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South Africa (02/12/10)
For the most current version of this Note, see Background Notes A-Z.
Area: 1.2 million sq. km. (470,462 sq. mi.).
Cities: Capitals--administrative, Pretoria; legislative, Cape Town; judicial, Bloemfontein. Other cities--Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth.
Terrain: Plateau, savanna, desert, mountains, coastal plains.
Climate: moderate; similar to southern California.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--South African(s).
Annual growth rate (2006 World Bank Group): 1.1%.
Population (2007, 47.9 million): Composition--black 79.7%; white 9.1%; colored 8.8%; Asian (Indian) 2.2%. Official figures from 2007 South African Census at http://www.statssa.gov.za.
Languages: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga (all official languages).
Religions: Predominantly Christian; traditional African, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish.
Education: Years compulsory--7-15 years of age for all children. The South African Schools Act, Act 84 of 1996, passed by Parliament in 1996, aims to achieve greater educational opportunities for black children, mandating a single syllabus and more equitable funding for schools.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2007)--58 per 1,000 live births. Life expectancy--52 yrs. women; 49 yrs. men. Health data from 2007 Census Report: http://www.statssa.gov.za.
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Independence: The Union of South Africa was created on May 31, 1910; became a sovereign state within British Empire in 1934; became a republic on May 31, 1961; left the Commonwealth in October 1968; rejoined the Commonwealth in June 1994.
Constitution: Entered into force February 3, 1997.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state) elected to a 5-year term by the National Assembly. Legislative--bicameral Parliament consisting of 490 members in two chambers. National Assembly (400 members) elected by a system of proportional representation. National Council of Provinces consisting of 90 delegates (10 from each province) and 10 nonvoting delegates representing local government. Judicial--Constitutional Court interprets and decides constitutional issues; Supreme Court of Appeal is the highest court for interpreting and deciding nonconstitutional matters.
Administrative subdivisions: Nine provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North-West, Northern Cape, Limpopo, Western Cape.
Political parties: African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA), Congress of the People (COPE), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Vryheidsfront Plus/Freedom Front Plus (FF+), Pan-African Congress (PAC), African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), United Democratic Movement (UDM), and Azanian Peoples Organization (Azapo).
Suffrage: Citizens and permanent residents 18 and older.
GDP (2008): $277 billion.
Real GDP growth rate (2008): 3.1%.
GDP per capita (2008): $5,684.
Unemployment (fourth quarter 2008): 21.9%.
Natural resources: Almost all essential commodities, except petroleum products and bauxite. It is the only country in the world that manufactures fuel from coal.
Industry: Types--minerals, mining, motor vehicles and parts, machinery, textiles, chemicals, fertilizer, information technology, electronics, other manufacturing, and agro-processing.
Trade (2008): Exports--$79.5 billion; merchandise exports: minerals and metals, motor vehicles and parts, agricultural products. Major markets--Japan, U.S., Germany, China, U.K., Sub-Saharan Africa. Imports--$88.2 billion: machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, textiles, and scientific instruments. Major suppliers--Germany, China, U.S., Saudi Arabia, Japan.
GDP composition (2008): Agriculture and mining (primary sector)--8%; industry (secondary sector)--21%; services (tertiary sector)--71%. World's largest producer of platinum, gold, and chromium; also significant coal production.
Until 1991, South African law divided the population into four major racial categories: Africans (black), whites, coloreds, and Asians. Although this law has been abolished, many South Africans still view themselves and each other according to these categories. Black Africans comprise about 80% of the population and are divided into a number of different ethnic groups. Whites comprise just over 9% of the population. They are primarily descendants of Dutch, French, English, and German settlers who began arriving at the Cape of Good Hope in the late 17th century. Coloreds are mixed-race people primarily descending from the earliest settlers and the indigenous peoples. They comprise about 9% of the total population. Asians are descended from Indian workers brought to South Africa in the mid-19th century to work on the sugar estates in Natal. They constitute about 2.2% of the population and are concentrated in the KwaZulu-Natal Province.
Education is in transition. Under the apartheid system schools were segregated, and the quantity and quality of education varied significantly across racial groups. The laws governing this segregation have been abolished. The long and arduous process of restructuring the country's educational system is ongoing. The challenge is to create a single, nondiscriminatory, nonracial system that offers the same standards of education to all people.
People have inhabited southern Africa for thousands of years. Members of the Khoisan language groups are the oldest surviving inhabitants of the land, but only a few are left in South Africa today--and they are located in the western sections. Most of today's black South Africans belong to the Bantu language group, which migrated south from central Africa, settling in the Transvaal region sometime before AD 100. The Nguni, ancestors of the Zulu and Xhosa, occupied most of the eastern coast by 1500.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach the Cape of Good Hope, arriving in 1488. However, permanent white settlement did not begin until 1652 when the Dutch East India Company established a provisioning station on the Cape. In subsequent decades, French Huguenot refugees, the Dutch, and Germans began to settle in the Cape. Collectively, they form the Afrikaner segment of today's population. The establishment of these settlements had far-reaching social and political effects on the groups already settled in the area, leading to upheaval in these societies and the subjugation of their people.
By 1779, European settlements extended throughout the southern part of the Cape and east toward the Great Fish River. It was here that Dutch authorities and the Xhosa fought the first frontier war. The British gained control of the Cape of Good Hope at the end of the 18th century. Subsequent British settlement and rule marked the beginning of a long conflict between the Afrikaners and the English.
Beginning in 1836, partly to escape British rule and cultural hegemony and partly out of resentment at the recent abolition of slavery, many Afrikaner farmers (Boers) undertook a northern migration that became known as the "Great Trek." This movement brought them into contact and conflict with African groups in the area, the most formidable of which were the Zulus. Under their powerful leader, Shaka (1787-1828), the Zulus conquered most of the territory between the Drakensberg Mountains and the sea (now KwaZulu-Natal).
In 1828, Shaka was assassinated and replaced by his half-brother Dingane. In 1838, Dingane was defeated and deported by the Voortrekkers (people of the Great Trek) at the battle of Blood River. The Zulus, nonetheless, remained a potent force, defeating the British in the historic battle of Isandhlwana before themselves being finally conquered in 1879.
In 1852 and 1854, the independent Boer Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State were created. Relations between the republics and the British Government were strained. The discovery of diamonds at Kimberley in 1870 and the discovery of large gold deposits in the Witwatersrand region of the Transvaal in 1886 caused an influx of European (mainly British) immigration and investment. In addition to resident black Africans, many blacks from neighboring countries also moved into the area to work in the mines. The construction by mine owners of hostels to house and control their workers set patterns that later extended throughout the region.
Boer reactions to this influx and British political intrigues led to the Anglo-Boer Wars of 1880-81 and 1899-1902. British forces prevailed in the latter conflict, and the republics were incorporated into the British Empire. In May 1910, the two republics and the British colonies of the Cape and Natal formed the Union of South Africa, a self-governing dominion of the British Empire. The Union's constitution kept all political power in the hands of whites.
In 1912, the South Africa Native National Congress was founded in Bloemfontein and eventually became known as the African National Congress (ANC). Its goals were the elimination of restrictions based on color and the enfranchisement of and parliamentary representation for blacks. Despite these efforts the government continued to pass laws limiting the rights and freedoms of blacks.
In 1948, the National Party (NP) won the all-white elections and began passing legislation codifying and enforcing an even stricter policy of white domination and racial separation known as "apartheid" (separateness). In the early 1960s, following a protest in Sharpeville in which 69 protesters were killed by police and 180 injured, the ANC and Pan-African Congress (PAC) were banned. Nelson Mandela and many other anti-apartheid leaders were convicted and imprisoned on charges of treason.
The ANC and PAC were forced underground and fought apartheid through guerrilla warfare and sabotage. In May 1961, South Africa abandoned its British dominion status and declared itself a republic. It withdrew from the Commonwealth in part because of international protests against apartheid. In 1984, a new constitution came into effect in which whites allowed coloreds and Asians a limited role in the national government and control over their own affairs in certain areas. Ultimately, however, all power remained in white hands. Blacks remained effectively disenfranchised.
Popular uprisings in black and colored townships in 1976 and 1985 helped to convince some NP members of the need for change. Secret discussions between those members and Nelson Mandela began in 1986. In February 1990, State President F.W. de Klerk, who had come to power in September 1989, announced the unbanning of the ANC, the PAC, and all other anti-apartheid groups. Two weeks later, Nelson Mandela was released from prison.
In 1991, the Group Areas Act, Land Acts, and the Population Registration Act--the last of the so-called "pillars of apartheid"--were abolished. A long series of negotiations ensued, resulting in a new constitution promulgated into law in December 1993. The country's first nonracial elections were held on April 26-28, 1994, resulting in the installation of Nelson Mandela as President on May 10, 1994.
Following the 1994 elections, South Africa was governed under an interim constitution establishing a Government of National Unity (GNU). This constitution required the Constitutional Assembly (CA) to draft and approve a permanent constitution by May 9, 1996. After review by the Constitutional Court and intensive negotiations within the CA, the Constitutional Court certified a revised draft on December 2, 1996. President Mandela signed the new constitution into law on December 10, and it entered into force on February 3, 1997. The GNU ostensibly remained in effect until the 1999 national elections. The parties originally comprising the GNU--the ANC, the NP, and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP)--shared executive power. On June 30, 1996, the NP withdrew from the GNU to become part of the opposition.
During Nelson Mandela's 5-year term as President of South Africa, the government committed itself to reforming the country. The ANC-led government focused on social issues that were neglected during the apartheid era such as unemployment, housing shortages, and crime. Mandela's administration began to reintroduce South Africa into the global economy by implementing a market-driven economic plan known as Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR). In order to heal the wounds created by apartheid, the government created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) under the leadership of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. During the first term of the ANC's post-apartheid rule, President Mandela concentrated on national reconciliation, seeking to forge a single South African identity and sense of purpose among a diverse and splintered populace, after years of conflict. The diminution of political violence after 1994 and its virtual disappearance by 1996 were testament to the abilities of Mandela to achieve this difficult goal.
Nelson Mandela stepped down as President of the ANC at the party's national congress in December 1997, when Thabo Mbeki assumed the mantle of leadership. Mbeki won the presidency of South Africa after national elections in 1999, when the ANC won just shy of a two-thirds majority in Parliament. President Mbeki shifted the focus of government from reconciliation to transformation, particularly on the economic front. With political transformation and the foundation of a strong democratic system in place after two free and fair national elections, the ANC recognized the need to focus on bringing economic power to the black majority in South Africa. In April 2004, the ANC won nearly 70% of the national vote, and Mbeki was reelected for his second 5-year term. In his 2004 State of the Nation address, Mbeki promised his government would reduce poverty, stimulate economic growth, and fight crime. Mbeki said that the government would play a more prominent role in economic development. Despite the fact that he was prevented by term limits from running for a third term as State President, Mbeki ran for a third term as ANC chair in party elections in December 2007. He was defeated by former Deputy President Jacob Zuma, an ANC stalwart with a populist following, a result that signaled widespread dissatisfaction with Mbeki's remote personality and governing style, and his government's failure to adequately address poverty and other development issues. On September 20, 2008, Mbeki was "recalled" by the ANC and replaced by Kgalema Motlanthe as President on September 25. Motlanthe served out the remainder of Mbeki's term and South Africa held its fourth democratic election on April 22, 2009. The ANC won with 65% of the vote followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 16% of the vote. The DA also won power in the Western Cape, which became the only province that the ANC does not govern. The newly formed Congress of the People, launched by ANC members angered at the firing of Mbeki, won 9% of the vote.
South Africa is a multiparty parliamentary democracy in which constitutional power is shared between the president and the Parliament.
The Parliament consists of two houses, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, which are responsible for drafting the laws of the republic. The National Assembly also has specific control over bills relating to monetary matters. The current 400-member National Assembly was retained under the 1997 constitution, although the constitution allows for a range of between 350 and 400 members. The Assembly is elected by a system of "list proportional representation." Each of the parties appearing on the ballot submits a rank-ordered list of candidates. The voters then cast their ballots for a party.
Seats in the Assembly are allocated based on the percentage of votes each party receives. In the 2009 election, the ANC won 264 seats in the Assembly, just shy of a two-thirds majority and a decrease of 33 seats from 2004; the Democratic Alliance (DA) won 67, the newly formed Congress of the People (COPE) won 30, and the IFP won 18. Smaller parties won the remaining 21 seats.
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) consists of 90 members, 10 from each of the nine provinces. The NCOP replaced the former Senate as the second chamber of Parliament and was created to give a greater voice to provincial interests. It must approve legislation that involves shared national and provincial competencies as defined by an annex to the constitution. Each provincial delegation consists of six permanent and four rotating delegates.
The president is the head of state, and is elected by the National Assembly from among its members. Following the April 14, 2004 elections, the Assembly reelected Thabo Mbeki as President. The president's constitutional responsibilities include assigning cabinet portfolios, signing bills into law, and serving as commander in chief of the military. The president works closely with the deputy president and the cabinet. On June 14, 2005, President Mbeki informed the South African Parliament that then-Deputy President Jacob Zuma was being "released" from his duties following the conviction of a close associate on corruption charges relating to monetary payments to Zuma. On June 22, Mbeki named former Minister for Minerals and Energy Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka to the position of Deputy President, the first woman to hold this office.
On December 18, 2007, the African National Congress elected Jacob Zuma to the post of ANC President after a hard-fought campaign between Zuma and Thabo Mbeki, who was seeking an unprecedented third term as party president. Despite Zuma's victory, Mbeki remained the country's President until September 2008, following a shake-up and internecine purge that displaced pro-Mbeki officers and allies in the Parliament, the government, and the party. The composition of the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) membership shifted profoundly, replacing Mbeki's allies with Zuma's supporters. Following a September 2008 court judgment in Zuma's long-running corruption trial, the judge suggested that it was possible that Zuma was a victim of an Mbeki-led political conspiracy and persecution in the form of a criminal prosecution. Within two weeks after the ruling, the pro-Zuma NEC demanded Mbeki step down as President, and ANC Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe was elevated to the presidency as a seven-month caretaker. Zuma took over the presidency, with Motlanthe as his deputy, following the ANC's win in the April 22, 2009 national election. The third arm of the central government is an independent judiciary. The Constitutional Court is the highest court for interpreting and deciding constitutional issues, while the Supreme Court of Appeal is the highest court for nonconstitutional matters. Most cases are heard in the extensive system of High Courts and Magistrates Courts. The constitution's bill of rights provides for due process including the right to a fair, public trial within a reasonable time of being charged and the right to appeal to a higher court. The bill of rights also guarantees fundamental political and social rights of South Africa's citizens.
Challenges Ahead
South Africa's post-apartheid governments have made remarkable progress in consolidating the nation's peaceful transition to democracy. Programs to improve the delivery of essential social services to the majority of the population are underway. Access to better opportunities in education and business is becoming more widespread. Nevertheless, transforming South Africa's society to remove the legacy of apartheid will be a long-term process requiring the sustained commitment of the leaders and people of the nation's disparate groups.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), chaired by 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, helped to advance the reconciliation process. Constituted in 1995 and having completed its work by 2001, the TRC was empowered to investigate apartheid-era human rights abuses committed between 1960 and May 10, 1994; to grant amnesty to those who committed politically motivated crimes; and to recommend compensation to victims of abuses. In November 2003, the government began allocation of $4,600 (R30,000) reparations to individual apartheid victims. The TRC's mandate was part of the larger process of reconciling the often conflicting political, economic, and cultural interests held by the many peoples that make up South Africa's diverse population. The ability of the government and people to agree on many basic questions of how to order the country's society will remain a critical challenge.
One important issue continues to be the relationship of provincial and local administrative structures to the national government. Prior to April 27, 1994, South Africa was divided into four provinces and 10 black "homelands," four of which were considered independent by the South African Government. Both the interim constitution and the 1997 constitution abolished this system and substituted nine provinces. Each province has an elected legislature and chief executive--the provincial premier. Although in form a federal system, in practice the nature of the relationship between the central and provincial governments continues to be the subject of considerable debate, particularly among groups desiring a greater measure of autonomy from the central government. A key step in defining the relationship came in 1997 when provincial governments were given more than half of central government funding and permitted to develop and manage their own budgets. Although South Africa's economy is in many areas highly developed, the exclusionary nature of apartheid and distortions caused in part by the country's international isolation until the 1990s have left major weaknesses. The economy is in a process of transition as the government seeks to address the inequities of apartheid, stimulate growth, and create jobs. Business, meanwhile, is becoming more integrated into the international system, and foreign investment has increased. Still, the economic disparities between population groups are expected to persist for many years, remaining an area of priority attention for the government.
Human Rights
The 1997 constitution's bill of rights provides extensive guarantees, including equality before the law and prohibitions against discrimination; the right to life, privacy, property, and freedom and security of the person; prohibition against slavery and forced labor; and freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and association. The legal rights of criminal suspects also are enumerated, as are citizens' entitlements to a safe environment, housing, education, and health care. The constitution provides for an independent and impartial judiciary, and, in practice, these provisions are respected.
Since the abolition of apartheid, levels of political violence in South Africa have dropped dramatically. Violent crime and organized criminal activity are at high levels and are a grave concern. Partly as a result, vigilante action and mob justice sometimes occur.
Some members of the police commit abuses, and deaths in police custody as a result of excessive force remain a problem. The government has taken action to investigate and punish some of those who commit such abuses. In April 1997, the government established an Independent Complaints Directorate to investigate deaths in police custody and deaths resulting from police action.
Although South Africa's society is undergoing a rapid transformation, some discrimination against women continues, and discrimination against those living with HIV/AIDS remains. Violence against women and children also is a serious problem.
Principal Government Officials
State President--Jacob Zuma
Executive Deputy President--Kgalema Motlanthe
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries--Tina Joemat-Pettersson
Minister of Arts and Culture--Lulu Xingwana
Minister of Basic Education--Angie Motshekga
Minister of Communications--Siphiwe Nyanda
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs--Sicelo Shiceka
Minister of Correctional Services--Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
Minister of Defence and Military Veterans--Lindiwe Sisulu
Minister of Economic Development--Ebrahim Patel
Minister of Energy--Dipuo Peters
Minister of Finance--Pravin Gordhan
Minister of Health--Aaron Motsoaledi
Minister of Higher Education and Training--Blade Nzimande
Minister of Home Affairs--Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
Minister of Human Settlements--Tokyo Sexwale
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation--Maite Nkoana-Mashabane
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development--Jeff Radebe
Minister of Labour--Membathisi Mdladlana
Minister of Mining--Susan Shabangu
Minister of Police--Nathi Mthethwa
Minister of Public Enterprises--Barbara Hogan
Minister for the Public Service and Administration--Richard Baloyi
Minister of Public Works--Geoff Doidge
Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform--Gugile Nkwinti
Minister of Science and Technology--Naledi Pandor
Minister of Social Development--Edna Molewa
Minister of Sport and Recreation--Makhenkesi Stofile
Minister of State Security--Siyabonga Cwele
Minister in The Presidency for National Planning Commission--Trevor Manuel
Minister in The Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation--Collins Chabane
Minister of Tourism--Marthinus van Schalkwyk
Minister of Trade and Industry--Rob Davies
Minister of Transport--Sbusiso Joel Ndebele
Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs--Buyelwa Sonjica
Minister of Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities--Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya
The Republic of South Africa maintains an embassy in the United States at 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; tel. (202) 232-4400.
South Africa has a two-tiered economy; one rivaling other developed countries and the other with only the most basic infrastructure. It therefore is a productive and industrialized economy that exhibits many characteristics associated with developing countries, including a division of labor between formal and informal sectors, and uneven distribution of wealth and income. The formal sector, based on mining, manufacturing, services, and agriculture, is well developed.
The transition to a democratic, nonracial government, begun in early 1990, stimulated a debate on the direction of economic policies to achieve sustained economic growth while at the same time redressing the socioeconomic disparities created by apartheid. The Government of National Unity's initial blueprint to address this problem was the Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP). The RDP was designed to create programs to improve the standard of living for the majority of the population by providing housing--a planned 1 million new homes in 5 years--basic services, education, and health care. While a specific "ministry" for the RDP no longer exists, a number of government ministries and offices are charged with supporting RDP programs and goals.
The Government of South Africa demonstrated its commitment to open markets, privatization, and a favorable investment climate with its release of the crucial Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy--the neoliberal economic strategy to cover 1996-2000. The strategy had mixed success. It brought greater financial discipline and macroeconomic stability but failed to deliver in key areas. Formal employment continued to decline, and despite the ongoing efforts of black empowerment and signs of a fledgling black middle class and social mobility, the country's wealth remains very unequally distributed along racial lines. However, South Africa's budgetary reforms such as the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and the Public Finance Management Act--which aims at better reporting, auditing, and increased accountability--and the structural changes to its monetary policy framework, including inflation targeting, have created transparency and predictability and are widely acclaimed. Trade liberalization also has progressed substantially since the early 1990s. South Africa reduced its import-weighted average tariff rate from more than 20% in 1994 to 7% in 2002. These efforts, together with South Africa's implementation of its World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations and its constructive role in launching the Doha Development Round, show South Africa's acceptance of free market principles.
Financial Policy
South Africa has a sophisticated financial structure with a large and active stock exchange that ranks 17th in the world in terms of total market capitalization. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) performs all central banking functions. The SARB is independent and operates in much the same way as Western central banks, influencing interest rates and controlling liquidity through its interest rates on funds provided to private sector banks. Quantitative credit controls and administrative control of deposit and lending rates have largely disappeared. South African banks adhere to the Bank of International Standards core standards.
The South African Government has taken steps to gradually reduce remaining foreign exchange controls, which apply only to South African residents. Private citizens are now allowed a one-time investment of up to 2,000,000 rand (R) in offshore accounts. During 2007, the shareholding threshold (the percentage of shareholding that must be South African) for foreign direct investment outside Africa was lowered from 50% to 25% to enable South African companies to engage in strategic international partnerships. In addition, South African companies involved in international trade were permitted to operate a single Customer Foreign Currency (CFC) account for all international transactions. Permission was also granted to the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) to establish a rand currency futures market, in order to deepen South Africa's financial markets and increase liquidity in the local foreign exchange market.
Trade and Investment
South Africa has rich mineral resources. It is the world's largest producer and exporter of gold and platinum and also exports a significant amount of coal. During 2000, platinum overtook gold as South Africa's largest foreign exchange earner. The value-added processing of minerals to produce ferroalloys, stainless steels, and similar products is a major industry and an important growth area. The country's diverse manufacturing industry is a world leader in several specialized sectors, including motor vehicles and parts, railway rolling stock, synthetic fuels, and mining equipment and machinery.
Primary agriculture accounts for about 3% of the gross domestic product. Major crops include citrus and deciduous fruits, corn, wheat, dairy products, sugarcane, tobacco, wine, and wool. South Africa has many developed irrigation schemes and is a net exporter of food.
South Africa's transportation infrastructure is well-developed, supporting both domestic and regional needs. Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport serves as a hub for flights to other southern African countries. Billions have been spent to upgrade international airports and national roads and for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. A brand-new international airport and trade port is being developed in Durban. Bus-rapid-transit (BRT) systems for the World Cup host cities have been developed, but face strong opposition from existing minibus/taxi operators who fear that the new systems would adversely affect their operations.
The domestic telecommunications infrastructure provides modern and efficient service to urban areas, but at comparatively high costs and with limited coverage in rural areas. South Africa has made some strides towards liberalizing its telecommunication market; however, many obstacles exist for further progress. The passing of the Electronic Communications Act (ECA) of 2005 marked a new regulatory framework for liberalizing the telecommunication market in South Africa. Established entities such as Telkom and Multi-choice secured market-share under prior monopoly regimes, which make it difficult for new entrants to offer competitive telecommunications services (e.g. pay-TV and internet). The U.S.-led SEACOM project is the first of a series of under-sea cable projects to become operational. SEACOM will provide the first access to true broadband connectivity for countries on Africa's Eastern seaboard which are presently 100% reliant on Telkom's expensive satellite-based technology. SEACOM's landing stations will operate on a market-based, "open-access" system.
Annual GDP growth between 2004 and 2007 averaged 5.0%, but fell to a rate of 3.1% in 2008 because of higher interest rates, power shortages, and weakening commodities prices. GDP contracted by 6.4% and 3%, seasonally adjusted and annualized, in the first and second quarter of 2009, respectively. South Africa is now in its first recession in 18 years, and analysts forecast negative real growth of about 2% in 2009. The government estimates that the economy must achieve growth at a minimum of 6% to offset unemployment, which was estimated at 23.6% in June 2009. Inflation averaged 11.3% in 2008. Increasing food and fuel prices pushed inflation above the upper end of the South African Reserve Bank's (SARB's) 3% to 6% inflation target range for the better part of 2007 and 2008. Inflation started to decline in 2009 and accounted for 6.4% in August 2009. The SARB's most recent central inflation forecast projects that inflation will continue its downward trajectory and return to the 3% to 6% target range in the second quarter of 2010. Inflation is expected to average 5.8% and 5.6% in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The SARB has been reducing interest rates at regular intervals since December 2008, and most recently at its August 2009 meeting. The cumulative reduction over the past nine months has been 500 basis points, bringing the prime overdraft rate to 10.5%. The government managed to eliminate the fiscal deficit in FY 2007 and FY2008. However, a fiscal deficit of 1.2% of GDP was recorded in FY2009, mainly due to the impact of weak domestic demand and the global economic crisis on tax revenues. The fiscal deficit is expected to increase to between 6% and 8% of GDP in FY2010.
Exports amounted to 35.4% of GDP in 2008. South Africa's major trading partners include Germany, China, the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Japan displaced the U.S. as South Africa's largest export market in 2008. South Africa's trade with other Sub-Saharan African countries, particularly those in the southern Africa region, has increased substantially. South Africa is a member of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). In August 1996, South Africa signed a regional trade protocol agreement with its SADC partners. The agreement was ratified in December 1999, and implementation began in September 2000. It provided duty-free treatment for 85% of trade in 2008 and aims for 100% by 2012. A U.S.-SACU Trade, Investment and Development Cooperative Agreement was signed in July 2008. The four areas singled out for special attention under the TIDCA are customs cooperation, technical barriers to trade, sanitary/phytosanitary (SPS) issues, and trade and investment promotion.
South Africa has made great progress in dismantling its old economic system, which was based on import substitution, high tariffs and subsidies, anticompetitive behavior, and extensive government intervention in the economy. The leadership has moved to reduce the government's role in the economy and to promote private sector investment and competition. It has significantly reduced tariffs and export subsidies, loosened exchange controls, cut the secondary tax on corporate dividends, and improved enforcement of intellectual property laws. A competition law was passed and became effective on September 1, 1999. A U.S.-South Africa bilateral tax treaty went into effect on January 1, 1998, and a bilateral trade and investment framework agreement was signed in February 1999.
South Africa is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). U.S. products qualify for South Africa's most-favored-nation tariff rates. South Africa is also an eligible country for the benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and most of its products can enter the United States market duty free. South Africa has done away with most import permits except on used products and products regulated by international treaties. It also remains committed to the simplification and continued reduction of tariffs within the WTO framework and maintains active discussions with that body and its major trading partners.
As a result of a November 1993 bilateral agreement, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) can assist U.S. investors in the South African market with services such as political risk insurance and loans and loan guarantees. In July 1996, the United States and South Africa signed an investment fund protocol for a $120 million OPIC fund to make equity investments in South Africa and southern Africa. The Trade and Development Agency also has been actively involved in funding feasibility studies and identifying investment opportunities in South Africa for U.S. businesses.
South Africa is one of the countries most affected by HIV, with 5.7 million HIV-infected individuals. 18.1 % of the 15-49 year old population is infected, and in parts of the country more than 35% of women of childbearing age are infected. Overall, 11.8% of the population is infected. About 1,000 new infections occur each day, and approximately 350,000 AIDS-related deaths occur annually. There are approximately 3.8 million children who have lost one or both parents, and 1.6 million children were expected to have been orphaned by AIDS by 2008. The marked rise in TB and HIV co-infection (with 50% co-infection rates) adds significantly to mortality in this country. South Africa has 0.7% of the world's population, 17% of the global HIV epidemic, and 28% of global HIV and TB co-infected people. The epidemic could cost South Africa as much as 17% in GDP growth by 2010. The extraction industries, education, and health are among the sectors that will be severely affected. A 2007-2011 national strategic plan provides the structure for a comprehensive response to HIV and AIDS, including a national rollout of antiretroviral therapy. Overall, 30% of those who need it are currently on antiretroviral therapy.
South Africa's government is committed to managing the country's rich and varied natural resources in a responsible and sustainable manner. In addition, numerous South African non-governmental organizations have emerged as a potent force in the public policy debate on the environment. In international environmental organizations, South Africa is seen as a key leader among developing countries on issues such as climate change, conservation, and biodiversity. This leading role was underscored by South Africa's selection to host the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002.
South African forces fought on the Allied side in World Wars I and II and participated in the postwar UN force in Korea. South Africa was a founding member of the League of Nations and in 1927 established a Department of External Affairs with diplomatic missions in the main west European countries and in the United States. At the founding of the League of Nations, South Africa was given the mandate to govern Southwest Africa, now Namibia, which had been a German colony before World War I. In 1990, Namibia attained independence, with the exception of the enclave of Walvis Bay, which was reintegrated into Namibia in March 1994. After South Africa held its first nonracial election in April 1994, most sanctions imposed by the international community in opposition to the system of apartheid were lifted. On June 1, 1994, South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth, and on June 23, 1994, the UN General Assembly accepted its credentials. South Africa served as the African Union's (AU) first president from July 2003 to July 2004.
Having emerged from the international isolation of the apartheid era, South Africa has become a leading international actor. Its principal foreign policy objective is to promote the economic, political, and cultural regeneration of Africa, through the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD); to promote the peaceful resolution of conflict in Africa; and to use multilateral bodies to insure that developing countries' voices are heard on international issues. South Africa has played a key role in seeking an end to various conflicts and political crises on the African continent, including in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Comoros. South Africa has pursued "quiet diplomacy" in its approach to the crisis in Zimbabwe. Zuma so far has not dramatically departed from the foreign policy agenda under the Mbeki administration. The new leader wants to focus increasingly on regional cooperation, and renamed the Foreign Ministry to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to reflect this goal.
The United States has maintained an official presence in South Africa since 1799, when an American consulate was opened in Cape Town. The U.S. Embassy is located in Pretoria, and Consulates General are in Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town. Americans and South Africans also have many nongovernmental ties; for example, black and white American missionaries have a long history of activity in South Africa. South Africans (particularly the ANC leadership) also acknowledge support from and ties to the anti-apartheid movement in the U.S.
From the 1970s through the early 1990s, U.S.-South Africa relations were severely affected by South Africa's racial policies. However, since the abolition of apartheid and democratic elections of April 1994, the United States has enjoyed a solid bilateral relationship with South Africa. Although there are differences of position between the two governments, mainly on political issues, these largely do not impede cooperation on a broad range of important subjects. Bilateral cooperation in counterterrorism, fighting HIV/AIDS, and military relations has been particularly positive. U.S.-South African economic and trade relations are strong. Through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States also provides assistance to South Africa to help it meet its development goals. Peace Corps volunteers began working in South Africa in 1997.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--Donald Gips
Deputy Chief of Mission--Helen La Lime
Commercial Counselor--Craig Allen
Economic Counselor--Terri Robl
Political Counselor--Walter N. S. Pflaumer
Management Counselor--John Lavelle
Public Affairs Counselor--Mary Deane Conners
Defense and Army Attache--Colonel Kelly Langdorf
USAID Director--Jeff Borns
Agricultural Attache--Scott Sindelar
Health Attache--Mary Fanning
Country Consular Coordinator--Doron Bard
Consul General Cape Town--Alberta Mayberry
Consul General Durban--Jill Derderian
Consul General Johannesburg--Andrew Passen
The U.S. Embassy in South Africa is located at 877 Pretorius St, Pretoria; PO Box 9536, Pretoria 0001; tel: (27-12) 431-4000; fax: (27-12) 342-2299.


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text:
I wrote this college essay, "Ruins of Megiddo, Ruins of Mortal Power," in March 1990 at the age of thirty-five. It was based on my 1985 and 1988 travels to Israel, specifically to tel Megiddo. I've updated it a bit to reflect present-day relevance.
Now an archaeological site, it's name in Hebrew is har Magedon, which translates to "mountain of Megiddo." Har Magedon is known most universally as Armageddon.
A tel is a mound of earth that has formed over the ruins of an ancient city, or over the ruins of many cities, each on top of the other. The cities within tel Megiddo were destroyed and rebuilt twenty times before being covered for ages by the wind and earth. Nearby this tel, in the Valley of Jezreel, the Israeli Air Force sends fighter planes into the skies over the ancient ruins. It has been feared since the time of the biblical prophets that har Magedon (Armageddon) will be the site of our world's final destruction.
Ruins of Megiddo, Ruins of Mortal Power
Stephen Bort/1990,2012
The fields of the valley of Jezreel, among the northern hills of Galilee, the southern hills of Samaria, the eastern Jordan Valley and the western Mediterranean Sea have the appearance of a chessboard. Squared fields of early emerald-green wheat alternate with squares of reddish-brown, iron-rich soil. Too much blood has darkened the brilliance of these colors. Throughout 3458 years of recorded history, beginning with the siege of 1468 B.C. by Egypt's Pharoah Thutmose III, mortal powers have clashed on this fertile battlefield that lies strategically at the crossroads of the three continents of Africa, Asia and Europe. This battlefield is known universally as Armageddon (har Magedon in Hebrew, meaning "mountain of Megiddo").
This tel bears more of a resemblance to a grass-covered mound of earth than to a mountain. The walled city of Megiddo, first settled about 3500 B.C., destroyed and rebuilt twenty times and finally abandoned in 332 B.C., lies in ruin within the mound. Tel Megiddo is like a scab over a chronic wound in the earth's surface persistently forming from the blowing dust, the creeping grass and time. Archaeologists opened the wound in 1905, again in 1925, three times in the 1960's and then again in 1971. They probed and analyzed the exposed contents, recorded and published their findings and expanded scientific and historical knowledge toward a fuller understanding of the people who once inhabited the varied levels of life and commerce. For those who have ever walked among the ruins, there are other dimensions that rise like spirits to one's mind. Manifest in the ruins of Megiddo are three characteristics of the mortal power that has passed and continues to pass through human hands. Power is ephemeral, like a daylily whose colorful flowers bloom with dawn and fade at sunset. It survives only until a greater power blooms and conquers. Power is segretative, dividing people into classes. Power is prodigal, exploiting the class-imposed people. It's destructive and wasteful of human life.
Whatever magnitude of strength a ruling power attained within Megiddo, a stronger power always developed, challenged the rule and seized control. The twenty sandwiched layers of ruins, containing limestone blocks cut from nearby quarries, gold jewelry, carved ivory figurines and fragments of oven-fired clay pottery attest to the appearance of twenty adversaries, each of greater strength than the previous. The space between the twentieth and the first layers has a height of only fifty feet. Pottery fragments found in the space and carbon-dated have revealed that the settlement of Megiddo began with Chalcolithic caves of 4000 – 3000 B.C. and ended with the Persian abandonment of the site in 332 B.C. Since then, control of power over Megiddo and the valley of Jezreel has successively passed from the Persians to the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the Crusaders, the Turks, the British and currently the Israelis.
Systems of power within Megiddo divided the people by class and privilege. An earthen path ascends from the lower fields to the gate complex continuing upwards to the palace area, the highest level of the mound. The mixture of pottery fragments with common field stones throughout the lower fields indicates that most of the ancient people of Megiddo had lived outside of the walls. The field stones along with goat skins had formed their shelters. Artifacts of monetary value were only found higher up the path and beyond the gate. Collections of gold jewelry and carved ivories were discovered within the walls and near the gate. A woman's purse dating to the time of the ruins was found in a hollow portion of the outer wall. Composed of leather, the purse contained a mirror, a comb, a mascara brush, two colors of mascara and charm amulets. At the highest level of the inner-city are massive limestone blocks outlining the 92-foot-by-69-foot foundation of the palace area and governor's residence. Skirting the outline are the remains of the grain silo and water system, both within walking distance of the palace. During days of intense heat, the cool Mediterranean breezes pleasure best at this height.
Struggle for daily existence and fear of invasion were the fruits of power within Megiddo. From the vantage point of the palace area, looking down, the uphill climb from the lower fields to the grain silo and water system is observable. The ruins of the granary consist of a 36-foot-diameter circular wall of stones descending into the mound about twenty-three feet along with two stone staircases following the circular form. One descends to the bottom (for depositing the grain) and the other ascends to the top (for returning to the fields). The ruins of the water system include a 230-foot underground tunnel extending into the city from a natural spring and a 98-foot descending shaft joining the tunnel near the inside of the west wall. A staircase leads halfway down the shaft. From here, the workers who were in need of water had to lower their urns by rope and then pull the full urns up. During sieges, the granary and water system were not accessible to the people who lived outside of the walls and the secure gates. Sieges have been known to last for as long as three years. The pottery fragments that are scattered throughout the fields are all that remain of the people who lived outside of the walls. They were always the first to die, left without grain or water and exposed to massacre, rape and slavery by the invading army. Eventually, the blood of the elite inside of the walls was also spent in the soil of the valley of Jezreel as the new power mercilessly secured its control.
In the thousands of years that have passed, only technology seems to have changed in the pursuit of mortal power. Today, in the skies overhead, U.S. designed jet fighters from the Israeli Air Force soar directly over Megiddo, banking to the right above the ruins and gliding downward to the Air Force Base in the valley. The deafening roar of the low-flying jets drowns out all other sounds. Heat-seeking missiles are clearly visible under-wing, like poised arrows. The ruins tremble during the arrogant, earth-shaking fly-by's. The transience of the jet fighters piercing into and out of one's range of senses mirrors the nature of the power that has passed among the many rulers of Megiddo. The lucrative science of U.S., Soviet and Chinese weaponry renews mortal power while madmen like Assad and Ahmedinejad goad us ever closer to Armageddon.
Ben-David, Shemaya. Megiddo: Armageddon. 1979.
Brubacher, Gordon. "Seven Generalizations About a Tel," "The Daughters of Megiddo" and "Guided Tour of the Ruins of Megiddo." Lectures tape-recorded by myself at Megiddo, Israel: March 23, 1988.
O' Conner, Jerome Murphy. The Holy Land: An Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700. Oxford: Oxford U.P., 1986.
For an outstanding historical fiction of how civilizations rise and fall within a single site, eventually falling and becoming a tel, I highly recommend: Michener, James. The Source. New York: Random House, 1965.
My Travels: 1. Thoreau's "Walking" (1862)


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I spy some green outside my door! The past week has brought warmer temperatures (finally!) and the first buds of spring popped up seemingly overnight. Hooray! Spring has finally sprung!
The first taste of warmer weather makes me excited for what's to come. I can't wait to rock my dresses again. I live for days I can throw open the doors and windows and let the breeze blow in. I long for evenings spent on the patio, book in hand, surrounded by green leaves and the beginning bursts of colorful flowers. (Until they inevitably succumb to the negligence of my black thumb...) I yearn for dinners on the grill and big bowls full of ripe, juicy, sweet berries. Oh, sweet delicious summer fruit, how I've missed you in the cold winter months.
Strawberries are by far one of my favorite fruits. I generally eat them sliced up and sprinkled with an ungodly amount of sugar. Lately, however, I've been enjoying them with just a drizzle of honey to enhance their natural sweetness. A bit healthier and a lot cleaner than my usual snack, and every bit as delicious.
And it makes the perfect base for a simple, rustic, no fuss dessert.
Think of a galette as pie for people who are scared of pie crust. No messing with pie plates or double crusts or crimping. Just roll the crust out flat and relatively round, throw some fruit in the middle and fold it up. No need for perfection here. It's as easy as… pie. Or rather, pie's calm, laid back brother.
The honey bumps up the strawberries' natural sweetness, while balsamic vinegar adds a subtle layer of extra flavor. Wrapped in a flaky crust and drizzled with a little extra honey, it's a heavenly way to welcome in spring.
Strawberry Galette
Adapted from Honey & Jam
Makes one 10-inch pie
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons shortening, cut into small cubes
4 teaspoons ice water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling
1 egg, beaten
16 ounces fresh strawberries, sliced
3 tablespoons honey, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, and salt until combined. Using a pastry cutter, add shortening and chilled butter and cut into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir together ice water and vinegar. Making a well in the center of the flour mixture, add liquid, stirring until dough comes together and holds together when squeezed. If mixture is too dry, add additional water, a half teaspoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
2. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least an hour.
3. While crust is chilling, make filling: In a medium bowl, toss sliced strawberries with honey and balsamic vinegar to coat. Let stand for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Right before assembling the galette, drain the liquid from the strawberries.
4. Assemble: Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough to 1/8-inches thick, about 14 inches around. Gently transfer crust to the center of the prepared baking sheet. Mound strawberries in the center of the dough, spreading about 2 inches from the edge. Fold edges of dough over strawberries, overlapping where necessary. Brush the top of the dough with egg and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
5. Bake until dough is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Drizzle with extra honey before slicing.
Strawberry Galette
3 comments:
- MadSCAR said...
I love this strawberry galette! Thanks :)
- April 12, 2013 at 5:06 AM
- Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen said...
Your strawberry galette looks absolutely gorgeous! I would love a slice of this!
- April 12, 2013 at 7:59 AM
Like you descriptive style - this looks delightful and quite easy.
- April 20, 2013 at 6:01 PM


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The Wikipad, an Android tablet with a console-controller-style dock, missed its release last winter. But now the device has been reborn as a less-expensive 7-inch version. The tablet will feature the same specs and controls in a smaller package, though the company states a larger version is still planned for the future.
The Wikipad runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and, again, maintains those original specs: 16GB of memory with a microSD slot for up to 32GB extra storage, a Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, 1GB of memory, a front-facing 2-megapixel camera, and a 1280x800 16:10 IPS display. The device has a 4100mAh battery, a micro-HDMI port, and GPS. Two analog sticks, a D-pad, and four buttons adorn the front of the controller dock.
The first 10-inch Wikipad was announced last September for a ship date of October 31 at $499 in GameStop stores, but ultimately the product never appeared. The new 7-inch Wikipad is priced at $249—not a bad deal considering the same-size Nexus 7 is $199—and is set for a spring launch. Wikipad Inc. maintains a 10-inch version is still on the docket and, according to Joystiq, the company hopes to launch the larger tablet later this year. Those specs (including price) have yet to be determined.


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Life has this weird ability to speed up slow down simultaneously. I finished summer school on Friday after taking my Genetics final, but I don't really have a break before school starts (in just a week and a half!) because sorority pre-recruitment has begun. It still creeps me out that I joined a sorority, but as false and cliche as it sounds – it really is different here. Essentially all of the girls are intelligent, hilarious, down to earth, and each bring something unique to the table. I mean, just look at these quality texts!:
get yer geek on at a frat party – why not?
There isn't much drama (at least not that I'm aware of – which I guess isn't saying much) and there aren't any condescending rules or mandatory obligations. I see it as a nice little social safety net. After my experience at UCSB, I definitely can use a little backup support… I missed the first week of pre-recruitment due to summer school and my internship, so today was my first full day. Full day meaning 10am to 5pm. The goings-on are all under wraps, but I can tell you that the days most hilarious task was bleaching rocks. Apparently the rocks that line our gardens have to be a pristine and sparkly white to wow the potential new members – bahaha! Fine with me though, seeing as the alternative was crafting, which I am bizarrely incapable of.
Also – I started a new paying job a few weeks ago! I am the sample girl at Nugget and Food 4 Less, two local grocery chains owned by the same company. So far I have sampled organic, ready-made salads by Earthbound farms and a probiotic drink called Yakult! All nerded out:
would you like to try a blueberry quinoa salad with organic greens?
In regards to the title of this post, last week was my friend Thibault's birthday. He was throwing a potluck style BBQ and I had no idea what to bring. I had never baked a cake before, so it seemed meant to be that I bake a birthday cake to bring. I had been itching to use my stash of coconut flour and I have been on a peanut butter kick lately and thus..
[Gluten free] Coconut layer cake with coconut vanilla cream cheese frosting
was born! The secret ingredient is 2 tablespoons of peanut butter in the icing. It adds such a light flavor of peanut that some people couldn't discern its presence. A peanut butter scented coconut cream cheese frosting, if you will. It was a hit. People had no idea that it was gluten free and really seemed to enjoy it. Many people asked for seconds, and some even got thirds! Which is probably the most flattering thing to me – ever. The recipe is also very easy to make dairy free. I used this recipe to figure out the ratio of egg to coconut flour needed for a successful flourless cake. Also worth noting is that
this cake has 80 grams of fiber in it. and we all know I like fiber.
Recipe: Makes 1 double layer cake
Wet ingredients –
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar (I used a mixture of white sugar, homemade vanilla bean sugar, and coconut sugar – but it doesn't really matter)
10 eggs (at room temperature; DO NOT USE LESS EGGS)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1/3 cup milk (you can use more coconut milk, I just didn't want to open another can)
2 droppers full of NuNaturals liquid stevia
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
Dry ingredients –
2 cups coconut flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut + plus 1 cup more for layering over the icing
Directions – Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-9 1/2 inch cake layer pans with coconut oil. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and mix vigorously (or use an electric mixer, which I don't have). Add in the eggs one at a time and continuously mix. After all the eggs have been added, add the vanilla extract, stevia, and coconut oil and mix for another minute or two, until well combined. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients together and add alternately with the coconut milk to the sugar/butter mixture. Beat batter for about 5 minutes, until smooth. Divide batter into the two pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the tops are light brown and they pass the toothpick test. Place pans on wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before removing the cake. Let them cool completely before frosting the first layer. Add a layer of sweetened shredded coconut over the top of the icing and then lay down the next layer of cake. Ice the entire cake. Sprinkle and press coconut shreds all over the cake, into the icing.
For the icing:
16 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar (I used a mix of homemade vanilla bean sugar and white sugar – you could also use a bit less sugar and add in some stevia)
1/4 cup butter
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions – Combine everything except the sugar in a bowl and whip until creamy. Gradually add in the sugar, mixing it well. Ice the cooled cake
The pictures do not do it justice! I was in a rush to get to the BBQ and obviously I had to wait until the cake was cut to take a picture of the inside. The lighting was shameful.
so good he ate the secretly-stashed slice for breakfast and lunch the next day!
the innards, filled with coconut shreds and cream cheese frosting
Coconut * coconut gets a bad rap because of its saturated fat content, but its fatty acids are mainly medium-chain triglycerides, not long-chain. The long-chain triglycerides are bad for our cholesterol levels, but coconut has been shown to improve cholesterol levels. Animal studies suggest that medium-chain triglycerides can increase metabolism.
Coconut flour * 1 cup contains 40 grams of fiber and 16 grams of protein. It is one of the lowest carb flours you can use!
Eggs * the yolk is where all the nutrients are! It contains tryptophan, selenium, iodine, B vitamins, and phosphorous, many of which are necessary for optimal metabolism. The egg white has 6 grams of complete protein!
I'm out!


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DuWop Iced Teas - Strawberry Kiwi These Iced Teas from DuWop are sweet tasting lip treatments that are perfect popsicals of gorgeous fruity flavor! The crystal clear lip treatment with a sheer wash of colour conditions and protects your pout whilst making it look truly kissable! IcedTeas hydrate with jojoba oil, aloe and green tea extract and also contain sunscreen to protect lips. Ingredients: IcedTeas are paraben-free, sulfate-free, Petro-chemical-free, Pthalate-free, and is free of synthetic fragrance, synthetic dye, GMO's, PPG's, MEA/DEA/TEA's, Formaldehyde Donors and Triclosan. DuWop never tests products on animals.
Bargain Deal: £15.00
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text:
Which Princess-Worthy Wedding Gown Is Best for DeAnna Pappas?
Talk about a fairytale ending! DeAnna Pappas, who was rejected by current
Brad Womack in season 4, then loved and lost on The Bachelorette, has found happiness in fiancé Stephen Stagliano—and her very own fit-for-a-princess wedding gown. On Saturday, at The Bachelor Red Cross blood drive in Beverly Hills, Pappas talked to PEOPLE about her Disney-inspired Alfred Angelo dress. The Disney Fairy Tale Weddings collection, which ranges from $599-$1,199 and is available in stores now, is inspired by seven iconic Disney Princess characters: Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Snow White and Tiana. "I did cry when I put it on," she admitted. And though she "can't tell you which one I am," her fiancé has a guess, speculating, "I bet you're Belle." To check out all of the royal designs, visit alfredangelo.com. While we think she will look like modern day royalty in any of the designs, we don't know which is our favorite — so we leave it in your hands! Tell us: Which princess look is best for DeAnna: Belle, Snow White or Tiana? –Justine Harman; reporting by Jessica Wedemeyer


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Media planners have long promoted the importance of frequency.
It even features in media vendors' marketing:
The frequency rationale stems from numerous studies that have shown how repetition helps us remember things.
But does remembering an advert automatically mean that it has been effective?
Consider the frequency with which the intended audience sees this message:
It's doubtful whether frequency alone will make this message any more resonant.
So how can we use frequency more effectively?
The answer lies in how we manage people's expectations.
Repeated exposure to the same thing results in familiarity.
This familiarity can be good or bad, depending on the context.
On the one hand, familiarity makes branding possible: by making a product or service recognisable, people can become familiar with it and remember it.
This familiarity results in certain expectations, and allows us to shortcut certain cognitive processes.
Such shortcutting is very helpful when it comes to making the same decision again and again, but it can also cause problems.
Because when we think we know the answer to something, we tend to spend less time thinking about it.
This has significant implications for advertising.
The law of diminishing returns contends that each additional interaction with a piece of advertising delivers less impact than the previous one.
In other words, if we've seen an advert before, we will pay less attention to it on the next encounter.
However, this is only true if we experience what we expect.
If a repeat experience is broadly the same as its predecessor, but also contains an element of variation, it can potentially deliver even greater impact.
This concept might benefit from a musical analogy.
The leitmotiv is common in all types of music, but one of the best examples is Pachelbel's "Canon":
"Canon"'s appeal lies in the way it evolves over time: a melodic riff repeats throughout the piece, but each repetition of the riff is slightly different.
This variation-on-a-theme approach works equally well in communications, and is central to some of the world's most famous advertising:
One of the reasons why these campaigns are so effective is that much of the audience's interpretation of the message is shortcut: because they've seen similar communications before, they already understand what each new creative is trying to tell them.
However, the variation on the creative theme gently challenges their expectations, allowing the brand to refresh its relationship with them.
So, when you're planning frequency, don't just think in terms of repetition: constantly repeating the same thing is much less effective than delivering numerous variations on a similar theme.
The Thais express the optimum approach beautifully:
"Same same, but different."
SMRT advert from the print copy of this | Smoking Kills image from here | Absolut adverts from here, here, here, and here | Economist adverts from here and here.


text:
Hi Expert
I enabled D-Link (DSL-502T) router web management (I am aware of security implication).
I was able remotely to login to the router (by typing http://23.45.xx.6y) before changing the default number 80.
Then I changed the port number from the default value 80 to 21908 ( https option is not available) for better security, and when i tried to login to the router by typing this :
Yes I am aware that if I am physically near to the router then I can check that , but this is not the case with me.
How can i make sure that i had changed port number form 80 to 21908 ?
Does NMAP do a trick to reveal which port is used for web management ? or are there other better options ?


text:
Sea Level Rise
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Our sea level rise program brings local relevancy to global scientific data through local history, maps, and case studies. Join us for a 90 minute interactive experience to explore the impacts of sea level rise and weather events on community resources, and examine potential resiliency measures. Please note: the content of this program will remain the same for each of these events.
The space for this program is limited. If you would like to reserve a spot, please fill out the form below.
Questions? Please contact, Gayle Bowness, Science Education Program Manager at [email protected] or (207) 228-2647


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Enter promo code 60DAYSFREE at checkout.*
$20 offer valid on first order of $75 or more (before taxes and after all other coupons and savings are applied). We'll waive your Delivery and Pick-up fee on first order and then on all subsequent orders of $60 or or more if placed within 60 days of first order. Valid for first-time residential customers only. Offer excludes alcoholic beverages, gift cards, postage stamps and any other purchases prohibited by law. Offer is not transferable. Limit one per household. Enter code at first order checkout . Not valid with any other offer. Expires 12/31/20.


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Jump to navigation
The Hagley Digital Archives provides online access to selected items from the Hagley Library's collection of images, documents, and publications related to the history of business, technology, and society.
J. & P. Coats six cord thread
Advertising card for J. & P. Coats six cord thread. Illustration shows children on a see-saw using a spool of thread as a base. Back lists colors of thread available.
Fingerman, Arlene
Fingerman, Gerald
Sewing--Equipment and suppliesSewingThread
Fingerman, ArleneFingerman, Gerald
advertising cards
still image
1 item
Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library
Fingerman ephemera collection (Accession 2009.213)
Series XIII. Sewing, Box 2, Folder 66
[Description and dates], Hagley ID, Box/folder number, Fingerman ephemera collection (Accession 2009.213), Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE 19807
Access to this item is provided for educational and research purposes only. The user assumes responsibility for obtaining permission from the copyright holder to publish or distribute this image. If you would like more information, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com


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Summary of Spotlight on the New Wealth Builders
EIU © 2015. Sponsored by Citi
EIU © 2015. Sponsored by Citi
Looking for the report?
We have the summary! Get the key insights in just 5 minutes.
- Innovative
A group virtually unheard of at the turn of this century is emerging as a global economic force. The "new wealth builders" – self-made global citizens with household financial assets of $100,000 to $2 million – are now the world's fastest-growing financial demographic. And that growth will continue as consumers in rapidly expanding economies move up the economic ladder. getAbstract recommends this smart report from the Economist Intelligence Unit to bankers, marketers and financial advisers looking to understand this future powerhouse.
About the Author
The Economist Intelligence Unit is an independent research and analysis organization.


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Finalists for Dean's position at UH Manoa's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology on campus for meetings and presentationsUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
UH Manoa Chancellor's Office
Two finalists for the Dean's position in the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) will be on campus later this month for meetings, interviews and public presentations.
Search advisory committee chair Rolf-Peter Kudritzki noted that, "We have been pleased to find excellent candidates for the dean's position among our pool of applicants and we look forward to the opportunity to introduce them to the campus community."
Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education Gary Ostrander added, "Programs at SOEST receive the largest numbers of extramural grants at Manoa and so it is important that we enlist world-class leadership to continue the excellent research and scholarship being conducted there."
The finalists coming this month are:
David Farmer, Dean and Professor, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island. Dr. Farmer received a Master of Science degree at McGill University and a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia.
Brian Taylor, Acting Associate Dean, University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. Dr. Taylor was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Sydney and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University.
UH Manoa Chancellor Denise Konan expressed her gratitude to the dean search advisory committee, adding, "I encourage the campus community to turn out for the public meetings that have been scheduled with these candidates. It will be important to hear feedback as the search process proceeds to a conclusion."
Additional biographical information about the candidates and about the search process will be posted at www.hawaii.edu/executivesearch/soest.
Each of the candidates will be on the Manoa campus later this month, and each has been scheduled for a public presentation on the following dates:
·David Farmer, Monday, March 20, 10:30-12:00 noon, POST 723
·Brian Taylor, Wednesday, March 22, 10:30-12:00 noon, POST 723
They have been invited to speak on a topic of their own choosing, but to include a vision for SOEST.
Interested members of the community are invited and encouraged to attend.
Members of the search advisory committee are:
· Chair, Rolf-Peter Kudritzki, Director, Institute for Astronomy
· Vice Chair, David Karl, Professor, Oceanography
· Janet Becker, Associate Professor, Geology and Geophysics
· Kathy Cutshaw, Interim Vice Chancellor for Administration, Finance and Operations
· Melody Studer, Student, Geology and Geophysics, and ASUH representative
· Sarah Fagents, Assistant Professor, Hawaiʻi Institute of Geophysics and Planetology
· Gary Jensen, Director, Office of Naval Research
· Suzi Johnston, Program Assistant, East-West Center Seminar Program
· Stephen Masutani, Associate Researcher, Hawaiʻi Natural Energy Institute
· Eric Mittelstaedt, Doctoral candidate (Geophysics) and GSO representative
· Paul Nachtigall, Director, Marine Mammal Research, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology
· Jeff Polovina, Director, Pacific Islands Fisheries Center
· Lorna Ramiscal, Educational Specialist and Staff Representative, University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu
· Jane Schoonmaker, Associate Geophysicist, Oceanography
· Clyde Tamaru, Extension Specialist, Sea Grant
· Nainoa Thompson, President, Polynesian Voyaging Society and Trustee, Kamehameha Schools
· Bin Wang, Professor, Meteorology, International Institute of Geophysics
For more information, visit: http://www.hawaii.edu/executivesearch/soest


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I am no fashionista. I think old jeans and a flannel is dressing up. I rarely spend more than $50 on an article of clothing.
But even I know that Mike McCarthy's aqua mock turtleneck and black blazer is hideous. I mean awful.
Okay, on to more interesting news: McCarthy was unusually critical of the officiating crew from Sunday's loss to the Bears. Or at least to the ref who put Nick Barnett in a sleeper hold and took him down to the turf. The entire transcript is here (along with a photo of McCarthy in his full aqua glory).
Here is the part on Barnett:
I tell you what, I've never seen anything like that in all my years. I didn't see the whole thing, but I thought the official was totally out of line, the way he grabbed Nick around his neck and pulled him out of there. There was a lot going on throughout the game on both sides of the ball after the play was over. Their offensive line was getting after Nick there a bunch down the stretch, and that goes on in these type of games. I didn't see the whole thing, but I saw the end of it, and I thought it was totally unprofessional, I thought it was totally out of hand.


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Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Sports News
Goodson returns to Jets, suspended 4 games
Send a link to a friend
[August 27, 2013]
(AP) -- New York Jets running back Mike Goodson was suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Goodson, signed as a free agent in the offseason, rejoined the team Monday after being away all of training camp for personal reasons that the Jets declined to detail. He was placed on the team's active/non-football injury/illness list.
"I've been away from the team to take care of some important personal things," Goodson said in a statement issued by the Jets. "The time was helpful to me and now that I am back, I am going to do everything I can to contribute to the team."
Goodson also thanked the organization for its support, adding "I'm thankful to be back with my teammates."
The NFL said in a statement announcing the suspension that Goodson will be eligible to return to the Jets' active roster on Sept. 30, a day after the team's game against the Tennessee Titans. The first game he would be eligible to play in would be against Atlanta on Oct. 7 -- a Monday night.
The Jets announced that Goodson will be permitted to attend meetings and work out on his own at the team's practice facility during his suspension, but won't be able to practice or play.
"While we welcome Mike back to the organization," the Jets said in a statement, "we have had direct conversations to make our expectations very clear as we work together to help him move forward in a positive manner, both on and off the field."
[to top of second column]
Goodson, who played last season with Oakland, was arrested in May with friend Garant Evans after they were found in a car stopped on Interstate 80 in New Jersey. The men were charged with marijuana possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and weapons offenses. Police said they found a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun and a hollow-point bullet in the vehicle.
The 26-year-old Goodson pleaded not guilty and took part in some preseason practices with the Jets, who signed him to a three-year, $6.9 million deal. The case was sent to a grand jury, but no court date has been scheduled.
Goodson, who spent his first three NFL seasons with Carolina after being a fourth-round pick out of Texas A&M, will likely serve as a change-of-pace back for the Jets. He could also potentially fill the kick returner role once held by Joe McKnight, who was released Monday.
Goodson has rushed for 722 yards and three touchdowns, and caught 59 passes for 524 yards and a TD in his career.
AP NFL website:
Press; By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
< Sports index
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Not all the women in Hollywood are encouraged to look like stick figures – the team behind "Mad Men" likes 'em buxom.
January Jones, star of the AMC hit set in the early 1960s, says that creator Matthew Weiner tells female cast members to keep the carbs and forget about exercise.
"He would prefer we didn't work out and that we eat really well, so we look like healthy women," Jones said in an interview with Tatler magazine. Jones happily complies, since she happens to love beer and carbs.
Jones, 32, said that she is pleased that "Mad Men" has brought back the idea that "it's OK to have curves and be a woman. I wish more women would realize that's what men like."
Weiner has another fan in British Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone, who told the "Sunday Times" curvaceous women should be the "role models" for young girls. Featherstone used Jones' "Mad Men" co-star Christina Hendricks as an example, saying her size 14 is "absolutely fabulous."
"All women have felt that pressure of having to conform to an unrealistic stereotype, which plagues them for their whole life," Featherstone said. "Women and girls also have the right to be comfortable in their own bodies."
Last year, the "Mad Men" producers warned Jones that she was becoming too thin and told her to gain weight. Now she has embraced her new figure and admits to loving the girdle she wears to help her achieve her hourglass look, saying, "it gives you such a nice shape."
Not only does "Mad Men's" retro take on women's figures get Jones' approval, the era's sexism captured on the show doesn't seem all that bad to her, either.
"I don't think we've come very far," Jones said. "At least they were gentlemen back then. They might say something s****y behind your back, but at least they opened the door."


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It seems like there are endless emails being sent about Cyber Monday now that Black Friday has passed. It's hard to believe how successful they might be? Often I wonder who really does their social media campaign efficiently enough to actually generate more sales online than in physical stores, I found my answer with Mashable's article on Tory Burch. Here is a small sample of the article:
Much of her success can be linked to an aggressive digital strategy, says Miki Berardelli, who has served as chief marketing officer of Tory Burch since 2009. The company launched ecommerce immediately after opening its first shop in downtown Manhattan, and toryburch.com generates more revenue than any physical store. Burch is one of the few designers to maintain a direct, ongoing dialogue with her friends and fans onTwitter, which she does in an easy-going and authentic manner. The company's blog, which is helmed by former InStyle editor Honor Brodie, is broadly recognized in the industry as one of the leading manifestations of ongoing, brand-developed content.read more »


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I made a little app that Searches Google for certain filetypes which i made RadioButtons for.
What i already have:
The searchbutton opens Google with this command:
Problems:Code:ShellExecute(NULL, "open", "http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=TEXTFROMEDITBOX&meta=" ,NULL, NULL, SW_SHOWNORMAL);
1) The red part should be replaced with the text that you type in the EditBox.
2) This string should be (invisible) included everytime you type text in the editbox:
3) If i Click the Search Button, it should fetch the text from the editbox and the info which RadioButton is checked.Code:-inurl:htm -inurl:html intitle:"index of" ACTIVERADIOBTN "TEXTFROMEDITBOX"
I know it's kinda lame to ask all this.....but i have no idea where i can learn such specific commands other than from asking people on the forums