text:
The biggest threat to modern medicine — antibiotic resistance
© Getty Images

For only the fourth time in United Nations (UN) history, a health issue was the focus of a general assembly meeting: All 193 UN members will sign a declaration agreeing to fight the biggest threat to modern medicine, which is antibiotic resistance. This as a global crisis which requires global response.

The discovery of antibiotics by Alexander Fleming in 1928 is one of the greatest medical advances ever. How did something so right turn out to be so wrong in less than 100 years?

While antibiotics can be lifesaving, even Fleming recognized the potential for antibiotic resistance — also called antimicrobial resistance (AMR) — when he accepted his Nobel Prize in 1945.

When infectious organisms — primarily bacteria, but also viruses and fungi — are exposed to a sub-lethal dosage of an antibiotic, they can mutate and develop resistance to that medicine. After that happens other individuals may also become infected with resistant strains.

These pathogens are called “superbugs” because they cause infections for which we have limited or no effective treatments. They can spread quickly, and internationally. The UN estimates that over 700,000 people die annually from drug-resistant infections.

That number is projected to increase to 10 million by 2050 if preventive measures aren’t introduced quickly and globally. In the US, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 23,000 people die annually from AMR infections and more than 2 million people are infected with AMR infections.

When mortality statistics alone don’t motivate action, projected economic losses do. A British report predicted global production losses of $100 trillion between now and 2050 if international AMR initiatives weren’t implemented soon.

Factors contributing to antibiotic resistance include, individuals not taking the complete dose, taking antibiotics from previous infections, and taking someone else’s antibiotics.

From the physician's perspective, providers sometimes prescribe antibiotics incorrectly — prescribing antibiotics for viral infections — succumb to patient pressures to prescribe or they may even prescribe prophylactic antibiotics unnecessarily.

However, the greatest cause of antibiotic resistance is antibiotic exposure in our food and water. While improper disposal is a factor, the predominant cause of antibiotic overexposure is their excessive use in animals and fish as growth factors by preventing infections in increasingly overcrowded living conditions.

In the US alone, Pew Trusts estimates that 70 percent of medically important antibiotics are given to animals in our food supply.

It has been widely reported that the UN members have agreed to facilitate ongoing innovation in antibiotic development, to increase public education, and to enhance regulatory systems on the sale and uses of antimicrobial medicine for humans and animals.

To address these challenges, governments will convene task forces and galvanize health agencies to draft action plans with the input of physicians, researchers, hospitals, medical organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and pharmaceutical companies.

But there are several critically important action steps that individual health care providers and individuals can start today:

1. Practice infection prevention: review with your children, patients, constituents, customers, co-workers, & employees. Here, an ounce of prevention is truly worth ten pounds of cure. There is no substitute for frequent hand-washing and staying home from work if you have a contagious illness. Cough into your elbows rather than your hands. Don’t share food or drinks if you have a cough, cold or flu and don’t kiss others on the lips then. Antibacterial cleaning products aren’t more helpful than regular ones and may also contribute to AMR.

2. Vaccines are our primary tools to prevent infectious diseases and to reduce secondary infections. For example, many elderly people who get the flu may also develop pneumonia; kids with chickenpox can develop skin infections from scratching. It’s important to speak with your healthcare provider or pharmacist annually to review which vaccines you or your children may need.

Not only have new vaccines have become available (eg. Meningitis B vaccine), but vaccine guidelines may changed. Most vaccine preventable illnesses are viral and can be treated with antiviral medications, but people who aren’t in a high risk group generally don’t need them. Viral illnesses are often misdiagnosed or mistreated (eg. prescribing antibiotics for the flu).

Now is a great time for all adults to confirm that their vaccines and their children's  are current. The annual flu vaccine is now available for anyone over six months old without contraindications. Many people confuse the guidelines for the flu and pneumonia vaccines; ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist which ones you may need and keep an updated copy of your records.

3. Dispose of any unused antibiotics in the trash; don’t flush them down the toilet.

5. Reduce your consumption of fish, meat, poultry, milk and eggs from antibiotic fed sources. You don’t have to become vegetarian, but choose locally sourced organic products whenever possible. Eat recommended portion sizes and decrease the frequency of consumption.

5. If you are prescribed antibiotics, use them correctly. Always complete the full course of therapy; don’t stop taking them when your symptoms abate. Don’t save some of your prescription for next time. Don’t share your prescription with anyone, even if they have the same symptoms. Don’t pressure your healthcare provider (or your neighbor who is a doctor) to prescribe antibiotics you may not need, especially remotely. If you are sick enough to be prescribed antibiotics, you are sick enough to be examined. If you can’t get to your doctor, local pharmacy clinics are options. Finally, if a doctor ever told you to take antibiotics before dental procedures or surgery, ask if that is still the case since many of these guidelines have changed.

Donnica L. Moore, MD is the President of Sapphire Women’s Health Group. You can find her on Twitter: @DrDonnica

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Type: response

text:
OIC Marine Services logo

Towage and Pilotage

Orkney Towage Company Ltd. was formed on 21 April 1976 to primarily to provide towage services for the then Occidental Oil Terminal on Flotta. Since this time, Towage services, (now as a division of Marine Services with in the framework of Orkney Islands Council) is now primarily engaged in providing the towage services for the Oil Port of Scapa Flow. Their duties include assisting in the berthing and sailing of oil tankers and gas tankers from the Jetty and Single Point Mooring operated now by Talisman Sinopec (UK) Ltd plus the berthing and sailing of oil tankers involved in Ship-to-Ship operations and escort duties for oil tankers arriving and departing Scapa Flow.

Towage Services is signatory to the CAST agreement (Coastguard Agreement for Salvage and Towage), and under the CAST agreement the MCA may call upon their services (subject to availability) to assist in salvage operations were a vessel is in danger of causing pollution, danger to other shipping or to assist in counter pollution duties. On occasions when the service of a tug is not required in Scapa Flow, Towage Services are available for third party usage within the area of the North of Scotland.

The three 55 tonne bollard pull tugs and their crews are also a key part of the Oil Pollution Response Contingency Plan for Scapa Flow, each tug has a knuckle boom crane which can be used for deploying pollution equipment as well as transporting equipment to the location of a pollution incident. Tug crews are involved in regular oil pollution training exercises with the Orkney Islands Council Department of Marine Services. The crews employed onboard the tugs are highly skilled and experienced personnel and are all certified to STCW ’95. In 2003, Towage Services achieved full compliance with the requirements of the International Safety Management Code (ISM code).

In recent years, Towage Services as played a major part in the installation of Renewable Energy Devices in Orkney. The installation of the Openhydro tidal device at the Falls of Warness and the further installation of the EMEC wave testing device on Orkney's west coast demonstrated the versatility and experience of the towage crews at their best.

For further details on Towage Support services please contact:

Capt. John Taylor, Towage Superintendent, Harbour Authority Building, Scapa, Orkney, KW15 1SD

For further details on Pilotage services please contact:

Capt. Alistair Wylie, Depurt harbour Master Operations, Harbour Authority Building, Scapa, Orkney, KW15 1SD

Technical Information

Orkney Towage operates a 24 hour towage service in Scapa Flow with 3 azimuth stern drive tugs, Einar, Erlend and Harald. The crews serving on board these vessels are certified to STCW 95 standards. Orkney Towage is ISM code compliant.

The tugs each develop a total of 4000hp through twin stern 'aqua-masters'. This equates to a bollard pull of 55t ahead and 47t astern. Each tug is equipped with towing equipment capable of withstanding loads in excess of 120 tonnes. Tug lines are used for most of the operations carried out in Scapa Flow.

Each tug is also equipped with fire fighting monitors and can also be used for counter pollution duties. On occasion, the tugs assist with general port services such as supplying fresh water or gas oil.

M.T. Harald

Tug Availability

The following table outlines the number of tugs available for specific ship movements in Scapa Flow.

MovementShip GroupNumber of Tugs
Berthing / unberthing at LPG Jetty< 5,000 tonnes DWT1
Berthing at LPG Jetty> 5,000 tonnes DWT3
Berthing at LPG Jetty>5,000 tonnes DWT
(capability class 2 DP vessels or higher)
Unberthing at LPG Jetty> 5,000 tonnes DWT2
Berthing / unberthing at SPMsAll ships2
Berthing / unberthing STS operationsAll ships3

During emergency situations and in exceptional circumstances, additional tugs may be called on for assistance. On occasion, the harbour tugs may be available for assisting vessels manoeuvring in other areas around Orkney and for salvage work. These services may be subject to operational requirements in Scapa Flow.

Orkney Harbour Authority requires that certain vessels (primarily loaded tankers) navigating in the Hoxa Sound / Scapa Flow areas are escorted by tugs. The requirements are based on the quantity of pollutants carried and are outlined in the table below.

Area*Quantity of PollutantsNumber of TugsMode
A>5,000 tonnes1Standby
B>5000 tonnes1Passive
B>15,000 tonnes2Minimum 1 active
B>170,000 tonnes3Minimum 1 active
C>15,000 tonnes2Passive
C>170,000 tonnes2Minimum 1 active
*see map below (the above table also applies to LNG vessels).

The master and pilot have the authority to dispense with a tug escort in area 'C' should they consider it appropriate. It is also recommended that ballasted tankers are accompanied by a tug escort as follows:

  • Area A 1 tug standby
  • Area B 1 tug on active mode
  • Area C 1 tug on passive mode

For the purpose of tug escorts, a pollutant is defined as crude oil or heavy bunker fuel.

Tug Escort Areas Within Scapa Flow

Tug escort areas within Scapa Flow

Orkney Towage Accounts

Latest News
Click for next news itemsClick for previous news items

29 May 2017

Kirkwall Welcomes Norwegian Cruise Lines

The Norwegian Jade arrived in Kirkwall today, the first of 5 calls into Kirkwall this season and will deliver over 12, 000 passengers in 2017. This is the first time Norwegian...

11 May 2017

Largest Cruise Ship Ever to Call

The majestic MSC Preziosa arrived at Hatston Pier yesterday breaking all previous records for the largest passenger carrying vessel to ever visit Orkney. The ship had over 4700 person on board...

Orkney Islands Council (OIC) logoUK Chamber of Shipping logoBritish Ports Association logoCruise Lines International Association (CLIA) logoCruise Scotland logoCruise Britain logo

Orkney Islands Council, Marine Services, Harbour Authority Building, Scapa, Orkney, KW15 1SD

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-166-65-126.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-26
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for June 2017
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: application/xhtml+xml

text:
Orphan Train Rider

Orphan Train Rider
Oliver Nordmark - Age 15 - Esbon KS

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Home Sweet Home!

Well, here we are on Sunday, May 2nd and I have returned safely home! What an outstanding two week adventure. I have SO MANY people to thank for the success of this book tour - I hope I don't leave anyone out - if I do, raise your hand!

First and foremost, I MUST thank Sara Gault of Shilling Elementary School in Salina Kansas. Sara, nearly single handedly, orchestrated this entire trip leaving no stone unturned. She handled the scheduling of school and community visits, publicity, and the acquisition of funding from the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission. Once I arrived in Kansas, Sara made sure that I felt welcome right from the start, introducing me to other teachers and principals in the school district and including me in the daily 4:15 pm "coffee clutch" at the mall! Coffee at 4:15....I don't know Sara, this may be the reason you don't sleep much at night-lol! Sara also made sure I wouldn't get lost while going from school to school by generously driving me around every evening showing me how to get to the next day's schools. We enjoyed some wonderful meals with Tina, Jean, Kathy and Kathleen and a special night out with Sara's family Molly, Ben, Carter and Gage - adorable little boys with excellent restaurant manners :) SARA, you are an amazing woman and I am blessed to be able to call you my friend. I truly hope that when you travel EAST in May, you give me a call and if you are anywhere near me, I will come to see you!

I, of course, want to thank the Salina Arts & Humanities Commission for funding this book tour, with a special thank you to Sharon Benson who, although drowning in preparations for a huge festival coming to Salina in June, found time in her busy schedule to come to my first presentation to enjoy my talk as well as check to see that I had everything I needed....which of course I did. The accommodations were excellent - I couldn't have asked for a more comfortable place to call "home" for two weeks.

Tons of "Thank yous" to the hundreds of students and residents of Salina Kansas who welcomed me so enthusiastically to their schools and organizations! You made me feel so welcome and I so enjoyed speaking with and meeting you. Your questions were always so thoughtful and I am thrilled to have been able to reach so many of you with the story of the Orphan Train Riders. Remember your homework assignment????? Have you found ONE person yet who doesn't know about the orphan trains and taught them everything you learned?? Remember.....250,000 riders are counting on you! (no pressure there, right?)

Muriel Anderson of the Orphan Train Complex in Concordia Kansas did a wonderful job in organizing my book signing at the museum as well as the luncheon at the Huckleberry Tea Room. And I will never forget the kindness shown me by Virginia Alexander who I had met in Kansas back in 2006 and who traveled to the museum to see me again and catch up on everything that has happened in the last four years! You made my day, Virginia!

To two of the BEST FRIENDS a girl could ask for - Donna Brown and Karen Williams - you guys are so special to me! When I would tell people what you were willing to do for me (drive out to KS, then fly back......then fly out to KS and drive back) they always looked at me in amazement and commented along the lines of, "Wow, they are good friends!" I SO enjoyed my time with both of you - I haven't laughed so hard since.....I don't know when! I will be calling you both to set up a time when the three of us can get together and laugh all over again!

A big THANK YOU to my family, Bob, Carlo, James & Estella, who agreed to "let me go" for two weeks and keep things going here at home without me. I know it wasn't easy but I hope you know how much I appreciated it! Thank you MOM & DAD who, although you couldn't come to Kansas with me as originally planned, were with me in spirit - and on the phone - throughout the entire trip. I felt your love and support during every presentation and missed not having you there. And mom....I can't thank you enough for doing all the laundry here at home while I was gone - what a priceless gift!!

Thank you to those who cooked for my family in my absence - Mary, Donna and Mom - thanks to you, no one starved!

Last but certainly not least, I want to thank EVERYONE who followed along with this blog, as well as my Facebook postings, during my book tour. Your blog comments, facebook posts and welcome phone calls kept me company, and made me feel like I wasn't alone on this adventure!

Okay.......... Did I miss anyone? Raise your hand....or post a comment to let me know!

I am posting some pictures that didn't make it onto the daily blog posts - some here on today's post, and the rest tomorrow. Then I'll be taking a few days off from blogging to get things back in order here at home before resuming my posts on the orphan train movement and individual rider stories. I hope you'll continue to follow along :)

Until next time.........

Karen said...

It was a great honor to travel with you after your tour. To catch up on so many things and to laugh, laugh, laugh........
You are very special...........I know that your Mom and Dad are very proud to have you as a daughter.
Your grandfather is looking down from Heaven, hugging you and thanking you, for telling his story and saying, when the time comes........... "She's with me"

Love you,

Donna said...

Karen....not only can you still make me laugh after 30 years...you can still make me cry too.

Love Donna


text:
Thursday, 3 November 2011

My German Shepherd x Malamute 'Jordie'...yes, he is smiling!
For many years I have watched my dogs experience and communicate a full range of emotions evidenced by the expressions on each dogs face - from happiness, and joy to concern, concentration, pain, tension, consternation, and much more!

My German Shepherd x Husky 'Sarah' - definitely a smile on that face!
So does that make me a little crazy, a little too warm of heart, indulgent or perhaps I anthropomorphize? Or is it possible that what I ‘think’ I see is in fact reality? Forgive my certainty but, I have, with complete and absolute conviction understood that dogs can, and in fact do smile, feel and express a full range of emotions and states of being...

Apparently, there is now some consensus among those of the scientific community that dogs can and do smile! Maybe I am not so crazy.

We will get to that in a moment, but before we do…did you know that dogs and humans have similar facial expressions controlled by a very similar set of facial muscles?

My Beautiful boy Robbie my Boxer x Pit Bull...a badly abused dog that learned to be extremely aggressive from the humans that abused him - he just needed to be shown another way, with respect and love. Given the chance to return to who he was always meant to be, Robbie embraced that opportunity. This is who Robbie is today and his smile comes from his heart and soul.
The topic 'do animals smile' came up in one of the discussion groups I belong to - people from around the globe participate on topics related to dogs and dog training.

This topic runs very deep in my heart as teaching people to read their dog's face and body other body language - in order to facilitate an understanding of what their dog is really communicating is a very important and an integral part of training people to understand just how amazing and intelligent dogs truly are.

The discussion started with a post from ‘Green Picks Blog’ - the two writers Sarah B. Weir & Trystan L. Bass talk about the subject 'Do animals Smile'. Below, is an excerpt from their article - the portion relevant to dogs smiling  [to quote]…Professor Nicholas Dodman, head of animal behavior at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts School of Medicine and a regular on Animal Planet’s Dogs 101 and Cats 101, until recently, scientists have generally underestimated the emotional range of animals. He says that today it is widely understood by scientists that mammals do experience primary emotions such as fear, sadness, anger, and happiness and even some secondary emotions like jealously and embarrassment—and they communicate them. Dodman says that dogs even have a sense of humor and laugh with a kind of huffing sound. He describes a study that examines how playing recordings of this laughing sound actually calms shelter dogs”. “As for dogs’ smiles… “Note that the lips horizontally retract into what’s called a ‘submissive smile’ – a sign that a dog is non-threatening. It’s an expression that disarms possible aggression, much like the human smile.”

As far as I know, scientists still do not know everything about how non-human animals use their senses and what other senses animals may use that we humans are still unaware of. New discoveries are made all of the time, even so, I believe that we will never know everything. I do not believe that any scientist knows the full range or depth of a dogs primary or secondary emotions. Scientists may perform studies upon studies - but all is done from a human point of view. How can we, as humans ever really judge the entirety of what we know about another species abilities? We are limited by our own abilities, our own senses and most importantly - our own intelligence which becomes limited and narrowly focused by our own emotions, base instinct and ultimately our selfishness.

You know what about me?
Sorry scientists but we humans who, with our eyes and minds wide open, have shared our lives with, loved, observed and learned from our animal companions - we have known for a long time that dogs have distinct facial expressions - including smiles!
Our means of study and subsequent conclusions were derived from common sense, intuition and our first hand experience with our animals. It is our animals who have taught us that the human species is not exclusively special as many may think. For us, the cost was being brave enough to challenge and go beyond what society has taught us - that only humans smile and laugh. We knew this was wrong.

For those who ventured to carry out such studies to prove what they already knew in their hearts and minds - great work guys. Thank you for finally confirming what our hearts, our minds our eyes have seen! Professor Nicholas Dodman - you are a good human being and worthy of our respect.

My dear Boxer x Pit Bull Robbie is smiling
For all those who needed a scientific study to allow a glimmer of this truth to invade their minds, to open their eyes from their adamant and steadfast denial that animals could ever posses such you have your proof. When all the time the truth was staring you in the face - you just could not, would not see. Now I wonder what else you have missed...but not to worry, just let your dog teach you.

Yeap, that's right - we are all smiling!

Additional Assistance

If you require additional support and guidance I would be pleased to assist you via my In-Person or On-Line Services…

Dog Obedience Training and Behaviour Modification Services:
  • Unbiased Diet, Nutrition, Product Advice is available via this service
  • Holistic Diet, Nutrition Wellness Plans are available via this service

1 comment:

  1. I love this post! My large mix breed girl has picked up on human behaviours (she's a border collie mix and very intelligent)...she greets people at the top of my entry stairs with a huge grin, oh it is so funny! My niece (who didn't know that Madi could "smile" bellowed "Auntie your dog is going to eat me", I said, "No honey she's just smiling at you" and that made for a great cuddle session between the two of them. Not only does she smile but she also greets me with a strange sound that mimics my "Hello Madi" and her's sounds like "Heellllloooo", she stretches her neck out and contorts herself to make the noise and it is so sweet. A few times others have heard her say it and been amazed that she can "talk". She's just a good little mimic!

    Thank you for this blog!!!!!

Note -

1.0 Use of Foods, Herbs, Nutraceuticals and Alternative Medicines:

When choosing to use any of the items or protocols in the article above, it is your responsibility to ensure safe use of the item/protocol. Food, herbs, nutraceuticals and alternative medicines all have drug interactions, most have health issue contradictions, some have side effects. Use of substances and protocols are your responsibility. Prior to use of any substance or protocol make sure you do your research - check for all cautions, contradictions,interactions, side effects. If in doubt do not use the substance or protocol. If the substance, or protocol is contradicted for your animal do not use. If your animal has an underlying condition you are not aware of substances may conflict with that condition.

2.0 The Real Meaning of Holistic…

Food, herbs, nutraceuticals and alternative medicines are NOT ‘holistic’ they are a substance and MAY, or may NOT be ‘NATURAL’. It is important to keep in mind that the supplement industry is just as unethical as BigPharma, the Food and Pet Food Industry, and unfortunately many veterinarians.

If you use a ‘natural’ substance (i.e. an herb) you are using a natural substance, this is not synonymous with holistic.

Holistic is a way of approaching life, and within that - overall health, and wellbeing.

Please do not expect a natural substance to miraculously remedy a health or behavioral situation. A natural substance may be used to treat symptoms. However, if the factors causing the underlying issue are not properly identified, analyzed and addressed you do not have a remedy.

Remedy requires a comprehensive approach that identifies root cause, seeks to remove items that trigger, cause or otherwise contribute to issues, and builds a complete, and detailed approach to immediate treatment, remedy, and maintenance of long-term health = holistic.

I offer extensive consultation services - Holistic Diet, Nutrition Wellness and Holistic Behavioral, for people that are serious about looking after their dogs and cats holistically. If you want to engage my services you can contact me via email or phone.

If you are looking for additional free advice, please refer back to the articles on my site, do not contact me via email or phone - personalized service is for my clients / patients only.

Want to Leave a Comment?

Comments are reviewed prior to publishing. If your comment is deemed appropriate for this site your comment may be published.

Questions may be answered if, and when I have time to do so.

Wishing your dog and cat the best of health!

the Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer
Holistic Behaviorist - Dogs
Holistic Diet Nutrition Wellness Adviser – Dogs and Cats

Canada, U.S.A. North America
1-613-926-5536 (off)
1-613-293-3707 (cell)

Asia, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, UK, UAE, Scandinavian Countries, South America, Central America and elsewhere around the world
00-1-613-926-5536 (off)
00-1-613-293-3707 (cell)


text:
Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Batman Sings Gilbert and Sullivan

I don't know how to edit a youtube vid to get just the part I want, but the good bit begins in the first 10-15 seconds (this is the same episode where Tallulah Bankhead plays "Black Widow"):

niftyknits said...

who'd have thought?

LynnM said...

Holy Buttercup, that made my morning.


text:
Accommodation in Europe and the world   |   Reservation (Log on)
World > Belgium > Oud-Heverlee

Oud-Heverlee - Accommodation - Hotel - Hostel

found: 1, showing: 1 - 1

Hotel De Bibliotheek
Hotel De Bibliotheek 3*     Map

Hotel De Bibliotheek, Gemeentestraat 12, Oud-Heverlee

Hotel de Bibliotheek is located in the picturesque surroundings of Vaalbeek, between the Meerdael Forests and Heverlee Woods. The hotel offers free Wi-Fi and free parking. The rooms are warmly decorated and have a private bathroom. Breakfast is served to your room in the morning. When weather is nice, you can sit out on the covered hotel terrace with a refreshing drink. The.. more info

City, Hotel:

Check in

If you check the availability for a specific date,
also prices of hotels will be shown!


text:
Baby Cooper – A Newborn Session

Just a few weeks after sweet baby cooper entered the world I had the privilege of capturing his new little life. This tiny guy was so precious!
I love doing family sessions in people’s homes. I love capturing your family, you love, all in the space you share together. There is something kind of magical about some letting you into their home, into the moments they share and letting you photograph them.
I hope you enjoy these!

Back to Top|Contact Me|Share on Facebook|Tweet this Post


text:
 Keyword and Key Phrase Analysis Services OurBizSpace

Keyword & Key Phrase Analysis

Keyword / Key Phrase Discovery, Analysis and Targeting

Find our what keyword and key phrases you need to target for your business!
Keyword Key Phrase Discovery, Analysis and Targeting

Do you know what keywords you are requesting from the search engines? Have you researched the number of searches performed monthly for you product, service or information provided to maximize your exposure?

In our keyword analysis and market research we will take the root word of your product / service and research the vertical markets to identify your targeted demographic. We will utilize several different keyword market research tools and not rely on any one source.

There are two main components to selecting good keywords, relevance and popularity. If you select a keyword or phrase that is highly relevant but is never searched on, you will not prosper. Conversely, if a word is incredibly popular but not relevant to your offerings you will not have a good conversion. So, while you might have web traffic, none of the traffic will be targeted. The key to selecting good keywords is striking a balance between relevance and popularity. The more relevant a term to your product or service offering, the more likely the website visitor will convert to a sale or lead.

Generic keywords result in lots of impressions (views) but usually result in few click-throughs. More than that, generic keywords do not result in qualified traffic. Unqualified traffic is less likely to convert to a sale.

Keep in mind, keywords can vary based on the searchers age, culture, region, education or knowledge. In other words, you need to define your target audience, then select keywords or phrases your target audience would likely use when searching for your product or service. You may need to create multiple keyword groups to target different audiences or demographics.

Call Today to arrange for your keyword / key phrase services quote! Toll Free: (866) 610-6060!

You may also click below to be taken to our contact form and we will call you to discuss your individual needs:
Keyword Key Phrase Analysis Consultation

Website Search Optimization and Search Engine Marketing! OurBizSpace Online Marketing offers search engine marketing solutions to e-commerce and Web-based companies, helping site owners build a solid Internet Marketing strategy to promote their businesses in the major search engines. Website Promotion options include Search Engine Optimization and Pay Per Click Management services. Call 1.866.610.6060 to get started today!


text:
Sunday, 23 August 2009

Home sweet home.

Excuse my lateness, but in case you hadn't realised, we are safely home from Canada. We got home two weeks ago today, and life has been pretty busy, hence my delay. We spent a few days in Suffolk (REUNION IN SUFFOLK!), unpacking and then repacking, before moving into our new flat in Canterbury. The girls came to visit (REUNION IN CANTERBURY!), I registered at my new uni, then Seamus flew to Ireland (REUNION IN IRELAND!) and I went to London to see Kyra (REUNION IN LONDON!) before I flew to Germany (REUNION IN GERMANY!) to see Meike, Hanna and Vanessa, and last night, returned home to Suffolk (RE-REUNION IN SUFFOLK!). I think the reunions are all over now, and I have a couple of weeks to relax and hang out with my family (and new puppy and kitten!) before I move to Canterbury properly and start uni. So, I've really been too busy to miss Canada, or even contemplate missing Canada. It WAS good times, though.

I worked out we were there for 297 days, during which we visited fifteen cities, nine provinces (and two US states), and an awful lot of national and provincial parks. Waterton was so the most beautiful place we went to, although Newfoundland came pretty close, and BC would definitely be the province I'd move to. I liked everywhere we went, minus Lethbridge and Calgary (yes, even Toronto!) and my favourite thing about Canada is the diversity across the country. Diversity in every way...landscapes, climates, ethnicity, language, food, people, attitudes, industry, rates of GST...who needs to travel the world when you can just go to Canada? I will never forget the mountains, or the coastlines, or the people who shared their Canada with us (Erik the tour guide, Moose Travel, our two lots of farm hosts, our two lots of Couchsurfing hosts, the Algonquin crew, and our Waterton friends, especially Sue and Zen, Claudia, Al and Alex, Irina and Mayor Al, who I think about and miss every day). I am so happy to have met these people, seen these sights, done these outdoor activities, and drank all those beers.

I was thinking about making a new blog (our Canterbury adventures?), not that my life is that exciting these days (if it ever was), but social work/social issue-based. There is a lot I've wanted to talk about in terms of current events, my future studies etc, so I'll put a link here if I end up doing that in the next few days. I'm sad to sign out from my blogging career for too long, I'm pretty self-obsessed, so telling the internet world the ins and outs of my daily life has been fun. Until next time...

1 comment:

BeccaBecca said...

I wish you were still writing your blog. It was fun times.


text:
Wednesday, February 18, 2009

We want to get rid of all these before putting up some new stuff so feel free to nego the best price for you & us :D

please text in your orders/enquiries to 012-2222657, thanks loves.

*OLA 99 : ANTI-BEAUTY funky yellow tshirt*SOLD to NURAZMIN*

Anti beauty is a great Indonesian label which has really funky funky stuff!
A lil hard to get them here but here's your chance!
I myself have a few of em & i guarantee that they're ever so comfy & of great quality!
This yellow t shirt has an awesome print that will catch everyone's eyes!
Never got the chance to wear this one so it's basically brand new!
It's long enpugh to be worn with skinnies or leggings yum!
Fits sizes L & xL!
Selling at only RM25 through cod, RM30 including postage!

check this out

*OLA 100 : blue vintage dress *SOLD to CHUI MEI*

this dress is from DOOLU-DOOLU & i hane only worn it like once!
It;s really comfy & has that exquisite pattern that i love!
Selling this off as i have tons of vintage dresses already!
The best part is that this dress can fit until size uk16 & small uk18 as it has a big straight cutting & u just have to clinch it with a belt!
Don't be fooled by the model hehe
I guarantee that it fits the curvy lasses as i am one of em haha ;)
Selling at only RM25!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Hye loves! We're back with more oh-so-affordable goodies!! All in GREAT condition & rarely rarely used! Grab them now! :)

ps. Please text in your ordres to 012-2222657. Fast deals preferred!

*OLA 101 : authentic UNLISTED by KENNETH COLE vintage bag *SOLD to NURUL*

i just LOVE vintage bags!
And this one will set you aside for sure!
Have to let this one go as i have way too many already, am a big fan of vintage :D
It's of great great quality & love the gold details!
Beautiful to pair with vintage dresses just like *OLA 100 teehee ;)
Selling at only RM25!

Happy shopping ladies!!


WARC-Truncated: length

text:
Announcements June 18, 2017

Today’s Celebrant: We would like to welcome all of our guests today including our preacher and celebrant, Father Jabriel Ballentine. Thank you, Fr. Jabriel!

Altar Flowers: Today’s Altar Flowers are dedicated in loving memory of Spencer Hall. It’s been a year, but to us it’s like a day…the McKenzie-Hall Family.

Celebration of a New Ministry: The Reverend Brian Turner will be installed as Vicar at Church of the Blessed Redeemer in Palm Bay on Sunday, August 6 at 4:00pm.

Father’s Day Breakfast: In honor of the wonderful Fathers of our Church, the Episcopal Church Women are hosting a Father’s Day Breakfast, today at 9:30am (between the Holy Eucharist Services). Please come and celebrate the men you know and love!

July 4th COOS BBQ: Are you interested in attending a July 4th BBQ at COOS? If so, please write down the following on the Welcome Tab portion of the bulletin, and drop it in the offering plate: Your name, the side dish you’ll bring, and how many people in your family will attend.

VBS Donations: Last week to donate for Vacation Bible School; please see Gail Naidu at the 8:00am service or Hyacinth Clunie at the 10:30am service. Also, there is a list of supplies needed for VBS posted on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall. Thank you for helping out in whatever way you can.

Send Some Love: Our dear friend, Theresa Castrillo, recently had thyroid surgery, and sadly the cancer was also in her lymph nodes. She dearly misses the support of her Church family here at COOS, and needs to be lifted up in prayer. If you could send her an encouraging word, or a card to lift her spirits during this difficult time, it would be greatly appreciated. Her address is: 127 Rio Ranch Circle, Montgomery, TX 77316. Thank you!

Family Promise Update: Family Promise is working with the Coalition of the Homeless to open Brevard’s first “Drop-In Family Shelter” which we have named “SOS: Safe Overnight Stay”. Contributions are needed to equip the house and are listed on the Parish Hall Bulletin Board. For information, email: Thank you!

PBE School Supplies: Palm Bay Elementary has provided us with a list of supplies that will be needed the next school year which commences in August 2017. The list is posted on the on the Parish Hall Bulletin Board.

Deacon Tom: He’s in Minneapolis this weekend for a Bolahun World-Wide Conference. Safe travels!

Special Project – DOORS: Thank you to everyone who has contributed! We received enough money and the Doors have been ordered! The Properties Team.


text:
Things we've made

Well out of the two of us Ben is most definitely the most talented in the world of making things.  Seriously, I have hands that seem to have permanent mittens attached to them.  I'm very 'heavy-handed' and not very patient.
Ben on the other hand is sooper-dooper talented in my humble opinion.

So this is a list of blog posts about things we've made :)

Fabric flowers
Flower loom


text:
About OUTfest!

OUTfest 2017 is taking place Saturday, September 16th from 4pm-midnight in Downtown Lafayette near 5th and Main.

OUTfest is the annual Tippecanoe County Pride celebration in Indiana and is a time for building community, education, and celebrating diversity.

Learn about the OUTfest 2017 Location and Layout

Buy OUTfest 2017 Tickets

Learn about the OUTfest 2017 Family Area

Learn about the OUTfest 2017 Entertainment Lineup and Drag Show

The purpose of OUTfest is to support the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Ally (LGBTA) community, increase public awareness of the LGBTA community, and to celebrate diversity among family, friends, and allies. Additionally, we hope to educate Tippecanoe County residents about the availability of LGBTA organizations and services. OUTfest features live bands and DJs, food, information booths, beer gardens, a family area, dancing, drag entertainment, extended hours for some downtown businesses, and much more! OUTfest is organized each year by a planning committee made up of board members from Pride Lafayette, Inc. and non-board community leaders who work together to create this unforgettable yearly event.

Sheeza performing at OUTfest 2015!


text:
Sway Control

Equalizer bars, anti-sway control, weight distribution hitch, spring bars … even if you are a seasoned Airstreamer you might think you know the difference, but it’s easy to be confused because the industry uses these terms interchangeably. And after seeing a viral video recently circulating online—footage of a trailer alarmingly fishtailing on the freeway—you may … Continue reading Sway Control

Route 66: the Mother Road Ends at an Airstream

All things depart from, and all things return to the Mother Road. Poetic sentiments aside, there’s a shine of truth on that statement, just as there’s a shine on the 2015 Bambi that keeps that statement alive. The “Mother Road” was one of the names for the fabled Route 66, one of our country’s first … Continue reading Route 66: the Mother Road Ends at an Airstream

Quick News – 9/22/15

Exciting new hands-on events at Alumapalooza 7! But first: this is your last chance to get a free Alumapalooza 7 event t-shirt for early registration—the offer expires next week! Save your space now: each adult who registers and orders by September 30, 2015 gets their tee for free. (The discount will be applied when you … Continue reading Quick News – 9/22/15

Ask Outside Interests – 9/22/15

In Outside Interests 18, Rich Luhr—author of Airstream Life’s (Nearly) Complete Guide To Airstream Maintenance—helped readers with a sticky subject: polyurethane sealants.  Cam M. dropped us a line. “Excellent article about sealants,” Cam wrote. “One hurdle I have, not covered in your article, is whether the old sealant has to be removed, or in areas … Continue reading Ask Outside Interests – 9/22/15


text:
Quick News – 11/11/14

Upcoming Events & Deals Have you circled the dates of the 2015 Alumaevents on your calendar, but haven’t yet registered? Circle these dates, too—visit our special offers page for deals that will save you some bucks. The new PTX Ontario website is live, and registration is open! Learn more and sign up for the Performance … Continue reading Quick News – 11/11/14


text:
Break the chains of pornography addiction

8 Reasons Why A Person Should Break Porn Addiction

Pornography and sex are inseparable. When pornography becomes a problem, it results in many different problems for people. There are people who believe that it could be easy to quit porn addiction. But on the contrary, porn addiction is like any other kind of addiction. Breaking away from it can be very difficult. One who is getting away from it will need treatment and rehabilitation.

When you want to break porn addiction, you will be undergoing the same difficult withdrawal just like what smoking and drinking addicts do. When contemplating to stop, you have to consider the following:

• Why is it so hard to break porn addiction?
• What are the adverse effects of porn addiction?
• Where can you find help to break away from porn addiction?

Knowing the side effects of addiction to pornography helps in breaking away from it. It is also essential to understand what causes this addiction in you.

The triggers to porn addiction

As a human being, it is in your nature to have the overpowering drive for sex. It is very natural to have this feeling. For men, showing virility for sex is a sign of masculinity.Unlike in other kinds of addiction, pornography does not make use of drugs. When under this condition, your brain will release natural drugs in your system. You call these dopamine, serotonin and non-epinephrine, drugs that will incite your sex drive. These are the triggers to pornography.

The side effects of this kind of addiction will be the force that should compel you to quit porn addiction.

The negative effects – 8 reasons that should keep you away from porn

1. It has negative impact on your personality whereby you can have loss of confidence and self-esteem. You will feel that you have lost your masculine capability for sex if you are not aroused first by the porn materials.
2. Affected individuals may suffer desensitization, loss or reduced sensitivity. This will adversely affect your relationship with people around you.
3. This may indirectly cause you to commit crimes that involve sexual harassment. When you are a porn addict, your tendency is to watch the video or photos which will eventually arouse you. With the strong drive, you will try to find mate who can satisfy you. In the end, when none is found, you will be inclined to commit sexual crimes.
4. Pornography can also lead to masturbation and one-night stand sex. You can be inclined to use prostitutes to release your sexual desire. You will also be enticed to go to strip clubs to satisfy your addiction.
5. Addiction will increase your rong appetite for any other pornographic content, Thus you will spend so much time surfing the net for downloadable sex videos.
6. There is a tendency that you will lose sexual interest towards your spouse or partner because they could not replicate what you see in the porn videos.
7. Your addiction can ultimately lead to divorce, marital break-up or grave psychological problems. Why? You and your spouse will have a different outlook on sex.
8. There are those that will suffer regret and remorse because the pornographic acts are contra to their religious teachings and beliefs.

These are simple reasons why you should think to get off the hook of pornography. You know the causes and the side effects. But do you know how to break-away from it? When you have realized the ill-effects of porn addiction, you might want to amend your life. You can commence your new life free from sexual addiction via simple self-help.

Self-help tips

Keep yourself busy.
By keeping yourself busy, you will have no time to think about pornographic films, videos and photos. Concentrate on your job or studies. It is advised that you go out with your family and friends, meet new people and have fun. Do something that you like, probably sports or a hobby. A change in your lifestyle will help you forget pornography. Remove the downloaded files in your electronic gadgets and replace them with games or songs that will entertain you. By being busy, your mind will be diverted away from pornographic images.

Avoid temptations.
You probably have the internet as your source of porn materials. What you have to do is to filter the contents of your PC so that the porn materials will no longer reach you. One good precautionary measure is to have the filter installed by another person. This will prevent you from learning how to disable the filter.

Ensure a good relationship with people around you.
Try to renew your relationship with your family. Instead of looking at the materials, inculcate in your mind that your family is more important than those materials. Try to improve your intimacy with your spouse. You will eventually have less need for pornography for arousal. You will realize the true sexual pleasure from your relationship with your spouse.

There are other ways that can help you break away from addiction to pornography. Use whatever way is applicable to your need and capacity. Start a new, better and happier life.

VN:R_U [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)
Powered by WishList Member - Membership Software


text:
OzFish Unlimited is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping the millions of Aussie recreational fishers take control of the health of their rivers, lakes and estuaries and shore up the future of the sport they love. OzFish Unlimited partners with fishers and the broader community to invest time and money into the protection and restoration of our waterways, counteracting decades of degradation.

What we do

  • Work with fishers to make local fishing grounds healthy, vibrant and more productive.

  • Share ideas on how to improve, restore and protect fish habitat.

  • Seek grants and support for hands–on habitat restoration.

  • Provide events, resources, education and research that support fishing groups to achieve local outcomes.

Stephen 'Jim' Stening

Jim founded FIIG Securities Limited in 1998, holding the position of Managing Director until 2012. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has extensive experience across the financial markets sector, developed with firms such as Merrill Lynch, Banco Santander and NAB. He is also a non-executive director of the QLD Treasury Corporation, where he is Chairman of the Funding and Markets Committee.

Craig Copeland

Craig is the creator and founder of OzFish Unlimited and has been protecting and restoring fish habitat throughout NSW for 25 years. He currently manages the Aquatic Habitat Rehabilitation Program in Fisheries NSW where he has led ground-breaking work in fish passage restoration, wetland rehabilitation, floodgate and acid sulphate soil management. He continues to create and encourage more opportunities for recreational fishers to engage in fish habitat management.

Bonita 'Snagger' Brown

Award winning broadcaster for ABC Local Radio, “Snagger Brown” hosted local, state and national programs for over a decade and was recognised as a highly motivated presenter and multi-platform content maker. But it was her passion for fishing and creation of the ABC’s The Big Fish program that engaged a national following, and cited as some of the most memorable radio ever heard from her audience.

Matt Hansen

Matt started fishing as soon as he could walk! He’s a passionate angler and is the founder and President of the Lake Burrendong Classic catch and release fishing competition. His ability to spread the message that habitat makes fish happen through social media, published articles and fundraising has been phenomenal. His many achievements include major re-snagging works and riparian regeneration on the Macquarie River.

John Burgess

Since 2012, John has held the role as Director of the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation. He serves on various fishery management and scientific committees as a vocal advocate to address issues which impact recreational fishers. He is also a life member of ANSA and has been executive officer on the ANSA national board for over 10 years.

Anissa Lawrence

Managing Director and Founder of Tierra Mar Consulting, Anissa has over 24 years’ experience in helping organisations and communities to engage in coastal and marine natural resource management along with critical fisheries issues. Anissa has held senior positions in a number of leading international engineering and professional services firms and with conservation organisations. Anissa is the executive officer of the NSW Fish Habitat Partnership.

Matt Barwick

Director of Greenfish Consulting, Matt has over fifteen years’ experience in delivering projects to improve fishing opportunities in Australia and overseas. He’s a mad recreational fisher and within his role as the program coordinator for RecFishing Research, Matt gives the Australian recreational fishing community direct benefits through various research and development initiatives. He has published over 50 articles and hosts a radio segment on science and recreational fishing.

Jo-Anne Ruscoe

Jo has enjoyed a varied career around fishing and aquaculture and is the Research Projects Manager with the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. She works with all sectors to address research and development priorities and has a particular interest in developing capability and confidence in others. Jo was recognised for her commitment to engage industry leaders as the recipient of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation’s 20th birthday network award.

Michelle Wenner

Michelle has over 10 years combined experience working across government, the private sector and academia in natural resource management with a focus on integrated fisheries management and research, stakeholder engagement and policy development. Michelle is the Senior Program and Partnership Manager with VRFish.

Paul Tully

As the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of McInnes Lawyers and a Fellow of the Institute of Company Directors, Paul has a strong interest in litigation, dispute resolution and a commitment to uphold professional standards. This means Paul wears many hats. He’s a long standing member of the Council of the QLD Law Society, founding director of the Brain Injury Association and an International Rugby Board Judicial Officer.

David Coogan

David is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand and a senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has specialised in the superannuation and funds management industry providing assurance and advisory services to a number of corporate, public sector and industry funds . He was awarded the PwC Edwin Flack Partner of the year award in 2014 for his client service and community achievements .He is Chair of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees Risk, Finance and Audit committee .He and his wife ,Evelyn run a family vineyard on the Murray River in Torrumbarry in Victoria and David is a very keen trout fishermen in his spare time .

Dr Martin Mallen-Cooper

Dr Mallen-Cooper is an internationally recognised expert in fish ecology and fish passage with over 35 years’ experience in researching and delivering improved outcomes for fish.  His research on the ecology of fish migration, fish behaviour and swimming ability led to the first successful fishways for native fish in Australia.  Martin has worked with state and federal government agencies, water authorities, engineering firms, local councils, and community groups; mainly in Australia, but also in Laos, Cambodia, Bangladesh, China, and New Zealand.  His work has been published widely in international scientific journals.

We would love to hear from you! Would you like to learn more about OzFish Unlimited to share with your local fishing club or community group? Would you like to partner with us to help you with a local habitat project in your area? Or perhaps you would like to set up your own local chapter?

We welcome any support from individuals, groups or companies who can help us spread our message to restore and protect fish habitat for the future of our sport.

Get in touch today.

Tel: 0435 828 116

Signup to hear all the latest news from Ozfish Unlimited!


text:
Total Pageviews

Tuesday, 24 June 2014

Imperial Good Companion Model 7 Portable Typewriter - Design Fault?

When you have two identical manual portable typewriters with absolutely identical problems, you have to suspect a design fault.
These two Imperial Good Companion Model 7s arrived with the "booty" of 25 typewriters I received some weeks ago. (The Model 7, by the way, is no more than the segment-shifted version of the Model 6.)
Judging by the state of the cases, and a cursory look inside, they both appeared to be in pretty good condition.
However, on a later, closer inspection, I saw that both had tell-tale signs - both drawbands were sticking out the back of the machines and the carriages were jammed tight.
I took them both out of storage this morning to see if they could be easily repaired. No such luck. I'm beginning to wonder whether I will bother to go any further with them.
Above is the first machine I tackled. The first thing I tried to do was re-set the mainspring, leaving the drawband attached (and bearing in mind Ron Bowker's advice about finding it easier to work this way, rather than re-attaching the drawband to the mainspring after re-setting the mainspring).
Below is the second machine. Both drawbands were caught by something underneath the carriage, in exactly the same spot, but it was impossible to get a look at what was causing this. Since the drawbands remained attached at both ends, I figured the mainsprings had stopped turning while the typewriters was being used (by the previous owner). I assumed that as the carriage was moved with the mainspring stuck, the drawband (no longer running taut under the carriage) had got caught up and "bowed" out at the back.
Sure enough, on machine No 1 I immediately became aware there was a problem with the mainspring, which was impossible to re-set. I could tell the spring inside the drum was OK, as there was plenty of life still in the mainspring, but it just wouldn't turn freely. I thought it might have become gunked up; but no - degreasing and lubrication didn't help much.
This meant taking off the bottom plate, no easy matter - eight screws! But removing the plate enabled me to get a decent look at the mainspring arrangement. A gear wheel slots on to the mainspring and is held in place by a screw that runs through the mainspring and attaches to a nut on the other side.
I could see that the gear wheel and mainspring were not lined up properly - the mainspring was at an angle. When I loosened and lifted the gear wheel brake lever (circled below), the reason soon became apparent. The nut which was supposed to hold the gear wheel to the mainspring just fell out of the machine, followed soon after by the mainspring and gear wheel. The nut had obviously come loose, causing the mainspring to move out of position, jam and stop turning - and the machine to stop working.
As I wasn't able to work out how to remove the mask from the guts of the typewriter, I couldn't re-attach the nut. So I gave up on that machine and moved on to No 2.
On the second machine, I was able to re-set the mainspring fairly easily. I clipped the drawband at the right end and made sure the drawband was moving smoothly - without striking any obstacles under the carriage - while maintaining tension on the mainspring. Then I re-attached the holding nut and tied another knot at the right end (see below).
All seemed well. The typewriter started to work as it should. But after a good bit of movement of the carriage as I struck the keys and spacebar, suddenly there was that all-too-familiar "zing" of the mainspring unwinding and the drawband was bowed out the back again. I re-set the mainspring and re-attached the drawband twice more, each time with the same result. So I gave up on No 2 as well.
All this while I kept thinking about how much trouble Richard Amery and I had gone to, some years ago, to find a Model 7 for Richard so he could complete his full set of Imperial Good Companions. Eventually we found one for sale on Trade Me in New Zealand, but even then Richard had the Dickens of a job getting it to Australia.
Until that time, neither Richard nor I had seen one come up for sale. But since then I have seen a few appear on Australian eBay. Indeed, I own at least two myself now (not counting the two from the "booty") - a salmon-coloured one and one the same aqua colour as the two above.
I've had no problems with the ones I've used. But finding these two from the "booty" to have identical problems has made me wonder about the design.
It's also made me think just how often people who owned and used manual portable typewriters ran into problems like this, when the machines stopped working. More often than not it would simply have been a drawband-mainspring problem. I think it's fairly clear that the response was to just abandon the typewriter - to dump it, throw it out or take it to a recycling centre. The two I worked on today were found at re-cycling centres.
Generally speaking, a problem with the drawband breaking, or getting stuck, is fairly easily fixed - these two machines obviously being an exception to that rule. But I suspect most typewriter owners didn't bother to make the effort. "It's buggered," they declared, and so it remained "buggered". I'm buggered if I know why they didn't try a little harder to get their typewriter working again.

michaeliany said...

happy typewriter day once again robert - and thanks for the pics and descriptions of this machine and it's common issue and fix. im sure it will be a good reference for many years to come!

McTaggart said...

Yes, Robert, I have always had some kind of trouble one way or another with GCs. If you keep those machines I would like to have a go at them for you

Richard Wood said...

Hi Mr. Messenger,

Thanks so much for your enjoyable and informative posts.

I notice this is a fairly old post. Did you ever have another go at re attaching your drawbands?

If you didn't and you still have the machines, I would be more than happy to help. I spend today with my newest machine, a model 7, repairing the bell, variable line spacing and cleaned and regreassed and reattached the drawband. Just let me know if you need any pointers.

Richard from England


text:
News and Information

Precinct supports Women on Boards

More PNG women will have the skills and confidence to serve on boards of management after new training being rolled out by the Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct.

Digicel Foundation CEO Beatrice Mahuru (left) and PNG Women Doctors Association President Lydia Sirigoi (right) are among those undertaking the course, delivered by the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

It focuses on directors’ responsibilities, risk assessment and decision-making frameworks for directors on public and private boards.

Participants included senior and emerging leaders from the public and private sectors.

The Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct is a partnership between Papua New Guinea and Australia to develop a new generation of ethical leaders who can implement Government of PNG priorities for improved service delivery for the people.


text:
Custom Query (3 matches)

Show under each result:

Ticket Summary Keywords Status Owner Type Priority
#952 Module::Install::PRIVATE::Padre is both in privinc/ and in inc/ in the distribution install Module::Install new enhancement minor
#1495 Install Padre with Citrus Perl on Mac OS Lion - t/15_locale.t........Failed 5/7 osx installation citrus new defect major
#1506 0.98 is broken regex, installation new defect major
Note: See TracQuery for help on using queries.


text:
Friday, November 20, 2009

Bed. Head.

Yeah. It was a good day.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Random Phone Pics II

Not much goin on. Chuggin' away toward finals. Here are some phone pics from the past few weeks:

Shopping at Goodwill. Sign says THIS IS A FITTING ROOM NOT A RESTROOM. I don't even wanna know why they had to put it up.

SO bored in class I started drawing on myself. That hasn't happened since, like, 8th grade with the yellow-highlighter Midas hand incident...

Hanson randomly came to play at the UA bookstore last week. They were promoting Toms shoes/charity stuff. Mmmbop!

Carved a pumpkin for halloween with Katie, Anjuli, & Kim

Pic of me wearing my friend's classes. I thought they were cute & asked to try them on... and this is how I discovered that I actually need glasses. I just thought my recent (over the past 2 years-ish) habit of squinting in class was a weird idiosyncrasy.
Monica? Jim? a little help please...? ;)

Went to the CeHS homecoming game with Allison. Her little sis won Homecoming Queen! Good memories... :)

Just walkin' around campus...

Too literal an interpretation? You tell me.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Happy Halloween

Here is my official halloween post. Technically my halloween was spent working on a paper so these pics are from the institute dance the night before. These were some of my favorite costumes:

Ali Hayes as Hot Rod
It was amazing! She had EVERYTHING... This was prob my favorite costume, but I might just be biased because I did her hair and made her cape. But it was legit. Too legit.
[and if you've seen Hot Rod, you caught my reference ;)]

(left) Twins Cody & Clark as Thing 1 & Thing 2
(right) Random guy as "Bonas Jonas" a.k.a. the 4th Jonas brother

(left) Jacob as Kung Fu Panda
(right) Joseph as Inigo Montoya (one of like, a billion of his costumes this halloween)

Brady as R2D2... genius!

Aren't you curious what my costume was?....

Simba... riding a unicorn!
No further explanation needed.
But if you want one: why wouldn't Simba ride a unicorn??

Jillie: She-Hulk!

Together Jillie & I decided to see how many pictures we could creep into throughout the course of the night:

Favorite couples' costume of the night:

John & Kate + 8 (season 1)

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

This kind of stuff only happens at their apartments...

I was over there studying and we needed to move this lamp. Note my laptop hanging out on the nearby chair. Well we moved the lamp and out fell a bunch of dead bugs...

All over my computer.

Dear Professor,

I couldn't finish the homework last night because I was concentrating too hard on suppressing my gag reflex. Hope you understand.

PS: we should cancel class sometime, maybe in celebration of the soon-to-be-world-series-2009-championship Yankees? Yes?? :)


text:
Monday, August 6, 2012

Recent Google Searches

In no particular order...
  • Good running trails in Provo
  • How to take care of wood flooring
  • Target Provo, UT
  • Why is there no Target in Provo? (Google has no good answer to this)
  • How to find an escaped hamster in your house
  • I sent in an application, should I call about scheduling an interview? (FYI: No.)
  • How long does it take to get used to higher altitude when running?
  • How to properly mount a closet rod (let's just say a devastating event occurred the moment I hung up the **last** shirt after unpacking)
  • Where is the nearest Taco Bell/grocery store/gas station/DI/Redbox/etc. to me?
In other news, after 2 Sundays in our new ward they realigned the boundaries and put us in a different ward. I thought it was bad I had to pass two churches on the way to our building. On the way to our new ward we pass five, including our previous building. Heyyy Utah.

And now, here is a pic of Joseph capturing the escape-artist currently known as Muscle-Truck:
(Muscle-Truck is our hamster, I don't think I've introduced her on the blog. She was Joseph's valentine's day present. More recently she has just been a nuisance)


text:
Wednesday, April 28, 2010

"Wine Country Picnic", miniature paintings, a painting a day, paintings of wine, wine country, paintings of grapes, affordable paintings, Napa Valley

"Wine Country Picnic", 5x7, oil on Raymar linen panel

I am finally feeling much more confident painting grapes. My friend Jon Greeley says that painting grapes are easy. Well, easy for him to say! I messed around with this little painting till I finally managed to add some volume to the grapes. I think I should thank David Leffel for helping me with this one. He will tell you that the shadow side of the grape is always more vibrant in color than where the light enters from the front. That is because as the light exits the grape on its shadow site, the grape lights up with vibrant color! Thanks David!

, , , , ,, ,,,, , ,.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

"Concerto in pink and blue"- hydrangeas, peonies, apples and grapes, still life painting by Maryanne Jacobse

"Concerto in Pink and Blue", 18x24, oil on 1.5 inch thick gallery wrapped canvas

This painting was painted from life in which pink and blue hydrangeas were placed into an antique urn that I purchased years ago at the antique show at Chester Springs. I decided to stick the apple atop the grapes because I knew the red against the green grapes would add drama.

Here is my set-up:
This painting would make a very special gift for Mother's Day or for that wonderful person in your life who loves all things beautiful, and especially if they include flowers! I would be happy to frame it for you, too, if you would like to purchase it already framed. Please contact me for additional costs if you would like to purchase the painting framed .
, , , ,, ,,, ,

Saturday, April 24, 2010

"Mother's Love", 9x12, oil on canvas, paintings of mothers, paintings of mothers and babies, mother's day paintings, poignant paintings of motherhood

"Mother's Love", 9x12, oil on canvas © Copyright, Maryanne Jacobsen

With Mother's Day and motherhood in general on my mind quite a bit these days, I had wanted to paint a scene of a mother and child for some time now. I had wanted to tackle this painting since I first saw the photo last fall. But I was a little reluctant to try to paint something so incredibly beautiful, so I kept putting it off. I finally started it on Monday, and have been working on it all week non-stop. I am sorry I did not use linen for the painting, since the toothy canvas was a pain to work with. I struggled with the flesh tones much more than I have in the past- not sure if it was the outdoor lighting or what. Anyhow, here is the result. I may tweak some of the passages a bit, but it is probably about finished.

A huge thank-you to a very lovely lady, Sara Tribe, for granting me permission to use this picture that she took of her sister Ashley, and Baby Ellie, as a reference for this painting. (Love and miss you , Sara!)

The painting is not for sale at this time, as I have decided to use it as a study for a larger piece. Yes, this next one will definitely be on linen!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Inn on the Alameda, paintings of Santa Fe, Santa Fe architecture

SOLD "Inn on the Alameda", 14x11, oil on canvas panel

This painting is about a year old, and I've re-worked it a couple times so it is definitely not the same painting that it was originally. I took out the lower wall and added the dark blue foliage in the bottom right, which added a nice feeling of depth to the scene. The painting is filled with thick impasto and depicts the architectural features of an enchanting Bed and Breakfast in Santa Fe, New Mexico called The Inn on the Alameda. In view of the fact that it's been re-worked a couple times, I am offering it for the affordable price of only $150. If you have ever been to this lovely B&B, you are probably an art connoisseur anyhow, since The Inn on the Alameda is located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe, within walking distance to galleries on Canyon Road and other Santa Fe/Taos attractions. To read more about this beautiful bed and breakfast, go here. This painting was painted with palette knife only and is very colorful. Click on the photo to see more detail of this original oil painting.

, , , , ,,,

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Poetic Mission, 14x11, oil on linen, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Mission arches

"Poetic Mission", 14x11, oil on linen

I painted this a few months ago but pulled it out yesterday and re-worked a couple passages. The painting is quite lovely in person; the photo does not do it justice.

If you are unfamiliar with the beautiful Capistrano Mission in San Juan Capistrano , California, this old Spanish mission is a site where the swallows return annually to migrate in March, on St. Joseph's feast day. Be sure to visit the mission, (regardless of your religion), as it is a place of unbelievable beauty and serenity!

, , , , ,,,,, , , , ,,, ,


text:
Monday, April 20, 2009

The Slogfest

WARNING: The following blog post is likely to be dull and, due to a complete lack of sun, contain unimpressive photos.

So, the neverending knitting on Mr. Foster's clothing continues, and while the end is in sight, it seems like the slog just gets worse and worse. As of this moment, I am in the final section of the pajamas (which, of course, is the most fiddly) and am only a second sleeve, a belt, and some sewing up away from finishing the robe.

That little bit of burgundy yarn you see to the right of the PJs is all that's left of the original skein in the kit, and it's clearly not going to be enough. I was able to find some scraps of the same colorway buried in the stash, but of course they're very old and not likely to match perfectly. (I doubt Aidan will notice, though.) I'm also getting dangerously close to running out of gray yarn for the robe. I'm hoping at least to make it through the second sleeve; I can always use another similar yarn for the belt, if need be.

This whole project is really an exercise in perseverance. Last night I was completely ready to throw in the towel, but The Mister expressed serious doubts that I'd truly be able to abandon such vital parts of the project, and he's right. Mr. Foster is cute on his own, but he's really devastatingly adorable with his PJs and robe. And I do have an end date in sight -- he absolutely must be mailed by this Saturday at the latest to make it to Aidan for his birthday. So, slog I must. With any luck, the next blog post you see here will feature a fully dressed monkey.

Meanwhile, I did do some spinning this weekend, finishing up the second and third bobbins of my latest fiber.

Tonight, I started plying. I aim for about 30 minutes of spinning time on weekday evenings (I tend to spin more over the weekend), so I hope to have a finished yarn by this weekend.

DPUTiger said...

If it makes you feel better, I managed to finish my slog-a-long socks last night. I can hardly believe it! Keep going on Mr. Foster. You're almost there!

And I think it's really crappy to kit something and not give the kit-buyer enough yarn to finish the kit. :-(

Julie said...

I agree with DPUTiger; it sucks that the kit is short on yarn!
I can't wait to see Mr. Foster fully clothed; he's going to be so handsome!

Jennifer said...

I agree with the others on shorting you on yardage to finish him. What the hell, knitpicks?

Knitting Granny said...

I am anxiously awaiting the finished Mr. Foster. He is quite the handsome guy. KnitPicks should be ashamed...I was thinking about purchasing one of the kits, but now...not so much.

Rebecca in CO said...

Well, I'm seriously proud of you for hanging in there with Mr. Foster! Mine has fallen by the wayside. I'm hoping that seeing yours finished will inspire me to finish mine!


text:
Two Year Old

Two year olds are full of energy and love to discover new experiences within their environment. Anything that is unfamiliar to them strikes their curiosity. This curiosity assists with acquiring more mature language skills. Although they love new experiences, their attention span is still very short, so a variety of activities need to be provided to keep their interest going.

  • Two year olds start speaking in two-three word sentences and begin to remember their experiences that they witnessed throughout the day. Learning and reciting simple songs and rhymes are a favorite activity for this age group. They enjoy listening to short stories being read to them, and eventually have a favorite story that they will want read over and over and over again. They may even pick up the book and pretend to read to you!
  • Physically, two year olds can still be a little unsteady on their feet, however that doesn’t stop them from trying to walk, run, and climb. Throwing , catching, and kicking are skills beginning to emerge, but you may notice that children at this age have stiff body movements while trying to accomplish this task. You may notice your child beginning to grip writing tools with their whole hand, but may use their whole arm to make the marks on paper.
  • Two year olds perceive things through their point of view, which makes reasoning an almost impossible task. They are recognizing they are an individual person, so words such as “me” and “mine” are very common. Temper tantrums, outbursts of anger, and physical aggression can be normal for this age group.

At Palm Beach Preschool, our two year old room is designed to provide the children with a variety of activities to help stimulate the children’s independence, language, social, gross motor, fine motor, cognitive skills. Children are free to choose the activities of interest to them. Activities such as music, dancing, painting, building, reading, exploring, and pretend play are just a few that are offered to the students on a daily basis. Additionally, potty training is the big event with this age group and we enthusiastically celebrate each child’s accomplishment with this milestone.

Our curriculum in the two year old room is Creative Curriculum. Creative Curriculum is researched based and guides the teacher to plan developmentally appropriate activities for each child. Our teachers use the Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment, which correlates with Creative Curriculum, to direct their instruction for each child on an individual basis. For more information on our curriculum, please visit our curriculum page or log on to

Request a Tour » Contact Us »


text:
Friday, 29 June 1990

Tribune, 29 June 1990

Paul Anderson looks at next week's Nato summit in London and predicts public unity and private discord

The summit meeting of Nato heads of government in London next week will doubtless end with an anodyne communiqué declaring the unity of the alliance and its confidence in the future. Not for the first time, Nato's rhetoric will be a lie, concealing deep divisions and uncertainties.

Of course, there is a minimal consensus among the alliance's member governments. They agree that Nato should continue to exist, that a united Germany should be a member, that American and other allied forces should be stationed in Germany and that a "sensible mix of nuclear and conventional forces" should be deployed in Europe (as the British foreign secretary, Douglas Hurd, put it so elegantly earlier this month).

They also agree that Nato should somehow become more of a "political" alliance, negotiating arms reductions and building security, and that its military strategy needs to be adapted to the new conditions in Europe.

Beyond this thin gruel, however, the alliance is in some disarray, particularly over the security implications of German unity.

Here, the problem is not so much that the Soviet Union is still insisting that a united Germany cannot join Nato unless it also joins the Warsaw Pact: it is accepted, even in the Kremlin, that Moscow will have to make concessions. But the Soviet Union is not in such a weak position that it cannot extract a good price for unification, especially given the anti-militarism of the German public.

Nato could yet find that the only way to secure united-German membership involves substantial steps towards the demilitarisation of Germany, including, critically, withdrawal of nuclear weapons from German territory.

This would make a mockery of Nato's current military strategy of "flexible response", according to which forward European deployments of "sub-strategic" American nuclear weapons deter attack from the Warsaw Pact by ensuring that any east-west war would be a step on a "ladder of escalation" ending in all-out assault by America's strategic nuclear weapons.

Nato's planners know that flexible response is threatened, and they have spent the past few months trying to cobble together an alternative — dubbed by its proponents "minimum deterrence" — which would preserve the essentials of Nato's strategic doctrine at the same time as satisfying demands for change.

At the core of this alternative is a restructuring of Nato forces in Germany into multinational units, with "purely defensive" forces stationed in what is now East Germany and along the Czechoslovak border. Behind these "defensive" deployments would be a corridor of bases for "quick reaction" forces, possibly with an "out-of-area" role (perhaps against Libya, Iraq or other Middle East "maverick" states), and behind these, in what is now western West Germany, "heavy manoeuvre" forces, including assault tank divisions. In short, the current East-West border moves 80 kilometres east for some purposes and 40 kilometres west for others.

Precisely what nuclear component there would be in this restructuring is unclear. At present, America's Nato nuclear deployments in West Germany consist of nuclear artillery, short-range Lance missiles, intermediate-range cruise and Pershing missiles, and aircraft armed with nuclear bombs.

But cruise and Pershing are being removed and destroyed under the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty, while Lance and the artillery are both approaching obsolescence and will not be replaced by more modern systems. Short-range ground-launched nuclear weapons are considered useless even by Nato planners these days. Their range is sufficient only to reach East German, Czechoslovak or Polish soil.

Nato's hopes for maintaining up-to-date nuclear forces in Germany thus rest on plans for replacing existing American nuclear bombs with American nuclear tactical air-to-surface missiles (TASMs).

The problem is that deployment of TASMs is opposed by the majority of West Germans (including the foreign minister, Hans Dietrich Genscher, and his Free Democrat Party).

One way out for Nato might be to base the TASMs elsewhere and fly them into Germany only for exercises or in times of crisis. But the options are limited. Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands have made it clear that they do not want them. At present, only the British government has shown any enthusiasm for taking the missiles and even Margaret Thatcher has added the rider that Britain must not be "singularised".

Of course, Thatcher's qualification does not necessarily amount to much. She might be prepared to take TASMs if Turkey did so too, for example, or if their homes bases were only in Britain but they were flown by a multinational. airforce (although what the British public would think of the Luftwaffe flying from Bentwaters or Upper Heyford, 50 years after the Battle of Britain, is a moot point).

Nevertheless, the controversy on TASM looks likely to provide some serious fireworks. Without the new missile, Nato's ability to adapt its traditional stance to the new Europe is seriously compromised. With it, its rhetoric of change is exposed as a fraud. In Britain, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has made opposition to TASMs a political priority. Meanwhile, the Labour Party keeps mum.

Friday, 8 June 1990

Paul Anderson, review of of Green Political Thought by Andrew Dobson (Unwin Hyman, £7.95), Tribune, 8 June 1990

At the core of Andy Dobson's lucid account of the political thinking of the Green movement is a distinction between environmentalism and ecologism. Environmentalists are "light 'Green": although enthusiastic about banning chlorofluorocarbon-emitting aerosols, encouraging bottle banks, taxing polluters and so forth, they believe that solving environmental problems doesn't require a particularly drastic change in the way society is organised. Ecologists. on the other hand. are "dark Green": although they normally support many of the policies and actions of environmentalists, they have a deeper critique, believing that only a truly radical transformation of industrial society can possibly save the planet from disaster.

Dobson's book is about ecologism, which he considers as a distinctive ideological current of the past 20 years ( although it draws on older ideologies, notably anarchism and other libertarian socialisms). It is characterised by its critique of Industrialism" and instrumental rationality, and by its assertion that there are natural limits to economic growth that make the creation of a "sustainable society" imperative.

"While most post-industrial futures revolve around high growth, high-technology, expanding services, greater leisure, and satisfaction conceived in material terms. ecologism's post-industrial society questions growth and technology, and suggests that the good life will involve more work and fewer objects."

Much of the Green Political Thought is taken up with exegesis of this world view, but there are also ,excellent passages on the relationships between ecologism and other radical ideologies, notably socialism and feminism. Dobson shows that, with very few exceptions. British encounters between ecologism and its rivals — particularly the red-green debate — have so far been disappointingly superficial and inconclusive.

On one hand, very few ecologists have recognised that much of their critique of modern society owes a lot to some sorts of socialism. More important, even fewer self-styled socialists have gone beyond accusing ecologists of lacking "class analysis". Economic growth is assumed to be an uncomplicatedly good thing by the overwhelming majority of socialists. Despite the current fashion for concern for the environment. ecologists' ideas still aren't taken seriously.

One reason for this. Dobson believes, is that ecologism is actually marginalised by the growth of environmentalism. Just as democratic socialists are torn between endorsing social democracy as a better evil than Leninism or unfettered capitalism and denouncing it as a means of propping up capitalism, so ecologists have the choice of working for environmentalist goals or denouncing environmentalists as a palliative for the cancer of industrialism. Most ecologists take the option of backing environmentalism, on the principle that small successes are better than none. But the result is that the voice of ecologism is submerged by the clatter of environmentalist tinkering.

So what can the ecologists do? Dobson doesn't say. But I have a feeling that a little study of the past hundred years of socialism might be a pretty good start — if only as a source of warnings of how not to proceed.

Paul Anderson, review of The Crucible by Arthur Miller (National), Tribune, 8 June 1990

Howard Davies’s National Theatre revival of Arthur Miller's The Crucible is a delight. Some have said that the play, which uses a seventeenth century witchcraft panic in the Massachusetts village of Salem as an allegory of the anti-communist hysteria whipped up by Senator Joseph McCarthy in fifties America, hasn't worn well, but I can't agree.

This production, the first of several Miller revivals on the London stage to mark his 75th birthday, is gripping from beginning to end, with some extraordinarily energetic acting all round. Tom Wilkinson is particularly good as John Proctor, the honest farmer whose one-time lover, Abigail Williams (Clare Holman), starts the whole process of denunciations and trials; while Zoe Wanamaker puts in a sterling performance as his wife, Elizabeth.

William Dudley's sets are a little too fussy at times, and the West Country dialects of a few of the cast somewhat rocky, but these, I feel, are minor quibbles. Most of the other members of the audience on the second press night seem to have had no quibbles at all: I haven’t seen a standing ovation quite so enthusiastic for ages.

Friday, 1 June 1990

Paul Anderson, review of Political Thoughts and Polemics by Bernard Crick (Edinburgh, £25), Tribune, 1 June 1990

Richard Hoggart's foreword describes Bernard Crick as "a very British type of socialist; a liberal socialist for whom the state's first duty is to make us free, not to try to make us virtuous according to its own model", and that's pretty accurate.

 Crick's socialism is not of the statist kind — he has no time for Leninism or any other dirigiste fantasy — but is by no means anarchist. "Liberal socialist" suits him well.

This collection of his political essays and journalistic polemics from the past decade-and-a-half is immensely readable: like George Orwell, of whom he has written the so-far definitive biography, Crick has a remarkable capacity for plain speaking against the cant of the day, for saying what no one else says but plenty feel. Unlike many academics, he can write without recourse to jargon.

He is merciless with hypocrisy and sloppy thinking wherever he finds them, but is particularly hard on the left — usually with justification. A 1986 essay from The Irish Review complains: "All my adult life I have found that my fellow English left-wing intellectuals are suckers for anybody else's nationalism and contemptuous of their own. Instead of being critical friends of liberation movements, occasionally asking whether one-party states always make the best decisions, whether autocracy is always efficient, whether bombs are always the best persuaders and terror always the best answer to terror, they tend almost to revel in justifying other people's violence."

Quite so, and there are similarly knockabout passages on left attitudes to "bourgeois" freedoms of expression, structuralist Marxism and a whole lot more besides.

Crick has long been a sceptical supporter of the Labour Party, but his most recent writings show a growing impatience at the vacuity of its leaders and their failure to grasp the nettle of constitutional reform. This is how he reacts to the reheated undergraduate political theory served up by Roy Hattersley in Labour's 1988 Aims and Values statement:

"The document has no core: it is a series of surface compromises between democratic socialism and social democracy. It has no sense of history. The party apparently has no paternity, or, if so, no pride in it. There is not even an evocative list of the party's great achievements, thinkers and heroes."

Since writing that, Crick has thrown in his lot with Charter 88, and there's plenty of intelligent commentary here on constitutional issues, from Northern Ireland through parliamentary sovereignty to electoral systems. I'm convinced by parts of his case, unconvinced by others — but that's hardly the point.

Crick is a great controversialist, and his arguments are always worth reading. If there were a few more mavericks like him, British politics would be a lot less tedious than they are today.

Paul Anderson, Sanity column, June 1990

For a couple of weeks this spring, the liberal media were swamped by supporters of Charter 88, the constitutional reform pressure group. Clearly in better health than the magazine that spawned it, New Statesman & Society, Charter launched a prospectus outlining an ambitious programme for the nineties. The list of demands included a written constitution incorporating a bill of rights, a freedom of information act, proportional representation, reform of the House of Lords, parliaments for Scotland and Wales. Lord Scarman predicted a written constitution by the end of the decade; Salman Rushdie gave his blessing to Charter 88 in a Today interview, the first since he went into hiding. The Guardian ran a series of feature articles by big-name Charter 88 writers.

But not everyone was completely convinced. Notably, in a biting piece in the Sunday Correspondent, David Blake trashed Charter 88's prospectus as 'a reminder of the depths of despair and nonsense being plumbed by people who do not like Mrs Thatcher but who do not believe that the Labour Party can be made into a sensible party of government. The document could thus achieve cult status, the political equivalent of watching Baywatch on television and saying how dreadful it is.' He described the supporters of the Charter as 'an odd mishmash of people who were excited by the Alliance, and people around the fringes of the Labour left - what some might call a bloc of Rightists and Trotskyists'.

The echoes of Stalinist denunciation in Blake's turn of phrase are a particularly nice touch: Kinnock loyalism in today's Labour Party has a strong resemblance to the cult of the leader found in the old Comintern parties. He does, however, have a serious point. Charter 88's most prominent supporters are either members of the 'great and good' centre-left establishment or forty-somethings who were part of the far left of the sixties and seventies. And they do share an antipathy to boring old mainstream Labourism, one upshot of which is that they are unenthusiastic about (and peculiarly inept at) organising in the Labour Party and its milieu (unlike, for example, CND).

In return, the Labour leadership, along with many ordinary party members, sees Charter 88 as no more than a front for proportional representation in which the usual self-interested liberals, nationalists, greens and social democrats are joined by a group of madcap Leninist intellectuals who want to start a 'proper' electoral socialist party to the left of Labour but realise that it wouldn't stand a chance under the present system.

This is, of course, something of a malicious caricature. There are good democratic arguments for introducing proportional representation and for proliferation of parties, and there is a very strong case for freedom-of-information legislation, reform of the Lords and devolution of power. (The case for a written constitution which sets out our rights is much weaker - it could easily result in an increase in the power of the judiciary, God preserve us.) What's more, most of the far-leftists now hanging around Charter 88 have long renounced the sins of their Leninist pasts (at least in private). And nobody admits to having once supported the Social Democratic Party these days.

But the fact that so many of its leading lights are compromised in Labour leadership eyes by their past associations (however unfairly) puts Charter 88 in a near-impossible situation. On one hand, it doesn't have a hope of persuading Labour to adopt its programme this side of a general election. On the other hand, there is no chance of a government implementing its programme unless it converts Labour. In short, in the nasty world of realpolitik, Charter 88 would seem to be wasting its breath unless it is banking on a Tory victory in 1992, forcing Labour to rethink its position.

This doesn't mean that Charter 88 can't influence public opinion or that Labour is impossible to budge with patient work. But Charter 88's predicament does provide an important lesson for the peace movement and every other social movement that wants a government to legislate change. Devoting effort and resources to the slow, boring and often frustrating work of keeping up pressure within the Labour Party is not an optional extra, and it can't be abandoned when the going gets tough. It's absolutely essential, even when Labour seems intent on moving in precisely the wrong direction. Sticking two fingers up at the Labour Party – which has seemed very tempting for CNDers in the past year or so – solves nothing at all.


text:
CALL 713.932.8687

Quick Contact

Contact Us

2 + 10 =

Surface preparation is a critical element of any coating project.

Grinding, Shot Blasting, and Scarifying – surface preparation of concrete is a critical element in the longevity of any coating, membrane, or seamless floor. Based on a thorough walk-through of the job site, Panther will recommend the appropriate surface preparation method for your particular project. Unlike most contractors, we own all of our equipment and our employees are full time. Concrete surface preparation methods we offer include:

Concrete Floor Grinding

Concrete floor grinding is used in the removal of industrial flooring, coatings, glues, mastics, high spots, and other imperfections. Concrete grinding can also be used as surface preparation for coatings or to produce a fine polish with the desired degree of shine and smoothness. Concrete Floor Grinding provides long-term durability and low maintenance cost. Concrete grinding can be used on both interior and exterior concrete surfaces.

Concrete Shot Blasting

Concrete shot blasting is primarily used as surface preparation for installation of industrial floors and coatings. Shot blasting can also be used for adding texture to the floor and/or cleaning concrete.

Concrete Scarifying

Concrete scarifiers, also called surface planers or milling machines, remove concrete, coatings, stripes, glues, mastics, high spots, crowns, and other imperfections in industrial flooring faster and more aggressively than grinding. As with our other surface preparation methods, Panther can use HEPA vacuum systems to reduce dust in sensitive environments.