I?m at a fork on the parenting road. And I don?t know which way to turn. Frankly, I?d like to turn back and go home, but unfortunately that?s not an option?
On the left of the fork is the road that leads to activities the kids are enrolled in outside of the home. Hockey, gymnastics, soccer and piano, plus swimming. It sounds crazy, when I look at the list, especially when I realize I missed ball-hockey and Sonja?s never-ending requests for playdates. There?s school and homework in that as well, which requires parental supervision. It all sounds like it?s too much.
On the right of the fork the road leads to an empty space. No activities, only family time and home-time. We could sit and play lego, board games or paint together, we could take excursions into the many parks out our way, we could go skating, tobogganing or just walking and playing outside when the snow is fresh and deep. We could cook together, bake together, and just hang out, maybe pop a movie in once in a while. We could just BE.
We did the second option for 5 years. The kids were young, we did crafts, we spend many hours walking and playing at the playground, or having picnics or making snowmen. Then they got older, started school, and they developed interests of their own. They received countless invites to birthday parties, and I was forced to start a spreadsheet with phone numbers of all their friends they made?their social lives became busy and complicated. And they?re only 7 and 5?
We had a family night last night. Actually, we spent the bulk of the holidays together, sometimes with extended family, sometimes just us. We spent some of that time at the rink, but we also spent some of that time just doing things together alone, just the 4 of us. Yet as the holidays draw to a close, it?s becoming more evident that especially Sonja, who is not in an activity unlike Ben with his tournament, is craving playtime with her friends.
She is getting harder to handle. Is it her age? Is it me? Is it just a clash in personalities? She is an extrovert, and very VERY confident in what she wants and when she wants it. She was like this as a baby and I wondered even back then what kind of a child she was going to turn into.
Sonja needs activities, it seems, that go beyond family time. As long as the family time balances out the out-of-the-house activities, she seems more even-tempered. I have noticed this over time and find her easier and more pleasant to be around when she has that balance met.
She has to go to gymnastics. Indoor soccer will give her that extra bit of team-oriented-endless-running activity that is harder to do in snowsuits outside in the frigid air, and when she accompanies us to the rink during one of Ben?s hockey sessions, she has several children to play with while we watch a game or practice. This too satisfies her social needs. And she?s back in the pool after a term off.
I don?t know how I?m going to handle it all, but there it is.
Ben has hockey and hockey and more hockey. But his dad takes care of most of that. He is also in swimming, but the kids are now in the same class which will make life easier for us. And he gets to start piano lessons. He loves music but it always conflicted with hockey, so after two years of music, he had to choose. I finally found a night where the potential for hockey conflict is minimal plus Sonja is occupied in soccer at the same time.
Perfect.
Only, I don?t feel like it?s so perfect. I feel like the calendar is so full, I?m not sure I can actually wrap my head around how this will all work out.
How do people who work full-time outside of the home manage these crazy schedules? Do they just drop off on all the activities? When does one do the grocery shopping? Cooking? Are we resigned to start ordering in more often now?
I hope not. I?m going to keep using my crockpot, and if I have to get groceries delivered via a service to help manage my time better, then I will consider that option too.
Time will tell what will happen next. In the meantime, we still have a whole week of home-time, family-time, and I plan on getting organized with, hopefully, the kids? help.
I?ve become one of *those* parents who schedules her kids.
Church groups stitch a little love for Newtown residents 12-28-12
BIGFORK, Mont. -
Flathead Valley knitters are pulling out their yarn in hopes to stitch some love into scarves for residents of Newtown, Connecticut. But in an unexpected turn, their donations will end up helping people in Montana.
Many churches in the Flathead have their own prayer shawl groups - men and women who meet weekly to knit and crochet scarves that are blessed and given as a comfort to anyone in need.
"Our prayer shawls have just been a wonderful ministry," said Ginny Johnson.
So it was only a matter of time before Bigfork's Bethany Lutheran Church decided to reach out and make Hugs of Hope shawls for Newtown.
"We've kind of been thinking about it, all of us," said Johnson.
"The name came about by one of the ladies here in church," said Bonnie Hoffman. "We were discussing that and she said 'I really do think they are hugs of hope' and it stuck!"
To date, Bethany Lutheran has donated over 500 prayer shawls to people across the country and around the world. Now, their goal is to make 100 more for those who need it most. But recently, Newtown residents have received so many gifts they've? kindly asked people to stop sending them.
"They've requested we go ahead and give them locally in loving memory of the loved ones from Sandy Hook," explained Hoffman.
The shawls and scarves will now remain in the Flathead for others who seek out their warmth and healing.
"The gals were just as excited because they're going to stay here. We've designated six different groups already that need them," said Johnson.
"It's such a great thing to be able to spread His love and His hope and His peace not only throughout the world but right here in this valley where we need it most," said Hoffman.
Hoffman hopes this project will spark monthly "stitch out" sessions, each one designated towards a new charity or organization in the Flathead Valley.
Copyright 2012 by KECI, KCFW, KTVM. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Let's own up to it: Social media is an addictive part of our everyday lives. In fact, habits like flipping through Facebook or Instagram have become almost second nature -- 40 percent of Americans even admit to checking their smartphones while on the toilet. The problem with living simultaneously in both the digital world and reality? Sometimes we end up sharing way more than we realize.
Automatic sharing features on some social networking sites (ahem, Facebook) let you publicize your activities without having to hit a "share" button. It can be pretty convenient, until the day comes when you forget you've elected to use these particular features.
We've gathered together a list of pointers in the slideshow below, highlighting the information you may inadvertently give away on the Internet every day. Whether it's unknowingly tagging yourself in specific locations, or embarrassingly stalking your crush on LinkedIn.
Have you ever accidentally shared information on the web? Sound off in the comments section below, or Tweet us @HuffPostTech. Then, read more about the 9 ways you can get kicked off Facebook, or flip through 15 annoying tweets we never want to see again.
Without further ado, here are the 7 things we forget we're doing online each day:
Instagram Lets The Cat Out Of The Bag
FourSquare was designed to show the world your location -- but sometimes <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/instagram">photo-sharing app Instagram</a> inadvertently gives us away. In fact, we're so accustomed to snapping "artsy" pics of puppies and salads that it's possible we're unintentionally sharing our whereabouts, particularly if the photos aren't categorized as "private." So if you call out of work sick, make sure you don't accidentally post a picture of yourself relaxing at the local beach. Or, to minimize unwanted attention, go to your Instagram "Options" page and select the "Photos Are Private" button.
If You See Something, Type Something?
For many years, we were able to read Facebook messages at our leisure -- and then promptly ignore them. Now, <a href="http://newsroom.fb.com/News/434/A-New-Look-for-Facebook-Messages">after a Facebook update this summer</a>, users can see when someone has read a chat or message they've sent. So if you want to avoid the awkward realization you've ignored someone, type a message back, don't open the message to begin with, or use this <a href="http://crossrider.com/install/14917-chat-undetected">Chat Undected extension</a> to regain your excuse for not responding.
Whoops, We Stalked You (And You Know It)
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/okcupid">OkCupid</a> and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/linkedin">LinkedIn</a> are used for notably different purposes, but these social networking sites share a (potentially embarrassing) feature. Both platforms show who has viewed your profile and when you're checking out someone else's, making "cyber stalking" a not-so-anonymous act. In order to privately dig into another person's information, both websites offer memberships, which will cost you a few extra bucks a month. But then, of course, you'll be able to check out as many profiles as you want, without ever being detected. Creepy? No, we find it more... <em>practical.</em>
Facebook Bares It All
Everyday we might read a few news articles online, "Like" a slew of photos on Instagram or listen to a couple tunes via Spotify. All of the above activities now have "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/facebook-frictionless-apps_n_1213970.html">frictionless Facebook apps,</a>" or apps that automatically post activities to your Facebook profile without the use of a manual "share" button. Every app has different preferences, so be sure to read the details of what you're allowing Facebook to publish. We know for a fact that nothing is worse than accidentally publishing a video titled "ToPLeSs CHiCkS" to your profile, or telling the world that you read a heinously embarrassing "news" article about <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/22/miley-cyrus-side-boob-actress-sex-scenes-losing-virginity_n_1536026.html">some celeb's sideboob</a>.
The World Knows Where You Walk And Where You Talk
Sometimes we want people to know our location. But have you ever forgotten to turn off Twitter's geo-tweeting feature, which specifies your exact location, only to find you've been leaving a digital footprint for all the world to see? <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/07/what-not-to-post-on-twitter_n_829903.html#s245051&title=Confessionals_Office_Gossip">Be weary of oversharing</a> information. Twitter is an open website, so anyone can Google your name to find your Twitter handle. If you want to limit who can see your profile, go to Twitter's "Settings" page and check the "Protect my Tweets" box, or turn the location feature off (seen in the image to the left).
Facebook 'Pages' Are Actually Advertisements
Occasionally, companies will offer customers rewards for "Liking" their brand on Facebook. You might be a sucker for incentives, but don't forget -- once you "Like" an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FacebookPages">organization's Page</a>, you'll receive corporate updates that have the potential to litter your News Feed. So "Like" accordingly!
Are You Talking To Me?
When was the last time you checked you're <a href="https://www.facebook.com/help/188872764494245/">"Other" Messages</a> on Facebook? This hidden folder displayed in the top left corner of the Messages screen holds posts from people you're not connected with on Facebook. But who remember to look there? Not us... The same rings true for Direct Messages on Twitter, or InMail on LinkedIn. While these modes of communication can be awesome resources... sometimes we forget they exist.
With the new year fast approaching, many women are trying to refresh their lives and are making resolutions for a happier, healthier 2013. For women with mental health or substance abuse issues, however, long-ignored roadblocks can impede achievement of a healthy start. Family, friend, fitness and finance goals are difficult to focus on when women are facing medical or legal troubles.
Women with mood disorders or substance abuse issues may have important legal issues that require immediate attention. Mood disorders often lead to legal repercussions; for example, women with bipolar disorder may take on excessive financial burdens, face discrimination at work or experience arrest. Women with mood disorders may also face legal issues regarding the effects of violence, divorce or substance abuse.
Brookhaven Retreat teaches women in its residential treatment facility various ways of coping with mood disorders and protecting their futures so that mental health issues do not prevent them from living full and safe lives. Only then can women focus on creating a happy new year. Once medical safety has been assured, women learn to protect their future, possessions, families and medical health with a variety of legal options. Key options Brookhaven Retreat teaches women in its program include:
Have a Lawyer: Women with mental health issues should have a lawyer who is familiar with their medical history and directions should something occur. Should women face discrimination or require hospitalization, this lawyer would serve as a contact for placing protective measures into effect.
Create Advanced Directives: Advanced directives serve to communicate preferences for mental health treatment if women are unable to give consent themselves. Because mental health issues may crop up unexpectedly, these legal documents specify the care women wish to receive and the types of treatment and medication they do not wish to be given. Advanced directives should be part of a womans medical record. Her doctors and health care proxy should be given copies so that, should she be admitted to a mental health facility, her specific instructions are easily accessible.
Power of Attorney: Women with mood disorders can be resistant about continuing necessary medication. Giving a trusted loved one or family member power of attorney grants them the ability to admit a woman to a psychiatric facility should she display symptoms dangerous to her well-being. This is especially important for women complying with terms of probation who may resist taking necessary precautions.
It is important that women with mental health issues consider the resources required for long-term emotional recovery. Often these resources should include legal support.
Brookhaven Retreat teaches the women in its residential treatment facility that when focusing on a path to happiness, they need to create a plan to prevent future consequences and protect the lives they are creating. Familiarity with the legal system and familiarity with a lawyer both help safeguard long-term wellness.
About Brookhaven Retreat
Brookhaven Retreat is a women?s treatment center nestled on a naturally beautiful 48-acre site secluded in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. It has helped hundreds of women across the United States overcome depression, trauma, anxiety, substance use and a range of other behavioral health challenges. Brookhavens Founder, Jacqueline Dawes, has predicated its gender-specific treatment on healing emotional breakage for women. In this way, she has established a sanctuary and a place where women can feel safe, secure and cared for by a staff of highly trained professionals.
Visiting Rajasthan happens to be one of the top 5 most visited tourist routes in all of India?according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. Many travelers don?t realize how large India is and how its considered not just a country, but a subcontinent.
When I recently visited the World Travel Market in London every section was organized by continent with India having an entire section to themselves.
There are a massive number of cultures and people from very different walks of life that were united in what we now know as India under British rule.
India is commonly described as a land of contrasts for that very reason.
The original reason I came to India was to see if I could open a day trading center in the country as part as my ongoing effort to teach people financial and location?independence?with my Congressive day trading strategy?at The Day Trading Academy. ?So many people have been doing so well that I have been overwhelmed with training and had an original vision to train people in India.
This would allow people in India the opportunity to make more money in a day than most people make in an entire month, especially in India.
Rajasthan on a map of India
So far there have been positives and negatives while exploring the viability of a trading center in Mumbai, Goa, and at last, New Delhi. ?Being that I always take the end of the year off since the stock market typically has very low volume I decided to look into the possibility of visiting Rajasthan, the land of the kings.
What I decided on was a customized 15/16 day trip through the region with a personal driver. ?I would be visited the following cities below:
Mandawa
Bikaner
Jaisalmer
Jodhpur
Udaipur
Pushkar
Jaipur
Back To New Delhi
Half of my Rajasthan trip is actually almost over and I have seen some incredible things so far, everything from a Rajasthani Romeo to 4 men getting cozy on a motorcycle.
Many people are now asking me how much time they should spend in India and if you don?t have at least three weeks to explore part of the country I would recommend not even coming at all.
When visiting Rajasthan & the rest of India I realized that many people don?t realize how rough traveling to India actually is. ?Most of my life I have been living overseas?in what most people would consider ?third world countries?. ?India is in a whole different league. ?Between deficiencies in infrastructure and the?bureaucracy things take forever to get done in India.
Visiting Rajasthan Itinerary courtesy of google maps
I can now attest to the fact that you haven?t traveled to a third world country until you come to India.
The way business is done and the mentality of the people here really has shed a bright light on the prospects of not only opening a day trading center here, but also my prospects for investing overseas in India.
I suspect that visiting Rajasthan won?t be my last trip here in India either. ?The sheer scale of the country and the things to see are mind boggling, it would take a minimum of 6 months just to see the highlights in the entire country.
Once I complete this current trip I will return to New Delhi to complete some much needed work & then embark on the next adventure, Agra & the Taj Mahal, Varanasi which is the?spiritual?home of India, and a few cities in between.
I think many people often neglect the things to do in New Delhi and tourists don?t realize the history that is found in the old capital of the?Mughal Empire (New Delhi). ?The Mughals were the controlling force on the subcontinent of India & Pakistan for much of the 16th & 17th centuries (through early 18th century).
Shah Jahan, the man that commissioned the building of the Taj Mahal, reigned during this time.
There are a few things that I have learned about visiting India?for the first time that you should know if you haven?t been. Firstly, you are either going to travel first class or cheap backpacker style, there is no in-between. ?Secondly, it pays to plan your trip well in advance or book everything through a travel agent if you want things to go (more) smoothly.
India is one of the largest?bureaucracies?in the world so it takes 10 times longer to get things done and if you think there is a way to travel that isn?t first class or cheap backpacker style you are highly mistaken. I have tried it several times to no availability and have had to choose the one that is more comfortable.
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) ? For 30 years, Efren Bernal painted San Francisco?s world-famous cable cars. The longtime artist died from cancer this week.
?Yesterday, my dad passed away peacefully,? Mariel Bernal Perales, Bernal?s daughter told CBS 5 on Friday. Perales and her sisters went through their father?s things from his Muni locker, including paintbrushes and stencils.
Bernal was diagnosed with cancer only a few months ago.
Painting the cable cars was the only job he could find after immigrating to the United States. Family told CBS 5 he was even turned down for a fast food job.
Undeterred he kept looking. ?He heard about the San Francisco Civil Services,? Perales said.
Bernal got the job with the city as a painter. Even when he filled out applications, his talent was evident.
?His penmanship really stood out, it looked like it was in print,? Perales said.
The painter put his creative skills to work on the internationally famous icons. ?What my dad did was the finer details, like the designs, the etching,? Perales said.
His long run ended with the painting of Cable Car no. 26, which Bernal signed.
?He truly is part of San Francisco,? Perales said.
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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Steer clear of fads and erroneous information, and rely only on solid resources. This article is full of useful tips you should use to design a multilevel marketing campaign.
When writing content for your multilevel marketing website, ebooks or seminars, make sure to go outside of the box. Be sure to hit every point.
The top players in your industry have valuable skills that you can learn from. Learning from the leaders helps you to side-pass the common mistakes other fledgling marketers are making.
TIP! When it comes to network marketing, demonstrate leadership in all that you do. Be creative with unique offerings from your company.
Treat network marketing like a business. A lot of people fail due to the fact that they don?t take it seriously. There is a ton of work involved in MLM and it will become a full time job when you dedicate enough time to it. Before you begin to develop your skills, do your homework and learn as much as possible.
Social arenas such as online forums are great places to learn through participation. These forums can provide valuable tips and information on MLM, and as a bonus, they are free. Do a quick search online, and scroll through until you find a forum you like. To find useful tips, read a few posts each day and ask any questions you have.
There isn?t a person alive who doesn?t enjoy a great deal! Consider partnering up with a company that allows you to distribute some of their coupons to your customers. There are several marketing strategies you can use that involve coupons. For example, you can distribute them to loyal customers, or start a raffle with coupon prizes. You can increase consumer interest in your product by offering it at a reduced price.
TIP! Double your successes whenever you can! Look for inspiration in your organization or industry. Try to adopt a similar approach and attitude, while following their success.
Business Books
If you want to see more growth from your multi-level marketing efforts, you have to constantly learn new things. Spend time daily reading business books, social media books, business books and other literature designed to inspire success. You can learn a lot from webinars featuring successful online marketing businessmen. The greater your arsenal of marketing knowledge and techniques, the greater your success.
A great piece of advice in helping you improve your network marketing success is to keep an open mind. Always having an open-mind will increase your chances for business success.
TIP! Having an e-mail list, and using it consistently is a fundamental part of successful network marketing. A large email list is essential, whether it is compiled yourself or purchased from a service.
When you create your MLM website, design it as a tutorial. By structuring your website in this way, you are likely to see increased traffic. Also, your visitors will spend more time on your site. Each of these factors can increase the likelihood that your network will attract new members; it also brings in additional income from advertisements.
Always leave time for your friends and family. This keeps you happy and stress-free. You may find that you must schedule more time for business initially. However, this time will pay off in profits and flexibility later on down the line.
Starting off with a well thought out business plan can help you make your multi-level marketing endeavors more successful more quickly. Write down your goals and the methods to achieving them. Have an idea of how much business you will need to turn a profit, your monthly sales goals and what your marketing plans are.
TIP! Creating a blog on your website can help you keep your clients up-to-date with the happenings of your business. This effort to connect with your customers will be appreciated and may lead them to make more purchases from you.
You should aim to draw prospects to your page. Without paying customers, your business will fail. Once you have lured a viewer to your page, you have a better opportunity to sell your products, and make this person aware of just how valuable your service is to him or her.
Business Plan
While it is important to have a business plan in place, ensure that there is flexibility to deal with any surprising occasions that arise. You don?t need the extra pressure if the unexpected occurs and you miss a self imposed deadline. Be aware of what needs to be done each month, and then adjust this according to what you are actually capable of doing. A good business plan should reflect how you can turn a profit based on these two factors.
TIP! Always treat your network marketing projects as a business. When it comes to your networking profit potential, you get what you give.
Make use of the advice and suggestions you have seen here and you will be on your way to a successful campaign in MLM. If you can implement these tactics, you can be successful.
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Posted on: 8:41 pm, December 29, 2012, by Brittany Green-Miner, updated on: 10:17pm, December 29, 2012
SALT LAKE CITY ? A local boy will be among the thousands of people descending on Pasadena, Calif., for the annual Tournament of Roses Parade, but he won?t be just another face in the crowd.
13-year-old Hunter Woodhall is one of two international patient ambassadors for Shriner?s Hospital for Children this year.
?They put my name in for a selective process and went through the selective process and I was lucky to be one of the two chosen,? Hunter said.
Hunter was born with a lower limb deficiency and doctors had to amputate both of his legs. Shriner?s Hospital in Salt Lake City fitted Hunter with artificial legs and taught him how to walk, run and even play competitive sports.
Hunter has spent the last year traveling the country sharing his story, and now he?s heading to Pasadena and the Tournament of Roses Parade.
?First we?re going to help decorate the float. I?ll have some media events to talk to the media then we?ll go on the float and then we?ll have the game and then we?ll have dinner with some of the higher up people,? Hunter said.
Hunter says he?s gotten comfortable with public speaking and might pursue it someday, but for now, he?s just happy being a kid.
?People are always telling me what I do inspires them to do better at what they do,? Hunter said.
Hunter will be riding on the float titled ?Helping Kids Live Their Dreams.?
Yesterday we talked about the reasons for writing a book proposal. But do you actually know what goes into a book proposal? Here?s a rundown: Synopsis Whether you are writing a book proposal for a publisher or you?re creating a business plan for yourself, the synopsis is important if it describes what the book is about, who it is for, how large of a group this is and why this book is needed/wanted. Are you contemplating a book that fits into a popular genre? What is the general storyline? Is it a nonfiction book that will fill a need?a current void, perhaps? Who is the audience, how is the book organized, what makes it worthwhile, different, better than what?s already out there on the topic?
Competition What other books are out there like this book and how are they doing in the marketplace? Is there room for another book on this topic? How is your book different, better? What can you contribute through your book that is needed/wanted and not currently covered adequately? In order to respond to these important questions, locate books like yours, study them and then compare them honestly with the book you have planned or have written.
Your Platform Why are you the person to write this particular book? Do you have a following? Are you known in this field/genre? Do you have connections that will help you to get word out about your book, market it? An author I know worked for a popular kitchen store chain when she came out with her book on custard desserts. She landed a publisher because management agreed to carry the book in their stores and arrange for signings. And she sold a lot of books through the store chain.That was a major connection that paid off well for her.
Marketing How will you promote this book? What do you know about book promotion? The fact is that no matter which publishing option you choose, you will be responsible for promoting your book. And the time to start thinking about it is before you write it. There are things you can do to make your book more salable while writing it! And there are ideas you can act on in order to pave the way to greater sales once it is produced. Here?s one idea?find out how others with books similar to yours are marketing their books. How? Snoop around at their websites. Where are they speaking? What type of media exposure are they getting? Where are they posting guest blogs and articles?
Before you launch out with your great book idea, read my book, ?Publish Your Book.? You?ll find a plan for preparing your book proposal as well as an education on publishing options and instructions for how to make the right publishing choice for your book. You?ll gain a greater understanding about the whole publishing and book marketing process. As you will see when reading through the reviews at Amazon.com, this book is well-respected among publishing professionals and successful authors. This book is available in print and Kindle. http://amzn.to/Tze53Z
Contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com for a free evaluation of your book proposal in progress.
This entry was posted on Sunday, December 30th, 2012 at 6:14 am and is filed under Book Proposals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
MANILA, Philippines?The explosive punch of every ?Goodbye, Philippines? or ?Super Lolo? is strong enough for them to be categorized as high explosives and developed into indigenous military projectiles, according to Sen. Gregorio Honasan who reflects on Filipinos? fondness for fiery, fatalistic and some say, even mindless New Year?s revelry.
Honasan, a former Army colonel and chair of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, took responsibility, on Saturday, for the lack of action on two bills that would have imposed stiffer firecracker control.
?What?s glaring here is the level of our firecrackers.? They?re in the category already of high explosives. The level of destruction and damage is amazing,? Honasan told the Inquirer.
?If we want to be imaginative? if we can push this as a component of our self-reliance program maybe we can develop?even [if] primitive?surface-to-surface missiles and surface-to-air missiles, with the kind of explosives we are using now,? added the senator, an advocate for a local weapons industry.
Honasan, nonetheless, expressed concern over the annual statistics of firecracker-related injuries both in the days leading to the New Year and during the actual New Year?s Eve celebration.
He offered no excuse for the inaction on the pending bills that could have somehow decreased the dangers posed by the firecrackers on Filipinos every year.
?I will have to admit some responsibility for that as the current chairman of the Senate committee on public order because of the workload and other priority bills that I also had pending in my committees. It really seems that these [firecracker control bills] weren?t really given attention,? Honasan said.
?We cannot ignore anymore the statistics related to injuries. So I accept full responsibility,? he added.
There are two firecracker control bills pending in Honasan?s committee.
One, authored by Sen. Manuel Villar, increases the penalty on illegal firecracker trade to a jail term of as long as 12 years and fines of up to P1 million.
The other, by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, totally bans firecrackers in residential areas and designates a public firecracker area in every barangay.
?What we?ll try to do is consolidate all these proposals and ordinances,? Honasan said.
He said some local government units already have ordinances banning firecrackers.
With only a few session days in before the close of the 15th Congress, Honasan vowed to push for a stronger firecracker control law in time for the next New Year?s Eve ?if we are able to go back in 2013.?
Honasan is a re-electionist, running under the United Nationalist Alliance.
Asked what bills were prioritized by the committee during the past few years, Honasan said the committee passed the upgrading of the country?s fire code and the removal of the height requirement for prospective police officers.
Honasan is also the chair of the Senate committee on public information that shepherded the People?s Ownership of Government Information Bill. The chamber has already passed the Pogi Bill?the Senate?s version of the Freedom of Information Bill?on third and final reading.
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Tags: Explosives , firecracker regulation , Firecrackers , Gregorio Honasan , Legislation , Military , military projectiles , military weaponry , New Year , new year revelry , News , Senate
Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer's day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer's Reader's Advocate. Or write The Readers' Advocate:
Australia, International,?Culture News Contributed by:Judith Staines Date Posted: Saturday, 29th December 2012
UNESCO supports the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and Intercultural Dialogue University Network in the launch of an online course in MIL and intercultural dialogue.
The course is designed for teachers, policy makers and professionals. It is led by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia and will be offered over 13 weeks, from 25 February to 31 May 2013.
The course will focus on the following subjects:
Intercultural dialogue and citizenship;
Freedom of expression, freedom of information and understanding the news;
Representation and languages in media and information;
Advertising and citizenship;
Information literacy and library skills;
Communication;
MIL and teaching/learning;
MIL policies and strategies;
Citizens and the media and technologies;
Global media/technologies in an increasingly connected world; and
Internet opportunities and challenges.
The course will be offered through QUT?s online learning system, Blackboard, and via Blackboard Collaborate. Most sessions will be self-directed, with ongoing interaction with the course presenters in the online space. There will be four ?live? sessions presented globally by international guest lecturers.
In order to successfully complete this course participants will need regular access to a computer and Internet access to download documents, listen to podcasts and view online videos.
To apply, please download and complete the application form by 18 January 2013. There are no associated fees for participants who wish to follow this course.
This online course is part?of UNESCO?s strategy to foster media and information literacy in societies.
She has freckles, a normal-sized head, wears t-shirts and jeans. She is also "awkwardly dressed" and "pretty cute." She is the average female Mac user, according to an infographic complied and released by software start-up BlueStacks.
The company, which makes software that allows Android apps to run on computers, just released a new version of its Mac app. Install the program and you can access Android apps right from Apple's OS X operating system - Angry Birds, Instagram, all your favorites.
But the company didn't want to just release the software. In honor of the announcement, it created an infographic based on data from its Facebook users about what Ms. Mac looks like.
According to the graphic, which you can view below, 27 percent of female Mac users have long hair, 48 percent wear glasses and 52 percent are under 20. Forty percent use Mac OS X Lion, 14 percent OS X Mountain Lion, 20 percent OS X Leopard, and 8 percent Snow Leopard.
However, you should take these findings with a grain of salt; they are based primarily on responses from BlueStacks' 1.1 million Facebook fans. Some of it is based on data from Nielsen, but BlueStacks confirmed that the majority of the information was pulled from its own users and its social media fans.
"We have a lot of early adopter fans who were into helping," BlueStacks VP of marketing, John Gargiulo, told ABC News. "We also hired a data scientist who has been parsing through the data and talking with people who use BlueStacks. We like to do things that are a bit fun and different."
BlueStacks created a similar infographic about Android users last year. Not surprisingly, 70 percent of male Android users wear t-shits and 62 percent wear jeans. (It's like that line from that '90s movie "Can't Hardly Wait": "He is sort of tall, with hair and wears t-shirts sometimes.")
Chinese telecommunication companies will require ID from their customers before installing a landline, selling a mobile phone service contract or giving access to the internet. Critics call the new rules an assault on freedom of speech.
The real-name registration rule was passed Friday by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China?s top legislative body. The 12-article document also set rules on how the companies have to manage the personal data of their customers, their responsibility for illegal use of the information and the way who governmental regulators and the customers can oversee it, reports Xinhua news agency.
It also specifically forbids sending any business-related messages to phones or personal emails without owner consent, which is meant to curb spamming.
The move is meant to "ensure internet information security, safeguard the lawful rights and interests of citizens, legal entities or other organizations and safeguard national security and social public interests," the decision says.
The regulation did not require subscribers to use real names when posting information online.
The regulation would help the country address the rapid development of technology and fight against online scams, fraud, identity theft and libel, Li Fei, deputy director of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the committee explained to the media earlier this week, when the draft document was under consideration.
Critics see the new rules as an attempt by the Chinese authorities to restrict online freedoms and discourage potential whistleblowers from anonymously reporting abuses online.
Chinese government encourages use of internet for areas like business and education, but is cautious about information which it views as a potential threat to public good. It censors the net from politically sensitive messages and restricts access to some services that puts information flow out of the governmental control.
Back in January China instructed the country?s most popular microblogging service, Sina Weibo, to request its users to provide their real names. This was meant to curb spread of harmful rumors among its 400-million-strong user base. The company reported in May that it had problems implementing real-name registration due to technical difficulties and reluctance of the users.
BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) ? French President Francois Hollande said Thursday that France wants to protect its interests in Central African Republic and not a regime, casting doubt that the former colonial power will come to the aid of the government facing a rapid rebel offensive.
The rebels already have seized at least 10 towns across the sparsely populated north of this deeply impoverished country, and residents in the capital of 600,000 people now fear the insurgents could attack at any time.
On Wednesday, protesters threw rocks at the French Embassy in Bangui, the capital, criticizing France for failing to do more.
About 200 French soldiers are already in the country, providing technical and logistical support and helping to train the local army, according to the French defense ministry.
France, though, is focusing its efforts for the time being on encouraging peace talks.
"France is calling on all parties in the Central African Republic to negotiate in good faith at the talks that will begin shortly in Libreville (Gabon)," the French foreign ministry said Thursday.
Central African Republic has suffered decades of army revolts, coups and rebellions since it gained independence in 1960. The rebels behind the most recent instability signed a 2007 peace accord, allowing them to join the regular army, but the group's leaders say the deal wasn't fully implemented.
The rebel Union for the Democratic Forces for Unity, known by its French acronym of UFDR, claims its attacks are justified in light of the "thirst for justice, for peace, for security and for economic development of the people of Central African Republic."
Among their demands is that the government make payments to ex-combatants, suggesting that their motives may also be for personal financial gain.
Rebel Col. Djouma Narkoyo insisted Wednesday that "our intention is not to take Bangui. We still remain open to dialogue."
Bangui residents, though, are skeptical.
"We are afraid by what we see happening in our country right now," said Leon Modomale, a civil servant in the capital. "It's as if the rebels are going to arrive in Bangui any moment now because there are too many contradictions in their language."
President Francois Bozize, a former military commander, came to power in a 2003 rebel war that ousted his predecessor, Ange-Felix Patasse.
Despite the nation's wealth of gold, diamonds, timber and uranium, the government remains perpetually cash-strapped.
U.S. special forces troops have deployed to Central African Republic among other countries in the region to assist in the hunt for Joseph Kony, the fugitive rebel leader of the notorious Lord's Resistance Army.
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Associated Press writers Lori Hinnant in Paris and Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal contributed to this report.
Travelers have attempted to carry more than 1,500 firearms through U.S. airports and?on?board airplanes in 2012, according to the Transportation Security Administration.?
As of Friday, TSA's gun?tally sat at 1,527?? 1,295 of which were loaded ? and this week?s count will likely bring the final tally just past 1,550 before the year ends.
Once a weapon is found, the TSA?s job ends, David Castelveter, the agency?s director of external communications, told Skift.??We are not an arresting authority. We don?t have detention authority. If somebody comes through with a weapon the immediate procedure is to call the local authority,? he said. ?There are some states where they just tell you to take it back to the car; in others you?ll end up at Rikers.?
Beyond the weekly tallies, which the TSA posts every Friday afternoon on its blog,?TSA does not follow arrests, indictments?or convictions stemming from firearms violations.??We just keep track of the confiscations, because the police don?t always keep us apprised of what happens,? Castelveter said.??We don?t pay attention to the arrest unless it turns into an indictment and we have an agent give testimony in a trial.?
The second half of 2012 has seen an increase over gun activity in the first six months: In July?On the National Security Beat, a project of Medill Journalism School, reported that 697 guns had been found, 170 of which were not only loaded but had rounds in their chambers.
Skift reported?earlier this month?that of the top 11 airports for firearms confiscation, five were in Texas, two were in Florida, and the most-confiscated title went to Atlanta?s?Hartsfield ? Jackson International.
Apple has filed a preliminary proxy statement with the SEC today ahead of its annual shareholder meeting for 2013, and it reveals executive compensation metrics for the company's senior leadership. CEO Tim Cook is in line for the most drastic reduction in year-over-year pay outs, with annual compensation of 'just' $4.17 million in 2012, compared to $378 million in 2011 and $59 million in 2010.
KHOST, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed three people in an attack on a U.S. base in Afghanistan on Wednesday, the same base where a suicide bomb attack killed seven CIA employees three years ago.
The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in the eastern town of Khost, saying they had sent a suicide bomber driving a van packed with explosives to the base.
"The target was those who serve Americans at that base," said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
Afghanistan's NATO-led force said the bomber did not get into the base nor breach its perimeter. Police said the three dead were Afghans who were outside the base, which is beside a military airport.
The al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network, widely regarded as the most dangerous U.S. foe in Afghanistan, is active in Khost province, which is on the Pakistani border.
After more than a decade of war, Taliban insurgents are still able to strike strategic military targets, and launch high-profile attacks in the capital, Kabul, and elsewhere.
Three years ago, an al Qaeda-linked Jordanian double-agent killed seven CIA employees and a Jordanian intelligence officer in a suicide bombing at the same base in Khost, known as Forward Operating Base Chapman.
It was the second deadliest attack in CIA history.
Afghan police official General Abdul Qasim Baqizoy, the Khost police chief, said no CIA agents were hurt on Wednesday.
Afghan authorities are scrambling to improve security across the country before the U.S. combat mission ends in 2014.
Besides pressure from the Taliban, U.S.-led NATO forces also face a rising number of so-called insider attacks, in which Afghan forces turn their weapons on Western troops they are supposed to be working with.
On Monday, an Afghan policewoman killed a U.S. police adviser at the Kabul police headquarters, raising troubling questions about the direction of the war.
It appeared to be the first time that a woman member of Afghanistan's security forces carried out such an attack.
On Tuesday, Afghan officials said the woman has an Iranian passport and moved to Afghanistan 10 years ago. There was no suggestion that Iran was involved in the attack on the American.
Officials suspect she may have been recruited by al Qaeda or the Taliban, and had intended to also kill Afghan police officials.
(Reporting by Elyas Wahdat; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Robert Birsel)
In this Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 photo, people walk through the Fashion Island shopping center in Newport Beach, Calif. U.S. holiday retail sales this year are the weakest since 2008, after a shopping season disrupted by storms and rising uncertainty among consumers. A report out Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012, that tracks spending, called MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, says holiday sales increased 0.7 percent. Analysts had expected sales to grow 3 to 4 percent. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)
In this Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 photo, people walk through the Fashion Island shopping center in Newport Beach, Calif. U.S. holiday retail sales this year are the weakest since 2008, after a shopping season disrupted by storms and rising uncertainty among consumers. A report out Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012, that tracks spending, called MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, says holiday sales increased 0.7 percent. Analysts had expected sales to grow 3 to 4 percent. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Stock futures are moving higher before the latest data is released on the housing market, one of the bright spots of the year with just a few trading days left.
Volume is extremely light Wednesday, because of the holidays and because markets are still seeking a resolution to the budget showdown in Washington.
Dow Jones industrial futures are up 20 points to 13,085. The broader S&P futures have added 2 points to 1,421.80. Nasdaq futures are up 3 points to 2,661.75.
Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller issues its 20-city home-price index for October at 9 a.m. Eastern. Prices rose in most major U.S. cities in September, more evidence of a housing recovery that's providing a boost to the economy.
Still, another pillar of the economy, retail spending, is appearing weak this holiday.
A recent paper in Science (abstract) examines the insurance industry's reaction to climate change. The industry rakes in trillions of dollars in revenues every year, and a shifting climate would have the potential to drastically cut into the profits left over after settlements have been paid. Hurricane Sandy alone did about $80 billion worth of damage to New York and New Jersey. With incredible amounts of money at stake, the industry is taking climate projections quite seriously. From the article: "Many insurers are using climate science to better quantify and diversify their exposure, more accurately price and communicate risk, and target adaptation and loss-prevention efforts. They also analyze their extensive databases of historical weather- and climate-related losses, for both large- and small-scale events. But insurance modeling is a distinct discipline. Unlike climate models, insurers? models extrapolate historical data rather than simulate the climate system, and they require outputs at finer scales and shorter time frames than climate models."
Carmen Electra has the X Factor! ?After much speculation Simon Cowell finally confirmed to Ryan Seacrest Wednesday that he's dating Carmen Electra -- but they're not exclusive.?
PHOTOS: Hottest celebrity hookups of 2012
"She's not my girlfriend," Cowell, 53, explained when he called in to "On Air with Ryan Seacrest." "We're people who date."
Exclusive or not, the "X Factor" judge is smitten with Electra.
"She's adorable, isn't she?" he asked Seacrest of the 40-year-old actress/model.
PHOTOS: Hot Brits!
And the feeling is mutual.
When rumors began swirling Electra was dating the music mogul in November, she opened up about their relationship on "Access Hollywood Live." "He's so cute. He is adorable. He's actually a sweetheart," the former Baywatch star explained. "The thing is, we worked together on 'Britain's Got Talent.' I was a guest judge and I had so much fun. I really liked him. I think he's really cool."?
PHOTOS: Rockstar romances
Electra ended her four-year engagement with Robert Patterson earlier this year, and Cowell ended his two-year engagement with makeup artist Mezhgan Hussainy also earlier this year.
Shadow DEFRA secretary Mary Creagh has warned that merging Natural England and the Environment Agency will lead to further cuts in staff and budgets.
Under proposals listed in DEFRA's joint triennial review, the two bodies responsible for the environment could merge to create a single environmental body.
But Mrs Creagh warned: "Merging the Environment Agency with Natural England, when both are sacking large numbers of staff to deliver government cuts, will leave strategic weaknesses in our environmental management, as ash dieback has shown.
"Whether it is planning reforms, or cuts to flood defences and national parks, this weak and incompetent Tory-led government has failed every environmental test."
The review, which was announced last week, is part of a rolling programme of three-yearly reviews of all government agencies - dubbed "the bonfire of the quangos" - that are feeling funding pressures in the economic downturn to scale down.
A discussion paper, published by DEFRA, said a single body could carry out the functions more efficiently, but this would also involve cuts in the short to medium-term.
"The relevant delivery arrangements - to be resilient - will need to identify ongoing cost savings and improvements to services and to stimulate and sustain economic growth," says the paper.
DEFRA secretary Owen Paterson said the review offered an opportunity to take a "fresh look" at the workings of the two bodies.
"The Environment Agency and Natural England are both vital in helping to achieve our vision of a healthy environment and a healthy economy," he added.
"Improving our environment for future generations is one of the great challenges we face as a society and we are committed to the highest levels of environmental protection."
Responses to the consultation must be submitted to DEFRA by 4 February 2012. A report is expected to be published in spring 2013.
In a similar plan in Wales, the devolved administration is combining Environment Agency Wales, the Countryside Council for Wales and the Forestry Commission Wales. The new body, Natural Resource Wales, will come into effect in April 2013.
This month, one of BostonLogic's Sequoia customers, Dickens Mitchener & Associates, won the award for Best Real Estate Agency in North Carolina from the International Property Awards 2012 for businesses from Americas.
Criteria for the awards include; marketing and company branding. The awards ceremony was held in London on December 7th.
The International Property Awards are open to real estate professionals from around the world, including; Africa, Asia Pacific, Arabia, Canada, Caribbean, Central & South America, Europe, UK and USA.
Congratulations to BostonLogic customer, Dickens Mitchener & Associates, for winning the Best Real Estate Agency award!
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Posted on December 18, 2012 Filed Under Real Estate Marketing
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The National Rifle Association said on Tuesday it wanted to contribute meaningfully to prevent another massacre like the Connecticut shooting, suggesting a sharp change in tone for the largest U.S. gun rights group.
"The National Rifle Association of America is made up of four million moms and dads, sons and daughters - and we were shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown," the organization said in a statement.
It said it plans a news conference on Friday after staying silent as a matter of common decency and out of respect for families in Newtown, Connecticut, where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at a school last Friday.
"The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again," the statement said. An NRA spokesman did not immediately respond when asked to elaborate on what the contributions might entail.
The NRA is one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States, partly because of its large and active membership. It uses political pressure against individual lawmakers in the U.S. Congress and in state legislatures to press for loosening restrictions on gun sales and ownership across the United States while promoting hunting and gun sports.
For decades, the NRA has opposed almost all new gun control laws and regulations at national and state level.
Its leadership considers the right to own firearms an essential American freedom, spelled out in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and reinforced in a 2008 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.
After the killing spree in Connecticut, the NRA has come under enormous pressure, some of it from pro-gun lawmakers allied with the association, including West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat and lifetime NRA member.
The NRA's statement was met with immediate skepticism from some advocates for gun control.
"We'll see," said Mark Glaze, director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group of 750 U.S. mayors co-led by New York City's Michael Bloomberg.
Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Violence Policy Center, said that "unless this is a dramatic sea change in the way the NRA has done business, I have very little faith anything they will offer will help us take steps forward."
The percentage of Americans favoring tough gun regulations rose significantly after the massacre, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Monday.
The poll found that 50 percent of those surveyed after Friday's shootings agreed that "gun ownership should have strong regulations or restrictions." Among those surveyed before the killings the number was 42 percent.
(Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Howard Goller and Christopher Wilson)
You're not a has-been until Sylvester Stallone invites you for one of his Expendables movies, and for Jackie Chan, he's going to cross that line.
At a press conference for Chinese Zodiac, Chan has confirmed that he'll appear in The Expendables 3 provided it's not a cameo.
"Sly had invited me to be in Expendables 2 but I was too busy filming CZ12 and couldn't make a commitment to the film. But he did extend his invitation to the third movie, which I agreed on the condition that I will be appearing as more than just a minor role with a few scenes," Chan told reporters.
That earlier bit about The Expendables being a refuge for washed-up action stars? It was true when the first movie was conceived, but with both Expendables and Expendables 2 being well-received by moviegoers worldwide, that's no longer the case. The franchise has become a premier vehicle for past action stars (ie Jean-Claude Van Damme, Arnold Schwarzenegger) to make a comeback.
Chan also said something about Rush Hour 4 at the press conference as well, mainly he felt that three movies is enough. Of course, if Warner Bros was to give him a check with lots of zeros on it, I'd bet he wouldn't mind a fourth Rush Hour one bit.
Chan's Chinese Zodiac currently does not have a US distributor.
I interviewed over email the award-winning author Shyam Selvadurai on a new initiative called Write to Reconcile, of which he is Project Director. Groundviews?featured an in-depth interview with Shyam in mid-2011, when he was the curator of the Galle Literary Festival. Write to Reconcile is his brainchild, and I was curious to find out what drove him to think of it, and the challenges around doing this kind of work in a country post-war, but very far removed from a just peace.
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What gave rise to this idea?
I first began to think of the project during the last Galle Literary Festival. While I enjoyed many aspects of my job as Festival Curator, the thing I enjoyed most this year was taking the children?s author and story teller, Jeeva Ragunath, to Jaffna to do storytelling workshops there. The response of both students and teachers there really moved me and made me want to do something similar. I love to teach and I began to think of some way to combine this love of teaching with reconciliation and capacity building. The other thing that I was really proud of having begun at the festival was the North South University Collaboration that brought together students from around the country who met at the festival, saw events and used these events to speak to each other across their divides. Meeting the students who participated in this event was also inspiring and it made me want to take a programme like that to another level of even deeper engagement. I wanted to use creative writing as a medium to build bridges. I feel that story telling is a very important way for people to get to know each other because, in stories or poems, unlike in essay and journalistic pieces, the thoughts and feeling of characters (whether real or imaginary) provide a human connection between writer and reader. This builds empathy and understanding between peoples and communities who think differently. I am currently reading a lot of old Sanskrit Literature in translation, and it is interesting that say, in the Mahabarata, the act of telling the story of that war, of story telling itself, is seen as a healing action. Those who listen to stories in Sanskrit literature, gain a lot of merit doing so.
There?s a pun, intended or not, in the title of the project. Do you think communities in post-war Sri Lanka enjoy the right to reconcile?
The pun is definitely intended. No, unfortunately, I don?t think that communities in post-war Sri Lanka enjoy the right to reconcile. Such a process has to be multi-faceted with each community deciding and defining how they want to do this process of reconciliation and honouring the dead. I don?t think that Tamil people feel they have any control over this process at all. And I do wonder how the Muslims feel as well, because they too have suffered such loses during the civil war. But beyond that, of course, there needs to be some national process of basically story telling and healing. Truth and Reconciliation Commissions are flawed things and are often state theatre, even in the best circumstances such as South Africa. However, flawed as they are, like Democracy, they are the the best tools we have at the moment.
In an article published in the Daily News, you note that ?A very important way to heal our past wounds and move forward as a country is through telling our stories. Creative work, be it fiction, poetry or memoir, allows us to emotionally understand and empathize with the viewpoints, memories and experiences of others. Art, in all forms, has always played a very important role in healing wounds and also building tolerant, pluralistic societies.? From my own experience of editing a book based on a call for fiction, writers responded through their own experience, shared memories and the real, bloody history of Sri Lanka. How will you negotiate the complex and indeed, traumatic terrain of fiction and catharsis that may be the result of these workshops on writing?
I am really hoping I get a proper diversity of views, in terms of applicants. With this expectation, I am putting in place some guidelines for how participants will talk about each other?s work and how they will respond to each other?s thoughts and opinions, particularly things participants might not agree on. ?The main thing is goodwill and respect. You don?t have to agree with everything someone says but you must respect their right to have that opinion. I don?t see how it could be different in Sri Lanka, where there is such a diversity of views and opinions. I guess it helps to be coming from a country like Canada, where, as a teacher in university, negotiating a plethora of diverse opinions and cultural expressions is pretty much a given in a classroom. I do, however, feel the need to stress that the workshops and online forums are not a mini truth and reconciliation commission. The purpose of the workshops is to teach creative writing skills that are then applied to the subject of our civil war. I really believe personally in giving people skills and then letting them decide how they want to use them. What I dislike very much is the foreign expert (and lets face it, I am coming from elsewhere, even though I am Sri Lankan) sitting people in a circle and then listening all misty eyed while they pour out their sorrows and then offering in return some touchy-feely exercises that teach nothing really about the craft of writing.
In the context of the project, who is a ?Sri Lankan writer?? In the Daily News article, it?s noted that the ?project is open to all applicants who have Sri Lankan or dual citizenship between ages 18-29.? Arguably, someone born in Sri Lanka and for whatever reason left the island as infant or child, especially if brought up in an Anglophone country, has greater writing skills than an underprivileged citizen from within the country, who you are also trying to attract. How will you address this to ensure fair representation?
I put in the dual citizenship bit because I am a dual citizen and I felt there was something fake about me, as a dual citizen, not opening it up that way. Also there is now a growing cohort of dual citizens who have returned to participate in post-war Sri Lanka. Do they have greater writing skills? That is left to be seen. I make no such assumptions. Writing skills, however, can be taught. The people I am interested in having as participants are those who have passion and intelligence and can tell a story. I would pick a participant who has these qualities but, say, poorer grammar or writing skills, over a participant who has very good writing skills but has nothing really interesting to say.
A criticism usually levelled at projects that are conducted in English alone, especially around reconciliation, is that it doesn?t address or stem from the psyche of the majority in Sri Lanka. Is it important to you that the final submissions are translated into Sinhala and Tamil, even if the project itself was limited to English writing? If not, why not?
Yes, I will consider translation for sure. But, more than that, I would love to help facilitate similar projects in Sinhala and Tamil. Hence the reason why I have also included teachers as participants. But, for this first year, I was keen that Write to Reconcile does not bite off too much. Let?s keep it small, get it right and then expand.
There are two residential workshops ? one in Colombo, and the other in Jaffna. Why did you feel it?s important to have a residential workshop in Jaffna for all participants?
I felt that Jaffna has been cut off from the rest of Sri Lanka for a while and it is important for people outside the North to experience it. I really love Jaffna, the landscape, the elegance of its people, and I wanted to share that love with the workshops participants as well. Also I think these cultural exchanges are very important if we are to prevent us ever slipping back into a war again. But also, in terms of writing, I really want the participants to understand that their writing takes place in a broader context and that this broader context feeds artistic work. Hence the cultural tours, the screening of films, the visits by local artists, the discussing of essays and stories during the online forum. When I first conceived of the project there were going to be 4 residential workshops- Colombo, Kandy/Galle, Batticaloa and Jaffna. However, I felt this was once again too much to bite off in the first year. I went with Colombo and Jaffna because they are two very different places and also because I felt I knew them well enough, had enough contacts in both places, to allow the project to run smoothly. If I do Write to Reconcile again, the locations will change.
As the Project Director of ?Write to Reconcile? how will you negotiate your own bias when shaping the writing of the participants? Have you done this kind of work before, and what experience do you have negotiating difference, especially when it is markedly different to your own beliefs and orientations?
This question of being aware of and negotiating ones own bias is complex one. I run into it all the time when teaching creative writing at York University, the University of Toronto and the various writers in residences I have done at universities. It?s not just political biases, there is also the bias of what work you like or dislike as a writer. I am not a big fan of the beat writers and yet white male students tend to love writers like Jack Kerouac. I have to be aware of this and put my biases to a side. How do I do this? In the good old Buddhist way: Be aware of the rising feeling of distaste, step back and have a look at the feeling. Then I try and separate my biases from actual creative issues in the work before you. But, in the more concrete terms of Write to Reconcile, I will set in place certain criteria by which I and also the other participants will respond to work in the workshops. For example, it is not helpful to say to a fellow writer, ?Oh, I like/dislike your work.? This gives the writer nothing. Instead there is a checklist of things we look for in a work- how does plot, character etc work. What is the genre of the work? How does it fulfill the criteria of the genre? How does it intelligently challenge the borders of the genre? This checklist is a contract between us. We all adhere to it. Both students and teacher. This avoids for painful, harsh criticism.
As an award winning author and with your experience of curating the Galle Literary Festival for two years, what is your take on Sri Lankan fiction today, especially post-war? Do you see a growth in the quality and quantity of writing? Are there aspects you would like to see more of in the writing published today?
I don?t really see any change in quantity and quality. Some years there is a bumper crop of good work, some years it is thin. Just like it is in the West. The really good writers were writing during the war and so continue to work on whatever interests them post war. What concerns me is the general atmosphere of fear and stifling of dissent and the resulting self-censorship. I worry that writers? work will become trivial because they are frightened to deal with the great and interesting material of Sri Lanka?s recent past and present because it might be conceived of as controversial and might offend the powers that be.
What do you hope the final anthology will achieve, and how will it be disseminated (i.e. just in print, or in e-book form, for free, or sold?)
I hope that the final anthology will add to the diversity of voices and opinions that any truly democratic society needs. The book will be distributed free to libraries and community associations across the country and also a small amount will be sold. In the end, though, one cannot really judge the true impact of a book until is it out there. I know this as a writer myself. I can never tell how my book is going to impact. One just puts it out there and waits to see the effect.
What?s your own take on the possibilities of reconciliation in post-war Sri Lanka, given what you know of a familiar litany of issues anchored to violent ground realities, a corrosive political framework, the fate of the LLRC?s recommendations, the militarisation of society, the shrinking space for critical voices and the phenomenon of disappearances and abductions? How do you think, beyond the publication of a book, this project can address this depressing context?
Yes, the situation is depressing and dismaying. Yet one must have hope for change and I feel I simply cannot sit on my hands and wait for that change to come. I must do something and what I can do is teach writing in the context of airing our past. A Sri Lankan friend who is a good deal older than me said something very interesting that I hold to whenever the situation in Sri Lanka gets me down: History has many streams that feed it and you never know which one is going to swell the main river and push it forward. I don?t know what this project will feed into that main river and what it will contribute to the pushing forward of history. Only time will tell that.
Finally, why write? Is it not better to silently endure and risk less, than write and risk exclusion, insult, violence and loss?
I am a writer who has dedicated my life to writing, so the question of why write seems besides the point. I believe in the power of story, to change us. How about I offer instead the final words from the Mahabarata that are an affirmation of the power of story:
?He who recites the Mahabarata tales attains the highest perfection ? of this I have no doubt?. if a man studies it as he hears it recited, what need has he to bathe in the waters of holy Lake Pushkara??
UNESCO supports the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and Intercultural Dialogue University Network in the launch of an online course in MIL and intercultural dialogue.
Apple has filed a preliminary proxy statement with the SEC today ahead of its annual shareholder meeting for 2013, and it reveals executive compensation metrics for the company's senior leadership. CEO Tim Cook is in line for the most drastic reduction in year-over-year pay outs, with annual compensation of 'just' $4.17 million in 2012, compared to $378 million in 2011 and $59 million in 2010.
This month, one of BostonLogic's Sequoia customers, Dickens Mitchener & Associates, won the award for Best Real Estate Agency in North Carolina from the International Property Awards 2012 for businesses from Americas.
