Monday, March 31, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Venetian National Party...
The Venetian National Party (Partito Nasionał Veneto, PNV) was a Venetist, separatist and libertarian political party active in Veneto,Lombardy and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In September 2010 the party suspended its activities and its members joined Veneto State. In May 2012 most of its former leaders seceded from it and formed Venetian Independence.
Website here
Website here
Venice votes to cut ties with Italy in online poll...
Rome (AFP) - Italians in Venice and its surrounding region have voted in an online poll in favour of breaking away from the rest of the country and forming their own state.
Over two million residents of the Veneto region took part in the week-long survey, with 89 percent voting in favour of independence from Italy.
Read more here
Friday, March 21, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Sunday referendum may see Venice elect to secede from Italy
Voting begins Sunday on a referendum on whether Venice and its surrounding region should secede from the rest of Italy, in an attempt to restore its 1,000-year history as a sovereign republic.
La Serenissima — or the Most Serene Republic of Venice — was an independent trading power for a millennium before its last leader was deposed by Napoleon in 1797. The republic encompassed not just Venice but what is now the surrounding region of Veneto and it is there that the vote will take place from tomorrow until Friday.
Campaigners have been inspired by the example of Scotland, which will hold its referendum on independence in September, and Catalonia, where around half the population say they want to break away from Spain.
Read more here
Secession; Belgium and the Netherlands...
On August 25, 1830, during the reign of William I, the nationalistic opera La muette de Portici was performed in Brussels. Soon after, the Belgian Revolt occurred, which resulted in the Belgian secession from the Netherlands.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Crimeans to vote on secession from Ukraine...
Ukrainians living in Crimea will decide their future this weekend, in a referendum that's provoked warnings of a catastrophe if it goes ahead as planned. Crimeans will effectively vote on whether to leave Ukraine and join Russia, in a ballot that the European Union and the United States say violates Ukraine's constitution and international law.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Teacher’s resignation letter: ‘My profession … no longer exists’
Increasingly teachers are speaking out against school reforms that they believe are demeaning their profession, and some are simply quitting because they have had enough.
Here is one resignation letter from a veteran teacher, Gerald J. Conti, a social studies teacher at Westhill High School in Syracuse, N.Y.:
Read more hereMr. Casey Barduhn, Superintendent
Westhill Central School District
400 Walberta Park Road
Syracuse, New York 13219Dear Mr. Barduhn and Board of Education Members:It is with the deepest regret that I must retire at the close of this school year, ending my more than twenty-seven years of service at Westhill on June 30, under the provisions of the 2012-15 contract. I assume that I will be eligible for any local or state incentives that may be offered prior to my date of actual retirement and I trust that I may return to the high school at some point as a substitute teacher.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Christchurch timeline 1250-1974...
1250 CE. Archeological evidence found in a cave at Redcliffs in 1876 has indicated that the Christchurch area was first settled by moa-hunting tribes
16th century. These first inhabitants were thought to have been followed by the Waitaha tribe, who are said to have migrated from the East coast of the North Island in the following tribal warfare, the Waitaha (made of three peoples) were dispossessed by the Ngati Mamoe tribe. They were in turn subjugated by the Ngāi Tahu tribe, who remained in control until the arrival of European settlers.
1827-1840 purchase of land at Putaringamotu (modern Riccarton) by the Weller brothers, whalers of Otago and Sydney,
1840. a party of European settlers led by Herriott and McGillivray established themselves in what is now Christchurch, Their abandoned holdings were taken over by the
16 December 1850 The First Four Ships were chartered by the Canterbury Association and brought the first 792 of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton Harbour. These sailing vessels were the Randolph, Charlotte Jane, Sir George Seymour, and Cressy. The Charlotte Jane was the first to arrive on . The Canterbury Pilgrims had aspirations of building a city around a cathedral and college, on the model of Christ Church in Oxford.
27 March 1848. The name "Christ Church" was decided prior to the ships' arrival, at the Association's first meeting, The exact basis for the name is not known. It has been suggested that it is named for Christchurch, in Dorset, England; for Canterbury Cathedral; or in honour of Christ Church, Oxford. The last explanation is the one generally accepted.. Captain Joseph Thomas, the Canterbury Association's Chief Surveyor, surveyed the surrounding area.
December 1849 he had commissioned the construction of a road from Port Cooper, later Lyttelton, to Christchurch via Sumner. However this proved more difficult than expected and road construction was stopped while a steep foot and pack horse track was constructed over the hill between the port and the Heathcote valley, where access to the site of the proposed settlement could be gained. This track became known as the Bridle Path, because the path was so steep that pack horses needed to be led by the bridle. Goods that were too heavy or bulky to be transported by pack horse over the Bridle Path were shipped by small sailing vessels some eight miles (13 km) by water around the coast and up the estuary to Ferrymead. New Zealand's first public railway line, 27 March 1848. the Ferrymead railway, opened from Ferrymead to Christchurch. Due to the difficulties in travelling over the Port Hills and the dangers associated with shipping navigating the Sumner bar,
31 July 1856, Christchurch became a city by Royal Charter the first in New Zealand. Many of the city's Gothic Revival buildings by architect Benjamin Mountfort date from this period.
1876. Province of Canterbury, which was abolished.
1947, New Zealand's worst fire disaster occurred at Ballantyne's Department Store in the inner city, with 41 people killed in a blaze which razed the rambling collection of buildings.
1964 The Lyttelton road tunnel between Lyttelton and Christchurch was opened.
1974 Christchurch hosted the 1974 British Commonwealth Games.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Let me write the songs of a nation: I don’t care who writes its laws. Andrew Fletcher
“For a long time now, I’ve been convinced that what happens in New York (finances), Hollywood (entertainment), Silicon Valley (technology), and Miami (fashion) has a far greater impact on how our culture thinks about reality than what happens in Washington D.C. (politics). It’s super important for us to understand that politics are reflective, not directive. That is, the political arena is the place where policies are made that reflect the values of our culture–the habits of heart and mind–that are being shaped by these other, more strategic arenas." Author unknown.
As the Scottish politician Andrew Fletcher said, “Let me write the songs of a nation: I don’t care who writes its laws.” Tullian Tchividjian, Unfashionable, p. 95.
As the Scottish politician Andrew Fletcher said, “Let me write the songs of a nation: I don’t care who writes its laws.” Tullian Tchividjian, Unfashionable, p. 95.
THE CASE FOR COMPLETE INDEPENDENCE FOR TASMANIA….
For want of a better word, this address will use the term, "independence" in preference to secession. "Secession" conjures up all sorts of negative aspects, such as conflict, bitterness, the need to fight for separation; animosity. "Independence" in my mind emits freedom, self-esteem and the expectation to be treated as a full sovereign State among the brotherhood of nations, including the Commonwealth of Australia.
When inspecting the concept of independence, we must look at the steps leading to federation and the prior conditions in the colony. . After doing so, we will look at the situation since federation. Is there enough justification to seek independence? How could it be done? What would the Commonwealth's response be? How could we not only survive, but survive successfully? It may be, that independence will NOT result in a "nightmare", but usher in, after an obvious period of adjustment, a prosperous, stable and healthy nation. We could remain as a Constitutional Monarchy or if the people decide, through the process of referendum, some form of a republic.
As an author and journalist, I have become aware that there is wide-spread support among Tasmanians for independence, especially among small business people.
Read more here
When inspecting the concept of independence, we must look at the steps leading to federation and the prior conditions in the colony. . After doing so, we will look at the situation since federation. Is there enough justification to seek independence? How could it be done? What would the Commonwealth's response be? How could we not only survive, but survive successfully? It may be, that independence will NOT result in a "nightmare", but usher in, after an obvious period of adjustment, a prosperous, stable and healthy nation. We could remain as a Constitutional Monarchy or if the people decide, through the process of referendum, some form of a republic.
As an author and journalist, I have become aware that there is wide-spread support among Tasmanians for independence, especially among small business people.
Read more here
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Why do women vote for the Left?...
Today’s political landscape sometimes appears to be neatly divided by gender, with men on the right and women on the left. This is the case both for the US and Canada, and for Western Europe. Superficially, it makes perfect sense: us women like to care, share and stick our noses into other people’s businesses, and men like to cut each other’s throats to get the babes. This may be partly nature, partly nurture. After all, girls are taught to be nice and helpful, while boys are encouraged to compete.
These are broad brush strokes. But this question has garnered some real research, and it appears women have not always been the bleeding-hearted liberals. Edlund and Pande (2002) state that:
Read more here
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
The American Right Asks the Left for a Divorce...
Dear American liberals, leftists, statists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, etc:
We have stuck together since the late 1950′s for the sake of the kids, but this latest election has made me realize that we should get a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.
Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let’s just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.
Read more here
Ukraine, Ethnic Division, Decentralization, and Secession...
Ukraine is in the news but not for a good reason.
It’s never a positive sign when nations with nuclear weapons start squabbling with each other. And that’s what’s happening now that Western powers are complaining that Russia is occupying Crimea (and perhaps other parts of Ukraine).
Some say that this controversy is a sign that the Cold War is being rekindled. Other say it never ended.
Many experts suggest that the conflict has a lot to do with energy, particularly since so much Russian gas goes through Ukraine on its way to Western Europe.
I’m an economist with little expertise in those areas, so I’m going to approach the Russia-Ukraine issue from an unusual angle.
Read more here
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Canterbury maybe needs its own political party...
Canterbury maybe needs a political party i.e. Canterbury Party to represent the people of Canterbury. Some inspiration could be drawn from the Saskatchewan Party, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Website here
Thomas Jefferson Quotes...
It is not by the consolidation, or concentration, of powers, but by their distribution, that good government is effected.
I have been blamed for saying, that a prevalence of the doctrines of consolidation would one day call for reformation or revolution.
They [a political party] rally to the point which they think next best, a consolidated government
I see… with the deepest affliction, the rapid strides with which the federal branch of our government is advancing towards the usurpation of all the rights reserved to the States, and the consolidation in itself of all powers, foreign and domestic; and that too, by constructions which, if legitimate, leave no limits to their power.Read more quotes here
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