-run media consistently ‘explains’ to Palestinians the evil character of Jews – not merely Israelis or Zionists, but “Jews”.

Whilst there are countless examples of ‘official’ statements “denigrating” Jews (documented by sites such as Palestinian Media Watch and MEMRI), here are just a few videos and quotes:

Top Hamas Official Osama Hamdan: Jews use blood in their Passover Matzos

Hamas top leader Mahmoud Al Zahhar: Jews are “blood suckers” and “wild beasts” who deserve to be annihilated.

Sermon delivered by ‘Atallah Abu Al-Subh, former Hamas minister of culture, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV, April 8, 2011, translation by MEMRI

The Jews are the most despicable and contemptible nation to crawl upon the face of the Earth, because they have displayed hostility to Allah.

Dr. Yussuf Al-Sharafi, Hamas representative, April 12, 2007; as reported by Palestinian Media Watch, April 23, 2007

…the Jewish faith does not wish for peace nor stability, since it is a faith that is based on murder: ‘I kill, therefore I am’… Israel is based only on blood and murder in order to exist, and it will disappear, with Allah’s will, through blood and Shahids [martyrs].

Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Bahar, acting Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, April 20, 2007; as reported by Palestinian Media Watch, April 23, 2007

This is Islam, that was ahead of its time with regards to human rights in the treatment of prisoners, but our nation was tested by the cancerous lump, that is the Jews, in the heart of the Arab nation…

Official Hamas Media:

Children’s Program on Hamas TV (Al-Aqsa TV, April 6-13, 2007), featuring Farfur – a copy of Mickey Mouse – entertains children while advocating the murder of Jews.

Host Saraa, a young girl: “Sanabel, what will you do for the sake of the Al-Aqsa Mosque? How will you sacrifice your soul for the sake of Al-Aqsa? What will you do?”

Sanabel (a young Palestinian girl on the phone): “I will shoot.”

Farfur, a Mickey Mouse character in a tuxedo: “Sanabel, what should we do if we want to liberate…”

Sanable: “We want to fight.”

Farfur: “We got that. What else?”

Saraa: “We want to…”

Sanabel: “We will annihilate the Jews.”

Saraa: “We are defending Al-Aqsa with our souls and our blood, aren’t we, Sanabel?”

Sanabel: “I will commit martyrdom.”…

Despite our frequent criticism of UK media outlets, this blog rarely accuses commentators and media outlets of engaging in outright ‘lies’.

However, it speaks volumes that Guardian editors chose to publish the claim that Hamas is NOT antisemitic – an inversion of reality so complete that it could only be expressed (or accepted as reasonable) by those immune from the cognitive dissonance normally affecting those who possess any measure of honesty or integrity.

38 replies »

  1. Clearly, it’s a mistranslation. Their charter talks about LOVING Jews. Perhaps LOVE and KILL are similar in Arabic, hence the confusion.

  2. LA Times printed a Hezbollah editorial during the 2006 Lebanon war and a Hamas editorial the weekend after the Fogel family was massacred. As you can tell, the LA Times is a just as much as shithole as the Guardian.

  3. This article -and the Guardian editors in charge of CiF- got well and truly panned by the majority of below-line-posters. Will the Guardian learn the lesson that even on CiF, articles which insult the intelligence of the readers, will get a drubbing? I’m taking no bets.

  4. The fact that the Guardian would publish such tripe is no surprise. However, it is refreshingly surprising to see some of the comments on their blog which quite clearly blame Hamas.

  5. Interesting article. Not sure who you can claim it speaks for though, nor how or why it undermines international law.

    Tell us though: how many Israeli Rabbis call for the extermination of the Palestinians? How many authorise the killing of any ‘gentile’ to protect the homeland? How many advocate the use of rape as a weapon of war?

    Sound like the sort of place you want to live?

    • Of course Tamara you are right. Killing jews is not against international law, and denying Hamas as a genocidal group of terrorists by applying false moral equivalence is perfectly OK. Keep it up. Well done! Hamas is proud of you.

    • You seem very well-informed, if a little biased. Why don’t you tell us?

      Also why not explain how such rabbis are in the minority?

      What’s that? You don’t know?

    • Tamara: “Tell us though: how many Israeli Rabbis…..”

      I take it this is a rhetorical question. After all, you’ve appointed yourself the resident ‘Jew’ expert around here. You probably impress your friends at dinner parties that you even know a few words of ‘their’ language – Adolph Eichmann stylee.

      By the way – anti-Semitism is endemic and ingrained in Arab society generally, in Hamas’s ideology specifically, and in your ivory tower and chosen shit-rag daily newspaper. Your effort at turning the victims of eliminationist anti-Semitism into the perpetrators of racist bigotry and hatred is a liberal-minded cheap shot by someone who cannot accept reality.

    • None, none and none. Though I’ve come across multiple claims of the above, none of them proved to be true – they were simply “gotcha” sound bites taken out of context. For example, Kedar’s statement about rape was bracketed with a statement that this was not something that Israel or the IDF could do, not even as threat. Yet the Hamas charter is even worse than these claims in its call for genocide against Jews.

      Sounds like your head is the kind of place that no-one would want to live in.

  6. “how many Israeli Rabbis call for the extermination of the Palestinians? How many authorise the killing of any ‘gentile’ to protect the homeland? How many advocate the use of rape as a weapon of war?”

    Any rabbi who were to do that would be condemned within Israel. There’s simply no comparison.

    • @cba: fantastic to best you say that. So I’ll print the quotes and the name of the Rabbis/politicians here, and you can find the public condemnations from Israeli press/media/politicians!

      This will be informative: Israel is not the place you purport it to be, verging on the racist sadly.

      • And I’ll while you’re all at it, why not tell us a little more about the views of Yitzhak Grinboym, eh?

        • Dear ‘Tamara’ even by your pathetic standards these posts of yours are gems;

          “fantastic to best you say that” and even better; “And I’ll while you’re all at it,”

          I bet even the other retards laugh at and pity you ‘Tamara’ when you post such meaningless gibberish.

          • Lol pedant much?

            Orthographical errors aside, for which anyone over the age of 6 is uninterested in, you intentionally ignore the point: Israeli rabbis call for the extermination of Palestinians, all of them.

            How to you answer this call to genocide? Fit well with the image of a democracy?

            • I’m interested in your orthographical errors. My diagnosis is that you’re quite emotional while typing.
              Your claim about all Israeli rabbis is simply unhinged. The typing and the content go together. You need meds and counseling, and showing up here is not therapeutic for you, no matter what you might think.

              • Don’t wet yourself with excitement: emotion and an over-zealous autocorrect clearly confuse.

                More importantly, you’ve worked yourself into a cul-de-sac here: Israeli rabbis do suggest that Palestinians should be exterminated.

                Is that something you support? Is that something you condemn?
                And more importantly, how do you explain how Israeli society has descended to this level?

            • Tamara, vilifier of the Holocaust memory aka Kelvin Holocaustdenier fiercely defends the Antisemitism of Hamas.

        • Regardless of those views, even a twisted soul like you would have to admit that they are in the minority and that their views are castigated outside the narrow communities which house them.

          Strange you don’t make that clear.

          Or is it?

      • You of course don’t comment on the quotes and video film footage of these maniacs do you Tamara? Is it because you essentially agree with it/ Are you only outraged only when a Jew does something wrong, that no matter how maniacal Hamas is, it’s OK?

        Because that is the kind of bastard you are.

    • I count 4 times in separate posts on this thread that Tamara said that Israeli Rabbis have called for the extermination of the Palestinians. Even one where she promised to give us links.

      And yet we still await those links.

      Having trouble Tamara?

  7. It’s good that most of the comments btl onj Cif have noted the unintended parody in the claim that Hamas is not antisemitic, but the fact remains that the Grauniad published the article uncritically, and to date (some 4 1/2 days after the article was published) have left it unaltered and unadulterated on their site.

    Most people who find this page will read the article without reading the comments. They will (unless of course they have even a modicum of knowledge about Hamas) take Yousef at his word, because surely a widely-read national paper would not allow outright lies to be published in its pages?

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Professor Simon Chesterman on Asia’s Ambivalence Towards International Law

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  • 2014•10•27

    In this video, Professor Simon Chesterman, Dean of the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law, joins UNU Rector David M. Malone to discuss the past, present and future of Asian involvement in international law.

    While the US and Europe have had strong influence on international legal architecture, Asia has so far played a minimal role in international organizations. One reason for this difference, Professor Chesterman explains, is the fact that the US and Europe have the ability to speak with one voice — the US through projection of its domestic legal regime, and Europe, more recently, through its expanding power and joint initiatives such as its work on human rights. But in Asia, even with established organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, there is no “meaningful regional organization” equivalent to the European Union and “no desire” of any Asian powers “to presume to speak for all of Asia”.

    Professor Chesterman points out that this gives rise to an interesting paradox: while Asian populations represent the majority of the world and one of the most economically dynamic regions, they play a minimal role in the creation and representation of law in the international arena. This, Professor Chesterman predicts, will be subject to change. Although Asia benefits largely from the security and stability provided by international rule of law, Asian underrepresentation in the security context (for example, the UN Security Council) is not likely to change soon.

    Nonetheless, one promising area is the global financial architecture, in which Asia is gaining increasing international recognition. As a result, the global financial system being governed by an American-led World Bank and a European-led International Monetary Fund seems likely to change according to the rising economic power of Asia.

    Regarding human rights, there is a “tendency to be very critical” of Asian human rights initiatives because they are seen as weaker than international standards. Despite the fact that the evolution of human rights in Asia will develop slower than in the international economic sense, “develop it will”, Professor Chesterman stresses.

    On the future of Asian participation in the international law and its configurations, Professor Chesterman highlights three possible scenarios. The first is the maintenance of the status quo, which is likely to remain persistent in areas such as Asia’s limited role in international security, but more likely to change in regard to economic law and human rights. Moving beyond the status quo involves the second and third scenarios: divergence and convergence. In the case of divergence, an alternate “Eastphalian” system would emerge that privileges economic activity over human rights. Convergence, however, is much more likely and would see Asian countries participating increasingly in global legal debates and working within international adjudication to achieve non-violent resolutions to disputes.


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Posted on December 22, 2015 at 7:24 pm

Entertainment Featured What's Happenin'

Uh oh! Was Orlando Bloom deported from India?

Hollywood hottie Orlando Bloom has landed in India…but he certainly hit a few speed bumps along the way!

Screen Shot 2015-12-22 at 2.21.09 PM

Bloom, who has starred in blockbuster franchises like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’, was invited to India by politician Amar Singh to promote tourism in the country. But upon landing in Delhi at 1:30 AM, the actor discovered that the e-visa he had applied for had been rejected!

Bloom was denied entry into India and deported back to Britain at 4:00 AM. And to make matters worse, Bloom found himself unwell upon arrival, but was refused medical care by Indian authorities.

Amar Singh, the man responsible for bringing Bloom to India, spoke about the incident to a leading outlet, explaining,

“He had applied for an e-visa and didn’t get a reply. His office thought that he would get the visa on arrival.”

But things didn’t go as planned, and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was called in to intervene on Bloom’s behalf. Bloom was promptly issued a legal visa, and he returned India the next day, where he was finally admitted into the country.

We certainly hope the rest of Bloom’s trip goes off without a hitch. Welcome to India, Orlando!


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Sword Of Justice Issue #2 Now Available!

Sword Of Justice Issue #2 Now Available!

From the explosive team of Aaron Williams (North 40) and famed French artist Joseph Lacroix (L'Encyclopédie du mal) comes Diablo: Sword of Justice.

From the world and legends of Sanctuary, a new hero is born.

The Dreadlands are being corrupted by madness, causing its victims to open their flesh and lash out at friend and foe alike. Jacob, a young fugitive from the city of Staalbreak, may be Sanctuary's only hope to stop this plague before it consumes or destroys mankind. His destiny is bound to a mysterious sword and the woman who watches over it, but his own troubled soul may keep him from embracing its true power in time.

Issue #2 of Diablo: Sword of Justice is now on store shelves and online:

DC Comics on Comixology
Local Comic Retailers

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Tag Archives: furniture-making

Hammond Furniture

Update (Originally Posted November 2015): The buildings that today house at least three businesses on the NW and NE corners of Clark at Venables were ones that I’ve wondered about each time I’ve gone past. This morning, as I was browsing through … Continue reading

Posted in advertising, businesses, Jack Lindsay, yesterday & today | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments


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Indian Spiced Parsnip Soup

Parsnip Soup
Indian Spiced Parsnip Soup |

This parsnip soup took its inspiration from the wonderful The Love and Lemons Cookbook. Jeanine Donofrio has a knack for making everybody feel comfortable with her recipes. They are so straightforward and embrace vegetables in their purest forms. I highly recommend it. So back to my parsnip soup. She has a Curried Parsnip & White Bean Soup in the book that calls for curry powder and cardamom as the main spices. But I like my Indian spices a little more on point, and I rarely use curry powder. I also laced the soup with coconut milk, as I feel the flavor screamed for it. But you’re talking to a coco milk addict here. I used my toasted mixed nuts and seeds as a topping, but feel free to improvise with the spices and the toppings.

  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 5-6 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped
  • 1 Gala apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • Sea salt and fresh pepper, to taste
  • Toppings: toasted nuts mix and toasted seed mix

In a large soup pot, heat the grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the onion and season with sea salt and pepper. Cook until soften, about 2 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger. Mix well. Add the parsnips, apple, spices, and cannellini beans. Cook until the parsnips are lightly brown and a little softer, about 3 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and simmer until parsnips are tender, about 20-25 minutes.

Let the mixture cool slightly before transferring to a blender. Purée the soup until smooth, working in batched if necessary. Return the soup to the pot over low heat. Add the coconut milk, taste for spices and seasonings. Adjust if necessary and cool over low heat for 5 more minutes. Serve with your choice of toppings. Bon appétit!

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Monthly Archives: December 2014

From Erotica to the grit of Western Historical Romances

    Thanks to Sherri Goodman for an article on the resurgence of interest in the romance genre. She makes some good points here comparing today’s erotica and western romances to those of yesterday. Covers shown range from Luna Zega’s … Continue reading

Posted in romance | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Andromeda’s Fall (Shadowcat Nation #1)

Welcome to a guest author, Abigail Owen,  whose shape shifter romances are compelling. Let her tell you something about her latest book and about herself. Andromeda Reynolds is being hunted. After witnessing her mother’s violent death at the hands of a pack of … Continue reading

Posted in guest blogging | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

A World of Terror and Hope

Beyond The Moon was written entirely in Katie Kelly’s point of view. That means we never stepped into Glen’s world except when he spoke of it to her. The following is something he did not tell her. I’d like to … Continue reading

Posted in Beyond The Moon | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


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Broken Burner Drive

Topics: Technical Issues, Users Discussion
Feb 28, 2016 at 7:29 PM
installed on laptop windows 7 but burner is broken

anyway to encrypt whole drive and bypass burner section?
Feb 28, 2016 at 8:31 PM
Assuming you have installed VeraCrypt in the default location, using the command line as Administrator, type the following including the double quotes:

"C:\Program Files\VeraCrypt\VeraCrypt Format.exe" /noisocheck

The reason you have to use the double quotes is if a space exists in the directory or file name.
Feb 28, 2016 at 9:07 PM
Thanks. I will try that. Will buy new burner but was working on laptop someone gave me and ran into that problem.

Will post success or failure :)
Mar 2, 2016 at 7:45 PM
Thanks buddy. That worked perfectly!

I changed my password and must of did typo and now cant get back in :)

Gotta make a list of possible cominations I used and surrounding keys :(
Mar 2, 2016 at 8:27 PM
You might want to check that your keyboard mappings are working correctly by typing the password in Notepad. Some users have somehow changed their language settings or keyboard mapping which was causing the failure to get their password correct.


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Astrology and Hare Krishna Devotees

Astrology and Hare Krishna Devotees

Almost always, every astrologer you visit will tell you something different. I think the simple reason is that astrology is a broken science, there is no clear, authoritative śāstra on it, and there is no intact paramparā representing and illustrating that paramparā. Some “puṇḍits” will try to tell you that there is “śāstra” and “paramparā” for astrology, but this is very shallow. At least in Kali Yuga, astrology is a speculative science, and in modern times not much resource or funding has been devoted to experimentation (which is a necessity for speculative sciences), and thus the science is fairly ruined.

Even though it is a ruined science, I do think that people in general can derive a lot of benefit from it, since it tends to lead people towards more introspective outlooks, places them into closer contact with the divinity of nature, and helps them begin to understand important concepts like destiny, self, and the divine.

For the most part, I don’t think Krishna devotees who have the opportunity to engage in sādhana-bhakti should rely on astrology, their sādhana-bhakti is already beyond the final destination that astrology can bring them to. Such devotees should read Śrīmad Bhāgavatam instead of read their birth charts, and they should hear Kīrtan from śuddha-bhaktas rather than hear speculative astrological prognostications from the mouths of self-made “puṇḍits.”

Kīrtan of the Hare Krishna mahāmantra immediately causes ceto darpana marjana — it immediately cleans the reflectivity of the mind, enabling us to see ourselves, our world, and our situation very easily. Devotees who have access to chanting this mantra under the guidance of sincere and experienced Vaiṣṇavas should never recourse to mundane or mystical guidance like psychological theories or astrological calculations. They should seek only to focus on the names of Krishna, knowing that all uncertainties will resolve automatically by doing so.

Of course, something also called “astrology" is required to calculate calendars and establish timings for devotional events like Janmāṣṭhamī, etc. I am not talking about this astrology, I am talking about the normal kind, where you go to someone and ask them to resolve your confusions about yourself and your life.

Let the general public who has no access and no confidence in the process of bhakti-sādhana (crowned by nāma-saṅkīrtana) come to astrologers. Hopefully fate will guide them to genuine persons who can deliver spiritual upliftment to them inspire of the technical shortcomings of the astrological science in the current historical epoch (kali-yuga). But lets not encourage the devotees who have the chance to develop confidence in nāma-saṅkīrtanādi bhakti-sādhana to trade in their diamonds for broken glass by giving their trust and hopes to the workings of karma as speculated upon by the imperfect senses and mind of we meager astrologers.


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A Prosperous Life

God wants us to live a prosperous life, physically, spiritually, financially and socially.  God wnats us blessed financially so we can be a blessing to others.  So discover in these teachings how you can live a blessed and prosperous life.

Three part series by Ps Margaret Court. Purchase as 3 Set CD or 3 Part Digital Download.
Recorded live at Victory Life Centre, Perth Western Australia

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Pixel Piñata

Pixel Piñata

Carlos Escárrega

Tutoriales de Cinema 4D y After Effects en español.

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Alison Matthews, Virtual Assistant

Skills backed by years of experience

My name is Alison or Ali for short  (hence the business name VirtuAli).

In 1999 I graduated from Queens University, Belfast, United Kingdom with a degree in modern languages (French/German) and I also have a post graduate diploma in European Business Administration. Having worked for 9 years for European Investment Bank (EIB) in Luxembourg as a senior PA & Project Administrator (please see further details in my LinkedIn profile), I’ve now returned to my native Northern Ireland and I’m based in Moira, Co. Armagh.

Over the last 15 years, I’ve been all things to many people – a personal assistant, company administrator, export sales assistant, project co-ordinator, travel planner, receptionist and much more!  All of these roles required someone with excellent organisational and customer service skills and I have these in abundance.  I always love the variety of each role and the opportunity to help people by bringing new ideas and my experience to the table.

With years of such varied experience, I decided to take on the challenge of setting up my own virtual admin business to enable me to have greater flexibility and variety in my working day, and also because I get a real buzz from continuous learning!

As a Virtual Assistant, I offer a very high level of service and bring the same benefits as any full-time member of staff: loyalty, confidentiality, commitment and a genuine interest in your business.  I can also work with clients virtually anywhere anytime (pun intended!).

When not in my office, you will find me out cycling highways and byways!

Innovative solutions

Having worked in multi-disciplinary teams and in multi-cultural environments in public, private and non-profit sectors in the UK and internationally, I can bring a fresh perspective to your business and provide solutions you maybe hadn’t previously considered.

I understand that in business as in life things don’t always go to plan! Luckily as I’ve worked in a variety of locations and on a variety of contracts, I’ve always been able to adapt very quickly to new places and people and can be flexible to your business needs and demands.

Business insight

Having worked in companies ranging from 3 to 1300 employees and now as small business owner myself, I have substantial insight into the support required by businesses of all sizes but especially the challenges facing micro to medium sized enterprises.

Organisational Skills

With experience of working to tight deadlines and under pressurised environments, I’ve learnt over the years how to multitask, prioritise and at the same time remain professional and calm. Not always an easy combination!


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Influenza comes in three basic types: A, B and C. Those categories tell you a bit about how dangerous the viruses can be. Influenza C causes the mildest disease. Although influenza B can make you just as sick as influenza A, it has never triggered a worldwide pandemic. Those have all come from the influenza A strains. Among other things, influenza A usually masks itself, by covering itself with accessories. Totally, there are 144 different subtypes of influenza A that range from H1N1 to H9N16.

“The Influenza strain that is prevalent this year is H1N1,” said John Bowman, associate professor of pharmacy practice at the Texas A&M Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy. “It is the same strain that was around in 2009, but there is still no immunity to it. Even if someone had it then, they can still contract it this year.”

As flu season approaches each year, vaccine manufacturers try to anticipate what the most likely influenza strain will be. That way, they can prepare a vaccine to combat the symptoms. Among all of the types, Influenza A is the most dangerous type, and the only one that has caused a worldwide epidemic.

“One problem with flu vaccinations is that there is a shortage,” Bowman said. “At a manufacturing level, there may be enough vaccines to supply to communities, but at a local level, some retailers are just not ordering enough.”

Flu vaccines are trivalent, meaning they immunize those receiving the vaccine from two types of influenza A and one type of influenza B. However, there is a new quadrivalent vaccine that is available this year—it will combat an additional type B strain.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reports that the flu is widespread throughout the state, with more than 99 percent of cases being the H1N1 strain. The signs and symptoms of influenza vary from person-to-person, but common symptoms include an abrupt onset of fever, headache, fatigue and body aches. Additional symptoms include flushed skin, dry cough and a sore throat.

Early treatment of influenza with an antiviral drug can shorten the duration of fever and illness symptoms, and may reduce the risk of complications, such as ear infections in young children and pneumonia.

Antiviral medications are most effective when given within 48 hours of influenza illness onset. The two antiviral medications that are generally given to those suffering from the flu are Tamiflu and Relenza®. Tamiflu is approved for treating persons 2 weeks and older, while Relenza is approved for 7 years and older.  Side effects for both are generally mild.

Every flu season, there are more than 200, 000 people who are hospitalized because of the flu. This year, even more people will be visiting their local hospital because the flu has increased to the level of an epidemic. For many people, this can be avoided by receiving a flu shot.

“The main point is to get a flu vaccination because it is not too late,” Bowman said. “It is particularly critical for children from the ages of 6 months to 5-years-old and adults over the age of 65 to receive. They are more susceptible to pneumonia. For those in other age groups, it is still very important. This year, most deaths from the flu occurred in children and young adults. The flu vaccination can save your life.”

For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This story was written by Art Niño, senior English major at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

 John Bowman, BSPharm, MS, BCPS, FASHP, associate professor of pharmacy practice at the Texas A&M Rangel College of Pharmacy, teaches Public Health in the curriculum and was appointed to the Regional Health Awareness Board in Corpus Christi, Texas. He is a member of the Public Health Special Interest Group for American Associations of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP).

 For additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact Cheri D. Shipman, communications director, at 361-221-0606 or cshipman@tamhsc.edu.

— Cheri Shipman

You may also like
Getting a flu shot while pregnant can protect multiple lives
You asked: Should I get a flu shot when I’m pregnant?
Texas A&M Health Science Center students come together for flu vaccine clinics
Pharmacists allowed to vaccinate
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Kissing bugs are not as friendly as they sound
Fast facts: Chagas Disease


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My Dream is Becoming Reality

Posted by on April 5, 2013 in Blog, Uncategorized | 0 comments

My dream is becoming reality with every revision I make.  Its scary and exhilarating living having a dream realized.  I can not wait to see my book cover and read the words in black and white.  I have been asked what is it about the dark shadows that I feel compelled to write about.  I have no idea. I have many answers, the dark shadows within us all, and what stops off a mild mannered person from offing our neighbor to begin with.  I am also fascinated with serial killers that can watch someone die and then go have lunch.  What makes them different from us, the non serial killers of the world.  This is going to be adventure and I am looking forward to it.  Lets look into the dark shadows together.

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Letter to Minister of Public Safety, Stockwell Day

Today, I sent the following message to the Minister of Public Safety, Stockwell Day, via an online form (link below) at the website for Public Safety Canada.

Dear Mr. Minister:

On June 08, your office was contacted by a Mr. Gary McHale who had obtained video footage of terror threats made by Mohawk Warrior Shawn Brant, a man who claims to have been paid by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty to travel to native reserves in order to encourage natives to attack/disrupt Canadian infrastructure.

Mr. Brant has made it clear by his statements that he has no regard for the suffering of innocent citizens:

“I don’t give a rat’s ass whether I create victims or what the white man thinks of me…”

“Not until every home has suffered like we have suffered will I stop.”

Recently, you have made public statements regarding the terror threats by Taliban fighters, yet you have so far remained silent regarding the internal threats posed by Mr. Brant and OCAP.

I would respectfully like to know whether your department is aware of the words and actions of Mr. Brant, and whether or not you intend to act to prevent him from carrying out his threats?

Mark Vandermaas, Editor
Lead Investigator – The Ipperwash Papers

Shortly after getting this post up I received an email from a Caledonia resident who promised to send a copy to Minister Day’s office…

“I cannot tell you how relieved we are that Stockwell Day has assured all Canadians that he’s confident that the anti-terrorist systems will protect us from this recently announced, international threat.

We, however, have decided to carry on with the digging of our moat, installation of steel bars on our windows and construction of a ‘safe room.’

Why? Well, because we live in Caledonia!

Elizabeth Hutchison,
Caledonia, Ontario

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Main Audio Reviews Stats 2 Fans

All 2 movie Reviews

The Child That Smelt Odd The Child That Smelt Odd

Rated 4 / 5 stars

Not bad... I don't get the link between the child that smell funny and the story but it's strange so i like it. The best part is the old peoples that shakes hahaha!

TRACER episode 1 TRACER episode 1

Rated 5 / 5 stars

Very good action/horror movie

Perfect movie, I reaaaaaaaaaaly want to see the sequel. The only thing I ask myself, why is the guy wearing a beard at the beginning and not when he get out of the train? Did he shave? lol

Now, get on your computer and do the sequel :)


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March is Workplace Eye Health & Safety Month!!

Photo by: Rockport Family Eyecare

One of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce workplace eye injuries is to wear proper safety glasses. In fact, Prevent Blindness America (PBA) estimates that 90% of workplace eye injuries could be avoided if safety eyewear is used effectively. Nearly 3 out of 5 people suffering eye injuries at work were wearing NO protection at all! We offer safety eyewear here in many styles!! Have a good weekend everyone and stay warm!!

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Inés Garland

Garland, Inés

Inés Garland (b. Buenos Aires, 1960) is a novelist and short story writer who lives in Buenos Aires. Her novel Piedra, papel o tijera ('Rock, paper or scissors') received a number of awards. Garland currently teaches creative writing in Argentina and Chile, gives readings and works on state literacy programmes for young people. She also translates literature from English into Spanish and most recently, worked on translations of Tiffany Atkinson’s poetry and Mererid Hopwood.

Books by this author


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Category Archives: 4. Wardsville Ontario

Investment in monument marks 200th anniversary of War of 1812

By Marie Williams-Gagnon
Local Members of Parliament Bev Shipley and Dave Van Kesteren, on behalf of the Hon. James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages announced support for the Friends of the Tecumseh Monument in commemoration of the War of 1812. This War helped establish the nation’s path toward becoming an independent and free country, united under the Crown with a respect for linguistic and ethnic diversity.
“The heroic efforts of those who fought for the country in the War of 1812 tell the story of the Canada we know today: an independent and free country with a constitutional monarchy and its own distinct parliamentary system,” said Moore. “The 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 is an opportunity for all of us to take pride in our history and we look forward to taking part in the events and activities that will mark this important anniversary for Canada.”
The Friends of the Tecumseh Monument will be able to further develop the monument’s current site, thanks to an investment from the Government of Canada. This funding will enable the Friends of the Tecumseh Monument to explore new opportunities to further develop the Tecumseh Monument and an outdoor eco-park.
“Our Government received a strong mandate from Canadians to invest in our history and to honour heroes that defended our country in a time of crisis,” said Van Kesteren.
“By supporting projects like these, our government is delivering on its commitment to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 – a defining moment in our country’s history that in many ways has shaped Canada into the country it is today,” added Shipley.
Over the next four years, the Government will invest to increase Canadians’ awareness of this defining moment in our history. This will include support for:
• A pan-Canadian educational campaign focused on the importance of the War of 1812 to Canada’s history;
• Support for up to 100 historical re-enactments, commemorations, and local events;
• A dedicated War of 1812 Monument in Canada’s National Capital Region;
• Interactive tours, exhibits, and improvements to national historic sites across the country; and investments in infrastructure at key 1812 battle sites, such as Fort Mississauga and Fort York, Ontario; and celebrating and honouring the links that many of our current militia regiments in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada have to the War of 1812.
The federal government provided funding in 2010–2011 to the Friends of the Tecumseh Monument through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Celebration and Commemoration Program. The program’s recently announced 1812 Commemoration provides funding for celebrations and commemorations of national significance that promote a greater awareness and understanding among Canadians of the importance of the War of 1812 in the country’s history.
Marie Williams-Gagnon
Transcript & Free Press

Indian Paint Brush

Honouring our neighbours downriver:
Delaware Nation
Moravian of the Thames

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The Old Pump House on Johnston Line.

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The Purcells  from 21850 Johnston Line,R#1  Wardsville installed a beautiful barn quilt block on the old “pump house”. Their daughter Wendy was instrumental in getting this piece of rural art painted for them at Made On Earth art gallery.

The Spirit of George Ward – mural

‘The Spirit of George Ward’ by local artist, Rick Sommer, depicts a quiet scene with Ward sitting in a boat on the Thames River.  The mural is located at the north corner of Longwoods and Hagerty on the slope up to the ball park.

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J.H. Sales sponsors Farmer’s Wife

J.H. Sales & Service is the proud sponsor of The Farmer’s Wife located at 1918 Longwoods Rd., Wardsville.  Here’s the link to J.H. Sales & Services on google map.

Hosted by Bladek Farm and sponsored byJ.H. Sales & Services
This quilt block honours all Canadian pioneer women, especially those who endured much hardship during the War of 1812 – 1814.

Based on excerpt from Rosemary Cranney’s Through the Eyes of Margaret Ward:
“This morning I set bread to rise in the warmth from the fireplace, while the two youngest children took turns churning the butter. The churn and two new oak buckets have made life considerably easier, although I still have to thresh, grind and winnow wheat before I can make bread.
“Along with daily chores, I plant and weed the vegetable garden, hill potatoes and each spring I help with sugaring-off when the maple sap starts running. There is a quilt that will have to be tied because there will be no time to quilt it properly before the cold weather arrives. I have most of the blocks cut from old trousers and two coats are waiting to be cut into more blocks.

“There are vegetables to harvest and dry before they are stored in the root cellar.  Apples are still hanging on many of the eighty trees in the orchard and I must dig potatoes. I also wash and mend clothes and prepare meals for travelers who stop over at the Inn. The well-known saying, ‘A man works from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done,’ has proven itself true in this wilderness.”

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All of our products are designed and tested to bring you the safest and cleanest drinking water.  Our point-of-drinking solutions remove virtually all water contaminants including excess arsenic, fluoride, pathogens, bacteria and pharmaceuticals - these contaminants cause many water-related illnesses, resulting in millions of deaths per year, and can lead to cancer and diabetes. For more information on the company, visit

Visit our products page to view our entire product line, and decide which product will best serve clean water for you and your family.


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Bastogne (19 December 1944-9 January 1945)

101st Airborne Division troops watch as C-47s drop supplies over Bastogne, 26 December 1944.

During the Ardennes offensive, the initial German attack in the early morning hours of 16 December 1944 surprised the Allies completely. The Fifth Panzer Army under General Hasso von Manteuffel formed the southern thrust of the German drive on Antwerp. The spearhead of the Fifth Panzer Army was General Heinrich von Lüttwitz’s XLVII Panzer Korps, consisting of the Panzer-Lehr Division, the 2nd Panzer Division, and the 26th Volksgrenadier Division.

Initially, the XLVII Panzer Korps headed directly toward the city of Bastogne, an important traffic junction. Seven main roads, a railway, and several minor roads met there. The Panzer-Lehr Division had orders to approach the city from the south and to occupy the undefended town before 18 December, if possible. Bad road conditions and misleading information from the Belgian population prevented them from getting there before midnight 18 December.

In the meantime, the Allies finally realized that the German attacks were the start of a major offensive, rather than just spoiling attacks, as they originally thought. All along the front, they quickly started pulling back in order to buy time to organize a more effective defense. The first American forces to arrive in Bastogne, thirty kilometers from the initial German line of attack, were elements of the 10th Armored Division, commanded by Colonel William L. Roberts. They reached the city at sunset on 18 December and immediately blocked the roads running east and northeast from Bastogne.

The Panzer-Lehr Division, under General Fritz Bayerlein , arrived at Bastogne shortly after midnight on 19 December. They attacked immediately, because they knew from radio intercepts that the U.S. 101st Airborne Division was on its way to the city. Elements of that division, however, had already reached Bastogne late at night on 18 December. The U.S. 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment occupied the hills east of the city. The fighting for this high ground and the entrance of the city only lasted three hours on the morning of 19 December. Bayerlein gave up because he sustained high losses and the terrain was not suitable for his Panzers. Thus, the first German attack stopped two kilometers outside the city.

That same day, von Manteuffel decided that in order to continue the westward momentum of the offensive, he would not commit all of the XLVII Panzer Korps to the fight for Bastogne. He ordered the Panzer-Lehr to leave its 902nd Panzer Regiment behind and to continue moving south of Bastogne, He also sent Colonel Meinrad von Lauchert’s 2nd Panzer Division north of Bastogne, so that both would reach the Meuse without delay.

Colonel Heinz Kokott’s 26th Volksgrenadier Division moved up and joined the 902nd PanzerLehr Regiment in the fight for Bastogne. With three infantry regiments in the north and a reinforced reconnaissance battalion in the south, the city was almost completely surrounded, except for one small gap in the west between Champs and Senonchamps.

The defending forces at Bastogne had increased as well, with the 101st Airborne Division arriving in strength. The north approaches to the city were defended by the 705th Tank Battalion, whose Sherman tanks were armed with the high-velocity 76mm main gun. By the evening of 21 December, the Germans had completely encircled Bastogne, cutting off the American defenders in a pocket eight kilometers in diameter.

For two days there was almost no action while the Germans extended their positions and brought up supplies. On 22 December, von Lüttwitz sent a surrender ultimatum to Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe , the acting commander of the 101st Airborne Division. Knowing General George S. Patton’s U.S. Third Army was on its way to Bastogne, McAuliffe reportedly replied with the cryptic statement, “Nuts”—an answer that somewhat confused the Germans at first.

The encircled American troops were supplied by air with ammunition, food, and medicine. That helped them get through the German attack of 23 December, one of the most critical periods of the whole siege. The 26th Volksgrenadier Division, the Panzer-Lehr units, and the Seventh Army’s Fifth Parachute Division then tried to break the defenses from the southeast and the northwest. Even though the Luftwaffe provided support with two heavy attacks, they failed on 24 and again on 25 December. During those attacks, the Germans sustained heavy losses in tanks, materiel, and men. Those also turned out to be the last and the strongest of the attacks directed against the defenders in the city itself.

In the meantime, the Third Army was heading for Bastogne. General Erich Brandenberger’s Seventh Army was supposed to screen the left flank of the Ardennes offensive, but with only four divisions and no tanks there was little they could do to stop the Third Army. On 26 December, elements of the 4th Armored Division’s 37th Tank Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Creighton W. Abrams , reached Bastogne. It had taken the 4th Armored Division five days, and they lost 1,000 men during the heavy fighting along the route of the march. They succeeded, however, in breaking open the German ring around Bastogne. At first, they opened a narrow passage to the city, then they enlarged it. The fight for Bastogne now consisted of enlarging that corridor.

The Germans pulled in more forces. Contrary to the original operational plans, but in accordance with Adolf Hitler’s orders, the Fifth Panzer Army now made Bastogne their main effort. Colonel Otto Remer’s Führer Escort Brigade and elements of the 15th Panzergrenadier Division attacked to close the corridor on 27 December. The attacking force was not strong enough to accomplish the mission. Next, the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division and the 167th Volksgrenadier Division joined the fight. Command of the German operations at Bastogne passed to Lieutenant General Karl Decker of the XXXIX Panzer Korps. On 29 December, Decker received as reinforcements the 1st SS Panzer Division from the Sixth Panzer Army.

Hitler still insisted on taking Bastogne as quickly as possible. On the evening of 29 December, German units assembled around Bastogne for a renewed attack. The XLVII Panzer Korps was upgraded to Armeegruppe Lüttwitz; and the XXXIX Panzer Korps, which had been leading the fight, came under the group’s command.

The next attack started at 0625 hours on 30 December. The Führer Escort Brigade and elements of the 3rd and 15 th Panzergrenadier Divisions headed for Sibret from the west, while in the east, the 167th Volksgrenadier Division and the 1st SS Panzer Division went for the road connecting Bastogne and Martelange. The Germans gained some ground until the afternoon, but then the attack faltered. To the west of the city, the Führer Escort Brigade and the 15th Volksgrenadier Division were checked by units of the Third Army.

In the final days of December, the Germans shifted the entire thrust of the Ardennes offensive. The planned drive to the Meuse River and Antwerp turned into a battle over Bastogne, which devoured one German division after the other. The Germans made almost no progress against the strong American resistance. On 31 December, the Germans committed additional units, including the 12th SS Panzer Division of the I SS Panzer Korps, and the 340th Division. When those attacks failed, Armeegruppe Lüttwitz was dissolved, and its units reverted back to the control of the Fifth Panzer Army.

The German commander in chief in the west, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt , knew that if the Germans failed to destroy all the Allied forces at Bastogne, the Germans would be forced into waging a defensive battle of attrition that they could never win. Hitler, too, steadfastly opposed any halts or rearward movements. Thus the Germans prepared to mount another major attack on 1 January 1945. In the meantime, the Germans had to fend off heavy American attacks along the southern flank of the XLVII Panzer Korps.

As the Americans continued to move reinforcements into the area, they grew increasingly strong in artillery. Also, the Allied air forces were attacking the Germans continuously since the weather had cleared on 24 December. The German positions east of Bastogne were pushed so far back that the attack plans had to be changed completely. Now, instead of attacking from the southeast, the 9th and 12th SS Panzer Divisions, together with the Führer Escort Brigade, were to attack from the north, northeast, and east.

Why did the Germans have to commit an increasingly larger number of divisions as the Ardennes offensive wore on? At the beginning of 1945, the typical German division only had a fraction of its former strength. The 9th SS Panzer Division, for example, started the offensive with 120 tanks and assault guns. Now it had only thirty left. The division’s grenadier battalions were down to only 150 to 175 men. The 12th SS Panzer Division was in no better shape. It had only twenty-five of its 100 tanks left, and its grenadier battalions had only 100 to 125 men. The battalions of the 340th Volksgrenadier Division had 150 to 175 men. At that rate, German strength would soon wither away to nothing. The American units, on the other hand, were in much better condition. They could obtain almost immediate replacements for losses of materiel and men.

The last major German attack began on 4 January and stalled very quickly. Further small actions continued until 8 January. The German hold on Bastogne was broken finally by the Third Army on 9 January 1945. The fight for Bastogne was over. The losses were considerable. The city of Bastogne lost 782 civilians. The Americans lost about 2,700 troops, the Germans about 3,000.

Some 6,785 German soldiers killed in the battles between Malmedy, St. Vith, and Bastogne are buried in the German military cemetery close to Bastogne. The American dead lie in the Henri-Chapelle Cemetery between Liége and Aachen.

Additional Reading

Cole, Hugh M., The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge (1965).

Dupuy, Trevor N., David L. Bongard, and Richard C. Anderson, Jr., Hitler’s Last Gamble: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944-January 1945(1995).

Eisenhower, John S.D., The Bitter Woods (1969).

Elstob, Peter, Bastogne, The Road Block (1968).

Jung, H., Die Ardennenoffensive 1944/45 (1971).

MacDonald, Charles B., A Time for Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge (1985).

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Archive for the ‘Music’ Category

Wedding Dimension has moved – please find me here: http://weddingdimension.blogspot.com/

Really hope that you would hop over to the new blog and say hello 🙂

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Our wedding day was the most amazingly beautiful, special, emotional day if our lives. Everything went smooth and I am over the moon and happily in love 🙂

We woke up to a gloriously warm sunny day. Our ceremony was outside and the weather was just PERFECT! We stayed in a 150 year old house at our venue (The Cradle) and I got ready there on the stoep.

Jeroen getting ready

Jeroen & John in the veld

Jeroen left at about 12 to go get ready with the guys at the log chalets and all the poviders arrived on time!

My mom did my hair, and we had a very relaxed make-up and photo session. Andrea, the most fab photographer in the world, loved the setting and got my inner model to appear!!!!

Juanita, my make-up artist, beginning the transformation!

My favourite picture of me!!!

I left for the ceremony at 15:15 (didn’t want to be a moment late) but when I got there at 15:28 was told the minister hasn’t pitched yet…. one moment of panic then he arrived!!!

My Daddy walking me to the ceremony

Jeroen's first look at his bride

Our ceremony in the dust

I walked down the aisle on my hessian runner at 15:32!!! One of the most special moments of the day was having a minute before walking in to just hug my daddy… (some of you know he was diagnosed with cancer last year August and we didn’t know whether he will still be with us……).

I walked in to the Feather Theme from Forrest Gump! Was hauntingly beautiful in the setting!!!!!

Our guests were taken down to the ceremony site by open game vehicles and most of them loved the novelty of it. The cermony was under the trees in the dust (I know it sounds horrid but was soooo beautiful!). We had wooden benches set out in semi circles and Jeroen and I got married in the middle with all our guests arround us.

U2’s “Beautiful Day” played while we were confettied!!!

We had a cheese ‘cake’ which we cut directly after the ceremony and it was 1 of the biggest hits of the wedding!!! The guests loved the cheese and wine and 70 people finished almost 6kg of cheese in a hour!!!

Our cheese 'cake'

Condiments served with the cheese & wine

We took our photos there in the veld and the guests also loved the fact that they could see the photos being taken. They all said that they didn’t feel abandoned as they have felt at previous weddings when the couple goes for their photos (could also be because we fed them cheese and the wine flowed!!! LOL!!).

We made our entrance at the reception to Barry White’s “you’re my first, my last, my everthing’.

Our entrance at the reception

It was a fun entrance because he talks a bit in the beginning of the song and the song builds up in momentum and everyone was waiting in anticipation for our entrance!

The evening went soooooooooo quickly! Jeroen made a beautiful speech and then I did my speech (and gals, I didn’t cry – which is such an achievement for me!!!) and then Jeroen & I toasted our parents together.

They brought out a birthday cake for me and Jeroen got the DJ to play 50cents’ “It’s your birthday’!!! Had sparklers and candles the works!!!

After dinner the MC got everyone to stand and then asked all the unmarried people to sit. Then those married for less than 5 hours had to sit (I didn’t want to!!!), then all those married less than 5 years etc until only one couple remained standing (Jeroens parents) – married for 43 years!!! I then handed my bouquet over to them! Was so special!!!

Our first dance was to The parlotones’ “I’ll be there” and was THE MOST MAGICAL MOMENT!!! The whole world disappeared and it was just me and Jeroen!! THAT IS WHEN I STARTED CRYING FOR THE 1ST TIME!!!!!

And then we just boogied the rest of the night away 🙂

Let's do the time warp again! It's just a jump to the left....

All of the family stayed at The Cradle that night and they gave us a sumptious breakfast the next morning in the bush.

All in all was THE most FANTASTIC day of my WHOLE life!!!!!!

Now providers:

Venue – The Cradle – www.thecradle.co.za
They are expensive (can’t bullsh*t you about that!!), but worth every single cent!!! From the magnificent setting, the beautiful restaurant, the SUPERB food, the excellent service, I would recommend them anyday!!!! We had a 4 course plated meal @ R350pp which included, as one of the choices for mains, a perfect prepared 350g fillet!!! We got sms’s the day after from guests who raved about that fillet!!!!

Photogarpher – Andrea Carlyle – http://www.andreacarlylephotography.co.za/
I loved her from the moment I saw her website and I just had to have her as our photographer!!! She has a fantastic eye and our pics are just GORGEOUS!!!!!! She is very professional and so chilled!!!! And the guys raved about the 2nd photographer, Belinda (she has flippen beeeeeuuuuaaaitful arms!!!!).

Videographer – Gavin Blok – http://www.wedonvideo.com/
Gavin & Natasja were a very late addition to our supplier list but I am so very grateful we decided to go with them. The day went sooo quickly that we did not take much of the details in so we can’t wait for the video!! Gavin is also very professional and he has worked with Andrea before, which meant they didn’t get in each other way.

Make-up – Juanita – http://www.in2art.co.za/
She was soooo sweet, on time, professional and a darling on the day!! My make-up looked spectacular (even though I say so myself he he he) and it lasted so well!!!

Music – http://www.creamcheese.co.za/

The DJ, Mark, was fantastic!!! He went out of his way to find the strange songs we wanted and he read the guests sooo well!!! The dancefloor was busy the WHOLE night; can’t think of 1 moment when there was not someone boogying away!!!

Wooden benches hire – Price party hire – http://www.partyhire.co.za/
Their driver got lost (luckily on the Friday, not on the day!) but their rates were fantastic!

Officiate – Craig Smee
Although a bit late and rather overbooked, he did a wonderful job and had most of our guests in tears with his beautiful ceremony!

Set-up on the day – Erna www.ernawolmarans.co.za
She was such a blessing! I just could not be in 2 places at the same time!!!

Dress – My aunt Verona!
Was exaclty what I wanted!!! Felt like a fairy in a fairytale!!!

Birthday Cake/Rusks – My mommy!

Cheese – little shop in Randburg – Republic rd

As most of you know, I did most everything else for our wedding myself. It was a lot of work and VERY stressful but worth it in the end!!!

I made the:
save the dates
table numbers
table number stands
table runners
favours (small packets of filter coffee & rusks)
table seating frame
bathroom baskets (which the guests LOVED!!)
all flowers, including:
centerpiece flowers
bridesmaid bouquet
my bouquet

Here are some photos of the flowers and decor:

The organza runners on the tables

The organza runners on the tables

Napkins & placecards

Napkins & placecards

Filter coffee & rusks!

Our favours: Filter coffee & rusks!

The tables

The tables with the most spectacular view in the background

The tables with the most spectacular view in the background
The tables

The wishtree

The wishtree

My bouquet

My bouquet

And that is it!!! I will post some honeymoon pics next week. Until then, any comments will be highly appreciated 🙂

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So tonight we are meeting with our DJ and we have to choose the impact songs/music for the wedding. The entrance at the ceremony, the first dance song, music while cutting the cake etc etc. I know which song will be our fist dance song but about the rest I am still unsure. It also doesn’t help that GV and my tastes in music are like chalk and cheese! I am a slower, softer, more mellow, lyrics-are-important type of girl. He is a the-louder-the-better, damn-the-lyrics, get-me-dancing type of guy. Can you see where we might have a problem? LOL! Luckily there are some inspiration available on the web:

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In the words of Shakespeare:

If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again! it had a dying fall:
O! it came o’er my ear like the sweet sound
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing and giving odour.
(Twelfth Night, 1.1.1-7)

Yes, we are talking music at the wedding! Whether you are hiring a DJ, a string quartet or having a live band play, music lends an air of festivity to the event. The music at a wedding (or any party for that matter) can make or break the event. You know you have been at one of those weddings where the grooms brother’s band was the main entertainment and, uhm, well, not so entertaining…

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Looking For Your Dress Part 1: The Pregame Show

The most complicated clothing purchase you will ever make...I have an almost unhealthy relationship with “Say Yes to the Dress” on TLC.  I don’t know what it is, but something about watching these women with ridiculous expectations argue with their families and friends about dresses they like and don’t like is highly entertaining to me.  Once I started watching the show, I just couldn’t stop.  It’s addicting!  And that started even before I suddenly found myself in the situation where I would need to be looking for a dress.  After I got engaged, watching the show took on an entertainment/research quality, and I used it as an opportunity to look for ideas and to learn some of the terminology.  Okay maybe I was just using my wedding as an excuse to watch it, but it was helpful I swear!

You’ll want to start gathering pictures that demonstrate what you’re looking for in a wedding dress.  This is where the big ole giant look book from The Knot is of major help (seriously, if you buy no other bridal magazines, at least get this one).  Look for pictures that represent what you think you’d want to look like on your wedding day.  Bonus points if you find a dress you like in its entirety, but focus more on aspects of the dress you like.  I cut out a bunch of pictures where I only liked the top, or the bottom, or the level of bling, etc.  Make notes on what you think you want, and what you think you don’t want, but try to keep an open mind.  I absolutely knew that I didn’t want a ball gown (or what I like to refer to as a cupcake dress), and I’m not a big lace person, but beyond that I tried to be open to my other options.  Wedding dresses fit differently than normal dresses, and the chances that you’ve actually worn or tried on dresses in some of the silhouettes are pretty slim (can you remember any other time you would have tried on a trumpet skirt or a poofy ball gown?), so try not to write them off as unflattering until you’ve given them a shot.  It is all too common that brides are convinced of what they think they want, but when they finally get it on, it’s not what they expected, and then they feel at a loss.  I’m not saying don’t have an image of what your ideal dress may look like, but realize that what you think you love in a picture you may not love on yourself.

Pay attention to whether you tend to gravitate towards a specific designer.  Always do a quick search online to see what the dresses you like run cost-wise to give you an idea of how realistic your expectations are.  Sometimes you’ll be surprised and find that your dream dress is less expensive than you expected.  There was a dress I was in love with in a magazine (well, I loved it on the 6 foot tall size -2 model, which I will get to in a moment), and was terrified of how much it might cost.  Lucky me, it usually retailed for about half of my budget!  Remember, you don’t have to love the color the dress is in the picture.  Most designers offer their dresses in varying shades of white and ivory (and even some bright colors, if you’re into that kind of thing), so you can most likely choose the shade that best matches your skin tone.

The thing to remember most when looking at pictures is that, for the most part, these models are tall and skinny, sometimes frighteningly so.  There are things that will look good on them that will not look good on “normal” people (even the “normal skinny” ones), and there are shapes that will look terrible on them because they have no shape of their on to back it up.  Don’t look for how the dress looks on the model, but look at how the shape of the dress flows with its patterns, the detailing, the cut, and the silhouette.  Yes, a bad model/dress match can make the dress look bad no matter what, but the more you try to look past the airbrushed stick figure the more likely you are to see the dress itself for what it really is.

When looking for a salon, keep your budget in mind.  If you have a $1,000 budget, don’t go looking at a salon where dresses start at $1,000 and go up, or worse start above your desired budget.  This severely limits your choices as salons rarely have much variety in the low-end of their pricing scale.  Also, if you are leaning towards a specific designer, go to the designer’s website.  Most of them will have a list of salons in your area that carry their dresses.  This can be a great way to start your search.  If there is a particular dress you are interested in trying on, ask the salon when you call to make an appointment if they have it.  Just because they don’t have it doesn’t mean you should skip the store, but it’s always a bonus if you can try on a dress you have in your head as potentially perfect.

On a related note: ALWAYS MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.  Some salons will say they take walk-ins, but you should never be one if it can be helped.  Making an appointment guarantees you’ll have the help you need and will have a dedicated fitting room for the length of the appointment.  Just walking in not only means you may not have any assistance or a room, but it also tells the consultants there you don’t value their time.  Be wary of any salon that ONLY does walk-in appointments.  Before making an appointment, check for reviews of the salon online.  There are a surprising number that remain in business despite constant problems with rude staff or ordering snafus.

Feel free to look at more than one salon.  Different salons carry different designers, and even ones that carry the same designers may have different dresses within those collections.  I ended up looking at two different salons, both of which were fantastic.  There was a salon I had heard about in the middle of Michigan which has been described as giving the “Say Yes to the Dress” experience and had a massive selection.  Given it’s location, it was easier for me to have the people join me on my dress shopping trip that I wanted there, so visiting that salon was a given for us.  There was a specific dress I wanted to try on, however, and they didn’t have it.  So two weeks before the adventure back to MI, I went to a local salon to try on that dress and a few others.  I ended up finding one I liked, so when we went MI we were playing “beat the dress.”

This has gotten long enough, so I’ll cut if off here.  In future posts I’ll talk about what to do and expect at your appointment, dress styles (and silhouettes), and fabrics.  Those latter two discussions will also apply to bridesmaids dresses, so it’s like they’re bonus posts!

I’ll also make a post about the salons I went to, just in case you’re in Michigan or the western suburbs of Chicago and want a recommendation of places to search.

Posted on September 26, 2011, in Attire, Budget, Wedding Planning Isn't For Sissies and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

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Hi all!  No post today as I am one of those silly adults who still fully embraces Halloween and was too busy finishing up my Link costume (from the Legend of Zelda, for those of you who haven’t experienced its magic) and handing out candy to write a new post.  I hope you all enjoyed your weekend, and I’ll get back to writing up some advice in time for Thursday 🙂

Happy Halloween!

Hey! Listen!

UPDATE!  First of all, I’d like to point out that I have been forever cemented as a nerd in the bowels of the internet.  My pumpkin carving made the front page of the Fandom section of Memebase.

Second of all, by popular demand, me in my costume!

Posted on October 31, 2011, in Personal and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.

  1. Happy Halloween to you! I would love to see a photo of your finished costume 🙂 This is the first halloween of my life (which adds up to 25 years today!) that I did not make a costume. I am decked out in orange and black for work though, embracing the Halloween spirit! Hope you have a great Halloween!

    • Happy Halloween to you too! This is by far the most involved I’ve gotten in making a costume before, but I plan on this being used for various nerd-cons 🙂 I’ll update with a picture of me actually in the costume (although I’m thinking it probably looks better on the dress form!) after tonight when there’s someone around to man the camera.

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Just Stop Talking, Please: Olympic Track

I ran track in high school.  I wasn’t fabulous of course, but I was varsity and did routinely place relatively well at invitational and state-wide events.  I was a sprinter (100m, 200m, 4x100m, and 4x200m in every meet) and a long jumper.  I tried hurdles, but there’s a broken one hanging on my wall, so that tells you how well that went.  Naturally these are my favorite events to watch because I understand the technique that has to go into them.

But I hate the announcers.

I’m okay with announcers who know the sport and know what they’re talking about.  It is very obvious to me when you have someone who’s just reading off facts they found on Wikipedia and talking out their butt.  I’d rather they just be quiet.  Tell me what lane everyone is going to be in, if there’s wind, maybe tell me what their PR is for this season, and then tell me who placed where when they’re done.  In a relay you can tell me if a team missed a handoff.  Don’t try to comment on their cornering ability (hint: everyone is a good cornerer when they’re in the outside lane, you don’t have to tell me that), and you certainly should stop talking about how well people are coming out of blocks.  Every time you have said anything about how well someone came out of the blocks, you have been wrong.

Oh so wrong.

Not tripping does not mean it was a good start.  Tripping is certainly a bad start, and eating pavement is a terrible start, but not tripping doesn’t automatically make it good.

If they come flying out of the blocks with a stance so wide that their first few steps are actually on the lines of the neighboring lanes and their feet are completely sideways, that is not a good start.  With those bright yellow shoes it is easy to see.  Yet every time I see a replay and go “oh man that start was terrible…did you see his feet?” you are right there commenting about how beautiful the start was.  Were we not watching the same neon shoes?

A hurdler did not run a “fantastic” race if they nailed 3 hurdles to the ground.  Winning the heat doesn’t mean fantastic, it just means “better than everyone else”.  That’s all you really need to do, so you can say it’s fantastic that they came in that position, but you can’t use that adjective to describe the run.  That’s why they don’t look happy at the end of the race.  Fantastic is skimming a hurdle or two.

You do not need to tell us that for a team to win the relay they should use their fastest runner. NO WAY!  I DIDN’T KNOW THAT!  Seriously, is that a necessary statement?  Of course they want to use their top 4 fastest runners.  It’s basic math.  You saying that is the equivalent of John Madden reminding us that if they don’t move the ball forward they’re not going to score any points.

0.1 seconds is not a huge lead.  Yes it is a sizeable time chunk by the standards of the sport, especially in the sprint races.  It is not a huge cushion when you’re talking about a runner who is in the lead and slows down before hitting the line in a qualifying heat.  Don’t say “oh he had plenty of room, I’m not surprised he slowed down going into the finish” when he ends up finishing pretty much on top of the guy in the #2 spot.  Plenty of room is when someone else could lay down in-between the two and make a snow angel. Usain Bolt in the 200m semifinal had a decent amount of room.  The US women’s 4×100 qualifier had plenty of room.  A 0.1s or less gap in the final times does not mean they had a big lead and could slow down.  It means they’re cocky.

I could go on, but I’ve already induced a stroke thinking about this while listening to them do it more, so I’m going to call it quits here.  At least it’s all over now…

I am of course biased to ripping announcers apart on track.  Maybe swimmers say the same thing watching those events.  I know there’s some stuff that gets said there that makes me go “really, was that really necessary?”  Anyone have any thoughts?  Do track announcers seem to dwell on the obvious and make more erroneous observations than announcers in other sports?  Is there an event where the announcers make you want to hurt someone?

Posted on August 13, 2012, in Life, Misc. Topics (Life), Olympics and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.

  1. I just hate that getting the silver medal in anything is always the WORST THING EVER…. I mean, I know that gold is obviously the best but hey! Silver medal is good too! Also, you never even hear about the bronze medal winner. At least you get to stand on the podium in front of the world and get a fancy medal! :p
    I also disliked how they would host winter Olympics people for interviews about random sports instead of interviewing people in the summer olympic sport they were talking about… (like when they interviewed a hockey guy about water polo… He was actually trying to talk about water polo and the announcer kept being like “Yeah… anyway… about the NHL…”) Whyyyy?! I heard that the BBC did a much better job broadcasting the Olympics than NBC. I bet they probably had better track announcers too…

    • Oh my gosh yes, the “dreaded” silver medal. Since when did second place become so bad? Interviewers asking “how disappointed are you?” after someone comes in second drives me absolutely bonkers. Sure, it’s not 1st, but they’re still second in the world out of some outrageous number of athletes. Why is that suddenly something to be ashamed of?

      I actually started writing a post about that too, but then I got so angry that I forgot what I was doing and decided to leave that alone for the time being…

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Episode 48 – Wartime Stories

This week, we’ll visit stories that touch on the experience of war, whether on the front lines or at home. As always, we’ll end with what we’re reading this week.

Download here

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness

Ann’s picks:

Halle’s picks:

What We’re Reading This Week:

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BRD2017 Mast

BRD2017is a one-year Bible reading plan to help us develop the Spiritual Discipline of reading God’s Word daily.

It is open to everyone, from the young to the old, in Wesley Methodist Church who are disciples of Christ.

In BRD 2016 (1 Jan 2016 to 31 Dec 2016), following Year 2 of M’Cheyne’s two-year reading plan, we would have read 52 of the 66 Books of the Bible – the latter 25 Books for the Old Testament as well as 27 Books of the New Testament.

For BRD 2017 (1 Jan 2017 to 31 Dec 2017), We will:

  • Read the Bible following M’Cheyne’s 2-year Bible Reading Plan (Year 1).
  • Read an average of two chapters a day,
  • Read the first 14 books in the Old Testament as well as Psalms and all 27 books of the New Testament once again.

Information and Updates , please click on this link and join us on the BRD Facebook page.

(BRD Facebook Page)

Contact us: Send us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

BRD2017 - Links and Resources

1. How to use the R.O.A.D. map (Link to PDF File)

2. BRD2017 Reading Plan (Year 1 M'Cheyne's Two-year Bible reading plan). (Link to PDF File)

3. Mobile apps with M'Cheyne's Two-year Bible reading plan. Do share your recommendations if you know of more apps for BRD2017.

For Android devices – "Quick Bible" – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.alkitab.kjv&hl=en

Install the "M'Cheyne First Year Bible Reading Plan" (Search code: final_brd2017)

For iOS devices – "Reading Plan" – https://itunes.apple.com/app/readingplan/id336984707?mt=8


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The Little Things in Life Rock

Nathan Weizenbaum was helping me with a few issues in a pet project I’m working on.

In the process, I ended up learning a really neat trick that Ruby can do.

To give you a bit of background, I’m working on a GTK Tray Icon. To make a menu spawn upon right-clicking the tray icon, you’d expect to see something like this:

require 'gtk2'

class TrayIcon
  def initialize
    trayicon = Gtk::StatusIcon.new
    trayicon.set_tooltip('My Tray Icon')
    trayicon.signal_connect('popup-menu') { |button, activate_time| on_right_click(button, activate_time) }

  def on_right_click(status_icon, button, activate_time)
    rc_menu = Gtk::Menu.new

    exit = Gtk::ImageMenuItem.new('Quit')
    exit_image = Gtk::Image.new(Gtk::Stock::QUIT, Gtk::IconSize::MENU)
    exit.signal_connect('activate') { Gtk.main_quit }

    rc_menu.popup(nil, nil, button, activate_time)

But, the line 8th line (trayicon.signal_connect …) is a bit unwieldy. The thing is, we need those arguments to be passed for everything to work. And that’s where Ruby’s Proc handling comes in to save me. The same line can be re-written, and work, using the following line instead:

trayicon.signal_connect('popup-menu', &method(:on_right_click))

1 Response to “The Little Things in Life Rock”

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