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A Perfect Cyber Storm: Russia and China Teaming Together
United States intelligence agencies have listed cyber-attacks as the top threat to American national security, ahead of terrorism. These threats are increasing in sophistication, scale, frequency, and severity of impact.
Also, the range of actors, attack methods, targeted systems, and victims are expanding. In February 2015, James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence in the United States, announced that the estimation of the Russian cyber threat had been elevated, pushing Russia to the number one spot on the list of countries which pose the greatest danger to the United States.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has faced political, military, and economic challenges which it worried could mean that its national interests could be ignored by other powers. In order to protect their interests defensively, and free up their offensive capabilities for deployment elsewhere, Russia and China signed an agreement in April 2015 vowing not to attack each other, while also agreeing to share intelligence and software and cooperate in law enforcement and investigations. This is a direct challenge to the United States because not only are Russia and China working together to get ahead in the energy race but this agreement meant they were now trying to combine their capacities in the digital world.
China and Russia, by far, have the most sophisticated cyber capabilities in the world. The offensive cyber capabilities of each individual country was a threat already to the United States but if they now work together in earnest the United States could be facing an unprecedented cyber danger. According to senior military officials, Russia's Ministry of Defense is establishing its own cyber command that will be responsible for conducting offensive cyber activities such as propaganda operations and inserting malware into enemy command and control systems. A specialized branch for computer network operations is also being established by Russia's armed forces. Computer security studies claim that unspecified Russian cyber actors are developing ways to access industrial control systems remotely. Industrial control systems manage critical infrastructures such as electrical power grids, urban mass-transit systems, air-traffic control, and oil and gas distribution networks. "These unspecified Russian actors have successfully compromised the product supply chains of three ICS vendors so that customers download exploitative malware directly from the vendors' websites along with routine software updates."
Russia was one of the first nations to move assertively into the cyber sphere. In 1998, long before most nations even began thinking about cyber-security, the Kremlin-backed "Directorate K", a government agency, began operations to monitor and defend against hackers and spammers. However, in recent years Directorate K has taken on a more offensive role in the digital sphere. Russia has been cyber-probing the United States for many years. In 1999, it was discovered that the Moonlight Maze virus had been stealing information from the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, and military contractors for two years.
In early 2015, Russian hackers were able to access an unclassified server belonging to the United States Department of State. Through this they were able to penetrate sensitive areas of the White House computer system and access information such as the real-time non-public details of President Barack Obama's schedule. The FBI, Secret Service, and other United States intelligence agencies were all involved in investigating the breach and said that it was the most sophisticated attack ever launched against an American governmental system. The breach was pinpointed to hackers working for the Russian government based on "tell-tale codes and other markers," even though the intrusion was routed through computers all around the globe. The attack was believed to have begun with a phishing email launched using a State Department email account that the hackers had previously stolen.
China has also recently increased the amount of time, manpower, resources and money spent on cyber espionage. China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes a special bureau within its intelligence community specifically managed for cyber espionage. The PLA, according to recent intelligence reports, is not only capable of advanced surveillance and collection but also possesses malware that could take down foreign electricity and water grids. However, it seems that China so far has only been motivated to commit financial and economic espionage, rather than any outright physical infrastructure attacks. Nevertheless, the United States has been getting compromised by China for many years. "It is estimated that in the last few years, Chinese hackers have attempted attacks on 2,000 companies, universities, and government agencies in the United States." In 2003, China launched Titan Rain against United States military and government agencies. Titan Rain targeted US defense networks in an attempt to obtain confidential national security information. While no information was reported as stolen, it was considered to be one of the largest attacks in cyber espionage history. Titan Rain is particularly unnerving because the attack was meant to be completed in as little as 20 minutes and was able to target high-profile agencies such as NASA, the US Army Information Systems Engineering Command, the Defense Information Systems Agency, the Naval Ocean Systems Center, and the US Army Space and Strategic Defense Installation simultaneously in one day.
These cyber threats from Russia and China were always a major concern for the United States because they undermined American economic competitiveness and at least tried to compromise national security interests. As of now, a "cyber armageddon" may not be a high risk but low to moderate-level attacks over time could pose serious financial and security risks to the United States. Especially if this supposed cyber alliance ever truly takes root and begins to create new innovative cyber strategies for attacks. "In the United States alone, the value of the information that is compromised due to international hacking is somewhere between 25 billion to 100 billion dollars annually." With Russia's tactics of using cyber-attacks to block any and all communications from within a nation-state and China's habit of economic and financial cyber-attacks, the two countries combining could be a perfect storm of political and economic havoc that may not yet have the United States' proper attention and deterrence capacity.
After a New Massacre, Charges That ISIS Is Operating With Assad and the Russians
Authors: Anne Speckhard, Ardian Shajkovci
On July 25 in the Syrian province of Sweida a massacre began in the early morning. Ten jihadists from the so-called Islamic State entered Sweida town. They wore the traditional baggy trousers and loose-fitting overgarments of Druze men, but beneath the clothes they had hidden explosive vests. Three detonated in the main vegetable market, then one of them accompanied the many injured to the hospital and set off his explosive charge there. The other six suicide bombers were overcome before they could detonate, according to senior officials in the Druze community.
At the same time, hundreds of ISIS fighters entered three nearby villages, moving house-by-house slitting throats and shooting to death men, women and children. Some reported that the killers left a witness from each family alive to tell their hideous story. In all, 273 Druze were killed and 220 injured, Druze officials told us.
They strongly suspect that the attack by ISIS was carried out in cooperation with the Russian-backed Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and this is corroborated to some extent by ISIS prisoners we have interviewed who are being held by U.S.-allied Kurdish forces here in northern Syria. The Druse politicians and officials came here to try to forge an alliance with like-minded Kurds for mutual self-protection, which is when they told us the details of the massacre.
News of the atrocity has been reported internationally, but the story behind it still is not well understood.
The Druze are one of the smaller minorities in Syria, perhaps three percent of the population. But their reputation as fighters in the wars of the Levant goes back centuries. Altogether, they number about a million adherents of a monotheistic, Abrahamic faith mingling elements of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but also beliefs in reincarnation. Long persecuted for their beliefs, they keep their scriptures secret.
Their lands and their strongholds traditionally have been in the mountains of Syria and Lebanon, although some Druze are in Jordan and a large contingent are in Israel. Many live outside the region as well, and fit easily into the secular West. (Amal Clooney, for instance, is from an influential Druze family in Lebanon.) In Syria, the hills east and south of Damascus officially are known as Jabal al-Druze, the Druze mountain, and the communities that live there are very close-knit.
To this day, Druze fighters are well represented in the militaries of Lebanon and Israel, and until recently of Syria as well. But when the Syrian uprising of 2011 turned violent, Druze leaders decided to stay neutral in the conflict. They called those serving in the Syrian army to desert and return home. Druze officials we spoke to, who did not want to be quoted by name, claim to have their own militia of 53,000 – reservists, military deserters and young men whom they have trained – ready to defend their Syrian heartland.
As the ISIS massacres in the Sweida region began just after dawn, mysteriously, telephone land lines and electricity in the area had been cut off. But the news spread by cell phone, and well-armed Druze men came out in droves to defend their population. "The big battle started around noon and lasted until 8 p.m," said one Druze official who joined the fight.
According to the Druze politicians we talked to, there were approximately 400 combatants from ISIS, or Daesh as they are called here, facing thousands of individually armed Druze who rose to fight — and who did not take prisoners.
"Currently 250 Daesh are dead," one Druze official told us. "There are no injured [ISIS fighters]. We killed them all and more are killed every day in ongoing skirmishes in which the Daesh attackers continue to come from the desert to attack. Every day we discover the bodies of injured Daesh who died trying to withdraw. Due to the rugged terrain, Daesh could not retrieve them with their four-wheel-drives. We have no interest to bury them."
Of 10 known ISIS captives taken during the fighting, three were hanged immediately. Another was captured and hanged during skirmishes earlier this week. The Druze officials said that the Syrian authorities are demanding any surviving ISIS captives be turned over to them, but the Druze are refusing to do so.
The horror of the Sweida massacre in an area most considered safe—and in these last moments when ISIS rule in Syria appears to be all but over—was magnified when the Druze learned that some of their women and children had been taken captive by ISIS cadres. "Most of the Daesh attackers were killed," a Druze official told us. "The only escapees were those who were kidnapped in the first village: 29 women, teenagers and babies."
One 19-year-old student already has been beheaded by ISIS, which also quickly posted pictures of their Druze female captives and demanded that the Syrian regime stop attacking them and exchange ISIS prisoners held by the regime for these women and children.
In addition to the sensational pictures of the helpless women holding their hands above their heads in the desert, ISIS sent a video of one of their Druze captives, 35-year-old A Shalguinz, who delivered her baby in the desert.
"Daesh said they will make them sabaya [slaves] if the regime doesn't' give 100 prisoners to them and the regime refused," one of our interlocutors told us.
People in the Middle East constantly speculate about the machinations of their governments and political parties, and rumors are taken seriously since verifiable facts often are hard or impossible to come by. But the Assad regime and ISIS at this moment have a coincidence of interests that is hard to mistake.
Assad currently is readying his troops and Russian- and Iranian-backed allies to attack the jihadist militants in Idlib, and the Druze leaders we talked to feel that their people were directly punished for not agreeing to join the Syrians in that operation.
Replaying the events that occurred prior to the slaughter and kidnapping, one Druze leader points out that about a week before the massacre, "Three Russian military officers came to the region to meet the political representatives of our area. They were meeting to create the 5th army in the region, exclusively for that region, so that all the young Druze who fled the Syrian Army and the Druze reservists are invited back."
If the Druze have anything like as many as the 53,000 combatants they claim, obviously they could be hugely valuable to the regime's army. But that was not going to happen.
"We don't attack outside of our area. We only defend ourselves if necessary," said the same official. "They came and said, 'We'll make the 5th battalion to protect the area. They can join the combat against al Nusra [al Qaeda linked jihadists] in Idlib," he explained. "But the local representative answered them clearly, that they cannot join any Syrian Army to combat outside the mountain of the Druze, only defensive not offensive actions."
Assad's alleged complicity with ISIS is long, gruesome, and well documented. Recently he has had a policy of allowing armed militants to escape from cities in busses, ostensibly to reduce the risk of civilian casualties.
""It is known that Daesh militants in the suburbs of Damascus have been displaced to the east of Sweida in green buses by an agreement with the government: 1,400 Daesh were moved this way to the area east of Sweida and near the Tanf base of the Americans," one of our Druze sources told us.
The U.S. garrison at al-Tanf sits on the strategic Baghdad-Damascus highway, located in Syria on the Iraqi border and within miles of the Jordanian border. This outpost has served as a launching point since 2016 for counter-ISIS operations including training for Syrian opposition factions fighting ISIS, al-Nusra and other jihadists.
"Adding to that, 1,000 combatants of Daesh came in a discreet way from the Yarmouk area [a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus] to join the local Daesh, estimated at 2,000 to 3,000 combatants," said one of the Druze officials who talked to us. "We know this by internal sources of the Syrian army. There are still some Druze of the army who leak this information to us." In these transfers, ISIS fighters "have the right to take their individual Kalashnikov and three magazines. According to the government all of them came armed this way as the Syrian government gave them this safe passage to move to our area."
"On the 24th of July most of the official checkpoints of the Syrian army around Sweida were withdrawn—all around the villages where the massacres occurred," this Druze official told us. "They hit at 7 a.m., but at night something else was happening. Where the villages are—facing the Daesh area—the Syrian army withdrew the local weapons from the local protection militias. No one knew why. They also withdrew their checkpoint in the area and cut the electricity and local phone service. The regime was a spectator to the massacre."
"We think there is complicity between Daesh and the regime," another of the Druze leaders said. "It's so obvious to us. The regime refused to send ambulances to assist the population. They cut the electricity as well and the local telephone service to make it difficult to communicate. They couldn't cut the mobiles."
One of the 10 captured ISIS attackers admits on an interrogation video shared by the Druze leaders that in the village massacres a man from the Syrian government guided them from house to house, knocking on the doors and calling the inhabitants by name so they would unwittingly open their doors to the ISIS attackers.
This is not the first time we have heard of such cynical and deadly complicity between the Assad regime and the ISIS terrorists it supposedly is fighting. We have interviewed, now, 91 men and women who defected from ISIS or were taken prisoner by the forces fighting it. They have told us that ISIS sold grain and oil to the Syrian government while in return they were supplied with electricity, and that the Syrians even sent in experts to help repair the oil facility in Deir ez Zour, a major city in southeast Syria, under ISIS protection. Early in the the revolution, Bashar al-Assad released al Qaeda operatives and other jihadists from his prison to make the case that he was fighting terrorists, not rebellious people hoping for democracy. One of those jihadists he released, known as Alabssi, was one of the ISIS leaders in the battle in Sweida.
In neighboring Iraq, ISIS has been declared militarily defeated since November 2017. President Donald Trump, in his state of the union speech in January this year, said, "I'm proud to report that the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated very close to 100 percent of the territory just recently held by these killers in Iraq and in Syria." But on the ground, U.S.-led coalition forces say that in the area patrolled by Americans and their close allies, around 1,000 ISIS militants are still at large. And an estimated 9,000 ISIS militants are still roaming free in Syria and Iraq. And in both places heinous attacks continue to occur.
Where did the fighters come from who carried out the massacre in Sweida? Ten ISIS fighters were captured and hundreds killed. According to our sources 83 ID cards were recovered. Most were Chechens, Palestinians from the Syrian camps, and some Saudis. There was a Moroccan and a Turkman among them, a Russian and a Libyan, as well as some Iraqis. Supposedly the brother of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, commanded the assault.
The Chechens who were slain were all wearing suicide vests—as usual, our source said. Those who attacked in the center of Sweida wore suicide vests, but so did the snipers using powerful rifles to shoot from distant rooftops. "That's where most our casualties came from," said one of the Druze officials. "It seems ISIS is alive and well despite international reports that they are defeated, or nearly defeated."
One of the officials will only speak to us anonymously out of concern the attack can be repeated. "If they kidnap one, they will kidnap more," he worries. Some 114 villages and small towns are around Sweida with half a million Druze living there.
The leaders of Druze mountain tell us that they are now also appealing to the international community to be protected by an international force, as the Kurdish area is protected by the Americans, and to assist them to bring back the kidnapped women to their families.
"To safeguard our community and to protect the diversity in the future of Syria, we need to create a crescent against aggressors," said one of the politicians. Running from north to south, including parts of Iraq, it would protect the Kurds, the Yazidis, Christians, and Druze. "The minorities are looking to the Coalition as the only credible force in the area," he said, adding, "The crescent strategically speaking would also cut the Iranians from access to the regime."
The world must decide whether or not to respond, but the record thus far does not hold out much hope.
Author's note: This piece first published at the Daily Beast
The armed conflict between ISIS and al Qaeda has reached its climax
How Central Asian jihadists kill each other in Syria?
Exactly one year ago, on July 10, 2017, the Islamic state citadel of Mosul city was liberated and, as a result, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi solemnly announced that the Caliphate in Iraq had finally and irrevocably fallen.More than three months later, on October 17, 2017, the Kurdish combat units of the Syrian Democratic Forces, with the support of the aviation of the international anti-terrorist coalition led by the United States, drove out the Islamic State from the Syrian city of Raqqa.
But, as the terrorist attacks carried out by the supporters of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in July 2018 in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Canada showed, the Islamic state managed to regain its strength over the past year and further expanded the geography of its military operations. While victorious fanfares sounded, ISIS fighters successfully mastered the tactics of guerrilla warfare and deeply integrated into the Sunni population of the Middle East and Central Asia. Pinpoint terrorist strikes clearly indicate that the victory over the Islamic state is still far away and the jihadists are determined to take revenge. Today ISIS is conducting an intense offensive guerrilla war not only against Western countries and government regimes in the region but also against the Taliban and armed groups of alQaeda, who are its ideological rivals for leadership in the jihadist world.
In this brutal and intra-factional war between ISIS Islamist groups on the one hand, and al Qaeda and Taliban on the other hand, the jihadists of the Central Asia's five countries, called the "Stans", are actively participating.Islamists from the Fergana Valley, because of ideological confrontation, were divided into supporters of al-Baghdadi and Ayman al-Zawahiri and often commit terrorist acts against each other in Syria.
According to the Hayat Tahrir al Sham–affiliated information agency Ebaa, on July 9, 2018, an attack was carried out in Syria's city Idlib against the amir's house of the Central Asian terrorist group Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad Abu Saloh. As a result of the attack, his wife and four-year-old son were killed. The Uzbek jihadists' leader himself was not injured. Security officer Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Anas al-Sheikh said that the house of Abu Saloh was attacked by an armed Khawarij (al Qaeda uses the term "Khawarij" as a synonym for 'extremist' to describe members of the ISIS), who was detained by the security forces of the city after hot pursuit.During the interrogation, a member of the Islamic state confessed to the crime. He was recruited by ISIS in Turkey. Later "Khawarij" was executed, Ebaa agency reported.
This is not the first victim among the Central Asian jihadists as a result of an armed confrontation between ISIS and al Qaeda. On April 27, 2017, during the evening prayer in the mosque of a Syrian city of Idlib, leader of the al Qaeda-backed Katibat Imam al Bukhari Sheikh Salahuddin was killed by an ISIS militant who was from Uzbekistan. The Islamic State distributed the following statement via Telegram messenger in this regard, "The emir of detachment of Katibat al-Imam Bukhari, Sheikh Salahuddin, was punished according to Sharia law for all the betrayals he committed."Two ISIS terrorists from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan who murdered the Sheikh Salahuddin were detained and executed.
Lately in the northwestern province of Idlib, which is the last stronghold of the Syrian armed opposition, terrorist attacks of ISIS militants on military and religious sites al Qaeda-backed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham sharply intensified.Lately in the northwestern province of Idlib, which is the last stronghold of the Syrian armed opposition, terrorist attacks of ISIS militants on military and religious sites of al Qaeda-backed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham sharply intensified.
Terrorist organizations from Central Asia such as Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad, Katibat al-Imam Bukhari, as well as Uyghur groups from Chinese Xinjiang, the Turkestan Islamic Party and Katibat al-Ghuraba are located in Idlib.All of them were affiliated with al Qaeda and were fighting within the largest jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The Salafi-jihadi ideologues of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham are making efforts to transform the Idlib province into an emirate ruled under Shariah.
According the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 229 jihadists of al Qaeda were assassinated by ISIS terrorist attacks. Of these, 153 fighters belong to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, al Qaeda-linked jihadist group Ahrar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Izza, and other factions operating in Idlib. 25 jihadists of Uzbek, Uyghur and Caucasian nationalities have been assassinated in the same ways.
Caliphate rising from the ashes
On July 12, 2018, ISIS' media center Amaq issued the message with three images from an improvised explosive device attack in Idlib city. The target was Sheikh Anas Ayrout, the President of the Court of Appeal in Idlib, a longtime opposition figure and senior Sharia official who played a key role in the formation of the Syrian Salvation Government. Based on Shariah rule the Syrian Salvation Government is a civil authority formed in Idlib province in early November 2017 and backed by the rebel coalition Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
A pinpoint attempt on such a high ranking religious and political figure indicates that the explosion was not accidental or chaotic.The al-Baghdadi militants have studied the possible routes of Sheikh Anas Ayrout and easily identified his car. They received from the Syrian Salvation Government information about when he would travel on this route.From this, it can be concluded that the Islamic state succeeded in introducing its agents into the military and religious structures of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and created a complex network of underground cells throughout Syria, including the Idlib province.
On July 13, 2018, the Islamic State's propaganda machine released the information with several photos about the assassination of the Turkey-backed Sultan Murad Division rebel group's leader Abu Ahmed al-Sansawi in Idlib city.ISIS' photos clearly showed that the killing was a targeted assassination, during which the terrorists confidently pursued the car of al-Sansawi. This once again testifies that the underground ISIS network is organized at a high level, and they have mastered the tactics of guerrilla warfare.
The Media Center Amaq almost daily reports about Islamic state's successful armed attacks on the positions of the "enemies of Islam" Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in the province of Idlib.Indeed, the guerrilla attacks and terrorist acts of the supporters of al-Baghdadi not only complicated the life of al-Qaeda-backed jihadists in Idlib, but they also caused a more serious threat to the security and defense of the entire armed Syrian opposition, than a possible attack by the Assad army and Iranian proxy Shiite militias with the support of Russian aviation.
On July 25, 2018, ISIS gunmen committed the bloodiest attack in Syria's history in the southwestern Sweida province, killing 215 people and injuring 180 people.The sad reality is that the fighters of al Baghdadi survived the air strikes of the Western coalition and today continue to pour out streams of blood in Sham.They are trying to prove to the outside world and the entire Sunni jamaat that, despite the fall of Mosul and Raqqa, the military, human and organizational potential of the ISIS remains high.
Today, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Central Asian Salafi-jihadi groups have to fight on three fronts: with the armed forces of the Assad regime, the Iranian controlled Shiite proxy units and ideological opponents of the Islamic state.If the war with the first two is outlined by a clear front line, then the fight against ISIS is conducted as an invisible guerrilla war.
Since 2017, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham regularly conducts a security campaign to identify ISIS clandestine cells and eliminate its agents in the province of Idlib.But it is very difficult to solve the problem of ensuring the security.To intimidate those who support the emir of the overthrown Caliphate al Baghdadi and those who sympathize with him, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham began to publicly execute the ISIS prisoners of war.
On July 14, Anas Sheikh, a security officer inIdlib, told Eba news agency that in the village of Sarmin,Hayat Tahrir al-Sham executed 8 ISIS members led by their commander Abu Barra Sahili. As evidence, the group's propagandists published a photo of executed terrorists.
On July 24, Eba agency reported that HTS militants destroyed a large cell of the Islamic state in the village of Jisr Shugur in the west of Idlib.As a result, the deputy amir of ISIS in Idlib Abu Said al-Shishani was captured and immediately executed. His photo was published on the Eba website.
Abu Said al-Shishani was the brother of ISIS military minister, Abu Omar al-Shishani (real name Tarkhan Batirashvili), a well-known Chechen terrorist and the closest military adviser to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.The US Treasury Department added Batirashvili to its list of "Specially Designated Global Terrorists", and the US government announced a reward up to $5 million for information leading to his capture in 2015.
A sacrifice of the pure Islam
It should be noted that according to the direction of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri,Hayat Tahrir al Sham and Central Asian jihadist groups avoided publicizing public executions of their enemies.But the difficult situation caused by the terrorist attacks of ISIS, apparently, forced the ideologists of al Qaeda to change the tactics of their propaganda.
In response, the jihadists of the Islamic state staged a wave of terror in the province of Idlib, as revenge for the murder of their members.They named their operation in honor of the murdered commander Abu Barra Sahili.Such a tradition was initiated by al Baghdadi himself.Earlier, ISIS carried out a military operation in honor of the lost military minister, Abu Omar al-Shishani, and in honor of the official spokesperson and senior leader of the Caliphate, Abu Mohammad al-Adnani.
The ideological rivalry and armed conflict between al Qaeda and ISIS for the leadership in the jihadist world has reached its peak.As is known, both terrorist groups are fighting for the purity of Islam.Both seek to establish Sharia laws, create an Islamic caliphate and to spread it around the world.ISIS ideologists consider the supporters of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham apostates and kaafirs (infidels).Al Qaeda described the supporters of the Islamic state as Khawarij (the early Islamic sect that was involved in the disruption of the unity of the Muslims and rebelled against the Khalifah).
From the analysis of ISIS activities over the last six months, it can be concluded that, firstly, the group leaders are trying to compensate for the loss of the Caliphate with abundant terrorist acts behind enemy lines and by expanding the geography of "the holy war." Secondly, the supporters of the Islamic state managed to create at an advanced level an expanded underground network among Sunni Muslims in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Yemen and Egypt. Thirdly, the publication of statements and press releases in the Amaq News Agency show that terrorist acts in different countries and regions are managed from a single ISIS center.
From a practical point of view, fighting between jihadists of the Islamic state and al Qaeda is beneficial to all countries that are fighting Islamist extremism and terrorism. A long and bloody confrontation will undoubtedly weaken the human, technical and financial potential of both Salafi-jihadi groups.
Total Catastrophe Demands Total Solution: Boko Haram and the Dilemma of Northeast Nigeria
The Boko Haram insurgency, far from being over and ravaging Northeastern Nigeria, has affected both the physical and social environment and led to displacing many residents of the Northeast from their homes. The Boko Haram insurgency, which can be traced back to the year 2009, has resulted in a grave humanitarian crisis with so many internally displaced persons in dire need of global intervention and assistance from donor agencies and states. The insurgency since 2013 has led to the displacement of 2.4 million people, including women and children making up the highest percentage most affected by the conflict. Food insecurity remains a major concern to the international community, with 5.2 million people in need of life-saving food assistance, especially those who are in IDP camps. Also, there is a growing health challenge being experienced by internally displaced persons. For instance, on 16 August 2017 a cholera outbreak was reported on the outskirts of Borno's capital, Maiduguri, and later on in Dikwa and Monguno as well. Within just two weeks there were 125 suspected/confirmed cases as well as eight suspected cholera-related deaths. These health challenges facing IDPs won't change in the foreseeable future due to the limited humanitarian aid from donor agencies. Thus, these entirely preventable diseases are becoming endemic throughout the northeast.
Also in August 2017 there were major attacks against civilians, including despicable suicide bombings inside of IDP camps. Over 10 suicide bombing attacks took place during the reported period in Borno alone. These attacks have understandably discouraged humanitarian agencies from deploying their aid workers to the theatre of the conflict. Considering the high risks posed by the Boko Haram insurgency, most aid workers are unwilling to work in the Northeast part of Nigeria entirely, which consequently means the fate of all the IDPs there, within camps and without, are at the mercy of Boko Haram.
In order to ensure that humanitarian actors can continue to address the most pressing needs, physical access must be improved in northeast Nigeria which will help reduce the dilemma confronting IDPs in the region. It was discovered that by August 2017 the lack of access in certain areas of northeast Nigeria prevented food security organizations from reaching over 337,000 affected persons. Furthermore, the unpredictable internal migration movements of IDPs continue to pose a grave challenge to humanitarian agencies' ability to respond in a timely and targeted manner. There is a collective agreement by all the non-Boko Haram northeast stakeholders that a return to normalcy and comprehensive resettlement of all IDPs across the region is the penultimate goal, second only to ensuring stable economic growth for the region's sustainable redevelopment as the ultimate fight against extremism. This collective agreement has led the federal government of President Muhammadu Buhari to intensify its efforts to bring normalcy to the region and resettlement of all IDPs by directly engaging selected Boko Haram-controlled areas. In the meantime, however, this engagement increases the instability (if also dynamism) of the IDP situation.
According to the UNHCR December 2016 Report, out of the estimated 176,000 Nigerians (a sub-set of the total 2.3 Million IDPs) who fled to neighboring countries (Cameroon, Chad, and Niger), only 17,000 have returned and under circumstances falling far short of international standards. In many of these cases, the returnees are being processed to join other IDPs in formal and informal camps. This above report shows a certain level of dynamism, as they indicate that the returns are beginning to happen spontaneously. For instance, 2016 governmental reports on return assessments indicated that an estimated total of 332,333 IDPs (47,476 IDP households) returned to northern Adamawa (Mubi North, Mubi South, Michika, Maiha, Hong and Gombi). IDPs in Yobe are also beginning to relocate to communities and camps close to their original communities and only Borno State currently has the slowest rates of IDP returns. This is on account of the intermittent progress being made by the Nigerian military to defeat Boko Haram and the fact that many IDPs indicated a strong willingness to return of their own accord to their home communities if safety and security was at least semi-guaranteed. However, the comprehensive and full resettlement and return of IDPs to their homes depends largely on the total defeat of Boko Haram insurgents. Despite progress by the Nigerian military, that total victory is far from achieved or guaranteed.
There is a dire need for infrastructural development in the region as the Boko Haram insurgency has resulted in the destruction of facilities and installations, especially healthcare and educational institutions throughout the northeast. This dearth of infrastructural development has generated immense concerns which led to the National Assembly putting forward a bill to begin engineering this essential development of the region. Most recently, there was the signing of the Northeast Development Commission Bill by President Buhari. This law provides for the establishment of the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC). How effective this will be in bringing meaningful development to the conflict-ravaged region depends largely on how much funding is diverted to it and how sincerely and honestly will the commission manage those funds?
Thus, the way forward to ensure lasting peace while overcoming the grave humanitarian crisis confronting the northeast part of Nigeria is for the federal government (through its military and executive branch) to intensify efforts and show a high level of commitment toward not only defeating Boko Haram insurgents but making the economic, social, and food security of all citizens there politically paramount. Humanitarian global actors should also increase their efforts by committing more personnel physically to the region, thus reinforcing the commitment of the Nigerian government. Finally, the management of the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) should be free of corruption and manipulation when rebuilding the northeast, in order to avoid the pitfalls that bedeviled an earlier commission with similar mandate, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Until all parties involved, local and global, understand the holistic effort needed to not just overcome extremist elements but make Nigeria truly safe for all Nigerians, then the scourge of Boko Haram will continue.
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After this years trials and tribulations with my make shift Mega tree, I have decided I will be adding a permanent flag pole where my Mega tree will reside.
So this leads to my question I want to build the ultimate flag pole which will be "Mega tree" Ready.
I had planned to build this new flag pole approximately 20' tall a little under or over is fine.
My current construction list would be as follows. (AND YES this may be over kill)
1 - 12" x 48" concrete base.
2 - Pole 1 = 10' x 2" Galvanized steel pipe.
3 - 2" to 1 1/2" reducer
4 - Pole 2 = 10' x 1 1/2" Galvanized steel pipe.
5 - 1 1/2 to 1" galvanized reducer
6 - 5' x 1" Galvanized steep pipe.
6 - 2 pulleys
7 - cleat
8 - Rope - 7mm power rope capable of handling 2200lb working load.
This should give me a 21' Flag pole with 4' of the pole in the ground.
My reason for 2 pulleys rather than 1 is so I can raise and lower my lights more evenly as well as having more stability for ring which my lights will hang from.
My only thought at this point is the Tree topper, and how to easily get my Star to the top of the tree. At first thought I was thinking to maybe put a rope inside of the flag pole and run it up to a cap. I would then be able to some how pop the cap off with a long pole lower it down and replace the cap with my topper and raise it back into place with minimal effort from the ground.
I am also thinking that it would be great to be able to use this same pole for my Antenna maybe?
Lastly any other suggestions before I get started on this project would be much appreciated

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I haven't posted much lately for Army Life. Things are just so busy right now. Then I thought about it and realized that much of that is due to Lean Green's retirement. Therefore, I should be sharing our retirement adventure with you all!!
The 21st was a month ago that we were at the Retirement Ceremony. I don't think I told you all just how awesome it was. It was cold too!! How's a woman supposed to look good while she's shivering in the wind?? HAHA Everyone viewing the ceremony was wrapped up in big coats, hats, scarfs and mittens. But not me, I had to look good!! HAHA
We had some really wonderful people share this day with us. Right in the front row was Miss K, my parents and hubby's parents. My Uncle Al and Aunt Marge came down from WI for the ceremony as well. After the ceremony, we had an Open House with enough food to feed an Army!! The next day, our good friend Scott, his wife and their beautiful daughter came up from Dallas to share this time with us. We've known Scott since our first duty assignment in Germany!! We had some other good friends missing, but sometimes life happens that way.
We've been told that the Retirement Ceremony here is the best Army-wide. There's no post that can compare. I believe it!! There was a unit in formation through the whole ceremony. There was also the Army Band and a Half Section. A Half Section is a horse-drawn cannon and it's a site to see. We got to stand as the troops passed in review. There's so many handshakes and congrats. Lean Green was presented with a folded flag in a case and his Retirement Certificate. I was also presented with a certificate.
I just can't put into words everything about the ceremony. Anything I'd type would be boring and bland in comparison to the actual ceremony. After serving over 20 years, this was a wonderful and memorable way to end a career. I still remember the beginning of it all and I'll never forget the end of it either.
One of the most fun things we did was to have our picture taken in the exact same spot that we did over 2o years prior when he graduated from Basic Training here. My how time flies!! My how we change!! HAHA Maybe one day I'll share the beginning and the end pictures!! For now, here's my photo share of that special day, the Retirement Ceremony.


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I had the opportunity to try a wall decor product from "@SaalDigital" for free I had heard of Saal Digital but never tried one of their products.
After looking at their wall decor products I decided to try the Alu-Dibond Butlerfinish print in a 40x50c size.
As this can be used for wall decor, in the home or office and is for indoor and outdoor use. With the direct UV printing, it is especially sun fade and water resistant, so if you hung it in your house you would not have to think about hanging it somewhere where the sun would not hit it directly.
I had just done a wedding dress shoot with Atusa at Hardwick park on the Monday and thought this would be a good type of image to try on their product, as it was something a little different and also it would give me a sample to show clients who were wanting a different type of print from the regular framed with glass. So I loaded the image into photoshop and downloaded the colour profiles supplied by Saal so I could do a proof check on the image once I had it to how I wanted it to look .
So once I was happy with the way the colours and image looked with the proof I saved the image and moved to the Saal website to order my print, and the ordering process was very easy to follow.
I ordered my print on the evening and I was surprised to find an email the next day to say that my print had been processed and and sent out, I ordered it on a Wednesday night and it arrived on Monday morning and this came from Germany. That is good service. I must admit when I received the email to say that it had been processed and printed that night what type of quality was the finished product going to be like with that sort of fast turn around. So I waited with trepidation to see what the quality was going to be like and also the colour quality and finish of the product when it arrived. So the package arrives it is well wrapped and protected from damage so the next stage is to open it and see what the print looks like. Well I am absolutely thrilled with the finished item, the quality of the materials and printing are excellent, the image looks excellent on the Alu-Dibond Butlerfinish, it has a slight surreal look to it and when you look at it from different angles it feels like the image has a movement to it. The construction is quite thin with it being of a sandwich type material an aluminum then a a type of foam board then aluminum, but is very strong and sturdy, it can be purchased with different types of mountings , but I chose to go with no types of mounting as I am wanting to use it to show clients, so decided I did not need to be able to hang it. The price it isn't cheap, but then again I go from what my mother taught me "if you buy cheap you usually get cheap". The mounting would have added a bit more depending on the type of mounting you went for but at the end of the day the quality is excellent and it looks really good. You could go for a smaller size or for an even larger size as long as the Mega Byte was good enough to give you the quality of a bigger print.
There a lots of labs out their offering all types of products but not many giving you the chance to try one of their products for free, it shows they have great faith in their workmanship, will I use Saal Digital in the future, I can quite honestly say yes, I have been impressed with the whole process from their website to delivery, I might have to test some of their other products to make sure they meet the same high standards but I am confident they will. So "@SaalDigital" if you would like me to test some more of your products for you I would be most willing, and it looks like I have found a new supplier for my printing work.
I have included a link to the Saal Digital Page for the Alu-Dibond Butlerfinish and available mounting types.
January February March April May June July August (1) September (1) October (1) November (1) December
January (3) February (3) March April May June July (1) August (1) (1) September (1) October (1) November (1) December
January (1) February (1) (1) March (1) April May June (1) July (1) August (1) September (1) (4) October (4) November December
January (1) February (1) (1) March (1) April May June July August September October November December


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By Melissa Star:
Michael Danby, the ALP member for Melbourne Ports recently created two different how to vote cards to "respect a minority group, the Orthodox Jewish supporters, who [he believes] would not like to preference the Sex Party at number two."
I'm Melissa Star, the Sex Party's candidate for Melbourne Ports. I'm a Jewish woman with an Orthodox background and I was observant for many years. I'm a member of Shira Hadasha and spoke in shule on Friday night about why you should Vote 1 Sex Party in both the Lower House and the Senate.
The Sex Party is both economically responsible and socially progressive, and like Yesh Atid in Israel we'd like to increase the separation between religion and government. We've grown very quickly, with 52 candidates across the entire nation, including 29 for the Victorian lower house.
One of the reasons we're called the "Sex Party" is to end the climate of silence, shame, stigma, and ignorance about sex and sex-related issues. Party president Fiona Patten played a key role in bringing about the Royal Commission into Child Sex Abuse. Part of the change we want to create is to institute an age appropriate sex education curriculum in every Australian school to make sure that our kids are safe.
- Regardless of one's viewpoint about gay and lesbian issues and gender diversity, I believe we wall want our kids to have a happy childhood, which is why this curriculum should send the message that all kids must be safe from social and physical violence and from ostracism.
Moving to another key issue, we believe that genuine charity work should be tax exempt, but the for-profit businesses owned by religious institutions should pay their fair share. Much of the $20 billion of religious tax exemptions every year could be better spent to balance the budget and make a strong economy, or to improve our nation's infrastructure.
There is also the issue of drugs. Over a third of Australians have smoked marijuana and billions of dollars every year are going to drug dealers and to organised crime. The war on drugs has failed, just as prohibition of alcohol did in America last century. We want to try a different approach where we legalise, regulate and tax marijuana as is done with tobacco and alcohol.
I believe that the parents, friends, and family of people struggling with drug addiction want their loved ones to get medical treatment and to survive, not to run from police, be afraid to see doctors, and risk getting a criminal record that could greatly limit their future.
We believe, based on international evidence, that decriminalisation won't increase the number of people who take drugs, but that it will greatly reduce the number of people who die as a consequence.
I'm a strong believer in marriage equality, having personally experienced the pain that sex and gender diverse people go through when our relationships are stigmatised and ignored. It's particularly bad if you come from a religious background and were brought up from childhood to believe your future involves marriage and children with your one true love.
Of course this doesn't have any bearing on Halacha but do we really want to use Halacha as a basis for the laws of our multi-cultural secular nation or to impose a marriage ban on another minority group of Australians? If the Orthodox community would like secular Australians to respect its freedom, surely it should reciprocate.
I make the same argument for voluntary euthanasia, another of our policies. The existence of voluntary euthanasia laws won't make a terminally ill Orthodox Jew take her or his own life, but it could cause people to wait longer knowing that the pain does in fact have an "off switch" if and when it becomes completely unbearable.
I'll end this article by making clear that I am a friend to the State of Israel, and that I would never be part of any political party that has policies that would endanger the nation's survival. I dream of a future, as distant as it may be, in which nationalist and religious fundamentalism is no longer present in the middle east, or in Australia, and that people with diverse beliefs and views can live together in happiness and in peace.
Please note:
Shira Hadasha has asked me to clarify that the shul does not endorse any political candidate or party. It has also provided opportunities to other candidates in Melbourne Ports to take questions from members and speak about their party's policies.


text: Example: Watching the incident priority The following example shows what happens to the Priority field on the incident form when both the Impact and Urgency fields change. The Incident form has two client-side data lookups change the priority. Additionally, server-side ACLs and the data lookup engine fire when the record is saved. Finally, a client-side UI policy sets the Priority field back to read-only, which is the default setting.Table 1. Watching the incident priority Original values Priority:1 - Critical Impact:1 - High Urgency:1 - High First Change The user changes the Impact value to 3 - Low. The priority automatically changes to 3 - Moderate based on the Priority Lookup data lookup definition used by default in ServiceNow incidents. Note: At this point, the record has not been saved. Second Change The user changes the Urgency value to 2 - Medium. The priority automatically changes to 4 - Low based on the same Priority Lookup data lookup definition. The user saves the record by right-clicking the form header and choosing Save. Figure 1. Field watcher example Note: The values that change from 1 to 3, and then from 3 to 4, refer to the numerical values in the choice list. Tutorials The following video demonstrates how to perform field-level debugging with the field watcher.


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Basketball & Volleyball Summer League
Sonny's SportsPlex offers competitive sports for all ages.
The very first of many for Sonny's SportsPlex. Our year-round leagues begins with our Summer session for Basketball & Volleyball. Our rules are different in many ways to make it competitive for everyone. Learn more by visiting our site.
Date & Time
- Weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
- Jun 11, 2018 through Aug 03, 2018
LocationGet Directions
More Info
- Event Website
- 803-707-0919
- $250-$300 per team
- All Ages columbia, sc all ages #volleyball #basketball #youthsports #summerleague


text:
Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has issued a recruitment notification for the recruitment of Resident House Officers / Registrars / Senior Registrars through recruitment notification – Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) Recruitment 2016 – Candidates who have completed Any Graduate / Any Post Graduate can apply for the new recruitment notification from Mumbai Port Trust.
Eligible candidates need not to apply online for this Resident House Officers / Registrars / Senior Registrars. Walk in Interview will be held on 29/02/2016 at 10.00 A.M. Find more information about the vacancy like Age limit, Selection Process, Qualification, Application fee, How to apply etc can be found below
Company Name : Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)
Vacancy Name : Resident House Officers / Registrars / Senior Registrars
Educational Qualification : M.B.B.S
Total No of Vacancy : 03 Post
Salary : Rs – 42,000 /- Pm
Job Location : Chhattisgarh
Walk in date to Apply for this job: 29/02/2016
Walk in Address for the Job Vacancy: Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) , Chhattisgarh .
Detail of Post:
Resident House Officers / Registrars / Sr. Registrars are to be inducted in different specialities for its well-equipped 860- bedded Hospital with modern facilities on the following terms & conditions, on stipendiary basis. Discipline : GENERAL MEDICINE, RESPIRATORY MEDICINE, ORTHOPEDICS, PATHOLOGY, ANAESTHESIA, ENT, NEURO SURGERY, PEDIATRIC, DERMATOLOGY, PEDIATRIC SURGERY, OPHTHALMOLOGY, GASTROENTEROLOGY, GENERAL SURGERY, OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY, NEUROLOGY, ONCOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY, RADIO DIAGNOSIS & URO SURGERY
|Qualification (MCI Recognized)
|Stipend (Rs.per month)
|RHOs : MBBS (MCI Recognized)
|Rs. 25,000/-p.m.
|Registrars : MBBS with 2 years full time Diploma (MCI Recognized)
|Rs. 36,000/-p.m.
|Sr.Registrars : MBBS with PG Degree (MCI Recognized) / DNB
|Rs. 42,000/-p.m.
Selection Procedure:
- Written Test on 29/02/2016.
- Shortlisted candidates will undertake face to face interview.
- Dates are yet to be announced for the final selection
Walk in Procedure :
Age as on 29.02.2016 : For RHOs – 30 Years For MS/MD/DNB/MDS and Diploma candidates – 35 years (Experience below four years Post PG) Relaxation of age: 5 years for SC/ST candidates and 3 years for OBC candidates Tenure period : Initially for 1 year which may be extended for another 1 year.
Interested eligible candidates may Walk-in for Interview, on the date & time mentioned below, with all relevant documents (Originals + one set of photo copies), Age Certificate, Experience certificate, Caste Certificate (for SC / ST / OBC candidates) Medical Registration Certificate, NOC from present employer, two Passport size photos and a Demand Draft (non-refundable) for Rs.250/-(Rs. Two hundred fifty only) in favour of Steel Authority of India Limited, Bhilai Steel Plant. (SC/ST candidates are exempted from the above fees). No TA/DA will be admissible for interview
Important dates to remember :
Walk in date for this job : 29/02/2016
VENUE : Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) , Office of the Director I/c, JLN Hospital & Research Centre, Bhilai Steel Plant, Bhilai


text:
All Films.All Above Board.NOW INCLUDES TV SHOWS & TV LISTINGS
A troubled teenager, still mourning the death of his father, finds strength and a new sense of purpose when he sets out to save a grizzly bear from the murderous intentions of hunters who believe the beleaguered beast is a threat to townsfolk. However, he soon realises he will struggle to convince his neighbours that the creature deserves to live. Drama, starring Daniel Baldwin, Michele Green, Riley Smith and Fred Dryer


text:
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
What I Ate Wednesday
13 comments:
love love love your posts!! :)ReplyDelete
Meal 3 looks delicious!ReplyDelete
First love your blog. Second I am a little frustrated, I literally eat exactly like you and I have not lost a pound in 3 months. So frustrated. I drink a gallon of water a day and I work out 4-5 days a week, using HIIT, plyometrics, lifting weights etc. What gives?ReplyDeleteReplies
- AnonymousJuly 7, 2013 at 11:59 AM
It might be that you are putting on muscle at a similar rate that you are losing fat. Maybe don't focus on weight on the scale right now -- try focusing on your body, how it feels when you move around, how your jeans fit (though maybe not in THIS weather), etc. Isn't it a great feeling when you try to lift something heavy and you CAN? :)Delete
- MichelleJuly 3, 2013 at 11:08 AM
Miss L s Mom, You might not be eating enough to support the amount of cals you are burning. Trying weighing everything you eat and put it into myfitnesspal.com and see how many cals you are actually eating. If its not enough then your body will want to hold onto any thing it can for fuel ie:fatReplyDelete
Are there lactose-free Quest bars? Or are they all lactose free in general? I haven't found any that specify "lactose free", but I'd love to be able to try them. Thanks!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 3, 2013 at 7:58 PM
What about fruits???? They are still good sugars....right?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 5, 2013 at 7:40 AM
B, what is that source you have next to your Meal 1? Looks like ketchup but I know it isn't :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 6, 2013 at 9:37 AM
Just a question - what does a typical workout week look like ? How often do you hit certain body parts and how do you split them up?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 6, 2013 at 2:11 PM
Sorry to ask a semi-unrelated question, but I'm thinking of making your yam protein muffins, the recipe you posted almost exactly a year ago, and I'm wondering, when you say "a scoop" of protein powder, do you know how big that is? Like half a cup, 2 tbsp....? Thanks very much. I'm excited for the recipe because I've recently gotten into sweet potatoes -- I like both how they taste and how I feel after I eat them -- and I need a way to use my protein powder! :) -LorettaReplyDelete
I like the way you have chosen your meals, the quantity and when taking as the nutritious way it's great.ReplyDelete
I just read about egg white oats on another blog. I usually have egg whites and spinach with an Ezekiel tortilla or Ezekiel toast for breakfast. I found that the extra protein and fiber helps me stay full longer. :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 9, 2013 at 6:38 PM
I love that you post your foods, it really helps me plan my days and what I will eat. My problem is that I am tiny, so no fat to loose. I am trying to gain muscle. Do you think if I eat similar to the way you are, I would gain muscle...Or, do I need to eat even more. I tried to eat over 2000 cals today and man...it's tough!ReplyDelete


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Help with debt problems
There are many national and local organisations that offer free and confidential debt advice and support. See the links or the contacts below.
Take a look at the free debt advice self help pack available to download below.
Croydon debt advice service is:
- free
- independent
- confidential
Croydon Council Money Advice Service : 020 8726 6000 ext 63696.
Money and debt advice websites
At our Croydon branch of South West London Law Centres (close to Bernard Wetherill House) you can contact us straightaway by ringing 020 8767 2777 option 1, emailing us firstname.lastname@example.com or drop in during our opening hours 9:30am to 5pm Monday to Friday. We now also have an evening drop in clinic on a Thursday from 5pm to 8pm. We are completely free, confidential and FCA regulated. We also offer help with grants, cheaper gas and electric for those who are living in a Thames Water area.
Age UK Croydon
2 Katharine Street
Croydon CR0 1NX
Citizens Advice Bureau: New Addington
1a Overbury Crescent
New Addington
Surrey CR0 0LR
Citizens Advice Bureau: Thornton Heath
Strand House
Zion Road
Thornton Heath
Croydon, Merton and Sutton Credit Union
Bernard Weatherill House
8 Mint Walk
South West London Law Centres
79 park Lane
- Debt Advice Self Help Pack [498.9KB]


text:
Wearables March 09, 2017
How You Can Help With Colors for a Cause
Raise awareness and funds for important causes with Charles River Apparel's top-selling style, The New Englander® rain jacket.
The success of a business isn't only measured by its bottom line. In part, it's measured by its goodwill. Charles River Apparel is a family-owned company, known for creating a tradition of giving back. It started with the Be Pink Proud campaign, honoring the memory of beloved family members, and it has expanded throughout the years.
"Our mission is to create a community and environment that's passionate about giving back," says Barry Lipsett, CEO and owner of Charles River Apparel. "For a family-owned company like Charles River Apparel, having the opportunity to give back allows us to go beyond what we sell."
On February 1, 2017, the com pany launched "Colors for a Cause," a Charles River CaresTM initiative. "Colors for a Cause" leverages the brand's best-selling style, The New Englander® Rain Jacket, to help create awareness and raise funds for national and local charities. Throughout the year, there will be a series of two-month-long campaigns revolving around the sales of particular colors of the rain jacket, with the proceeds of each matched with a cause.
The first campaign, launched on February 1, is focused on helping families in need, and will run through March 31. For every Women's New Englander Red sold over the course of the campaign, Charles River Apparel will donate 10% to the following causes: Circle of Hope, Habitat for Humanity Boston and Family Promise. It will be followed up with New Englander Wave (blue) to protect rivers and oceans (April 1 through May 31), New Englander Pink to team up against cancer (September 1 through October 31) and New Englander Kids in all colors (November 1 through December 31) to support children in need.
In addition to giving back to charities, Charles River is giving back to its customers. For every New Englander in the color sold during the campaign, the company will give 5% back to its valued distributors. "It's our way of saying thank you for supporting our brand and mission," Lipsett says. Giving back to the customer has inspired many to join the cause by passing the 5% on to their charity of choice. Distributors have requested "Colors for a Cause" artwork for client presentations, and several have inquired about partnering to help expand the cause.
"We're thrilled by the response we received at recent industry trade shows," says Deb Lipsett, director of Charles River Cares, "and look forward to growing the program with our distributors."
The program is another example of Charles River Apparel's tradition of giving back. "It's exciting to expand on a long history of giving, which now reaches new causes both locally and nationally," says Tracy Lehnen, vice president of marketing. Other related causes the company continues to support include Family Promise, Habitat for Humanity Boston, Circle of Hope, Charles River Watershed Association, Facing Cancer Together, Christmas In the City, Wellness Warriors, Catie's Closet and Camps for All Kids.
Due to the positive response of the "Colors for a Cause" pro- gram, and in the spirit of giving, Charles River has already started giving back to causes in advance of their respective campaigns, making contributions to each of the following events:
• Earth Day (New Englander WAVE)
• Run of the Charles (New Englander WAVE)
• Walk Away Homelessness (New Englander Red)
• Facing Cancer Together 10K (New Englander Pink)
• Catie's Closet Gala (New Englander Kid)
"We have created a tradition of giving back and we're excited to extend it to our customers."
--Barry Lipsett, Charles River Apparel
Visit www.charlesriverapparel.com to learn more about how the cause will benefit a deserving group of charities and how you can help expand the program's reach.


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Prior Learning and Assessment Recognition (PLAR)
Where Your Life Experiences Count!
What is PLAR for Mature Students?
PLAR for Mature Students provides a quicker way for adults to acquire credits towards a high school diploma. Through PLAR, you may get credits towards your high school diploma through a formal evaluation and assessments. PLAR Assessments look at your life and work experiences since leaving high school and can award you credit for that experience, as well as grant equivalent credits for successful completion of assessments.
Am I eligible for PLAR?
PLAR is designed for Adults who:
· Are at least 18 years old on or before December 31 of this school year
· Have been out of school for at least 10 months
· Wish to complete their high school diploma
How do I get started?
Step 1:
Book an appointment with a PLAR assessor by contacting The Thomas Merton Centre for Continuing Education in Milton at 905-693-6676 or Oakville at 905-849-7555
Step 2:
Come in for your appointment with the following documents:
1. Official high school transcript (contact your former school if you don't have it)
2. Photo ID
3. Proof of Ontario residency
4. Immigration Documentation (for landed immigrants or refugees)
You can get in touch with us at
Thomas Merton Centre for Continuing Education
171 Speers Road, Unit 1
Oakville, ON L6K 3W8
Get directions to our locations in:
Oakville | Burlington | Milton
Appointments for registration can be made by calling 905-849-7555 x 234.
|No events


text:
Home > Attractions > Natural Attractions > England > Southwest > Devon > Lydford Gorge
Lydford GorgeA deep gorge surrounded by ancient woodland, Lydford Gorge is Designated Site of Scientific Interest managed by the National Trust. A circular two hour walk will take you by the White Lady's Waterfall and the whirling Devil's Cauldron.
The deepest gorge in the South West of England, Lydford Gorge lies just south of the town at the bottom of the hill below the bridge. Now managed by the National Trust, Lydford Gorge stretches for 1.5 miles (2.5km) and is surrounded by ancient woodland.
A must see for the reasonably fit, the full walk around Lydford Gorge is three miles and will take most people about 2 hours. The walk takes you by the fast-flowing River Lyd to two spectacular sights, the Devil's Cauldron and the White Lady's Waterfall. Although best seen after a bout of heavy rain, the walk is beautiful at any time of the year. Your walk will take you through Lambhole Wood, a thickly-grown mixture of lime, cherry, elm, laurel, hawthorn and horse chestnut trees. You'll then pass through Watervale Wood, descend a steep slope and arrive at the 90ft, vertical cascade of White Lady's Waterfall. The path then leads you along the River Lyd and bubbling whirlpools until you arrive at the ferocious Devil's Cauldron. You can pick up a free map at the National Trust Shop at Lydford Gorge.
An enchanting place, full of flora and chirping birds, Lydford Gorge can become a treacherous place in bad weather. Over the centuries, the gorge has claimed its fair share of fatalities. Picnics on a lovely day have turned into disaster when day trippers have been washed away or slipped and knocked into a permanent state of unconsciousness. In the 17th century, Lydford Gorge was unsafe for another reason - as the hide-out of the outlawed Gibbons family. So, be warned. On your trip, you may just spot one of the lost souls said to haunt the place. If you see a woman wearing a red scarf, staring into the water at a pool called Kit's Pool, you may just have encountered 'The Red Lady'!
Address: The Stables, Lydford Gorge
Postcode: EX204BH [Street Map]
Town/City: Lydford
County: Devon
Phone: 01822 820320
Adults: £5
Children: £2.50 15 and under


text:
Join our candidates in Liberton/Gilmerton, Lezley and Tim, for campaigning from 11am every Saturday. This week we will meet at the Hub, Gilmerton New Church, Ravenscroft Street.
Don't worry if you've never done anything like this before, we will explain exactly what to do and team you up with an experienced campaigner
- April 22, 2017 at 11am – 1pm
The Hub, Ravenscroft Street
6 Ravenscroft St
Edinburgh, Scotland, Midlothian EH17 8QJ
United Kingdom
Google map and directions
- Lezley Cameron


text:
こちらの商品はBauer バウアーのSupreme S190 GripTac シニア用 コンポジット ホッケー スティックです。
Bauer Supreme S190 GripTac Senior Hockey Stick
The Bauer Supreme S190 hockey stick headlines as a top model in the next installment of Bauer's Supreme series line. The S190 features a new flex profile called Maximum Power Kick or MPK for short. With a lower taper integration, an amplified catapult effect is created to allow the S190 to efficiently store and release energy. It works by making the taper stiffer with a new high strength fiber reinforcement, this stiffer lower portion of the shaft combined with a softer upper to the shaft is what pushes the kick point to be even higher which helps the stick to easily load-perfect for providing powerful slap shots and one-timers.
The S190 uses a more traditional fused construction made with premium 12K carbon fiber. It also features the same blade as the 1S with the Power Sense Core 2 which integrates SENSE layer materials and Aero Foam 3 to provide a well-balanced and lightweight blade all while maintaining its key dampening attributes. This model is ONLY available in senior and comes in a griptac or clear finish of your choice.
・Player Profile
Ideal for the power player that unloads explosive one-timers and bombs the heavy slapshot
・Kick Point / Flex Profile
High Mid-Kick point – Maximum Power Kick (MPK) stiffer lower portion of shaft that pushes the kick point even higher
・Shaft Construction
Premium 12K carbon composite shaft construction
・Shaft Geometry
Square, double concave shaft dimensions with tactile texture
・Shaft Coating
Griptac or non-grip (clear)
・Shaft Taper
Maximum Power Kick (MPK) – new taper geometry with lower taper initiation for max energy output with minimum effort
・Blade Core
Power Sense 2 Core – Aero Foam 3 heel and Power SENSE Core plus full SENSE integration in the wrap
Pure Shot Blade Profile – expanded throat design
・Blade Wrap
Premium 12K carbon composite
・Blade Coating
Matte finish with texture
・Stick Used for Measurement
87 Flex P92 L6 Left hand
・Weight (gm)
約 466 grams
・Actual length (in)


text:
Britain and France are set to organise a joint ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme next year that is expected to draw some 10,000 people, the French government said.
Senior political and military officials from both countries and Germany will attend the service in Thiepval, in northern France, to commemorate the first day of the allied offensive in World War I.
"For the first time, the ceremony on July 1 will be jointly organised by the French and British governments," according to the office of France's secretary of state for veterans and remembrance.
"It will be a major ceremony with the aim of reviving the commemorative event," it added in a statement.
The Battle of the Somme was one of the bloodiest in World War I, leaving more than one million dead, wounded or missing between July and November 1916.
Britain is planning to hold a ballot to give out tickets to those who wish to attend next year's event, which is expected to draw some 10,000 people from Britain, France and the Commonwealth.
In France, anyone wishing to go can apply for a ticket but priority will be given to families of those who took part in the bloody offensive.
A hundred years on, memories of the battle live on and the northern French region of Picardy — which includes the Somme department — has become a hub for "war tourism".
Over the decades, tens of thousands of English-speaking families have visited to pay their respects at the grave of an ancestor or visit memorials, including Thiepval (pictured above).


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Profession: Film director
Origin: The Netherlands
City: Utrecht
Education: HKU Arts education
Why do you do what you do? To tell stories, to create atmospheres, to conquer challenges, to meet/work with different people
Could you describe your style and how it developed? A mixture of social-magic-realism. Stories that have real world implications mixed with a dreamlike visual experience.
Where do you get inspiration from? Music mostly, and other films off course.
What is the best part about working within the creative industries? Have the change to work with all types of people from different disciplines.
What do you wish you knew about your business before you got started? I sort of rolled in this business without thinking beforehand how to approach it. I'm still learning things about this business each day so i haven't figured that one out yet.
Has your style develop/change over the time being active? If yes, how? Yes definitely.
Who would you like to work with? Nobody in particular. I would like to work with people from different creative disciplines like game-design of literature but if i have to choose it would be music artist that inspire me.
What is your idea of success? Being happy doing what your doing, and doing it well.
Is there a message that you are trying to portray through your work? I try to tell stories from a objective perspective, meaning that situations are not always as black and white as they seems, and by telling stories from a grey perceptive, people can decide on there own what to think about these stories i portray.
Do you believe it is important to raise artistic awareness in your country? Yes
In your opinion, how important is it to culturally educate through art? Allright, not terrible. We have our financial backbone to experiment with. To find your own style and authorship. But the education itself is sometimes pretty lacklustre.
URL: http://cargocollective.com/JorisWeerts


text:
These are a great promotional tool and won't be forgot by your clients with your unique custom cut shape. Printed on a vinyl stock which is great for indoor and outdoor use.
- up to full colour one side
- high gloss vinyl stock 3 year UV resistant
- up to business card size


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Business Description: Medical Professional
Glenn Leslie is a medical professional with over 30 years' of experience. He is a devoted doctor, who has never failed at giving the best results.
Born and raised in Bergen County, NJ, Glenn Leslie started his career in 1985 and never looked back. He founded Mahwah Medical and led the clinic to heights of success. He earned his medical license from Midwestern University in 1981.
Glenn Leslie is spreading positivity through his unique yet powerful approach.
Glenn Leslie
245 Woodland Avenue
Ramsey, New Jersey 07446
Telephone: (201) 962-2202
Glenn LeslieGlenn Leslie2017-10-06 07:46:23[x_column bg_color=…


text:
Friday, 9 March 2012
Daily Style Snack
27 comments:
Excellent colour blocking!ReplyDelete
Have a great weekend.
Emma xo
eye candy....... love neon colors. I am your new follower, pls follow back if you like my blogReplyDelete
Love it from head to toe!ReplyDelete
Great style and great inspiration as always dear!!!! Lovely shoes by the way!ReplyDelete
Shoes are great! Eye-catching shoes!ReplyDelete
Love the bright colors and those shoes are WOW!ReplyDelete
superb look,ReplyDelete
have a lovely weekend!
lovely look! love the color blocking!ReplyDelete
Love her vibrant use of colours in this booked look, pink and yellow look gorgeous together.ReplyDelete
Loving her outfit! :)ReplyDelete
Take care,Daniella xox
this is so beautiful. I love this colour block.ReplyDelete
goorgeous. love the colors xReplyDelete
You've colour blocked beautifully, loving the vibrant colours, great outfit xxReplyDelete
I just love those sandals ! Very inspired outfit ! xxReplyDelete
This lady is very stylish and brave to wear such a bright ensemble! Really love the top...ReplyDelete
Amazing colors! A rather bold combination which turned out to be fascinating! Love the shoes!ReplyDelete
Many kisses
Out Of The Box
so freakin yum colors <3ReplyDelete
loving the colors!ReplyDelete
Wow! I love that neon citrus yellow! Statement piece to the max!ReplyDelete
xo, Nicky
oh gosh, i'm really loving the color blocking look!!ReplyDelete
xo TJ
I didnt see this a first this is a great combination!!!ReplyDelete
Its a perfect color combination. Love everything about the look!ReplyDelete
:) Anna
nice colors :) you look very, very nice:)ReplyDelete
I love all the color in the look!! She's sooo brave! Have a great weekend.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous10 March 2012 at 19:08
Love this style !ReplyDelete
What a nice combination! Love the colors!ReplyDelete
This lady look stunning! Love the colours. xxxReplyDelete
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment!
I love checking out your blogs as well, so if you leave a comment I will come visit your blog sometime soon :)
However, I firmly believe that you should follow a blog because you feel inspired, not as part of a follow-for-follow deal. I will NEVER respond to "want to follow each other" requests.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts!


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Too cute! I made the silver art clay ring at class on tuesday, came out nice, the image did not stamp too good but I like it and I guess that's all that matters, so now I have a ring a bracelet and necklace...how fun is that! I am making chainmaille earrings on monday and then we have open bead day on tuesday. Nothing else going on....working at the office, jumping in the pool to cool off and going out to dinner, I took Charlie to PF Chang's tonight, he has never been there and he really liked it! We had fried rice, shrimp lo mein spicy, orange peel chicken and crab wontons....very yummy!!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Silver clay set
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Product Description
- 1.The Secret Story's Birth
- 2.Giant Spider Counterattack
- 3.School Ghost Story
- 4.School Ghost Story 2
- 5.The Monster's Antique Store
- 6.The Mysterious Rider
- 7.A New Species is Born?
- 8.The Fourth, Zolda
- 9.Shinji's Arrested!?
- 10.Knight's Crisis
- 11.The Mysterious Empty Train
- 12.Ren Akiyama's Lover
- 13.That Man, Zolda
- 14.Revival Day
- 15.Iron Mask Legend
- 16.Card of Destiny
- 17.The Grieving Knight
- 18.Jailbreak Rider
- 19.Rider Gathering
- 20.The Traitorous Ren
- 21.Yui's Past
- 22.Raia's Revenge
- 23.Changing Destiny
- 24.Ouja's Secret
- 25.Combining Ouja
- 26.Zolda's Assault
- 27.The 13th Rider
- 28.Time Vent
- 29.Marriage Interview Battle
- 30.Zolda's Lover
- 31.The Girl and Ouja
- 32.Secret Data Gathering
- 33.The Mirror's Magic
- 34.Friendship's Battle
- 35.Enter Tiger
- 36.The Battle Ends
- 37.Sleep is Awakening
- 38.Targeted Yui
- 39.A Dangerous Sign
- 40.Memories of an Older Brother and Younger Sister
- 41.Imperer
- 42.Room 401
- 43.The Hero Fights
- 44.Glassy Happiness
- 45.The Twentieth Birthday
- 46.Tiger's a Hero
- 47.Determination of Battle
- Tatakai no Ketsudan
- 48.The Final 3 Days
- 49.Granting a Wish
- 50.A New Life
An evil General known as Xaviax has taken over the Mirror World and their warriors- the Kamen Riders. Now hes set his eyes on Earth as his next target, but when he kidnaps Frank Taylor, it sets his son Kit on the path to become the new Kamen Rider Dragon Knight. Now Kit, along with Wing Knight Len, must recover the Advent Decks from evil Kamen Rider's and stop Xaviax's plan. Shinji Kido is a carefree, inexperienced reporter for the ORE Journal, becomes Kamen Rider Ryuki in order to protect people from the monsters living inside the Mirror World and stop the senseless war among Riders that Shiro Kanzaki has started. Each Rider (except for Shinji), was lured into the Rider's battle with the promised of having his wish come true if he is the last one standing. Among the chaos Shinji somewhat befriend Ren Akiyama (Kamen Rider Knight) and Kanzaki's sister Yui.
Episode titles:
Additional Information
Additional Information
|Alternative Titles:
|No Extra Charges


text: I think Ted Cottrell, who ruled on Ed Reed's appeal yesterday, got it right when he overturned the original one-game suspension and instead handed out a $50,000 fine to the Ravens' safety. I watched all three hits that the NFL cited in punishing Reed and the only one that I thought was really blatant was the one on the New England Patriots' Deion Branch earlier this season. I'm not saying that he shouldn't have been penalized on the other two – the hit on Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders Sunday night and the one on New Orleans Saints quarter Drew Brees in 2010 – but I just didn't think they were egregious enough to warrant contributing to a suspension. Cottrell apparently felt the same way. However, that doesn't mean that Reed's out of the woods by any means. He acknowledged as much to my colleague Aaron Wilson yesterday when, after distributing turkeys to a local middle school, he said, "This is not over between myself or the league." He's right. Reed will be under the microscope more than ever for the rest of the season and the days of him getting the benefit of the doubt are over. Reed obviously can't tackle the way he would like because of neck and shoulder injuries, but he's going to have to figure out a way to wrap up more consistently and avoid any contact near the head and neck area of an opponent. One more hit like that and it's a near certainly that he'll be sitting at least a game.


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BBQ Ideas
Stuck on what to cook when you're out in the wilds? Or maybe you just simply want to try something new. We have both a variety of BBQ stoves and BBQ accessories!
Showing all 16 results
Outdoor Cooking: Cobb Recipe Book – "Cooking on your Cobb"$18.76 Including VAT Add to basket
Cobb Supreme Set 4$324.29 Including VAT Add to basket
Cobb Premier Compact Cooker – Set 2$168.88 Including VAT Add to basket
Cobb Premier – Compact Gas Stove & BBQ/Oven$214.45 Including VAT Add to basket
Cobb Compact BBQ / Oven$147.44 Including VAT Add to basket
Cobb BBQ Griddle (Supreme)$47.86 Including VAT Add to basket
Cobb Frying Pan$54.29 Including VAT Add to basket
Cobb BBQ Frying Pan$52.95 Including VAT Add to basket
Cobb Premier Griddle$49.72 Including VAT Add to basket
Cobb BBQ Dome Extension chicken roaster$29.42 Including VAT Add to basket
Cobb Extension Ring (Cobb Compact)$24.13 Including VAT Add to basket
The Cobb Chopping Board$23.46 Including VAT Add to basket
Cobb BBQ Roasting Rack$18.43 Including VAT Add to basket
Outdoor Cooking – Cobb Recipe Book – "Grill on the go"$15.96 Including VAT Read more
Cobb BBQ Meat Thermometer$11.94 Including VAT Add to basket
Cobb BBQ Dome Holder$13.28 Including VAT Add to basket
BBQ Ideas, Portable BBQ and Camping BBQ Innovations
Looking for some novel and innovative BBQ ideas? Interested in a portable BBQ or camping BBQ? Take a look at our innovative Cobb barbeque range of portable BBQs and camping BBQs. If it's a small compact barbecue you're looking for then our amazing Cobb portable BBQ could well be just what you need. Take a look at our sensational Cobb BBQ range of gas and charcoal barbecues. Check out the videos at the bottom of this page and browse our website to look through the different options. Outdoor cooking was never easier.
Cobb BBQs offer so many BBQ Ideas
If you love cooking in the great outdoors and if you're in search of some innovative BBQ ideas, then the Cobb barbeque range gives you plenty of options. Whether camping with your tent, on a caravan or campervan site, in your garden, on a picnic or on the beach, with a Cobb portable BBQ there really isn't much you can't cook. It grills (chicken, meat, vegetables, fish); fries (eggs, meat, fish); bakes (bread, cakes, even pizza); roasts (a whole chicken, a joint of beef, lamb, pork etc); boils (stews, pastas, curries); smokes (fish, meat, vegetables).
Cobb BBQ – a safer portable camping barbecue – hot yet cool!
Many camping, caravan and campervan sites are not always happy with the idea of barbecues or fire pits. On safety grounds many sites impose a ban on outdoor barbecues. However with the Cobb camping bbq they will often make an exception. This is because of the ingenious design of this insulated, sealed, stainless steel portable camping barbecue. You can actually pick it up by the base and move it whilst it's still cooking. How cool is that? Literally.
Barbecue technology for the 21st century
Take a look at the diagram below and you'll see just how it works.
- Dome: stainless steel with a heat-resistant handle. Holes in the Dome ensure even ventilation throughout cooking process creating an oven effect.
- Grill Grid: easy to clean Teflon® non-stick coating. Excess fats drain away through the holes and into the moat.
- Fire Basket: A secured area for the Cobble Stone or loose briquettes.
- Stainless steel moat: catches all excess fat. The moat can also be used for cooking vegetables.
- Base: with anti-slip rubber feet, the base remains stable and cool to touch during use.
The Cobb portable camping BBQ is packaged complete with instruction manual. All the components with the exception of the base are completely dishwasher safe.
Whether you decide to purchase the Cobb charcoal barbeque or the Cobb gas barbecue, both are incredibly versatile. Just take a look at the following Cobb BBQ videos and see for yourself.
Evolution of the Cobb portable barbeque
The original concept and motivation behind this compact, portable camping barbeque innovation was to encourage native Africans to use corn cobs as cooking fuel rather than scarce wood or coal. The original product was a simple clay pot / stove with a steel mesh grill that Africans could easily make for themselves and fuel with their locally grown corncobs, which were in abundant supply. In December 2001 this amazing portable barbeque was voted by Time Magazine as one of the best inventions of the year. After a few years an all metal ECO Cobb portable barbeque was developed which could be distributed globally to third world countries in aid programmes. Over time and as a result of a continual improvement programme we have the range of technically sophisticated compact Cobb barbecues we see today with a host of cleverly thought through accessories.


text: Osh is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia. The exact date of its origin is unknown, however, the city of Osh is mentioned in IX century Arab sources. What is known is that Osh was a major trading centre on the Silk Road, connecting the Mediterranean and the Middle East with the Pamirs, Tibet, China and India. Tourists prefer to walk to Sulaiman Too mountain, buy the fresh fruits and vegetables at the local bazaars, taste the local samsy and shashliks in this famous Kyrgyz city. The main attraction of the city – Sulaiman-too, has been a sacred place for Muslims since ancient times, and now it also attracts a lot of pilgrims. Since ancient times Osh was famous for its bazaars and caravanserais. Osh has its specific atmosphere, which you cannot experience in other Kyrgyz cities, so take your time to stop by if you travel around south Kyrgyzstan.


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Actress Gabrielle Union has a lot to smile about these days. The 43-year old Being Mary Jane star has just had her show renewed by BET for a fourth season. Gabrielle and BET programming director Stephen Hill announced the news early this afternoon at the network's 2016 Winter TCA Tour.
The show's renewal was actually up in the air after creator and showrunner Mara Brock Akil abruptly left at the end of season three to join Warner Brothers Televison.
A new showrunner has not been named, and quite honestly, I believe the show could still be canceled. Hill was put on the spot at the TCA event and bashfully agreed to bring the show back when Union was asked about renewal and redirected the question to him. It's kinda hard to be put on the spot like that and then say no.
Whatever the case, Being Mary Jane is still BET's highest rated scripted show, despite its ratings plummeting from 5 million viewers in season one to 1.3 million viewers in season three.


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Study sheds light on anorexias lasting impactDecember 1st, 2007 - 4:48 pm ICT by admin
Washington, Dec 1 (ANI): A new study has revealed the clues to anorexias lasting impact by showing that young women who have maintained a normalized body weight after recovering from anorexia nervosa demonstrate vastly different patterns of brain activity compared to similar women without the eating disorder.
The study, led by Walter H. Kaye, M.D., director of the eating disorders research program at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre (UPMC) and co-authored by Vijay K. Venkatraman, could lead to a better understanding of why some young women, who are typically worriers and perfectionists in childhood, are at greater risk of developing the disorder.
The study also shows that such patterns of temperament persist even after recovery.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain is providing new clues to why people with anorexia nervosa are able to deny themselves food and other immediately rewarding pleasures, said Kaye.
In addition, we have a new understanding of why people with anorexia seem to worry so much, he said.
In the study, the researchers studied 13 women who had recovered from anorexia, maintaining a normal weight and regular menstrual cycles for at least one year, and 13 healthy women in a control group.
Each participant was asked to guess whether a flashing question mark on a computer screen represented a number higher or lower than five. Correct guessers were rewarded with 2 dollars, while incorrect guessers forfeited 1dollar.
Brain activity in the anterior ventral striatum and caudate regions were monitored during game play with fMRI brain imaging.
The anterior ventral striatum is associated with instant emotional responses, while the caudate is involved in linking actions to outcome and planning.
During the game, brain regions lit up in different ways for women who formerly had anorexia compared to healthy controls. While the brain region for emotional responses showed strong differences for winning and losing in healthy women, women with a past history of anorexia showed little difference between winning and losing, said Angela Wagner, M.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the studys first author.
For anorexics, then, perhaps is it difficult to appreciate immediate pleasure if it does not feel much different from a negative experience, she said.
However, Kaye noted that the caudate regions of the brains of formerly anorexic women, were more active than those of healthy controls, especially in the most anxious people, suggesting that women with a history of anorexia were more focused on the consequences of their choices, adding that anorexics tend to worry about the future and doing things right.
There are some positive aspects to this kind of temperament, Kayne said.
Paying attention to detail and making sure things are done as correctly as possible are constructive traits in careers such as medicine or engineering, Kaye added.
Results of the guessing game are instructive because they showed that healthy women responded to wins and losses by living in the moment and moving on to the next task, while people with a past history of anorexia had trouble letting go.
They tended to try and find strategies within the game, and were concerned about making mistakes, said Kaye.
Were starting to understand these processes because we have better tools, such as brain imaging, and a better understanding of how the brain works due to advances in cognitive neuroscience, he added.
The study will be published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. (ANI)
Tags: 13 women, anorexia nervosa, brain activity, caudate, correct guessers, fmri, functional magnetic resonance, functional magnetic resonance imaging, game brain, guess, magnetic resonance imaging, recovering from anorexia, upmc, ventral striatum, western psychiatric institute, western psychiatric institute and clinic, worriers, young women


text:
About the Book:-
This book was previously titled "Rich Man's Price." New cover, new title, same great story.
Dealing with a Davros always comes with a price.
I am Kane Davros, and I am my father's son. At least, that's what I need the world to think. Vicious and unscrupulous, I do my father's dirty work, but it's part of my plan for the day I can claim his empire and take him down before he turns me into the mobster I refuse to become. When mysterious, sassy Anika returns my wallet, it puts her on my radar, not a place a good girl like her should be. Her mix of innocence and jaded fire quickly turn my desire into an obsession I can't control. We said one night. No strings, no morning afters. But with a woman as perfect as Anika, one night is never enough.
When she refuses to give me more than one night, I discover a secret in Anika's past that's had her on the run her entire life. Her father's substantial debt to a powerful mobster offers the perfect snare. I offer to pay his debt on one condition. Her body, and her sweet submission, must be mine for six months. Bargaining with me is getting in bed with the devil, but it's either that or let the monsters that want her family dead destroy her. I guess it's true what they say, no one deals with a Davros and comes out unscathed.
***Book 1 of OWNED BY THE MAFIA BAD BOY, an ongoing serial with plenty of light kink. Beware, cliffhangers ahead, but absolutely no cheating.


text:
Faux Canvas
Faux Canvas
- The Look and Durability of Real Canvas
- Ships Flat and Assembles in Minutes
It's inexpensive and built to last; the perfect gift made easy and affordable. Preserve the memory of your special day with a beautiful faux canvas print or bring the beauty of nature indoors with your own photography.
Whether you just want to upload some of your favorite photos, design your own artwork for that special gift or show off your hidden talent Click CREATE to get started.


text:
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The Responsible Art Market Initiative: Guidelines on combatting Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
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|Logo ARTIVE
"Green light – sell and buy: Artive is a new due diligence tool for the art and antique market"
Artive is non-profit organisation administering digital archive for works of art and cultural property. It emerged from Art Recovery Group, which was founded by Chris Marinello. As an inclusive database Artive consolidates a great number of various databases all containing claimed, looted, stolen, illicitly transferred and destroyed works of art and cultural property. Artive is set to serve professionals and the general public. It is supplied with the advanced technology of image recognition and over 500 fields of searchable data.
Artive serves the idea of integration of international art market into the unified system facilitating the transparency of art transactions. Therefore it encourages everybody to register claimed works of art, collectibles, cultural property and make a search in the database prior to any operations like acquisition, sale or transportation.
Not only objects but also archeological sites threatened by illegal excavation, forgeries and fakes can be registered in the database to avert potential risks associated with appearance of such objects on the market. The idea behind these procedures is combining forces while making international art market a safer place considering up to 95% of fake antiques selling on eBay.
|Ariane Moser (Photo: courtesy of The Art Partners)
Artive is available to anybody with free of charge account registration. The search in the database is carried out against such parameters as image submitted, description of the work, attribution and provenance. The completion of the search process results in the detailed report.
Ariane Moser, COO, Artive, emphasizes the importance of due diligence in the art market. Everybody who deals with antiquities or art to some extent should exercise due diligence measures. This means before dealing with an object could it be buying or selling to get as much information about it as possible considering time, efforts and finances available. A metaphoric comparison given by Ariane Moser is green and red light on the pedestrian control box, "Red – wait, green – cross with care." If you have to deal with antiquities first wait and check them. Once all possible measures are made go ahead and this would mean crossing with care. No one gives you guarantees but you are still on a safer side.
Source: Artive Official, The Art Partners