DESPITE much "window-dressing" about the overseas student issue, nothing has been done to improve relations with the Australian community, higher education analyst Simon Marginson warned this week…. From The Australian. Full story

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En su último informe anual de estadísticas de capacidad y producción de biodiésel correspondiente a 2009 (temporada 2008-2009), el Consejo Europeo de Biodiésel (EBB) califica el comportamiento del sector del biodiésel de la Unión Europea como «resistente», en un contexto de competencia internacional desleal y condiciones de mercado desfavorables.

Durante los dos últimos años (2007 y 2008), los productores europeos de biodiésel han tenido que competir con el biodiésel B99, «fuertemente subvencionado» y comercializado mediante «dumping». Se dice que el biodiésel estadounidense B99 se vendía a un precio mucho menor que el aceite de soja utilizado como materia prima. Pese a esta circunstancia, la UE produjo un total de 7,7 millones de toneladas de biodiésel en 2008, un 35 % más que en 2007.

El informe presenta, además, otros aspectos a destacar:

(1) la UE está preparada para suministrar biodiésel en grandes cantidades a corto plazo, gracias a la instalación de capacidades de producción que en total se aproximan a los 21 millones de litros;

(2) los Estados miembros de la UE han instaurado un marco jurídico que apoya el despliegue del biodiésel y de los biocombustibles, principalmente en forma de objetivos obligatorios;

(3) cabe esperar que el biodiésel siga teniendo una importancia decisiva para la seguridad del suministro energético comunitario. En la página web del EBB hay publicada más información sobre su informe anual de producción de biodiésel.

Fuente : BioDieselSpain

Solitary

3 months of Pipelaying Project in Miri (ongoing).

3 days of UWILD inspection under Bureau Veritas in Labuan.

6 months of relationship.

1 break-up.

Sometimes we’re so focused on finding our happy ending we don’t learn how to read the signs.
How to tell the ones who want us from the ones who don’t. The ones who will stay from the ones who will leave.

– He’s Just Not That Into You (2009) via Bianca’s entry

Funny. When I commented on Bianca’s entry, it was meant for Ebb, not Sue.

The day after, it looks like I’m still “inside the blind spot”.

The reason?

The haunting of past memory — made anew — fueling the distrust, basking in its flame.

+++

P.S.: I never watch the movie, of which the quote comes from.

chill and relax

40 thieves – point to the joint (ebb remix)

yaz – situation (u.s. 12” mix)

-bv-

Calmness returns once more to my life. I find myself (for now) more able to relax, enjoy the little moments, and expect that all will be well. That sounds simple, but for me it is not always. ~~~

Passion at Low Tide: Like a Beach at Low Tide...but less stinky.

It’s ok to have days of meh-edness towards something you’re passionate about.

Today is one of those days. I don’t feel like writing much right now. I want to watch some good tv, eat some bad chinese food, and do some thinking.

It’s Friday night, so I’m rationalizing all of this as ok.

It’s me, season 5 of Six Feet Under, and enough ice cream to turn my lactose intolerance into general intolerance.

The writing is good; remember when Alan Ball told stories that made us feel something, instead of shlocky-steamy-sex vampire yarns?

The last five minutes of this series kill me, every time.

So, tonight, I’m going to let my passions rest and eat some ice cream.

Tomorrow, maybe I’ll tell you The Scribbling Story, or: The Perils of Public Passions.

Spoiler alert: everybody dies.

Watch, listen, bawl a little:

In English. The sea is a false promise
of return,
ebb and flow,
rhythmic come and go,
the Portuguese fisherman’s saudade,
the Korean cane cutter’s han,
the American salesman building a heartland,
longing for salt and brine
he has never known.

I love Forrest Gump.  I love the movie, the story, and the character.  

I have to re-spin one of his sayings, though.  

He famously said, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.”  For one thing, there’s something not quite… accurate about that.  I mean, think about it.  When you buy chocolate in a box, be it from See’s or in a Valentine’s Day novelty box or from any other chocolate vendor, you most likely buy the box because you know exactly what’s going to be inside it (or at least have a pretty good idea).  Who buys something without at least an inkling about what he/she is buying, anyway?  

Not only that, but I have to say that in almost every box of chocolates I’ve ever seen, there is almost always a pictorial guide inside the box telling you specifically what varieties of sweet treats are in what parts of the box.  Want a dark chocolate morsel?  Try the dark-brown one in the top-middle square.  How about a coconut-in-milk chocolate piece?  Bottom right, just next to the toffee chip topped with fudge.

Nah, sorry, Forrest, but I think life is more like the beach:  It’s all about ebbs and flows.  One moment you’re high; the next moment, you come down a bit.  You’re happy, then not so happy.  

Sure, there are always constants which are (by definition) ever-present in everyone’s life.  Love usually defines these constants.  People you love, places and things which trigger your memories of people you love…  each moment, in fact, might be defined by the love you can attach to it.  Presently, even as I write this at my work desk in the office, my mind is not on purchase orders or electric vehicle maintenance requirements:  Rather, my mind is on my little nephews, Jacob and Alex.  

The boys are going back to Coquitlam, British Columbia, tomorrow, and while I am filled with sadness because it will be a few months before I get to see them again, I still feel the strong tidal flow of love that I have for them.  My mind is pushed and pulled by waves of joy; my memories are stirred by potent currents of all that we did together these past few weekends.

I remember Jacob running to hug me when my dad and I got in from Glendale on Friday night; Alex’s smile on Saturday morning when he pressed his hand on my face as I lay on the inflatable mattress; the boys’ laughter at any random moment during the weekend; flying a kite at the park with Jacob; Alex feeding me grapes on Sunday; how heavy both boys seem to be getting (though, to be fair, I don’t think I was at maximum physical strength this past weekend); Jacob being sick two weekends ago, and being fat and happy just before leaving for home; Alex laughing as we chased each other all over the house…

My mood is starting to ebb now that I know they will be leaving for home.  Separation from loved ones always produces this ebb.  

It’s not a box of chocolates, but life’s nevertheless a beach.

C’e la vie…

Its been weeks since I have written, the flow seems at an ebb

Its been a while since I have spoken, the words don’t seem to come

Its been some time since I have felt, sence of touch is hardened I guess

Its been a long time since

Life has a way of breaking the monotony

Life has a way of waxing and waning

Its not life that I blame for the ebb

Its just that I have lost and learned to hold on no more

The choices were made long before I was even introduced to them

I ignored them, I even thought I would circumvent them

Apologies are in order, a sorry would do some good I feel

But for the diatance , but for the choices we have no control over

I have found what I was looking for, I have lived a life time it seems

None to blame but my self for the mistakes, none but me to applaud for the achievements

Some would say it’s the nature of lady luck, others applaud the talent

All I have to add is that I have always had an angel to watch over me

Yet incomplete I feel, shouting among a hoard of strangers

Wanting for them to listen, to hear those words unsaid

Listening to myself I am astounded at the noise within

Louder than the loudest explosion, deafening me slowly

Each day we hear sounds, each day noise surrounds us

Do we care to listen, do we care to pay heed

Numerous are the cries of people in torment, numerous are the people in pain

We walk along, we ignore, we cross the street or we change our path

Doubtful is it that we want to change, unsettled are we in what we do

The world seems on the brink, yet leaders want to flaunt their power

Meetings and conferences change nothing, but will the will to change

Have we chosen the right people, can they make the difference

                                                     (for Grace)

      How beautiful the tinkling bells

      that weave harmonic hymns

      into the best and worst of us –

      ring God is in this spacious air,

      ring ebb and flow of saffron

      flood, ring ease into all bone and

      blood till we are silently repaired –

      beyond the distance of our cares;

      for music met, so blindly felt,

      restores the cheerfulness of self

      that, to a man, we thought we’d

      lost –  at high a price, so high a cost.

      This stillest silence greatly bound

      by threaded silver’s golden sound.

                                       © Diane Beaty

Nu när jag har fått fritid att slå ihjäl är jag tvungen att komma på vad jag gjorde innan jag började arbeta med kulturarrangemang på livstid. Märk mina ord – livstid inte heltid! Jag får backa tillbaka till tiden när jag bodde på Tingsgatan i Arvikas fulaste hus- ett dåligt miljonprogramsbygge med asbestplattor på balkongen, loftgång och tjocka betongväggar som stängde ut allt ljus. Inuti var det till att börja med ganska fint i alla fall. Jag bakade bullar, la pärlplattor, gjorde blandband, sydde kläder, stickade en raggsocka, kokade knäck på julen och komponerade musik på min gitarr. Och så vaknade jag till den här låten av Boards of Canada. Varje morgon i flera månader. Det var fina tider det! Så här kunde det se ut:

Det var på den tiden när jag inte riktigt hade förstått hur man vände på bilderna i PhotoBooth, därav viss spegelvändhet. Det var även på den tiden då jag började vänja mig vid ldsbevakning igen, efter 1 års total ignorans av allt vad massmedia hette. Undrar någon varför var det min sista utväg efter att borgarna vann riksdagsvalet 2006.

I alla fall – jag har nu lyckats konstatera vilket rikt fritidsliv jag hade på den gamla goda tiden, i min ungdom. Detta leder mig in på steg två – utvärdera de gamla, addera all erfarenhet jag fått under åren som gått sen dess och låta det hela mynna ut i några nygamla hobbies.

På onsdag ska jag utöva hobbiesen åka skateboard. Jag har hittat mina stickor och kan således sticka min andra raggsocka. Hobbies nummer tre är troligtvis att återupptäcka all musik jag lyssnat på de senaste åren. Kopiösa mängder. Utöver Boards Of Canada har jag också nyfunnit Imogen Heap, Juana Molina (och därmed även mitt fd favoritradioprogram Klingan), Dungen och Ebb (som har gjort fenomenala Life is on TV lite längre upp i det här inlägget). Utöver detta ska jag främst utöva min bästa hobby genom tiderna – egodejtandet. I mina ungdomsår gick jag på bio med mig själv minst en gång i veckan, simmade tusentals meter och fikade på många trevliga fik med personen jag kommer bäst överrens med i hela världen. Mig själv.

“Remember Me,” said the cookies in the internet browser — each time I cleanup the cookies cache.

“Clinging to a past that doesn’t let me choose.” It’s best to purge and diffuse.

John Kander – Fred Ebb
Cabaret

• “Money”

Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey
Scene from the movie Cabaret
directed by Bob Fosse

youtube upload by ainfean1

Libra:

An old relationship issue will keep coming back unless you face it directly today.

Hey you Horoscope, you really are a Horrorscoop.

Good: 6 Month Bonus bank-in today.

Best: I can book MacBook Pro 17″ tomorrow.

Bad: Staying back late at the office till 9:00pm to meet the deadline.

Worst: I hurt the feelings two of my best friends, unintentionally. Sorry

A little cat gave me a start this morning. As she licked my earlobe, she shared her queer thought. She thinks that a whore-meat can solve my prostitute problem. What! A whole-meal can help my prostate problem? So I gave her fishsticks *pat*pat*pat*.

Imagine you are a hotel. In return for issuing $5000 worth of vouchers you receive $5000 worth of printing. Until those vouchers are used you haven’t paid out anything, even though you are getting your printing up-front. Even better – the printing is now costing you less than 10% of what you would pay if you were spending cash.

Effectively your business would be turning unsold rooms into printing.

By purchasing using your own products or services you can automatically reduce the net cash cost on anything you buy. This is because you are buying using the wholesale cost of your product or service (the difference between the cost you would pay in cash to service a new customer versus the purchase price of the item you just purchased).

Ormita allows you to take your excess capacity or stock and convert it into things you need without loosing regular business or affecting your cashflow.

Trading at a Discount Compared to Cash

Using Ormita you can trade in your excesses to reduce your overheads. Your cost to purchase now becomes the cost to create additional sales.

As a member you receive part of every sale you make in cash (covering your fees to us, sales tax and the majority of your cash servicing costs) and the balance in credits which you can use to make purchases from other businesses.

If you are a service-oriented merchant it is possible that your mark-up can be as high as 200% or more. With Ormita you will be able to trade dollar for dollar at your full retail price. This can result in tremendous savings – paying half price (or less) for the products and services that you need.

Ormita supplements your income and provides you with additional customers to buy those goods and services you otherwise would not sell today.

Depending on your industry, sellers also receive anywhere from 0% – 50% in cash as part of the sale transaction.

By recovering part or all of your “cost to provide service” to these new customers you are effectively able to purchase new goods and services at almost no cost.

New sales offsetting existing cash expenses.

Do you want to know more about the Ormita Commerce Network or become a member, joint venture partner or barter exchange franchise owner?  Visit our website at www.ormita.com or www.ormitacorporate.com.

Barter, Bartering, Bartercard, Barter Card, Barter Club, Barter Exchange, Barter Network, Barter Software, BCI, Bizx, Broker, Community Currency, Countertrade, Counter Trade, DoBarter, EBB, Excess Capacity, Exchange, Franchise, IMS, IRTA, Itex, Merchants Barter, NATE, Offset Trade, Private Barter, Reciprocal Trade, Swap, Swapping, Trade, Tradebank, Trade Exchange, Tradia, Trading, Barter Exchange, Barter System, Bartering System, Community, Counter-Trade, XO Limited, Ozone, Ozonecard, Ozone Barter, Ebanc, Empire Trade, Argentina, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey & United Kingdom, USA, New Zealand, Australia, United States of America, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Iran, Syria, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Adelaide, Brisbane, Bunbury, Campbelltown, Canberra, Dubbo, Gold Coast, Gosford, Hobart, Kalgoorlie, Mandurah, Melbourne, Newcastle, Penrith, Perth, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, Tamworth, Townsville, Wollongong, Auckland, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Basildon, Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton, Bradford, Chelmsford, Coventry, Derby, Dundee, Edinburgh, Gloucester, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Kingston upon Hull, Leicester, Manchester, Newport, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Peterborough, Plymouth, Preston, Reading, Rotherham, Saint Helens, Swansea, Swindon, Watford, New York City, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Tampa, Washington, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boise, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Worth, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Barter Exchange Franchise, Barter Exchange Franchises, Barter Franchise, Barter License, Ormita, Ormita Commerce Network, Comparison, Barter Software, Bartering Software, Swap, Trading, Recession, Recession-proof, Trillion, Billion, Bailout

In deciding whether or not to get involved in barter, counter-trade or offset trade, the first question a business owner must ask is: Do I have something to barter? The answer is yes for most small businesses. If they have excess inventory, they have goods to barter. If they are a service provider with the capacity to handle more clients, they have expertise to barter.

Businesses suitability to barter

For a business to be suitable for barter exchange membership it must have between a 30-percent to 35-percent profit margin on the products or services that it intends to offer. This allows the business to make a sufficient margin to reap the benefits of purchasing goods / services at a large-enough discount to make the idea worth-while.

Individuals suitability to barter

Individuals are uniquely suited to becoming members of a barter exchange as they are capable of offering services often fall into the “ad-hoc personal needs” category. Whilst each product or service may not be of a high-value they can add up to a significant amount for a business owner at the end of each month. They also provide the ability for a member to make acquisitions using trade credits that are not readily available through other retail barter exchanges:

• Lawn-mowing & gardening
• Hair styling / colouring
• Assisting in letter writing, dealing with agencies etc
• Handyman type services
• Book-keeping and other professional services
• Computer support
• Website design
• Housework / cleaning
• Tutoring and teaching – homework, music, arts, fitness, computers
• Workshops on any subject members wish to learn about
• Home exchange for holidays
• Escorting people on errands and appointments
• Shopping or doing errands for people
• Giving time off to people caring for relatives
• Telephoning – for companionship, membership lists, advertising, language practice
• Languages – translation, conversation
• Counselling people in need
• Food – meal preparation, cooking, baked goods
• Rentals of tools and equipment
• Minor auto and bike repairs
• Gift items, household items, handmade items
• Recycled sports equipment, children’s items etc.
• Space – storage, garage, for activities
• Teaching/supervising others who whish to learn what you know

Do you want to know more about the Ormita Commerce Network or become a member, joint venture partner or barter exchange franchise owner?  Visit our website at www.ormita.com or www.ormitacorporate.com.

Service Professionals

When a business depends on billable hours for profits, every unfilled slot on their appointment calendar represents lost revenue that will never be replaced. Bartering offers these types of businesses the opportunity to:

• Turn those open appointments into new customers
• Get a steady stream of new clients
• Build up your list of happy customers
• Receive referrals from customers we bring them
• Use our customers as reference sites for more work

Hotels / Motels / Backpackers / Accommodation Providers

Every night forty percent of the hotel rooms across the country are empty, however, these businesses fixed costs stay the same regardless whether those rooms are vacant or not.

• Selling empty rooms online using barter makes good sense.
• No cost to advertise
• No need to discount
• Sell only when during down-periods (off-season, cancellations etc)
• Attract customers to your business instead of your competitors
• Get a steady stream of new clients
• Sell previously unsold rooms at full price

Media / Advertising Providers

Advertising is a very perishable commodity. Every unsold advertising spot or print ad cuts directly into your bottom line. With fixed costs and competition on the rise you can’t afford to miss a single chance to build revenue and cut costs.

• We can help you reach new advertisers
• Fill your unsold advertising space
• Take customers away from the competition
• No need to discount
• No need for costly promotions
• Our members pay you instantly – no accounts receivable
• Turn a loss into a profit
• Deal with a loyal customer-base

Event Tickets / Entertainment Venues

Your barter exchange gives businesses the opportunity to sell event tickets, venue seats and entertainment attraction passes at the last minute as an alternative to discounting.

Once these types of businesses cover their overheads any additional revenue is 100% profit. Through the effective utilization of the barter exchange platform these businesses can attract additional customers without the added burden of increased advertising costs.

• Fills empty seats / venues
• Allows participants to sell at the “last minute”
• Turns empty spaces into a valuable asset
• No need to discount
• No need for costly promotions
• The seller receives payment instantly
• Turns a loss into a profit
• Attracts new customers
• Instant promotion online, via email newsletters, mobile phone alerts to members and telephone brokered sales

Liquidation Stock

Every year a large amount of businesses find themselves with end of line or last seasons stock, incorrectly packaged or returned products and “new” items which did not sell as well as they initially thought they would.

Instead of discounting this surplus capacity, a barter exchange offers its members a way to receive full market value:

• No cost to list
• Sell at full price
• Sellers get paid immediately
• Online quotes or fixed-price offers
• Offers can be limited by date and quantity
• Participants only have to accept the customers they want
• Customers are attracted away from the competition
• New and trial products have a greater market-reach and, if unsuccessful, they do not cause brand impact – something which could have potentially affected the cash-paying customers
• Businesses receive word-of-mouth referrals

Unsold appointment time, empty hotel rooms, unsold venue passes, unfilled advertising space, rapidly depreciating stock, idle production time, vacant seats, end-of-line items and oversupplied products are known as “dead capital” and there is approximately 9.3 trillion dollars of it world-wide.

Barter Provides a Competitive Edge

Business owners in a barter exchange will patronize other members businesses over competition because the barter affiliation is an incentive to do business.  Barter also attracts new customers to a business, without affecting the existing cash sales already being generated by the company.

Barter Increases Sales

A barter exchange markets its members to hundreds of local businesses and thousands nationally — all potential customers, incremental business over and above the daily cash-paying customers. Businesses barter to purchase what they need or want, and pay for them with the additional sales of their products or services.

Barter Improves Cash Flow

There are two main ways of to increase cash flow – additional sales and reduced costs. Barter does both! Barter allows business owners for what you need with what they have – allowing them to preserve working capital for other needs. When a business uses barter instead of cash to purchase needed products and services, they reduce their cash costs by paying for them with revenue generated by incremental barter sales. When they purchase something using their barter exchange trade dollars, the payment is made with new sales … sales that probably would not have happened without the barter exchange affiliation.

Barter Moves Excess Inventory & Fills Idle Production Time

Every business owner struggles with the dilemma of what to do with extra inventory or idle production time. Barter provides a tool to put that excess to use in profitable ways. The barter exchange accomplishes this objective by matching sellers products or services with businesses looking to purchase them on trade. It’s a win-win situation.

Barter Means New Cash Sales

That’s not a misprint – yes, cash sales. Every business owner knows the key to success is referrals. If they perform a good job for a client of they serviced though the barter exchange – they’ll undoubtedly refer their cash-paying friends, clients, family and associates.

Barter Means Increased Profits

Sellers within in a barter network make incremental barter sales (over and above their cash business) and increased sales mean increased profits.

Barter Makes Record-Keeping Easy

The barter exchange works much like a bank, providing control, record keeping, and administration for member’s barter transactions. Direct-trading between businesses, often becomes cumbersome at record-keeping time. With a barter exchange’s convenient clearinghouse concept, there’s no need to keep track of the dollars traded. The barter exchange uses state-of-the-art technology to track all of its member’s barter sales and purchases with an easy-to-read itemized monthly statement. Plus, a member website is available to service their barter needs 24/7.

Barter Eliminates Bad Debts

Barter takes the hassle out of collections. When a member makes a barter sale to another client within the barter exchange, transactions are settled instantly.

Barter Creates Wholesale Buying Power

With barter, the real cost of the products members purchase on trade is actually the wholesale cost of the trade dollars earned. Making sales with built-in profits makes the cost of the purchases more economical on trade. When businesses join a barter exchange, they open the door to a new, cash-free way of handling every day business and personal expenses.

Contacting the Ormita Commerce Network
www.ormita.com
www.ormitacorporate.com

Wealth & ‘traditional’ asset building

Increased market share

Local welfare and sustainability

Environmental

Do you want to know more about the Ormita Commerce Network or become a member, joint venture partner or barter exchange franchise owner?  Visit our website at www.ormita.com or www.ormitacorporate.com.

Officials of the GATT organization, claim that counter-trade alone accounts for around 5% of the world trade. The British Department of Trade and Industry has suggested 15%, while numerous scholars believe it to be closer to 30%, with east-west trade having been as high as 50% in some trading sectors of Eastern European and Third World Countries. A consensus of expert opinions (Okaroafo, 1989) has put the percentage of the value of world trade volumes linked to counter-trade transactions at between 20% to 25%.

Why counter-trade:

• Lack of “hard” currency
• Desire for bilateral trade relations
• A mode of entering a foreign market

The pro’s of counter-trade are:

1. The world debt crisis has made ordinary trade financing very risky.

2. The use of countertrade permits the covert reduction of prices and therefore allows the circumvention of price and exchange controls.

3. “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” – Bilateralism

4. Excellent mechanism to gain entry into new markets

5. Countertrade can be a good way to attract new buyers.

6. Countertrade also can provide stability for long-term sales.

Counter-trade is generally conducted between governments, large corporations, consists of several different types:

Variations of counter-trade include:

A great deal of counter-trade involves the partial payment of goods or services in cash.

Most emerging market economies have favoured countertrade for economic reasons.

Newly Industrialized Countries favour for competitive reason with countries in Western Europe, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia actively participating and promoting counter-trade.

Do you want to know more about the Ormita Commerce Network or become a member, joint venture partner or barter exchange franchise owner?  Visit our website at www.ormita.com or www.ormitacorporate.com.