Sunday, December 26, 2010

Polymer Crystals Home Depot

How we spent our first Christmas in New Zealand


To tune into our Christmas, we thought that there is no harm, some nicely decorated homes to view. So we have the "Light up Nelson 2010" downloaded map and scoured some of the addresses. We were not the only ones in front of some houses, there were literally jam and we have spoken to many proud owners. All in all, everything more American than European. After all, Mark has had nostalgic memories of snow at the Aufblasweihnachtsschneekugel.

Gartendeko
And after the house was really going on ...
Our first Christmas holiday in New Zealand we have spent in Anakiwa. The main ingredients were sun, boats, sea, and then at home too much to eat and a good deal of wine.

On 23, our last working day in the evening we went to Anakiwa in the boot of food for a whole horde. The 24th unfortunately began with violent storms and rain. We have taken the opportunity to finally have the aviation museum near Blenheim, with the largest collection of the Red Baron. The man now thought not really important in New Zealand. As we left the museum, the sun was shining and we have the rest of the day swimming, relaxing and preparing spent and Shayne was grateful for all that appeared, he wanted to strictly implement even a tin hut. In the evening we had a barbecue and we sat together with guests and other friends of Shayne and Tanya. Christmas was not a topic that finds everything until 25 instead. On two grills was sizzling all they were worth, much of already the next day.
Bet grilling

the morning of the 25th heard from a distance, a loud Ho ho ho, music, and a boat horn. Everyone was very excited because Santa has announced to to throw lollies at the bridge and to be proud of.

Returning prisoners with the lollies we ate breakfast at the end and made our mess out there in the sun under the Christmas tree.
In the hostel, meanwhile, gathered more and more people, and the fleet at anchor was raised 3 vessels. Unfortunately, the capacity has not yet served to bring all the people all the food and drink, blankets, umbrellas and so at once.
Typical Christmas look :-)

ado was therefore a closer ones selected bay and a boat could go back again. Shayne's boat to a so-called Seabiscuit hung loaded with action-seekers. Once it was a fun round.
Action

Picnic
After dinner (which, of course, a lot was left) was floated, chatter and indulged the tradition of Christmas crackers! A pop-candy filled with a paper crown, a joke and a plastic toy. The toys and no one really needs brought us again a fingernail, this time in red, made of plastic and for plugging.
Christmas cracker

the afternoon, and especially before the low tide we went back, as two of the boats had to return to the trailer, which is only at high tide. Not as bad as it was then time to rest, Staying in the shade and to enable the stomach to rest. Quite as the rest of the stomach was then but not because we were invited for coffee in the adjacent hostel. The owners at that time we learned to know and they were having a picnic on the beach here, had their Tiramisu (pudding), but left at home in the refrigerator. Pudding is in NZ for any dessert ... So you never know exactly what you get.

The evening ended happily wet with a wine tasting that took us to the sun really given the rest. Especially for us really great because there were only wines from Nelson and we found it a great Riesling. Anschließendwurden the remains eaten and drunk all the bottles. An Australian backpacker, actually 25 from Queen Charlotte Track was allowed to integrate as well.
19:00 clock, still bright

On the way home to Nelson, we wanted to insert two stops. An old to a gold mine had to give up this stop, however, due to impassable ford. The second of a beautiful river valley, approximately one half of the trail. There are some shorter and longer walks, and very cold but inviting swimming facilities. We have decided to leave it at a rest stop, after we have just made it this purely down to the knees. On the stones on the bank was allowed to burn for the soles.
rest at the river


Overall we had a wonderful Christmas. Quite different from home and very unusual, but we enjoyed it and it was a good experience.

The New Zealand Christmas tree is very typical way Pohutukawa blooms and very red around at Christmas. In the sun, the flowers emit correct and you do not need more decoration.
Pohutukawa in Nelson

Monday, December 20, 2010

Ski Boots And Humidity

14/12/2010

Hey, thanks for your birthday greetings to my first Birthday (in summer).


Markus has baked me a mini cake that we are at breakfast have divided, and a normal-sized, which I was able to take the office. In the evening we had dinner at Café Olive.
Christine

Cafe Olive - I was also my 20th Birthday in there, only in France and Solveig

Kiwi - on the way home spotted

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Darjeeling Weather In August

Cambodia: Strikes in the textile industry

workers demand a living wage
Lutz Getzschmann

Published in: Socialist newspaper (SCO), December 2010

http://www.sozonline.de/2010/12/ Cambodian-strikes-in-the-textile industry /

appear in the Asian textile industry, for some time again to compact flaring strikes a continental campaign cycle of the textile workers, confirm that a few years ago by Beverly Silver in their study Forces of Labor established motto: "Where capital goes, conflict goes."

fueled the militancy of workers across borders to let the Strategy of Western textile companies, in countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia produce on a wage level that is given there also rising food prices below the reproduction of material existence necessities. Then there are the effects of global crisis that has hit the textile industry hard, leading to job insecurity and in many cases, wage cuts due to the elimination of overtime.

are about 2009 the Cambodian textile exports to Europe and the United States fell by 23%, to close has 90 garment factories and temporary dismissal of 60,000 workers. The increase in exports in the first three quarters of 2010 by 7% could not offset these losses.

overexploitation

After out in the summer, the textile workers in Bangladesh a desperate struggle for a living minimum wage (see SoZ 10/2010), occurred in September in Cambodia to a very similar strike, but much larger scale.

In July the government announced to raise the minimum wage in the textile industry the equivalent of 50 to 61 U.S. dollars. The insignificance of the long expected decision caused widespread anger in the unions, they had requested an increase to at least $ 93. Their demand is well in line with the government official figures: Just had some last year, a study of Cambodian detected Development Institute, at the present Lonniveau in the textile industry is in the survival of the workers are protected only by excessive overtime, and a minimum wage equivalent to 90 U.S. dollars proposed. Particular urgency of the proposal received by the fact that the crisis this vitally necessary overtime largely disappeared since 2009.

began on September 13, the Strike action, that they involve the first 68 000 workers. Within three days the strike had spread, however, on more than 90 large textile factories and more than 200,000 striking workers - a total of 358 000 oilpainting in the Cambodian textile industry. The textile unions had called CCAWDU NIFTUC and belonging to different trade union confederations and with 45,000 or 30,000 members, a relatively large organization might have - at least as measured by the notoriously anti-union Poliks the strict, market liberalization, post-Stalinist government.

Unyielding

Trade union activities opposed by the government and its affiliated groups for years with great severity and non-transparent methods. Thus, around 2004, the Chairman of the Trades Union Congress Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC) shot on the street, the investigation of the murder, including the conviction of two persons allegedly involved was held under such dubious circumstances that organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International come from a sham procedure, which should cover the really responsible.

awarded with 80,000 signatures of striking workers, the two unions of their demand for inclusion of wage negotiation. For the September 27, the government invited the unions actually for an interview, but also put away the intimidation and violent control of the strike movement. From mid-September more than 300 active and 3,300 striking union workers were dismissed because of the dispute, were arrested 261 of them. The period set by the government pay negotiations were broken off, the unions threatened further action if the dismissals would not be returned.

By mid-October for the first part of the dismissals had been withdrawn - and this is mainly due to judicial decisions. Over 100 shop steward was a report in the Phnom Penh Post, 13.10. According to still be locked out and with them nearly 700 workers who were laid off after protests against the dismissal.

Bad image

, meanwhile, has disturbed the peaceful but massive strike some corporate CEO's serious. In a joint open letter to the Cambodian Business Association GMAC expressed the clothing companies Adidas, Gap, H & M and Levi's and The Walt Disney Company, which can be finished by Cambodian companies for their range, their concern at the escalation of labor unrest, and called employers and unions to a "long-term Solution "and" regular working relationship "to - just as they had to do with the practice in Cambodia forms of the exploitation nothing. GMAC-General Ken Loo did not want to comment on the letter, but categorically rejected claims back to a further increase in the minimum wage. He also expressed willingness to negotiate on possible bonus payments and food stamps for the workers.

Given the unyielding attitude of the entrepreneur and the imperative need for the workers to fight for a wage that is sufficient for life, seem further clashes inevitable. In such a Direction also has an explanation of the union CCAWDU the beginning of November in view of the still not re-employed trade unionists and the attempts by the relevant ministry to sit out the conflict which threatened a new strike.

CCAWDU-General Ek Sopheakdey expected in early December with new work stoppages if the demands were to reinstate the workers and raising the minimum wage is not met by then. He also announced to organize rallies in this case, and blockades in front of clothing stores.

Glory Hole In Anaheim

life and Christmas in Nelson 5th December 2010

Since we are again!

Yes, we know! Lange nix written and now even such a long gap ... What We of course very angry is that the Skifahrbericht now fits into even the German time. Ok, here's what else will (eventually) and the rough chronology:

- Report on the Queen Charlotte Track - end of July
- our time as a hostel Sitter in Anakiwa - August
- our experiences in the Golden Bay - September
- Hanmer Springs, Christchurch after the quake and Akaroa - September
- Search jobs in Wellington - October, November
- New Life in Nelson - the end of November to today

Before we come to the most important, Christmas, the birth of Christ and of the greatest promotional coup ever, the Coca-Cola red Santa Claus Niko, the second most important:

We now live in Nelson, have both found a job here and we rented a small house with palm trees in the garden and a wood stove and will remain for a long time here. Christine works at a small company and takes care of organizing visits abroad for German students in Nelson and has a permanent position. It was clear where we draw. Mark is first a 2 month contract, also in Nelson, and many ideas how to go after it (working in Nelson, commuting to Wellington, studying at NMIT or what appears otherwise). That he also, and as soon as found in Nelson, is remarkable for the time being, despite a short term contract, as Nelson quite small. With 70,000 inhabitants, but again quite good for New Zealand, so there is also plenty of entertainment, bars, clubs and great cafes. Even a 3-D cinema. We have set up on Trademe, the local Ebay, flea markets, and the donation of one or the other neighbors and colleagues. We even have a front loader washing machine, which provides among Kiwis for real head-shaking. On application for permanent residence, we also work and this topic will deal sure one time or another.

Nelson: Top of the South Iceland

Our new little Cottage
 
The garden

Seaview (out of some windows)

Palmtree and bench in the garden

Guest Room - you're welcome to visit us!
So, now is summer here in New Zealand and the Nelson's competition with other cities in New Zealand sun is in full swing. Nelson is currently slightly ahead of Whakatane and Blenheim is the eternal rival this year mounted significantly. We expect around 2500 - 2600 hours of sunshine for Nelson this year, the best cities in California have as 3000 :-)
So everything way too hot to get into real Christmas spirit. As the Christmas parade was just right and with 15,000 others, we have inveigled this year's parade. The whole parade lasted about 1 hour, 60 groups under the direction of Zugmarschalls Huup scales, cool name, right? Nevertheless, all in all for NEN Mainzer not particularly impressive. Above all, the very low noise levels, or at least no Helau constantly "Merry Christmas" roar and a total of far too little music. But warm, very warm! The parade ended in Founders Park, a museum, to which we shall come later, and adopted the festival character.
Waiting for the parade

Christmas majorettes?

Ok, now that's christmas!

Burning down the house

One of two Scottish bands

Walking Christmas crib
Slightly scary

Jesus and Maria

Another Christmas crib
Kiwi-horse
At the very end, the star of the Parade!
Santa Claus!

Christmas gathering in the park, looks like the Open Ear Festival in Mainz :-)
We are again over Christmas in Anakiwa and hopefully with all the people there with the boat ride out to an island beach and organize a Christmas Barbeque (BBQ).

If you no longer hear and see you next year: A merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and a Happy New Year 2011!

Love, Mark and Christine



PS: If you call us wants to reach us from now on under our own fixed number 0064 3-5394823

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Armstrong Furnace Thermocouple Price

The dynamics of the debt crisis

over Ireland, the so-called parachute is stretched, Portugal could be the next candidate. With the crisis of the euro and the austerity measures of the threatened bankruptcy of the state governments also created the biggest wave of strikes in recent decades in Europe.

Lutz Getzschmann

Published in: Jungle World, 2 December 2010

http://jungle-world.com/artikel/2010/48/42204.html

EU finance ministers agreed late on Sunday evening at their special meeting in Brussels that Ireland 50 billion euros for the rehabilitation of should receive budget and 35 billion euros to support the banking system. The Irish government is on the bailout 17.5 billion EUR contribute from their own resources. These are the reserves are used for pensions. The interest on the loans will be 6 to 6.5 percent, significantly higher than in the case of Greece (5.2 percent). Irish government bonds have risen to just under 9.3 percent interest. And by the Irish government from bankruptcy banks kept tumbling facing an uncertain future. The rating agency Standard & Poor's downgraded on Friday, the Anglo Irish Bank on the junk-bond level B down. A similar fate befell the Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Bank, which were downgraded to BBB + or BBB notes.

The bank failures and recession the Irish people have been hit hard. The times of Ireland's boom is over. »60 000 people have left, between April 2009 and April 2010 in Ireland, a third of them are Irishmen, two thirds of" non-Irishman, Thomas Conefrey says of Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin. Unemployment, which is five percent in 2007 to more than 13 percent have increased this year, have made many Irishmen before the election, with no prospect of a job stay in the country or to leave. In the construction sector alone 150 000 people were unemployed. 90 000 houses that were built in 2007 alone, there are now 33 000 empty. On Saturday demonstrated, according to the organizers 150 000 people in Dublin against measures to put public finances, according to police there were about 50 000 This was called the trade union confederation ICTU. The VAT is expected to increase from 21 to 23 percent, the minimum wage to fall to 7.65 € a €. Nearly 25 000 jobs in the public sector are eliminated each year to study fee of 2000 € will be charged. For the first time to the Irishmen pay for drinking water. The chairman of the largest trade union SIPTU, Jack O'Connor, described the savings plans as a "declaration of war" to the lowest paid workers. At the same time the government coalition of Fianna Fail and the Greens in Parliament is becoming increasingly unstable after Fianna Fail has lost a by-election for a vacant seat to become the opposition Sinn Fein. The government has thus only a slim majority of two seats in Parliament. Prime Minister Brian Cowen announced to dissolve parliament and pave the way for early elections in February or March. However, he was only willing to elections, if the planned spending cuts and tax increases are passed by Parliament. Unions and the Irish opposition, however, demand that the elections are to take place before the implementation of austerity.

In Portugal, there was vehement protests against the austerity policies of the government. The one-day general strike on 24 November was the largest in decades, and the first strike for over 20 years, at which the two largest trade union confederations, the UGT and the Socialists close to the Communist Party had close CGTP, called together. About 90 percent of employees took part. 12 000 schools were closed that day. No aircraft could land or start and 85 percent of trains were canceled. Parts of the police strike, the garbage also, most shops remained closed.

is in some ways, Portugal is in a worse position than other countries with sovereign debt crises. The gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is even just 16 200 euros, compared with 30 570 Euro in Ireland and 23 100 euros in Greece. The Portuguese population is one of the poorest in Western Europe. is the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates that the Portuguese economy will grow this year by an estimated 1.5 percent decline in 2011 by 0.2 percent. The unemployment rate now stands at eleven percent. Now, as part of the austerity package passed on Friday will be reduced unemployment benefits, the unemployed are forced to accept any job if they do not lose their right to support. Provided is also raising the income tax for a stay up to 1.5 percentage points by the end of 2011, only people with an income below 475 € spared. Companies with profits of more than two million euros will pay an additional "emergency tax" of 2.5 percent. The VAT will rise from 20 to 21 percent, in return, the salaries of ministers and the lines of public enterprises to be reduced by five percent. In addition, the subsidies fall for state enterprises.

Meanwhile, speculation in financial markets to an impending state bankruptcy Portugal. The bond markets, interest rates, which Portugal has to offer, at a historic high driven. The interest rate on ten years of Portuguese bonds has risen to almost seven percent and rising yields on government bonds could bring the Portuguese government in a short time into a similar trouble as the Irish. Currently, Portugal's public debt amounted to 165 billion euros, peanuts in comparison to Germany, but at least this amount corresponds to almost the entire Portuguese GDP in 2009. The measures adopted to reduce government spending only about twelve billion euros. In addition, the private debt of 239 percent in Portugal one of the highest. Creditors are mostly foreign banks.

the weekend, the EU finance ministers also debated whether any taking in Portugal and Spain in the Euro-rescue. An important result is called the advice was to develop a contingency plan for € bankrupt countries, the European stability mechanism (ESM). While the position of the German Federal Government, private creditors in the debt restructuring included, could not prevail, this way in the future will then be followed when short-term assistance are unsuccessful. This occurs when a state of the European Central Bank (ECB), European Commission, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the euro countries as "judged insolvent" is what comes close to a classical state bankruptcy law. In this case, the affected state would have with its private creditors' restructuring negotiate "to continue to receive support from EU and IMF.

generally increases the pressure on governments and the European institutions, the public finances of the euro countries to regain control.

The current situation in Germany in particular re-registered some economic growth, is no more than a breath, the next phase of the crisis should come from much poorer states and expand the race to unexpected dynamics. It will hardly be possible to reduce the debt substantially, until the next depressive episode begins which is emerging now in the U.S.. The governments and the capital to combat the crisis with cuts in social services, with reductions of pensions, health care, spending on education, privatization of public goods, the reduction of wages and precarious. And objectively, they have little choice.

The previously announced reduction measures have resulted in the largest strike waves decades. From Spain and Portugal to Italy and above all shake France to Ireland mass social protests Europe. Germany, where the protests pose to the project Stuttgart 21 and the Castor transport not only a return totgeglaubte movements of the eighties, but can also be viewed in some respects as a substitute for action for the paralysis of trade unions is, in this respect to the lowest in the European protest.

a more than symbolic significance could get the strikes and protests, but only if they exceed the scope of ritualized and institutionalized forms of struggle. Signs of which were on display recently as France, where the escalation of strikes and protests against pension reform in part to the rather reluctance of the union bureaucracy was.

lacks the same time, yet any serious European coordination of the fighting that would be an essential step in the site-nationalist and corporatist narrow-mindedness of union crisis Mitverwalter as well as well to overcome some of the base.