Thursday, February 18, 2016

Betty MacDonald and Seattle

Linde Lund shared GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE's photo.
Betty MacDonald in the living room at Vashon on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post.

Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
 

it's really a great idea to meet each other at Seattle's French Fest.

I'd like to visit Brad Craft and his outstanding bookstore too.

( more info below )

We already got many birthday cards.

Don't miss Betty MacDonald fan club birthday contest, please.
 
Betty MacDonald fan club birthday card contest is really a great idea.

The winner who sent the best and most original birthday card will be Honor guest of the next International Betty MacDonald fan club event.  


Deadline: March 15, 2016


A Betty MacDonald fan club birthday exhibit with many very special birthday cards by Betty MacDonald's family and friends.


You'll be able to see wonderful cards for Betty MacDonald with very touching messages for example by her daughter Joan MacDonald Keil or her good friend Monica Sone.  ( see info below ' Betty MacDonald and The plague and I )


There will be a Betty MacDonald fan club birthday event DVD available.


We'll have several International Betty MacDonald fan club events  in 2016.


Join us in voting for your favourite city, please. 


I'd like to vote for Seattle.  


Don't miss this video, please.


You can see brilliant Brad Craft. 



"This is Me," by Bad Kid Billy. [Official Music Video]


Seems I'm in this for a hot second.  I remember being asked to participate one day on the street in front of the bookstore where I work.  I didn't think to ask what it was for, or even so much as the name of the song or the band.  Didn't want to be late coming back from lunch.  Silly bugger.  The very nice young woman with the green hair also featured herein happens to work at Magus Books.  She mentioned she'd seen me.  Told me the name of the band, and here we are.



Wolfgang Hampel's  Vita Magica guest was a very famous TV lady, author and singer and she is our new Betty MacDonald fan club honor member.


I bet  Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli  adores our new Betty MacDonald fan club honor member. 


I've read some of Tatjana Geßler's books and I like them very much.  


We are so happy that Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli is back.


Let's have breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick. 


Enjoy Betty MacDonald's very beautiful Vashon Island, please.


Maybe this will be the next ESC  2016 winner.


We'll see! 

Pieter & Martine



Don't miss this very special book, please.



 
Vita Magica
Betty MacDonald fan club

Betty MacDonald forum  

Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English ) 

Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( German )

Wolfgang Hampel - Monica Sone - Wikipedia ( English )

Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( English ) 

Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( French )

Wolfgang Hampel in Florida State University 

Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel 

Betty MacDonald fan club interviews on CD/DVD
 
 

Betty MacDonald fan club items 


Betty MacDonald fan club items  - comments

Betty MacDonald fan club - The Stove and I  


Betty MacDonald fan club groups 

Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund 



Now in its fourth year, the French Fest at Seattle Center is a part of the Seattle Center’s FESTÁL cultural event series and attracts 5,000 visitors. The event is free and open to the public (no admittance tickets are required). French Fest draws its inspiration from the worldwide “Day of Francophonie,” organized in over 100 countries each March to celebrate the diversity of Francophone cultures and traditions around the world.
During the Seattle event, festival-goers of all ages have an opportunity to enjoy many activities – all with a “French” twist: live music, theater and dance performances, French cuisine, book sales, informative seminars and demonstrations, “best baguette” contest, games and more.
The event also features a unique Career Expo (Salon de l’Emploi) with the participation of local and international companies seeking French speakers and workshops led by employment professionals.
The event is organized by the nonprofit organization, France Education Northwest, with the support of Seattle Center FESTÁL, the French-American Chamber of Commerce of the Pacific Northwest, the Consular Agency of France in Seattle, Coca-Cola, Alaska Airlines, T-Mobile and other key supporters.


Follow our Facebook page for more info https://www.facebook.com/SeattleFrenchFest/?ref=hl

Seattle Center Festál


Seattle’s French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures



March 20, 2016
Armory Main Floor, Fisher Pavilion

http://fenpnw.org/french-fest/


French Fest Collage



Seattle's French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures
Join the community for Seattle’s 3rd Annual French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures on March 20, 2016 at Seattle Center Armory.
Seattle's French Fest is free, family-friendly and open to the public with the purpose of promoting and raising awareness of Francophone cultures and traditions to the residents of the Greater Seattle area. During the one-day event, festival-goers will listen to live music, watch dance performances, taste international cuisine, learn from informative seminars and cooking demonstrations, play games and enjoy a day full of fun activities en français!
Seattle's French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures is presented in partnership with France Education Northwest, under the auspices of the Consular Agency of France. 



French-American Chamber of Commerce
2200 Alaskan Way, Suite 490
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 443-4703
http://fenpnw.org/french-fest/


France prepares to bulldoze half of Jungle migrant camp


Up to 1,000 people given a week’s warning with offer of alternative accommodation in converted shipping containers




France intends to bulldoze half of the makeshift Jungle camp in Calais and authorities have given one week’s warning to between 800 and 1,000 migrants and refugees to leave a seven-hectare southern section of the site.
The Calais prefect, Fabienne Buccio, told Le Monde she intended to reduce the size of the camp by about half. “The time has come to move on, no one must live in the southern part of the camp, everyone must leave this section,” she told Agence France-Presse, estimating that some 800 to 1,000 people would be affected. Buccio said she and her staff would offer those leaving the camp a place in an alternative, purpose-built facility created using converted shipping containers. Alternatively, they could be helped to leave and travel to other accommodation centres in France.


Buccio told Le Monde 750 extra places in the containers would be offered from this weekend and further places would be found at centres across France. About 4,000 people are living in squalid conditions in the Jungle as asylum seekers use it as a base from which they attempt to enter Britain via the Channel tunnel. The camp sprang up in April last year as a state-sanctioned shanty town – an area of wasteland on a former rubbish tip where migrants living across Calais were deliberately directed by French police while their other squats and camps around the town were destroyed. At that time, the refugees and migrants concentrated on the site were promised access to showers and a daily meal at a nearby repurposed activity centre and told they would be “tolerated” on that scrap of wasteland, which charities complained was insalubrious and presented serious health risks. But now, amid political rows about the size, conditions and permanency of the makeshift camp, the French authorities aim to reduce the Jungle in size.

“I think it’s our duty to bring this camp down to 2,000 people living in an organised and dignified camp. That is an acceptable number for the local population,” Buccio told Le Monde.
She had said last month the state’s aim was for “no more migrants sleeping outdoors”. She said she aimed to get people to agree to move so they wouldn’t have to be forcibly evicted. But some asylum seekers say they are afraid to transfer to the new containers, as they say the facility resembles a prison and does not have cooking facilities or communal areas – unlike the Jungle, which has shops, cafes, kitchens, churches and a mosque. The new container facility also requires palm prints to be taken to move in and out, which some fear could impede their efforts to reach Britain and apply for asylum there.

EU leaders: British big business to come out in favour of staying in the EU as David Cameron battles to 'settle the issue' - live

David Cameron calls on EU leaders to help him settle the question of Europe for a generation by agreeing a "credible" deal he can sell to the British public and stay in the European Union - follow latest updates




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1:08AM GMT 19 Feb 2016

01:15

Is summit coming to an end?

The Finnish prime minister has tweeted that EUCO is over: "The European Council now coming to an end."01:13

Five and a half hour-long dinner is over - back to British demands



01:08

'I need this or it will be suicide'



01:06

What does Cameron want for the City?

One of the sticky points being discussed around the dinner table tonight is how the UK can secure protections for the City of London against future eurozone integration, Mehreen Khan reports.
As part of the Government's aversion to "ever closer union", Prime Minister David Cameron wants a firm commitment that Britain's financial services sector - perhaps the single biggest driver of the UK's economic prosperity over the last 20 years - is not harmed by Brussels' attempts to shore up the shaky euro.
But "core" EU member states - such as France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands - are wary of letting Britain stand in the way of their attempts to protect themselves against another financial crisis.
In the event of a global recession, there are concerns the City could forge ahead with a "lighter-touch" regulatory system that could disadvantage the continent and could eventually call into question financial stability in the EU.
Britain currently has an opt-out from the EU's banking union project, and Bank of England has sole responsibility for regulating British banks. The BoE rather than ECB ultimately decides on how much capital banks need to hold against their assets, or what maximum level of loans people can take out as mortgages.
It is this flexibility to act outside the "single rulebook" on financial services (as it is called in EU speak) which the Chancellor so cherishes and wants enshrined in Britain's new settlement with Europe.
Right now, there is a caucus of majority eurozone states - 19 euro-ins against the nine euro nine euro outs - that could, in theory, railroad British interests to serve the cause of EU integration.
But worryingly for the Chancellor, the series of draft renegotiation texts that were revised ahead of tonight big leaders' summit, Britain's room to manoeuvre outside the single rulebook seemed to get smaller and smaller.
Watch this space.



00:42

'We need to see real progress'

A No 10 source has told the Press Association that "some real progress" needs to be made by EU leaders from the position they were in when they broke for dinner:
Quote The Prime Minister left them in no doubt that we are only going to do an agreement at this summit if we make some real progress from where we were at 8.30 this evening.
If we don't, we are not going to have an agreement at this summit.
There is some real hard work to do overnight and we have got to see real progress.

00:07

Beatrix Potter diplomacy

Mr Cameron arrived in Brussels armed with a set of Beatrix Potter books as a gift for his nemesis, Charles Michel, the Belgian prime minister, The Times reports.
The Prime Minister gave the Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, the Flopsy Bunnies and Mrs Tittlemouse books to Mr Michel for his baby daughter, Jeanne.
“It was a full set in French, a true symbol of ever closer union among our peoples,” an EU diplomat told the paper.
“It was a really personal touch and Mr Michel was very moved,” a Belgian official said. “It might not be well known in Britain but David is really very charming.”


00:00

Foul mood in the room

There is a foul mood in the room over Austria's unilateral decision to impose caps on asylum seekers, Matthew Holehouse reports.
"Britain is a big beneficiary," said a source. "Everyone just wants to sort this out."
The talks are going to go on long - most leaders will go to bed, but Juncker, Tusk and Cameron will work through the night.
The source says that the Commission might have to intervene with a "common sense solution" if leaders cannot agree on the transition period before Britain's indexing of child benefit can come in.
Leaders such as the Czech Republic's Subotka are in a horrid spot, as the deal that will leave their citizens poorer grinds closer.
"They don't want to go home and be told they have betrayed their people," said one official.
A member of the media takes a nap as he waits for news during a European Union leaders summit in Brussels 
A member of the media takes a nap as he waits for news during a European Union leaders summit in Brussels  Photo: Reuters

23:32

Mandelson savages Corbyn

Lord Mandelson, the New Labour grandee, has attacked Jeremy Corbyn's political judgement over the EU and claimed he is not on the same "wave length" as British voters, Ben Riley-Smith reports.
The former business secretary and European commissioner criticised Mr Corbyn for dismissing the emergency brake over access to benefits "out of hand" and instead backed the renegotiation package.
The Labour peer, one of the key architects of Tony Blair's three election victories, made the remarks during an interview about the EU renegotiation on BBC Two's Newsnight.
This afternoon Mr Corbyn, who supports an In vote, echoed the key argument of Eurosceptics by saying one of Mr Cameron's flagship reforms in the renegotiation was "irrelevant".
The Labour leader said there was "no evidence" the emergency brake would decrease EU immigration and criticised Mr Cameron's politicking in the negotiations.
Asked about Mr Corbyn's stance, Lord Mandelson said: "I think actually in the statement he made today he was making quite a serious political misjudgement."
The peer criticised Mr Corbyn for having "dismissed" the proposal for EU nationals not to claim full in-work benefits for four years and said voters wanted more controlled migration.
Lord Mandelson said: "It is a completely legitimate part of the negotiation [Cameron] is undertaking in Brussels and I think that frankly that if Jeremy Corbyn doesn't understand that then he's not really on the same wave length as the British people."



23:12


Farage: Cameron is like Oliver Twist

Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, has been typically outspoke on Newsnight, claiming everything that's going on in Brussels right now is just "theatre":
Quote He’s rather like Oliver Twist. He has come along with his begging bowl , saying: ‘please sir, can we have more concessions?’
Most of what you are seeing here is theatre. It’s theatre from Mr Cameron and it’s theatre from the other leaders.


22:58

Migrant talks dragging on

Bad news for Mr Cameron:


22:51

Talks 'intense and constructive'

An EU source has told the BBC that the talks so far have been "intense and constructive". However, several countries have been forthright with specific concerns.
"We expected this," the source said. "But honestly we had hoped for some of them to be less critical." 

Martin Schultz speaking to the press 
Martin Schultz speaking to the press

22:26

Cameron 'advances on all fronts'

The mood in the negotiating room has turned sour, according to source, as eastern Europe realise the night is against them, Matthew Holehouse reports.
Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovania are said to be "taken aback" by how fast Cameron has been able to move on the difficult issue of benefits and fear a beating in the newspapers when they get home.
The states failed to realise that the Tusk proposal was not meant to be changed, it is claimed.
The mood is further soured by anger at Austria's unilateral move to cap asylum claims.