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The Great Internet Migratory Box Of Electronics Junk is a progressive lending library of electronic components. An internet meme in physical form halfway between P2P zip-archive sharing and a flea market. It arrives full of wonderful (and possibly useless) components, but you will surely find some treasures to keep. You will be inspired look through your own piles, such as they are, and find more mysterious components that clearly need to be donated to the box before it is passed on again.
Recipient Conditions for The Great Internet Migratory Box Of Electronics Junk:
- Take out and add as much electronics junk as you like (but keep it small enough to fit in a USPS flat-rate Priority Mail box).
- Write up, photograph, document or otherwise publish in some way online at least one thing you took out (suggested flickr tag: TGIMBOEJ).
- There is a little book in the box. Add a checkmark by your name to show that the box has been to you. Also propose a future recipient by adding their name and e-mail address to the book.
- Within two weeks pass the box along to one of the people whose name is in the book. Before mailing it to them, send them this list and make sure that they want to participate.
If you get the box, who you should send it to?
A proposed recipient should be someone you suspect of having a critical mass of (or at least sufficiently interesting) electronics junk, should have a non-zero online presence, and should be reliable enough that you think they actually will send it off again within two weeks. (Naturally, bonus points for open source oriented hardware hackers.)
Why would you want to get a box of junk in the mail?
As Mark Frauenfelder observed in Make: vol. 12, there is a certain importance to keeping a junk box for future projects. We heartily agree. Perhaps a component in the box– or the box itself– will inspire your next project. Or just maybe it will have that frobnicated interoceter you've been looking for forever. Or maybe you just want to join our fledgling junk-sharing movement because it's fun.
Don't sweat the details.
Can you say "no" if someone offers you the box? Yes. Can you send it to the person whose name you wrote down? Yes. Can you send it to someone who already has a checkmark by their name? Yes. If the box gets too full, can you split the contents in two and send them in two different directions? Yes (but don't forget to add a new book to the new box).
So, what did we take from the box before readying it for its next trip? Here are a few of our favorites:
A piece of plastic fiber-optic cable.Some beautiful capacitors which will round out our wine charm set nicely.
A couple of nifty old-school right-angle DIP sockets.Three nicely made phillips flat-head machine screws with great heft.
(And what did we put into the box? Not to name names, but we did add a small pile of cool and most mysterious components to help the box along on its journey.)
A commenter asked "So this sounds cool, how does one participate?"
- When someone e-mails you and asks if you want to participate, say YES and send them your mailing address!
- Work towards meeting the guidelines for proposed recipients: save interesting electronics junk and make sure that you have some online presence.
- If necessary, suggest to people participating in the project that you might be a good candidate.
- Take that one step further: Set up a wiki and start a network of people interested in participating in the project. (List people's web sites, not e-mail addresses!)
- Alone, or with some friends, start your own box and send it off. What goes around comes around!
PS: On the topic of setting up a wiki: We'll offer to host it if we get five serious volunteer administrators who will set up and run the site. Want to be one?
Update 2:
This is not chain mail. You do not send it to "the next person on the list." You send it to a worthyrecipient, as determined by your own judgement. The purpose of the lists is to help identify proposed recipients who might meet the recipient conditions and exchange interesting junk with the box.
(By the way– we still need a couple more volunteers for a potential wiki site.)
Update 3:
There are many boxes. And they have a plan.
Update 4:
We have a wiki now! http://tgimboej.org/
Update 5:
(7/2009) A year later, we've learned a lot and updated procedures. Please see updated guidelines here.


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December 4, 2013, - 3:16 pm
UPDATED – EXCLUSIVE: Obama Kept Family of Murdered Soldier in Dark That Muslim Murderers Were in US, Got Citizenship
The family of murdered Pennsylvania National Guard officer Gennaro "Jerry" Pellegrini, Jr. is outraged that the Obama Administration and its Justice Department kept them in the dark about the fact that their son/brother's Iraqi Muslim killer was not only given U.S. citizenship but that they were not notified when the government indicted him. Dana Shearon, Army Spc. Pellegrini's sister, contacted and spoke exclusively with DebbieSchlussel.com, as Mrs. Shearon's husband is a regular reader of this site.
Gennaro Pellegrini at Home and In Iraq . . .
As longtime readers may recall, back in June 2011, we first wrote about Waad Ramadan Alwan and Mohanad Shareef Hammadi, the Iraqi Muslim terrorists who were granted entry into the United States and then granted citizenship, despite the fact that the United States had already caught them, years earlier, and they admitted at that time that they were involved in terrorist attacks against Americans on behalf of Al-Qaeda. But they were not only let go, they were allowed into the United States as "refugees" who successfully sought asylum in America. The U.S. government had even taken their fingerprints, at least one of which matched a fingerprint on an IED–the IED they used to murder Jerry Pellegrini, but this information was never checked until later on when Alwan and Hammadi, living in Bowling Green, Kentucky (one of them in public housing), attempted to help Al-Qaeda murder more Americans. The FBI was involved in the investigation and the two were indicted.
Dana Shearon, in e-mails and telephone conversations, told DebbieSchlussel.com that no one from either the Obama Administration's Justice Department or from the FBI ever contacted her, her father or anyone else in Pfc. Pellegrini's family to inform them that her brother's killers were allowed into America, that they had been given U.S. citizenship, or that they were caught trying to help Al-Qaeda from their new tax-subsidized homes in Kentucky. The Pellegrini Family was never invited to attend the trial or speak as victims about the impact their dear brother/son's murder has had on them. Instead, they learned about the indictment from DebbieSchlussel.com and the conviction from ABC News. You would think that given that their brother and son made the ultimate sacrifice in service to America, contacting and informing them about this is the least the Obama Administration could do. But Obama and his minions, while usually only doing the least, didn't even do that in this case. The Pellegrinis still have yet to hear from anyone in the FBI or the Justice Administration.
The Islamic Schmucks Who Murdered Jerry Pellegrini . . .
Waad Alwan & Mohanad Hammadi: Al Qaeda Terrorists Who Murdered Jerry Pellegrini & Were Given U.S. Citizenship By Obama Even After We Caught Them
And in connection with the story, I told you, back in July 2011, that the U.S. government finally discovered America and realized it hadn't properly screened any of the 58,000 immigrants it let into the U.S. from Iraq and to whom it gave citizenship, like Alwan and Hammadi, and the government scrambled to find and re-screen them all (do you believe they actually did? I don't).
Two weeks ago, ABC's Brian Ross and Matt Drudge finally caught on to this story you read about on this site, nearly 2.5 years ago, and Ross noted that the U.S. government began re-checking (or rather, checking for the first time) the tens of thousands of Iraqi "refugees" we allowed into the U.S. and to whom we gave citizenship. But, as I noted back in 2011 when I first wrote about this, Alwan and Hammadi highlight what already is a massive problem with our immigration system–which will be amplified geometrically tens of thousands of times cubed under amnesty.
Currently, the U.S. government spends less than six minutes checking each immigrant seeking citizenship. And that doesn't even account for the bathroom and smoking breaks the immigration benefits adjudicators (who "check"–very quickly–the backgrounds and essentially rubber stamp most citizenship applications) at Homeland Security's Citizenship and Immigration Services take, which means the time spent check these immigrants is even less. Alwan and Hammadi are not the only ones who slipped through the giant sieve that is the system, despite what Brian Ross reported on ABC News. There many Islamic terrorists like them in our midst who've gotten through and are now citizens because we barely check them out and even if we did, the immigration applicants can make up any name and say they are whoever they want to say they are. We have no way of proving otherwise. I've written about Mr. X a/k/a Noureddine Malki a/k/a Almaliki Nour a/k/a Abu Hakim a/k/a Abdulhakeem Nour, a Muslim translator for the U.S. military, who was also an Al-Qaeda operative who got U.S. citizenship. We still don't know his real name and who he really is (he gave a false name). And he gave Al-Qaeda our troops movements and plans, allowing the terrorist group to kill many Americans in Iraq.
Dana Shearon, Jerry Pellegrini's sister, is disgusted by this whole thing because they had Alwan and Hammadi in Iraq, and, yet, America released them. They had their fingerprints, and yet America allowed them into the country. That America allowed the Muslim terrorists who murdered her brother into the country and gave them citizenship and public housing is insult on top of injury with regard to the murder of her brother. "How does this happen?!" she asked in a telephone conversation we had this week. Mrs. Shearon says that she is worried for her son, who is currently a U.S. Marine. She says he can even be attacked on U.S. soil because Islamic terrorists, like her brother's killers, are allowed into the U.S. without much of a cursory check. The men who murdered her brother were only caught on American soil after they initiated plans to help Al-Qaeda again. And we were lucky that plot was intercepted.
Moreover, Mrs. Shearon worked for a U.S. contractor that does the fingerprinting of immigration applicants. "I don't understand how they had these guys in custody over there and how they had their fingerprints from the IED that killed my brother, and yet they get to come to the U.S. and live free in public housing without anyone checking who these guys are. How does this happen?!" And, again, she asks why her dear father, Jerry Pellegrini's only living parent has never heard anything about his son's murderers, except through what she tells him about reports she's read online. Where is the Obama Administration on this? No common courtesy for relatives of those who gave their lives for America. Just crickets chirping . . . . If the Pellegrinis were Muslim, perhaps Obama would be right over and bowing down to them or inviting them to Ramadan dinners at the White House.
Jerry Pellegrini, may he rest in peace, sounds like he was a really terrific guy–the kind you used to see in the movies but rarely get the chance to meet in real life anymore. He was a real American hero and a complete mensch. When he died at age 31 in Bayji, Iraq, he had just begun his winning career as a professional Welterweight boxer and was a Philadelphia police officer, just like his retired father (he even took his father's badge number). He was a Golden Gloves star and was known as "One Punch Jerry" by the Philadelphia police because he once knocked out a violent suspect with one punch. Despite the way Muslims ultimately treated him, he collected hundreds of pairs of flip-flops from American schoolchildren to donate to Iraqi kids. This guy was one of the good guys. "There's a kid that never gave up," said Frank Talent, of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission, who watched Pellegrini, an amateur welterweight, win his first professional fight . . . . "He had heart to the end."
How disgusting it is the way America has treated his family in response, while it treated his murderers with kid gloves.
More from Dana Shearon, Jerry Pellegrini's sister:
From: DANA
Date: Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 10:43 PM
Subject: Sister to murdered National Guardsman Gennaro Pellegrini
To: email@example.com Ms. Schlussel,
My name is Dana Shearon. My brother Gennaro (Jerry) Pellegrini was a soldier in the Pennsylvania National Guard and was killed in action in Bayji, Iraq on August 9, 2005. My husband is a reader of your website, and when he told me about you I thought you would understand how I was feeling.
My family and I just learned today from an ABC News article and from a past article on DebbieSchlussel.com that our government had brought Jerry's killers here to the United States as refugees in 2009 even after one was captured in Iraq in 2006 where he admitted to be an "insurgent". We did learn about the FBI's findings the same way we learned about this article and that was by seeing and reading it. No one has ever contacted us.
Neither I nor any member of our family were notified at any time by any agency of the United States that my brothers killers were (1) apprehended, (2) were in the United States, (3) were on trial and (4) were convicted.
Our mother passed away in 2008 after fighting cancer for a second time. I truly believe that the cancer which was in remission came back due to the stress she incurred at the loss of her youngest child and only son. Both my and my family's lives were and will always be horribly affected by the loss of Jerry and now we have to cope with the fact that Jerry's killers were brought to the U.S. and allowed to plot further acts of terrorism with the assistance of this administration. I truly feel violated once again.
I'm going to contact my Representatives in Washington, DC and express my outrage at the emotional duress my family and I are forced to endure due to this administration's negligence, ineptitude and total disregard for the safety and security of our country.
I do want to thank the various law enforcement agencies who discovered these terrorists and tied them to the murder of my brother. I know from personal experience that these and most agents and officers have to constantly battle with the political appointees in Washington in order to protect us from the vile human beings and policies Mr. Obama and his appointees have thrust upon them and the citizens they should be taking care of.
Please feel free to contact me should you want to investigate this further.
Dana (Pellegrini) Shearon
May Jerry Pellegrini rest in peace. And may the Islamic terrorists who murdered him–and the Obama U.S. government officials who let them in and kept the whole set of incidents a secret from the Pellegrini family–rot in hell.
**** UPDATE, 12/05/13: I received this e-mail from Kelly, who worked with Gennaro Pellegrini in the Philadelphia Police Department.
From: Kelly
Date: Wed, Dec 4, 2013 at 8:34 PM
Subject: Jerry Pellegrini
To: email@example.com you so much for writing this article..I was a coworker and friend of Jerry and my son was born the day he died…so I have so many reminders of that day…I dont know how something like this can happen in the place we call home…what happen to our great America that I used to be so proud of..Jerry was one hell of a guy and all the things you wrote were so very true..I was the police officer who helped him collect the flip flops for the Iraq children…he made me so proud how he help over there…just wanted to thank you for writing this story. Although it broke my heart…
Former Phila Police Officer
Tags: boxers, boxing, Dana Shearon, Frank Talent, Gennaro "Jerry" Pellegrini, Gennaro Pellegrini, Immigration, Iraq, Islam, Islamic immigrants, Islamic immigration, Jerry Pellegrini, Jihad, Mohanad Hammadi, Mohanad Shareef Hammadi, Muslim immigrants, Muslim immigration, One Punch Gerry, One Punch Jerry, Waad Alwan, Waad Ramadan Alwan, War in Iraq

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"Today's US jobs report was unquestionably strong and significantly exceeded expectations. The gain of 321k jobs was higher than the official survey estimate of 230k, as well as the more bullish unofficial 'whisper' number on the street of around 250k, and was the highest single month job gain total since January 2012. Moreover, upward revisions of 44k confirm the strength of the recent data.
Sub-components of the report support the initial strong conclusion, and stand in contrast to many prior reports where headline and detailed information were in conflict. Private (non-government) job gains were 314k and were well ahead of the 225k expected, and – like the headline number – upward revisions were a solid 28k. Manufacturing jobs rose a very impressive 44k. Even more important, average hourly wages rose 0.4% on the month, holding a y/y rate of 2.1%, while average week hours worked – another sign of labour demand – were at a cycle high of 34.6. Both point to strong underlying labour demand and falling labour capacity.
The participation rate was unchanged at 62.8% – near the cycle low – but this was due to a healthy increase in the labour force of 119k – which kept the unemployment rate at 5.8%. We agree with the Fed's assessment that most of the participation decline since the financial crisis is structural (ie, demographic related) and is not likely to rise sharply until wage gains become more entrenched, if at all.
There is a possibility the data is inflated by seasonal hiring over and above seasonal adjustments, supported by the very large declines in energy prices which are expected to accrue directly to consumer spending. However, the scale of the gains is large enough and widespread enough (i.e. in manufacturing) to suggest there is a more permanent shift upward in hiring.
The data clearly support a more hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) at its December 17 meeting, and support a shift away from its super-accommodative zero-interest rate policy. Indeed, the Fed has increasingly relied on softer measures of underemployment to support holding rates at historical low levels. While the underemployment statistic today dropped 0.1% to 11.4%, it remains elevated by historic comparison and will be no doubt referred to by the more dovish Fed members. However, the other data show no signs of being inflated by temporary factors. The Fed will no doubt continue to refer to weakness outside the US and the still-low inflation rate, but the domestic employment situation continues to look more and more healthy each month.
In this respect the market's reaction to the data makes sense: higher short-term rates – the 5 yr Treasury yield is initially up 10bps, factoring in a higher risk of sequentially higher Fed policy; while the 30yr yield is up just 4 bps initially as there are not yet signs that falling labour slack is materially pushing up labour costs or inflation expectations. Risk premiums are also initially slightly firmer, supported by the better growth data.
All in all, it is a very good report that exceeded expectations and shows no sign of distorting temporary factors nor underlying inconsistency. The data confirms our view of steadily improving US economic performance that is largely insulated from weakness elsewhere."


text:
Last week, Dan Hanzus ranked the NFL's top 30 running backs. That engaging list generated heaps of debate, some of it coming from his own colleagues.
In an upcoming post, we'll unleash our quarterback rankings, an exercise that led to plenty of tape watching on this overcast Wednesday morning in Los Angeles.
Schein Nine: Breakout candidates
Who will become the next household name in the NFL? Adam Schein identifies nine players who are primed to make the leap. **More ...**
One immediate takeaway: Detroit Lions starter Matthew Stafford might be the toughest quarterback to rank.
Stafford's name popped up at No. 76 in the "Top 100 Players of 2013." He's thrown for 10,000-plus yards over the past two seasons, but his peers voted him the 13th-best quarterback in the game on that list.
That isn't so surprising. Stafford's arm strength is supreme, but his spotty mechanics and occasional sidearm delivery drew heat from critics in 2012.
Lions head coach Jim Schwartz insisted after last season that Stafford's footwork and throwing motion were fine. But after watching the All-22 tape of Stafford's uneven performance in a December loss to the Green Bay Packers, I disagree. Stafford passed for 264 yards on 45 attempts -- with a handful of dazzling throws -- but there was a noticeable lack of consistency from snap to snap.
After that game, ESPN's Ron Jaworski rated Stafford the 14th best passer in the NFL, which -- as we draw up our list -- feels about right.
Harrison: Top 20 Games of 2012
The 2012 season was one for the ages. Which games will be remembered the most in NFL lore? Elliot Harrison gives you the Top 20.
"For all the great plays, I'll also see sloppy footwork and regular changes in his arm slot change, resulting in sloppy throws," Jaworski said. "Even with a dynamic receiving corps, Stafford will always be a middle-of-the-pack quarterback until he corrects his mechanics."
Stafford, at just 25 years old, has enormous potential. Still, I struggle to rate him higher than Washinton Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III or Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. I even question placing Stafford above Ryan Tannehill in Miami. That might seem crazy, but let's chat in December. ProFootballFocus graded Tannehill higher than Stafford last season both as a passer and overall signal-caller.
Ranking quarterbacks is about more than statistics. Success at the position hinges on leadership, poise under pressure and whether or not a guy has the mystical "it" factor. I don't doubt Stafford's ability to lead, and I believe he could someday bloom into a top 10 passer -- but he's not there yet.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.


text: Days after the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, demands from the public and lawmakers for tougher gun control legislation were met by President Barack Obama's call for a re-examination of the country's gun laws. Obama announced Wednesday that Vice President Joe Biden will lead an administration effort to develop recommendations no later than January for preventing another mass shooting. But this isn't the first time the country has heard calls for action to put an end to gun violence. Most of the time, little happens legislatively. And of the action that has been taken to curb gun violence, much of the legislation enacted in the last three decades has been undone by court challenges – many of which were supported by Second Amendment advocates. Now, with 20 children and seven adults shot to death by a man who then took his own life, some in Washington say, "This time is different." Here is a list of some of the worst mass shootings in the past and the legislative action – or inaction – following each: September 5, 1949 - Camden, New JerseyDead: 13A World War II veteran, 28-year-old Howard Unruh shoots and kills 13 of his neighbors. Unruh was found insane and committed to a state mental institution rather than standing trial. Legislative reaction: No legislative reaction could be found. August 1, 1966 - Austin, TexasDead: 19, including the shooterWounded: at least 30The University of Texas bell tower shooter, 25-year-old Charles Joseph Whitman, kills 16 people and wounds at least 30 from his perch above the university grounds. Whitman was heavily fortified with a variety of weapons when he started picking off his victims. He also shot and killed his mother and wife earlier in the day.Legislative reaction: Rather than addressing gun violence, the discussions after the crime surrounded a brain tumor that Whitman was found to have. The governor of Texas at the time, John Connally – who had been wounded during the Kennedy assassination in Dallas in 1963 – asked for legislation requiring someone to be committed for life if they were found insane in murder and in kidnapping cases, Time Magazine reported following the shooting. Sen. Robert Kennedy, who was later assassinated in Los Angeles while campaigning for president, asked for the same legislation at the federal level. September 25, 1982 - Wilkes-Barre, PennsylvaniaDead: 13A 40-year-old prison guard shoots and kills 13 people, including five of his children. The gunman, George Banks, used a Colt AR-15 semi-automatic rifle when he went house to house, shooting his victims. Banks was sentenced to death by electrocution, but he received a stay of execution in 2004. He was declared incompetent in 2010. Legislative reaction: No direct legislative reaction. However, the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981 prompted a reaction to gun violence. In 1982, the city of Chicago became the first major municipality to ban guns. Chicago's suburbs weren't far behind. But soon after, the National Rifle Association begins to try to pre-empt gun control legislation nationwide. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the ban in 2010. July 18, 1984 - San Ysidro, CaliforniaDead: 22, including the shooterWounded: 20James Oliver Huberty, 41, opens fire at a McDonald's in Southern California. By the time Huberty was shot and killed by a SWAT team sniper, he had killed or wounded 41 people. Huberty's victims ranged in age from 8 months to 74 years. Huberty used a long-barreled Uzi, a Winchester 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and a 9 mm handgun to target his victims.Legislative reaction: No legislative reaction. January 17, 1989 - Stockton, CaliforniaDead: 6, including the shooterWounded: 30On a sunny Tuesday morning, Patrick Purdy, 24, sets his station wagon on fire, then walks onto the playground at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California, and opens fire with a Type 56 Assault Rifle (a Chinese copy of the AK-47), killing five children before taking his own life. Legislative reaction: It took nearly five years, but the shooting led to the first major federal legislation on military-style assault weapons. The Federal Assault Weapons Ban was enacted in 1994 and expired in 2004. Also, in 1989, President George H.W. Bush signed an executive order banning the import of semi-automatic assault weapons. October 16, 1991 - Killeen, TexasDead: 24, including the shooterGeorge Hennard, 35, drives a pickup truck through the wall of a Luby's cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, fatally shoots 23 people and wounds more than 20 others before killing himself. According to eyewitness accounts, Hennard methodically chose his victims, most of whom were women, before he was wounded by police and shot himself.Legislative reaction: No direct legislative reaction. However Reagan publicly pressured President George H. W. Bush, who had been his vice president, to get behind gun legislation that would impose a five-day waiting period on the purchase of a handgun. Known as the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, the legislation also required local law enforcement to conduct background checks. Reagan's support came at the behest of his wife, former first lady Nancy Reagan. The bill was named for Reagan's press secretary, James Brady, who was left paralyzed and with brain damage as a result of the 1981 assassination attempt on the president. A 1997 Supreme Court case later determined the background checks in the Brady Bill to be unconstitutional. April 20, 1999 - Littleton, ColoradoDead: 15, including the two shootersWounded: 23High school seniors Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold use an Intratec TEC-DC-9, 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, two 12-gauge sawed-off shotguns and a Hi-Point 9-mm carbine rifle to kill 13 people and wound 23 others at Columbine High School before taking their own lives. Legislative reaction: Legislation at both the state and federal levels was enacted following the Columbine massacre. At the federal level, the U.S. Senate passed a bill requiring background checks for firearms sold during gun shows. The bill passed by one vote, with then-Vice President Al Gore breaking the 50-50 tie in the Senate. At the state level, Colorado Gov. Bill Owens reauthorized the state's "InstaCheck" program that required background checks with firearm purchases. Another state bill, that would have allowed local officials to enforce a federal law that banned gun dealers from selling firearms to anyone under 20 years old, failed in the Colorado House. April 16, 2007 - Blacksburg, VirginiaDead: 33, including the shooterOn the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, 23-year-old student Seung-Hui Cho goes on a shooting rampage, killing 32 people in two locations and wounding an undetermined number of others. Cho later killed himself. Cho had been declared mentally ill and "an imminent danger" to himself by a Virginia special justice, and the shooting sparked a discussion of gun control and mental illness.Legislative reaction: President George W. Bush signed legislation in 2007 to enhance compliance with reporting requirements after the shooting to keep mentally ill people from accessing firearms. When does a state disarm the mentally ill? March 10, 2009 - Kinston, AlabamaDead: 11, including the shooter Michael McLendon, 28, sets out on a rampage through three Alabama towns, killing 10 people before turning his weapon on himself. It was the deadliest crime in Alabama state history. Police said they believed McLendon used at least 200 rounds to kill his victims, using an SKS rifle, an AR-15 made by Bushmaster, a 12-gauge shotgun and a .38-caliber handgun.Legislative reaction: No legislative reaction could be found. August 3, 2009 - Binghamton, New YorkDead: 14, including the shooterJiverly Antares Wong walks into an American Civic Association immigrant center, where he guns down 14 people and wounds four. Wong, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from South Vietnam, used two types of semi-automatic pistols to take his victims' lives. Wong then turned the gun on himself.Legislative reaction: No legislative reaction could be found. November 5, 2009 - Fort Hood, TexasDead: 13Wounded: 32Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, 39, allegedly opens fire at a military processing center at Fort Hood, killing 13 and wounding 32 others. Hasan was paralyzed from the waist down after police officers exchanged fire with him. Hasan allegedly used a FN 5.7 mm pistol, a semi-automatic gun and a revolver to target his victims. Hasan is a Muslim who had told his family he had been taunted after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Investigations tied to the Fort Hood shootings found he had been communicating via e-mail with Anwar al-Awlaki, the prominent and radical Yemeni-American cleric killed by a U.S. drone attack in 2011.Legislative reaction: None directly to the Fort Hood shootings. Following the Fort Hood shooting, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence released a statement highlighting legislation already in the works that some interpreted as making it illegal for commanding officers to inquire about their troops' personal weapons. Former Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli told Stars and Stripes he opposed the legislation on the grounds that it could make it difficult for commanding officers to communicate with troops who might be mentally unstable, particularly in the face of high military suicide rates. Legislators are looking to amend the language in 2013. January 8, 2011 - Tucson, ArizonaDead: 6Jared Lee Loughner, 22, opens fire during a "Congress on your Corner" event held outside a supermarket in Tucson. Loughner was armed with a 9 mm Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol with a 33-round magazine. Loughner was wrestled to the ground after he tried to change to a second magazine, which didn't work. By the time Loughner was subdued, 20 people had been shot, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head. Six of the victims died.Legislative reaction: Lawmakers announced several bills that would limit high-capacity magazines like those used in the Tucson shooting, as well as bills that would close loopholes in gun legislation relating to suspected terrorists and require background checks at gun shows. None of the legislation was enacted. July 20, 2012 - Aurora, ColoradoDead: 12Wounded: 58James Holmes, a 24-year-old former doctoral student dressed as the Batman character "The Joker," allegedly opens fire in a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises," in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 and wounding 58 others. Holmes used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and at least one of two .40-caliber handguns. Legislative reaction: While the presidential campaigns of Obama and his challenger, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, paused to pay tribute to the victims of the shooting and their families, the campaigns largely sidestepped the issue during the election. No legislation has been enacted. December 14, 2012 - Newtown, ConnecticutDead: 28, including the shooterAdam Lanza, a 20-year-old resident of Newtown, Connecticut, uses his mother's semi-automatic .223-caliber rifle to shoot and kill her in her home before heading to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he guns down the school's principal, four other adults, and 20 children, all 6- and 7-year-olds. He was also found with at least two handguns.Legislative reaction: Renewed calls for stricter gun legislation came about in the wake of the massacre. Obama vowed to support efforts by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, to reintroduce the assault weapons ban and asked Vice President Joe Biden to lead a group to examine U.S. gun policy – including limits on high-capacity magazines, background checks at gun shows and limits on military-style weapons. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, indicated that he would once again introduce legislation to ban high-capacity magazines. International shootings Internationally, however, several mass shootings have produced different legislative results. March 13, 1996 - Dunblane, ScotlandDead: 18, including the shooterWounded: 15Thomas Hamilton, 43, wielding a gun, enters a school in Dunblane, Scotland, and shoots and kills 16 students and one teacher. The shooter then killed himself. Legislative response: After the shooting, an inquiry called the Cullen Report was commissioned. A year later, legislators enacted two laws that effectively made private gun ownership illegal in the United Kingdom. April 28, 1996 - Port Arthur, Tasmania, AustraliaDead: 35Martin Bryant uses a Colt AR-15 semi-automatic rifle to murder 35 people in Port Arthur, Tasmania. His attack is one of the deadliest in Australian history. Legislative response: Conservative Prime Minister John Howard oversaw sweeping gun control reforms including all automatic and semi-automatic weapons. The Australian government also enacted a mandatory firearm buyback that led to the purchase and destruction of 650,000 firearms around the country.


text:
- Home
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Regional Historical Attractions
San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
3525 Independence Parkway South - 281-479-2431
Officially opened in 1907 as the first state park in Texas, the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site proudly preserves a monumental chapter in state, national and international history. The 1,200-acre site commemorates the Battle of San Jacinto, preserving the battleground on which Texan troops under General Sam Houston achieved the independence of Texas by defeating a Mexican Army led by General Lopez de Santa Anna on April 21, 1836. Today, the site includes the Battleground, the San Jacinto Monument, and the Battleship TEXAS. While at the site, visitors may take the elevator up to the Monument's Observation floor, 489 feet above the Battleground, and see the Houston Ship Channel from new heights! Then, tour the museum, watch the documentary "Texas Forever!! The Battle of San Jacinto" and pick up a souvenir. Finally, check out the 1,210-foot long trail and boardwalk, which features native prairie, tidal marsh and bottomland forest. With walking tours, seasonal events and more, the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site is a perfect place for family time!
San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site. Photo from tpwd.texas.gov Website.
Battlefield Memorial Sundial
The Battlefield Memorial Sundial is located on the San Jacinto Battleground site, and it was dedicated on April 21, 1939. Commissioned by the San Jacinto Chapter of the Daughters of the Texas Republic, the sundial features the names of the nine fallen Texian soldiers engraved on the sundial's base. According to the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, the sundial is technically an armillary sphere, which is a tool used by ancient astronomers and navigators. This sundial depicts the parts of the celestial sphere, in addition to telling time. The rings represent the equator, meridian and equinox. Make sure you take note of the breathtaking engraved zodiac signs!
Battleground Memorial Sundial. (2019). Photo from San Jacinto Battleground Facebook Page.
San Jacinto Monument and Museum
One Monument Circle - 281-479-2421
The San Jacinto Monument was dedicated on April 21, 1939 to the "Heroes of the Battle of San Jacinto and all others who contributed to the independence of Texas." The monument includes a 570-foot shaft topped by a 34-foot star symbolizing the Lone Star Republic. Listed as the tallest stone column memorial structure in the world - even taller than the Washington Monument - the building was recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers with the designation as a State and National Historic Structure.
Photos provided courtesy of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
The interior of the structure is operated by the San Jacinto Museum of History, a private, non-profit organization with collections spanning over 400 years of early Texas history.
Industrial Tank Murals
Visitors who travel along State Highway 225 through the Deer Park industrial region will be captivated by the beautiful artwork adorning the sides of select storage tanks lining the roadway. Each of the seven images tell a story about the hardships in the fight for Texas independence. While you're here, don't miss the chance to take a drive and see each one in person!
"Destiny" sponsored by LyondellBasell
"Discovery" sponsored by Vopak
"Two Storms Passing" - Matching pair of murals sponsored by Shell Deer Park
"The Volunteers" sponsored by ExxonMobil
"Spirit of Independence" sponsored by Vopak
"Muddy Trail to Freedom" sponsored by the City of Morgan's Point


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NIZHNY TAGIL, September 25 (RIA Novosti)
Russia's Uralvagonzavod defense manufacturer on Wednesday unveiled the BMPT-72 tank support fighting vehicle, dubbed the "Terminator-2," at the Russia Arms Expo 2013 in Nizhny Tagil.
The BMPT-72 is an extensive modernization of the world-famous T-72 main battle tank, also produced by Uralvagonzavod. Compared with its predecessor – the BMPT – the BMPT-72 has an improved fire control system and better turret weapon station protection.
"The key advantage that the BMPT-72 gives to all the counties that operate T-72 tanks is that they can promptly and at minimal cost upgrade their armies to an ultra-modern level, and enhance capacity, mobility, protection and armament without purchasing new high-cost machines," Uralvgonzavod said in press release prior to the Nizhny Tagil show.
The BMPT-72 is armed with two 30-mm cannons, two 30-mm grenade launchers, four launchers for 130-mm Ataka-T anti-tank guided missiles, a 7.62-mm machine gun, and two 81-mm smoke grenade launchers.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Wednesday that the idea to build new heavily armed tank support vehicles emerged on the basis of experience acquired by the Russian military during the First Chechen War in North Caucasus, especially during the urban fighting in Grozny in 1995 when Russian troops lost a large number of combat vehicles to "guerrilla warfare" tactics used by Chechen separatists.
Rogozin, who oversees the Russian defense and space industries, said future versions of the BMPT would most likely be based on the platform of Russia's highly anticipated new main battle tank: the Armata.
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Moscow, Russia – Andrey Esin, Ivan Vasilyev and ArtemRadevich, an emerging group of innovative mobile application and game developers, are excited today to announce the launch of Happy Sheep 1.0 onto the App Store. Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch devices running on iOS 4.3 or later, this wildly addictive arcade romp tests gamers' concentration and reflexes as they attempt to order incoming cotton sheep by color into their respective baskets without missing a beat!
The goal is to make some awesome global clothes, and once the action starts it's up to players to get falling sheep past various arrays of conveyer belts, guiding them to their baskets by changing belts' directions and moving those baskets around to ensure that every sheep falls right where it should! With dozens of fun levels, online integration, full iPhone 5 adaptation, and more, Happy Sheep is currently available for download on the App Store for $0.99 USD in the Arcade and Action Games category.
With dynamic multi-touch enabled arcade gameplay, a powerful physics engine in tow, original ingame music, and a fresh approach to mobile fun, Happy Sheep is the perfect distraction for everyone from casual app lovers to hardcore mobile gamers alike! The game is simple and straightforward to get into – the goal is to sew clothes of different cultures. Every level users conquer rewards them with a new type of clothing from a unique culture, and after they beat each 5-level stage they'll get the chance to play for a whole different set of clothes from another culture all together! There are 20 sequentially more challenging levels to play through, innovative gaming action, and lighting quick action akin to juggling.
There's a twist though, the further you play the tougher it'll get to juggle, shuffle, and successfully put away all the cotton sheep coming your way! Happy Sheep is a fully well rounded mobile experience. The game features full Game Center integration featuring interactive online leaderboards, as well as unlockable achievements that keep players motivated as they move closer to ultimate victory! To boot, Happy Sheep features vibrantly colorful cartoon graphics, responsive controls, and an area to view collected clothing players make. Flexible options let gamers customize their experience, while gameplay in five global languages is supported as well. Forget about sleep! Get ready for eye popping arcade action with Happy Sheep today!
Device Requirements:
* iPhone 3GS/4/4S/5, iPod touch (3rd/4th/5th generation), and iPad
* Requires iOS 4.3 or later
Pricing and Availability:
Happy Sheep 1.0 is $0.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category.
Happy Sheep 1.0
YouTube Video
App Icon
Media Assets
Founded in 2011 in Moscow, Russia, AndreyEsin, Ivan Vasilyev and ArtemRadevich are independent mobile game developers committed to creating experiences for modern gamers that are as innovative as they are a fresh breath for the mobile gaming community at large. © RadevichArtem 2013. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.


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Zeasorb Topical Powder 2%
For fungal infection on skin.
DO NOT take this medicine by mouth.
Apply the medicine to the affected area.
Wash the area and allow the skin to dry completely (10-15 minutes) before using this medicine.
Keep the medicine at room temperature. Avoid heat and direct light.
This medicine should only be used on the skin.
Avoid getting the medicine in the eyes, nose, or mouth. Wash the medicine off your fingers after applying it.
Wash your hands before and after handling this medicine.
Please tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the medicines you take. Include both prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbal medicines, or anything else you take for your health.
This medicine is available over-the-counter and does not require a prescription.
Do not take the medicine more than twice during 24 hours.
Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can include trouble breathing, skin rash, itching, swelling, or severe dizziness.
Do not use the medication any more than instructed.
Tell the doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant, planning to be pregnant, or breastfeeding.
Ask your pharmacist if this medicine can interact with any of your other medicines. Be sure to tell them about all the medicines you take.
Please tell all your doctors and dentists that you are on this medicine before they provide care.
It is important that you keep taking each dose of this medicine on time even if you are feeling well.
If you forget to take a dose on time, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, do not take the missed dose. Return to your normal dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses of this medicine at one time.
Do not start or stop any other medicines without first speaking to your doctor or pharmacist.
Contact your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or worsen after 2 weeks of using this medicine.
Seek medical attention if you see any signs of a serious infection. These signs include pain, increasing redness or pus where this medicine is being used.
Side Effects
The following is a list of some common side effects from this medicine. Please speak with your doctor about what you should do if you experience these or other side effects.
- burning or stinging
- itching
- flaking or peeling skin
- skin irritation where medicine is applied
Call your doctor or get medical help right away if you notice any of these more serious side effects:
- blistering or peeling of the skin
- fluid leaking from skin
- skin sores
A few people may have an allergic reaction to this medicine. Symptoms can include difficulty breathing, skin rash, itching, swelling, or severe dizziness. If you notice any of these symptoms, seek medical help quickly.
Please speak with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist if you have any questions about this medicine.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This document tells you briefly how to take your medicine, but it does not tell you all there is to know about it.Your doctor or pharmacist may give you other documents about your medicine. Please talk to them if you have any questions.Always follow their advice. There is a more complete description of this medicine available in English.Scan this code on your smartphone or tablet or use the web address below. You can also ask your pharmacist for a printout. If you have any questions, please ask your pharmacist.


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Lights! More lights! Action!
Good lighting is the oxygen of photography. It's essential if everything else is going to work as it should. You want the very best. We have it at Studio Sitges.
That means the latest Broncolor Scoro A4s 3200J. The Senso A2 1200J & the Senso A4 2400J complete the best available power packs on the market. Flash heads such as the Pulso G 3200J and 1600J, ring flashes and reflectors such as our Beauty Dish and the Para 220FB are all on the list as well.
With these you can take on the most ambitious productions you've ever dreamed of!
This whole array is available for rental at Studio Sitges. You know where to come for your next photo shoot venue. Just follow the lights.


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All of our Car Sun Shades are custom-made-to-order and handcrafted to the highest quality standards.
- Protect and keep your car cool with a custom designed auto sun shade.
- Provides protection against UV rays and sun damage while reducing interior heat.
- Constructed from a high-quality double-insulated laminate material.
- Fits most cars, trucks and SUVs.
- Folds accordion style with a Velcro strap closure for easy storage.
Dimensions: 57 x 27.5 Inches (145 x 70 cm) Due to manual measurement, some difference is unavoidable. Please be tolerant! Please allow 4-7 days to receive a tracking number while your order is hand-crafted, packaged and shipped from our facility. Estimated shipping time is 2-4 weeks.


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Born in 1856 in Smiljan Croatia, Nikola Tesla was a true genius. A close friend of Mark Twain and bitter rival of Thomas Edison, he invented such things as the remote control and the AC generator. In 1893 he was charged with lighting the Chicago Worlds Fair, the first electric fair in the world, nicknamed The White City.
Come help Tesla light the great electric fair this fall by participating in PhysicsQuest 2008. Your middle school classes will learn about light, magnetism, and electricity in a quest to help Tesla light Chicago's fair.
Activity 1: Disappearing Crystals
Activity 4: Magnet Powered Pinwheel


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Environmentalists get a bad rap in farm country. Many farmers complain that environmental regulations interfere with their property rights and ability to feed a hungry world. To that end, these farmers want unfettered access to chemicals and genetically engineered seed. On the semi-arid High Plains, where I grew up, they also want all the water they can pump.
Yet only those who ignore science news can deny the human threat to every natural system on which life depends, be it climate, water, air or soil.
Carl Jung, who pioneered our understanding of the subconscious, wrote that when humans are unaware of their "inner contradictions, the world must perforce act out the conflict and be torn into opposite halves."
We externalize the side of us that we do not want to own. We look for scapegoats. Instead of getting upset about the possibility that humanity's present course could end civilization as we know it, we get angry with those who name the problems.
Environmentalists speak the other side of our own consciences. We vilify the messenger to drown the message. If we heeded the message, few of us would avoid implication.
I should know. If I wish to place blame for the most disturbing crisis on the High Plains, I need look no further than myself.
That crisis is depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer, the huge groundwater reserve underlying the Plains all the way from South Dakota to Texas. In some areas of western Kansas and northern Texas, the water usable for irrigation is already gone.
My family sold our Sherman County, Kansas, farm last year, but up until then, we were irrigators. Most of the water accumulated in the aquifer over 10,000 years ago. It took us only four decades to reduce the reserves under our irrigated fields by one-third. If the new owners keep pumping at the rate we did, drawing the water table down one foot per year on average, they can continue only approximately 60 more years.
In most years the 158 irrigation farmers in Sherman County, only one of several dozen High Plains counties where irrigation predominates, use more than half the amount of water consumed by the 1.12 million people served by Denver's main water utility. And for what? To grow a notoriously thirsty crop — corn — which is mainly used for livestock feed and ethanol.
If farmers continue pumping at current rates, they'll be forced to revert to dry-land agriculture and livestock grazing within decades. With encouragement from government farm policy, they could make that switch now. Then, limited primarily to domestic uses, the aquifer could continue supporting life on the High Plains for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
My father embraced irrigation's arrival, as did most of our neighbors. The water seemed limitless, and it removed one of the many wild cards that make farming such a gamble. Before and after he died, I complained about the waste. But he left other heirs as well, and not irrigating would have reduced our farm income by two-thirds. I found it very difficult to war against my family's financial interests.
Not only are farmers implicated in environmental problems. Many city dwellers water lush lawns in desert climates, spray those lawns with chemicals every time a dandelion appears, and buy unsustainably grown food that travels 1,500 fuel-consuming miles to reach the supermarket. They drive SUVs to work for companies that also waste resources and pollute.
Yet most of us would like a healthy environment and want our resources conserved. A 2005 Roper poll found that 90 percent of SUV owners want government to require higher fuel efficiency.
Fortunately, we still live in a democracy where we can choose lawmakers who will pass environmental protections. Only such government action can halt or reverse the damage we've done.
Instead of demonizing the environmentalists, we should vote for them. But making that choice in the voting booth requires that we acknowledge our own internal debates. Instead of dividing the world into "opposite halves," we would then begin to appreciate the unity of our self-interest and that of the general good.
Julene Bair, of Longmont, Colo., is the author of "One Degree West: Reflections of a Plainsdaughter" and is nearing completion of "The Whole Song," a book on the Ogallala Aquifer.


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From the diaries by Erick
On Thursday, American Majority launched an unprecedented program to engage NASCAR fans this year and promote fiscally conservative values on Fox News. American Majority Racing is a year-long project in conjunction with MacDonald Motorsports, challenging millions of race fans to "Pledge to Vote to Keep America Free." Car #81, driven by rising NASCAR star Jason Bowles, is going to be on the track for the entire Nationwide series in 2012. The effort will also be off the track, activating and educating fans through a state-of-the-art booth on vendor's row and special outreach at the campgrounds surrounding the races. If fans aren't registered to vote, we'll be doing that as well. There will be race car simulators, contests, a show car and American Majority Racing "swag" at the booth – all of which will be messaged encourage increased participation by fans. NASCAR fans are the American majority and as such, should have a louder, stronger voice in the direction this nation takes.
People have asked why "Keep America Free." As my friends over at The Frontier Lab pointed out, if you were to compress our Founders' lives, actions and writings into three words they would be this: keep America free. It's a very simple message, but one that we know will resonate with NASCAR fans. They believe that America needs to be protected from the triple threat of big government, massive debt and over taxation.
Of course, the fact that a conservative organization is sponsoring a NASCAR car has gotten some attention. Beyond Fox News, Politico, major newspapers and NBC Sports reporting on the story, Reuters has reported on this unique approach to driving conservative values around the world. Even news platforms in India have run with the story.
American Majority Racing is a massive undertaking – but it can have a massive impact on our drive to put Americans back in the driver's seat – and back to work. We look at it this way: if it succeeds this year in engaging more NASCAR fans in the process, it can be a catalyst far beyond this election. American Majority, its methods and grassroots approach can be the portal into politics for NASCAR fans. Imagine if even 5% of fans who weren't involved in the process got involved or took their activism to the next level? The implications will be profound.
If you're interested in following American Majority Racing's Pledge to Vote-Keep America Free car, you can go to AmericanMajorityRacing.com, or become a fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @MajorityRacing. If you're a NASCAR fan, you can even try and win some free tickets on the American Majority Racing page or on PledgetoVote.com.


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Dresden is deleted from UNESCO's World Heritage List
"Every time we fail to preserve a site, we share the pain of the State Party," declared María Jesús San Segundo, the Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Spain to UNESCO who is chairing the 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee presently underway in Seville on Thursday.
The World Heritage Committee decided to remove Germany's Dresden Elbe Valley from UNESCO's World Heritage List due to the building of a four-lane bridge in the heart of the cultural landscape which meant that the property failed to keep its "outstanding universal value as inscribed."
Dresden was inscribed as a cultural landscape in 2004. The Committee said that Germany could present a new nomination relating to Dresden in the future. In doing so, the Committee recognized that parts of the site might be considered to be of outstanding universal value, but that it would have to be presented under different criteria and boundaries.
The 18th- and 19th-century cultural landscape of Dresden Elbe Valley stretches some 18 km along the river from Übigau Palace and Ostragehege fields in the north-west to the Pillnitz Palace and the Elbe River Island in the south-east. The property, which features low meadows, and is crowned by the Pillnitz Palace as well as numerous monuments and parks from the 16th to 20th centuries in the city of Dresden, was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2006 because of the planned Waldschlösschen Bridge.
Dresden is only the second property ever to have been removed from the World Heritage List. The Oman´s Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was delisted in 2007.
The 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee is meeting in Seville until 30 June. The Committee´s 21 members are reviewing the state of conservation of properties inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List and nominations for new inscriptions of cultural and natural sites on the List.
Roni Amelan, firstname.lastname@example.com
In Seville until 30 June: +33 (0) 61 54 30 212
Lucía Iglesias Kuntz (Spanish):
In Seville until 30 June: +33(0)61 46 95 498
Gina Doubleday (Paris)
+33 (0)1 45 68 16 60


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The Arabic television channel Al-Jazeera said Saturday that it received the latest videotaped message from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden at its offices in the Pakistani capital.
In the videotaped message, bin Laden claims full responsibility for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States and warns Americans that "your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or al-Qaida. Your security is in your own hands"
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said U.S. intelligence analysts, who were reviewing the tape, believed that the message was authentic and had been produced recently.
The tape was dropped off at the gate of the station's office in an envelope on Friday, just hours before it aired, said Ahmad Muaffaq Zaidan, Al-Jazeera's bureau chief in Pakistan.
"We received it in Pakistan. ... Somebody dropped it yesterday at the gate," Zaidan told The Associated Press. "The guard brought it to me along with other mail. It was in an envelope, I opened it and it was a big scoop."
Zaidan said he immediately transmitted the tape to Al-Jazeera's headquarters in the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar.
Bin Laden and his top deputy, Egyptian surgeon Ayman al-Zawahri, are both believed to be hiding in the mountains that straddle the Afghan-Pakistan border, although there has been no hard evidence of their whereabouts for more than three years.
A senior State Department official told NBC News that the Qatari government told the United States about the tape within the last day. The U.S. ambassador, Chase Untermeyer, unsuccessfully lobbied Qatari officials to persuade Al-Jazeera not to air it, the official said.
U.S. officials told NBC News that there was no plan to raise the terrorist threat level, currently at yellow, or "elevated," because bin Laden makes no specific threat. He does, however, warn that the "main reasons" for the Sept. 11 attacks "are still existing to repeat what happened before."
'We are a free people'
In the tape, bin Laden — wearing traditional white robes, a turban and a tan cloak — reads from papers at a lectern against a plain brown background. Speaking quietly in an even voice, he tells the American people that he ordered the Sept. 11 attacks because "we are a free people" who wanted to "regain the freedom" of their nation.
"Do not play with our security, and spontaneously you will secure yourself," he says, according to a translation by NBC News.
U.S. officials told The Associated Press that one part of their analysis would be to discern whether there were hidden messages or clues about a possible future attack. But they said it was too early to know that yet.
Bush was informed of the tape aboard Air Force One late Friday morning by national security adviser Condoleezza Rice. "Americans will not be intimidated or influenced by an enemy of our country," he told reporters at the airport in Toledo, Ohio. "I'm sure Senator Kerry will agree with me."
"I also want to say we are at war with these terrorists," said Bush, who added that he was "confident we will prevail."
Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, echoed Bush's comments.
"As Americans, we are absolutely united in our determination to hunt down and destroy Osama bin Laden and the terrorists," Kerry said in West Palm Beach, Fla. "They're barbarians, and I will stop at absolutely nothing to hunt down, capture or kill the terrorists wherever they are, whatever it takes, period."
Pakistani Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said authorities have no information about who might have given Al-Jazeera the tape, but he stuck to Pakistan's position that there was no proof bin Laden is in the country.
"We have no idea where they got it," he told AP. "I don't think he is in Pakistan."
Change of rhetoric
NBC's Richard Engel reported that bin Laden spoke in a modern style of Arabic, in contrast to the flowery Quranic language he has used in previous messages. He appeared to be speaking in a fashion he thought would be better suited to this target audience, the American people.
Although he mentions Kerry, most of bin Laden's message is in regard to Bush, who faces Kerry in next week's presidential election. He accuses President Bush of "misleading" the American people for the three years since the Sept. 11 attacks.
In no previous authenticated message — audio or video — had bin Laden explicitly stated that he ordered the 2001 attacks, which killed almost 3,000 people.
But in the new tape, he claims full responsibility. "We decided to destroy towers in America so they may taste what we have tasted," he says, clearly referring to the World Trade Center.
In the course of his comments, bin Laden revealed just how patiently he awaited his opportunity to strike the West. He said he first vowed to destroy "the buildings of tyrants" after the devastating Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 — 19 years before he directed followers to fly four jetliners into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and an unknown third target.
At one point, bin Laden ridicules Bush for reacting slowly to the 2001 attacks.
"We never thought that the high commander of the U.S. armies would leave 50,000 of his citizens in both towers to face the horrors by themselves when they most needed him because it seemed to distract his attention from listening to the girl telling him about her goat butting," he says, referring to Bush's decision to wait more than seven minutes after being informed of the attacks before leaving an elementary room classroom in Florida where a student was reading a story called "The Pet Goat."
Bin Laden admits setbacks
U.S. officials told NBC News that in parts of the tape not aired by Al-Jazeera, bin Laden acknowledges that the recent Afghan elections were not a success for him because "they came off with minimal violence." And he admits that "aggressive Pakistani operations" in South Waziristan, where he is believed to be hiding, have hurt his operations.
Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, the Pakistani army spokesman, said he doubted bin Laden was in the country, pointing to intense efforts to hunt down al-Qaida fugitives in the tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan.
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Rick Francona, a Middle East specialist and former military official at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, said the tape was surprising in that it appeared to demonstrate that bin Laden was in good health. Bin Laden's condition has been the subject of intense speculation since the United States launched massive airstrikes in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The last authenticated contemporaneous video message from bin Laden appeared in December 2001, when he discussed a U.S. attack on a mosque. U.S. officials told NBC News that all subsequent videos of bin Laden were believed to have been recorded around the time of the Sept. 11 attacks and broadcast much later.
The last audio message from bin Laden was on May 6, when he offered rewards in gold for the assassination of top U.S. and U.N. officials in Iraq. On Oct. 1, al-Zawahri, bin Laden's second-in-command, issued an audiotape calling on young Muslims to strike the United States and its allies.
ABC News also received a purported al-Qaida tape in Pakistan in recent days, this one showing a shrouded man claiming to be an American member of the terror network who threatened more attacks and said U.S. streets would "run red with blood."
Intelligence officials, however, have not been able to verify the tape's authenticity. Both the bin Laden video and the one aired by ABC News carried banners attributing them to the Sahab Production Committee, a purported al-Qaida propaganda company.


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From the rainforests of Brazil, açai berries are the fruit of a palm tree. They're similar to blueberries in shape, size, and color, but taste quite different (their flavor is often described as muddy, with chocolate and cherry undertones).
Try this: Blend açai purée with mango cubes, coconut milk, and a splash of lime juice for a healthy dessert.
Also known as wolfberries, goji berries are bright orange-red and resemble shriveled raisins. They're tangy and sweet, with a distinct flavor that hints of cranberries and citrus. Goji's juice is tasty on its own, so you can drink it without mixing it with other flavors.
Try this: Sprinkle goji berries over an antioxidant-rich salad of baby spinach, crumbled feta, and chopped walnuts.
Indian gooseberry
The tart, light green fruit has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Traditionally, the fruit is pickled or made into amla (gooseberry) chutney; it's also available in powder form.
Try this: Blend gooseberry powder into fruit smoothies; it's especially good when mixed with flaxseed or blueberries, which help mask its slightly gritty texture.
Native to Southeast Asia, mangosteen has a reddish-purple rind with a soft, creamy white interior that resembles a lychee fruit. Its sweet flavor is a combination of banana, peach, mango, and pineapple.
Try this: Combine mangosteen juice concentrate with iced green tea and raspberry juice for a healing cocktail.


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An Introduction
The first piece of Coincidental Music was written and performed in 1984. In the interim I've done a lot of listening, a lot of thinking and a lot, lot else besides. Finally, some of the fruits of all this will reach the light of day.
Since this is just the start, everything is likely to change. Certainly there will be a fair number of redesigns before I settle on something I'm happy with. For now, enjoy the HTML minimalism.
So what now?
Initially, this site was conceived with two purposes in mind:
- to provide a hub for various planned musical releases – some old, some new
- to expound my random thoughts about music, composition, psychology and, well, just life generally.
As is the way with such vague plans, things have turned out differently. As I reacquainted myself with the current state of the art in music technology, I discovered the huge array of software now available to create, mangle and record sound. And, as so many have before me, I became distracted.
This is not the first time this has happened. My most recent experiences with synthesizers were back in the 1980s and 1990s, first with a Minimoog, and then with the Roland D-50 and the JV/XP range. Unlike analog synths, I found designing patches for these to be an enjoyable activity in itself – a little too enjoyable sometimes, to the detriment of composition. However, sharing or selling these patches was a tiresome and unsatisfying process. Fortunately, this has changed.
And so the most recent motivation to get this site up and running has been to distribute (for a nominal price) various patchbanks for VSTs. I'm resigned to having to spend some time satisying my urge to design patches before I can get stuck in to the musical projects I have in mind. It's small and not entirely perfectly formed, but I hope it will provide some creative fertiliser for your music-making.


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In the building automation industry, you'll find a multitude of projects with teams working in tandem to ensure the job is completed properly and on time. Project management is strengthened with a uniform system of procedure, feedback, and accountability. Communication is key — from coordinating with customers to complete areas of work seamlessly to providing them with project status updates every step of the way. To avoid inefficiency gaps, meet project schedules, and keep projects within budget, it is essential that companies in the service industry adopt an advanced and specialized quality management system.
Quality management is common in the manufacturing sector, but less so in service-oriented industries like construction. For example, the process of building a widget, streamlining and improving it while making it consistent across an organization, has been carefully analyzed for years — and its importance is widely understood. It is much harder, however, to imagine a unified standard for processes across a service company, with its varied projects, parameters, time lines, and protocols. This is exactly why implementing a quality management system is so valuable.
Without a system in place to establish procedure, monitor progress, and evaluate performance, it is nearly impossible to consistently deliver a quality product to your customer. However, it is equally important that a quality management system allows you to raise the bar by adding value to your organization. Problems are identified and corrected as they arise, allowing you to be proactive and minimize the likelihood of reoccurrence, which benefits all parties involved.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world's largest developer and publisher of international standards. With a network of institutes in 163 participating countries, ISO is a non-governmental organization that forms a bridge between public and private sectors. As a result, ISO standards are constantly advancing to meet the needs of growing sectors within the industry. The vast majority of the ISO international standards are highly specific to product, material, and process, ensuring regulation from start to finish.
In today's competitive business world, customers are placing more and more demands on their suppliers. In an ISO 9001-certified company, the use of a quality management system enhances the final product by ensuring that we meet or exceed our customer expectations. It also causes us to focus on management responsibility, quality objectives, human resources, infrastructure, vendor relations, and continual improvement. This is done through a process approach, which enables an organization to systematically improve performance.
The business of automated building systems is increasingly complex, as the systems must communicate dynamically with each other. With the various types and levels of sophistication of these systems constantly evolving, it is hard to contain one problem in one area without affecting the rest of the systems as a whole. A quality management system is a critical tool for keeping projects on track and avoiding costly mistakes up-front, before they can turn into more serious issues.
Although implementing and maintaining a quality management system based on the ISO standards can be difficult, a company benefits more by engaging at all points throughout the project. Because expertise in building automation systems is very specific and constantly changing, consistent application of standards will help identify critical items that could throw an entire project off track. The ISO 9001:2008 standard provides a tried and proven framework for implementing a systematic approach to managing an organization's quality processes to meet and exceed customer requirements.
In our experience at J.M. Electrical Co., Inc., we have found that following ISO 9001 guidelines and establishing our quality management system has added value to our company. As a management team, we have set goals, measured our progress in achieving those goals, and seen the benefits of our dedication. Our customers have given us a rating of "good" or "excellent" 96% of the time over the past five years, our vendors are managed efficiently, and we have virtually no turnover with our employees. The achievement of our goals through ISO 9001 has instilled confidence in both our team and quality management system, while solidifying our reputation in the marketplace.
Enes is the chief financial officer of J.M. Electrical Co., Inc., located in Lynnfield, Mass. She has been her company's authority on ISO standards and certifications for more than 10 years. She can be reached at [email protected].


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Lance Armstrong finally cracked.
Not while expressing deep remorse or regrets, though there was plenty of that in Friday night's second part of Armstrong's interview with Oprah Winfrey.
It wasn't over the $75 million in sponsorship deals that evaporated over the course of two days, or having to walk away from the Livestrong cancer charity he founded and called his "sixth child." It wasn't even about his lifetime ban from competition, though he said that was more than he deserved.
It was another bit of collateral damage that Armstrong said he wasn't prepared to deal with.
"I saw my son defending me and saying, 'That's not true. What you're saying about my dad is not true,'" Armstrong recalled.
"That's when I knew I had to tell him."
Armstrong was near tears at that point, referring to 13-year-old Luke, the oldest of his five children. He blinked, looked away from Winfrey and, with his lip trembling, struggled to compose himself.
It came just past the midpoint of the hourlong program on Winfrey's OWN network. In the first part, broadcast Thursday, the disgraced cycling champion admitted using performance-enhancing drugs when he won seven straight Tour de France titles.
Critics said he hadn't been contrite enough in the first half of the interview, which was taped Monday in Austin, but Armstrong seemed to lose his composure when Winfrey zeroed in on the emotional drama involving his personal life.
"What did you say?" Winfrey asked.
"I said, 'Listen, there's been a lot of questions about your dad. My career. Whether I doped or did not dope. I've always denied that and I've always been ruthless and defiant about that. You guys have seen that. That's probably why you trusted me on it.' Which makes it even sicker," Armstrong said.
"And, uh, I told Luke, I said," and here Armstrong paused for a long time to collect himself, "I said, 'Don't defend me anymore. Don't.'
"He said OK. He just said, 'Look, I love you. You're my dad. This won't change that."
Winfrey also drew Armstrong out on his ex-wife, Kristin, whom he claimed knew just enough about both the doping and lying to ask him to stop. He credited her with making him promise that his comeback in 2009 would be drug-free.
"She said to me, 'You can do it under one condition: That you never cross that line again,'" Armstrong recalled.
"The line of drugs?" Winfrey asked.
"Yes. And I said, 'You've got a deal,'" he replied. "And I never would have betrayed that with her."
A U.S. Anti-Doping Agency report that exposed Armstrong as the leader of an elaborate doping scheme on his U.S. Postal Service cycling team included witness statements from at least three former teammates who said Kristin Armstrong participated in or at least knew about doping on the teams and knew team code names for EPO kept in her refrigerator. Postal rider Jonathan Vaughters testified that she handed riders cortisone pills wrapped in foil.
Armstrong said in the first part of the interview that he had stayed clean in the comeback, a claim that runs counter to the USADA report.
And that wasn't the only portion of the interview likely to rile anti-doping officials.
Winfrey asked Armstrong about a "60 Minutes Sports" interview in which USADA chief executive Travis Tygart said a representative of the cyclist had offered a donation that the agency turned down.
"Were you trying to pay off USADA?" she asked.
"No, that's not true," he replied, repeating, "That is not true."
Winfrey asks the question three more times, in different forms.
"That is not true," he insisted.
USADA spokeswoman Annie Skinner replied in a statement: "We stand by the facts both in the reasoned decision and in the '60 Minutes' interview."
Armstrong has talked with USADA officials, and a meeting with Tygart near the Denver airport reportedly ended in an argument over the possibility of modifying the lifetime ban. A person familiar with those conversations said Armstrong could provide information that might get his ban reduced to eight years. By then, he would be 49. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a confidential matter.
After retiring from cycling in 2011, Armstrong returned to triathlons, where he began his professional career as a teenager, and he has told people he's desperate to get back.
Winfrey asked if that was why he agreed to the interview.
"If you're asking me, do I want to compete again … the answer is hell, yes," Armstrong said. "I'm a competitor. It's what I've done my whole life. I love to train. I love to race. I love to toe the line — and I don't expect it to happen."
Yet just three questions later, a flash of the old Armstrong emerged.
"Frankly," he said, "this may not be the most popular answer, but I think I deserve it. Maybe not right now … (but) if I could go back to that time and say, 'OK, you're trading my story for a six-month suspension?' Because that's what people got."
"What other people got?" Winfrey asked.
"What everybody got," he replied.
Eleven former Armstrong teammates, including several who previously tested positive for PEDs, testified about the USPS team's doping scheme in exchange for more lenient punishments. Armstrong said in the first part of the interview that he knew his "fate was sealed" when his most trusted lieutenant, George Hincapie, who was alongside him for all seven Tour wins between 1999-2005, was forced to give Armstrong up to anti-doping authorities,
"So I got a death penalty and they got … six months," Armstrong resumed. "I'm not saying that that's unfair, necessarily, but I'm saying it's different."
Armstrong said the most "humbling" moment in the aftermath of the USADA report was leaving Livestrong lest his association damage the foundation's ability to raise money and continue its advocacy programs on behalf of cancer victims.
Originally called the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the cyclist created it the year after he was diagnosed with a form of testicular cancer that had spread to his brain and lungs. Doctors gave him 50-50 odds of surviving.
"I wouldn't at all say forced out, told to leave," he said of Livestrong. "I was aware of the pressure. But it hurt like hell. …
"That was the lowest," Armstrong said. "The lowest."
Armstrong's personal fortune had sustained a big hit days earlier. One by one, his sponsors called to end their associations with him: Nike; Trek Bicycles; Giro, which manufactures cycling helmets and other accessories; Anheuser-Busch.
"That was a $75 million day," Armstrong said.
"That just went out of your life," Winfrey said.
"Gone?" Winfrey repeated.
"Gone," he replied, "and probably never coming back."
So was there a moral to his story?
"I can look at what I did," he said. "Cheating to win bike races, lying about it, bullying people. Of course, you're not supposed to do those things. That's what we teach our children."
Armstrong paused to compose himself before a final mea culpa.
"I just think it was about the ride and losing myself, getting caught up in that, and doing all those things along the way that enabled that," he said. "The ultimate crime is, uh, is the betrayal of those people that supported me and believed in me.
"They got lied to."
AP Sports Writer Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, and National Writer Eddie Pells in Denver contributed to this report.
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