I want to thank you all for staying with me even though I had not written anything for weeks while in hospital fighting for my life. I was blessed with great doctors, nurses, care aids, and roommates all who helped me recover, even when I was fighting against their wishes when I was confused and septic.

One thing I hope is that my brain can still work the same now after all that has happened and with all these new meds. Truthfully I don’t feel the same and I am finding that I am struggling to write. Hopefully this is temporary and happens to writers, like after they take a vacation.

Speaking about vacations…… We are obviously not on the cruise to Alaska. I did not get to go on my bucket list cruise and take my mom on a Mother’s Day cruise because I was sick. Guess what happened when I went to get my money back? Norwegian Cruise refused to give me my money back. They took my money and said, even though I gave them a doctors document signed, “No”. I am so angry I can’t even talk about it right now. I feel like they have stolen from me. I am on disability I have saved up for a very long, long, long time. Now that money is gone along with my dreams and my mothers present. And my Mother is so deserving of a gift and a vacation. All she does is watch her daughter die, it would have been nice for her to see her daughter smile.

Pamela

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Digital EP Links – A Kick Snare And An Idea:

http://bit.ly/aksaai_itunes

http://bit.ly/aksaai_amazon

http://bit.ly/aksaai_juno

http://bit.ly/aksaai_etch

Limited Edition 10″ Vinyl – A Kick Snare And An Idea (plus all Ty’s back catalogue) can be purchased directly from:

http://www.tymusicstore.co.uk

Connect with Ty

http://www.twitter.com/tymusic

http://www.facebook.com/TYMusicFanpage

http://tinyurl.com/ckuvphk

She is called Annie, is 92-years-old, and has lived in the same house (I think) for as long as I’ve been alive. Because of her, I had my very first holiday abroad, to the magical Disneyland Paris (or EuroDisney, as it was known back when I first went). I must have gone four or five consecutive years in a row, and I have fond memories from every time. That was over twelve years ago, but this year, thanks to her, I was once again off on a holiday abroad. Along with my dad, we journeyed on a coach down to Southampton and boarded the Oriana cruise-ship, setting sail to Norway.

I didn’t know much about the country before I arrived. One quarter of Aqua originates from Norway, and in The Aqua Diary VHS there is a small look at Lene’s hometown. Also, they (undeservedly) finished last in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, so we have something in common. We had roughly a two day sail until we arrived in Norway; so during this time, I got to be reacquainted with my Grandma, as we shared a room. The second night saw me attend my first formal dining event.

I ate so well during my time on the ship! And even developed a liking for fruit smoothies.

On Sunday morning, we woke up to our first sighting of land since leaving.

This was the lovely city of Stavanger.

We forewent the planned excursions, and had a leisurely walk into the town. I had spent a few hours that week researching places to visit, so acted as the guide. Thankfully, my grandma and dad kept up with me, and we reached my intended destination: Sjokoladepiken. However, it being a Sunday, it wasn’t open (yet). We lucked out with a lovely cafe opposite, called Bøker & Børst. We all had tea, and I even had Red Bush (because aside from chocolate, that’s the only other hot drink I like)!

After that, Sjokoladepiken had opened, and me and my grandma had a look inside. I was a bit nervous ordering, but the chocolatiers were very welcoming and spoke English. I bought a handmade peanut butter chocolate bar (which I’m still savouring, as it is delicious), and took away a hot chocolate, which came in two cups, so my dad held one and couldn’t help but drink most of it. He said it tasted like a melted Galaxy bar (which is quite a compliment, given he has no sense of smell). It had been about two hours, but we still had two hours left until the ship was due to leave and carry on its cruise up the fjords. My grandma and dad reluctantly let me wandar the city by myself, and I spent rather too much time enjoying myself! It felt amazing to be walking the streets of a different for once. It was only this year that I had travelled to another city by myself, so to now be on my own in a foreign country gave me such confidence.

On Monday morning, we arrived in a very wet, but still beautiful Geiranger. But that did not deter us (or me, at least) from exploring the village. After walking / climbing up the mountain side and taking some time out to breathe the fresh air and photograph the scenic views, I lucked out once again, and enjoyed some more delicious hot chocolate, this time made by Geiranger Sjokolade, inside a beautiful “boat house” cafe. I tried many different varieties of their chocolates, including raspberry, brown cheese, and even blue cheese, before settling on some of the strawberry chocolates to take home (in hindsight, I should have bought all four, they were all delicious).

By Tuesday, I was feeling a little bit tired, and had had too much fresh air, as my face was beginning to get puffy. What can I say, I am allergic to the sun, after all. Thankfully, we hadn’t seen much clear skies, otherwise my condition could have been far worse. We all decided to get tickets for an excursion which took us on a sightseeing coach trip around Beautiful Stryn and the Nordfjord.

It was breathtaking, and after having tea in Bryggen Hotel, I unfortunately fell asleep on the ride back. But, you know, once you’ve seen one snowcapped fjord, you’ve basically seen them all.

The good news is, I had got my energy back for our last day in Norway, and they truly had saved the best for last. Bergen is a beautiful, bustling city. Far too big to explore for the short amount of time we were given. Again, I had a place in mind, and we hopped on a Sightseeing bus to take us there. The Kode museum had recently reopened their Edvard Munch exhibit, and I got the chance to view some amazing art.

After that, I explored Bergen on my own, and it felt good to just aimlessly wander around. I took shelter in a record shop, as the weather was uncharacteristically glorious that afternoon, but left empty handed despite my best efforts to track down Aqua’s 2012 comeback album, Megalomania (seriously, what the hell, giving it a Danish only release). Grabbing only a Snapple from a local 7/11, I enjoyed the free wifi on the Sightseeing bus as it made its way back to the ship. My time in Norway had come to an end all too soon. But, we still had two more nights on the ship to enjoy. More formal dining, trying some Peri Peri chicken, and winding down in the evening with quizzes, bingo, and the dreaded karaoke. My dad took me and my Grandma to the casino frequently, and we both faired quite well for our first times, but the trick is to know when to leave, which is hard when you’re trapped on a ship.

Before arriving, I honestly expected to spend most of my time in the ship’s cinema, but when I finally sat down in there on the last night, it turned out to be the worst part! The film was brilliant, and free, but calling that projection room a cinema is an insult. Overall, the ship was beautiful, and I got over the Britishness of it all fairly quickly. It’s hard not to get swept up in the theme, and I would love to secretly call it my guilty pleasure – you know, if I were rich enough to book frequent cruises! It’s nice to know I’m not trapped in this country anymore, I am capable of seeing this whole world if I want to. It’s not just a dream anymore.

The Diva
Kae-Kae
May 22, 2002-April 14, 2013

Hello Blogland!! Everyone having a wonderful week thus far?? My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the tornado yesterday in Moore, Oklahoma. It’s just unimaginable.

This will be a photo-heavy post today without much “chatter”. I’m feeling really blue. Tomorrow would’ve been the Diva’s 11th birthday. You may recall we were planning a Super Fantastic Cyber E-Birthday Extravaganza as befitting the International Style Icon and Supermodel she was.

It was not to be. For those of you who are new to the blog, the Diva (aka Kae-Kae) became ill suddenly Sunday April 7th. She was diagnosed with congestive heart-failure. Her little heart was damaged from the 5+ years as a breeder in a puppy mill. The vet said they couldn’t “fix” her but we could manage it. She seemed to be responding to the medication but began having seizures early on the morning of April 14th. We had to love her enough to do what was best for her and let her go.

She is missed terribly. She was an 8 lb bundle of personality and attitude. Definitely the Alpha-dog in our house. It was ALL ABOUT HER!!!  I still catch myself looking for her.

I can never express how touched we are at the outpouring of love y’all have shown the last few weeks. It has meant the world to me and it’s made it easier knowing how many people her little bossy blonde self touched.

We buried her in the herb garden. I found this winged dog statue and of course I had to Diva-fy it. She loved her bling and outfits and attention.

I want to share some of my favorite photo’s of her. They really can’t catch the essence of her Diva-ness. She was quite the character and we can never replace her.

My favorite Diva picture. I love the smile on her face!! She knows she is the loveliest flower in the garden!!

Last picture of us together taken about a week before she got sick.

Surrounded in glitzy gold lame’ as a Diva should be!

One the last pictures of Kae taken the Friday before she left us. This breaks my heart now because you can see how ill she really was.

Love how she’s got her tongue out!!

It’s exhausting being a Diva!!!!

KaeKae in the patriotic mode!!

Accessorized with adorable Diva

It’s exhausting being cute AND supervising!!!

The Queen and MrBill

The always adorable DIVA in her new party dress!!!

The Diva rockin’ her tutu and tshirt!!

MrBill and KaeKae. He misses her so.

I’ll leave you with a view of the Diva I got on many an occaison.  This is how she expressed her displeasure with anything–just turn and show you the butt of disdain.

I’ll be back on Thursday with outfit posts and such. Hug your pets a little harder tonite and give them a treat for the Diva!

TTFN

Tamera, Lauren and MrBill

I’ve always been a Dagwood & Blondie fan – his sandwich creations are amazing! I’ve seen his mouth open and lean towards his (apparently) unreachably high sandwich but never actually seen him take a bite! Have you?

Once Blondie became a caterer, my interest was even more piqued! These “blond” brownies (how’s that for an oxymoron!) are named in her honor – and maybe she’ll put them on her menu.

You can frost them with a citrus frosting (I’ll add the recipe for that at the end) but being the sorta purist that I am – and wanting to try one before they’re cool enough to frost – I usually leave them plain. Enjoy them either way – or both!

Blondie’s Apple Brownies

• 2 c peeled and diced Granny Smith apples (or tart apple of your choice)
• 1 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 c cake flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (freshly scraped is best)
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 c raisins
• Creamy Citrus Frosting (optional) recipe follows

Preheat oven to 325. Butter (or use butter flavored spray) a 13″ x 9″ metal baking pan (use metal; glass doesn’t work as well in this recipe) and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced apples and brown sugar. Set it aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and set it aside to cool. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg slightly until blended. Sift dry ingredients together.

Whisk the melted and cooled butter into the egg; stir this  mixture into the apple mixture. Stir the flour mixture into the apple mixture, mixing just until incorporated. The batter will be very thick. Stir in the nuts and raisins; spread into prepared pan.

Bake at 325 for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost if desired.

Makes 16 large or 32 small servings.

Creamy Citrus Frosting

• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp. orange juice
• 1 to 1-1/2 c powdered sugar

Beat the butter with the orange juice. They will not combine completely. Add powdered sugar a little at a time until the desired sweetness and consistency is reached. Spread evenly over completely cooled brownies and cut after frosting.

GAIL (India) Limited (A Government of India Undertaking)
GAIL Bhawan, 16, Bhikaiji Cama Place, R K Puram, New Delhi, PIN-110 066.

GAIL (India) Limited, a Maharatna PSU, invites applications from professionals in Human Resource and Finance & Accounts discipline, to fill up post and category wise vacancies indicated below :

1. Senior Officer (HR)

No. of Posts : 08 Posts (UR – 04 ; OBC – 02 ; SC – 02)

Qualification : Bachelor Degree with minimum 60% marks and Two years MBA/ MSW with specialization in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations/ Human Resources Management with minimum 65% marks  OR   Bachelor Degree with minimum 60% marks and Two years Master Degree/ Two years PG Diploma in Personnel Management/ Personnel Management & Industrial Relations with minimum 65% marks.

Experience : 01 year Post Qualification Executive Experience in line (including experience as ET/ MT) in a PSU/ Large Private Sector Organization.

2. Senior officer (F&A)

No. of Posts : 11 Posts (UR – 06 ; OBC – 03 ; SC – 01 ; ST – 01)

Qualification : CA/ ICWA  OR  B.Com with minimum 60% Marks and Two years MBA with specialization in Finance with minimum 65% Marks.  OR Graduation (B.A) with Honours in Economics with minimum 60% Marks and Two years MBA with specialization in Finance with minimum 65% Marks.  OR Graduation (B.A/ B.Sc.) with Honours in Maths with minimum 60% Marks and Two years MBA with specialization in Finance with minimum 65% Marks.  OR Graduate in Engineering i.e. B.E./ B.Tech. with minimum 60% Marks and Two years MBA with specialization in Finance with minimum 65% Marks.

Experience : 01 year Post Qualification Executive Experience in line (including experience as ET/MT) in a PSU/ Large Private Sector Organization.

Emoluments : Selected candidates will be placed in the pay scale of Rs.24,900 – 50,500/- (E-2 Grade) at the Basic Pay of Rs.25,650/- with one year probation in E-2 Grade.

Other Benefits : Company Accommodation/ Leased Accommodation/ HRA, medical facility, group insurance, house building advance, conveyance advance, furnishing advance/ PC advance, etc.

Application fee : Rs.200/- for General and OBC candidates (NO fee for SC/ST /PH Candidates) – DD drawn in favour of GAIL (India) Limited payable at New Delhi.

How to Apply : Candidates are required to apply ONLINE. After successful Registration Online candidates are required to take a Print Out of the Online process. The Print Out along with all necessary relevant enclosures should be sent in an envelope superscribed as “APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF “______________ ” [POST, REGN. NO. and CATEGORY: SC/ ST/ OBC (NCL)/ PWD as the case may be] and addressed to Sr. Manager (HRD), GAIL (India) Limited, GAIL Bhawan, 16, Bhikaiji Cama Place, R K Puram, New Delhi, PIN-110 066.

Last Date : 3rd June 2013

Last Date for Print Out by post : 17th June 2013

For further details & to Apply Online : https://careers.gail.co.in/SAP/BC/WEBDYNPRO/SAP/HRRCF_A_UNREG_JOB_SEARCH?SAP-CLIENT=350#

Because this song makes me happy. That’s why.

Allow me to introduce you to someone from one of my favourite musical places: Chile.

Chile is at the top of my list for Latin indie music. It’s also at the top of my list for loving some mountains (Patagonia, anyone?). Gepe serves as a great palate-sampler for digging your teeth into Chilean music. Check out some his folk-inspired songs also like Alfabeto (the first song that got me hooked).

Enjoy your day and go hike a mountain even if the Andes aren’t in your country.

-Ross

I was first introduced to this very unique team sport in my Basic Games class at McGill University.

No blocking – no interceptions.

If there’s one game/sport that I would advocate for in every physical & health education class, it’s Tchoukball.

We gather on a somber holiday.
We remember with sadness those we have loved and lost.
Let us not glorify the conflicts and violence that tear our loved ones from us.
Let us, rather, give glory to God, who calls us to use our freedom peaceably.
Our God is a God of all nations and peoples.
May our worship of God unite rather than divide.

If you’ve carried out any kind of empirical social research or fieldwork for which you had to obtain research ethics  committee approval, chances are you ended up encountering ethical challenges you hadn’t predicted in your ethics application. Certainly when I tell colleagues about my interest in research ethics, they frequently end up telling me about some unexpected dilemma that cropped up in their own project. Despite my interest, I don’t necessarily have any solutions. I began to feel, however, that there was value to publicly sharing these experiences of real ethical quandaries.  This was reinforced by my tenure on a university ethics committee, where all the annual reports I saw responded ‘none’ to the question about any unforeseen ethical issues since obtaining approval. Despite many of us experiencing such unforeseen issues, it seemed as if they could not be formally acknowledged.

A chance meeting with a similarly minded academic at a conference (demonstrating the unpredictably serendipitous value of attending conferences) transformed these impressions into action with a plan for an edited book. Since Rachel Brooks (University of Surrey) and I met through the Sociology of Youth group (RC34) at the 2010 world congress of the International Sociology Association, we decided to focus on youth research. We sent out a call for abstracts , emphasizing we were looking for examples of authentic ethical dilemmas people had experienced in their research, and discussions of how they dealt with these.

Clearly we’d hit a nerve: we received over 70 abstracts from around the world. We’ve been able to turn 22 of those into published papers through our edited book and two special issues:

Negotiating ethical challenges in youth research (Routledge, 2013)

Youth Studies Australia, volume 31, issue 3, 2012

Young (Nordic Journal of Youth Research), volume 21, issue 3, 2013 (forthcoming)

For your interest, the ToCs are listed here. What the papers in these three sources collectively demonstrate, are both a commitment to conduct research ethically (sometimes with the support of formal ethics guidelines, sometimes despite those) and a willingness to put one’s own reputation on the line by frankly discussing difficulties. Rachel and I take our hat off to our contributors – and hope that others, like us, find their honesty refreshing and helpful.

Through the work on these publications I’ve come across both relevant education research literature and useful internet resources. For the first, one of the most useful sources is a special issue on “Ethics and academic freedom in educational research” in the International Journal of Research & Method in Education (Volume 33, Issue 3, 2010). A recent book that also looks promising is “The role of participants in education research : ethics, epistemologies, and methods” (Routledge 2013), edited by colleagues from the University of Southern Queensland.

For the second, some sites worth exploring include:

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): Although initiated from the medical sciences, it has become more broadly based, including social sciences. The website has guidelines for journal editors and reviewers, but one of the most fascinating parts is the database of cases submitted to COPE for advice (click on the ‘cases’ tab). These are all to do with publication; for example keywords include ‘authorship’, ‘participant confidentiality’ and ‘undeclared conflict of interest’.

Social Research Association (SRA)Ethics consultancy forum: SRA members can submit a research-related ethical dilemma and receive informal, confidential advice. It is unlikely that many Australians are SRA members, but perhaps this is a suggestion AARE could take up?

The Research Ethics Guidebook: Several dilemmas are discussed here, in the UK context. Again, if there was an interest, perhaps AARE could collect Australian examples on its website.

AARE:  Although most of tend to use the NHMRC, ARC and UA (2007) guidelines, AARE also has its own guidelines. In addition, some time ago AARE commissioned Karen Halasa to produce an annotated bibliography.  Although now a little dated, it is still useful since many ethical dilemmas and considerations are enduring despite social and technological changes since the late 1990s.

Finally, it seems to me that ethical challenges often can’t be exactly ‘resolved’ – we just negotiate them as best we can. This highlights the tension between the procedural ethics of guidelines and committees (although I think they can be very useful!) and the way we all have to think on our feet at times to work out what we ought to do. This is why I am attracted to a ‘virtue ethics’ approach – it is not just about what we ‘do’ but also about who we ‘are’ as researchers, that helps to make our research more ethical. So here’s one more resource you may find interesting: ‘Researching with Integrity. The ethics of Academic Enquiry’ (Routledge, 2009) by Bruce Macfarlane.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Associate Professor Kitty te Riele is Principal Research Fellow at The Victoria Institute for Education, Diversity & Lifelong Learning at Victoria University, Melbourne. Kitty’s research is focused on ways in which schooling can better engage the most disadvantaged young people in our community, with a particular interest in alternative programs. In addition, her work examines research ethics, especially ethical challenges in youth and education research. She serves as HREC committee member at Victoria University (and previously at UTS) and has taught classes in both research and professional ethics.