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Terrorism: Court Grants Ndume Permission To Travel For Umra
SAN FRANCISCO, June 30, (THEWILL) – A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja Tuesday granted permission to the new Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, to travel to Saudi Arabia for the annual lesser Hajj (umra).
Ndume, who is being tried for alleged sponsorship of Boko Haram and failure to report the activities of the outlawed organisation, was granted the permission by the trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole.
The permission was based on Ndume's application for leave to travel for the lesser hajj, consequent upon which Justice Kolawole ordered the court's Deputy Chief Registrar, Litigation, to release Ndume's passport and other travel documents to him.
In granting Ndume's request, the trial judge based his decision on the fact that the prosecution did not oppose the application which was filed on June 23 and that Ndume had been granted such applications in the past.
Prosecuting counsel, Muslim Hassan, did not oppose the application moved by Ndume's lawyer, Miss R. Okotie-Eboh, during the Tuesday's proceedings.
"Since it will not affect the date that has already been fixed for continuation of trial, we feel it is unnecessary to oppose the application," Hassan said.
The judge however ordered Ndume to return the travel documents to the DCR (Litigation) within 72 hours of his return from his journey.
The embattled Senator, who is scheduled to travel on July 3, had deposited the passport and other travel documents with the court registry in fulfillment of the bail conditions given to him by the judge after he was arraigned on December 3, 2013.
Ndume had also pleaded not guilty to the charges following which he was granted bail.


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|Pascagoula Run's empty slip
|Tim wistfully looking on
|Bow pointed out the exit of the boatyard
It was a good day. It was good to be reminded of how far we've come these last few years, to remember our first opening bridge with our halting radio communications, to remember our nervous nailbiting as we approached our first fixed bridge and refused to see how our mast could actually fit beneath it, to remember the first time we picked up a mooring, complete with audience. It was good to see how completely this life has become ours, and to realize again that this is life at its best - full, rich, zesty, not without risk, and deeply poetic. Thanks Joel and Emily and Happy Sailing.
|Checking the charts near the shallow spot
|Dad's turn at the tiller
|First opening bridge
|A floating billboard
|Look Ma! No engine!
|No way is this going to fit...
|Are you SURE it's going to fit?
|One happy boat on the mooring
|One happy captain on his boat.

subset: commoncrawl


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See what people all over the Pleasantville & Nyack (and other Rockland/Westchester areas) area are saying about Chinese Martial Arts and Educational Center
Kung Fu, In Studio
"My daughter started when she was six years old, she is now 13, and is still taking lessons. Sifu Tom, is very experienced, knowledgeable and a fun instructor. Both kids and Adults enjoy his classes"
Kung Fu, In Studio
"An excellent teacher with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Sifu Tom – recently inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame – knows how to get the best out of his students while balancing how the art of Traditional Kung Fu is applicable in real life situations and to understanding the foundation of Kung Fu. I have trained under Sifu Tom for 4 years now and respect him greatly for all he has taught me"
Kung Fu, In Studio
"Sifu Tom has taught my son for over 8 years. He is an excellent teacher who brings out the best in his students–from young children through adults. In addition to teaching the skills of Kung Fu, he focuses on respect and integrity, as he develops discipline and confidence in his students–skills that carry over into all areas of life. The atmosphere in the Pleasantville school is like an extended family get-together, where everyone is welcome. I am very thankful that my son has had an opportunity to learn and grow at CMAEC."
Chinese Martial Arts and Educational Center Reviews
Here you'll see what lots of other people in the Pleasantville & Nyack and surrounding areas (like other towns throughout Rockland/Westchester) are saying about Chinese Martial Arts and Educational Center.
If you're looking for the best Kung Fu program(s) in Pleasantville or Nyack read these reviews, then visit our location to see for yourself. Chinese Martial Arts and Educational Center will empower you with the self-defense and self-improvement programs you've been searching for!
To learn more about Chinese Martial Arts and Educational Center,
call us at (914) 741-2710 (Pleasantville) | (845) 353-2710 (Nyack)
Or Visit: We are conveniently located at
520 Bedford Rd
Pleasantville, NY 10570 or 125 Main St #4 Nyack, NY 10960,
so you, your friends, colleagues, and entire family can train in a
convenient, safe, clean, professional, welcoming environment.


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You come to Kotaku every day, right? So it stands to reason that you know all about the E through M ratings that grace the boxes of video games in America. But if you're not a regular reader of this fine site—say, one who buys video games for a younger lifeform—you may not even know that the content ratings exist.
That's why the ESRB's teamed up with Penny Arcade for the latest in a series of PSAs to spread awareness around the ratings and smartphone app. You can see the campaign above with cartoony versions of real parents done in PA artist Mike Krahulik's signature style. One thing's for sure: everyone looks like they're having lots of age-appropriate fun. Find out more about the campaign and the ESRB here.


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Enter your details to receive more information and a free consultation with one of our trained Course Advisors.
Build a solid career future in health and fitness!
This is a course in fitness evaluation and management. It develops skills in analysis, evaluation, and consequential management of health and fitness characteristics for a specific individual.
It is an excellent study program for professional development, as part of a larger (certificate or diploma) program, or as a stand alone course of study to enhance your capacity to live a better and more productive life.


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A free press is essential to the success of a democracy. As the media has evolved over time to include radio, television, internet and now smart phones and social media apps, the ability in "being capable to read them" needs examining. This lesson guides students through analysis of social media posts, the definition of terms relevant to the media, and provides tools for identifying quality sources for examination of current political issues. This lesson accompanies the Talking Turkey: Taking the 'Dis' Out of Civil Discourse program as well as YLI and American Evolution's First Freedom Wall.
Media Literacy: Making Sense of the 24/7 News Cycle
- Lesson Plans
- Subject: Media Literacy
- Grades: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12


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Grief has a way of humbling me in ways that still surprise me.
Any sort of ego is out the door. And on some days, it's all I can do to maintain my confidence and self-worth.
When you've been through as much as I've been through in the last 9 months—and truthfully, the last three years—sometimes just getting up and getting dressed and getting to work is all I can manage. And then I am faced with a whole day of tasks, responsibilities, conversations, and accountabilities that have nothing to do with my grief.
But the grief is always there. It's bubbling under the surface, and what matters is how I manage that on a day to day basis. Some days, I manage it very well. Other days—not so much.
Some days, it's this Grand Canyon-sized chasm that often leaves me feeling utterly foolish, childish, and out of control. Tears rush down my cheeks, and I can't stop them.
But the facts do not change. My mom is still dead. My sister is still dead. The man I thought was the love of my life betrayed me in a way I have never before been betrayed—and that relationship is understandably dead.
But I—I am still here.
On some days, that confuses me. I see so many possibilities, and I have a hard time translating those possibilities into focused action. It's a weakness I've always had, but it's exacerbated by grief.
Today, I ask for the Divine to step in and guide my life. Guide my mind, my soul, my heart, and my body to Your light. I cannot do this alone. I need Your help. I need Your guidance and love.
Thank you.


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ENDURACE MENUS - 4" x 10" 10PT EndurACE Full Color Mini Menus
Waterproof and highly resilient, EndurACE is an excellent alternative to traditional paper stocks. A 10pt stock, it is also thinner than many alternatives. EndurACE is most commonly used for business cards, postcards, door hangers, flyers, and brochures. Because of its waterproof properties, this is a great option for businesses such as diving, fishing, and pool services. The high durability also means that materials printed on EndurACE will outlast paper alternatives.


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Well, I sell cards and giftwrap with snazzy sea shells on, anyway, and lots of other absolutely lovely little stationery gubbins. My cards rock.
Phoenix Trading are a top-10 UK card publishing house; grown organically from tiny beginnings, the products can only be purchased direct from an independent Phoenix trader – we don't sell through the shops.
I have recently acquired my own Phoenix website which, along with field service management software, has made it easier for customers to shop online. Or, you may email me and come to my house for coffee – and maybe even a biscuit – and a browse through my stock, provided you are not a mad axe murderer. If you would like a current brochure, please do ask; it's stuffed with lots of different items, all of which are excellent quality, all of which sport beautiful artwork, and all of which are extremely and astonishingly cheap. The cards, for instance, are all £1.20 each or £1 each for 10 or more.
Being a Phoenix trader is one of the precious few jobs I know of that can be easily worked in around family and work commitments. The cards are so beautiful that they virtually sell themselves; all you have to do is ensure that people do actually look at them. (If you're resident in the UK, Australia, France or the US and you fancy a part-time income selling really very nice things indeed, let me know. It costs a tiny £45 for a comprehensive business starter pack.) Plus, it gets me out of the house in the evenings and at weekends, which is a welcome break from the daily grind.
Postage & Delivery in the UK
Because I am the hick from the sticks: if you spy something you love intensely and Absolutely Have To Have, you email me cheerily and gaily send me some money – and then I have to charge you £2.50 postage. I would love to drive all the way to your front door with a beaming smile, bearing a brightly wrapped little parcel in the place of honour on my passenger seat… but unless I can get my paws on a Firebolt broomstick, I'm only going as far as the post office.
If you live in the Isle of Man, The Shetlands, The Outer Hebrides, The Channel Islands, etc, etc, etc, then you know and I know that, regrettably, all postage bets are off.
Now, I think it's fairly unlikely that overseas readers would want cards from Hairy Farmer Family – I'm sure you have lovely card sellers much closer to where you're sitting, and other Phoenix traders are active in France, the USA, Australia and New Zealand. But I wouldn't want you to feel all upset and excluded and think that I haven't considered you, because I totally have.
If you live in Europe, then the only option is airmail. Aviation Fuel. Sorry, Planet. These are reasonably accurate estimates: I got my kitchen scales out and started weighing stuff, before closely scrutinising the Post Office's costs:
5 cards £2.10
10 cards £2.70
20 cards £3.90
30 cards £4.90
10 cards & 4 packs of postcards £5.50
10 cards & 10 sheets of giftwrap £4.90
20 cards, 10 sheets of giftwrap & 3 packs of postcards £8.00
Sending anywhere in the world outside Europe is potentially ridiculously cheap, considering the mileage involved – primarily because it can involve a boat, not a plane. The tiny snag is that it could take approximately a billion years to turn up. Well, up to 12 weeks, anyway. Driving it personally direct to your door would almost certainly be quicker. Failing that, there is still airmail.
Surface Airmail
5 cards £1.80 £3.50
10 cards £2.40 £4.20
20 cards £3.60 £6.60
30 cards £4.80 £8.90
10 cards & 4 packs of postcards £5.40 £10.00
10 cards & 10 sheets of giftwrap £4.80 £8.90
20 cards, 10 sheets of giftwrap & 3 packs of postcards £8.50 £15.40
Overseas: Add £3.70 for a signed-for option. I would heartily recommend this. Much as I would love to go ferreting about for your lost order in a forgotten cargo-hold in Outer Mongolia, I feel that firing a compensation claim off and starting again would be so much more straightforward. Hopefully this won't happen at all, but better to be safe than jumping furiously up and down in a teeth-grinding fury, cursing all postmen to everlasting hell and damnation.
Great Britainers have lots of options! You can post me a cheque, which would be nice. You could, I suppose, send me a grubby envelope stuffed with sterling, as those types of envelopes are always gratefully received at Hairy Towers – although I cannot in conscience recommend it. Or there is Paypal's debit/credit card service, which is quick, easy, and as secure as these things reasonably can be. The snag is that Paypal charge me a 20-50pence commission, which I will regretfully (I'm sighing. Really, I am!) be obliged to add to your – (Ann coughs in vaguely embarrassed fashion) – towering burden of cost.
If you live somewhere exotic (by which I mean, not on this glorious Sceptred Isle of incessant rain) then Paypal's International currency payments are charged at 20 pence plus 3.9%, the rapacious buggers. While I would love very much to soak up this charge myself, we are talking TINY MARGINS HERE, PEOPLE so unless I make you cough up the 20p + 3.9% too, then I shall nearly be working for the love of it. This will mean I will be forced to take a second job as a waitress 24/7, and therefore will have no time to blog or comment (or indeed, wash) ever again, so you will hear from me no more. You may encounter the essence of me if you are ever standing downwind of me, however.
And… I think that is all. Do email me with any questions or with your stationery desires neatly listed complete with their codes: I am a cheerful friendly soul, particularly when anyone is trying to give me money.


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Archive for November, 2012
Being 9 months pregnant I am finding it very hard to get into the holiday spirit this year. Maybe its because I can no longer see my feet and struggle to put my socks on. But at any rate, in my quest to not only become less "scroogy" but to update our blog, I found these cartoons on Agriculture.com. I personally think they will hit home for a lot of farmers and their wives. The last two particularly remind me of my loving husband. Happy Holidays!
November 19, 2012
By: Sara Schafer, AgWeb.com Business and Crops Online Editor
It will be a relief for many corn farmers to turn the calendar to 2013. One of the toughest production years in history was coupled with an extremely jerky and volatile market.
So, what lies ahead for next year? Jerry Gulke, president of Gulke Group and Top Producer Columnist, and Bob Utterback, president of Utterback Marketing and Farm Journal Economist, share some insight.
#1: Will corn steal or lose acres next year?
In 2012 U.S. farmers planted 96.4 million acres of corn – the largest corn crop since 1937. But extreme drought conditions destroyed the crop's yield potential. As of its latest Crop Production report, USDA estimates total corn production to be 10.7 billion bushels, down 13% from 2011 and the lowest U.S. corn production since 2006.
Will farmers do an acreage repeat in 2013?
"We talk about planting mixes, but in the Midwest, at least, we like to plant corn," Gulke says. He's says there's a possibility of another 1 million acres being planted to corn next year, which would total nearly 100 million indented acres. Areas, such as the Dakotas, received such high corn yields this year, so Gulke believes they will definitely want to plan corn again this year. "You're not going to bury those corn acres."
Utterback is not so sure farmers will jump on the corn bandwagon again. He believes acreage shifts will happen in certain regions, depending on agronomic issues, such as fall moisture, crop rotations and fertilizer.
"When you look at the total number, I think we will be hard-pressed to reach the same corn acreage numbers as 2012," he says. "The only way you'll see it is if we have exceptionally good planting conditions in the spring or if the bean market gets hammered."
#2: Could bad weather prevail three years in a row?
In 2011, a wet spring and scorching July trimmed crop yields, and then yields were dramatically hindered in 2012 by prolonged dry and hot conditions. It took both of these big, bad weather events for us to see extremely high prices, Utterback says.
Another excessively dry or wet season in 2013 will either support or crash prices. "The biggest mover of the market for grain is weather," he says. "If we get good weather, the markets are going down, if we get bad weather, the markets will go up."
Gulke says crop mixes and prices next year will all boil down to weather. A silver lining to the drought, he says, is farmers were likely not totally shaken by this year's challenging growing year. Gulke, who farms himself, says he now knows his worst-case scenario for corn yields. "I can grow 80-bushel corn, come hell or no water. So, that tells me that my risk, if I watch my management practices, is pretty low."
#3: Does anybody out there still want our corn?
As the drought reduced the supply side of the corn equation this summer, more and more focus was put on demand. Did the record-high prices destroy domestic and global demand?
"The demand side of the equation is really muddy," Utterback says. "Since 2001, we've had a positive demand-building phase because of ethanol. But we know now that with the change in government policy, I think you could argue that the domestic growth in corn demand has peaked."
Utterback believes ethanol demand will take on the characteristic of the feed market, in that it will become more predictable. "Obviously these demand sources can still shift, but they won't have the year-to-year solid growth."
#4: Will the entire world plant more corn?
"We've become a global market in corn," Gulke says. "We're not the only ones to buy corn from anymore. Now what happens in the Ukraine or Argentina are important."
He says $8 corn in the U.S. attracted global attention and increased production. Worldwide demand is growing and other key countries are joining the U.S. in being major corn suppliers. "This isn't all about the U.S. Corn Belt anymore," Gulke say.
#5: Are prices on a new plateau or a cliff?
Prices peaked at all-time highs this summer, with corn surpassing $8 and soybeans topping $16. They have since settled lower, but are still at impressive levels.
"I'm not so sure if we haven't moved to a new plateau for prices," Gulke says. "This year, we determined what the worst case is for yields and prices. We know how bad it can get before we lose more than 10% of our demand."
He says there isn't a lot the industry can do with $8 corn, $16 soybeans in the long term except provide an incentive for the rest of the world to grow more. "If a global surplus evolves, we'll find out if $4 corn or $12 soybeans are cheap or not. There isn't another ethanol-like expansion of usage of corn lurking in the background, to consume a large expansion in the short term. The potential volatility points out the critical need to remain flexible in thinking and marketing."
The hazard for farmers in 2013 is thinking that these high prices are the new norm. "We have fallen in love and think this is a whole new level of existence. Look at the last five years of prices; it wasn't too long ago that we had $5 corn prices," says Utterback. "Farmers should not convince themselves that corn markets only have one direction to go."
November 13, 2012
Issued by Darrel Good, University of Illinois
The USDA's November forecasts of the size of the 2012 U.S. corn and soybean crops were larger than expected, particularly for soybeans. As a result, the general downtrend in soybean prices since mid-September has accelerated, with January futures now at the lowest level since June 29.
Corn prices have moved into the lower half of the trading range that has been in place since mid-September and December futures are at the lowest level since September 28. So far, prices seem to be following the classic pattern associated with small crops -peaking early in the marketing year and then declining as the year progresses.
The futures market reflects expectations that prices will continue to decline, especially into the 2013-14 marketing year. The expected rebound in South American soybean production, Argentine corn production, and U.S. corn and soybean production in 2013 all contribute to the expectation of lower prices. If those crops are as large as generally expected, prices will be even lower than currently reflected in the futures market.
The USDA is forecasting record South American production of both crops. If planted acreage of corn in the U.S. in 2013 is at the same level as in 2012 and the U.S. average yield is near a trend value of 162.5 bushels, the crop would total 14.6 billion bushels, about 1.5 billion larger than the record crop and record consumption of the 2009-10 marketing year.
Similarly if soybean acreage is maintained at the 2012 level and the average yield is near the trend value of 43.8 bushels, the 2013 crop would reach 3.34 billion bushels, near the record levels of 2009 and 2010. A combination of record, or near record South American and U.S. crops in 2013 would likely push prices down to or below the long term averages of about $4.75 for corn and $11.00 for soybeans.
While the expectation for lower corn and soybean prices in 2013 is reasonable based on historical patterns and prospects for large crops, the timing and speed of the return to more "normal" prices will be influenced by a large number of factors. The final estimate of the size of the 2012 crops to be released on January 11, 2013 is one of those factors.
For soybeans, the pattern of 2012 yield forecasts to date, lower in September and higher in October and again in November, was experienced six other times in the previous 30 years. The yield estimate released in January following harvest in those six years was above the November forecast three times and below the forecast three times. The deviation ranged from 0.1 to 0.8 bushels. History does not provide much guidance for forming expectations this year.
For corn, the pattern of yield forecasts this year, lower in September and October and higher in November was experienced only two other times. The January yield estimate equaled the November forecast in one of those years and exceeded the November forecast by 0.7 bushels in the other. Again, history provides little guidance for forming January yield expectations this year. The bigger issue for corn production, however, may be the January estimate of acreage harvested for grain. There is a general expectation that the USDA's large December survey may reveal fewer acres than currently forecast.
On the supply side, the progress of the South American crops will be most important for the next three months. Weather conditions are currently improving somewhat from early wet conditions in Argentina and dry conditions in central and western Brazil. Some on-going dryness is noted in southern Brazil and Paraguay. Some argue that corn production potential has already been reduced in Argentina. For the near term, markets will likely continue to reflect expectations of very large crops.
Prices will also be influenced by the on-going rate of consumption of the 2012 U.S. crops. For corn, there is some anticipation that the pace of export activity, which has been extremely slow to date, may accelerate as South American supplies dwindle and Asian customers return to the U.S. market.
The larger issue, however, surrounds the pace of domestic feed and residual consumption. The USDA's estimate of December 1, 2012 stocks to be released on January 11 will provide some much needed clarity to the rate of consumption in the last quarter of the 2011-12 marketing year and the first quarter of the 2012-13 marketing year.
For soybeans, the National Oilseed Processors Association estimate of the size of the October crush is expected to be released later this week. That estimate will provide insight into the pace of crush relative to the projected rate. The pace of new export sales will also be important, with some concern about cancellations of earlier purchases by some customers.
Prospects for further price declines for corn and soybean into 2013 favor pricing more of the old and new crop sooner rather than later. However, the transition to lower prices will be erratic so that timing of sales will still be important. Recent price declines, particularly for soybeans, seem to be a little excessive given the amount of production uncertainty.
The USDA released new forecasts of U.S. and world crop production as well as updated forecasts of 2012-13 marketing year consumption on November 11th. Following is a brief summary of the new forecasts and implications for corn, soybean, and wheat prices.
The 2012 U.S. corn crop is forecast at 10.725 billion bushels, 19 million bushels larger than the October forecast. The U.S. average corn yield is forecast at 122.3 bushels, 0.3 bushels larger than the October forecast. The production forecast for the rest of the world was a fraction higher than the October forecast, with smaller forecasts for Europe and Mexico, offset by slightly larger forecasts for Southeast Asia and Russia.
Consumption of U.S. corn during the current marketing year is projected at 11.167 billion bushels, 17 million larger than the October forecast, reflecting an increase in the expected consumption for food and industrial purposes. However, the projection of imports was increased by 25 million bushels, to a total of 100 million bushels, so that the projection of ending stocks was increased by 28 million bushels.
Ending stocks for both the U.S. and the world are expected to be much smaller than stocks at the beginning of the marketing year. The marketing year average farm price is now projected in a range of $6.95 to $8.25, $0.25 lower than the October projection.
New projections differed from market expectations in several aspects. U.S. production is larger than expected, the forecast of the Argentine crop was not reduced as some thought might happen, and the projection of year ending stocks exceeds expectations. The corn market will now be influenced by the development of the South American crop, with emphasis on weather conditions in Argentina following an extremely wet October, and the ongoing rate of consumption, particularly the pace of exports.
The Crop Production and Grain Stocks reports to be released on January 11 will be closely watched for changes in the production forecast, with some change in the forecast of harvested acreage expected, and for the revealed rate of domestic feed and residual use of corn.
The 2012 U.S. soybean crop is forecast at 2.971 billion bushels, 111 million larger than the October forecast and 80 million larger than the average trade guess. The U.S. average yield is forecast at 39.3 bushels, 1.1 bushels above the average trade guess, 1.5 bushels above the October forecast, and only 1.6 bushels below last year's average. The average yield forecast was increased for all but seven states, with only the yield in Oklahoma reduced from that of a month ago. Outside the U.S., production forecasts were increased slightly for Bolivia and the Ukraine.
The forecast of U.S. soybean exports was increased by 80 million bushels, the forecast of the domestic crush was increased by 20 million bushels, and the forecast of ending stocks was increased by 10 million bushels. The projection of world stocks was increased by 90 million bushels (4.3 percent). The 2012-13 marketing year average price farm is expected to be in a range of $13.90 to $15.90, $0.35 below the October forecast.
The soybean market will now be influenced by the on-going rate of consumption, particularly the pace of exports. Some recent sales cancellations reflect the substantial price decline since early September and prospects for a large South American crop. Development of that crop will now become center stage.
The USDA lowered the projection of 2012-13 marketing year U.S. wheat exports by 50 million bushels in recognition of the slow export pace to date. Even though the projection of foreign wheat production was reduced by 60 million bushels, the projection of exports from the rest of the world was increased by 117 million bushels. Most of that increase is for Russia and the Ukraine. The projection of U.S. ending stocks was increased by 50 million bushels, but the projection of the marketing year average farm price was little changed from that of last month as much of the 2012 crop has already been sold. World stocks are expected to decline sharply by the end of the current marketing year.
Focus in the wheat market will continue to be on the development of the U.S. winter wheat crop, which is experiencing generally dry conditions; the outcome of the Australian crop; and the export policy in the former Soviet Union.
Price Implications
For the most part, the USDA reports were negative for crop prices–more so for soybeans and less for corn and wheat. Corn prices are expected to remain in the sideways pattern experienced over the past six weeks while old crop wheat prices are expected to be supported within the wide range experienced since mid-July. Prices for the 2013 wheat crop are expected to remain strong based on production concerns. Soybean prices are in a clear downtrend, with some chance that South American production risk is now being under-valued.
What in the world is the issue with the soy complex? January Futures Chart: After melting down Friday – SF filled the gap left over the Independence Day holiday, and completed the 61.8% Fibonacci re-trace. This is not a market that is afraid of tight supplies. This is a market that is very concerned about demand. Is the soy complex indicitave of Chinese economic issues? Or waryness over the US fiscal cliff? Time will tell, but a market that is some $3.50 ish off its highs… Not healthy. Next support falls at gap fill level of $13.88.
Corn / Soybean price ratios… All are moving sharply in the favor of corn…
Same story, different week. Wheat holds support near trading range lows, bounces and looks ready for a rally only to run out of gas before it barely gets started. Buyers are there to support the market but aren't willing to extend themselves for a sustained rally.
New crop wheat contracts have pushed into new contract highs as the drought lingers across the Plains and cold weather threatens before much of the crop is well established. We got our first look at winter wheat conditions this week and the picture isn't pretty.
At only 40% good/excellent, this marks the poorest start to the winter wheat crop in 20 years. 15% was rated poor/very poor. Establishment is well behind normal and drought conditions are well entrenched across the heart of the central Plains. As we head into winter, the struggling crop will be particularly susceptible to harsh weather – and there's been plenty of harsh weather lately.
While crop damage hovers near the bottom of the list of problems from Hurricane Sandy, there are some concerns that have been voiced. Soft red winter wheat in the eastern Midwest could have seen some flooding damage. More importantly, however, are the unharvested corn and soybean acres that were in the path of the hurricane. Both crops are looking at very tight ending stocks and any losses could become a much larger problem down the road.
Wheat faltered into the end of last week as a sharply higher dollar and weak energy markets pressured corn and soybeans, which ultimately drug wheat lower as well.
Early week price action was positive as Egypt purchased 300 TMT. They bought 120 from Russia, 120 from France and 60 from Bulgaria. No surprise that France got some of the business, but Russia raised some eyebrows. Apparently the exporter isn't too concerned about securing enough supplies for the late December delivery date. The sudden reappearance of Russia suggests they're not too concerned about meeting November deliveries, either.
While it was disappointing that the US didn't get some of the business, the market apparently was comforted by the fact that our prices were only 10 cents/bu over the nearest competitor. At least that was used as the excuse to rally. But again, the rally fizzled out before it could really get going.
US Export sales were lighter this week at only 363 TMT. That was down from last week but still within the range of estimates. At five months into this marketing year, US sales are running about 47% of USDA's total estimate, significantly lower than the normal 67%. US wheat prices may be nearing world prices, but we've got a lot of ground to make up after a sluggish start.
Harvest is gearing up in Argentina and Australia with not surprising poor reports so far. Argentina's crop has significant disease issues from too much rain and Australia is reporting not only the poor yields from drought but also low protein – likely from frost issues early in the season. Rains have also appeared over Australian crops – too late to help and likely now a hindrance.
The US Ag Attache in Argentina lowered the wheat production estimate to 10.8 MMT from the previous 11.5 MMT. Current conditions suggest that number will continue to decline.
Until wheat can break out of this well established trading range, we're bound to continue in this choppy type of price action. Production problems in the Southern Hemisphere suggest a rally is coming, but it may have to wait until after their harvest and they've sold whatever they have available.


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Blonde vs brunette, which color do you choose? Check out these free tips to help you choose the right hair color! Hair color is everything, so do you go light or do you go dark?
This is an age old battle that has been going on for generations. Do you go for the smart sophisticated look or do you go the sexy bombshell men seem to go mad for?
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about going light or dark is Stereo Types. ¨By going blonde will people think I am less intelligent?¨Or ¨If I go brunette will my friends see me as less fun?¨
I say forget all about that and start thinking less about other people and more about what you want.
Here are a few pictures of celebrities with Blonde and Brunette hair. What color do you think suits them best?
1) Jessica Simpson
2) Scarlett Johansson
3) Charlize Theron - Blonde Vs Brunette
4) Sarah Michelle Gellar
5) Lindsay Lohan
6) Angelina Jolie
7) Ashley Simpson
8) Kristen Stewart
My Advice - Blonde vs Brunette
Let´s analyze this whole tug a war of what hair color you should go for. Majority of the population has dark hair and I always say in every brunette there is a blonde trying to jump out.
I am a natural brunette as my mom is Italian but most of my adult life I have had blonde hair.
I must admit it is high maintenance as my roots grow out quite quickly. But I have just come to like my blonde hair and I try to stand out a little bit.
Marilyn Monroe was considered to be a sexy blonde bombshell but before her transformation from her natural color of Norma Jean one can´t believe how glamorous she looked!
Look at Cher she went from having black hair and then went blonde that real bottle blonde. Funny enough she looked good either way but some will argue she looked better with dark hair.
It´s all a matter of choice, we have to make choices in life! You wont believe how your hair can effect your life and how you hair color can even change something a serious as a job interview!
Even others like family and friends may tell you what hair color to have. A few years ago I decided I wanted to go back to my dark brunette days and my husband and mother were against it as they have come to prefer me with honey blonde hair. As stubborn as I am I did dye my hair dark as I wanted to be a beautiful brunette like my mother was but looking back at photo´s I realize they were right and blonde hair did suit me more.
Sometimes its nice to try different things but it may not be the best choice. I also find with men and woman that opposites attract. If you have light hair, you probably will be dating someone with dark hair and vice versa.
So... try something different, if you are a natural brunette try going blonde even if it´s just blonde highlights, if you are a blonde try coloring your hair dark. As you know a change is as good as a holiday!
Go for subtle changes at first if you are not sure if you will like the new color. Speak to your stylist to find out what shade will suit you best. Try on a wig on the color you thinking of coloring your hair.
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The up-cycling or adaptive reuse of shipping containers as a building material has grown in popularity over the past several years due to their inherent strength, wide availability and relatively low expense. Permanent and mobile homes, hotels, art galleries, apartment buildings, student housing, office buildings, shopping malls, workshops, retail stores, children's activity centres, restaurants, sports halls, bars, coffee shops, banks and post offices have been built with containers because they are also more eco-friendly than traditional building materials such as brick and cement.
FedEx and DHL use pop-up shipping centres. They can be picked up and dropped off just about anywhere. These containers are especially helpful when a store was destroyed by a natural disaster or fire. The container is placed nearby and can do everything that the brick and mortar is capable of during the rebuild.
Postal administrations also use these pop-up post offices to replace a post office that has been destroyed in a natural disaster in order to provide continuing postal services to the population. We have seen these in Nigeria (Lekki Post Office, Lagos), Scotland (Coldingham), New Zealand (Christchurch), Haiti (Jacmel), Tanzania (Moshi), Kenya (Buru-buru) and other countries.
Many Posts use mobile van post offices (Japan, India, Singapore, Mauritius, Jamaica, Malta, Korea, Hong Kong, USPS, etc.) that they drive to under serviced locations, special events or to a location that needs a temporary post office. Even the Vatican Post in Rome has a mobile van post office.
Even if a pop-up, container post office is not required at this time, it may be advisable to have an architectural design ready for a later time or a container post office could be constructed, stored and ready for a catastrophe anywhere in the country.
The container post office could be built in country or a Post could have it constructed in China and shipped back. The Yingkou Haitian Colored Steel Sheet Equipment Company builds such structures.
The benefits of shipping container buildings are very clear.
A number of banks are using shipping container buildings as effective, strongly branded, low-cost temporary banks, mobile banks as well as permanent locations.
Posts should do the same. Particularly those at risk of natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, cyclones or typhoons.
Please click here to contact us for a free, no-commitment discussion.


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** I received this sample in the hopes that I would share my honest opinion of this product, no compensation was received. Review by Michelle**
You all know I live a very busy on the go lifestyle. With that being said, it's safe to say my house is lived in. My couches are stained, my stairs look horrendous. My house is a high traffic area. It's hard to keep my carpets clean, especially during the school year with all the sports and art projects, leaf projects, now we have a rock project. ChemDry helps me with that.
I used the ChemDry Carpet Stain Exstinguisher-Carbonated Spot remover on my carpet and upholstery. I am totally amazed. ChemDry's carbonated, professional strength formula to safely release and lift stains. It contains no harsh solvents or bleaches, it is green-certified and is safe and non-toxic for kids and pets. That's a plus for most of us. It also doesn't leave behind any dirt-attracting residue like other carpet cleaners do. You simply spray it on, wait 30 seconds for solution to penetrate and lift dirt to the surface and then gently blot up the spot. It doesn't get any easier than that.
I loved this product and liked it even more knowing it's green certified. Any product that can get my stairs and upholstery clean gets an A in my book. I will definitely recommend ChemDry Carpet Stain Extinguisher to all my friends with stubborn stains or pets.
Here are some of the most standard school-related carpet and upholstery stain-prompters and some solutions from ChemDry:
· Crayons. Vacuum all crayon particles out of the area. Remaining small crayon bits that have adhered to carpet fibers can be removed by placing a brown paper grocery bag over the area and applying a heated iron to the bag for 10 to 15 seconds. Repeat as needed.
· Watercolors. Using a paper towel, blot the stain with warm water, pressing gently to draw up as much paint as possible. Next, mix 1/8 cup of ammonia with one cup of cold water in a spray bottle and spray the solution over the stain, letting it sit for two to three minutes. Blot up more of the watercolor stain with fresh paper towels. Then, mix one tablespoon of dish soap with two cups of water in a spray bottle and spray the stain. Blot the final traces of the paint with fresh paper towels. Finally, rinse the soap out of the carpet with tap water and dry the area with a white towel.
· Mud. Don't be too quick to scrub the stain. Instead, allow the mud to dry and then vacuum the area. Next, mix 1/4 teaspoon of a translucent liquid dishwashing detergent with two cups of water and use a white cloth to gently dab the spot repeatedly until the stain is gone.
· Juice Box. Mix one tablespoon of liquid hand washing detergent with two cups of warm water. Using a sponge, blot the juice stain to remove as much of the liquid as possible, then spray the area with lukewarm water and blot the stain again by applying pressure. If the stain persists, mix one tablespoon of ammonia with two cups of warm water and sponge the solution into the carpet, blotting the area until the juice stain disappears. Follow by sponging with cool water, then blot dry.
What are your tips for getting stains out?
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Another year and another Crimefest, and no matter where I turned this year I kept bumping into Scottish authors. They were all over the place. You can't keep a good Scot down!
So, this year I'm not going to write about all the various panels and what a good time I had. I'm just going to entertain you with a rogues gallery of the writers who weren't fast enough to escape from me. So, here goes, in surname alphabetical order:
|Lucy Cameron
Lucy Cameron. It was great to see Lucy on a panel this year after many years of attendance as a spectator. Lucy has just published her debut novel Night is Watching and I have it on my reading list. I talked to her before she took part in her first panel Nightmares and Trauma and she admitted to shaking in her shoes. But she put up a brilliant performance and I'm sure by her second debut authors' panel she would have been in her stride.
|Mason Cross
Mason Cross. I often meet Mason at CWA (Crime Writer Association) lunches so it's always a pleasure to see him take part in these events. His Cat and Mouse: Playing with your readers on Friday, was a delight.
|Doug Johnstone
Doug Johnstone. Author, journalist, and musician appeared early in the programme on Thursday, talking about the dark side of human nature in the panel What are you hiding?
|Michael Malone
Michael Malone. It's always good to catch up with Michael whom I've known for many years and it's great to observe his success as an author who now has eight books to his name. I read his most recent one A Suitable Lie and it was a cracker, joining the relatively new domestic noir category of crime fiction.
|Wullie McIntyre
Wullie McIntyre, who currently writes as W. S. McIntyre. I'd never met Wullie before although I'd brushed shoulders with him on Facebook, and I hadn't realised he was a criminal defence lawyer. You would expect someone in this career to be somewhat formal but his presentation was humorous and it led me to start reading one of his books Present Tense, and I must say that although it is quite definitely crime fiction, I haven't stopped laughing since page one.
|Caro Ramsay
Caro Ramsay. Another author I've known for a long time and count as a friend, floated past me a couple of times with the promise from both of us that we'd meet up. But it didn't happen, we both seemed to be spiralling in different directions. Next time, I'll nail her to the floor.
|Anne Randall
Anne Randall. I haven't known Anne quite as long. I'm not sure whether it was last year or the year before we met. But she's a lovely person and generated enough interest on her author panel, when she spoke about her books and writing, for me to download her first book Riven to my Kindle. I've made a mental note to myself that I must read this one ASAP.
Of course, I was also there having a whale of a time and, naturally, I've already paid my deposit for next year.
Chris Longmuir
Amazon: Author page


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Illinois Forklift Certification
Home to farmland, forests, and sleek skyscrapers alike, Illinois is a widely varied state that offers many different opportunities to live and work. If you're looking for a change in career and scenery, or the excitement of Chicago pulls you, consider becoming a forklift operator. If you've always dreamed of owning your own business, being the employer of forklift drivers is a great opportunity that can provide services that are always in demand for all kinds of projects. Whether you're an aspiring operator or employer, you'll need Illinois forklift certification.
Why is Forklift Certification Illinois Important?
Forklift-related accidents happen every year on worksites across the U.S., and the majority of them are caused by operators not having the proper training. Training with forklift certification in Illinois is the most effective way for operators and employers to prevent accidents and avoid injuries, fatalities, and expensive equipment damage. It's for this reason why getting Illinois forklift certification is crucial as an operator, and equally as important if you're an employer to prevent accidents in your workplace.
Where are Forklifts Used in Illinois?
Forklifts are an incredibly versatile machine, used in many different work environments. There are warehouse forklifts that are used mainly indoors in warehouses and other manufacturing centers. Rough terrain forklifts are used outdoors on uneven surfaces mostly on construction sites. As an operator, you have a wide range of positions to choose from, and can decide if you want to work indoors, on construction sites, or on the water with large ships as a dock worker.
As an employer of forklift drivers, you have this varied set of applications and skills to take advantage of for your business. Forklifts make many work practices easier and safer, but only if operators have their forklift certification in Illinois.
What Are OSHA's Requirements for Forklift Certification in Illinois?
Being such an important tool for safety, Illinois forklift certification training is a requirement from OSHA for all operators in Illinois. According to OSHA, employers must ensure all forklift operators are competent to drive forklifts safely, following the successful completion of training.
Additionally, training must involve formal instruction, practical training, and an evaluation. Training must cover truck-related and workplace-related topics to provide trainees with all the important information they need.
Whether an operator or employer, it's in your best interest to look for forklift training and forklift certification Illinois that is OSHA-compliant to ensure you're getting all required information in a compliant program.
Why Choose CertifyMe.net for Illinois Forklift Certification?
As the leading online forklift school providing forklift training and licenses for operators and employers, CertifyMe.net has created our program to be convenient, affordable, and 100% OSHA-compliant. Our forklift certification in Illinois course teaches operators everything they need to know to operate forklifts safely and prevent accidents
We offer these forklift classes that each come with forklift certification Illinois:
- Warehouse Forklifts, Classes 1, 4, 5
- Pallet Jacks & Order Pickers, Classes 2, 3
- Rough Terrain Forklifts, Class 7
- Free lifetime renewals
All within an online course that can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, operators can complete their selected training module in only about one hour, and for only $59.95.
Create an account, work through the online modules, and hold your Illinois forklift certification and operator card today!
Follow step-by-step instructions to get OSHA compliant!
This low-cost program can be completed anytime, anywhere!
Get Started Now By Registering Your Company For Free!
- FREE 3 Year Renewals
- Instant Access 24/7
- Print Your Proof of Training
- OSHA Accepted Nationwide
*If you are an individual not currently employed by a company use your personal name in
the 'Company Name' field.


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If you are having an emergency, please call 911.
Is it an emergency?
If you need care when your regular doctor isn't available, how do you know whether to seek care at the hospital emergency department or an urgent care center?Read Some Guidelines >
Emergency Services
With over 14,500 square feet of space, the Emergency Department offers state-of-the art care in 15 private treatment rooms. A Med First Program has been implemented to expedite care for minor injuries and illnesses.
The newly equipped ER has 18 total beds which include:
- 7 private treatment rooms
- 3 state-of-the-art trauma bays
- 4 negative pressure treatment rooms (one of which will be an isolation room)
- 4-bed "fast track" area to speed up services for people who come in with non-life threatening illnesses or injuries.
The ER also has a technologically advanced 128 slice state-of-the-art CT Scanner, and a decontamination room.
The HHH Emergency Department has also implemented a new Stroke Program.
The program, a contractual arrangement with HHMH, Good Samaritan Hospital and SAGE Neurology Group, offers patients suffering from stroke or other neurologic emergencies immediate 24/7 access to board certified, fellowship trained neurologists via telemedicine, utilizing 'InTouch TeleStroke' equipment in the Emergency Department provided by GSH.
Suspected stroke patients are quickly assessed by the HHMH Emergency Room staff and a CT scan is performed to determine if there is a blood clot or other brain injury. Hospital staff contacts the teleneurologist who is immediately able to remotely access the CT results and is then able to visually evaluate the patient utilizing the 'InTouch TeleStroke' video equipment. This robotic video equipment is positioned so the teleneurologist can maneuver a camera to clearly see the patient and communicate with the patient and HHMH ER staff. The live video consultation facilitates the real-time evaluation of the patient's condition and upon obtainment of clinical data, the teleneurologist will provide orders to direct patient care that can be carried out by hospital staff.
Stroke Warning Signs:
- SUDDEN numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg – especially on one side of the body.
- SUDDEN confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
- SUDDEN trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- SUDDEN trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
- SUDDEN severe headache with no known cause.
Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital also offers a Stroke Support Group that meets the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the Great Room on the 2nd Floor of the Support Services Building. For more information call Wendy Bell at 637-5711 ext. 2038


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Here we have Coffins hailing from Tokyo playing down-tuned, sludgy, slow-death/ funeral doom.
Mortuary in Darkness is an excellent album that doesn't sit squarely in one genre, it explores the blurred territory between funeral and death metal. They avoid the pitfall of playing so slowly that the songs become painfully long, which turns many people away from funeral doom. The death metal influences are almost as strong as the former, with growled vocals that don't overwhelm the songs making the entire album quite listenable. This release was nine years in the making, so it is a touch long, but I rate it at 92%.
Recently Ria brought over a couple of old Nutty Cock & Nuts Sodomy 'zines she had stashed somewhere, so I'm going to share these also, piece-meal, over the next few weeks.
Ria put it well; "Wow, he [Das But] is really demented."
So don't say you haven't been warned.


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Discover the world of The Mysterious Benedict Society and follow Reynie, Sticky, Kate, Constance, and a cast of other characters, as they embark on exciting adventures and thrilling missions!
Please take a moment to review Hachette Book Group's updated Privacy Policy: read the updated policy here.
The Mysterious Benedict Society: 10th Anniversary Edition
For fans of Lemony Snicket and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, this first book in the bestselling and award-winning Mysterious Benedict Society series is not to be missed! Includes color-washed illustrations, an author Q&A, a quiz, and more special bonus materials!
"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. As our heroes face physical and mental trials beyond their wildest imaginations, they have no choice but to turn to each other for support. But with their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all?
Reader Reviews
"Great cast of characters, lots of cool puzzles and mysteries. This book reminded me of some of the better children's books I grew up with, like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Phantom Tollbooth."—Rick Riordan
"Begins with a bang... resembles the otherwordly experience of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Fans of Roald Dahl or Blue Balliett will find a familiar blend of kid power, clues, and adventure."—School Library Journal, starred review
"Tackles personal concerns: abandonment, family, loyalty, and facing one's fears."—Booklist, starred review
"Dashes of mild humor and introspection rest on a solid base of suspense, mystery, and well-rounded characters, making this a satisfying dish for readers of varying tastes."—The Bulletin, starred review
"Do not miss this one. Buy two copies because they will be needed."—VOYA
"Real flashlight under the bedclothes material... this story flies past, thrilling us as it goes."—Horn Book


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August 2019


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by Nikki
Dinosaur Hunter Costume Photo 3 of 5
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|Costumes for Boys
This homemade costume for boys entered our 2014 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Colleen, the 'Dinosaur Hunter' costume creator:
My 3 year old Hunter Chase is wearing the costume. I got the idea off of Pinterest and I used foam, a bike helmet, felt and a ton of hot glue!
Similar costumes:


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Exploring the different types of flood early warning systems in flood prone areas of Pakistan, three delegates from Pakistan visited the International Centre of Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and its community based flood early warning system (CBFEWS) pilot site in early March.
During the three day visit, delegates experienced hands-on sessions on CBFEWS and visited the prototype site at ICIMOD's Knowledge Park in Godavari for a demonstration. The visit was followed by a trip to Ratu Khola, Mahottari district where the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM)/Community Based Flood and Glacial Lake Outburst Risk Reduction Project (CFGORRP) and ICIMOD have jointly piloted CBFEWS under the Koshi Basin Programme . The pilot is supported by the Australian government through the Sustainable Development Investment Portfolio for South Asia in Nepal. The delegates had the opportunity to observe CBFEWS instruments, both transmitter, and receiver, and to talk with the local caretaker.
The group also went to Sarpallo, one of the downstream flood prone villages, and visited with the vulnerable community. One of the local residents mentioned CBFEWS made them feel more secure as upstream communities can give almost real time information to downstream residents helping them prepare for any pending flood.
The Pakistani delegates showed keen interest in CBFEWS' low-cost technology and its ability to provide almost real time flood information to vulnerable communities. The group said they were looking forward to implementing the system in at least one of the flood prone rivers of Pakistan.


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September 5, 2014
Hosted by Karen Gebhardt and Pat Carlson
Check out more photos from this outing in our Photo Gallery!
This year's saltwater outing in Port Aransas was held about a month earlier than previous years. We again had our headquarters and the Executive Keys condos, right on the beach. This is a wonderful location and great for this type of group activity. We had about 30 members and their significant others attend. Great turnout!
We were all anxiously watching the weather and tracking Tropical Storm Dolly through the Gulf. She made landfall in Mexico, just south of Brownsville, a couple days before the outing. Unfortunately she brought with her lots of seaweed and rip tides which put a damper on surf fishing. Undeterred, we setup our beach tent anyway and had wonderful casting instruction Saturday morning from Diane Blair and Sheila Anderson.
Marylin Evans and Debbie Williams arrived on Wednesday for some fruitful kayak fishing in Goose Park. Still others, Diane and Richard Blair and Kay and Les Jackson, arrived on Thursday for some early kayak fishing on Friday.
By the weekend, the fish were hard to find during the day. Some very prolific night fishing under the lights of the piers "netted" Tammy Notley her first salt water fish and Mary Rohrer her first speckled trout.
The Friday night Mullet Mixer was very well attended with lots of yummy food and drink. We all gathered on the corner of the pool patio for some salt water fishing discussion led by Mary Rohrer.
Diane Blair worked her "texting magic" and kept us all appraised of the fishing/birding/bait activity from our numerous scouts throughout the weekend. What would we do without cell phones…?
Several folks hired guides on Saturday and had some marginally better luck tracking and finding fish.
Attendees this year were: Robert and Sheila Anderson, Emery and Janet Baca, Jim and Pat Bass, Diane and Richard Blair, Pat and Don Carlson, Joyce Davis, Marylin Evans, Karen Gebhardt, Gretchen Gettelman, Beverly Gordon, Carrie Helcamp, Pam Holland, Kay and Les Jackson, Mary Kain, Sharon Leissner, Eric and Lori McElroy, Tammy Notley, Cindy Organ, Mary Rohrer, Kerri and Jim Stephenson, Diane Wessels, Linda Whiddon, and Debbie Williams.
Robert Anderson's Saturday evening shrimp boil was excellent, as always. He puts on a good spread. Pat Carlson and the other TWFF officers held a brief business meeting during dinner on Saturday.
Sunday morning brought a beautiful sunrise on the beach. By the time I got moving though, everyone was coming in and packing to leave. Oh well…, there is always next year to catch the early morning sunrise.
All-in-all, I think everyone had another wonderful time at the coast this year.


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- Low burden
- Trip circuit can be supervised with breaker open or closed
- Mis-tripping of breaker by accidental Short circuits avoided
- No false alarms given due to protection operation
- Manual and electrical reset
Type ETCA43 consists of three units connected as shown in follow figure .Under healthy condition with the circuit breaker closed , both units are energized . If the trip circuit become open or the supply fails , unit RL2 drops off and opens contacts RL2-1 to de energies unit RL1 . when the drops off and opens the auxiliary switch shunts contact RL2-1 to hold inunit RL1 . The units are delayed on drop off for a total of 400 ms , to prevent a false alarm due to voltage dips caused by faults in other circuits or during a normal tripping operation , when unit RL2 is momentarily short circuited by the self reset trip relay contact .If the trip relay fails to reset due possibly to failure of the circuit breaker tripping , the Alarm is initiated .When the circuit breaker is open , unit RL3 is also energized and via the normally closed auxiliary switch and unit RL1 is hold in by contact RL3-1 .unit RL3 detect trip circuit abnormalities with the circuit breaker open , in a similar manner to unit RL2 with the circuit breaker closed .


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by Anonymous
Is it possible to use pigment flakes that I have for soapmaking?
Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy a product through them, I receive a small commission which helps me provide the free information you find on this site. Thank you for your support!


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Government Analyst
Job Description
TRSS is a wholly US-owned, independent subsidiary of Thomson Reuters. Our analysts combine open source research with the full suite of proprietary Thomson Reuters data holdings to deliver actionable intelligence to our clients. The full-time Government Analyst position will join our trained cadre of analysts using advanced research methodologies, sophisticated analytics, and a wealth of data to support our clients' mission requirements in our core areas of threat management, technology-enabled solutions, and comprehensive research services. New Government Analysts will become part of a diverse team leveraging real-world experience in the US national security community, US military, state and Federal law enforcement, and the private sector to provide innovative, risk-focused solutions to clients. The position is open only to US citizens with a US Security Clearance.
- Provide insightful, well-researched analysis and guidance to clients bases on rigorous, in-depth analysis using public records, proprietary data, and open source data (including social media).
- Provide client support, including but not limited to meeting client inquiries, delivering ad hoc reporting, advising on analytic best practices, and participating in working groups.
- Interact professionally with clients and respond quickly to their requests, while engaging with the entire project team in a collegial and professional manner.
- Expand multisource research capabilities and make positive contributions to our ability to exceed current client requirements and overcome future challenges.
- Demonstrate personal accountability and ownership of work, with an emphasis on exhibiting success in accomplishing progressively more complex tasks, projects, and collaborations.
This position will have access to highly sensitive public record information and as a result, all new hires and current employees in positions of this level will be subject to periodic background checks.
- US citizen holding a US Security Clearance.
- B.A. required; relevant military or prior USG experience in lieu of a B.A. considered.
- Two or more years previous work experience relating to research and analysis.
- Strong critical thinking skills and attention to detail, with demonstrated high proficiency using open source, social media, and research database tools, with emphasis on incorporating multiple data streams into a single deliverable.
- Foreign language skills (Spanish, Chinese, or Russian).
- Programming and technical skills.
- Previous experience with network analysis and/or social network analysis tools and methodologies.
At Thomson Reuters, we believe what we do matters. We are passionate about our work, inspired by the impact it has on our business and our customers. As a team, we believe in winning as one - collaborating to reach shared goals, and developing through challenging and meaningful experiences. With more than 25,000 employees in more than 100 countries, we work flexibly across boundaries and realize innovations that help shape industries around the world. Making this happen is a dynamic, evolving process, and we count on each employee to be a catalyst in driving our performance - and their own.
As a global business, we rely on diversity of culture and thought to deliver on our goals. To ensure we can do that, we seek talented, qualified employees in all our operations around the world regardless of race, color, sex/gender, including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, citizen status, veteran status, or any other protected classification under applicable law. Thomson Reuters is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer providing a drug-free workplace.
We also make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs in accordance with applicable law.
Intrigued by a challenge as large and fascinating as the world itself? Come join us.
To learn more about what we offer, please visit thomsonreuters.com/careers .
More information about Thomson Reuters can be found on thomsonreuters.com.
McLean-Virginia-United States of America
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The Rohingya are the inhabitants of Rakhine state (historically known as Arakan) in Myanmar. Arakan emerged as a Kingdom with the military and diplomatic assistance of Bengal Sultanate in the year 1429. Being far off and detached from mainland Burma by the ArakanYoma (meaning mountain) and contiguous to Bengal (Bangladesh and West Bengal), it flourished as an independent Kingdom of Arakan by receiving social and political influences from Bengal during late medieval period. One of its inhabitants were the Rohingya – a minority community that developed out of different ethnicities having their origin in Bengal, West Asia, and Central Asia. The Rohingya as a community developed undergoing a process of creolization as a socio-religious polity with the leniency of the imperial authority of Arakan. Later they were joined by a new flux of Bengali people leading to an increase in the Rohingya population under the British colonial rule. Thus Rohingya share the religion, language, and ethnicity with the people of Bangladesh and some Indian states, e.g. Assam and India.
In the past decades, the Rohingya as an ethnic minority underwent several constitutional and administrative forfeiture set by the Burmese Government – this began in the year 1948 and finally lead to be "non-national" or "foreign residents" under a citizenship law passed in 1982. Last year, they fled their homeland of Arakan en masse to escape a drive (August-September 2017) of persecution (to be described as ethnic cleansing) conducted by the Myanmar military Junta and became stateless. The present plight of statelessness of the Rohingya people is assumed to stem from the British colonial policy undertaken over the Arakan during the colonial period.
Historically, Arakan was not a part of Myanmar (Burma), rather it was an independent kingdom that existed from 1429 to 1785. Arakan was established in 1429 with the military and diplomatic assistance of the Bengal Sultanate as a vassal and flourished as a powerful kingdom which existed until 1785. In 1785, it was conquered and occupied by the Burmese (Konbaung Dynasty) invading forces and consequently fell into a cycle of crisis. As soon as the Burmese fierce conquering forces rose to power, they started a drive to deport and exterminate their opponents and this affected both the Rakhine and the Rohingya people as inhabitants of Arakan. This was the first atrocity the Burmese imperialist forces committed on the Rohingya people. Such an act of atrocity of the Burmese forces then caused to flee the Arakanese (Rakhine and Rohingya) yielding a poor density of population in Arakan forever. Rakhine state (i.e. Arakan) still remains a scarcely inhabited state of Myanmar since that Burmese conquest. A few decades after the conquest of the Burmese force, the first Anglo-Burmese war broke out (1824-1826) over the domination of the Burmese colony. At the end of this first Anglo-Burmese war, the Burmese forces lost to the British colonial power and it had to cede Arakan to the British East India Company as war reparation in 1826. Initially, the British authority put Arakan under the Bengal Presidency as it took over Arakan when many settlers joined the Rohingya from the neighboring Chittagong Division. In 1937, the British colonial authority separated Arakan from the Bengal presidency and annexed it to Burma Province. This administrative decision of annexation of Arakan to Burma later gave the Burmese polity a political legitimacy to assert administrative authority over Arakan. The British decision to annex Arakan with Burma caused to arouse a movement among the Rohingya to join East Pakistan when the Pakistan movement was at its height. However, the British colonial authority ignored the demand in restoring Arakan as a province of East Pakistan. Rather, it annexed Arakan with the independent Republic of the Union of Burma one year later when they withdrew from British Burma on January 04, 1948.
Thus, the record of Burmese rule over Arakan shows us that the Burmese political authority ruled over Arakan for about a 100 year in total including – i) firstly, for 40 years (from 1785 to 1925) as an occupational force, ii) secondly, for 14 years (from January 04, 1948 to March 02, 1962) as a democratic polity and iii) lastly, for last 60 years as a military Junta since the occurrence of Burmese coup d'état on March 02, 1962 – marking the beginning of its totalitarian rule. During the first period of its rule, the Burmese colonial authority could not assert thorough administrative control over the inhabitants of Arakan. Hence, as a colonial force, it failed to win legitimacy over the Arakan as well. During the British colonial period, Arakan was under the administration of Bengal presidency which gave British Bengal the authority to rule Arakan. When the British were planning to withdraw the authority over Arakan, they had three options under their consideration: i) giving Arakan independence which would free it from both Pakistan (East Pakistan) and Burma, ii) annexation as a province to Pakistan and iii) annexation as a province to Burma. The Rohingya opted for the first one as can be an independent state free from Pakistan and Burma, for which they launched a movement. However, the British imperial authority annexed it to Burma by ignoring the political right of the Rohingya community. This political decision of the British Imperial power with regard to Arakan caused to lose the rights for self- determination of the Arakanese (i.e. the Rakhine and the Rohingya) and gave the Burmese polity a legitimacy in asserting the political authority over Arakan.
After the withdrawal of British colonial power in 1948, the Burmese polity rose to political power over Arakan as it was annexed as a territory of Burma. The Burmese government then made efforts to consolidate power over Arakan with a democratic means. However, the inhabitants of Arakan, including both the Rakhine and the Rohingya were skeptic about the Burmese rule, for which they grew to be conscious about their political rights. Then (during 1948 to 1962), the Burmese polity as a democratic force was amicable to handle the rights of the Arakanese (the Rakhine and the Rohingya). Therefore, during this period, their policy did not impair the democratic rights of the Arakanese (the Rakhine and the Rohingya) and the human rights of the Rohingya people remained uphold. However, the Burmese polity failed to consolidate political power over Arakan with this interim (during 1948 to 1962) democratic policy. A similar situation could be seen happening in other regions all over Burma as the Burmese government also failed to assert political dominance over the other ethnic communities like Shan and Karen. The failure of the Burmese polity in consolidating its political power over the Burmese states caused a dissatisfaction among the military authority. Consequently, a new political transformation occurred when the Burmese military occupied political administration by carrying out a coup d'état on March 02, 1962. The Burmese military set forth totalitarian rule as it rose to the political power. This marks the comeback of the atrocities on the Rohingyas committed by Burmese forces after that first instance of violence that went on from 1875 to 1925. The Burmese military junta launched a fresh drive over non-Burmese ethnic communities to consolidate the political authority over Burma. In this new drive, the military junta attempted different types of maneuvers including discrimination to extermination (other maneuvers differing in degree of intensity can be arranged in a continuum: Discrimination >Subjugation > Deportation > Persecution > Ethnic cleansing). Therefore, the maneuvers which are being wielded by the military junta over the Rohingya can be seen as the manifestation of the attempts of consolidation of political power over Arakan. The recent drive conducted considered to be a kind of an extreme military maneuver by the junta which forced the Rohingyas to leave their motherland Arakan en masse to Bangladesh and left them in a plight of statelessness. The plight of statelessness of the Rohingyas can, therefore, be seen as the end of this longstanding process, the onset of which can be attributed to the British policy over Arakan. In the first instance of the Burmese conquest, the takeover lasted only 40 years (from 1785 to 1925), when the Burmese authority could not consolidate power over Arakan. It is the British colonial policy which gave the Burmese polity a legitimacy to assert the authority over Arakan.
The British colonial policy giving Burmese polity a legitimacy to assert the political authority over the Arakan occurred in two phases. In the first phase, the British colonial authority separated Arakan from the Bengal presidency and annexed it as a province to Burma in 1937. In the second phase, the British colonial authority gave Arakan independence as a part of Burma by ignoring the Rohingyas` rights of self-determination.
Hence, the political decision by the British colonial power gave the present military junta of Burma the right to rule Arakan and exert different means of maneuvers which caused to create the present plight of statelessness of the Rohingyas. Given the afore-mentioned discussion on the role of the British colonial authority in the creation of crisis in Arakan, the present plight of statelessness of the Rohingya people can be attributed to undue British colonial policy exercised over Arakan during 1926 to 1948.
The writer is Professor of Japanese Language & Culture
Institute of Modern Languages
Univesity of Dhaka
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Editor : M. Shamsur Rahman
Published by the Editor on behalf of Independent Publications Limited at Media Printers, 446/H, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1215.
Editorial, News & Commercial Offices : Beximco Media Complex, 149-150 Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh. GPO Box No. 934, Dhaka-1000.
Editor : M. Shamsur Rahman
Published by the Editor on behalf of Independent Publications Limited at Media Printers, 446/H, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1215.
Editorial, News & Commercial Offices : Beximco Media Complex, 149-150 Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh. GPO Box No. 934, Dhaka-1000.


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Now, I'm no King, or indeed Queen, of Brunch (maybe an Archduke) but I've had enough Breakfast Lunch hybrids to know a good one from a bad one. Add this recipe to your repertoire and you'll be lauded as a Brunch noble. Also I'm not giving you quantities- you should know when it looks thick enough. I ain't your Home Ec teacher. This recipe comes from lovely Smiley Bill Granger …Read More
S'more S'more S'more
Come here til I tell you- you needn't have gone to summer camp in 'Merica to appreciate the delights of a S'more. Because now why not make a S'more tart! It's a delight. Do it. Get a little/large tart base, you don't need to be forking out big euros for Graham Crackers- as long as it's sweet you'll get the essence. Melt whatever kind of chocolate you prefer, I used Belgian …Read More
Chicken With Rocket & Pomegranate
This is a recipe shamelessly robbed and slightly adapted from Sabrina Ghayour, who I had the opportunity to do a cookery course with last year. She's a British Iranian cook and offers a great insight to wonderful Persian cuisine. We use this in wraps and it's deliciously refreshing and satisfying. Using smoked chicken breasts, mix 1 tablespoon of Ras al Hanout with 3 tablespoons of Pomegranate Molasses. Slice the chicken …Read More
Berry Tarts
This is an excellent go to quick dessert idea- although we serve them as canapés. A large one with tons of mixed berries would look excellent. You can also use a pre made tart shell to be truly expedient. Mix custard and cream together, adding some sugar or vanilla extract if you like it especially sweet- essentially a cheat's crème pâtissière. Spoon a blob into a tart shell, adding the …Read More


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Pitbull ft Steven A Clark & Ape Drums – Can't Have
Over the course of his career, Pitbull has earned his Mr. Worldwide nickname. The Miami native has landed No. 1 hits in more than 15 countries and his upcoming album, Climate Change, promises to reach dancefloors across the globe. Today, Pitbull is premiering "Can't Have," a new single from the album, on The FADER, and he's brought along vocalist Steven A. Clark and producer Ape Drums for the club-ready new banger.
"If you don't know where you're from, you don't know where you're going," Pitbull told The FADER over email. "If you don't stand up for something, you'll fall for anything. That's what "Can't Have" is all about – appreciation. Because the grass looks greener on the other side until you get to the other side. I'm so thankful to Steven Clark and Ape Drums for joining me on this record, Dale!"
Pitbull's Climate Change album, due out in 2017, will feature Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias, Stephen Marley, and more. Listen to "Can't Have" below.
DOWNLOAD MP3: Pitbull ft Steven A Clark & Ape Drums – Can't Have


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Bristol Development
Penney Group is proud to be a joint venture partner in Bristol Development Inc. Our project includes "Bristolwood" development, which consists of 500 residential lots adjacent to Kenmount Road in St. John's as well as a 100 acre commercial park on Kelsey Drive. Located in the commercial center of metro St. John's, Kelsey Drive Extension serves as a thoroughfare connecting Goldstone Street, Kenmount Road and the Team Gushue Highway.
Within the commercial park, Bristol is developing 150,000 sq ft of office space and several other design built, tenant specific buildings.
Learn more about Bristol Development: www.bristol-dev.com


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professional • knowledgeable • experienced
Coonse Well Drilling and Pump Co, Inc., is a water well contractor in Caldwell, Idaho. We are a family owned & operated Idaho business serving the greater Treasure Valley, Southwest Idaho, and Eastern Oregon areas. Our professional staff is very knowledgeable with over 35 years of experience. We provide honest and reputable service and are committed to quality workmanship and products. Customer satisfaction is important to us, and we make every effort on every job to provide a level of service that is second to none!
Certified AND Licensed Well Drilling
Working out of Idaho and Oregon, we are a Licensed Idaho Public Works Contractor, a Registered Idaho Contractor, and are recognized as a Certified Well Driller/Pump Installer by the National Groundwater Association.
We Sell & Install Quality Pump & Water Systems
- Franklin Electric
- Sta-Rite
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- Goulds
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- Carry
- Submersibles
- Centrifugals
- Turbines
- Waterfall Pumps
- Quality Brands
- And More…
services we provide
- Well and Water System Installation & Repairs
- Water System Design & Cost Estimate
- Well Construction/Drilling
- Annual Well and Water System Maintenance
- Well Inspections, Flow Tests & Disinfecting Services
- Pump Sales/Service
- Water Analysis & Treatment
- Well Abandonments
- Agriculture Irrigation Systems
- Excavation Services for Waterline Installations
- Frost Free Hydrant Installations
- Cistern Installation for Water Storage
- Hand Pump Installations
proudly serving
We proudly serve customers in Nampa, Caldwell, Greenleaf, Melba, Middleton and all of Canyon County, as well as, Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Garden City, Kuna, Star and the rest of Ada County. We offer an extensive warranty on all products and 1 year warranty on all workmanship! Includes residential, irrigation/agriculture, and commercial/industrial applications. We work with you to design an efficient water system that meets your needs.
For your water well drilling, water system or pump needs, contact Coonse Well Drilling and Pump or visit us at 15851 Gunfire Road Caldwell, Idaho 83607.


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What are the advantages of the MyRenderBox services?
MyRenderBox is equipped with complete rendering services that serve a wide range of rendering demands. Our systems are up-to-date with the latest plug-ins, software, as well as CPU processing power.
Does My Render Box have local render software?
At the moment, MyRenderBox does not run or operate any client application. All levels of registrations and job submissions are performed on this website, and all file transfers are done through Dropbox secure servers.
How does MyRenderBox works?
Please follow the link below to learn how everything works.
What are the advantages of using MyRenderBox?
MyRenderBox gives you a full list of extra benefits to keep you ahead of your competitors;
- Provides a seamless workflow that is easy and straightforward even for newbies in the rendering market.
- Gives you an intuitive user-oriented panel that lets you manage and keep track of all your projects.
- Operates a 24/7 Customer service that provides prompt responses to all your queries.
- One of the first companies in the rendering industry to offer lighting and composition services.
Can I change my pricing plan after submitting the job?
You cannot change your price plan after your job started. But you have full options to do that before sending your project
How can I recharge my account?
To recharge or add credits to your account, please go to the login page and sign into your user panel. Open the "INVOICES" menu and click "ADD FUNDS." Please, note that the minimum amount you can recharge is $50.
Do I need to have a Dropbox account to upload/download my files?
It is not mandatory to have a Dropbox account. Even though you can seamlessly upload or download your files without an account, having a Dropbox account will let you enjoy the complete features that are available to those who own a Dropbox account.
What plugins and rendering software are supported?
We strive to support and incorporate as many software and plugins as we can. Follow the link below to see the full list of plugins and software that we currently support.
Does your render farm have priority, and is there an extra charge for that?
The 3 plans we have for rendering give you the option to prioritize your jobs. But this does not mean that you will get a late delivery if you purchase a lower plan. If there are no rendering jobs in queue, your rendering files will be rendered as soon as they are submitted.
What is the difference between rendering plans?
Our render plans differentiate 2 things:
- A faster delivery time for higher plans as compared to that of lower plans. But jobs on lower plans gets delivered as soon as possible if there are no pending jobs within the higher plans.
- The difference in price for each plan.
Do you support lighting in all the 3D software?
Lighting is available for all 3D software that we support. Also, we have 3D experts for each of them.
How can I send you the details of my project?
To use our lighting services, you should send us an email at firstname.lastname@example.com to give us your details. In reply to your message, the full instruction will be given to you.
What software does My Render Box use for compositing?
Currently, our team of professionals handles the best compositing software in the market, this include but not limited to; Foundry Nuke, Black Magic Fusion and After Effect.
Can I use your compositing services if I render my files using another source?
Yes, you can. We offer this service to all clients, whether they use our render service or not. However, be aware that there is a small service fee for transferring your rendered files to our servers.
How can I estimate my project cost?
Project cost and approximate rendering time can be estimated by using our online calculator.
Are render time and delivery time the same?
Absolutely not, render time is the estimated time by our online calculator that represents, the actually render time for your project, on a specific pricing plan. But delivery time is often different, as there is always a queue, so please get in touch with us to get the exact delivery date for your job.
Where I can find my system information to add in my workstation section?
Are you a Mac or Windows user? Whichever you prefer, we cater for you. Please follow the link below that matches your machine to find the details required.
Windows Users:
Control Panel >System > System
Mac Users:
Apple Symbol > About this Mac


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Ride hailing company Uber has hired a veteran space engineer to help it develop flying cars.
Bloomberg reports that is taking on a new role as director of engineering for aviation, working on a flying car initiative known as Uber Elevate.
"I can't think of another company in a stronger position to be the leader for this new ecosystem and make the urban electric VTOL market real," the news outlet quotes him as saying.
It adds that Uber isn't constructing a flying car yet. In its own white paper published last October, the company laid out a radical vision for airborne commutes and identified technical challenges it said it wanted to help the nascent industry solve, like noise pollution, vehicle efficiency and limited battery life. Moore consulted on the paper and was impressed by the company's vision and potential impact.
Nikhil Goel, Uber's head of product for advanced programs, is quoted as saying the company wants to organise the industry to help spur development of flying cars. "Uber continues to see its role as an accelerant-catalyst to the entire ecosystem, and we are excited to have Mark joining us to work with manufacturers and stakeholders as we continue to explore the use case described in our white paper."
Bloomberg adds that Uber's vision is a "seductive one", envisioning people taking conventional Ubers from their homes to nearby "vertiports" that dot residential neighborhoods. Then they would zoom up into the air and across town to the vertiport closest to their offices.


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The Impact of IoT on Testing: What's in Store
No longer just a futuristic concept, the Internet of Things (IoT) has a strong presence in our world even today. If your business is not prepared for it, you're already behind. With the proliferation of connected "things"—devices, appliances, cars, and even clothes—Jennifer Bonine says that the stage is set. IoT apps are here to stay. Testing, product management, and development teams must address developing and testing in this paradigm. Testers, accustomed to traditional platforms, are now asked to test on more complex devices and more advanced platforms. Testers must keep up with the demand for new skills, new strategies, and an entirely new set of knowledge for testing IoT apps. IT organizations must master the new skills, tools, and architectures required by the IoT. Jennifer reviews where we are today and explores the challenges that IoT and increased complexity pose to our testing profession. See what tools are available to aid IoT testing, what to consider and plan for when testing, how other organizations are preparing, and the new skills testers need.
A VP of global delivery and solutions for tap|QA, Inc., Jennifer Bonine began her career in consulting, implementing large ERP solutions. Jennifer has held executive level positions leading development, quality assurance and testing, organizational development, and process improvement teams for Fortune 500 companies in several domains. In an engagement for one of the world's largest technology companies, Jennifer served as a strategy executive and in corporate marketing for the C-Suite. In her career, she has had several opportunities to build global teams from the ground up and has been fortunate to see how many of the world's top companies operate from the C-Suite viewpoint.


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We Do Indeed Reap What We Sow
by Walter Lotze
When violence first broke out in Tunisia in January 2011, few observers would have predicted that waves of unrest would engulf North Africa and the Arab world. When demonstrations swiftly spread to Algeria, Sudan, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, and Jordan, observers hastened to place bets on which regime would be the next to fall. That Hosni Mubarak would be felled next came perhaps as no surprise; Egypt had for years been on a knife's edge, liberalizing and modernizing society while closing all space for political and social participation. Most analysts then turned their attention to Sudan, Yemen, and Bahrain, predicting that surely one of these three would be the next to falter. Yet almost no one expected that Muammar Gaddafi's Libya would be the next domino in line. Having ruled the country for forty-one years and destroyed all semblance of a free media, of opposition politics, or of civil society, Libya was assumed to be ruthlessly stable.
Thus, when on 16 February violence erupted in Tripoli and Benghazi, most observers assumed that the Libyan security forces would react quickly and brutally deal with the demonstrators, as the regime in Algeria was doing. However, what had taken Gaddafi forty-one years of despotic rule to create unravelled within a matter of days. Demonstrations calling for democratic change evolved into bloody street battles, sometimes with the support of and sometimes against the state security apparatus, and confusion turned to chaos. The regime started to crumble as the rats jumped ship, claiming incredulously that it had been Gaddafi alone who had ruled the country with an iron fist for over four decades. The military structures too appeared to be rapidly collapsing.
While the international media and political analysts struggled to make sense of the developing situation, foreign governments fared even worse. The African Union's Peace and Security Council declined to meet on the crisis, prompting the United Nations Security Council to take the lead, decrying the violence and the mounting evidence of the commission of abuses against the civilian population. Reluctantly, the African Union followed suit, but went only as far as to call on the protesters to demonstrate in a peaceful manner. The League of Arab States called on Gaddafi to leave, probably the first time in history that the organization has been united on any matter, yet failed to offer its support to the demonstrators, for fear of inciting further unrest elsewhere.
Initially, it seemed as though Gaddafi was destined to end his days on the rooftop of his palace in Tripoli, and the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America heralded the victory of the demonstrators and the end of the Gaddafi regime. Within days the situation had been reversed, however, with Gaddafi seeming not only to hold on to power, but indeed to be driving back the anti-Gaddafi movement. The international community then performed a remarkable feat: the "pro-democracy demonstrators" were re-branded as "rebels," and the "democratization movement" as a "civil conflict." Shortly before Gaddafi's forces could exact their brutal revenge on the population of Benghazi, a motley coalition of the willing was hastily assembled, and with the passage of Resolution 1973, commenced an aerial bombardment on Gaddafi's forces. While the international community was distracted by Libya, Saudi Arabia assisted the regime in Bahrain to brutally crush the opposition movement there, and security forces in Yemen and Syria started to gun down protestors there. Yet while we publicly deplore the violence all around, we should not be too quick to forget that we ourselves created this mess.
American support for the Saudi royal family has enabled one of the most repressive regimes to remain in power for decades, while in Bahrain, the home of the American Fifth Fleet, American and Saudi support has kept the ruling monarchy lingering decrepitly on. In Yemen, Western support has been key to ensuring that President Saleh clings to power, in the name of anti-terrorism measures. During Gaddafi's initial rise to power, foreign governments were very happy to supply the regime in Tripoli with support, as long as the oil kept flowing. Following the Lockerbie bombing in 1988, the West imposed sanctions against Gaddafi and vilified Libya internationally, yet the oil kept on flowing. When two decades of sanctions had attained very little other than to exact hardship on the Libyan people, and during the height of the international war on terror, Libya was brought in from the cold by George W. Bush and Tony Blair. The dismantling of the Libyan weapons development programs and cooperation in the intelligence sector were rewarded with weapons sales and access to international financial transactions, allowing Gaddafi's regime to strengthen its position both domestically and internationally. Gaddafi became a regular visitor to Italy, where he was entertained by Silvio Berlusconni and hundreds of hand-picked models at lavish feasts. Libya was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council, enabling it to deflect criticism from human rights organizations and detractors. And Libya was given a prominent role in the League of Arab States and in the African Union. Indeed, Libya contributes a significant proportion of the annual operating budget of the African Union Commission, and exercises heavy influence over the Peace and Security Directorate of the organization.
The international community is responsible for entrenching the Gaddafi regime both internationally and domestically, allowing it to exercise disproportionate levels of power, and providing it with the weaponry to back this up within its own borders. When the uprising first commenced, foreign governments cheered on the protestors, hoping that they would be able to topple Gaddafi. When it became obvious that this was not possible without external support, they commenced bombing him out. Yet those who now vilify Gaddafi would do well to bear in mind that it was the West that created him and allowed him to remain in power for so long. Sadly, this is a story not quite unfamiliar. Even sadder is the fact that it is the Libyan people who must pay the ultimate price, and must be cut down by weapons paid for by European car owners.
Walter Lotze (South African) is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) in Oslo, Norway. Prior to joining NUPI, Walter worked in the Peace Support Operations Division of the African Union Commission, prior to which he headed the Peacebuilding Division at the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), a non-governmental organization working in conflict situations across the African continent. Walter recently completed his PhD in International Relations with the University of St Andrews in Scotland.


text: +steben6 2 Posted December 20, 2018 (edited) I am sorry to say that I have not got my package mailed off yet. I hope to get it in the mail tomorrow, but it certainly won't make it to its destination before Christmas. I have been very sick and ended up in the hospital for five days. I got out Saturday evening, and I am trying to get my act together. The EXACT same thing happened last year at this time. So, my sincere apologies. Edited December 20, 2018 by steben6 Share this post Link to post