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This video says about itself:
UN finds 'systematic' torture in Afghanistan
10 October 2011
A United Nations report has found "compelling evidence" that Afghan intelligence officials at five detention centres "systematically tortured detainees for the purpose of obtaining confessions and information".
In the report published on Monday, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said torture was practised systematically in some Afghan intelligence detention centres and children were among those who had suffered.
The report singled out National Directorate Security (NDS) facilities in the provinces of Herat, Kandahar, Khost and Laghman, as well as the national headquarters of the NDS counter-terrorism department in Kabul, the Afghan capital.
From the Washington Post in the USA:
Mystery surrounds move of Afghan 'torturer in chief' to U.S. amid allegations of spy agency abuse
By Greg Miller, Julie Tate and Joshua Partlow, Tuesday, April 29, 1:15 AM
In Afghanistan, his presence was enough to cause prisoners to tremble. Hundreds in his organization's custody were beaten, shocked with electrical currents or subjected to other abuses documented in human rights reports. Some allegedly disappeared.
And then Haji Gulalai disappeared as well.
He had run Afghan intelligence operations in Kandahar after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 and later served as head of the spy service's detention and interrogation branch. After 2009, his whereabouts were unknown.
Because of his reputation for brutality, Gulalai was someone both sides of the war wanted gone. The Taliban tried at least twice to kill him. Despite Gulalai's ties to the CIA and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, United Nations officials and U.S. coalition partners sought to rein him in or have him removed.
Today, Gulalai lives in a pink two-story house in Southern California, on a street of stucco homes on the outskirts of Los Angeles.
How he managed to land in the United States remains murky. Afghan officials and former Gulalai colleagues said that his U.S. connections — and mounting concern about his safety — account for his extraordinary accommodation.
But CIA officials said the agency played no role in bringing Gulalai into the country. Officials at the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security would not comment on his relocation or immigration status, citing privacy restrictions. Gulalai and members of his family declined repeated inquiries from The Washington Post.
As the United States approaches its own exit from Afghanistan, Gulalai's case touches on critical questions looming over that disengagement. What will happen to thousands of Afghans seeking to accompany the American exodus? And how will U.S.-built institutions in that country — particularly its intelligence service, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) — treat those left behind?
Despite a substantial record of human rights abuses, Gulalai was able to bypass immigration barriers faced by Afghans whose work for the United States made them potential targets of the Taliban. Many have been turned away because of security objections submitted in secret by U.S. spy agencies.
Since its inception, the NDS has depended on the CIA to such an extent that it is almost a subsidiary — funded, trained and equipped by its American counterpart. The two agencies have shared intelligence, collaborated on operations and traded custody of prisoners.
Gulalai was considered a particularly effective but corrosive figure in this partnership. He was a fierce adversary of the Taliban, officials said, as well as a symbol of the tactics embraced by the NDS.
"He was the torturer in chief," said a senior Western diplomat, who recalled meeting with a prisoner at an NDS facility in Kabul to investigate how he had been treated when Gulalai entered unannounced. The detainee became agitated and bowed his head in submission. "He was terrified, which made sense," the diplomat said. Gulalai was "a big wheel in a machine that ground up a lot of people."
U.S. officials said the CIA has taken measures to curb NDS abuses, including training its officers on human rights and pushing the organization to allow access to the International Committee of the Red Cross and other monitoring groups. But even after Gulalai's departure, U.N. reports have documented widespread mistreatment of prisoners by the NDS.
Retired Marine Gen. John R. Allen, who was commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan until last year, warned that "human rights is going to be a weakness for some period of time." Allen, who suspended prisoner transfers to the NDS after reports of abuse, said the organization has made progress but described its reliance on torture as an institutional "reflex."
A 'cruel position'
Now in his early 60s, Gulalai lives in a rented house in a Los Angeles suburb where the dry heat and backdrop of brown hills are reminiscent of Kandahar. His front yard is surrounded by a tall, white fence with a locked gate at the sidewalk. There are citrus trees in the back and a steady hum from a freeway a block away.
Gulalai, whose real name is Kamal Achakzai, shares the house with a mix of family members, including his wife and children, who range in age from toddlerhood into their twenties. "They generally keep to themselves," a neighbor said. "They don't speak except to say hello."
A burly man matching Gulalai's description backed out of the family's driveway on a recent afternoon. He stopped briefly to roll down his window when approached by a reporter for The Post, but then sped off without comment.
In Southern California, Gulalai is surrounded by a network of Afghans, some of whom have known him since childhood. "We see each other every weekend, we play cards together," said Bashir Wasifi, who attended school with Gulalai in Kandahar in the 1960s before moving to the United States in 1979.
Wasifi said Gulalai showed up unexpectedly with a dozen or more relatives several years ago, after the Taliban had killed two of his brothers and a son. The circumstances convinced local Afghans that Gulalai had received special U.S. help. "He was brought here by your government," Wasifi said.
Gulalai has struggled to adapt. He doesn't have a job and has learned little English. It is unclear how the family is supporting itself, although friends and relatives said that Gulalai's sons are employed and that the family owns property in Afghanistan.
"His position was a cruel position so he did cruel things, but he is not like that," Wasifi said. "He worked with your government for 10 years. He hunted al-Qaeda for 10 years. What [more] would you want?"
Starting from scratch
After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Gulalai was among a core group of Pashtuns recruited by the CIA to help the agency and U.S. Special Operations teams seize Kandahar, the city that had been the Taliban's traditional stronghold. Gulalai had grown up there surrounded by prominent fighters in the CIA-backed effort to oust the Soviets from Afghanistan, many of whom went on to become members of the Taliban or senior officials in Karzai's government.
Gul Agha Sherzai, a childhood classmate, called Gulalai "the roughest kid in school." Sherzai, who was a candidate for president of Afghanistan this year, led the effort to recapture Kandahar in 2001. When he was named governor of the province a year later, he turned to his friend Gulalai to run security and intelligence operations.
At the time, the CIA was trying to cobble together a national intelligence service that could protect the Afghan government from internal threats as well as track down al-Qaeda operatives. The agency sought to fuse informant networks established by the Northern Alliance — which had worked with the CIA for years before the Sept. 11 attacks — with the remnants of a Soviet-era service known as the KHAD.
"It was chaos; you had to start from scratch," said a former senior U.S. intelligence official involved in the effort. The agency equipped the NDS with a fleet of vehicles brought up through Pakistan, delivered office supplies to a Kabul building that the Taliban had trashed and provided a stream of cash to cover payroll. "Money would come in on aircraft, we'd put it through a counting machine and distribute it in duffel bags," said the former U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the CIA's role.
The agency brought in retired operatives to teach courses in basic espionage and combine the disparate NDS elements into a coherent structure. The CIA secretly turned some of its better students into informants on the agency payroll, former officials said.
The training sessions also covered laws against torture. "It was obligatory, mandatory," the former U.S. intelligence official said. "Whenever [NDS] captured anybody, we'd say you have to respect their human rights."
That message came amid other conflicting signals.
Even while holding classes on the humane treatment of detainees, the CIA was setting up secret prisons where al-Qaeda suspects were subjected to brutal measures, including waterboarding. At one of the agency's detention sites in Afghanistan known as the Salt Pit, a prisoner froze to death in 2002 after being doused with water and left alone overnight.
The NDS became an extension of the CIA with considerably greater size and reach. It grew to more than 20,000 employees and established a network of dozens of prisons in facilities that in some cases had served the same purpose under Taliban, Soviet and even 19th-century British rule.
In a war that came to be defined by an escalating cycle of raids and arrests, the NDS became a critical repository, taking custody of thousands of prisoners captured by the CIA, the U.S. military and coalition forces.
The NDS branch in Kandahar was a major destination for these deliveries, with a large prison near Kandahar airport, as well as off-the-books interrogation cells hidden among walled compounds in residential neighborhoods, former detainees and Western officials said.
Sardar Mohammad, a Kandahar resident, said he was held for months in an NDS cell after a team of U.S. Special Operations forces burst into his home in 2002. Gulalai took part in the raid, Mohammad said, and participated in interrogation sessions that included one of his brothers and a son.
"Every night, they beat me," Mohammad said. He was released after his family paid 3,000 Pakistani rupees, he said, but was arrested again later and taken to a CIA compound known as Camp Gecko before being returned to NDS. There, Mohammad said, his interrogators called him "a personal detainee of Gulalai."
A senior Afghan official who worked with NDS said Gulalai used his position to settle tribal scores and enrich his clan. Weapons seized by the NDS were sent to an arms depot in Gulalai's home town of Gulistan, the official said. Prisoners' families were routinely forced to pay ransom for their release.
"He tortured and took money from them," the official said.
Critics said that Gulalai's tactics also drove neutral Afghans into the enemy's ranks.
Among them was Was Abdul Wasay, who later became the Taliban's "shadow governor" in Kandahar, an unofficial position common across areas of Afghanistan where the Taliban still exerts influence and seeks to challenge the Kabul government's authority. The senior Afghan security official described an early encounter at an NDS prison with Wasay, who accused Gulalai of strapping his father upside down to a door and leaving him in public view.
"I saw my father like this and I decided I must fight the government," Wasay said, according to the Afghan security official, who would discuss security matters only on the condition of anonymity. Wasay continued that fight for a decade until Afghan military forces killed him this month, U.S. and Afghan officials said.
A surge in abuse allegations
By 2005, Gulalai had survived multiple attempts on his life as well as mounting pressure on the government to remove him from his job. A bombing at his family's residence killed one of his brothers but missed its intended target, said Afghan officials and Gulalai associates.
Twice, U.N. officials persuaded then-NDS Chief Amrullah Saleh to issue orders firing Gulalai. Both times, the orders were undone by ethnic politics, U.N. officials said, as Karzai countermanded the Tajik NDS chief to protect his fellow Pashtun tribesman.
Instead of being dismissed, Gulalai was promoted to NDS headquarters in Kabul and put in charge of the agency's investigations directorate, known at the time as Department 17. The position gave him authority over the main NDS prison in Kabul, to which detainees from across the country were sent for long-term custody.
Allegations of abuse surged.
A secret memo circulated among senior U.N. officials and Western diplomats in late 2007 described NDS torture as "systemic" and identified Gulalai as singularly responsible.
Gulalai was "personally involved in conducting beatings amounting to torture, in detaining suspects illegally and arbitrarily and in deliberately and systematically evading detention monitoring," the memo said. It cited unverified allegations of "disappearances" as well as testimony of "an extra-judicial killing and cover-up [that] seems very credible."
Gulalai's methods "included beating with a stick to the point of drawing blood, sleep deprivation for as long as thirteen days, protracted periods fastened with handcuffs and chains and suspension from the ceiling," the memo stated.
The harshest treatment was reserved for Gulalai's "personal prisoners," those suspected of being involved in attacks against his family or clan. "They were held in underground cells, including in the cellars of the Investigation Directorate main offices," the memo said.
Overall, Gulalai operated in a "culture of impunity" enabled by his close ties to high-ranking Afghan officials and status as "a key partner for international agencies working on counter terrorism and insurgency" — an apparent reference to the CIA and U.S. Special Operations forces.
A family forced to flee
Ultimately, the growing danger to Gulalai and his family prompted him to plan the exit that diplomats and rights groups had been unable to engineer.
In March 2007, Gulalai narrowly survived an attack by a suicide bomber near the entrance of a prominent Kabul mosque. An incident report contained in the WikiLeaks collection of leaked diplomatic files said that "General Gulalai" was among 12 injured in the attack, which also killed at least two civilians.
Gulalai's son Raqib Achakzai said in a brief telephone interview last month that the family was forced to flee.
"They killed my cousins, four or five uncles, that's why we came out here," said Achakzai, who indicated that he works as a contractor for the U.S. military in North Carolina. He declined to discuss details of the family's departure from Afghanistan, however, saying, "These are questions I'm not about to answer."
CIA officials denied any involvement. "The CIA had no role whatsoever in facilitating the relocation of Haji Gulalai from Afghanistan to the United States," agency spokesman Dean Boyd said.
Instead, Gulalai and his family apparently secured permission to travel to the United States, possibly under a "parole" designation used by the Department of Homeland Security to help foreigners facing medical emergencies or other extreme circumstances. Once in the country, Gulalai was granted asylum, said an official familiar with the case.
Asylum is designed to grant safe haven to foreigners who are likely to be arrested, tortured or killed if they return home. But U.S. law bars the granting of asylum to those who have persecuted others.
The required legal forms ask applicants whether they have "ever ordered, incited, arrested or otherwise participated in causing harm or suffering to any person" because of race, religion, nationality or other affiliation. But there is limited ability to check the accuracy of the responses.
Applicants are screened against databases for criminal convictions or terrorist ties. But experts said those records are unlikely to reveal allegations of human rights abuses, particularly when the alleged abuser was operating under government authority and was not arrested or publicly accused. Prospects of detection may have been further complicated by the fact that Gulalai used only his Achakzai name once in the United States.
There is at least one indication, however, that U.S. authorities were able to connect the asylum seeker to his NDS résumé.
At a hearing before an immigration judge in Los Angeles several years ago, Gulalai defended his asylum claim by presenting photos of the Kabul bombing and other evidence of the danger he faced in Afghanistan, said Wasifi, who accompanied his friend to help interpret.
A U.S. attorney challenging the claim asked repeatedly whether the man now calling himself Achakzai was ever known by another name. After getting only looks of bewilderment, Wasifi said, the attorney changed his question: "Then who is Gulalai?"
Gulalai chuckled and replied that it was just a nickname bestowed by his family, and apologized for the slip, Wasifi said. He emerged from the hearing with his immigration status intact.
Lea Greenberger, the attorney who, Wasifi said, represented Gulalai at the hearing, declined to discuss details of the case. "I will not represent people who violated human rights," she said, but noted that lawyers don't always have complete information about their clients. Clear answers on eligibility for asylum can be elusive, she said, especially when applicants come out of countries as ravaged by conflict as Afghanistan.
"If there were a clear black-and-white line, it would make things easier, but there isn't," Greenberger said. "In wars there are heroes who massacred others." To some, she said, "a violation of human rights against the Taliban is perhaps an act of courage."
A contradictory mission
As Gulalai settled into life in Southern California, the United Nations and other groups embarked on more comprehensive efforts to investigate alleged prisoner abuse by the NDS as well as the Afghan army and police.
In 2011 and 2013, the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan issued reports based on interviews with hundreds of prisoners that found evidence of torture at NDS facilities nationwide.
The problem was particularly acute at five sites, including Kandahar, where two-thirds of the prisoners interviewed said they were "systemically tortured." Many were beaten with cables, forced to endure electric shock to the testicles, or handcuffed in excruciating positions for days at a time. One detainee "reported that an NDS official removed his toenail with a knife."
The reports, released a decade into the war, triggered significant if belated reforms.
In 2011, Allen suspended detainee transfers and imposed new requirements, including regular inspection and certification of NDS prisons by U.S. and coalition military teams before transfers could resume.
Allen said he does not think the CIA encouraged or tolerated abuse. Instead, he said, the problem was deeply ingrained, with causes including the coarsening effect of decades of conflict as well as the influence of a justice system that relies on coerced confessions to function.
"To its credit, the NDS seems committed to ending torture," he said, "but eliminating this practice will be a heavy lift."
The CIA was not obligated to abide by Allen's suspension or new restrictions, officials said. Boyd, the CIA spokesman, said that although the agency "can't publicly discuss the significant steps we've taken to help NDS address these issues, we take seriously any allegations of abuse."
Others, however, said the United States disregarded the problem for the better part of a decade and never imposed serious sanctions, such as cutting off NDS funding, even after the evidence of abuse was overwhelming. Some cited the seemingly incompatible U.S. objectives in Afghanistan, where the desire to build humane government institutions could be offset by the imperative to root out the Taliban and terrorism at almost any cost.
"The fact is our mission is internally contradictory," said Barnett Rubin, a professor at New York University who is also senior adviser on Afghanistan and Pakistan at the State Department. When U.S. troops depart, he said, "we will leave a deeply corrupt and abusive government on whose territory there are virtually no members of al-Qaeda to be found."
NDS spokesman Lutfullah Mashal declined to discuss Gulalai's tenure or departure, citing a policy against revealing information about employees of the spy service.
In 2012, the NDS created a new human rights unit to investigate alleged abuse. The British government helped install cameras in NDS interrogation booths. Mashal said that such changes had eradicated a problem that he insisted had been exaggerated. "I deny any kind of torture by NDS at all," he said.
A third report by the United Nations, expected to be released in the coming months, is said to cite progress on detainee treatment but also evidence of ongoing torture. "Despite significant remedial steps, torture continues because there's no real deterrent," said Georgette Gagnon, U.N. human rights chief in Afghanistan. "We're not aware of any NDS official who has been prosecuted or fired for using torture."
Gulalai has made several return trips to Afghanistan in recent months to sell property there, family members and associates said. If true, the visits could undermine the argument that Afghanistan had become too dangerous for him, potentially complicating his asylum claim.
Afghans who worked as interpreters or security guards or in other capacities for the U.S. military and other agencies have overwhelmed a special U.S. visa program, seeking to escape before American forces depart. The State Department has granted visas to about 3,000 Afghans through the program, a spokeswoman said. But as many as 5,000 remaining Afghans are now competing for half as many slots.
Wasifi said Gulalai secured permanent resident status in the United States last year and is moving toward citizenship. The allegations against him, Wasifi said, should not stand in his way.
"I blame the U.S. for this," Wasifi said. "If he was doing wrong to society, it is a shame for you. You appointed him to this position. NDS did not exist before. You created it. If you occupy a country, you are responsible."
Kevin Sieff in Kabul and Sharifullah Sharaf in Kandahar contributed to this report.
Afghanistan's 'torturer-in-chief' living in pink house in California surrounded by landscape that looks like Kandahar: here.
Torturing on behalf of the United States appears to be a career move that results in a comfortable lifestyle after moving on from government service: here.


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Financial Relationship Specialist Vacancies in Regions Bank Panama City, FL
Website Regions Bank
This Jobsfunter Listing is about Regions Bank in Panama City, FL 2022
About the job
Thank you for your interest in a career at Regions. At Regions, we believe associates deserve more than just a job. We believe in offering performance-driven individuals a place where they can build a career — a place to expect more opportunities. If you are focused on results, dedicated to quality, strength and integrity, and possess the drive to succeed, then we are your employer of choice.
Regions is dedicated to taking appropriate steps to safeguard and protect private and personally identifiable information you submit. The information that you submit will be collected and reviewed by associates, consultants, and vendors of Regions in order to evaluate your qualifications and experience for job opportunities and will not be used for marketing purposes, sold, or shared outside of Regions unless required by law. Such information will be stored in accordance with regulatory requirements and in conjunction with Regions' Retention Schedule for a minimum of three years. You may review, modify, or update your information by visiting and logging into the careers section of the system.
Job Description
At Regions, the Financial Relationship Specialist is responsible for providing an exceptional customer experience and contributing to improving the financial wellness of our customers. This position offers an exciting opportunity for candidates with prior Teller, limited banking, or some retail sales experience who are interested in beginning a career with opportunities for growth, development and upward mobility.
Regions' mission is to make life better for our customers and communities. The purpose of this role is to create meaningful personal connections with customers, identify ways for Regions to meet customer needs, and assist in resolving end to end customer sales and service inquiries. The successful candidate should be ambitious and adaptable with a desire to educate customers on the ability to bank when, where, and how they want. This requires an individual who is motivated by a fast paced and energetic environment, with the ability to provide personalized customer service.
Primary Responsibilities
- Provides a consistent optimal customer experience, primarily handling customers' transactional needs, including but not limited to performing teller activities such as deposits, withdrawals, payments, and balancing
- Answers customer inquiries regarding products and services, fulfills basic servicing requests, and opens basic Consumer products such as checking and savings accounts
- Achieves required levels of outbound phone calls using generated customer and prospect lead lists to educate customers on emerging technology and assist with meeting their financial needs
- Works to create and establish relationships with customers, remaining well-informed about the customer's relationship with the bank
- Educates customers on standard consumer products, emerging bank technology and digital solutions such as mobile, online, and ATM offerings, all designed to make banking easier
- Assists branch and fellow team members with achieving goals by assisting with basic tasks to aid in customer problem resolution
- Refers customers to an internal team of experts when more complex financial goals and needs are recognized
- Ensures safe and sound banking practices, including adherence to all applicable laws and regulations
This position requires the tracking of time and is eligible for overtime hours worked in excess of 40 per week under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
This position is incentive eligible.
- High School Diploma or GED
- Ability to work on Saturday as needed
- One (1) year of banking, sales, and/or customer service experience
- Two (2) years of cash handling or Teller experience
Skills And Competencies
- Ability to assist customers with digital banking offerings
- Ability to handle multiple priorities simultaneously
- Strong customer focus
Position Type
Full time
Benefits Information
Regions offers a benefits package that is flexible, comprehensive and recognizes that "one size does not fit all" for associates. Listed below is a synopsis of the benefits offered by Regions for informational purposes, which is not intended to be a complete summary of plan terms and conditions.
- Paid Vacation/Sick Time
- 401K with Company Match
- Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits
- Disability Benefits
- Health Savings Account
- Flexible Spending Account
- Life Insurance
- Parental Leave
- Employee Assistance Program
- Associate Volunteer Program
Please note, benefits and plans may be changed, amended, or terminated with respect to all or any class of associate at any time. To learn more about Regions' benefits, please click or copy the link below to your browser.
Location Details
Pier Park
Panama City, Florida
Bring Your Whole Self to Work
We have a passion for creating an inclusive environment that promotes and values diversity of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sex, pregnancy, and many other primary and secondary dimensions that make each of us unique as individuals and provide valuable perspective that makes us a better company and employer. More importantly, we recognize that creating a workplace where everyone, regardless of background, can do their best work is the right thing to do.
OFCCP Disclosure: Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans
Company: Regions Bank
Vacancy Type: Full-time
Job Location: Panama City, FL
Application Deadline: N/A

subset: commoncrawl


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While those in the halls of Moscone West (and the rest of us virtually looking on via live updates posted from within Moscone) cheered Apple's many announcements Monday, a small segment of the population undoubtedly reacted not with joy but rather foreboding. For, behind the Wows, Awesomes, and Gimmies could be heard the faint sound of someone's lunch being eaten.
Twitter tells us that June 8, 2009 is hardly a red-letter day for Palm or the owners of a PowerPC-based Mac, but I'm addressing neither here. The Pre isn't a bad phone for a 1.0 release and Palm's certainly going to refine it. And PowerPC Mac owners will get along just as well as those Mac users who stopped with Tiger because they needed the Classic environment.
No, I'm thinking of the people working in Garmin and TomTom's hardware divisions and Pure Digital, makers of the Flip pocket camcorders. While we iPhone users can certainly celebrate functional GPS turn-by-turn navigation (with voice feedback, yet) from our phones and a video camera that supports on-camera editing and delivery, you have to think a few of the people responsible for such functions on separate hardware devices had a long "Uh oh" moment upon hearing Apple's plans.
Oh sure, TomTom's in on the iPhone by way of a navigation app and separate hardware device for using the iPhone in the car. Garmin surely isn't far behind. And the iPhone 3G S only shoots in VGA, while both Pure Digital's Flip MinoHD and UltraHD offer the advantage of 720p high-definition shooting. And, of course, the iPhone's cost-of-ownership-over-time is going to provide safe-haven for these devices for awhile.
But only for awhile. When iPhones are as omnipresent as iPods, look out. If every gadget manufacturer across the land hasn't taken a long second look at their business plan based on the iPhone existence—particularly after today's announcements—it's time they did.
Because in all the discussion of other mobile phones and mobile operating systems, people tend to forget that the iPhone is a portable computer that happens to make calls. And while that makes for diverting discussion when comparing one "iPhone killer" to The Real Deal, it's just as interesting to consider that the iPhone has (and will continue to have) a profound effect on our day-to-day digital doodads. Like so: How many iPhone owners would buy a pocket calculator, portable CD player, PIM, pocket recorder, VOIP handset, handheld gaming device, and, soon, universal remote, handheld GPS, or pocket camcorder?
This stuff is going the way of the dodo because we pack a chameleon in our pocket in the form of our iPhones. We've talked for years about the cell phone as the ultimate convergence device. With the ultimately adaptable iPhone 3G S, we're just about there. This thrills me to the core. But then I'm not the guy responsible for making and selling single-purpose handheld devices. If I were, I'd be considering my future very carefully.


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Cry 'Havoc' (1943)
You know what's wrong with kids today? They never get a chance to see a picture like this by accident on a Saturday afternoon or on a Late Late Show on a local UHF station. That's how I first saw Cry 'Havoc' , sometime in the mid-1970s, when there were still people in my family who had actual memories of World War II, either fighting in it or seeing movies like this in the theaters when they came out.
Except for a handful of atmospheric men and fewer barbs, this film is strangely like The Women. All the main characters are women: nurses and volunteers at a military hospital in Bataan, how they cope with each other, the wounded, their dwindling resources, and eventual surrender to the Japanese. Margaret Sullavan and Fay Bainter are two army nurses struggling to keep up with the ever-increasing stream of wounded. They recruit a handful of civilian women from among hundreds of refugees encamped not far away to help out: two students, a factory manager, a waitress (Ann Sothern), a Southern Belle (Diana Lewis, from Asbury Park, not Alabama, and soon-to-be Mrs. William Powell), a burlesque performer (Joan Blondell, who else?), and a fashion writer (Ella Raines).
The cast is kind of a cavalcade of Tier 2 and Tier 3 stars of the day (1943), except possibly for Margaret Sullavan, who may have been the biggest star in the cast and whom I've always loved in spite of those stupid bangs. Joan Blondell, who turns out to be adorable in work clothes, was not the draw she used to be by then, and Marsha Hunt (the sweet, skinny thing) was hitting her stride as a strong supporting actress.
Cry 'Havoc' was the film adaptation of an unsuccessful Broadway play called Proof Through the Night, starring Carol Channing (?!), that only ran for two months. I can imagine the play being fairly plodding without the benefit of close-ups and medium shots, or the occasional explosion. Many of the scenes in this movie are very stagey, in fact, with only the barracks, the communications hut, and kitchen serving as backdrop to the women's stories. There are a few outdoor shots of, well, havoc, but much of the real drama is indoors. There are friendships and rivalries and real conversations in this picture; Ann Sothern in particular is wonderfully cagey and natural.
It's a very affecting and effective movie that's well worth a look.
Points of Interest
Good Night, Nurse
Birthday of the Week: Ann Sothern
About Mildred
I'll do just about anything a movie tells me to do. Unless it tells me wrong...
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Micah is Editor-in-Chief of HR Lab, an affiliate of Vantive Media—itself a technology media company for HR, business, and IT leaders seeking to advance their organizations and careers by advancing their business technology strategy, performance and results.
Prior to Vantive, Micah served for 15+ years in a variety of middle to senior management roles and was tasked with addressing organizational issues as strategic and complex as workforce planning down to the granularity of employee performance. This "trench-work" (most recently, as a senior-level HR administrator for a mid-sized university) has seen Micah run initiatives for recruitment, organizational development; performance management; training; and talent management—all while keeping technology at the forefront.
Micah is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) by the Human Capital Institute (HCI), and also holds the distinction of being a Development Dimensions International (DDI) Certified Facilitator. Micah's educational background includes a Bachelor's of Science (BS) degree in Psychology & Management as well as a Master's of Public Administration (MPA) degree with a focus in Industrial-Organizational Psychology.
Micah has presented at numerous conferences nationwide on topics ranging from system configuration to human capital analytics and has cultivated deep relationships into several key industry verticals including retail, financial services, government, technology, non-profits, healthcare, hospitality, education, and manufacturing, in order to gain penetrating insight into the unique needs each of these markets possess.
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Welcome to Ellis Wyatt Communications. Our driving motivations are usability and plain language and as such we want your website to be clear, concise, understandable, efficient, effective, and engaging. Our services include:
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May 12-13 we headed to our favorite campsite down on the Metolius River! There is something about the Metolius River Valley. The river is so bubbly, urgently moving down the valley, so clear. Fly fisherman walk up and down the river casting their flies. Red Ponderosa Pines line the banks, and the meadows below are green, the river blue. The air is dry and the temperature is in the low 80's. It can't get any better than this!
We feasted! Saturday morning we do a blueberry pancake breakfast, with bacon, and strawberries and blackberries.
There's nothing like that smell of bacon cooking at the campsite!
Saturday, we grab fantastic sandwiches prepared by the Camp Sherman Store and then do a four-mile hike around Suttle Lake. During lunch a lone slalom water skier gives us a show.
The hike around the lake is relaxed. High rewards and low effort. Perfect!
From the trail, you can see down into the clear waters. Today it's not breezy. Most times I've visited Suttle Lake, the mountain breeze kicks in, and it can blow beachside sun shelters off.
Saturday evening we put together a stir fry bar! Lining the picnic table were little bowls filled with water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, peanuts, broccoli, onion, chicken, shrimp, carrot, pineapple, fresh green beans, with at least a dozen Asian sauces to go with them. WOW! YUM! And super easy.
Then it was time for entertainment…primitive weapons competition. We had blow dart guns, throwing axes and knives!
Check back. I have to get the weapons competition video from Lisa! I successfully threw the hatchet several times.
April Obern joined us for Saturday evening dinner and a Sunday hike on the river.
It was another perfect day. It is always SO hard to leave this slice of heaven!
I will return to the Metolius for many years to come.


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Tips for a Non-toxic and Chemical-free Lifestyle + 20% off at LiveESP.com!
BPA, PFCs, PVCs, PFOA, PFOS, EA…what do all these mean? Thanks to a non-toxic and chemical free company known as Essential Safe Products (ESP), the answers are right at your fingertips! Through their website www.LiveESP.com, ESP focuses on spreading awareness about hazardous chemicals found in many of our everyday kitchen and on-the-go products as well as giving prevention tips & tricks and, most importantly, selling products that are non-toxic and food safe! Some products they offer include stainless steel cookware, glass bakeware, glass water bottles, stainless steel water bottles, and plenty, plenty more! Here is one of our favorite products…a BPA Free Glass water bottle! Super cute and non-toxic to boot!
Studies have shown that exposure to many hazardous chemicals may lead to a long list of negative health outcomes (including Breast Cancer!). Given this month is Breast Cancer Awareness month, we at UA and LiveESP.com want to promote Breast Cancer Prevention in conjunction with awareness! So LiveESP.com is giving UA fans a 20% off coupon code to products on their site. From now until the end of October (10/31/2011), you can get 20% off non-toxic, chemical free and food safe products from LiveESP.com! Just enter the promotional code NONTOXIC at checkout to redeem this special offer to UA customers!
More About ESP…
LiveESP.com is a one-stop-shop for people interested in leading a non-toxic lifestyle in the kitchen and on-the-go. Their motto "Live ESP. Learn ESP. Love ESP." consists of three main concepts that provide a framework for the site:
- Live ESP: The "Shop" section of the site is a place for consumers of all ages to purchase food safe and non-toxic kitchenware and on-the-go products. ESP has cookware, bakeware, tableware, food storage, cook's tools, kitchen accessories, and on-the-go products to help others at any step in their lifestyle changes.
- Learn ESP: The "Learn" section of the site is filled with information on harmful chemicals, industry updates, tips and tricks and more valuable information for readers and shoppers as they learn about and make changes towards a healthier lifestyle.
- Love ESP: The A Cup of ESP blog, Facebook and Twitter pages are a great place to stay connected with ESP and share with others the love for a healthy and non-toxic lifestyle.
We hope you all like this site and that it proves to be as informative as we found it! And help us spread the word about living a non-toxic and healthy lifestyle by sharing ESP with our friends and family 🙂
Live, Learn, Love


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Comments Off on Volunteer Opportunities at Tilsley
Filed under Updates
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This is a blog from Simon and Dorit Marshall who are working with European Christian Mission International. You can learn more about us on the 'About' page.
Svědek [svyedek] is Czech for 'witness' and we chose this name for our prayer and news letter when we moved to Prague in 2009. When we left there we decided that it was a name which still reflected what it is that we are and do – witness to Jesus. As he said to his disciples, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8
The blog contains bits and pieces from our time at Tilsley College , and that Simon decides to post related to ECMI and the books he is reading. It is also where you can read our latest newsletters.
Information about Simon's schedule and links to recordings of previous sermons are available on the other pages on this blog.
Enter your email address to follow this blog by email.
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A great site for material on theology and biblical studies - and it's all free!


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Why is On Site Towing the best tow truck company near me in Pecan Grove TX?
Having to call a tow truck can be stressful for many motorists. Our team understands that and will do everything in their power to make the process as simple as possible for you. Your first point of contact will be with our in-house dispatch team. They have undergone extensive training to obtain the necessary information and get a tow truck to you immediately.
Our Pecan Grove tow truck operators are all professionally trained and certified. On top of their existing certifications, every member of our team must undergo continued education courses to ensure that they are up to date with new techniques and current safety regulations.
Our Pecan Grove towing service include, but is not limited to:
- Local Towing
- Long Distance Towing
- 24 Hour Flatbed
- 24 Hour Tow Truck
- Motorcycle Towing
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- Vehicle Relocation
- Low Clearance Vehicle Towing
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- Winch-Out Service
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- Off Road Recovery
- Heavy Equipment Hauling
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- Junk Car Removal
- Flat Tire Repair
- Car Battery Jump Start
- Fuel Delivery
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- Accident Recovery
We have the capacity to tow motorcycles, passenger vehicles, motorhomes, buses, semis … If it's on wheels, On Site can move it!


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How much electronic pain must be suffered at the delighted hands of masochistic fairy muses, who flit about teasing the writer with half-formed ideas? All day long this one has been continually dive-bombed by brilliant sparkling thoughts, only to see them fade away as soon as the mental hand reaches out to grasp.
At the heart of the exercise is the certainty that such grasping is not in vain. The hope stretches beyond wishing, to the point of clarity: gems are meant to be mined, not left in the walls of rock, forever ignored, forgotten.
The analogy searches beyond the immediate: while the gem is the goal, it goes beyond just writing, or just ideas. The gem reflects the natural light of value, inherent in those lights who have perceived it. The woman whose flashing eyes reveal far more spirit turmoil and joy than most in her company. Hidden to most, she is accessible to the seeker who somehow just can't stop perceiving. Like the ephemeral muse, her quick quirks of dangerous laughter upsets the apple cart of decency and "the norm". The writer understands and yet knows that he doesn't get it all. His self-awareness understands the depths of his own ignorance, and the intrigue tickles his mental taste buds. A flavour, filling the mouth with ambiguous fire.
It's not often this happens – this departure from every day mundane musings, and when it does, it's certainly welcome. I was reading "Jitterbug Perfume" (once again, probably for the tenth time, but who knows – and more importantly who's counting?), when a new pre-ordered book slipped into the e-bookshelf of my iPad Kindle application. The dangerous world of espionage had always intrigued me, and so I flipped over from "Jitterbug" to read the first chapter. In normal mundane times, I would start such a book but wouldn't stop until it was finished. My appetite for reading has always been like that: voracious and hungry, and unable to stop until full. I've missed meetings and have been late for doctors' appointments because of it. There's no shame there, really. I revel in the fact that brilliant ideas, written painstakingly by good authors are so greatly appreciated on this side of the internet.
Yet, this time, I only made it to the first couple of paragraphs before the compulsion to jump back to "Jitterbug" irritated me mercilessly. I knew why, too. Robbins' writing – at least in this work – does not lend itself to distraction. Literary vortexes are like that. This one is anyway. It tends to consume concentration, with the promise of reward. His dark maelström of lightening beneath bitter clouds floods the consciousness with meaning and soulish rapture. It instigates and enables so many epiphanic ideas and thoughts. I suppose it's why I read the book so many times. There's an old commercial about the snack food "Bits and Bites" – where the cartoon narrator reaches into a box and pulls out some content while saying "something different in every handful". "Jitterbug Perfume" is just like that, with every reading.
It's an unceasing drill sergeant too, demanding, obstinate and blunt. The bright thoughts demand action and reaction, and doesn't seem to know what "tolerate" means. I suppose the contrast becomes too apparent: the world "Machine" wants everyone to take a seat and settle down. We are cajoled and advised to be content, to watch our favourite TV programs, to eat our fatty foods and be quiet. To be precise: the Machine would rather we shut the fuck up, sit the fuck down, and don't stir up any shit.
Following that advise is what gets you old. It's an intricate preparation for disease and death. Many of us are cool with that, and plan accordingly. When we question that direction, and ask why it is, the only response is "well it's complicated". Truth-speak for "not only wouldn't you understand – we don't want you to get it."
The Machine keeps stepping on my chi, and I'm pretty sure I've had enough of it. The best defence is a good offence, and the best offence is to be offensive. Challenging my own direction is scary and a little invigorating. It pleases me to be displeasing to conventional wisdom.
One has to suppose that the grown adult's self-imposed rut comes from a lifetime of digging and creating a nest. Even the most creative of us gets used to the idea of comfort wherever we can find it, or create it. Stability is the goal, and at least for me, stagnation is the result. So there's a trade-off isn't there? If you want security, be prepared to be bored. If you want excitement, know that your life won't be all that stable, and it certainly won't be predictable.
Deep in historical awareness – the same awareness that exists within our DNA – is the exhilarating knowledge that steps into uncertainty and risk have their own reward. Joy, excitement, and even a measure of a type of security. It knows that the plush fruit of its acts will shine attractively to those who don't yet have it.
Ever wonder about the state of the economy and where it will all end? I have. Some things seem certain: those who invest themselves in artistic directions always have willing buyers. People who – like me for so long in my life – have become art voyeurs, the Hansel and Gretel of life's forest, excited by the new trail, but lulled to a certain undignified grave.
The choice becomes simple. On one hand, we can concentrate on consuming (and become consumed), and on the other we can concentrate on creating, bringing new life and enlarging our perceived horizon, constantly growing and finding room for more growth.


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The Best Choice About Meaningful Parents Poems From Daughter In 2022: When I am sad, they comfort me. When I am sick, they care for me. When I misbehave, they discipline me. Because they love me. When I need help, they help me. When I lose all faith, they help me regain it. When I need forgiveness, they forgive me. ...Read More »
Tag Archives: Funny Parents' Day 2022 Poems
Top Parents 2022 Poems From Children
Give Your Father And Mother Some Best Parents Poems From Yourself That Is Very Meaningful: To Be Apart Of A Family Like Mine Is So Divine Where Love Is Shown Hurt Is Shared Our Love For Each Other Is Never Impaired We Talk We Laugh We Cry But We Are A Family And We Do It All Together For As ...Read More »
Top Parents Day 2022 Poems For Preschoolers
Here Is The Best Parents' Day Poems For Preschoolers To Learn: Thanks Mom, Thanks Dad Thank You, Mom Thank You, Dad Three Small Words So Much To Add For All Your Love And Your Support A Million Words Would Be Too Short The Words "I Love You" Seem Too Few To Express The Love I Have For You. Children – ...Read More »
Best Parents Day 2022 Poems For Kindergarteners
We Will Be Excited When Our Kids Know How To Show Their Love With Us Who Are Parents. Here Is The Best Way For You With Best Parents Day Poems For Kindergarteners: Give Me Patience When Little Hands Tug At Me With Ceaseless, Small Demands. Give Me Gentle Words And Smiling Eyes To Keep My Lips From Hasty, Sharp Replies. ...Read More »
Funny Parents Day 2022 Poems For Kids
Parents Are Super Heroes Of Every Person That Has Ever Done Anything Great. Here Is The Best Funny Parents Poems For Kids: Come Back Into The Fold Of My Protective Wings. Let Not Your Spirit Be Restless, For You Are Here With Me. I Will Always Be Your One On Which To Lean, Your Rock, Your Number One ………. Children ...Read More »


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This is a real and great experience to send the mail in different manner that you can send voice message (Synthesized) to your beloved one via email. This facility is brought to you by Blind Speak. The sent messages will be converted into MP3 format, which allows you to send it as an attachment over email.
Click to receive mail alerts from Gmail


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ESA's Cluster satellites in closet-ever 'dance in space'
Since 2000, the four identical satellites of the Cluster quartet have been probing Earth's magnetosphere in three dimensions. This week, two of them made their closest-ever approach, just 4 km, enabling valuable data to be acquired with unprecedented detail.
In an orbital reconfiguration that will help to maintain the mission's life span, two of the four satellites achieved their closest-ever separation on 19 September, closing to within just 4 km of each other as they orbited at up to 23 000 km/h high above Earth.
"We're optimising the Cluster formation so that the separation between Cluster 1 and the duo of Cluster 3 and 4 – which are on almost identical orbits – is kept below 100 km when the formation crosses Earth's magnetic equator," says Detlef Sieg, working on Cluster flight dynamics at ESA's ESOC operations centre in Darmstadt, Germany.
The formation will hold three of the four satellites close together at lower altitudes, optimising the range of science observations.
New mission record
The main challenge in achieving the formation was to exclude any collision risk and to avoid further manoeuvres, which would interrupt science activities.
"We can determine the satellites' orbits with an accuracy better than 0.1 km," says Detlef Sieg, "so we knew we could achieve the formation with sufficient allowance for safety."
The new formation will be held until early November before the separations are increased to more than 1000 km.
Unprecedented detail
"When we started Cluster, we believed that a separation of 500 km was the smallest required by science," says ESA's Phillipe Escoubet, Cluster Mission Scientist.
"However, it turns out that the physical processes at very small scales are very important and this is why we have decided to decrease the separation distance to more than a factor 100 to just 4 km, as it will allow us to study electromagnetic waves in the radiation belts with unprecedented detail."
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Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day
Labels: the texans
6 comments:
Happy Memorial Day.ReplyDelete
Happy Memorial Day, all you wonderfuls.ReplyDelete
Happy Memorial Day and thank you to your Grandpa and many others.ReplyDelete
I'm remembering. And being grateful. Thank you to your Grandpa. He would be so proud of you and Bob.ReplyDelete
Exactly right.ReplyDelete
Thank you for stopping over. I think the Memorial Tribute I found was the most moving I"ve ever come across.
I love the picture of your grandfather, such a moment frozen forever. I wonder what he was thinking when that picture was snapped?
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You are a wonderful blogger. I really enjoyed reading this blog. You can see love in every shape and size.
Love…it comes in different shapes and sizes, and means so many things to so many people. On this auspicious day we wanted to show our love for the myriad ways you express love on WordPress.com.
Versed in love
We were struck by littlepeace's haiku mediation on the "joy of now" when you're in love over at Innocence Abroad.
(the) present
be here now — with you
driving down snow-covered streets,
evening armchair talks
be here now — with you
pea shoots, tomato fragrance
worm ends in rich soil
be here now — with you
laughing together, today,
with crinkled-eye smiles
be here now — with you
this moment, this moment, this,
enjoying the gift
Nicholas Gagnier's spare, beautiful love poem, A Crumpled Valentine, is a lovely reminder that when it comes to gift-giving, it's the thought that counts.
Love in photographs
Photographer Steve McCurry has traveled the…
View original post 210 more words


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[My interview with entrepreneur and aviatrix Chelsea 'Abingdon' Welch for LA Splash.]
The Abingdon Co.'s distinctive brand name reflects precisely the sophistication, style, and efficiency of their chic line of timepieces for savvy female pilots and travelers. "Its origins, though, are not as glamorous perhaps as what the name evokes," its founder explains. "I was born in England, and I believe the story goes that Abingdon was the name of the pub my parents worked at when I was conceived. C'est la vie!" But it's that sort of humble playfulness and lasting legacy, along with its founders' relentless hard work, that are sure to establish Abingdon Co. as a classic brand.
Abingdon is the middle name of Chelsea "Abingdon" Welch. But when I tell you she's a fly girl, I don't mean on the dance floor.
She was once a curious Burbank, California teen with an appetite for life, but uncertainty about where she going, when aviation came to her by chance, "I tell people it was free food!" she laughs. "I was in high school and they had these career lunches on Wednesday. You'd go in, listen to someone talk about what they did for a living, get food, listen, and then leave. I was the only girl there that day, and lo and behold, in walked two pilots."
The pilots explained that an aviator doesn't necessarily have to be a military pilot, but can also provide relief aid, fly personal jets, work with news crews, display banners in the sky over the beach, and more. "I can get paid to travel," young Abingdon realized, and thought, "That's amazing!"
"I was the only one who stayed to ask questions, and I was late to my next class."
"Usually at that age, you want to be something different every day. I didn't. I saved my money from that day on. I saved my pennies through college. I joined the Peace Corps. After college, I walked to Santa Monica Airport to get started. I got my pilot's license in 34 days." She trained hard and found success as a testpilot.
"When I was flight training, I saw that my flight instructors that had all those really cool watches." Pilot's watches gauge fuel consumption, mind time zones, calculate distance, and more. But for a female pilot, the proportion of the important instrument is all wrong. "At 5'6″ and 110 lbs., they look like grandfather clocks on my wrist!" she realized. At that time, no one was accommodating the growing female population in the field.
Over Christmas dinner in 2006, Abingdon and a group of friends were discussing their hopes for holiday gifts. She lamented again that she'd love a pilot's watch but no one was making them to fit a smaller stature. The gift she was given then was that she and her friends recognized a need to be filled, and decided that they would be the ones to make an efficient but delicate pilot's watch, tailored for a lady. "We set the goal for November the following year. We launched the Jackie and the Amelia models on my birthday, November 3. It's taken me by surprise ever since. I never thought I'd enter aviation and end up infashion."
She also ended up on television, appearing on the Discovery Channel documentary series Flying Wild Alaska. The show goes behind-the-scenes at the Tweto family's airline, Era Alaska. Abingdon had previously become acquainted with their daughter Ariel Tweto in at an air show in L.A. "She [Ariel] hadn't flown in a long time but really ended up enjoying the way I taught her, and she told the producers about me." Abingdon flew up North in secret at the producers' request, and Ariel was delighted at the surprise of being trained by her friend. "She acclimated me to Alaska and I taught her how to fly," she remembers fondly. "It's obviously quite a cold place, but the people are so warm, they just care."
Abingdon flies every day and says, "If I don't fly, I get the twitch, it's my therapy." But she laughs when people ask what she does, "I really don't know how to answer! My full time job is Abingdon Co. That is what I do seven days a week. But I fly every week too, definitely. It's what I do." It's that dedication to flight that lead to innovations on the ground, making Abingdon a pioneer of immense style and substance. Where will her passions take her next?
"The company will continue to promote women in industries that they are minorities in, like aviation, engineering, even sports like racing, boating, etc. I want to bring more products in as well: products thatwomen, historically, purchase the male version of because there is not a female version. You'll see new products– that are not watches — coming out soon!"
Learn more about Abingdon Co. watches at www.TheAbingdonCo.com or join them on Facebook.


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(At CAL 2009 - Learning in Digital Worlds - and I will try to share this week or next. But here is my presentation...)
Can used computers, free software, and mobile phones provide the support needed which allows for post-secondary educational success for dyslexic students?
A year-long investigation of the use of ubiquitous computer and mobile phone technologies to support dyslexic and dyslexic/attention-challenged learners transitioning from secondary to post-secondary education. Student reading comprehension levels ranged from grade 4 (age 9) to grade 8 (age 13) and none had any technology support in secondary education, relying on teachers as readers and scribes. Half of the twenty students had limited or no interaction with "regular education" curriculum in
Students were evaluated, both for reading and attention skills and for attention/organization skills, shown a group of appropriate technologies, and were, through [a US funded] "vocational rehabilitation service," supplied with computers and/or phones which had free software solutions installed. The students were trained in the use of these devices and supported in learning how to adapt these supports for their individual needs. They were assisted in applications for disability accommodations (digitally supplied texts and testing using text-to-speech software) at their colleges and universities. Software installed on rebuilt used computers included free text-to-speech systems, free web-based support structures such as Google Docs, Calendar, and Notebook, and Click-Speak in the Firefox Browser, as well as mobile-based speech-to-text systems. (all links are in PowerPoint)
One year results indicate significant success. Eighteen of twenty students were continuing their education. Of 113 classes begun by these students, 96 were completed and 85 passed successfully. This 90% persistence rate and 75% course completion record must be compared with overall (students with and without disabilities)
- Ira Socol in Brighton, England


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June 24, 2016
"CBRE expects minimal impacts from the BREXIT decision on U.S. property market fundamentals. In the short term, U.S. gateway markets will likely be viewed with enhanced status as havens for global capital, but heightened uncertainty will carry risks for both investor sentiment and the real economy. The UK, especially London, will continue to remain attractive for global investors driven by it's inherent advantages, including transparency, political stability and market liquidity. A decline in the value of the sterling could also be a catalyst for increased foreign investment in the UK."
After more than 40 years of membership, the British people have voted to leave the European Union (E.U.). Over the short-term, economic impacts from this decision will likely be somewhat muted in the U.S. As such, impacts on America's property market fundamentals should be minimal. However, volatility in financial markets will maintain the potential for greater spillover effects on real estate markets.
Economic and geopolitical implications
The vote to leave injects additional uncertainty during an already uncertain time for the global economy. Given this reality, CBRE will be providing clients with the latest insights on a dedicated website.
There is no precedent for a country to leave the E.U., but once the British government formally declares its intention to leave under article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the U.K. and the E.U. have a two-year period to negotiate details of the split before all E.U. treaties "cease to apply to the state in question." This will be the case unless all parties vote to extend the deadline.1
However, it is important to note that the process of leaving the E.U. will not commence immediately. In his address following the referendum's results, Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation, which will be effective by October, and indicated that his successor will lead the formal exit process. Consequently, the timeline will develop over the course of the next several months. Until then, the U.K. remains a part of the European Union with no immediate changes to all circumstances and policies involved.
Going forward, there are some scenarios that could alter this course. A revised offer from the E.U. along with additional voter input remain possible. Barring these scenarios, it will be up to the new U.K. Prime Minister to carry out the will of the people as expressed by the referendum's result. In this case, the outcome of exit negotiations will shape the broader effects of the U.K.'s departure from the European Union.
Although the political will that backs the European Union should not be doubted at the present time, one major risk comes from the outlook for the European project itself. With Europe's second largest economy exiting the E.U., "Euroskeptics" will likely be emboldened. At the very least, this—coupled with the fact that key elections will occur next year (most notably in France and Germany, although different dynamics are in play in each country)—will create a complicated political environment less than ideal for policymaking. For this reason, it is not clear how smooth the U.K.'s exit will be, as European leaders have a vested interest in reinforcing the notion that dissolving membership in the E.U. is not easy.
On a broader level, one must consider the impact this will have on a range of issues, such as the future of global security and trade. In addition to emboldening the continent's Euroskeptics, the referendum's result may reinforce populist sentiment around the globe. All of this could weaken existing commitment to trade and impede further economic liberalization, which would negatively affect demand for commercial real estate.
Impact on U.S. commercial real estate markets
The effects of Brexit will play out over a long time in the U.S.2 This will affect the course of monetary policy with the Fed likely staying on hold until the implications of Brexit become clear.3 During the short term, U.S. gateway markets will likely be viewed with enhanced status as havens for global capital, but heightened uncertainty will carry risks for both investor sentiment and the real economy. If a worst-case scenario plays out (major policy mistakes leading to a recession in Europe and/or a broader loss of market confidence), demand for U.S. goods and services would decrease, negatively affecting real estate demand.
America's office properties would be most affected by economic weakness in Europe. This is due to the fact that the U.S. runs service trade surpluses with the E.U. and U.K.4 In terms of traded goods, California, Texas and New York export the most to the E.U. and the U.K.5 However, greater demand for imported goods (supported by a stronger U.S. dollar) would help offset weaker exports affecting industrial markets.
In summary, the outcome of negotiations between the E.U. and U.K. will shape the effects of Brexit. Even considering where there is exposure, it should be stressed that in the broadest sense Brexit would only be disruptive for U.S. markets in a worst-case scenario. During the short term, a more muted impact with volatility in financial markets is the most likely result. What is certain is a higher level of uncertainty as policymakers and markets grapple with the reality of Brexit.
For more information regarding the referendum's impacts on property markets from the perspective of our team in London, please click here.
1 European Parliament. Briefing. February 2016.
2 See CBRE Viewpoint "Negotiating the Future of Property Markets: The TPP and Commercial Real Estate." April 2016.
3 Board of Governors of The Federal Reserve System. U.S. Senate Testimony. June 2016
4 U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. Trade in Services by Selected Countries and Areas. June 2016.
5 U.S. Department of Commerce. Trade Stats Express. June 2016.


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Raise your hand if you're an academic stuck in a mid-career funk, actively, perhaps even desperately, seeking ways to recover your professional mojo. (Don't be shy. This is a brand new blog, so hardly anyone is here yet. No one will see what you do. Trust me.)
Now, raise your hand if the idea of rebranding yourself feels like the answer to your prayers.
No? Raise your hand if the idea of rebranding yourself brings a mild burning sensation to the back of your throat. Ah, yep — There are the hands. I knew someone was here!
No disrespect to Kerry Ann Rockquemore, whose series of columns on "Finding Your Mid-Career Mojo" at Inside Higher Ed is actually full of insight and useful advice for those who feel stalled at the middle rank, in the middle of life and career. You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me?
You may well be talkin' to this longtime associate prof, and I appreciate the exhortations to map my mentoring networks, identify my needs, and strategize ways to get my needs met, even if such suggestions focus my attention less on potential mentors than on potential therapists. Po-TAY-toh, po-TAH-toh, I suppose, eh?
Why, though, do I reflexively recoil from the assertion that jumpstarting a stalled career is fundamentally a matter of rebranding yourself? Why does such an idea make me want to shout from the nearest rooftop the line that I have used as the title for this post? Dammit, my self is not a tennis shoe, and I don't think my career funk — if I am in one — will be dispelled by the academic equivalent of a new slogan.
Before someone calls me out on this, I will acknowledge that there is considerable irony in my revulsion from the notion of rebranding, given that I have spent more than a decade building and, yes, marketing an academic program and caring a lot about the program's public identity or, yes, brand. I will also sheepishly admit that, just yesterday, I spent a considerable amount of time publicly rebranding myself in my social networks in connection with the launch of this blog. As I put down the dog, as it were, and put on The Madwoman, I redid my profiles on Facebook but especially on Twitter not only to call attention to the new blog but also to professionalize my online identity. I even joked on Twitter that I had finally figured out that madness is a clearer path to career advancement in the humanities than impersonating a dead dog, which I mention in order to underscore how much these questions have been on my mind as I have ended one online writing project and launched another.
Why, then, do I resist seeing rebranding as a solution to the challenges of mid-career slumps, funks, and stalls? It could simply be that I am reluctant, in this rare instance, to call a spade a spade. Denial aside, though, my resistance is also rooted in a desire for other ways of naming and framing our selves and our work lives. It would be naive to pretend that higher education is not a business these days, but I recall how thrilled we all were, five minutes ago, when the leadership crisis at the University of Virginia reminded us of the noble ideals and purposes that led most of us to choose careers in our various academical villages. We were reminded that such places are not corporations but communities of trust and that we all have a stake and a say in running them. I doubt that I'm alone in being slightly disappointed to see UVA President Teresa Sullivan claiming that the university's just announced deal with Coursera, a start-up company aiming to open up university courses to the world, for free, "will in no way diminish the value of a UVA degree, but rather enhance our brand and allow others to experience the learning environment of [Thomas] Jefferson's Academical Village" (emphasis added).
Talk of enhancing the brand may be Sullivan's polite way of needling her nemesis, UVA Rector Helen Dragas, who tried to fire the president for moving too slowly in the direction of online education, but such talk is disheartening for what it reveals about university values and priorities. Universities overly focused on enhancing and protecting their brands can end up acting in ways that are profoundly — even catastrophically — damaging to the institutions as communities of trust. Excessive preoccupation with brand maintenance can cloud judgment and make smart, decent people do stupid, indecent things. I'm pretty sure, for example, that's what happened to this guy, in this case.
So, if you're in need of a mid-career pick-me-up — and, really, who isn't? — , don't think of it as rebranding yourself. Think of it as a recommitment, maybe even a reinvention. Go Mad if you have to and just do it if you dare, but bear in mind that your self is not a tennis shoe. And neither is your soul.
(Photo Credit: "Converse" by Flickr user Ian Ransley. Some rights reserved.)


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For WordPress MU only. My latest plugin is the sitewide tags pages plugin.
This is the initial release of a plugin that creates a set of pages like the WordPress.com Hot Topics pages. It's a lot more simplistic, but by feeding posts into one blog it also creates a sitewide feed of all posts plus feeds of any tags and categories too.
Sitewide Tags Options
WordPress MU is a multi blog version of WordPress that runs on WordPress.com. If you use the regular version of WordPress this plugin is not for you and you can ignore this post.
PS. In other MU news. Raanan has a new post on the Publisher Blog about Nationen! blog, a new Danish blog site based on WordPress MU that looks rather nice!
The site was developed by Incsub who are also the guys behind wpmu.org where you'll probably find all sorts of useful nuggets of MU goodness on a regular basis!


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Hi there! Summer has gone by so fast and there is still so much left to do. I have to finish painting my house, there's the back splash in the kitchen that needs to get done, and the kitchen cabinet doors that need to be stained. With school starting back and my job, I'm trying not to stress.
To be honest I don't spend much time sewing. Summer for me means lots of home projects. So coming up with things that I've done over the Summer isn't really that hard. Deciding what to share is. I've picked two projects that I completed and I managed to get a sewing project in there as well. Because this hop is about gingham and that's because gingham does really matter. 🙂
My first project took most of the summer to do. It started with a plant I bought back in May, a Wondering Jew. It was very tiny but over the Summer I kept taking little starters from the plant and it didn't take long till my little plant really took off.
and here it is after a Summer doing this several times.
My second project was another one that took time over the Summer to get together. A sweet friend and I decided that we wanted to learn to make jelly. We looked over Taste Of Home's Canning magazine and their website for recipes. Because neither one of us had ever canned before we also had to buy supplies. That's an investment! So we slowly bought supplies over the summer. We were originally going to make jelly together but we ended up on our own. Instead we decided to exchange with each other.
Can you guess which one is the one I made? 🙂
She made Strawberry jelly and I accidentally made Cherry/Pomegranate jelly. (I thought I was buying Cranberry juice, lol).
Hmmmmm….they were soooo goood!!…..
…….and our families think so too.
Now for the gingham project. Since gingham does matter, I wanted to make something that matters to me too. I love to make prim dolls. So I made a doll. One that I've been wanting to make for some time now. She comes from a pattern designed by The Craftaholic Creations.
To go with her I also made to home made laundry soap. Another project that I've been wanting to do for a while.
The jar I found at a thrift store. I did a little stenciling on it with chalk paint and glass paint.
Here's what I used. I got the formula from the blog The Happy Money Saver.
She used a food processor to finely grate the Fel-Naptha. I don't have one but I did have an old blender. I certainly didn't want to use my new one. Ewww. You don't have to use a blender though; the bar of soap is rather hard so it grates up fine texture. Using a blender or a food processor makes it a powder. A word of caution, if you try this keep the lid to the blender on the whole time. When you do take the lid off do it outside because there will be a powdery puff coming out.
Thanks for sticking with me. Thanks also to Mdm. Samm and Shari.
Have a wonderful day of hopping!


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This card came together so quick! The background is ink blended with Distress Oxides with a stencil from CAS-ual Friday called Curtis. The focal image and sentiments are from the Simon Says Stamp set called Creepy Cute. I colored with kitty witch and EEK! sentiment with Prismacolor pencils and fussy cut them out. I die cut circles to pop the cat onto. The BOO! sentiment was die cut with a banner die from the Cutter Bee Banners die set. For a finishing touch, I added Nuvo Glaze to the kitty nose and buckle of the witch hat, and some colored rhinestones from my stash. I also added Wink of Stella to the witch hat and EEK! sentiment to add a wee bit more shine. You can see it if you click to enlarge this picture.
10/28 Edited to add: This card was chosen as a Top Pick at Crafting Happiness!
10/31/19 Edited to add: This card is a Top Cookie at If You Give a Crafter a Cookie!
11/07/19 Edited to add: This card was chosen as the Ruby Award Winner at Color My Heart Color Dare!
I am submitting this card to the following challenges:
- Crafting Happiness – #19 – Halloween colors
- Double Trouble Challenge – #41 Batty Color (also teamed up with Crafting Happiness) – Thing 1 – green, orange, purple, Thing 3 – bat (cat witch?), and Thing 2 – teamed up with Crafting Happiness for Halloween colors
- Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – Spooky
- My Time to Craft – #408 Halloween or Cats (or both!)
- Color My Heart Color Dare – #365 Inspiration Photo
- Creative Knockouts – #320 – Halloween
- If You Give a Crafter a Cookie – #128 – Photo inspiration – I was inspired by the black cat cookie
- Show Us Your Pussies – #47 – Meow-lloween!!!
- Crafty Gals Corner – #200 – Halloween colors
- Crafter's Cafe – #229 – Use a Stencil or Halloween or Use Purple, Orange & Black (or all 3!)
- Pearly Sparkles Challenge – #45 – Spooky and/or Cute
- Shopping Our Stash – #407 – Halloween


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This week's blogging challenge was our computer software now and then. Lorelle talked about the different versions of WordPress over time. I thought it was an interesting article.
10 Years Ago
I started web development back in 1997. My tools back then were:
- Notepad – That right, the one and only. It was how most people did their websites back in the day. It hasn't changed much over the years.
- Adobe Photoshop v4 – The must have program for image editing:
- Dreamweaver 1.0 – Thats right, I've been with dreamweaver since the beginning! (Sorry, I couldn't find a screenshot)
- ws_ftp95 – This old school FTP program was the bomb in my eyes since day 1. Boy have things come a long.
Technology wise I was serving up static HTML pages. When I had mastered Dreamweaver's template system, I was able to run a website with 20+ pages not too bad. It was definitely interesting. Every time I made a change, it would go through and update every single page, and then I would upload every page to the server.
Website wise I started off piddling with the Knights of Honor's website (Web Archive: http://www.knightsofhonor.org/). It is no longer up, but it was for a guild for one of the very first MMO's called The Realm. It was a lot of fun for a long while.
I then started my own website called RPGLegacy.com (Web Archive: http://www.rpglegacy.com/) where I did reviews for video games. It was a lot of fun and I had about 20-30 visitors a day. I was really happy with the traffic. I did it under my writing alias of Kevon McCoy, because I was only 14 or 15 at the time.
Up until this point I had done everything with static HTML pages. It was a nightmare looking back now. So ineffective and tedious. However, it did add a level of accomplishment and self-reward. Running your own website was a lot of work.
In 2001 I started a website called Counter-Hack. It was a website dedicated to the education and protection against illegal video game cheats. At the time I was playing a game called Counter-Strike. It was plagued with people using programs to see through walls, auto-aim, run super fast, etc. This was running the fun for the rest of us. I started the website like my others, with static HTML, until my friend Anthony Ouwehand (a.k.a H3X) introduced me to a wonderful language called PHP. He spearheaded the new design of the website.
Within a few months, due to some luck and great SEO, we started to have 1,000-3,000 visitors a day. I was astounded! We continued to have success throughout the years. We were even mentioned in an article of Rolling Stone Magazine about hackers. We have had a great staff there and I've been lucky to work with such great people (Anthony, Nick, and the rest of the CH gang!) While Counter Hack is still running itself, it has slowed down a lot. However, my current projects are anything but slow.
Web Development Today
Today I have more tools and utilities than I know what to do with. It is amazing how different developing for the web is now.
- Zend Studio 6.0 – This PHP IDE has been a time saver. While there are some other good IDEs for PHP, this is my personal favorite. With features such as debugging and intellisense, I've come a long ways from the days of just Notepad. I mainly use this for coding PHP. I use other tools for CSS and HTML Layouts.
- Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 – This program has come a very, very long way. While many parts of the layout have stayed the same, Dreamweaver is a good WYSIWYG editor. I use this mainly to create HTML templates before cutting them up into their PHP parts. It also has great CSS editing capabilities. I mostly use it in the split mode, so I can code by hand quickly and see the results below.
- Notepad2 – While I don't use Notepad, I love Notepad2. It is a free program with code lines, syntax coloring, and a few other features. It makes for a great lightweight editor. If I need to do something quick, I find myself using Notepad2.
- Visual Studio 2008 – While some people dislike .NET, I will have to say ASP .NET has it's situations where its quick and fast, especially for larger corporations who already have Windows Servers.
The technologies of today for developing for the web have also increased greatly:
- PHP 5.1 – I'm a avid PHP believer. Its a very scalable and affordable.
- MySQL 5 – I love this database. Its a great open source database that is getting better every version.
- JQuery – The best Javascript Library in my humble opinion.
- CSS – Cascade Style Sheets, the new way to design websites.
- XHTML – The new HTML.
With all the new technologies, web developers have never been empowered as much as now. Many websites are approaching near "rich-application" experience. With the new ideas of "Web 2.0" breading new ways of sharing and presenting data, the imagination is the only limit (well, almost).
The current websites I've been working on have been pushing my personal limits of knowledge and creativity. I always enjoy the challenge and experience.
CEVO – Cyber Evolution – Online Video Game Competitions
I've been working with CEVO since March of 2005. It is a service geared towards video gamers to provide a venue to play their game competitively for prizes, glory, and fame. We've successfully served over 17,000 teams and over 70,000 members these past three years. The technology behind CEVO is pretty complex and demanding due to the fact that 95% of all of our business runs through our website. It is the lifeblood of our organization. We use PHP and MySQL for out website, and have been including more jquery and AJAX techniques across the website.
I've learned a lot about managing a mid to large sized websites. We've had a lot of bottlenecks with inefficient MySQL queries and structures. Its different when programming with millions of rows, not hundreds. We've had to do a lot of optimizations over time and we've done 4 different version of the site in 3 years. I know, a lot.
WhySecurity.org – Security Resource for Regular People
This is a small project I've whipped up real quick with the goal of being a site on PC security. We'll see if it takes off.
DatingDNA – Social Network Dating Website
I've very excited to be working on this project with some great people and a lot of potential. We're working on some cutting edge stuff and positioning to be a very popular website. I cant say much, but it is a very fun project.
Hopefully you've found this all intriguing and enjoy this blast to the past.


text: Hey I am excited about everything. I like to sing and dance. I love costumes and clean jokes. And to write. I'm currently teaching fourth grade at an international school in Hong Kong. I travel quite a bit and watch a lot of youtube compilations of dogs when I'm sad. Let's be friends.


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The edit. Shop versatile pants and trousers, the prettiest dresses, cozy cashmere, and more Club Monaco women's best sellers. Thank us later.


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NB: This post is in response to Use Subqueries to Count Distinct 50X Faster and my comment on Hacker News.
On Periscope's The High-Performance SQL Blog there is an article that shows how to improve the performance of
COUNT(DISTINCT.... It begins by saying that these techniques are universal but goes on to focus on the performance benefits exclusively when they're applied to PgSQL.
By way of comparison, I've tried to emulate their environment and techniques with MSSQL.
It's not clear what hardware Periscope uses for their benchmarks. I suspect it's more powerful than my computer, because their best result is 0.7 seconds with 10 million rows in
time_on_site_logs whereas my best (when forcing SQL Server to generate serial plans like theirs) for 10 million rows is just under two seconds. I'm benchmarking on my computer:
- Windows 8.1 x64
- SQL Server 2012
- Intel Core i3 540
- Intel SSD 520 Series
The Tables
Please forgive any inconsistencies in capitalization – I usually write my
Queries LIKE 'This'but Periscope's blog has SQL
written like 'this'.
Don't forgive any mistakes made translating Periscope's experiment to MSSQL or in my analysis – let me know if I got anything wrong in the comments.
The structure is reverse-engineered from the queries in the blog post.
CREATE TABLE dashboards ( id INT NOT NULL IDENTITY(1, 1) PRIMARY KEY, name NVARCHAR(80) NOT NULL ); CREATE TABLE time_on_site_logs ( id INT NOT NULL IDENTITY(1, 1) PRIMARY KEY, dashboard_id INT NOT NULL, CONSTRAINT FK_Time_On_Site_Logs_Dashboards FOREIGN KEY (dashboard_id) REFERENCES Dashboards(id), user_id INT NOT NULL );
I didn't bother with a
users table and foreign key because as far as I know there's nothing in the following queries that would benefit from it. (SQL Server can apply
JOIN elision when working with trusted foreign keys … but we never
JOIN to
The Data
Not knowing what the data is I made some guesses.
WITH cteNumbers AS ( SELECT 1 AS Number UNION ALL SELECT Number + 1 FROM cteNumbers WHERE Number < 216 ) INSERT INTO dashboards(name) SELECT CAST(cteNumbers.Number AS NVARCHAR(80)) FROM cteNumbers OPTION (MAXRECURSION 0); INSERT INTO time_on_site_logs(dashboard_id, user_id) SELECT dashboards.id, 1 + (RAND(CAST(NEWID() AS VARBINARY)) * 1000) FROM dashboards, dashboards A, dashboards B; SELECT COUNT(*) FROM time_on_site_logs;
It's slightly unrealistic because there are so many rows (10,077,696) that in practice the
RAND... bits cause every user to visit every dashboard at least once, but should do for now.
The Indexes
Periscope say that assume the handy indices on user_id and dashboard_id are in place. The most handy indexes I can think of are as follows.
Note that I'm assuming that
time_on_site_logs doesn't have a natural key in
dashboard_id and
user_id – users might visit dashboards multiple times.
CREATE INDEX IX_Dashboard_Id ON time_on_site_logs (dashboard_id, user_id); CREATE INDEX IX_User_Id ON time_on_site_logs (user_id, dashboard_id);
Both columns are included in the key rather than covered — the ordering helps when calculating
Using covering indexes causes MSSQL to pick a different plan, but the performance is similar. The relative performance between each query is still the same … exactly the same.
I'm throwing in a unique index on
dashboards.name too; if we're going to report on dashboards by name it doesn't make sense to have dashboards with the same name. No online retailer is looking at their sales reports and thinking that John Smith is their best customer and Amorette McFredson is their worst.
CREATE UNIQUE INDEX IX_Name ON dashboards (name);
The Queries
Modified for Transact-SQL and serial execution is enforced.
select dashboards.name, count(distinct time_on_site_logs.user_id) from time_on_site_logs join dashboards on time_on_site_logs.dashboard_id = dashboards.id group by name /* modified: was "order by count desc" */ order by count(distinct time_on_site_logs.user_id) desc /* serial execution */ OPTION (MAXDOP 1); select dashboards.name, log_counts.ct from dashboards join ( select dashboard_id, count(distinct user_id) as ct from time_on_site_logs group by dashboard_id ) as log_counts on log_counts.dashboard_id = dashboards.id order by log_counts.ct desc /* serial execution */ OPTION (MAXDOP 1); select dashboards.name, log_counts.ct from dashboards join ( select distinct_logs.dashboard_id, count(1) as ct from ( select distinct dashboard_id, user_id from time_on_site_logs ) as distinct_logs group by distinct_logs.dashboard_id ) as log_counts on log_counts.dashboard_id = dashboards.id order by log_counts.ct desc /* serial execution */ OPTION (MAXDOP 1);
The Results
Identical execution plans across the board. Approximately two seconds when running serially, one second when running in parallel.
The parallel plans look similar to the above but with some parallel operators thrown in.
I'm quite sure to make of this. MSSQL did exactly what I thought it would do, but it's not clear why PgSQL couldn't generate the best plan from the simplest form the query.
It makes me wonder if MSSQL is so good at this because both MSSQL and the Entity Framework live under the Microsoft umbrella. EF produces queries that are straightforward but more verbose than an individual would write. Every optimization that MSSQL can make will make EF look better.
There's a discussion to be had about the cost of free vs. proprietary tools and developer productivity … but I'm sure you've already drawn that conclusion.
A Word About
I don't know whether the query that was chosen for optimization because it's good for demonstrating the technique on PgSQL or because it represents a query that is actually in use. I don't like
group by name without knowing whether dashboard names are unique.
With that said, if it's not unique then the query is arguably "wrong" because it aggregates results for distinct dashboard names rather than distinct dashboards.
Removing the unique index on
dashboards.name does change the execution plan of the first query – it's slightly worse than the other two (which remain identical). "Fixing" the first query to group by
dashboards.id and
dashboards.name causes the better plan to be generated again.


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I have strayed like a lost sheep.
Seek your servant,
for I have not forgotten your commands.
Psalm 119:176
(Francisco de Zurbaran / Agnus Dei / 1639)
If you know me, you know I have always loved that whole sheep and shepherd thing.
In fact I've often waxed poetic about moving to Ireland, living somewhere near
Dingle, with about 5 sheep.
A plot of emerald green land that looks out over the Atlantic Ocean….
ahhhhh… (thanks Paul)
I suppose this affinity of mine actually goes back to having grown up in a traditional
Episcopalian church…more "high" church—more Anglican than what we know now.
Each Sunday morning, working our way through the morning's daily office, we would recite the
Confession taken from the Book of Common Prayer.
ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.
We have offended against thy holy laws.
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done;
And we have done those things which we ought not to have done;
And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.
Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults.
Restore thou those who are penitent;
According to thy promises declared unto mankind In Christ Jesus our Lord.
And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake;
That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
To the glory of thy holy Name.
1928 Book of Common Prayer
I so often felt like that erring and straying sheep…especially as I aged.
I could err and stray with the best of um.
So I always keenly felt that whole "I am the Shepherd and the sheep know my name"
You know, that verse out of John??
I would yearn to hear that loving and forgiving voice of my Shepherd.
We sheep aren't often the brightest and are easily lead astray.
And yet Jesus took on that role of sacrificial lamb.
Laying down His life for His own sheep…the Agnus Dei.
You know that wonderful piece found in Isaiah???–
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished
Isaiah 53:6-8
So much symbology…so many beautiful and yet tragic images.
Albeit tragic melding into triumph…
But today, I felt perhaps a little 'less than' triumphant.
I simply felt that I was being a good dumb sheep.
I was joining the herd.
Maybe they should use the term 'flock'…
Flock immunity vs herd immunity.
I don't know if you've had your "vaccine".
I don't know if you want to get "the" vaccine.
I thought I didn't want to get my vaccine.
There are so many schools of thoughts—so many bickering camps out there–
each touting a different mantra regarding the vaccine.
"It's a biologic not an anti virulent"
"It will alter your DNA"
"You're doing your part for your fellow man"
"It's made from aborted fetus cells."
"You'll be dead in a year"
"You won't be able to travel if you don't get the shot"
"It's the culling of the human race"
"Do your part"
"It's the mark of the beast"
That last one gets me a bit because this new zip code of ours ends in 666—
of course there are two other numbers in front of that little triple line up…but
none the less, I hate even having to give out our zip code.
And that is in part as to why my husband feels that we've had such a time with this
new old house of ours.
Never buy something you didn't build is his mantra…
But that's another story for another day.
I have a dear friend who I grew up with who is a doctor.
She's been practicing for over 30 years—she is well established and well respected.
She was adamant…DO NOT GET THE VACCINE! DO NOT LET THEM VACCINE SHAME YOU!"
Then I have another friend who is a doctor…one who has also been practicing for over 30 years
and is also well established and respected—plus these two both grew up with me and they went to
med school together.
He was like…"don't forget to get signed up for your shot, my wife and I have already had our two."
A quandary.
Throw in reading various takes on all of this and the confusion between the
do's and the don'ts is exponential..
It is a matter of 'name your game' sort of thinking.
We had COVID back in November and thankfully lived to tell about it.
I figure we have some immunity going on but for how long is anyone's guess.
I confess…. we felt vaccine shame….
and since my husband is 71, I got him signed up through the country's health department.
I took him yesterday.
My new doctor signed me up despite my being 61 as she proclaimed that I am my husband's caregiver.
Oh if she only knew…
Anywhooo, she signed me up in her office this past week.
And so I had to be at the University Cancer and Blood Center yesterday morning at 9AM sharp.
Driving over, I really felt like some dumb sacrificial sheep.
Was it the right thing to do??
Was I signing my own death sentence or was I simply doing my part for all mankind???
Who knows.
But what I do know is that the most caring professional group gave me, along with 799 other
sheep, a first dose yesterday morning.
Plus they gave me a goodie bag…
I'm a sucker for a goodie bag.
Plying me with chocolate is probably a good idea–thus I don't think too much
about this whole ordeal of leading me to the slaughter business…
But like our friend Kathy said over on atimetoshare, "I guess if I'm going to die from it,
it doesn't really matter, because that means I'll go to heaven sooner,
but God is in charge of all that too."
Amen Kathy!!!
God is still in charge!
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,
for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28