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In reading one of the online news sites this last week, a headline caught my eye; "Court upholds federal funding of embryonic stem cell research." I then flashed on an anonymous comment posted to a news site immediately after Barack Obama became President. At the time, it stopped me in my tracks.
The subject was President Obama's lifting of the federal ban against funding for embryonic stem cell research. The comment was as follows. "It's like we are emerging from the dark ages (Bush administration) into a new era of enlightenment. With increased funding, now we can really begin to research the benefits of stem cells and hopefully make significant strides in medicine. The only unfortunate outcome is that now we are going to have to listen to the crybaby right-to-lifers and how this destroys human embryos. Yes it does, but they will appreciate the outcome when these procedures save their lives."
I found the comment dispiriting especially if it still represents a consensus opinion.
Again. A new era of enlightenment? Crybaby right-to-lifers? Yes, it destroys human embryos?
Using the resources of Priests For Life, I think it might be useful to quote some experts on this matter.
"To accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion . . . it is plain experimental evidence" (Dr. Jerome Lejeune, "Father of Modern Genetics" and discoverer of the cause of Down's Syndrome. Testimony to Senate Subcommittee on Separation of Powers, April 23, 1981).
"By all the criteria of modern molecular biology, life is present from the moment of conception" (Dr. Hymie Gordon, Chairman, Department of Genetics at Mayo Clinic, Testimony to Senate Subcommittee on Separation of Powers, April 23, 1981).
The widely used medical textbook The Developing Human, Clinically Oriented Embryology, 6th Edition, Moore, Persaud, Saunders, 1998, states at page 2 that "The intricate processes by which a baby develops from a single cell are miraculous…. This cell [the zygote] results from the union of an oocyte [egg] and sperm. A zygote is the beginning of a new human being…." At page 18 this theme is repeated: "Human development begins at fertilization [emphasis in original]…."
So the cultural debate is not about life but the value of that life––calling the embryo a "potential human being" is a ruse, it's a "human being with potential." At its essence, the only real difference between me and an embryonic cell is that I'm older. We both are unique and should be accorded dignity.
A number of books attempting to establish the complicity or not of the German people in the Holocaust have been written. The masterminds of the final solution and other barbarity could not have killed six million people without organization, chains of command, logistics, operations and people, plenty of people.
To be sure, they marshaled another essential element as well. The murdered victims, Jews and other undesirables, were considered less than human by many of the executioners but no doubt, many of the killers fully recognized that they were destroying human lives. Morality and reason were easily pushed aside by evil.
To those people who naively think that Germany is the poster child with respect to man's inhumanity to man, I respectfully disagree. Notwithstanding the murderous exploits of Mao and Stalin who make Hitler look like a bungler, we are in the midst of our own American holocaust because morality and reason are again scarce commodities.
You see, I can rip the head off an unborn child, suffocate a newborn baby, put a bullet in the brain of a one-year old, hang a ten-year old or step on an embryonic cell (I could list 50 methods but my point is obvious) and in all cases, the "crime" is the same. A human life is extinguished.
In the confusing reports of the media, many people don't realize that there are embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, umbilical cord stem cells and amniotic stem cells. Concerning non-embryonic stem cell research, these efforts are greatly applauded because the greatest advances in stem cell research have come from this area, in particular, adult stem cell research. Granted, embryonic stem cell research has lagged behind the others due to lack of government funding, but, and I'm not trying to be callous, so what.
The good or benefits that could potentially result are immaterial. The exercise of evil for the outcome of good should never be acceptable.
Embryonic stem cell research is a tricky subject. Is my perspective too harsh?


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DETROIT, Mich. (PRWEB) August 24, 2015
Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Chairman Emeritus Dennis W. Archer has been named to the inaugural class of the Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame.
"I'm excited to be included in the inaugural class of the Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame," says Dennis Archer. "It is a privilege to be included with the other outstanding lawyers who have made countless contributions to our profession and community."
As part of Lawdragon's 10th Year Anniversary celebration, the Hall of Fame recognizes past members of the Lawdragon 500 and other outstanding lawyers who have made remarkable contributions as leaders, litigators, dealmakers, power brokers, judges and innovators. Mr. Archer is included in the "Leadership" category of the Hall of Fame.
Mr. Archer is Chairman Emeritus of Dickinson Wright PLLC. He served two four-year terms as mayor of the city of Detroit (1994-2001) and earned national and international respect for his success in changing Detroit's image and direction. He continues his support of the city and participated in a meeting at the White House and a White House Summit meeting in Detroit with members of President Obama's cabinet and their staff as they outlined how they would help Detroit deal with its fiscal crisis.
Mr. Archer has long been active in the organized bar. He was the first person of color elected president of the American Bar Association (2003-2004) as well as the State Bar of Michigan. In 1985, Governor James Blanchard appointed Mr. Archer as an Associate Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. He was elected to an eight-year term the following year. Mr. Archer remains actively on call to the State Bar of Michigan and has testified before a United States House Judiciary Subcommittee regarding the under-funding in Michigan of the indigent defense program. He is an outspoken advocate to promote the proper funding for the Michigan courts system and for long overdue pay increases for judges.
In 2013, Mr. Archer was awarded The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon by the Emperor of Japan and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Michigan Corporate Counsel of America for his advocacy for diversity and inclusion. In that same year, Mr. Archer announced that his Dennis W. Archer Foundation has surpassed $1 million dollar in scholarships for students attending Wayne State University and Western Michigan University.
About Dickinson Wright PLLC
Dickinson Wright PLLC is a general practice business law firm with more than 400 attorneys among more than 40 practice areas. Headquartered in Detroit and founded in 1878, the firm has fifteen offices, including six in Michigan (Detroit, Troy, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw) and eight other domestic offices in Columbus, Ohio; Lexington, Ky.; Nashville, Tenn. (2); Las Vegas, Nev.; Reno, Nev.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Washington, D.C. The firm's Canada office is located in Toronto.
The firm offers clients a distinctive combination of superb client service and exceptional quality. Dickinson Wright lawyers are known for delivering commercially-oriented advice on sophisticated transactions and have a remarkable record of wins in high-stakes litigation. Dickinson Wright lawyers are regularly cited by Chambers, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers and other leading independent law firm evaluating organizations.

subset: commoncrawl


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Imagine the tiny village of Bethlehem 2000 years ago ...register your family with the census taker at the gate, walk the crowded streets, visit the bustling marketplace and talk with the vendors busy in their shops. Hear a story at the well, worship with the Rabbi in the Synagogue, but beware of the Roman soldiers who patrol the streets to keep order in this seemingly insignificant Judean town. See the shepherds watching their flocks under the winter sky.
Listen to the villagers talking in hushed voices about seeing angels and the birth of a very special baby. Keep your eyes and ears open to whatever miracles may occur. But don't plan to stay overnight - the Inn is full.
It isn't a play. It isn't a pageant. It is encountering Christ and the mystery of Christmas the way we believe it all began. And it's a free gift from KGPC to the community.
Want to be a part of the Walk?
Sign-up sheets are posted in the Connection Point. There's a job for you...yes, YOU...you could be one of the people preparing for telling the story (construction, set design, making soup, baking cookies), one of the people in costume in the story (speaking and non-
speaking parts available), or one of the people behind the scenes (costumes, kitchen helper, fellowship hall greeter, clean-up crew). Don't miss being a part of telling the most important story ever told. Contact us at email@example.com to let us know if you're interested or if you have any questions!
CHOW, or CHurch On Wednesday, is an opportunity to come together for food, fellowship and learning in the middle of the week. Dinner for all is at 5:30 pm with classes for all ages starting at 6:15 pm. If you'd like to sign up, please call the church office or visit our Connection Point - a gathering place for fellowship (and fresh coffee!) between services on Sundays near the Sanctuary. Dinner is $4 per person (family maximum of $15).
Held at KGPC, Vacation Bible School is something children and adults alike look forward to each summer! Check back in January 2017 for more information.
Stay tuned!
King's Grant Presbyterian Church
745 Little Neck Road
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23452
Contemporary Worship
Sunday School
Traditional Worship
Watch us Live!


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Posted by raz62 (220.127.116.11) on May 05, 2003 at 11:27:50:
First, hello to those of you I know from another Enneagram Board -- Pork, Leda, and I've seen Tiggy's name over there . . .
I'm a 4/3 Soc/sx and now, back at work, I can so perfectly see where it is that my actual day-to-day life is such a piece of sh!t even though I am performing at my end whatever it takes to achieve what I believe in my heart is the RIGHT life for me. I'm not talking about the endless pursuit for happiness, either, I am not naive enough for that. In fact the "in tune" life for me actually has moments of rage and of melancholy . . .
This is that gap that maybe Ayn Rand hints at in her novels . . . you know that you are following the right path, you know intuitively what the results should be -- indeed, in my sleep, my dreams are perfectly matched up to who I am and how it feels -- but then day-to-day life has this bullshit dull veneer over real feelings. It is like being trapped in some terrible Matrix and only once in awhile the Matrix fails for awhile and the real glorious world comes through and it is so great . . .
Now I will be specific 'cause I'm sure this all sounds nuts. (Maybe I am just like Blanche DuBois in Streetcar Named Desire although I have yet to resort to prostitution.)
First of all, I am either completely ignored (usually) or, only when someone needs something from me, treated like a stupid sucker who will do a $50K job for $30K just because I guess they think I'm so nice and stupid I won't say no. Well, I did say no this morning but added that I would do it if I got paid the same as the guy who was let go last week. The person asking me just kind of changed the subject after that.
When I was younger and especially in my undergrad days, I was treated with admiration by the males. Now, at 40, even though I feel like I am sexier than ever (I actually have full breasts now for one thing!), I am completely ignored. This seems to be a socio-economic class thing, too; the blue collar guys in my neighborhood (my significant other being one of them) DO give the little tell-tale glance when I'm out in public. But the white collar snots I work with (the same ones that underpay me!) completely ignore me and any other female who isn't young (under 30) and thin. For those females, they bend over backward and invite them to parties and business trips, even if I am more qualified (which I am) to actually assist someone on a trip with presentations and the like.
I had a terrible weekend -- I emailed a child support agency in my area about my son, who won't go to sleep before midnight no matter how active we keep him, and they never contacted me back, so I guess I'll have to call today; we were asked to leave our apartment by our landlord largely because of my son's behavior (he's 4 1/2); and then I heard the dowstairs tenant screaming that we were assholes and how stupid can we be, etc. etc., and my husband had to physically restrain me from running down the stairs and calling her out to fight. So instead I screamed at the top of my lungs, "you f-----g c-nt" about 10x down at her and we haven't heard a peep from her since. It turns out that the landlord told us that there is a leak from our pipe upstairs into her bathroom, which is totally the landlord's problem, not ours, but she has been believing that we are letting our sinks and tubs overflow all this time.
But the funny thing is, I felt better about who I was on the weekend -- like a warrioress protecting my family; plus it was a lovely weekend and we just hung out in parks and playgrounds the whole time -- than I do in this stupid work role I must fulfill just because we have bills to pay (and the pay never quite covers the bills I might add.) I can't stand being treated like an insignificant little nothing who is underpaid to boot.
Sorry sorry sorry to go on like this! I'm going to read some of the other posts now and hope that someone can comment on how you fix this -- how you get the bullshit out of your life and feel REALLY ALIVE (instead of having to reserve really alive for the damn weekend!)
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Despite all these positive signs, S&P has downgraded India�s short-term growth prospects because of two factors. First, the fiscal deficit at the Centre and state levels; and second, the lacklustre reform delivery on disinvestments and infrastructure. There are other factors that can be noted. Some of the major public financial institutions are in apparent chaos. Witness, the Unit Trust of India. The IFCI is also in trouble as is the Industrial Development Bank of India. All this suggests that the prospects of an orderly development of the financial sector in India have receded appreciably. It also seems likely that the much-vaunted reform promises of the budget will remain only on paper.
The finance minister, Mr Yashwant Sinha, has brushed aside the S&P�s evaluation as invalid. He has accused S&P of being too impatient. What Mr Sinha has overlooked is that his own credibility is running on an all-time low and this may have been a factor in the downgrading. The public perception is that Mr Sinha has been inept in his handling of the UTI. What is even more undeniable is that Mr Sinha has very little scope for initiating the policy measures needed to implement the reforms he promised in his budget speech. The budget scored nine of ten when he had announced it. The nine has now been turned upside down and looks more like a six. During the UTI debate, Mr Sinha passed the buck to Mr Manmohan Singh. But he has to accept responsibility for his failure to implement his own reforms. There is the growing apprehension that the present government has run out of steam. This perception together with the feeling that the finance minister is not only ineffective but also lacks vision are perhaps reflected in the BBB minus grade.
As the NSCN(I-M) has always insisted on the need to extend the ceasefire to all Naga-inhabited areas in the Northeast, it has also spoken of the need to keep its cadre in a �state of preparedness� in the event of the truce failing. To any observer of the Naga militancy, this is the obvious rhetoric and strategy to keep the cadre�s morale intact. As a matter of fact, it has often been alleged that sections of the NSCN(I-M) have taken advantage of the ceasefire to regroup and rearm themselves, just as its representative on the ceasefire monitoring committee has accused the security forces of violating the truce �ground rules�. It is always an �emergent� situation for militants. To read more into this because of the current controversy sounds like unwittingly ringing alarm bells.
The play could not have had a smoother run if all those present at the scene of action had been programmed by an info-tech wizard. There was of course a whispering campaign in the faction-ridden party against Atal Bihari Vajpayee, particularly by those who resented the concentration of too much power in the hands of his principal aides. But even as they occasionally leaked some of their snide remarks about the prime minister�s office to the media, they knew that Vajpayee�s exit from the government would plunge the Bharatiya Janata Party as well as the National Democratic Alliance into a leadership crisis.
The prime minister is a much harassed man, forced to give up, hold back or revise policy decision at the behest of one troublesome ally or another, who is concerned more about looking after their own constituents than about the problems facing the Centre and is acquiring a more ominous look every day. Yet he is also fully aware of his strength. Why then did he have to go through this show of threatening to resign and making the executive committee members implore him to stay on? The play-acting was certainly not designed to make the allies more amenable to discipline. It was meant more to silence voices of dissent in the BJP and in the sangh parivar, whose front organizations were closer to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh than to the BJP-led government.
The members of the BJP�s executive committee may have passed the loyalty test much to the satisfaction of the prime minister. Even so, such relief as it brings to him can be illusory so long as nothing is done about the sources of dissension in the party, and about increasingly strained relations between the BJP and other members of the sangh parivar. Much of the trouble can be traced back to the marked shift in the balance of power in the BJP where there has been a tilt in favour of the prime minister�s office, and in the parivar where the RSS has lost some of its old aura of authority and many of its front organizations feel that the government�s policies are eroding their support base.
The latter have indeed had a measure of success in stalling some of the government�s decisions. The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, for instance, played as active a role in opposing the proposed changes in labour laws, considered essential to the new phase of reforms, as any other trade union organization.
Apart from dissensions in its ranks, the BJP�s image has lost much of its lustre because of the government�s dismal record. Its disaster management � first in Orissa, then in Gujarat and now in both Orissa and Bihar � has been miserable, and on present showing it may take many years before the millions of victims are even partially rehabilitated. There are also other painful reminders of the ungovernability crisis assuming a new dimension. Manipur has been in a state of turmoil for over a month because of political mismanagement by the Centre.
There is no let-up in the many insurgencies which continue to disrupt life in the northeastern states. The progress made by the disinvestment programme has been extremely tardy. And there has been no serious thinking about putting in order the finances of the states, many of which have gone almost bankrupt. Winning a vote of renewed confidence from the executive committee of his party cannot compensate the prime minister for the damage done to his government�s image by its poor performance on almost every front.
The decision to hold a summit meeting at Agra with the Pakistan president, without any prior exploration of common ground, enabled General Musharraf to outwit the Indian government and abuse Indian hospitality to tell the world through a live television interview with Indian editors that the militants whom India dubbed as terrorists were in fact freedom-fighters and that the very adjective �cross-border� was a misnomer since the line of control in Kashmir was not an international border. Even now the prime minister says that the peace talks will continue. In the view of many observers the Agra summit, far from marking a fresh start in the search for peace, has queered the pitch for it.
Whatever chastening effect the prime minister�s threat to resign may have had temporarily on his own party, it has not made any difference to the attitude of his partners in the ruling alliance. Sanjay Nirupam, the member of parliament, who enraged him by charging his aides with involvement in the Unit Trust of India scandal, has not yet sent him the expected letter of apology, which was said to be part of the government�s understanding with the Shiv Sena leader, Bal Thackeray.
This is one more painful reminder to the prime minister of the kind of slippery customers he has to deal with. Nothing has indeed peeved him so much in recent weeks as the fact that the most hurtful attacks on him or his government have come from his own party, the sangh parivar and his coalition partners than from the Opposition groups.
The little drama he masterminded at the executive committee of his party may bolster up his self-image for a while, but that cannot prevent the harsh reality, compounded of the fast deteriorating economic situation at home and the external pressures implicit in the globalization process, from breaking in to remind him that the situation is getting out of control.
There was already ample evidence that, even as its allies were determined not to allow the BJP to gain further ground at their expense in the regions in which they were the dominating force, its base was shrinking even in its strongholds in Gujarat and the Hindi belt. For a party committed to welding the Hindus into a political community, it was therefore sheer panic which made it resort to further fragmenting the backward castes in Uttar Pradesh by fixing quotas for those at the very bottom in this group.
The fear and anxiety over the party�s poor showing in political management in the states under its control, however, are nothing compared to the alarm raised by the UTI scandal which is likely to alienate millions of middle class and poor families from the party. When the news about the largest mutual fund in the country freezing the repurchase of units under the US-64 scheme broke out, the finance minister, Yashwant Sinha, readily admitted that the buck stopped at his desk.
How can he now turn around and send the buck back to the UTI�s headquarters? To what precise degree the various financial institutions enjoy autonomy under the present dispensation may be a moot point. What has shocked the public no end is the way the ministry � which appoints the chief executives, the boards of directors or trustees, and exercises control over all public financial institutions � has disowned responsibility for any of them getting into serious trouble.
Everyone realized that at the time Yashwant Sinha had to undertake, for the first time, a bailout operation to spare the UTI the trauma of being faced with a crisis, that something needed to be done to reverse the pattern of investment of US-64 scheme funds. The all-important question which the finance ministry has yet to answer is why it failed to take any steps in the desired direction to avert the need for a second rescue package.
Do the rules of the political game as they have evolved over the years bar whatever government is in power from owning responsibility for any scandal involving large-scale defrauding of public funds, and gambling on the stock exchange with the savings of millions of families who often depend for their living in old age on a regular return on what they invest in government-managed financial institutions? It is perhaps appropriate that the fast accumulating non-performing assets in many nationalized banks and other financial institutions go hand in hand with a government which has turned politics itself into an art of non-performance.
On two previous occasions, Smith has given the benefit of doubt to players. Michael Slater was let off in the last India-Australia series despite showing dissent. Sri Lankan skipper, Sanath Jaisurya, also got away even after showing his bat to the umpire. Yet in the India-Australia series of 1998, Harbhajan Singh was penalized for showing dissent. In spite of showing dissent in an almost identical way while appealing, Damien Fleming walked off unhurt.
It is imperative that match referees and umpires be fair. If Ganguly is guilty of showing dissent, then Slater�s conduct is tantamount to rebellion. Yet Ganguly was punished and Slater was not. Is Smith that ignorant? There was a time when cricket used to be a gentleman�s game. Taking part in it was more important than winning. Intense competition and the involvement of high stakes � financial as well as emotional � have made the game more aggressive. Cricket is now a war without guns. The parties involved are naturally charged up. It is this situation that had prompted the introduction of independent third party institutions.
Penal actionIt is important for umpires to be careful, the third umpires doubly so. The match referees are like the higher courts. Their job is to ensure that no innocent gets punished because the damage done to one who has been wrongly punished cannot be undone.
The point is not Cammie Smith versus Sourav Ganguly. The point is match referee versus player. Institution versus individual. Everyone could make out that Ganguly�s conduct was a simple knee-jerk reaction, an appeal to the umpire that the ball had touched the bat. The umpire may have misread that for a dissent. But the match referee is in a more emotionally stable position. He has the advantage of tele-viewing and also of seeking an opinion. More important, he has the time to ponder. He cannot afford to err on such crucial matters.
There is not enough reason to think there was a motive behind Ganguly�s action. Penalizing the likes of Ganguly and Singh is merely victimizing an individual and his team for not mastering the art of sledging. The recent instance has certainly been a case of wrong judgment. And instances of wrong judgments in cricket are rising. Not only in the case of match referees, but in the case of umpires too.
Fall guy?Poor umpiring has often influenced the outcome of the game. There have been cases when third umpires have not even been consulted. And there have been instances where match referees have acted indiscreetly. The improvement in the quality of judgment that should have come with the advancement of knowledge and sophistication of technology is absent.
It is time the cricketing brains around the world tried to address this issue. One wrong judgment can cost a match, sometimes a series. There is a need to strengthen the third party institutions in the game so that players, people and performances do not suffer at the hands of those who are not playing. This calls for a big improvement in the quality of umpiring, especially since there is scope for it.
True, umpires are human, but people watching the match on the television are now in a position to make out the umpire�s mistakes. If an umpire is allowed to get away with a mistake on grounds of human fallibility, why should the players be regarded as infallible?
It should be kept in mind that the player is more involved, emotionally, in the game than the empire. No one is asking why Smith suspended Ganguly. All people want to know is why Slater or Jaisurya were not. Smith must answer, for the sake of cricket and the credibility of refereeing.
Moosaboni (with its outlets at Badiya, Banalopa and Patragora), Kendadih, Raka and Surda � spanning roughly 50 kilometres � changed the landscape of the Chhotanagpur hills, straddling the Subarnarekha and its network of tributaries. Townships mushroomed on the lush slopes of the undulating hills bordering the river and mining began in right earnest. A mammoth smelter at Moubhandar near Ghatshila sifted the rust-coloured dust mined from the pits for the �poor man�s gold.��
The open-cast mines yielded premium-grade copper that added grist to the roaring �hearths� at the neighbouring Tata Iron and Steel Company, the Heavy Engineering Corporation Limited and the units of the Steel Authority of India Limited, scattered over the Jharkhand-Orissa plains. Voluminous pipelines from Moubhandar to Jadugora, barely 30 km away, transported the �tailings� or copper ends to the next-door neighbour, the Uranium Corporation of India Limited for extraction of uranium isotopes.
The copper ran its course for 70 years, nourishing the sprawling Hindustan Copper Limited plant at Moubhandar. The Indian Copper Complex became the pivot on which the economy boomed at the micro-level. A subaltern axis of local contractors, traders, babus and the mafia reaped this harvest.
The fact that Ghatshila was the headquarters of the Dhalbhum sub-division accelerated the process of growth. An allied economy struck roots, providing hundreds of local tribals, Bengali, Bihari and Oriya migrants with alternative sources of sustenance. The green of the mountains blended perfectly with the laid back corporate culture of the protectionist era.
HCL splurged on the social sector, including key infrastructure projects like the Kumaramangalam bridge over the Subarnarekha (replacing an old causeway) and the Ghatshila College. The upmarket company clubs, luxury guest houses, swimming pools and tennis courts vied for honours with the neighbouring Tata facilities at Jamshedpur.
But the Nineties marked a watershed. The odds started outweighing the aces at the turn of the decade when the government flung open its doors to liberalization. Free trade re-scripted the copper story with a rather grim finale. Removal of protectionism, radical tax restructuring and a drastic slash in subsidies to ease imports and allow other players in the field took the wind out of Hindustan Copper�s sails.
The giant gasped for breath as the Birlas stormed the scene with cheaper concentrate imported from abroad, and Anil Agarwal of Starlite weaned away the best brains from Hindustan Copper. The Centre tucked away the silver spoon and asked it to generate its own resources. With no funds forthcoming, an orphaned and over-staffed HCL found it difficult to compete in the open market. High mining costs and spiralling overhead expenditure gnawed at its underbelly and the edifice crumbled. �We tried everything but it was difficult,�� rues a senior HCL official.
Moosaboni was the first to feel the �downsizing� heat and closed shop in 1998. The mine had emptied itself and operations became unviable. The ore quality degenerated and the company found it difficult to keep the pits running. The sprawling infrastructure gathered rust and an exodus stripped the township bare. Those who stayed back struggled to sustain on the voluntary retirement benefits.
The Moosaboni virus spilled over to Kendadih which fell like nine pins in 1999, followed by Rakha. For two years, it was attempted to keep Rakha operational, but the costs were forbidding. The Rakha mines breathed their last on June 30 this year. The 1,100-odd workers were bade a golden adieu and asked to retain their official quarters for two years. The mood at Surda, the lone functional mine, is sombre. The mazdoor union expects the axe any time.
Shrinking mining activity has crippled the local economy. Small-time contractors have taken to �scrap business�� to recoup their losses. The Bengali and Oriya traders are struggling to make ends meet. �My shop used to transact business of over Rs 8,000 a week, but now it barely manages to rake in Rs 2,000 per month,�� laments Swapan Nanda, a Rakha-based trader. A number of private schools, including the Central Academy at Surda, are thinking of closing down because of the high dropout rate.
Officials attribute the ICC�s plight to three factors � the glut in the domestic market flooded with cheap imports, rampant copper smuggling through the porous Indo-Nepal border in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and the government�s disinvestment policy. Since 1991, Birla Copper and Starlite began feeding the copper-based industries with cheaper concentrate forcing the HCL to do the same at ICC. It curtailed local operations and began importing ore from its Malajkhand mines in Madhya Pradesh. Depleting reserves provided the company with an excuse to shift focus.
A well-organized international copper smuggling racket added to ICC�s woes. The local ancillary units at Adityapur industrial complex in West Singhbhum sought recourse to smuggled copper from Nepal, sold at almost half the market price, since 1995. The smugglers took advantage of the lopsided Indo-Nepal trade pact and ferried back imported copper, which passed through India en route to Nepal (and over which India had no jurisdiction vide clauses in the the treaty) through the porous border. Though the HCL has represented its case in Delhi a number of times, India has yet to take it up at the bilateral level with Kathmandu.
Officials feel that there could have been an upswing in ICC fortunes had the Bihar government renewed the Chapri-Siddheshwar mine lease in 1989. In 1975, the HCL commissioned an Australian agency to carry out a feasibility study of the Chapri-Siddeshwar seam after the GSI discovered fresh copper deposit in the area. The survey, conducted at a cost of Rs 2 crore, revealed that the valley tucked in between Rakha, Kendadih and Surda was a virtual treasure trove. But the HCL required Rs 40 crore to open a channel and Rs 100 crore to get the mine operational. The Centre refused to cough up the amount. The lease expired in 1989 and the former Bihar chief minister, Laloo Prasad Yadav, decided to play dirty.
The Centre has drawn up a detailed disinvestment plan involving a number of key HCL units, including the ones at Khetri and Taloja. Officials fear that a similar fate awaits the ICC, which may end up the Balco way.
There is, however, still some hope. Streamlining manpower and cost-cutting drives are on a war-footing. The recipe for remedy is simple. If the workforce is reduced to 10,000 and the government comes forward with a bail-out package and disinvestment plans are kept on hold, the ICC can still become a viable unit for open competition. The ICC is even ready to hive off its infrastructure to private parties and develop the area for �eco-tourism��. Former employees may even be asked to buy the quarters at reasonable rates on the lines of the SAIL experiment.
The visions, though noble, are far-fetched, going by the fact that the Jharkhand government has yet to come up with a draft industrial policy. HCL�s story encapsulates the changing face of Jharkhand�s economy. Almost all the public sector units are on the verge of closure or face the chopping block of disinvestment. Be it HEC, Meckon or SAIL, the story is the same everywhere.
The house of the beleaguered Jharkhand chief minister, Babulal Marandi, is still in a state of flux. Sick public sector units figure low on his list of immediate priorities.
Traffickers entice victims to migrate voluntarily with false promises of good paying jobs in foreign countries as au pairs, models, dancers, domestic workers, etc. Traffickers advertise these phony jobs, as well as marriage opportunities abroad in local newspapers. Russian crime gangs reportedly use marriage agency databases and match-making parties to find victims.
In some cases, traffickers approach women or their families directly with offers of well-paying jobs elsewhere. After providing transportation and false documents to get victims to their destination, they subsequently charge exorbitant fees for those services, creating lifetime debt bondage.
While there is no single victim stereotype, a majority of trafficked women are under the age of 25, with many in their mid to late teens. The fear among customers of infection with HIV and AIDS has driven traffickers to recruit younger women and girls, some as young as seven, erroneously perceived by customers to be too young to have been infected.
Trafficking victims are often subjected to cruel mental and physical abuse in order to keep them in servitude, including beating, rape, starvation, forced drug use, confinement, and seclusion. Once victims are brought into destination countries, their passports are often confiscated. Victims are forced to have sex, often unprotected, with large numbers of partners, and to work unsustainably long hours. Many victims suffer mental break-downs and are exposed to sexually-transmitted diseases, including HIV and AIDS. They are often denied medical care and those who become sick are sometimes even killed.
An estimated 225,000 victims are trafficked from southeast Asia annually according to the United States state department. The growth of sex tourism in this region is one of the main contributing factors. Large-scale child prostitution occurs in many countries. Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines are popular travel destinations for �sex tourists�, including paedophiles, from Europe, North America, Japan, and Australia. Japan is the largest market for Asian women trafficked for sex, where some 150,000 non-Japanese women are involved. Half are from the Philippines and 40 per cent are from Thailand. Victims are also trafficked in increasing numbers to newly industrializing countries and regions, including Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong-Kong, and Thailand. Cross-border trafficking is prevalent in the Mekong region of Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the southern Yunan province of China. Vietnamese women are trafficked to China and Cambodia.
According to various NGO sources, hundreds of thousands of foreign women and children have been sold into the Thai sex industry since 1990, with most coming from Burma, southern China, Laos, and Vietnam, east Asia, especially Japan, is also a destination for trafficked women from Russia and eastern Europe. Victims from southeast Asia, especially China, Burma, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, are also sent to western Europe, the US, Australia, and the Middle East.
In south Asia, the US department of state estimates that some 150,000 victims are trafficked annually. The low status of women in some societies as well as the growth of sex tourism contribute significantly to trafficking in this region. Sri Lanka and India are the favoured destinations of sex tourists from other parts of the world.
Bangladesh and Nepal, the poorest countries in the region, are the main source countries. India and Pakistan are the key destination countries. Estimates of the number of Nepalese girls and young women lured or abducted to India for sexual exploitation each year ranges from 5,000 to 10,000.
Ashes to the right urnSir � The defeat of the English cricket team by the indomitable Australians for a record seventh consecutive time raises the important issue of whether the winners are justified in taking the original trophy back to their country or not. It is heartening to see that The Telegraph has raised this vital question because, at the end of it all, one should admit that the prime stake of the tournament is the coveted Ashes urn (�Aussie request for trophy turned down again�, Aug 7). As a close follower of the game, I think the Australians have earned the right to take the original trophy back home after giving the English quite a drubbing for the seventh consecutive year. Moreover, only in few sporting events like the Wimbledon � a British tournament again � is the winner unable to carry back the original trophy. If the Australians can assure the English cricket authorities about the safekeeping of the urn, there seems to be no reason why the English should continue with their tradition of keeping the Ashes trophy in the Lord�s museum.
In and out of BengalSir � To be a �brown sahib� is an Indian phenomenon and this is not confined to Bengal alone, as suggested by Ramachandra Guha in his article, �Rooted cosmopolitans� (July 22). In fact, imitating the colonial masters is a universal trend. There is also the desire to assimilate the positive side of a famous culture. Even the English once used to parrot the French. A Bengali is no exception to this rule, and this makes him no less an Indian or more a slave to Western culture than his fellow countrymen in other states of India.
The fondness for Russia and China among some Bengalis should be seen as a longing for an egalitarian society. Vietnam�s long battle against the United States attracted the support and respect of Bengalis. It is not just affairs outside the country that attract Bengali sympathy. The Narmada Bachao Andolan, for one, has drawn the attention of the people of the state. In fact, the celebrated writer-turned-activist, Arundhati Roy, who is fighting the case in court, exemplifies the best of the Bengali sense of internationalism.
While other states are conducting their crusade against foreigners from outside the state, West Bengal has still kept its doors open to non-Bengalis. This state has shown its generosity in matters that concerned other states as well. The huge amount of money collected by The Telegraph and Ananda Bazar Patrika for the victims of Gujarat and the cyclone affected people of Orissa proves this point.
Sir � Zahir Abbas in his letter has said that he will quit the city of joy when he discovered a communal bias among the people while looking for a rented house (�Shocking bias�, July 31). I would like to relate some of my own experiences. When I was unmarried, I found it very difficult to get a rented house in Calcutta and Baroda. The problem was my bachelor status. The other hurdle in getting a house in Gujarat was the fact that I was a Bengali. Most house-owners there are vegetarian and dislike the smell of fish.
The moral of the story is that religion is not the only thing people are biased against. Moving out of the city is not the solution. Moreover, let me remind Abbas that despite being a progressive society, London is still witnessing race riots.
More than a borderSir � The recent massacres in Doda are testimony to the fact that following the failure of the Agra summit, militants have stepped up the violence in the valley as a part of their never-ending jihad against India.
This country in fact is facing a catch-22 situation, particularly after the visit of Christina Rocca, the US assistant secretary of state for south Asia. She has laid the onus on India to establish peace with Pakistan at any cost. She feels that unless a dialogue is initiated with the Pakistan president, Pervez Musharraf, on the Kashmir issue, India cannot expect the general to rein in the militant outfits operating from Afghanistan for the cause of Kashmir. This is because it is essential the general keep the militant groups in good humour and show that he is lobbying for the Kashmir issue in order to survive in office.
Had we made some formal declaration at the conclusion of the Agra summit, it would have served as a basis for an agreement with the militants. That alone can help us work out a solution to this historical impasse, as India must realize.
Sir � The gruesome incident in Doda (�Massacre return in soft-target belt�, Aug 5) suggests the involvement of the Lashkar-e-Toiba. India and Pakistan are like two estranged siblings. Their decades-old rivalry has prevented them from realizing their full economic potential.
Both the countries should respect each other�s �territorial integrity and sovereignty�. But if Pakistan continues to encourage militants, it will become difficult for India to maintain the decorum.
At present, the relationship between India and Pakistan is at its worse. It would not be surprising if it deteriorates further. Pakistan should also look at the realities of the situation. It is necessary that it come down from its high horse and settle the border dispute with India amicably.
Destiny in their handsSir � Rajendra Singh of Rajasthan was named the winner of this year�s prestigious Ramon Magsaysay award. What has been acknowledged by the award is his commendable contribution to the revival of some rivers, dead for more than a decade. This was done to bring water to 45 parched villages in Alwar.
In an interview to a television channel, Singh pointed out that the government�s fixation with large projects had led to the neglect of smaller and cheaper projects. These call for people�s participation, and can actually help them.
Eager to read more about this marvel, I looked for the reports of this in the newspapers the next morning. I was disappointed. Barring one, which simply mentioned Singh as the winner of the award, there were no details about the stupendous task the man had achieved in the desert. Till today, there has been no coverage given to this man in the most respected dailies of the country.
When we are facing floods and droughts every year, pumping crores of rupees into mega projects without achieving the results, isn�t it the responsibility of the media to give the widest coverage possible to the sincere and successful efforts of people like Singh?
I request the media, especially the newspapers, to widely publicize the trend-setting works done by Singh and others like him. Let us Indians change our own destiny.
Letters to the editor should be sent to:


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Sempra LNG Signs Capacity Agreement with Merrill Lynch
Sempra LNG has executed a capacity agreement with Merrill Lynch to bring natural gas to the US Gulf Coast.
The 15-year full-service capacity agreement gives Merrill Lynch Commodities the capability to import 3.7 million tonnes of LNG per year, the equivalent of 500 million cubic feet per day, through Sempra LNG's Cameron LNG receipt terminal near Lake Charles, La. The agreement is contingent upon Merrill Lynch Commodities finalizing its LNG supply arrangements.
Depending upon the timing of Merrill Lynch Commodities' arrangements, Sempra LNG would have the flexibility to service the capacity agreement from either the first phase of Cameron LNG's development, to be completed in 2008, or its proposed expansion, which could be completed in 2010.
"We are pleased to have signed this terminal capacity agreement with a company as respected and well-known as Merrill Lynch Commodities," said Darcel Hulse, president of Sempra LNG. "Their knowledge of the marketplace confirms Cameron LNG's position as a strategic gateway for LNG supplies into the United States."
Sempra LNG has received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to commence the mandatory pre-filing process to expand the company's Cameron LNG receipt terminal's throughput capacity to 2.65 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (Bcfd) from 1.5 Bcfd. The initial construction phase of Cameron LNG is underway. Construction for the expansion could begin as early as next year.
In 2005, Sempra LNG announced it had executed a 20-year agreement to provide Eni S.p.A., one of the world's leading oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, with approximately 600 million cubic feet per day of capacity in the Cameron LNG receipt terminal. The combined Eni and Merrill Lynch terminal capacity agreements account for approximately 1.1 Bcfd of natural gas through the Louisiana facility.
Sempra LNG's Energia Costa Azul terminal in Baja California, Mexico, began construction in March 2005 and is on schedule to be operational by early 2008. Sempra LNG's third LNG receipt terminal, Port Arthur LNG, near Port Arthur, Texas, is in the final stages of permitting and could be operational in 2009.
- TransCanada Wins Mexico Pipeline Auction as Sempra Disqualified (Apr 08)
- US Approves Exports From Sempra's Cameron LNG Terminal (Feb 11)
- El Paso to Sell Mexican Pipeline Assets (Feb 24)
Company: Merrill Lynch more info
- Merrill Lynch Extends Option for PNG's Western B.C. System (Jan 07)
- Teekay, Merrill Lynch to Develop Kitimat FLNG Vessel (Mar 13)
- Imperial Signs Standby Equity Commitment up to $600M (Apr 02)


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But fear not - there is plenty to explore...Shop all Dakine Shop sale Dakine
Every now and then you find yourself in a position where your bindings or whatever come loose. Without risking your own safety to make it to the tuning shop down at the lodge or back home, you might as well carry something like the DaKine Fidget Tool. Small enough to fit in your pocket, the Fidget Tool is perfect for quick-tightening on the fly. With a handful of helpful bits, you can count on this little bugger to get the job done.
#2 Philips
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3/32" Hex
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Very small
Keychain loop


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The Complete Range of 'Food Packaging Online'!
Food Packaging Online has the best range of disposable Food Packaging supplies to source and order online with the click of a button. Simply click on one of the 5 categories above - Bags | Containers,Trays | Cups | Napkins,Wraps | Plates, Cutlery & More.
Coffee Shops, Cafe's and Takeaway Stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, ACT & Australia-wide now can source supplies from a huge range of Paper Coffee Cups including Single Wall, Double Wall, Ripple or Triple Wall and Eco Paper Coffee Cups. Plus a great range of Black or White, Flat, Sipper, or Biodegradable Lid options to match. Suppliers of Paper & Plastic Containers for takeaway. Add to your cart all your accessory packaging products with ease, including Cup Trays, Plastic Cutlery, Napkins, Wraps and Paper Bags and Plastic Bags.


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940 Avenue Ogilvy
Montréal, Québec H3N 1P4
Toll Free: 1-855-310-8082
Tel: (514) 495-8082
Fax: (514) 495-8872
Opening Hours:
Monday to Saturday 8:30am to 4:30pm
Sunday 8:30am to 4:00pm
Founded in 1928 by a funeral service entrepreneur who gave it his name, the M.A. Blythe Bernier Funeral Home was acquired in 1992 by Mount Royal Commemorative Services.
Located in Park Extension, Blythe Bernier has been an integral part of the community since its founding. Working with the churches in the area and community organizations, Blythe Bernier has contributed countless hours that have assisted in the growth of Park Extension. With counsellors who speak many different languages, the staff at Blythe Bernier works diligently to personalize funeral services to satisfy the ethnic diversity in the community.
The design and décor of the funeral home is intended to provide a simple, home like atmosphere for families. Comfortable lounges, visiting rooms and refreshment facilites are available for your use.
The Blythe Bernier Funeral Home is also the location of the 1-800-Cremation service which is available for those who desire only cremation services without the use of any other funeral home facilities or staff. This is a regional service and is intended to provide families access to basic, direct cremation services that are simple, dignified and affordable. Please visit the web site to determine if these services might be right for you.


text: I have a very good customer who told me today she is very upset with Fedex. She said that they've been shipping contracts out in fedex letters for years and have always been charged the letter rate. She said she opened the bill today and found they are now charging by weight over 8 ounces. I told her this was news to me and that I've always been under the assumption that if it fits in the letter, it goes at letter rate. She talked to customer service and they told her they are now auditing all letters. Great job Fedex, to provide more revenue, you're going to screw good longtime customers. She apologized to me and said her boss wants her to switch to UPS!


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Wedding veil is the renowned and important wedding accessory for British brides. These veils are worn with their white bridal dress on their wedding day. These veils are designed with head wrapping with stylish way and cover face with this veil. These veils are made with net and lacy material. Wedding veils glimpse the charm of British bride.
Guipure Lace Edge Wedding Veil ready with high quality lace material of United Kingdom. These veils are designed with flower, petals, and lining pattern. Brides are like these veil and worn on their wedding functions.
Guipure Lace Edge Wedding Veil adds captivating charm and giving versatile look. There are back fall style veil, flowery lace edge design veil, lacy veil design with hair accessory, leaves pattern lacy veil, front covering veil design, tiny lace edge veil style, dress matching veil design, hair pin attached veil.
Guipure Lace Edge Wedding Veil adds the charm with mermaid, trumpet, sheath, ball and A-line gowns. These veils are giving glamorous look and enhancing the beauty of bridal costumes.


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That would make sense but...
Border Patrol Agent
Brian A. Terry
United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Wednesday, December 15, 2010
April 16, 2009 JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND PRESIDENT FELIPE CALDERÓN OF MEXICO
ATF has already admitted on record that they did not inform any Mexican authorities and didn't even tell any ATF agents stationed in Mexico. If 0bama told Calderon what was going on Calderon kept it to himself.
Yup, but it wasn't Fast And Furious that Calderon was briefed in on. They were told that the US would be instigating a new program and would be cracking down on US citizens. That was the last the Mexicans heard until they discovered the F&F guns.


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Nes Ziona, Israel – April 1, 2014 – BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd (TASE: BNDX), developer of a universal flu vaccine, announced today that its Board of Directors has approved initiation of the process for listing the Company's shares for trading in the US through American Depository Receipt (ADR).
The Company will act to register an ADR Level 1 Over-The-Counter (OTC), which does not include the option for public offerings in the US (without additional registration). The Company's key goals are to increase the visibility of the Company and its game changing technology to the public and analysts globally, facilitate access to professional and institutional investors, increase the volume of trading and, more generally, maximize its value for shareholders.
Dr. Ron Babecoff, BiondVax's CEO: "So far, the universal flu vaccine being developed by the Company was demonstrated to be safe and active against seasonal and pandemic flu strains in four human clinical trials, and to match newly emerging strains. Now, as we focus on seeking commercial agreements with governments around the world or strategic partners, we have decided to make our shares accessible also to US investors and broaden awareness of BiondVax's successes."


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A master sommelier's selection
If you truly want to experience Winteringham Fields to the fullest, we recommend indulging in our sommelier's exclusive selection.
Personally handpicked and introduced to you by our master sommelier, our bespoke by-the-glass wines perfectly balance, refresh and intensify each stage of your three, six or eight-course journey.
We also offer an extensive wine list, where you'll find all the classic favourites and vintage delicacies you would expect, as well as hidden treasures you're yet to experience.
5-glass lunch selection: £45pp
7-glass dinner selection: £69pp
The perfect pairing
Our experienced fromager will talk you through our array of artisanal and farmstead cheeses, recommending the perfect selection to suit your taste and wine choice.
Cheese trolley: £12pp (lunch and dinner)
Swap dessert for cheese: £6pp (lunch only)
Glass of port: £8pp


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A friend at work ask me if I would make her family custom Disney shirts.
Photo Fabric Paper (for inkjet printer)
Embroidery Stabilizer
Embroidery Thread
Wonder Under (Applique Webbing)
We found the perfect graphic and cheap on Etsy at:
She is currently moving so her shop is in vacation mode, but she has the best graphics at the most reasonable prices.
You will want to take into consideration the color of your graphics when choosing the color of your T-Shirts. You can also print a test of your graphic.
The first thing you want to do is Embroider your names, When working with knit make sure you get the sturdiest stabilizer you can. I used the medium weight and cut a piece the whole size of my hoop, so there was no shifting. This is the only way I have figured out to not get any of the knit puckering that happens with knit fabric. Also if you have never sewn names on a shirt here is a tip: Start the name just a bit to the side of the center of the shirt. I once did names on shirts and started them where the neck opening ends and some of the names ended up in peoples armpits.
Then Print your image on the Photo Fabric following the directions on the Photo Fabric package. Specially in regards to direction of loading the paper into your printer. There are different types of Fabric I noticed that the Poplin fabric works best with the knit fabric, the Twill fabric package wasn't as light and weighed the knit down.
The directions tell you to rinse the fabric after the printing is dry, to rinse off excess ink.
Once they are dry you want to iron them to the Wonder Under. The Pellon Heavy-Duty one is the one I always use, some of the cheaper stuff doesn't stick as well, but I guess you could use the cheaper stuff because in this case you are going to be stitching the fabric down.
Also I don't cut the image before putting the wonder under on, it just makes it so much easier to cut a square of wonder under than to have to cut the fabric image then trace the image then cut the wonder under image, So much cutting that way. Just cut a square, iron it, and then cut the image out.
You then peel off the Wonder Under backing and iron the graphic to the Shirt.
Then you are going to sew a zig zag stitch all around the graphic. Take some fabric and practice with the different Stitch Widths and Stitch Lengths until you get a stitch you like.
I stitched completely around the image but you can stitch around the different parts, like the hat, the face circle and then the ear circles and so on.
It took awhile to get them all done, but I must say they look pretty good. I might make some for when my daughter gets home from her mission.
Let me know if you have any questions about any part of the process.
~SoniaPin It


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February 1016, 2017Chicago Premiere
Sophie and the Rising SunBuy tickets
Film Fest
"[A] gentle-hearted romantic drama that succeeds most winningly as a study of resilient female fellowship"
"Sensitively crafted... [filmmaker Maggie Greenwald] gives us four supremely gifted performers striking complex notes as women living in comparatively benighted times"
Chicago Tribune
Set in the autumn of 1941, Sophie and the Rising Sun tells the dramatic story of interracial lovers swept up in the tides of history in a South Carolina fishing village. As World War II rages in Europe a wounded Asian stranger, Mr. Ohta (Takashi Yamaguchi), appears in town under mysterious circumstances. Sophie (Julianne Nicholson) quickly becomes transfixed by Mr. Ohta and their friendship blossoms into a delicate and forbidden courtship. As their secret relationship evolves, the war tragically escalates when Pearl Harbor is bombed, and a surge of misguided patriotism, bigotry and violence begins to divide everyone and Ohta becomes even more of a target. Sophie, along with the town matriarch and her housekeeper risk their lives to save him.
Filmmaker Maggie Greenwald (The Ballad of Little Jo, Songcatcher) returns with an elegant historical drama and moving love story.
Directed Maggie Greenwald, U.S.A., 2016, 116 mins.
- Fri., Feb. 10 at 7 & 9:15 pm
- Sat., Feb. 11 at 5:30 & 7:45 pm
- Sun., Feb. 12 at 1, 3:15, 5:30 & 7:45 pm
- Tues.Thurs., Feb. 1416 at 7 & 9:15 pm
$10 general admission
The Facets Cinémathèque is located at 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. in Chicago. Call the Cinémathèque Hotline at 773.281.4114 for the latest schedule, showtimes and updates.
For all Cinémathèque inquiries, contact Charles Coleman at 773.281.9075 or email@example.com.


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Here's everyone's favorite lingerie model, Carla Ossa, hitting us with a wave of drool-inducing sexiness in a whole slew (thirty-seven to be exact) of brand new lingerie photos, and as you cam probably already tell, these photos are some of her sexiest yet… and that's saying something! Actually, that's saying too much; stop reading this and go enjoy the ridiculously sexy photos!
Related Posts:
Jessica Biel Busts Out Her Bodacious Bikini Curves
New Selena Gomez Bikini Pictures, Woohoo!


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Courtney Shae Robinson
- 29 years old
- Date of birth: Dec 24, 1985
- Date of passing: Sep 24, 2015
|Let the memory of Courtney be with us forever
This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Courtney Robinson, 29, born on December 24, 1985 and passed away on September 24, 2015. We will remember her forever.
Memorial Tributes
"This was my daughter from another mother. Love her to the moon and back and miss her terribly bad every day. I think it is still just a bad nightmare or one of her crazy jokes she would pull just to see who really loved her"
"My sister, my ride or die, my best friend"
"I miss you"
"The last time i saw you, was one the best memories of my life.."
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text: Previous Post | Next Post Anti-Money Laundering Compliance: A Growing Concern Posted By Kevin Kim || 5-Oct-2015 By Kevin Kim, Associate Attorney Wall Street institutions and retail banks are not the only targets for money launderers. Real estate loans are one of the top schemes used by criminals, fraudsters and money launders as an end to execute their plans. Banks and other institutional financial institutions dedicate substantial resources to ensure they are not taken advantage of by these types of schemes. Lately, criminals have been targeting private businesses as a means to launder their money. For example, in 2014, the FBI, IRS and US Treasury Department uncovered a multimillion dollar money laundering scheme in downtown Los Angeles' fashion district in which drug money had been laundered through retail and wholesale fashion businesses . In 2012, the U.S. Treasury Department, through the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network ("FinCEN") expanded the applicability of the Bank Secrecy Act ("BSA") and Anti-Money Laundering ("AML") regulations to include loan and financial institutions including non-bank residential mortgage loan originators ("Lenders"). This expansion imposes specific BSA and AML protocols to any Lender who makes or acquires loans secured by deeds of trust or mortgages on residential properties. This includes mortgage Lenders, bridge Lenders, and other investment purpose loans secured by residential property. Lenders are at clear risk for money laundering, fraud and tax evasion. In general loans provide a straightforward and simple artifice to launder money. Seemingly normal applicants will apply for a purchase loan to acquire property, inject a large sum of money for a down payment, and make regular payments; unbeknownst to the lender, the borrower is laundering ill-gotten money through the loan in the form of loan payments. Alternatively, the borrower may try making cash payments to evade taxes. Many private Lenders are unaware that their borrowers could be criminals, money launderers or using their financing to evade taxes. For these reasons, the Treasury Department expanded the BSA / AML regulations in light of these risks. Specifically, FinCEN imposed these obligations on Lenders because Lenders, like banks, are at risk for fraud, money laundering, tax evasion and even criminal / terrorist financing. Many criminal and terrorist organizations can defraud Lenders by creating seemingly legitimate businesses and obtain substantial sums from Lenders and other financial institutions. One of the simplest schemes is to acquire a home or borrow against a home acquired with ill-gotten money. Another way is to make loan payments with ill-gotten money. This allows them to eliminate their "dirty money" and in return obtain "clean money" from the Lender. However, Lenders, like banks, are in a unique position to identify and assess money laundering risks and fraud because they work closely with the borrower when preparing due diligence and the underwriting for the loans. For these reasons, FiNCEN requires Lenders to establish AML compliance programs ("AML Program"), train their employees on money-laundering and fraud, and file suspicious activity reports ("SAR") with FinCEN. Identifying Money Laundering / Fraud and Reporting Suspicious Activity Money launderers and fraudsters will use various artifices to launder their illicit funds through a loan secured by residential property. Traditionally, many Lenders associate mortgage fraud with borrowers who intend on defrauding the Lender; for example, using a dishonest appraiser, misrepresenting their ownership, or simply absconding with loan funds and abandoning the property. Experienced Lenders will be able to easily identify most instances of mortgage fraud, and have already taken the necessary steps to insulate themselves. However, money launderers also target Lenders to utilize real estate loans as a means to launder their illicit funds. For example, launderers will often use straw men borrowers to lend their identities for purposes of obtaining a loan. In these types of laundering schemes, everything appears to be legitimate. Payments are made on a regular basis and the bank accounts are legitimate. However, in reality, the payments are illicit funds and the strawman borrower will usually sell, refinance or rent the secured property to produce "clean" money. Finally, the most common means of money laundering and tax evasion is by making loan payments. Loan payments in cash, series of money orders, checks or other forms of payment are often ways to launder money or to avoid taxes. The borrower will often structure the payments to avoid suspicion from the financial institution or banks. According to FinCEN's AML regulations, Lenders must report suspicious transactions that involve $5,000 or more (in the aggregate or individually) by filing an SAR with FinCEN's BSA e-filing system. This threshold can be confusing at times. Some Lenders have inquired whether this applies to all transactions exceeding $5,000.00. This is not the case. Loan and finance companies are only required to file SARs for transactions that are suspicious in nature and that exceed $5,000. Suspicious transactions are typically those transactions that are designed to commit or assist in tax evasion, identity theft, and fraud. Thus, if a Lender suspects any activity by a borrower, or third party involved in the loan transaction to be indicative of mortgage fraud, general fraud, tax evasion, money laundering and/or criminal activity, the Lender is obligated to report it by filing an SAR. There are certain red flags that will tip off Lenders that their loans are actually being used to launder illicit money. The most common is structuring. Structuring refers to a money laundering tactic used to evade BSA reporting requirements by breaking up a single sum of money into amounts that are below the threshold for reporting. It is used to avoid taxes, avoid detection of fraud, and potentially avoid detection of illicit funds. A simple example of structuring that applies to Lenders is a borrower delivers a balloon payment in the form of twenty money orders for $1,800 each issued on different dates. Money order issuers are obligated to file reports for all money orders over $2,000. Thus, when the borrower purchased the money orders, it is unlikely the money order issuer would have filed any reports, especially if the borrower went to multiple locations to make purchase such money orders. Thus, the Lender is obligated to file an SAR because the payment appears to show the intent that the borrower sought to avoid money servicing reporting requirements for money orders exceeding $2,000.00 and presents suspicious activity consistent with fraud or tax evasion. Another example is borrowers who deliver loan payments exceeding $5,000 in cash over three days. Although it is not a single payment, it exceeds the aggregated threshold of $5,000 in a period of time that creates suspicion as to the source of the loan payment. Additional red flags that can hold Lenders identify suspicious activities are as follows: · An undercapitalized single purpose entity. · Indications or behavior that the parties are not acting on their own behalf and are trying to hide the identity of the actual borrower. · Borrower is not interested in improving the terms of the loan. · Large cash down payments that exceed $10,000 in cash (requires SAR for cash transaction) · Certificates of Deposits used to secure a loan. · Recent large deposits on bank statements prior to loan application. · Frequent and repeated problem loan payoff, especially if in cash. · Large wire transfers from unrelated sources. · Borrower identification discrepancies including handwriting discrepancies. · Lack of arms-length transaction: Seller is broker or relative or employer. · Excessive real estate commission · Irregularities in employment and income documentation such as even dollar amounts in past year earnings, inconsistent employment documentation (W-2s, employer contact, etc). Lenders that are unsure whether a specific transaction presents suspicion, it is strongly advised that the Lender contact a banking and finance attorney that can assess the situation and provide the necessary guidance as to filing a SAR. Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Programs FinCEN also requires all loan and finance companies, including Lenders to create and implement an anti-money laundering internal compliance program which establishes certain company guidelines dictated by FinCEN. The core tenets of an AML program are the following: (1) establish internal controls and procedures compliance with AML regulations; (2) designate a compliance officer; (3) compliance training; and (4) independent testing. Internal Controls and Procedures. FinCEN regulations require Lenders to establish anti-money laundering policies, procedures and internal controls that are proportionate with the size and complexity of the Lender and should be based on the risks associated with its products, customers and services provided. The company should regularly review and update this internal policy and keep an updated manual. This will not only comply with FinCEN regulations, but it will give management an indispensable tool to identify and mitigate financial risks. Some core functions that should be included in an AML program include: establishing a customer identification program, creating a records retention program, and establishing a due diligence program to ensure high risk transactions, customers and activities are avoided, reported and stopped. Compliance Officer and Training. Lenders must also designate a compliance officer to ensure the company's AML Program is properly deployed, maintained and followed. This includes monitoring borrowers, brokers, agents and employees to ensure the AML program is implemented effectively. The compliance office must also train other key employees such as loan officers and underwriters concerning the risks and indicators of money laundering. Independent Testing. BSA/AML regulations also require that independent testing or audits be conducted by an internal audit department or qualified independent third party to test for specific compliance with BSA /AML regulations and evaluate internal risk control mechanisms and compliance with the AML Program, such as customer/borrower identification methods, record retention, and SAR filing. Implications Many Lenders may view FinCEN's BSA and AML regulations as burdensome or against the interest of their borrowers. Some may feel filing SARs are the same as reporting their borrowers to the authorities. This is not the case. Filing an SAR does not automatically result in a criminal or regulatory investigation. Furthermore, filings are held in confidence by FinCEN. However, failure to file SARs and/or report suspicious activity could result in penalties if the Lender was aware of fraud and it went unreported. Penalties for Non-Compliance Many Lenders and other financial institutions are unaware they are subject to BSA/AML regulations. Some disregard the requirements because it is inconvenient and others disregard them because it is cost prohibitive. FinCEN has dictated specific penalties for non-compliance. Further, they can be applied retroactively. In other words, if FinCEN discovers fraud and/or money-laundering that implicates Lenders, FinCEN can impose civil penalties up to $1,000 per day for each day of non-compliance. Willful violations may result in civil penalties of up to $100,000 for the RMLO, its owners, officers and possibly its employees. Furthermore, any property involved in a transaction or traceable to the proceeds of the criminal activity including property secured as collateral for a loan, can be seized and/or subject to forfeiture. Unfortunately, Lenders that do not establish these BSA/AML protocols will be unaware of any money-laundering or fraudulent activity until it is too late. Not only does this risk civil penalties, but they risk complete forfeiture of collateral and potential criminal penalties. For these reasons, it is strongly advised that all Lenders establish the required AML program and get in the practice of filing SARs. FinCEN has created a website dedicated to non-bank mortgage companies and brokers to assist with complying with the BSA/AML regulations. Conclusion Financial institutions are all subject to risks of fraud and money-laundering. Lenders are no different. As the primary means of residential financing, Lenders are high risk targets for mortgage fraud and money laundering. To ensure Lenders comply with the BSA/AML regulations, they must establish an AML program that includes a regularly updated manual on AML regulations and SAR filings; and they must ensure they file SARs for various types of suspicious transactions or activity. These basic requirements will ensure the Lender is well equipped to identify, report and avoid potential fraudulent activity including money-laundering and mortgage fraud. Furthermore, federal law provides protection for Lenders from civil liability for all reports of suspicious transactions made to the appropriate authorities, regardless of whether such reports are filed pursuant to the SAR instructions. Creating the compliance program, updating the manual, educating employees and filing SARs can be a confusion and daunting task. Geraci Law Firm's banking and finance attorneys can assist you in establishing your compliance program, educating your employees and even filing SARs on your behalf. We have the expertise necessary to identify money laundering activities, fraudulent transactions and potentially dangerous borrowers. For more information, please contact Geraci Law Firm. Categories: Insights, News, Private Money Lending, Business Purpose Loans, Lending, Mortgage Fund, Anti-Money Laundering, Fraud, Compliance, Real Estate Mortgage Pool Share Post X 5 Keys to Your First Mortgage Fund Name is Required Name is Required Email is Required Email is Required Invalid Email Address Download PDF


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Veterans and Mesothelioma, Asbestos Related Lung Cancer, Veterans Mesothelioma Assistance Lawyers
Our mesothelioma lawyers are helping veterans find justice for exposure to asbestos.
Veterans With Mesothelioma,
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there are currently about 25 million living individuals who have served in the United States' Armed Forces. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of these living veterans were exposed to toxic asbestos-containing materials during military service. This has resulted in an elevated rate of asbestos-related diseases in veterans.
Attention Veterans
Our Veterans Assistance Mesothelioma Lawyers are here to help veterans who have been exposed to asbestos and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Veterans & Asbestos Exposure
Widely used by every military branch, asbestos was highly regarded for its heat resistance and fireproofing capabilities. In fact, asbestos was so valued that the military even mandated widespread usage before eventually phasing out the material in the 1970s. As a result, veterans who served between 1940 and 1970 have a risk of developing asbestos-related illnesses. Additionally, Navy personnel and workers employed in shipyards from the 1930s through the 1970s hold a greater risk of developing a disease caused by asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma Air Force
Army service related mesothelioma
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Marines mesothelioma
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Receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis is difficult since many of the symptoms are indicative of other conditions. Early warning signs such as persistent cough, night sweats, and fever are frequently misdiagnosed as pneumonia or influenza, affording the cancer the opportunity to develop and spread throughout the body.
Mesothelioma treatment for asbestos-related illnesses varies depending on the condition. Thankfully, there are organizational resources for veterans that can offer assistance with the complications associated with asbestos-related illness.
VA Claims and Other Veteran Benefits
Veteran Benefits
Veterans are allowed to apply for Veteran Affairs (VA) benefits for asbestos-related diseases, and the resources at Asbestos.com can assist veterans in applying for benefits. Initially, a veteran must provide proof that their disease is asbestos-related and that exposure occurred during military service.
If a veteran cannot prove their asbestos exposure is limited and isolated to their military service, they can seek compensation from asbestos manufacturers to help pay for treatment.
Currently, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs recognizes mesothelioma as a service-connected medical condition. However, even if a veteran has been diagnosed with mesothelioma (of which nearly 100 percent of all cases are caused by asbestos exposure), the VA may not approve their claim for disability compensation for various reasons.
The following resources offer more information about VA claims, benefits and eligibility requirements for veterans:
Talk to a Veteran About Your Claim VA Benefits FAQs VA Claim Myths
Asbestos.com offers free assistance with filing your VA claim and can make the process much easier. Our Veterans Assistance Department offers extensive experience in filing VA claims and can help any veteran coping with mesothelioma. For more information or free assistance regarding VA benefits, programs and eligibility, please call 800-590-1922 or contact our Veterans Assistance Department by filling out the form on this page.
Asbestos Products
More than 300 products containing asbestos were used by the military, primarily by the Navy from the 1930s through the 1970s. Every ship and shipyard built by the Navy before the mid-70s was fitted with numerous asbestos-containing materials. Below is a list of products containing asbestos that were commonly used by the military:
Boilers Floor & Pipe Coverings
View more products containing asbestos
Asbestos in Ships & Shipyards
Asbestos Exposure in Ships
Virtually no portion of a naval ship was asbestos-free between the '30s and mid-70s, making Navy veterans and shipyard workers one of the most at-risk groups for developing asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos-containing materials were extensively used in engine and boiler rooms and other areas below deck for fire safety purposes, but all former sailors are at risk because the dangerous mineral was also used in navigation rooms, sleeping quarters and mess halls.
If you or a loved on has mesothelioma contact our mesothelioma helpline today.
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December 2004: Swift analysis software available for downloadData analysis software for the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer mission is now available for download as part of the HEASoft software suite. For more information about the Swift v1.0 software, see the software Release Notes.
December 2004: fv FITS viewer/editor updated to v4.1.4The HEASoft FITS file viewer/editor software fv has been updated to the latest version v4.1.4. This is a bug fix version to fix issues in v4.1.3.
December 2004: CALDB v2.29 available for downloadThe latest version of the Chandra calibration database (v2.29) is now available for download from LEDAS.
October 2004: INTEGRAL catalogs added to ARNIE5Support for the ESA gamma-ray/X-ray/optical observatory mission INTEGRAL has been added to ARNIE5. The following INTEGRAL catalogues are now included:-
October 2004: Enhanced CGI access to DSS image service
Users can now access the DSS service directly,
by submitting a URL of the form:-
the parameters are as follows:-
and generate images directly in FITS format:-
October 2004: DSS Batch service supports DSS-II requestsThe Digitised Sky Survey batch request service (which allows up to 15 images to be requested at the same time) now supports the second-generation DSS-II service, providing higher-resolution images in three colour bands.
September 2004: PIMMS, WebPIMMS upgraded to v3.6aThe interactive X-ray mission simulator software PIMMS has been upgraded to the latest version v3.6a. This version contains updated XMM-Newton RGS and EPIC effective area curves, in preparation for XMM AO-4. A bug in the model parser has been corrected, now allowing NH to be specified when file-based models are used as second (etc.) components of a composite model.
August 2004: LEDAS staff at eScience meetingLEDAS staff will be attending the e-Science All Hands Meeting at the EMCC, Nottingham from 31st August to 3rd September 2004.
July 2004: PIMMS v3.5 available for downloadThe interactive X-ray mission simulator software PIMMS has been updated to the latest version v3.5. This current release includes Astro-E2 effective area curves, suitable for Cycle 1 proposals. It also includes an XRS-specific routine to estimate the grade fractions.
July 2004: CIAO 3.1 and CALDB 2.27 available for downloadThe latest version of the Chandra data reduction software (CIAO 3.1) and calibration database (CALDB 2.27) are now available for download from LEDAS.
June 2004: Chandra Cas A 1-Ms observation data available for downloadAll observation data associated with the Chandra 1-megasecond exposure on Cas A have been made public, and are now available for download via ChaSeR or anonymous FTP from LEDAS. The long observations have been split so that individual event files are under 2GB in size, but the total data volume including all Level 2 event files is very large (approx. 20GB). Note that analysing these files will take substantial resources in time, storage and compute power.
June 2004: HEAsoft updated to version 5.3.1
The latest version of the HEASARC X-ray data reduction/analysis software package HEAsoft (version 5.3.1) is now available for download. HEASoft 5.3.1 contains FTOOLS 5.3.1, fv 4.1.2, XIMAGE 4.2.1, XRONOS 5.21, XSPEC 11.3.1 and XSTAR 2.1k. See the Release Notes for the changes since the last major HEAsoft release (5.3).
June 2004: ARNIE5 catalogue update pageThe ARNIE5 database system is now updated on a daily basis using source data from HEASARC. To see the most recently updated tables in ARNIE5, please consult the Catalogue Update page.
May 2004: VOPlot plotting tool updated to v1.2.1The ARNIE5 database browser has an interactive plotting utility VOPlot, originally written by Persistent Systems under the aegis of the VO-India project. VOPlot has now been upgraded to the latest version v1.2.1 which provides a large number of new options for display and numerical analysis of search results. For more information, see the VOPlot User Guide.
May 2004: LEDAS now has local copy of DSS-IIThanks to the support of the Space Telescope Science Institute, LEDAS has now acquired a local copy of the approx. 800GB Digitised Sky Survey II (DSS-II) image archive. This will improve the speed and reliability of queries to the DSS-II image service.
May 2004: ARNIE5 enhanced, now contains 340 cataloguesThe LEDAS database system ARNIE5 has been significantly enhanced, and now contains 340 catalogues (including the full set of public catalogue data provided by HEASARC). To view the list of catalogues supported by ARNIE5, please visit the ARNIE5 main page.
Mar 2004: Poster presented at NAM
presented a poster at the National Astronomy
Meeting in Milton Keynes, 29 Mar - 2 Apr 2004.
Mar 2004: CALDB updated to version 2.26The latest version of the Chandra calibration database (CALDB 2.26) is now available for download from LEDAS.
Feb 2004: PIMMS updated to v3.4a, Chandra Cycle 6 supportThe interactive X-ray mission simulator software PIMMS has been upgraded to the latest version 3.4a, which includes effective area curves for Chandra Cycle 6 proposals.
Feb 2004: BLASTA now supports UCAC2 catalogue
The search engine BLASTA now provides access to the Second USNO CCD Astrograph Catalog, a high density, highly accurate, astrometric catalog of 48,366,996 stars covering the sky completely from -90 to +40 degrees in declination. For more information, see the BLASTA UCAC2 help page.
Feb 2004: New version of Digitised Sky Survey service supports DSS-II
An enhanced version of the Digitised Sky Survey image service now supports the second-generation DSS (DSS-II), providing images in three colour bands, with optional coordinate grid overlays. Users are encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions for enhancements to this new service.
Feb 2004: 1XMM User Guide updated to version 1.3
The User Guide for the 1XMM Catalogue has been updated to version 1.3. The changes are summarised in the Guide's "Document Revision History".
Jan 2004: CIAO 3.0.2 and CALDB 2.25 available for download
The latest version of the Chandra data reduction software (CIAO 3.0.2) and calibration database (CALDB 2.25) are now available for download from LEDAS. The CIAO 3.0.2 patch version contains bug fixes to the Data Model library, Sherpa and a number of other CIAO tools. It also contains updated proposal tools for the Cycle 6 Call for Proposals.


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Commodities Cos. Ordered To Pay $5M Over Gold Scheme
In issuing the injunction, Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks found that Lloyds co-owner James Burbage and his partner Frank Gaudino used their companies to help Las Vegas-based Hunter Wise Commodities LLC dupe customers into believing they were buying physical gold and...
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