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""I've got a list of corporations that have gotten out of their airplanes [because of criticism from politicians]. It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen. When you look at the time and cost savings; it does not make sense not to fly [privately]. You can't let public perception interfere with your business decision to fly. It either is a good business decision or it isn't.""
Aging airplanes pose problems
Since 1963, when William Lear's Model 23 Lear Jet had its first flight, manufacturers have turned out thousands of business jets. Most of them are still flying. They give the lie to many business, accounting and tax assumptions concerning the useful life of business jets.
One such assumption is that business jets depreciate roughly 4 percent per year if they log around 400 flight hours annually. On that calculus, an aircraft would basically be worthless after 25 years in service. But according to the current edition of Aircraft Bluebook-Price Digest, the average retail value of a Learjet 35A that sold new for $3.5 million 25 years ago isn't zero; it's $1.75 million. Without adjusting for inflation, that represents annual depreciation of 2 percent. At that rate (again, ignoring inflation), the aircraft would have a useful life of 50 years. This example shows why making appropriate depreciation assumptions for business aircraft can be a challenge.
Don't look to the tax laws for help. IRS rules for business jets permit full depreciation for tax purposes in as little as six years, with more than half the value gone after only two years. Clearly, tax depreciation rates reflect government economic policies more than judgments about how aircraft actually decrease in value.
Older airplanes are often noisier and less fuel efficient than late-model ones and can be substantially more expensive to operate. Much of the additional cost is the result of the maintenance older airplanes often require, especially after the expiration of manufacturers' warranties. But if an aircraft is properly maintained and is outfitted with the latest safety improvements, it can be as safe to fly in as a brand-new jet.
Ironically, laws regarding older airplanes may be making them harder to maintain. The culprit is the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994 (GARA). In the early 1990s, many people in the business blamed dramatic declines in the production of general aviation aircraft on the legal doctrine of strict liability. Under this doctrine, a manufacturer can be held "strictly liable" for damages caused by defects in its aircraft even though it exercised all possible care in the manufacturing process and even though the injured party did not actually purchase the airplane from the manufacturer. The theory is that if someone is to be responsible for the accident, it should be the manufacturer, which is in the business of producing aircraft and which can purchase insurance to cover the risk [and frankly, lawyers know that the manufacturer is often the entity with the deepest pockets-Ed.].
Armed with the theory of strict liability, plaintiffs sued aircraft manufacturers for accidents involving airplanes they had delivered many years before. As the Congressional Record demonstrates, Congress was especially concerned with piston airplanes. "The average piston-engine aircraft is over 27 years old and one third of the fleet is over 32 years old," said John Danforth, then a Republican senator from Missouri. The supposed upshot was a decline in new-aircraft deliveries.
To solve this problem, Congress decided to cut off the liability of general aviation manufacturers. GARA says that the manufacturer is essentially off the hook 18 years after the aircraft is first delivered, provided the company did not engage in certain kinds of heinous conduct such as fraudulent misrepresentations about the airplane's capabilities.
Plaintiffs' lawyers have probed the weaknesses in GARA over the years with mixed success. The statute, for example, has withstood challenges on constitutional grounds, but at least one court held that a flight manual revision can restart the 18-year clock, at least as to the revision. In any case, GARA remains a significant impediment to holding general aviation aircraft manufacturers liable in the case of accidents involving aircraft that are more than 18 years old.
If the manufacturer can't be liable, who is? An obvious target is the facility maintaining the aircraft. If an airplane involved in an accident is more than 18 years old, plaintiffs' lawyers will often try to blame faulty maintenance. Maintenance facilities, in turn, try to fend off this liability with exculpatory language in their contracts and work orders, but such language often affords only limited protection in the courts.
Consequently, some maintenance facilities have recently begun to refuse to work on general aviation aircraft that are more than 18 years old. These facilities are unwilling to substitute their own pockets for the manufacturer's "deep pockets," which GAMA has effectively buttoned up in the case of such aircraft.
Can maintenance facilities solve this problem with insurance? The operators of one service center told me that the cost of the insurance and the maximum limits of liability available made insurance an unreasonable alternative.
Does this spell disaster for the maintenance of older business jets? So far, I am not aware of any business jet service center turning away an over-18-year-old aircraft. Moreover, major maintenance on many business jets is performed by service centers run by aircraft manufacturers. The jet manufacturers I spoke with affirmed their intention to continue to provide service support for their aircraft.
It is unrealistic to extend GAMA to maintenance providers; cutting off their liability on maintenance after 18 years would do them little good. No one expects a maintenance facility to be sued regarding maintenance performed 18 years ago, and state statutes of limitation probably cut off the liability long before then anyway. But a dollar limit or other cap on the liability of a service center might be helpful. Whether such a cap could be legislated is anybody's guess.
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Check out the great style and selection of jewelry and accessories at Adorn Jewelers.
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Claire's Stores, Inc. is a leading international specialty retailer offering value-priced costume jewelry, accessories and cosmetics to fashion-aware tweens, teens and young adults.
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text: I'm new here...this has probably been asked a gazillion times before, so I'm sorry in advance for the redundancy. But how do I find out which price levels apply to which saets. The show I'm shooting for is the Compaq Center in Houston, and I have a seating chart. Is Ticketmaster going to have a clue what prices are for which sections?


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Security on the agenda for Negaunee school board
NEGAUNEE – The Negaunee Public Schools Board of Education will discuss new security options and superintendent evaluation goals at its meeting tonight.
Superintendent Jim Derocher will make a recommendation to the board to heighten security at Negaunee schools, he said. Derocher said he will recommend electronic locks on the outside doors and cameras in hallways.
"We talked about getting camera in the hallways for a couple of years now but were originally waiting for a grant to do so," Derocher said. "As for the locks, with recent events that have occurred in schools all over the county we decided we would like to add these locks."
As part of the recommendation, both the locks and cameras would be paid for by the sinking fund. According to Derocher, visitors would have to be buzzed in to the schools and a camera outside would allow the office to see who the visitor is before doing so.
Also on the agenda for discussion is the superintendent evaluation goals.
At the meeting, the board will elect a new president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. A new board member will also be seated.
The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Negaunee High School library.
Adelle Whitefoot can be reached at 906-486-4401.


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Lots of people will agree to that, as long as their stock is not too big (can't expect 50 samples for 100RMB, for example...)
They're very willing to give you a bit of a discount too if you're buying more.
jayinhk wrote: They probably think I'm dyslexic or something with the translation errors I make
jayinhk wrote:Ah yeah, I've seen the sample packs for sale. Taobao really is a treasure trove of tea, although I'm quite enjoying visiting the local stores and buying small amounts to try. There really is an overwhelming amount of tea right in HK!
135F2 wrote:Can someone please help tell what the story behind this 2010 Laotongzhi tea? Thank you.


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Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On September 28, join the American Heart Association in its fight to build a world free of cardiovascular disease when it hosts the 2013 Palm Beach Heart Walk. The walk will start around 9 a.m. and will be separated into 1-mile and 3.1-mile walking routes beginning at the Meyer Amphitheatre in downtown West Palm Beach.
- For more information, call 561-697-6617 or visit palmbeachheartwalk.org.


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Extended maintenance of Ruby versions 1.8.7 and 1.9.2 ended on July 31, 2014. Read more
In an integer, the denominator is 1. Therefore, this method returns 1.
# File rational.rb, line 449 def denominator 1 end
Returns the greatest common denominator of the two numbers
self and
72.gcd 168 # -> 24 19.gcd 36 # -> 1
The result is positive, no matter the sign of the arguments.
# File rational.rb, line 470 def gcd(other) min = self.abs max = other.abs while min > 0 tmp = min min = max % min max = tmp end max end
Returns the GCD and the LCM (see gcd and lcm) of the two arguments
self and
other). This is more efficient than
calculating them separately.
6.gcdlcm 9 # -> [3, 18]
# File rational.rb, line 505 def gcdlcm(other) gcd = self.gcd(other) if self.zero? or other.zero? [gcd, 0] else [gcd, (self.div(gcd) * other).abs] end end
Returns the lowest common multiple (LCM) of the two arguments
self and
6.lcm 7 # -> 42 6.lcm 9 # -> 18
# File rational.rb, line 489 def lcm(other) if self.zero? or other.zero? 0 else (self.div(self.gcd(other)) * other).abs end end
In an integer, the value is the numerator of its rational
equivalent. Therefore, this method returns
# File rational.rb, line 442 def numerator self end
Returns a Rational representation of this integer.
# File rational.rb, line 456 def to_r Rational(self, 1) end
Commenting is here to help enhance the documentation. For example, code samples, or clarification of the documentation.
If you have questions about Ruby or the documentation, please post to one of the Ruby mailing lists. You will get better, faster, help that way.
If you wish to post a correction of the docs, please do so, but also file bug report so that it can be corrected for the next release. Thank you.
If you want to help improve the Ruby documentation, please visit Documenting-ruby.org.


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The spending bill is a quiet acknowledgement that unpopular $1.2 trillion spending cuts, known as sequestration, are here to stay until Washington can compromise on a deal to replace them.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate approved a $984 billion spending bill Wednesday, ensuring the federal government will not shut down next week but also cementing in place $1.2 trillion in unpopular across-the-board spending cuts affecting most reaches of the federal government.
"We didn't want brinkmanship politics, we didn't want ultimatum politics," said Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., who negotiated the bipartisan bill with GOP Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama.
The bill passed 73-26.
The stopgap spending bill will avert a shutdown Wednesday and keep the federal government running through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. President Obama and congressional leaders agreed this year to work together to head off another shutdown fight.
FULL COVERAGE: Tracking President Obama's State of the Union pledges
Congress has been unable to reach bipartisan agreement on how to replace $1.2 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years — known as sequestration — that kicked in March 1 despite renewed personal efforts by President Obama to find compromise.
The spending bill, which is likely to be approved by the House and signed by the president this week, reflects the sequestration-mandated levels of spending for the remainder of the fiscal year. It includes measures that would give the Pentagon and other federal agencies more flexibility in implementing the cuts, a further acknowledgement that the reductions are here to stay.
Sequestration was included in a 2011 budget law as a kind of threat to Congress: Agree on a plan to achieve $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction, or face unpopular, across-the-board spending cuts. Negotiators failed to find a compromise, and the cuts kicked in March 1.
Obama wants to replace the cuts with an equal ratio of targeted spending cuts and new revenue from closing tax loopholes. Republicans oppose any such revenue and seek only spending cuts and changes to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday that the president is engaged in a "prolonged" debate on replacing sequestration. "So it certainly looks as though the sequester will remain imposed for some time unless Republicans have a change of heart about the decision to impose it," Carney said. Republicans counter that they are willing to replace the sequester if the president drops his demand for more revenue.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Republicans have had the upper hand in the debate, but that dynamic could change when the public begins to feel the squeeze as furloughs kick in next month.
"I think (Republicans) may be at an advantage at this point by virtue of the fact that the first day of sequester came and America is still in business," he said at a breakfast hosted by The Wall Street Journal. "We almost have to go through a period here of experiencing this and what's going to happen when we have these furloughs and layoffs and changes. I'm hoping that that will build public sentiment for cutting spending in a more thoughtful way."


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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation selected Marquette University for a social innovation grant to benefit a new Marquette University–New York Times partnership. Marquette was one of 10 grantees in a field of approximately 1,000 applicants from 85 countries. The Foundation's funding program, called Grand Challenges, requested proposals for projects with a "world-changing level of potential."
Please visit FixesU.org!
Details on the FixesU partnership:
The Marquette–New York Times partnership, called FixesU, combines Marquette University's Social Innovation Initiative with the journalism prowess of New York Times authors David Bornstein (best-selling author of How to Change the World) and Tina Rosenberg (Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Haunted Land). FixesU will build the first Wiki-style platform that packages "solutions-journalism" – specifically, the New York Times "Fixes" columns co-authored by Bornstein and Rosenberg – into mini-case-studies for educators around the world to embed social innovation in, and across, the curriculum. The Gates Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant as initial seed money to the partnership.
Marquette University Former President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J. on the importance of the partnership
"It is essential that we take a lead role in accepting the challenge of being innovative and entrepreneurial in pursuing our dreams and the aspirations of the greater community," said Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., former university president. "This unique partnership offers an opportunity to live out our deep commitment to serving others and finding solutions to society's greatest needs."
What is Social Innovation?
Social Innovation is a field dedicated to finding novel solutions to social problems, often by attacking roots causes. Marquette University's Social Innovation Initiative promotes the field as a powerful tool for interdisciplinary learning and a framework for life. Selected as a Changemaker Campus, alongside Duke University and Arizona State University in 2010, Marquette is among the original 10 members of a consortium that now numbers 19 campuses and includes Middlebury College as well as Brown, Brigham Young, Cornell, George Mason and Tulane universities.
Quote from principal author of the study, Jeff Snell
"The selectivity of the award affirms Marquette's emergence as a national and international leader in social innovation education," said Jeff Snell, a principal author of the proposal and campus leader for the Social Innovation Initiative at Marquette. "In many ways, social innovation is in Marquette's institutional DNA; our mission lends itself to solving social problems, thereby honoring human dignity and increasing human capability."
Grant timeline:
The Foundation's grant timeline is 18 months beginning November 1, 2012.


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During the end of 2012 we ran a contest called "Help on the Horizon" where we asked customers that had a tough time, or a rough year to send us a story about themselves and their project car. Out of the piles of submissions we narrowed the entries down to 10 individuals/stories that touched us the most. We published them on www.eastwood.com/blog for everyone to nominate their choice for the winner of $2500 of Eastwood credit.
After the dust settled (it was a close one!), our winner was clear. Keith Paine is a NY State Trooper that had some bad luck when he was struck on the side of the highway while helping a disabled vehicle. You can read the full story and Keith's entry here. We decided to get in touch with Keith and get a little more on himself, his background in classic cars, and his '57 Chevy Truck project.
"My father is a great mechanic so we've always tinkered with cars. He does the mechanical side and I've tried to do the interior and bodywork. My first car was a 55 dodge royal 4dr when I was 15. It started as a pink and white basket case. Other than being mostly solid, it had nothing else going for it. It had the 270 red ram V8 (not the super red ram hemi) which meant I was getting 8-9 mpg and most bicycles were faster. By the time I was 16 my dad had it running nicely and we shot it with red laquer and left the white top. What more could a 16 year old kid ask for other than a cool old car that could fit you and 19 of your closest friends in?! We've had other projects over the years, nothing real fancy, but the time spent together is worth more than any car could bring."
We wanted to hear more about how Keith found his Chevy truck and where he's at with it currently. His story starts like many we've heard before.
"I found a great looking truck advertised (by a dealership) on eBay that was a solid CA truck with new paint. It had a "new crate engine" 350 with "all new front suspension". Well, we found you don't always get the truth on eBay!"
"When I got it home it was a ten footer. The paint was old laquer and had cracks in it. It looked like it was stripped to bare metal and they didn't use the correct primer since it was peeling off with the paint. The "new crate 350" was not new or a crate engine and didn't start. They had a quadrajet carb on it that looked like it was fresh from the junkyard. Changing it out with a new one got it started."
"I had registered the truck for a small local car show the day it arrived, and after a quick clean we headed to the show. We quickly found that the gauges didn't work, the gas tank was leaking, the suspension was really loose and the steering would turn right correctly, but only half a turn left. The truck ended up taking third place (out of three trucks!) and with my fathers help, we got it back home in one piece safely."
"Once home, we found that the truck had been thrown together and most of the suspension hardware (nuts and bolts) were loose and missing from the trip to the show. The steering column was stamped Toyota and jammed in place to fit between the headers. Turning left was locking it against the header. As funny as it sounds, we turned it upside down and it cleared the header! The "new" front suspension was the original 1957 suspension with lowering blocks on the FRONT leaf springs. The "new crate engine" turned out be a tired 350, but I drove the truck for three summers like this while I saved up to redo it correctly."
"The winter of 2009/2010 I had had enough money to start the restoration. I ordered an IFS kit for the front and we stripped the front of the truck to bare bones. The new suspension went in next and the firewall was shaved, then the front section of the frame was boxed in and painted with Eastwood 2K Ceramic Chassis Black."
"The engine was made into a 383 stroker and retrofitted with 92 firebird fuel injection. I used sticky mickey's and drew out a punisher skull on the intake. "
"The summer of 2010 barely existed with a newborn in the mix. All of the work so far (including the paint) was done in my two car garage. The 57 was getting a little further, but nothing like the year before. We then started on the interior. I welded in sheet metal to close off the cab where the gas tank used to be and welded in a console to hide the fuel injection harness. The dash needed a lot of work and was mostly filler. The wiring was trash with new bits and pieces tied in with old wires, burned wires, and a rats nest of wires that didn't go to anything. Lastly the top corners where the sunvisors connected looked like they were hammered in and redrilled a few dozen times."
This isn't my first paint job, but it was my first successful paint job. We decided to add some ghost flames with the help of more Sticky Mickey's. To apply the flames we used copper flake in a clear base.
"It was around this point that I was in the accident. Since then, the interior was put back together but unfinished and the truck is together and running. It needs the doors and fenders to be hung correctly, the paint needs to be buffed and touched up. Wiring needs to be finished. The exhaust is on but needs work. The windows are now electric, but need attention. A new windshield was put it in, but the wipers are not connected. Sound deadening (Thermo-Coustic??)will be one of my first steps.
With the motivation and dedication I have now for the 57 I know I will be driving it when the snow is gone this year. For a guy like me, that eats and breaths cars this is truly a dream come true. Again, Thank you Eastwood!"
We thank you for your service Keith and we hope you can put the Eastwood products to good use on the '57 or your '69 Mustang Coupe project! Congrats!


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NU Council approves TIF for apartment complex
NEW ULM – The New Ulm City Council approved establishing a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District to help Winkelman Building Corporation (WBC) with building a 35-unit apartment complex at 2107 N. Highland Ave.
WBC previously applied for TIF districts for the project in 2004 and 2009. However, it failed to move on the project each time and the TIFs were cancelled. WBC now plans to build the complex. Construction is scheduled for June, and completion is targeted for the early months of next year.
The complex would include 24 two-bedroom apartments, five one-bedroom apartments, four three-bedroom apartments and two one-bedroom apartments with a den. A community room, a fitness room and elevator would be included. No age restrictions will put on the apartments. TIF and other related programs will require several of the apartments to be priced below half of Brown County's Median Family Income.
An additional 18 units may be added on the complex later, pending market conditions.
The location of the complex would be behind Orchard Hill Assisted Living, near the old Kmart building, and the gravel road would be paved at WBC's expense.
The TIF would help WBC by having it cover the initial expense of the project, then be reimbursed over time through TIF revenues when they are received at Brown County. The TIF district cannot exceed 25 years or $450,000 in reimbursements
Waive purchase rights
The Council also waived its rights of first refusal for approximately 116 feet at the front of Lot 14 at 101 S. Minnesota St.
The City had to make a determination on the land after the owners, Dannheim Development Inc., notified they had a potential buyer. The City previously put the agreement on the land when it recovered several segments of distressed land around the property. The paperwork was designed to give the City first chance at buying the land if it ever became interested in building a housing project, such a Broadway Haus on the site.
The asking price for the land was $95,000, which was more than the Council was interested in spending with the current budget.
Block Grants
The Council also approved use of the City Community Development Block Grant funds for down payment assistance ranging from $3,500 to $7,500 for the EDA's Milford Heights housing project.
City Manager Brian Gramentz said the fund is been used less often, while the banking market has shifted to require larger down payments for loans. He said people interested in the City's low-income housing, which only averages around two house sold per year and currently only has two homes for sale, often struggle to find the initial down payment. He said the funds would not be at risk of being overused and they would still go towards to initial purpose of the grant funds, which is assisting low- and middle-income families.
The down payment must be repaid on moving, unless the person receiving it lives in the house for at least 10 years.
(Josh Moniz can be e-mailed at firstname.lastname@example.com)


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The ideal solution for flat roofs
With the Suntub mounting system, SolarWorld introduces the optimum solution for installation of photovoltaic modules on flat roofs. The Suntub is assembled on the flat roof and does not require any penetration of the delicate roof membranes or floor covering.
The ideally curved form of the Suntub also creates additional free space, allowing for optimum rear ventilation of the photovoltaic modules. This assures ongoing performance and efficiency of the photovoltaic modules.
Minimum load
The aerodynamic design reduces the flat roof system's superimposed load to a minimum. For it to be able to withstand various different wind loads (wind load zones 1-4), the Suntub can be weighted down with pavement slabs and gravel. Alternately, the system's stability can also be assured by connecting several Suntub mounting systems to one another.
The ideally synchronized SolarWorld AG components facilitate and shorten the assembly process, making installation not only professional but also straightforward.
Suntub: 100% environmentally friendly
As a company dedicated to the principle of sustainability, SolarWorld AG even goes as far as to assure that the materials they use are very environmentally friendly. The Suntub mounting system is made of HDPE recycling material and is, as a result, 100% environmentally friendly.
Product benefits
- Small number of individual components for very fast installation
- Reduced ballast load and minimized roof loads through aerodynamic features
- No penetration of the existing roof membrane or floor covering
- Extremely stable thanks to a special profile that withstands wind and snow loads
- Great module yield thanks to optimum shape and excellent rear ventilation
- Easy to transport and install: Low dead weight, the plastic elements can be easily stacked and the aluminum profiles feature a proven clamping technique
Please note that the availability and the features of the described products and offers are specific for each market.


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Dogs should not gobble down their food and if you witness such eating behavior, it may signal territorial issues or even a medical condition.
PetMD.com reports that a dog's need to eat fast can sometimes start at a young age. Within a litter, multiple dogs might have had to fight over food and this possessive behavior occasionally transfers to the dog's new home. While it may not seem like a big deal at first, dogs who get carried away often become aggressive about food and may pose a risk for biting or other aggressive behavior.
Eating quickly can be dangerous to a dog's health. It can cause a dog to choke or gag if it isn't chewing properly when it eats that fast. It can also cause more life-threatening problems like gastric dilation-volvulus. This condition, commonly known as bloat, results in excess air, fluid and food filling the dog's stomach, which can cause it to swell. As the stomach expands, it can twist around, making it impossible for anything to pass through into the intestines. This can cause a dog to go into shock and even die.
According to VCA Animal Hospitals, in addition to fast eating, dogs are more at risk of developing bloat if they are older large dogs, fed one meal a day, are underweight, male, or have a fearful, anxious or nervous temperament. The risk is also increased if a dog has a family history of bloat; for example, a parent or sibling that has suffered from the condition.
Owners can reduce their dog's risk of developing bloat by giving two or more meals a day, feeding un-moistened dry dog food with calcium-rich meats like lamb, fish or chicken, and placing a large ball or another large object in its bowl to force it to overcome an obstruction in order to get to its food.


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Senator's father
Hyatoro Inouye immigrated to the Hawaiian Territory from Japan as a child aboard the S.S. City of Peking on July 24, 1899. Hyatoro and his Hawaiian wife Kame raised their son Daniel and three other children in Honolulu. Daniel, a World War II Medal of Honor recipient, served as a United States Senator from Hawaii.
National Archives - Pacific Region (San Bruno), Records of the District Courts of the United States


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Bertrang hired; Hulke resigns
NEW ULM – The District 88 School Board approved the hire of Jeff Bertrang as superintendent as of July 1, during its meeting Wednesday.
It also accepted the resignation of board member Jill Hulke and agreed on a process for her replacement.
Bertrang hire
Bertrang, who was released from his contract as Superintendent of GFW Schools just an hour before the District 88 School Board meeting, was chosen to replace retiring Superintendent Harold Remme. He was chosen from a field of 15 candidates, including six semi-finalists and two finalists.
The previously published parameters of his contract include the following:
* A salary of $125,000 the first year; $126,250 the second year; and $127,500 the third year. The second and third-year salary numbers each represent an approximate 1 percent increase, mirroring deals recently signed with other employee groups in the school district.
* Full payment by the district of the premium for family health insurance.
If this provision is found to be discriminatory under the federal Affordable Care Act, the district may elect to contribute the same dollar amount toward the premium as it pays for other full-time employees. If that occurs, the money difference would be shifted into salary.
(The district has historically paid for individual, not family, coverage for teachers.)
* The proposed contract is for 261 days, with 20 days of annual paid vacation, 11 holidays and 18 days of sick leave.
* The contract includes $200,000 in life insurance coverage, long-term disability insurance, and a match to the superintendent's contribution to a tax-sheltered annuity of up to $2,000 a year.
Hulke resignation
The board also approved the resignation of Jill Hulke, who was erroneously elected last November.
Her home was recently found to be just outside the boundaries of the school district.
Hulke lives in rural Courtland, and her children attend New Ulm public schools.
Hulke submitted her resignation in writing and was not present at the meeting.
The resignation letter read:
"Please accept this letter of resignation as a member of the school board. This is not something I wanted to do, but to allow you to move forward, I am.
"I apologize for the frustration and confusion over my elected position on the board. I had a goal to help improve our schools and community involvement, but unfortunately, I am not able to do so.
"I have the utmost respect for all of you and your commitment to our district. Please let me know if there is anything I can ever do to help you, not as a board member, but as a parent.
"Best of luck to all of you!"
"There are some pretty jagged boundaries out there," Remme said, commenting on the property location mix-up. He also acknowledged that the district "could have tracked the application process better" and "we should improve that."
During the election filing process, Hulke mistakenly signed an affidavit stating that she lives in the district.
School officials did not (and routinely do not) further check into the affidavit.
The mistake was found when Hulke brought in one of her children for early childhood screening in late March, and it turned out the child needed to attend screening in Nicollet.
A check with the District 88 office showed that Hulke turned in a non-resident (open-enrollment) form for an older child to start attending school in New Ulm in 2007, from the same address (her last name was Schneider at that time). In 2011, Hulke did not return a similar form for a child attending kindergarten round-up.
Hulke is passionate about serving, and the Hulkes have begun the legal process of transferring their property into District 88, a process that may take months, said Remme.
Hulke replacement process
Remme outlined the process for replacing a board member in circumstances such as Hulke's.
Under state law, the School Board should appoint someone to serve until the next general election, in this case in November 2014, he said.
The School Board is inviting people to apply for the seat starting today and continuing until April 19.
Individuals must complete an application form that can be obtained from the district office. The form asks applicants to provide background information about themselves and to explain why they wish to become a board member, what their goals would be, what they think about various aspects of the school system, etc.
The board agreed that the board and, more specifically, its personnel committee, should review the applications April 19-25, narrowing down the field of candidates, with the potential goal of approving a replacement at the April 25 board meeting.
Even though the process had not formally started, about six-seven people have expressed some interest in the seat, Remme said.
Contracts with administrators
The board also approved new contracts with Washington Elementary School extended interim principal Les Koppendrayer and Technology Director Eric Simmons.
Koppendrayer's salary was set at $82,805. The contract is for 213.5 days and is pro-rated. Koppendrayer, a principal who recently retired from a school in Mankato, agreed to serve another (his second) year as an interim at Washington.
Simmons' contract lists a salary of $64,500 for next year and $67,000 the year after next. He will also receive full single, or partial family, health insurance premium payments, and other standard employee benefits.
Early retirement incentive
The board approved an early retirement incentive agreement with the teachers union intended to save the district money by replacing older teachers with younger counterparts.
The incentive gives long-serving teachers a chance to retire early, by providing the incentive of the district paying single health-insurance premiums for them for 24 months.
The deadline for qualifying teachers to apply is April 19, and retirements would be approved at the April 25 board meeting.


text:
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Nontoxic quantum dot research improves solar cells
- Nancy Ambrosiano
- Communications Office
- (505) 667-0471
Record power-conversion efficiency at Los Alamos from quantum-dot sensitized photovoltaics
LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Dec. 10, 2013—Solar cells made with low-cost, nontoxic copper-based quantum dots can achieve unprecedented longevity and efficiency, according to a study by Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sharp Corporation.
"For the first time, we have certified the performance of a quantum dot sensitized solar cell at greater than 5 percent, which is among the highest reported for any quantum dot solar cell," said Hunter McDaniel, a Los Alamos postdoctoral researcher and the lead author on a paper appearing in Nature Communications this week. "The robust nature of these devices opens up the possibility for commercialization of this emerging low-cost and low-toxicity photovoltaic technology," he noted.
The reported solar cells are based on a new generation of nontoxic quantum dots (not containing either lead or cadmium as do most quantum dots used in solar cells). These dots are based on copper indium selenide sulfide and are rigorously optimized to reduce charge-carrier losses from surface defects and to provide the most complete coverage of the solar spectrum.
"The new solar cells were certified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and demonstrated a record power-conversion efficiency for this type of devices," according to Victor Klimov of Los Alamos, director of the Center for Advanced Solar Photophysics (CASP), a DOE Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC). In addition to CASP-EFRC, this research has been also supported via a cooperative research agreement with Sharp Corporation.
The paper, "An integrated approach to realizing high-performance liquid-junction quantum dot sensitized solar cells" is scheduled for online publication in Nature Communications on Dec. 10, 2013. The paper's authors are Hunter McDaniel, Nikolay S. Makarov, Jeffrey M. Pietryga, and Victor I. Klimov of the Center for Advanced Solar Photophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, in partnership with Nobuhiro Fuke of the Materials & Energy Technology Laboratory, Sharp Corporation, Japan.
Caption for image below: Schematic of the quantum dot sensitized solar cell (QDSSC) architecture (CISeS QDs are red triangles, the contacts are omitted). This device design avoids QD-to-QD carrier transport completely (limits other QD solar cells), and benefits from more complete light absorption and a modular design. Right: Current-density versus voltage characteristics of a record QDSSC certified by NREL. Right inset: Power conversion efficiency as a function of time since fabrication (showing long term stability) and a transmission electron microscope image of a QD/TiO2 heterojunction.
About Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, BWXT Government Group, and URS, an AECOM company, for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.


text:
Angle parking has got to go
To the editor:
The reverse-angle parking on Sixth Street in Calumet is easily the worst idea ever devised by the village – ever. The dangers and difficulties include:
Instead of simply putting on a turn signal, slowing down and pulling into a spot, the driver must STOP and BACK directly into traffic, trusting that the driver behind understand his/her intentions ahead of time. This is a completely unnecessary risk.
The driver must back into a space only slightly wider than his/her car, a maneuver not common to most drivers.
This must often be done to fit between two other cars, which may or may not have parked properly between the lines, and be done without the advantage of complete view of the solid lines, which are easily visible while angle parking in the usual manner.
The only possible advantage to this method of parking is that someone who is drunk will have a slightly easier time pulling into traffic. Other than this -which is moot, since a drunk person should NOT be driving – there is no logic to this system.
It is not only unpopular, it is dangerous.
I have a difficult time understanding what would possess the village to implement this reckless parking system.
Richard Buchko


text:
Grandma Yearwood's Coconut Cake with Coconut Lemon Glaze
Recipe adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood (c) Clarkson Potter 2010
- Trisha's Southern Kitchen
- Cake:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing
- Flour, for dusting pan
- 2 cups sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- One 12-ounce box vanilla wafers, finely crushed
- One 6-ounce package frozen or fresh grated coconut, thawed
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- Coconut Lemon Glaze:
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- Grated zest of 2 large lemons
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
- One 6-ounce package frozen or fresh grated coconut, thawed
DirectionsWatch how to make this recipe.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
For the cake: Grease and flour a 9-inch tube cake pan. Cream the butter and sugar until light and smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, beating well. Mix in the vanilla wafer crumbs, coconut and pecans. Pour into the pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack.
For the glaze: Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest and juice, 1 1/2 cups of water and coconut in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened, for about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then using a toothpick, poke several holes in the top of the cake and drizzle the glaze over the cake.
Recipe adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood (c) Clarkson Potter 2010
Cooking Tips
More Recipes and Ideas
Quickie Coconut Cupcakes
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
BLT Club Cake
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen


text:
Today, NATO Defense Ministers agreed to allow their troops in Afghanistan to target drug traffickers who financially support Taliban fighters. The UN estimates that the Taliban earns about $100 million per year from the drug trade.
What other measures can we take against those who fund terrorism but do not directly engage in it?
SNP in Syria writes:
LOL and LOL, is the poster really serious or like to pull a fast one. Find those drug traffickers and kill them all, give all the mopney they horded and stached around the worlds banks to fund freedom and Democracy movements globally, get your dream copme true in a month. These menace of criminals are all over the world, they even have own airline and pilots, you will not find them in Kabul and they dont speak Pashtun, for some strange reason, they all speak fluent English with a Langley, Virginia accent, few of this Mafia trafficker bosses speak Hebrew as well. Leave the poor peasant Afghani farmers of the crop alone, they bearly get to have food on the table at day end.
Len in Ohio writes:
I cannot believe you are unaware of Christopher Hitchens' suggestion: buy the opium directly from the farmers. Pay more for it than our enemies do, and you guarantee that the farmers will sell it to the US Government rather than terrorists.
It takes a funding source away from al Qaeda and the Taliban, and is also a good way to obtain the base ingredients for many legitimate medications on the cheap.
Honestly, what's not to like?
Kirk in Kentucky writes:
The most effective measure against the illegal trade is to alter the factors that motivate those who engage in it. With the poppy farms in Afghanistan, for example, you have two issues to consider. The first being practical and the second ideological. Practically speaking, understanding, and altering, a person's actions means examining the two basic components behind motivation: profit (or loss-aversion) and risk. A farmer, prompted by a gun toting extremists, sees much more profit and less risk by growing poppy than any other option. Only until either of those factors (or ideally, both) are altered substantially will a person exchange their current goal for something else. Considering that there is about a 40% un-employment rate (profit -- or lack of) in Afghanistan and that the government controls maybe 30% (risk) of the area, the steps are obvious.
Drug trafficking is a police concern, not the military. So why are NATO "troops" engaging in this instead of the Afghani police force? If it's that the police force is too weak and corrupt then it sounds like more effort needs to be put there instead of sending military troops running around in a desert that contains a hostile population while they try to find farms to blow up and criminals to catch who specialize in not being caught. A net of power which consists of government control, honest policing by the rule of law, and a strong intelligence capability is what is needed, not a bunch of soldiers with machine guns that roam around accidentally shooting civilians and blundering into ambushes. Considering that a person needs an armed escort under the cover of darkness to travel from one city to another, it sounds like the powers that be have once again placed the cart in front of the horse.
The military is an awesome tool. Track an enemy by satellite, verify with forward observers, surprise them with a drone missile, swoop in with rocket armed helicopters shooting heavy caliber machine guns, and then drop in the special forces squad for clean up. That certainly sounds exciting, doesn't it? But you know what, even a jack-hammer is of little use with something that requires a wrench. The right tool for the right job. Military strikes are shaped like cones of force, they do the job and put fear into anyone who thinks they may be targeted by it. But they are expensive, one shot deals which requires specialized forces trained and equipped. a police force is shaped like a web. Which is easier to evade? A military strike may kill or arrest a number of people, and convince a few to drop out of the game, but those who are not so easily swayed will just dissolve their base of opperations and set up shop somewhere as yet undiscovered. A web is hard to evade, cheaper to maintain and more aggreeable to the inhabitants.
The Taliban are not the problem. They are the manifestation of the problem. They are the persistent symptom of the underlying disease. The real problem is that there are no jobs, no food, no human services, no protection, no honest politicians or police, a foreign occupier, and no hope. Address those issues and no one would have a single reason to pick up a gun.
In the case of Afghanistan, one solution would be to de-criminalize poppy fields. Putting an item on the black market increases its value ten fold, it's supply and demand. Legalize it, and the floor drops out from under it. Morphine and the derivatives have legitimate uses in the medical industry, why not have the government buy the poppy, process it, and sell it on the global market to hospitals and doctors? In one stroke you've legitimized the many farmers, cut the profit base from the enemy, produced jobs in the processing plants, opened an avenue of export, and cornered a medical niche on the global market.
The best measure we can take against those that fund terrorists is to develop a responsible domestic and foreign policy. If we are more prudent about where and how we spend our money, have a coherent and sustainable strategy of development, an honest placement of our interests, and return the focus of our government to it's original cause, to serve the needs of the American people, then we won't have problems with terrorists to begin with. But if spend another 5 years copying the mistakes of the USSR, with a bloated, slowly responsive, and incompetent administration who is a slave to the military-industrial complex which bleeds the American coffers dry while enriching the whole host of parasitic contractors with the sweat off the tax payer's brows all for the need to protect our rampant consumerism and lust for expansion, via Pax Americana, then I guess we'd better prepare for more terrorists.
Joe in Tennessee writes:
1. Quote:Drug trafficking is a police concern, not the military. So why are NATO "troops" engaging in this instead of the Afghani police force? END Unfortunately, Narcotics are a political situation and not simply a right or wrong actualization. It is a Worldly situation and therefore NATO seems appropriate. These decisions are made in a different world court. As far as the Afghanis, they cannot even equip a decent Army to fight Al Qaeda, where would the find the funds, much less objective personal to carryout policing such a large area.
2. Legitimize it. They will not do that because of the same reason marijuana is not legal in the US. The profits go to a pre decided group or groups as a control element. Why should it be different there? The money involved in all offshoots of the industry where opium is concerned will fight against legitimization. The Evil side should control the evil side; but, that is not the situation today. This is the real problem: we all shook hands with the devil from Viet Nam to today the same people and govt officials are involved. Even Churches in some instances... remember those open brief case checks they stopped from the UN?
3. The only realistic option is to educate and bring in profitable industry and stability to replace it and provide a viable choice to the people. There is no other solution, none at all. We have problems controlling it here, with one of the strongest Police forces in the world -- and there will be an increase of crime with the economy as it has turned -- with Narcotics leading the way and many turning a blind eye for survival even here in the US.
Unless you have oil, gold or some other gainful illicit activity, narcotics are still the second best money maker worldwide.
Only a strong economy and social as well as democratic support systems that offer viable choices can overcome this problem anywhere.
Kirk in Kentucky writes:
(13 hours later) Exhaustive diatribes against the folly of our current administration aside, there is another option that has occurred.
As much as I loath to suggest placing people or institutions under further governmental scrutiny, here is dicey concept. Since most funds have to be routed through banking systems, develop a crack team of cyber intel agents that hack into banks suspected of channeling ill gotten funds and track the flow of the money. You could do it the aggressive way by electronically "breaking and entering" the mainframe and scanning all the records, the passive way by intercepting satellite and wire transmissions, or the interactive way by infiltrating the staff with covert agents. Not to shut down those banks (not at first anyway) since that would tip off those involved of new practices, but to quietly build a profile of each bank's clients and transactions. Follow that trail until you can connect a line all the way from the original donor to the final recipient. Not only would you get an estimate of the bank roll of various factions, but you would also get the locations of operatives. You also know from one end, who the donors are and why they are doing what they're doing (which gives you the leverage to affect their motivations or eliminate them), and the opposite end, who they are and what they're buying with that money. When a person withdraws funds from one bank, get agents on the ground to shadow those perpetrators and see where it goes next. If they don't take it to another bank, then they'll probably take it back with them to their cell or point of operations, leading you to other operatives or criminal suppliers.
Granted, that's kind of a sci-fi black-ops idea that no government would openly support, but hey, you asked.
Donald in Virginia writes:
11 October 08
"The money people who support terrorism are just plain cowards. There are not prepared to face the enemy but are more than willing to have others fight their battles. They dont want to get there hands dirty while others are taking higher risks to destroy human life."
First measure should be to investigate all world banks to ensure no illegal activities are being conducted to support terrorism. All accounts should be checked and re-checked. A thousand dollar transfer should bring up a flag. More checks and balances of who are the clients, where the funds are being sent to, where did the funds come from? How are they able to receive the funds to continue the terrorist activity?
Technology has played a role in all this as well. I'm surprised that nobody has thought of limiting the bandwidth of communications in the Middle East. Shut down the communication stations, put tighter controls on what type of communications is used and then the Taliban wouldn't have a means to relay intelligence.
What happened to the idea of marked bills?
The balance of law should come into play -- Banks and financial institutions should be held accountable if they support terrorism and not slapped on the wrist when they get caught. Any bank that does business with terrorist should be closed down and investigated properly. All the parties concern should be charged and prosecuted by law.
The other concern should be the weapons dealers. They know first hand who is buying the weapons. Put the weapon dealers out of business and hence the terrorism should come to a halt. If there is no money to buy weapons, and if there is not weapons available to be sold, there would be no Taliban money or with weapons today!
The drugs themselves in Afghanistan should be destroyed and the farmers should be planting normal crops.
How many accounts does Osama Bin Laden truly have today? In what banks has he been dealing with in his years of terrroism? Could he be using a false name? How many of his followers are using his accounts right under the noses of the banks. The point should be that all banks should check and conduct a proper background check on their clients. The US Government might want to consider raising the bounty for Osama Bin Laden because he is worth more than 50 million dollars. The Bin Laden family is worth in the billions. I think Osama Bin Laden is weak because he himself is not a man enough to show himself to the world. He hides in a cave or a bunker and lives in the shadows of fear! He probably has bi-polar disorder condition and lives in a state of confusion. He is probably constantly afraid everyday of his life, moving from one place to another, scared and tired. One day he will be captured and brought to Justice!!!
My opinion about drugs is simple. Drugs are a dead end in life. People who sell illegal drugs should be ashamed of themselves. They pedal a drug which could be harmful to another human being and never take account what could happen to that person. They think its merely a business. When in fact they could be ending that persons life by them overdosing. People around the world have lost lives, families, loved ones, businesses, jobs, friends. To prove my point just look at the graveyards.
End drugs...End Terrorism....End the source of the Taliban... Then we have Peace in that part of the world!
God Bless and let's hope for a brighter future ahead!
Eric in New Mexico writes:
Folks at State and beyond will think I'm nuts for suggesting the following, but it occurs to me that civilization has its indiginous population of thieves and smugglers...as part of societies make up for many thousands of years.
Yeah terrorists have exited too in the past, but never before now have had the chance to even think about using a WMD in a terrorist act.
And just like the rest of us with children, one nuke could ruin an organized crime family's whole day.
Which has got to upon realization make them leary of dealing with extremist in any capacity if it is bad for buisiness in general.
Every nation has its black market economies, and family run crime and if one is going to safeguard borders and protect the citizens against terrorism, you need to be negotiating with the thieves and smugglers of the world.
Current strategy has not yet adequately addressed the nexus between organized crime and terrorist affiliation and here's the inflection point between winning outright or suffering through a "long war".
So I believe having a little chat between the governments in the global coalition in the war on terror, and the various organized crime leadership in individual nations is in order to provide their "risk management" perspective to these org's.
And when nations put the choice to these criminal elements that they too qualify as terrorist org's should they not divest themselves of any association with terror, they will understand how bad for buisiness terrorism really is.
For the one thing organized crime fears is an organized military stomping them out of existance.
At the same time nations go to the source of the smuggling, they also must go directly to the source (the local grower) and litterally offer him a better price for his product than he's getting now. And do this for three consecutive growing seasons in Afghanistan to have the following effects:
A) Take the refined product off the streets of our cities.
B) Deny Taleban, al-quaida, and others the means to purchase weapons and munitions.
The local farmer has three seasons to convert his fields to legal crops and is in a sense being subsidized by the Afghan gov. during this period in order that the individual can make the transition without undue hardship and eliminate a source of potential resentment among the population.
You are probably never going to get them to give up growing cannabis and poppy altogether because it's almost tradition going back to the times when these were the only source of pain medication avalable to their ancestors.
But you can convince them its not economicly in their interests to grow it commercially today.
And if the Afghan gov were to get the international donations to "corner the market" for three years consecutively by becoming the only "legal" purchaser from Afghan growers (who risk losing their land if found selling to others), then you have built in compliance by law.
And then there's the possibility that some legitimate commecial pharmacutical application may develop...say medical marijuana for cancer patients as one example of how the Afghan government may be able to offset the burden of cost for the program.
So to address SNP's point on those who's livelihoods are at risk, there's a way to do this so it is fair.
And it is fair to say that nations having soverign control may view the percentage of population addicted to hard drugs made avalable by organized crime as a national security threat to the health of the population, and consider it to be a form of coercion on a population if not terrorism, and a threat to the government's soverign control of its borders and population's well being.
One may invoke the "responsibility to protect" if narcotrafficing is seen as a "crime against humanity" and given the indemic proportions of the problem of drug addiction globally, may be considered as incitement to commit genocide.
13,000 Americans died from overdose or drug related violence in 2006. Slightly below the average annually. Add up the figures in all countries globally every year and it qualifies as a true ongoing crime against humanity.
Anna in Washington, DC writes:
Funding terrorism IS engaging in terrorism. I don't think we should differentiate between those who fund it and those who actually commit the acts of terror. I applaud NATO for going after the drug trade in Afghanistan; it is a pragmatic solution to the problem. Drug trade is a cancer on a community and will infect it worse and worse if left unchecked. This drug trade is costing lives in Afghanistan, Europe and elsewhere, and it is making NATO's mission more difficult. Looking at the issue more broadly, it might be difficult to justify such a response to drug trade elsewhere. It would be dependent upon the facts on the ground.
Chul-hong in South Korea writes:
I take 3-list that might fund terrorists, for example: the Maffia of Italy, the Yakuza of Japan and growers or traders of Opium in Golden Triangle composed of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos.
Maybe, they are financial sources of terrorists [beyond a national border], so [one] certain nation can't suppress them effectively.
Therefore, it needs to establish a new worldwide organization like the Interpol.
Supported by the United Nations (U.N.), the new organization should have the rights to investigate terrorists and deploy coalitional military actions against them beyond a national border.
However, U.S. should not play a great role in that organization, in that U.S. might take big burdens on the monetary or military part.
Because, terrorism is not only the problem of U.S. but also the problem of mankind in the globe.
To put it simply, it is important that nations should have the same voice about anti-terrorism and should organize an institution designed to root out and arrest terrorists.
Eric in New Mexico writes:
@ Chul-hong, in South Korea -- I agree with what you said.
Though I'm not sure to what extent Yakuza or the Ital. mob is knowingly doing business that supports terrorism, or with terrorists, but the big question for these org's is are they willing to risk being associated with terrorism?
Very bad buisiness move, and unwise choice of business parners if that is the case.
Now if on the other hand they recongnized the threat to their own cross border trade that terrorism represents, then they may have incentive to limit terrorist activity by limiting their access to smuggling routs and contacts within these org's.
It's all nation's task to employ the leverage neccessary to convince organized crime to work on the side of civilization (which they depend on for existance), or be relegated to the status of terrorists themselves and be dealt with as such as a threat to civilization, hunted down and rooted out.
Let me just end with a theory, because the governments in the coalition against terrorism are limited by the rule of law in methodology in taking the fight to the enemy.
Whereas if organized crime saw the same threat to humanity that governments do, there wouldn't be folks like Aminidijad threatening to wipe nations off the map because that would represent a direct threat to organized crime families in the region and folks would be calling him "Amadinnerjacket" instead for all the contracts that would be put out on his life the next day.
End of that little problem as folks would rapidly get the idea that it is not personally healthy to threaten your neighbors with WMD.
In any case Chul-hong, governments will deal with the sponsors of terror one "Axis of Evil" at a time, as befits the circumstance.
I see little Kim has grasped the idea that having nuclear weapons does not buy a nation's security, and is giving them up to be more secure and less of a risk in the neighborhood.
These are the products of harsh choices presented.
The stark choice for organized crime families is to divest themselves of involvement in narco trafficking and gun running that supports terrorism in order to personally survive.
Now if nations fail to engage criminal elements to deny terrorists the opportunity of using these org's for their own ends, then you will not "drain the swamp" of the supply lines that keep terrorism alive.
Joe in Tennessee writes:
During Ronal Reagan's administration more drugs moved into the US than any other time in History, though he mandated a War against Drugs. Why? Reality -- the concept was to "control" what came in and who controlled it.
The old Chicago Mentality was in place, so to speak. There is going to be crime, there is going to be drugs so why not control it by granting distribution to one group? Which worked fine until everyone got greedy. Money laundered after Nam went into new manufacturing, strip malls, franchises -- it put people to work, taxes were paid, etc and everyone knew who everyone was. The players were established and some fell simply because they did their jobs and came across it. Even Clintons new FBI Accountants found 1.2 billion or so in Mexico -- six Presidential Cabinet personal were directly implicated, two DEA lives lost. Heck, there was even a "hit" out on an American FBI agent who ran with his family after he discovered a "holding whse" in the States..that is documented.
At the same time good old Ollie North was doing his lap dog dance at the Congressional Hearings on TV, there was another hearing in Chicago, with the Truth exposed. Did anyone see that or know about that? Or how about the good old Pilot in LA, who ratted out the Homestead holdovers? Seems we conveniently put him in protective custody and told the Columbians where he was.
If you cannot eliminate the customer base, then you need to eliminate the monetary base; but, it that base is productively contributing to jobs, etc, what is the point?
The only alternatives replacement business at the source and here are Education to lower the demand and implement control elements that are more dependable; people who purchase their commodities from countries we are at war with become our enemies as well. Our countries Security is always an issue and people get carried away with power that should not be in leadership capacities. Sometimes, as during elections, they need to forget about it...LOL! Greed kills more than people?
We have a wonderful country and serve all and have to deal with all levels of problems. With the NARCO Dollar still a major form of valuation and trade worldwide, we need to deal with it in the manner most productive to the system -- but with safeguards. Churches should not sell narcotics -- let the devil deal with the devil, as it should be...
John in Greece writes:
CIA is very clear concerning drugs AND OTHER major issues. The guys in VA are Global heroes! Sometimes, when you have to burn the "devil", you have to do it from the inside!
For example, this is what you do when you have to deal with oil well fires. When you have to deal with SUPER-drug dealers, human traffickers, weapon "salesmen", counterfeiting, etc. (and all these have to do with politics, after you finalize the analysis) you have to fight with non-conventional ways. And then you face the danger to become misunderstood. (unfortunately without taking the 1$ (credit for action) for every time it happens, as wisely Eric says).
I really do not know the subject (Ronal Reagan's administration "moves"), but I am sure that they offered a great service, the majority of us cannot really comprehend with wikipedia refs. The problem with such "moves" is that we easily talk about rumors and conspiracy scenarios, but NOBODY, nobody talks or "describes" their (CIA) PURE success!
Please Note:
1. https://www.cia.gov/careers/faq/index.html - gr4
"What if I used drugs or still use drugs; will this disqualify me from employment?"
To be considered suitable for Agency employment, applicants must generally not have used illegal drugs within the last 12 months. The issue of illegal drug use prior to 12 months ago is carefully evaluated during the medical and security processing. Drug abuse is one of the common reasons applicants are denied a security clearance. YOU CANNOT WORK FOR THE CIA WITHOUT A SECURITY CLEARANCE.
2. Some years ago, I had read (https://www.cia.gov/index.html) something like this (I use my own non-English native words):
WHY -- the CIA guys -- ARE WE AGAINST DRUGS? BECAUSE, PEOPLE (CIA) WHO WANT TO HELP THE WORLD MUST BE SOBER ENOUGH to stop the "others" who are attempting to destroy everything!
Eric in New Mexico writes:
I suppose it is always convienient to blame someone in government for whether a drug interdiction program is succesful or not.
But without the Hollywood elite deciding cocaine was the ultimate party drug back in the 80's, and glorifying its use on film, it's use would have remained pretty much confined to the bohemian lifestyles of the counter culture practitioners, rather than an epidemic among the youth of the nation.
So I do agree that user demand must be addressed, but that is more a factor of greater social awareness among peer groups regarding the health risks of usage, rather than anything the government can address as effectively via law enforcement.
We spend more money than any other nation on education, yet trail among nations. And we wonder why? The solution starts in changing the mindsets of the young, and that starts with good parenting.
We have to let kids know it's "cool" to get a life, rather than let them think it's "cool" to waste it in constant party mode.
But the issue here is drug production and the financial support groups like the Taleban derive from it, and what to do about it that hasn't yet been tried.
Concrete ideas anyone? Or am I the only one posting that dares take the question seriously on its face and offer something constructive?
Fact is the war on drugs has not been a shining success, and the government is now litterally asking for better ideas.
So who are we to fail to deliver? Are we not "dipnote"?
(a la "Men at Work"...chuckle. Dipnote theme song ideas #451 for the upcoming TV mini series, or pod cast....LOL!).
Joe in Tennessee writes:
1. CIA has many various functions in which the capacity and qualifications vary, from Abstract to Formal agents in the field to Formal Legal office personal -- as with most agencies.
2. What is the specific program you are relating to John? What was a success?
3. A conspiracy is simply a plan which did not work or was border line if not illegal. Still in all it is simply a plan to achieve a goal. It is a Misused word for the most part.
4. It is about Economics, nothing more nothing less.
Devalue or eliminate the market or control it until you can provide support mechanisms to devalue and eliminate. They are the only solutions available.
Donald in Virginia writes:
17 October 08
There is one other method that nobody has thought of in this whole process.
"Divine Intervention"
I think the signs of God are present. Hurricanes, Floods, Mudslides, Tornadoes, Earthquakes, Famine, Diseases, plagues.
Greed will conquer and destroy peoples lives...!!!
When all those signs happen everyone asks, "WHY"?
It's clear to me why it happens. You might say it's God at the helm of the ship saying he is in charge. Scientist have become very intelligent over the years but they can never stand the time of God.
Hundreds of years Arabs continue to fight battles, "Brother against Brother" over what? Greed, Power, Wealth, Drugs now?
The nightmare become a reality when these drugs were found! However, there is hope that through education people will learn that drugs are bad, they are a poison and can be very harmful of your health.
When a great flood comes to your town or city, "Look up in the sky and ask God,"? Thinking back in Noah's age, he was the only person on earth God trusted. He was the only person at that time who had a relationship with God. Everyone else in his village thought he was completely nuts. God told him to build an ARK and he did. In life we all have an ARK. Noah listened to God and when the flood came he survived the test. Will we be so lucky to continue surviving the test of time if things don't change for the better or will there be more floods, more hurricanes, more tornadoes, more earthquakes. The promise that everyone forgets is in the bible. When you see the rainbows in the sky after it rains. That is a sign of God telling us people it is safe.
The solution to this great problem might be resolved through "Divine Intervention" and no question that God probably has a response for the Evil doers who continue to cause great pain on innocent people in life. The wrath of God is greater than any Military on earth. He is the most powerful spirit in the world. I had a dream a few nights ago. In that dream war and attacks happened. The ironic part of the dream was a man faced the cross of Jesus on the wall. God asked the man what he thought it meant? The man said, "Its a cross with Jesus" God said, Look again, It's the holy spirit" then the man bent down on his knees and prayed. In the jungle where I believe this dream took place, it started pouring rain. In the instant the man started praying. The lesson here is we all have to be humbled under God even under turmoil times in the world. The evil doers will continue testing the good faith of good people on earth.
On earth People think that President George W. Bush is nuts. How quaint that people in Noah's age thought the same thing at the time, and look what happened to them. One part that everyone forgets is that he is the only United States president to stand up tall to the terrorists and say we had enough.!!! He is the only President that decided to fight the enemy and bring peace and democracy to people never even heard the language before. Granted it was at a high cost! What cost can you place on Freedom?
A salute to the Bush Administration Team because we all in America have become safer because of his actions. We might not always agree on all issues of politics but we all can agree that action is being taking to prevent future 9/11's in our country.
John in Greece writes:
Dear Joe, the big "problem" with CIA is that this Global SERVICE cannot have a PR department explaining "field situations" -- if you know what I mean. I trust your brain. I am sure you know?
However, I wonder why you can't "understand" what are we talking about?
I already explained my personal view: we can easily talk about "blame CIA" rumours and "CIA conspiracy scenarios" (attributing "things" to a bad functioning CIA), but NOBODY, NOBODY can talk or "describe" their (CIA) PURE successes! And there are a couple of millions... of millions... PURE successes! Nobody can also talk about staff's "human sacrifices". Except the "stars", as the movie shows.
You know better than me that CIA and GOD are the two only words that cannot have a pre-THE. You do not say the CIA. You do not say the GOD. This is because both God and CIA cannot speak for themselves. So, they are not a "the"! All of which make these words have -- automatically -- soul and brain and morality, no one can easily see?
My answer is a bit poetic due to your "non-realistic questions" (allow me this phrase/I respect you), as long as unfortunately we can have no answers back Joe.
Just "trust in" secrets and scope!
P.S. I will give you only one general example of this "Company without PR" success. I am glad that, today, my niece is not working as a call-girl for "Putin & Co", due to these CIA successes that cannot easily be described! Many -- no the -- people died. Let's respect them!
Sarmoye in Mali writes:
All accomplices of terrorists are considered as terrorist:
1-Fund of terrorism come generally in a country as an economic or development help or gift;the government of the country receiving the gift must make a very precise evaluation of work which is done by the fund and to be sure that a part is not used for another thing.
2- All humanitary helping must be done under the cover(control) of government in the risk countries.
3-Every big amount who dispeared in the official economic integred circuit (as bank,National Treasure,private fortune not invested...) may be suspected.


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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (326 votes).
In short: You need to be insane!! Very tough but what a feeling to complete the course!In full: My first full off-roader and it looks like I started with one of the toughest. Definitely not for the faint hearted, its tough and definitely dangerous in places. It took an enormous amount of concentration to keep picking the best ground and avoid slipping and falling. Think I'd start a bit nearer the front next time as there were early bottle-necks around gateways and swamps and some areas of the course are narrow and difficult to over-take on. The hills are enormous and more of a climb than a run. I'm glad I invested in proper off-road shoes, the people in road shoes really looked to be struggling. Well organised and great spirit out there. I took a big fall in the Gully and several runners were quick to call out to check if I was ok and this type of support was in evidence all around the course. When people slipped, fell or struggled, other runners were quick to support them. Unique event and I'd definitely do this or something similar again.Date of review: February 26, 2007
In short: First off road race and first Terminator. What a introduction, thought the conditions didn't help, never seen mud like it. But a great sense of achievement and would do it againDate of review: February 26, 2007
In short: Just too muddy to really be enjoyed.In full: I cannot fault the organisation on the day, the marshall were great, even the cows in the fields seems to be friendly. The race lived up to everything i had expected, big hills and mud, but running conditions on some parts of the course were impossible. The section along the canal was ridiculous. I saw 2-3 people nearly go into the canal. I think a bit more focus on safety is needed. I was knocked over by somebody flying uncontrollable down one of the hill, and i am nursing a very sore rib today because of it. It wasn't irresonsible running either, no grip and too much mud. The safety is the only reason i would have to think twice about doing this again. I wouldn't want to risk more serious injury by doing it again!Date of review: February 26, 2007
In short: Mud, mud and more mud then three killer hillsIn full: my understanding from the vets in the race was that this was the muddiest race ever. The mud made it feel more like a trek than a run. It was very hardcore, but the atmosphere (even at the back) was great. Kudos to the organisers and marshalls who made the race a lot of fun despite the challenging conditions.Date of review: February 26, 2007
In short: A wonderful sunday morning stroll (and wade!)In full: Having completed the Tough Guy a few weeks ago I thought that a simply 11mile run would hold no terrors for me, how wrong I was! A nice warm up through the village then straight into muddy fields/slipper tow paths/muddy hills/verticle muddy hills/muddy fields/muddy descents and a freezing cold plunge in a river. Avoiding the mud was a major challenge, avoiding people floundering in the mud even more so. How no one went in the canal is beyond me. Going up the hills was very hard, espcially the gully with it's thicky gloopy mud resisting every attempt to lift your foot for the next step. But for every hill we went up there was a magnificent descent to follow. The terrain meant that there was a lot of time for banter with other runners/plodders, adding to the enjoyment of the event.The whole course was well marked out, with a lot of very cheerful marshals and onlookers urging us on. The ones by the final 'bath' were obvious sadists though, reminding us to "smile for the camera" as the freezing water turned legs to lead.The final run in was probably the most painful physical experience of my life. Running down a small alleyway at the back of a row of houses shouldn't hurt like that, but hurt it did.The facilities were excellent, you could gripe about the showers being a little low (obviously designed for school kids) but they were lovely and hot and just what was needed. A wonderful race, great fun and definatly one to repeat. Tougher then tough guy........I didn't stop smiling once!Date of review: February 26, 2007
In short: I think someone may have mentioned the mud...In full: My first Terminator and I thought it was brilliant!!! You'll have heard there was lots of mud - I was suprised how many people we running in road shoes, you really need off road/fell shoes to give some traction (I had Inov8 mudrocks). The first part running through fields was a little dull, but then we were out towards the Downs and things got more interesting! The marshalls and the general organisation was fantastic... I'll be back.Date of review: February 26, 2007
In short: A hilly mud-fest. Slow & painful but fun.Date of review: February 26, 2007
In short: Never seen so much mud!In full: Having also run the Rough and Tumble I definitely think I can now justify a pair of off road trainers!Great run - Terminator 10? - could have sworn I saw an 11 mile marker?!?!Date of review: February 26, 2007
In short: Delightful! A poem in mud, floods and cakeDate of review: February 26, 2007
In short: How much mud?!!!In full: Fantastic race, the most challenging so far and hard and better that the Hellrunner. This was a brilliant race, the hills felt like mountains on the legs but at least you knew what goes up must come down! Very tough but well marshalled, oganised and the thought of the delicious cakes and coffee at the end spurred me on! Will definatley be back next year but have decided to get good off-road trainers as it was a very slippy race! Fantastic!!!Date of review: February 26, 2007
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Is anyone dumb enough to think yet another parallel language will solve our problems? I MIGHT be!
I have been pleased by the attention my blog on choice overload has received. I must admit, I overstated things a bit just to get people talking … and on that count, I clearly succeeded. In my present blog, I'd … Read more