text:
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Question of the Day: 21st Century Compensation
What should compensation models look like in schools of the 21st century? What kinds of compensation should 21st century schools use to attract and retain teachers?
Comment away... we want to hear your ideas.
11 comments:
I really don't have a good solution to this dilemma (who does?). I would like to see teachers compensated not only for the years of service and degree level they have attained, but also for the direct effectiveness on student learning that they have demonstrated in their classroom.ReplyDelete
What doesn't work: merit pay (read "Drive" by Daniel Pink)
What also doesn't work: treating human beings (student) as assembly-line products with a 1500-point inspection list (a.k.a. standardized testing)and holding the manufacturers (teachers) accountable for the quality of their "product."
I think a model that allows students/parents to choose their teachers and teachers get paid by the demand for their class/how many students they can reach. This would reward the effective teacher and also encourage teachers to find ways to reach as many students as possible.ReplyDelete
I actually don't think they should be rewarded on their degree level or years of service because those are not accurate reflections of the quality of their teaching. They should be able to communicate their curriculum and learning objectives effectively and be rewarded for their level of achievement in their respective field.
Students and Parents are the best evaluators of who is a good teacher for themselves.
While compensation is important, I'm really more interested in working with like-minded talented people and being given the freedom to actually teach. Compensation comes after this.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 3, 2011 at 12:40 PM
I'd hire Cameron and pay him well.ReplyDelete
I wish to be compensated by having the saying "Those that can do; those that can't, teach" struck from our culture. Banished like Milli Vanilli was in the early 90's. I wish to be respected like teachers in Finland and Thailand are. That would be compensation.ReplyDelete
I wish to be compensated by opening the floodgates of bandwidth in my school (my district does it better than most). I would like more money being put into technology at the elementary level, and to train elementary teachers to use more technology, such as screencasting lessons and creating classroom websites. I would like more computers in elementary classrooms. That would be good compensation.
I would like to be selected to attend workshops and talks by people like Sir Ken Robinson. I would like to be a part of our District's Staff Development so I can make a bigger difference in my district. I believe in my district and that we are more progressive than most. But, I think this would be a good way to compensate and retain teachers in our district, now and in the future.
- James WilliamsMarch 3, 2011 at 10:54 PM
Once we dangle the carrot, the direction is determined by the holder of the carrot. What I am basically saying, isn't compensation just another step away from creative student centered learning? Awarding good educators has to be more than the "money".ReplyDelete
I would love to see a system where teachers receive an initial stipend but over time their pay can increase based on a very small tax on their students future earnings. This would encourage teachers to teach 21st century skills and help their students achieve their maximum potential. It would also encourage good teachers to stay in the profession for as long as possible.ReplyDelete
Lest you scoff at a tax, think of the money saved by not providing ineffective teachers a raise just because they have been there for another year.
I also want to agree with what James said above that a cultural makeover which respected education and teachers would also be appreciated. I realize that there are many who have ruined that title for us but they should be shown the door.
Good conversation starter Shelly. I hope people realize that an overhaul is in order but also will save our country billions in the long run as it is one of our Nation's biggest expenditures.
- AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 5:20 PM
#1 Ask the kids to rate their teachers. In any school they know better than anyone who the good teachers are. I realise its not that simple but certainly it should contribute to the mix.ReplyDelete
#2 Link pay to performance, effort (e.g. how much they do around they school) and if they reach their goals for a given year. This needs to be personalised and managed by their managers.
Most of all, get rid of the pay=years in service model. It does not work.
- ALDTuckerMarch 7, 2011 at 12:57 PM
Drive by Daniel Pink says it all to me. Pay enough so that we can live and not worry about second and third jobs, and then show respect, honor creativity, and let us teach!ReplyDelete
I think that models that reward teachers based on test scores are not usable for many of the non-tested areas that are taught. I am a Visual Art and Technical Education teacher. We are not on "the test" yet I am teaching many of the lifelong 21st century skills that my students need to survive. I am fostering their literacy skills and helping them develop knowledge of college and careers beyond high school.ReplyDelete
Administrators don't have a good feel for what it is that non-core teachers teach. I have sat through so many inservices and staff meetings that discuss ACT scores and literacy and how we can address these. Yet no connection is ever made to music, art, tech ed, etc. So having administrators decide based on test scores isn't the model I want.
I think a teacher's willingness to continue their own education should be part of the plan as should extras that teachers do for their colleagues. I think non-academic teachers should be considered for higher compensation if they exhibit their students' work beyond the school (community exhibits such as State Fairs, scholastic Arts etc). I think how many students your department sends onto the college in the field you teach and how many receive scholarships should also be part of the compensation model for non-core teachers. These to me are indicators of success for my program and my students. I work really hard to help students prepare for college through portfolio development, letters of recommendation etc.
I actually think the current model of union-based seniority and compensation-based on education advancement is a good model overall. Some seniority teachers are poor and are coasting, but if districts asked more of their advanced degreed teachers in terms of peer training and sharing I think this could force teachers to better their skills. I think it is dangerous to let administrators and parent/student popularity decide as this can be very biased and non-objective.
I'd like time as compensation. Time to learn, time to attend conferences, time to collaborate with other teachers. We don't get enough of this, teachers would like this form of compensation.ReplyDelete


text:
- Home
- Stores
- Tyres
- Services
- More
- Careers
- Promotions
Back to search resultsPrint this page
The Ecopia PZ-X continues Bridgestone's commitment to the environment. Its unique asymmetric shape improves fuel efficiency due to less rolling resistance, improves straight line stability and removes irregular shoulder wear. Bridgestone Ecopia PZ-X is an ENERGYWISE approved fuel efficient tyre.
|Load Index / Speed Rating
|Ply Rating
|Overall Diameter
|648 mm
|Permitted Rim Width(s)
|06.00-07.50 in
|Tread Depth
|7 mm
|Tread Pattern
|Sidewall Finish
|Black Sidewall
|Primary Use
|Product Code

subset: commoncrawl


text:
01 - 05 April
Chinese Pavilion - CMEC
CMEC International Exhibition Co., Ltd., a fully independent subsidiary of China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corporation (CMEC), is a specialized exhibition company approved by the former Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation to organize domestic and overseas exhibitions. Its original, the Exhibition Office of First Ministry of Machine-building Industry was founded in 1957. CMEC International Exhibition Co., Ltd. has organized more than ten thousands enterprises and foreign trade companies (times) to take part in more than 600 exhibitions and expositions which were held in about 100 cities of up to 70 countries and regions continuously for 48years. The trade volume reached in the above shows is over 3 billion US dollars.
Guang'anmenwai Street 178Room 1305, Floor 13
100055 Beijing
Stored items


text:
Hubble Witnesses Flare-Up in Extragalactic Jet
These images taken in ultraviolet light by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope reveal the brightening of a jet of gas blasting from the core of the gigantic elliptical galaxy M87. M87 is located 54 million light-years away in the Virgo Cluster.
The flare-up is coming from a knot of hot gas, called HST-1, embedded in the jet. The jet is powered by accretion onto a supermassive black hole, one of the most massive black holes yet discovered.
Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) snapped the top row of images and Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) the bottom row. The core of M87 is located at lower left in the images. HST-1 is the bright blob at center. The glowing material at far right is part of a stream of particles in the jet that speed up and glow in the ultraviolet.
The Hubble images, obtained from the Hubble archive, show the jet growing brighter over a seven-year period, eventually outshining even the luminous core of M87. The ACS image taken on May 9, 2005, reveals that HST-1 has become brighter than M87's core. HST-1 is 214 light-years from the core.
Hubble's crisp vision gives astronomers a clear view of the brightening knot. The telescope resolves HST-1 and separates it from the galaxy's core.


text:
I'm pregnant and have no health insurance. My boyfriend bugged out when he heard about the baby, so I won't be getting any help from him. How much is it going to cost to have this baby? And how can I ever pay it – I work two jobs now and barely get by!
Mom To Be
Dear Mom To Be,
In 2010, the cost to deliver a baby ranged from $2,000 for a normal, vaginal delivery at a birth center to $23,000 for a cesarean section with complications at a hospital. If you are in a low-income household, you may qualify for Medicaid. Medicaid has special rules for pregnant women. So even if you have applied before and were turned down, try again. Ask your doctor or a billing staff person at the hospital where you will deliver. They can help you get in touch with the right agency and get the application forms.
If you do not qualify for Medicaid, explain your situation to your doctor (and the hospital). They may have other ideas for you, and at the very least, could offer you a payment plan.


text:
Art is subjective, but we think we can objectively say that Massachusetts has the best art in the entire solar system. After all, it's home to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, one of the world's most impressive collections of fine art; Mass MoCA, the country's most fertile site for large scale new art; and the "small but big" Worcester Art and Fitchburg Art Museums. Plus, there's a whole Museum of Bad Art, and one that's free if your name is Isabella. Wake up your soul at the Jacob's Pillow dance festival, catch yourself clapping inappropriately loud for the world famous Boston Symphony Orchestra or banging your head (in a good way) in the birthplace of hardcore punk. And don't leave without experiencing some drama (also in a good way) at one of our amazing theaters, from The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in The Berkshires to Worcester's majestic Hanover Theatre to Boston's storied theater district. You can also visit the Massachusetts Cultural Council website for more information on the arts in Massachusetts.
Explore the Massachusetts Masterpiece Trail
Sign up to receive emails about arts and culture.
Shakespeare & Company, Lenox
Cyclorama, Boston
Quincy Symphony Orchestra
The Quincy Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit organization consisting of amateur and professional musicians and a supportive group of volunteers... more
Thomas Crane Public Library
Built in 1881 by noted architect Henry Hobson Richardson - who also designed Boston's famed Trinity Church - the Thomas Thomas... more
Quincy Symphony Orchestra
Po Box 2
Thomas Crane Public Library
40 Washington Street


text:
Diabetes Research
Joslin's research team represents the most comprehensive and dynamic research program dedicated exclusively to diabetes anywhere in the world. More than 300 scientists are committed to pursuing innovative pathways of discovery to prevent, treat and cure type 1 and type 2 diabetes and their complications.
Virtual Tour
We invite you to take a virtual tour of Joslin Diabetes Center and meet our leaders in basic research, clinical research and patient care for both adults and children.
Make a gift to support Joslin research
The generosity of individual donors ensures our ability to expand our existing research programs and launch cutting-edge initiatives.
If you would like to learn how your gift can support Joslin research, click here
Or contact the Joslin Development Office at (617) 732-2412.
Summer Student Program
Summer student applications are now open.
News | Joslin Research
- Inherited 'Memory' of Environmental Impact on Health May Be Limited
- Joslin Scientists Identify Process that Affects Fat Distribution and Metabolic Syndrome
- Joslin Scientists Show that Improved Blood Glucose Control Slows Progression to End-Stage Renal Disease in Type 1 Diabetes
- Aaron M. Cypess, M.D., Ph.D., MMSc, Awarded the 2014 Armen H. Tashjian Jr. Award for Excellence in Endocrine Research
- Dr. Lori Laffel and Dr. Howard Wolpert to be Honored at JDRF Boston Gala
Subscribe | Research Updates
Don't miss the latest Joslin Research news. Add the Joslin news feed to your personal homepage, browser or news aggregator.
|News Room
For inquires pursuant to 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart F click here.


text:
Animal Clip Of The Week: Bird Puttin It Down On His Wifey.. Then Sings His "Bust A Nut Song"!
Courtesy of Mahad
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Thai Premier League Wrap: Two teams stay perfect
Muang Thong United and Bangkok Glass are the only teams with perfect records after two rounds of action in the Thai Premier League.
Last year's runners-up Muang Thong brushed aside nine-man TOT 3-0 away from home, while Bangkok Glass defeated Samut Songkhram 1-0 on home soil.
Teerasil Dangda opened the scoring for Muang Thong in the 47th minute, before the hosts saw Apinan Kaewpila and Patiparn Phetphun both dismissed.
Dangda added a second goal in the 89th minute before Mario Gjurovski rounded off the scoring in stoppage time to leave them top of the table on goal difference.
Bangkok Glass are tucked in behind them thanks to Jetsadakorn Hemdaeng's 50th-minute winner, while Chonburi are third after a 1-1 draw at Songkhla United.
Pipob On-Mo put Chonburi ahead in the 12th minute, but the home side responded in the second half and earned a share of the spoils through Parntep Chotikawin's 54th-minute equaliser.
Police United, who lost their opening game 4-0 to Chonburi, responded with a thumping of their own, swatting aside Air Force Central 5-1 at home.
Last year's champions Buriram United were held 0-0 at home by Ratchaburi, while Leandro's 72nd-minute strike was enough to earn Singhtarua a 1-0 success at Osotspa.
BEC Tero Sasana overcame Suphanburi 4-2 in an entertaining encounter to make it four points from their first two matches.
They fell behind to an early Jung Myung-Oh goal, but took the lead courtesy of Narubodin Weerawatnodom and Georgie Welcome.
Bjorn Lindemann sent the teams in level at the break, but further strikes from Naruphol Ar-Romsawa and Gilbert Koomson sealed the points for the hosts.
Ten-man Chainat recovered from the dismissal of Surachet Ngamtip to earn a 2-0 win over Army United with goals in the last six minutes from Marko Perovic and Jo Tae-Keun.
Elsewhere, PTT Rayong drew 2-2 with Chiangrai United while Sisaket won 2-1 at Bangkok United to record their first points of the season.


text:
I have been trying to come up with a very short easily remembered summation of the differences between the major schools of economic thought. If you like it pass it along.
There are two major schools of economic thought, the London and the Austrian. The London School is hundreds of theories addressing how political power can manage an economy. The Austrian School explains how the actual human interaction that comprises an economy works.


text:
Sometimes, what all the "management/architecture by magazine" folks would have you believe about the simplicity and benefits of moving applications from zSeries to "the Cloud" ... misses the boat.
I have been chatting a lot lately with folks who are making the case for migrating applications from zSeries (z/OS specifically) to "The Cloud". Cloud is a great concept and there is lots of great technology out there from IBM (SmartCloud, Pure System, and others) and plenty of nonIBM Cloud offerings. 2 important items to that are hard to get around though:
I have been chatting a lot lately with folks who are making the case for migrating applications from zSeries (z/OS specifically) to "The Cloud". Cloud is a great concept and there is lots of great technology out there from IBM (SmartCloud, Pure System, and others) and plenty of nonIBM Cloud offerings. 2 important items to that are hard to get around though:
- Is there a true business case for migrating an application off of the Z platform, or is it being done because Z is perceived as this monolithic Cobol processor and Cloud is seen as the next great thing.
- Is migrating this many years old legacy app to the cloud really going to be as easy as the demos seem to imply
Business Case
To answer the first question, one needs first to split platform from application. Some of the justifications I hear for wanting to migrate are:
- Cobol is old and we don't have the Cobol skills anymore. We need to "modernize"
- We need new features that are not available on z/OS. We need a more "modern" platform
- z/OS is SOOOO expensive
So let's take a look at each of these in a bit more depth
Cobol is old
Hard to argue this one, Cobol has been around for a long time and it has not changed much. There are still billions of lines of it running, many unchanged in decades. But let's assume that this Cobol is old, in need of maintenance and the skills are not there (and whatever happened to sucking it up and learning the language(s) needed to do your job ... but I digress). There are more modern tools for editing and understanding Cobol now, but let's assume that the complexity of the code and the Cobol skills just say, this has to go. First question ... if nobody knows enough about it to maintain it ... what is the likelihood that somebody knows enough about it to reWrite it? And if you just start from scratch and re-spec everything, what are the odds that you will not be finding little nuances that were missed for the next 5 years ... but again I digress. You've gotten past this, the Cobol has to go, someone truly understands it all well enough to rewrite it ... to what language/platform do you reWrite it? Do you use Java (J2EE, J2SE, OSGi, CICS, ...), do you use C++, do you use a platform specific option such as .net ?? Well, anything but platform specific options (and if Cobol stuck you here to begin with, why would you choose a platform specific option) ... all of these can be run on Z (z/OS or z/Linux). So to net it out ... even if you are convinced that the Cobol must go, you understand it well enough to reWrite it, and you have the budget to reWrite it, all you've done is justified an application reWrite ... contrary to CW, this in no way justifies changing platforms and going to "The Cloud". If the need to get away from Cobol justified moving off of Z, then the writing of key financial software years ago in Turbo Pascal (which few folks know now) would have been a great justification to leave Windows. But there is a need for a clear separation between language and platform.
We need new features not available on Z
Real simple answer here, some of these may exist, but I'd be surprised if any reasonable features you're looking for are not available on z/OS. All platform neutral languages run on z/OS (and z/Linux). Most openSource runs on Z. Z offers a lot that is not found elsewhere (CICS, IMS, RACF, ...) but there are few industry-standard platform neutral packages that are not available on Z. I have heard that people can often find "good enough" substitutions to make it go. If "good enough" is good enough; and security breaches and unplanned outages do not give you serious pause; then moving from Z is that much easier and more plausible.
z/OS is SOOOO expensiveWell, in truth, z/OS is not cheap as hardware goes, and the software can be pricey as well. As Burt Baskin (Baskin-Robbins) said (nonVerbatim), "There are few things that cannot be made a little bit cheaper by cutting corners in the process, and settling for lower quality ingredients." While I must admit to preferring Ben & Jerry's today ... Burt's thinking is not lost on z/OS. There are areas relative to hardware where z/OS architects were unwilling to compromise and, looking at down-time statistics, there has been pay-back. The hardware, firmware, and subSystems on z/OS are not well replicated anywhere. Even as the "cheap commodity hardware" of the Cloud becomes a reality (ignoring the huge cost of the management, serviceability, redundancy, ...) leads to some serious sticker shock when reality hits.
But wait, isn't z/OS billions of $s and the cloud almost free? Well, not exactly. Without going into detailed explanations of TCA vs TCO et al, I will mention that there are a few key points to consider. Proper planning of z/OS resources can make z/OS competitive (even cheaper) than distributed solutions for many workloads. Some of the key points to consider in structuring Z resources for best-value usage:
- Specialty Engines: (SEs) IFLs, zAAPs, and zIIPs allow workload to run on engines that do not show up on the MLC software licensing radar. These engines are purchased. For zAAPs and zIIPs, z/OS dispatches eligible workloads to these engines. Properly architected software placement can greatly reduce software costs. Java workloads such as WebSphere (and the new Liberty WebSphere profile) run largely in the SEs thus greatly reducing the TCO of running "modernized" workloads. Further, IFLs can be used to run pure java workloads. z/VM Linux guests running on IFLs look and act exactly like distributed guests and have similar software licensing.
- SubCapacity Pricing: By exploiting subCapacity pricing, z/Series can enable a near 0 cost creation of separate environments for various test and staging environments. Few non-System z customers can honestly voice confidence in the accuracy of their test environments in emulating the production environment (especially under stress). With system z, this requires no additional hardware, minimal additional software cost, and minimal administrative cost.
- Hardware Persistence: When upgrading from your z10 machine with 32Gb of memory, 5 general purpose (GP) CPUs, and 5 SEs ... to an EC12 with 64Gb of memory, 8 GPs and 7 SEs ... upgrade costs on your hardware is significantly less than a new purchase. Even though the new memory and processors are newer generation and faster, the initial investment is maintained. Your hardware can be upgraded in place; typically in a few days. With a well implemented System Z environment, your upgrade occurs without application downtime.
About the migrationI have seen some great demos in my day. I left many of these demos with the impression that I could use the demonstrated tool to do everything in my job an order of magnitude faster. In minutes, starting from scratch, the demoer was able to show me amazing things that would have taken hours in the arcane tools I was using. When I went back to my desk and tried to get the tools working, however, it was a different story. It took quite a while to set up the tool environment, and doing my actual work in the tool turned out to be much less exciting of an experience than I expected. I realized that they demonstrated the tool doing something it does very well, a best case POC type scenario at best. In "the real world" ... it was not quite all that it had appeared to be. In my first cloud experience, I dragged and dropped some items, hit deploy ... and I had a sample WebSphere Application that could scale to volume (exploiting Extreme Scale technology), used the DB2 that I deployed along with the application, and was just amazing. Actually taking some real-world applications took a little more than a few clicks and a drag and drop. The Cloud IS great technology and can greatly enhance deployment and admin time. What it does not do is automatically make all complex interactions and setup occur automatically without effort on the part of the deployer. If your application has many moving parts and a great deal of complexity surrounding its deployment, some of that is likely to find its way into the cloud world.
So in the world of migrating "old" applications from z/OS to the Cloud (an interesting concept because z/VM has been doing hypervisor work since long before most of today's popular hypervisors existed and z/Linux can be used to create and monitor its own cloud ... but I digress) ... it is not usually quite as straight-forward as originally thought. First, as the "old" application is converted to a good service-oriented architecture, the security must be distributed across the network, setting (and maintaining and administering) new firewalls, etc.. This usually leaves your application less secured (but probably with "good enough" security). This is one of the new "moving parts" and many of these moving parts are not budgeted for when the blue-sky huge savings estimates are communicated. In the case of setting up firewalls, this article has some great cost information.
So while I think that new work should definitely look at the Cloud ... and migrations should consider it as well, people need to look beyond management by magazine and migrations need to be planned with everyone (security, hardware, admins, architects, developers, support, test, ...) at the table.


text:
Guest Blogging Schedule
Maggie Carpenter – July 23
If you'd like to guest blog with us, please see About the Blog for more information.
Contest Winners
Congratulations to Beverly, who has won a signed paperback, her choice, from Randi Alexander!
Sheila has won a signed copy of Randi Alexander's Double Her Fantasy! Congratulations!
Marsha McDaniel~Winner of signed print copy of Five Card Stud by Gem Sivad
Winner of a Signed Paperback of Unforgiven Spirit by Randi Alexander is lacombejc. Congratulations!
Winner of a Signed Paperback of Haunting a Cowboy by Randi Alexander is hunter101a. Congratulations!
Winner of the September Wild Wicked Cowboys Prize is Mebp. Congratulations!
Winner of the August Wild Wicked Cowboys Prize is SandiP. Congratulations!
Winner of the July Wild Wicked Cowboys Prize is RookBook. Congratulations!
Winner of the June Wild Wicked Cowboys Prize is Alexia. Congratulations!
Winner of the May Wild Wicked Cowboys Prize is Carol L. Congratulations!
Follow Us on Twitter
Twitter Updates
- My Holiday Gift to You – Seven Books Free Until New Years Eve! randialexander.com/2016/12/25/my-… https://t.co/duFyGbuQmp 2 years ago
- A Sweet Christmas Story – Yes, Randi Wrote a Sweet Romance! randialexander.com/2016/11/17/a-s… https://t.co/vlc3tSXP0x 2 years ago
- Pre-order Special! Seven Sexy Cowboy Romances for only $.99! Limited Time Only. randialexander.com/2016/11/05/pre… 2 years ago
- Amanda McIntyre
- Cynthia D'Alba
- Victoria Vane
- cianastone
- cowgirlbeth
- DebbieWorkman
- Delilah Devlin
- desiree01holt
- DonnaMichaels
- empetrova
- Gem
- maricarr
- marietuhart
- Myla Jackson
- patyjag
- Randi Alexander
- Renee Vincent
- rhondaleecarver
- Sable Hunter
- sabrinayork774194022
- sandys37
- Sarah M. Anderson
- siddaleerain
- MaddieJames
- JenniferDorough
Daily Archives: September 1, 2018
New Cover-Rhonda Lee Carver
The last sliver of summer is fading. Fall is almost here. 2018 is flying. What you need is to take a moment and enjoy your day with a Lawman. I want to show off y newest cover. Cull's story will … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Leave a comment


text:
Skip to comments.The Red Zone (Dowd alert)
Posted on 11/03/2004 7:17:17 PM PST by Pokey78
WASHINGTON With the Democratic Party splattered at his feet in little blue puddles, John Kerry told the crushed crowd at Faneuil Hall in Boston about his concession call to President Bush.
"We had a good conversation," the senator said. "And we talked about the danger of division in our country and the need, the desperate need, for unity, for finding the common ground, coming together. Today I hope that we can begin the healing."
Democrat: Heal thyself.
W. doesn't see division as a danger. He sees it as a wingman.
The president got re-elected by dividing the country along fault lines of fear, intolerance, ignorance and religious rule. He doesn't want to heal rifts; he wants to bring any riff-raff who disagree to heel.
W. ran a jihad in America so he can fight one in Iraq - drawing a devoted flock of evangelicals, or "values voters," as they call themselves, to the polls by opposing abortion, suffocating stem cell research and supporting a constitutional amendment against gay marriage.
Mr. Bush, whose administration drummed up fake evidence to trick us into war with Iraq, sticking our troops in an immoral position with no exit strategy, won on "moral issues."
The president says he's "humbled" and wants to reach out to the whole country. What humbug. The Bushes are always gracious until they don't get their way. If W. didn't reach out after the last election, which he barely grabbed, why would he reach out now that he has what Dick Cheney calls a "broad, nationwide victory"?
While Mr. Bush was making his little speech about reaching out, Republicans said they had "the green light" to pursue their conservative agenda, like drilling in Alaska's wilderness and rewriting the tax code.
"He'll be a lot more aggressive in Iraq now," one Bush insider predicts. "He'll raze Falluja if he has to. He feels that the election results endorsed his version of the war." Never mind that the more insurgents American troops kill, the more they create.
Just listen to Dick (Oh, lordy, is this cuckoo clock still vice president?) Cheney, introducing the Man for his victory speech: "This has been a consequential presidency which has revitalized our economy and reasserted a confident American role in the world." Well, it has revitalized the Halliburton segment of the economy, anyhow. And "confident" is not the first word that comes to mind for the foreign policy of a country that has alienated everyone except Fiji.
Vice continued, "Now we move forward to serve and to guard the country we love." Only Dick Cheney can make "to serve and to guard" sound like "to rape and to pillage."
He's creating the sort of "democracy" he likes. One party controls all power in the country. One network serves as state TV. One nation dominates the world as a hyperpower. One firm controls contracts in Iraq.
Just as Zell Miller was so over the top at the G.O.P. convention that he made Mr. Cheney seem reasonable, so several new members of Congress will make W. seem moderate.
Tom Coburn, the new senator from Oklahoma, advocated the death penalty for doctors who perform abortions and warned that "the gay agenda" would undermine the country. He also characterized his race as a choice between "good and evil" and said he had heard there was "rampant lesbianism" in Oklahoma schools.
James DeMint, the new senator from South Carolina, said during his campaign that he supported a state G.O.P. platform plank banning gays from teaching in public schools. He explained, "I would have given the same answer when asked if a single woman who was pregnant and living with her boyfriend should be hired to teach my third-grade children."
John Thune, who toppled Tom Daschle, is an anti-abortion Christian conservative - or "servant leader," as he was hailed in a campaign ad - who supports constitutional amendments banning flag burning and gay marriage.
Seeing the exit polls, the Democrats immediately started talking about values and religion. Their sudden passion for wooing Southern white Christian soldiers may put a crimp in Hillary's 2008 campaign (nothing but a wooden stake would stop it). Meanwhile, the blue puddle is comforting itself with the expectation that this loony bunch will fatally overreach, just as Newt Gingrich did in the 90's.
But with this crowd, it's hard to imagine what would constitute overreaching.
Invading France?
It's hard to top this piece by Maureen Dowd- her attitude so perfectly depicts what is wrong with modern liberal thought.
Let's see, Bush opposes junk science, the most radical assault on marriage since Sodom and Gomorrah, and, oh yeah, he's a Christian. Into each life, a little rain must fall -- but this one's going to last FOUR MORE YEARS!
She doesn't understand that her cutesy, smart ass bitch act wore thin when she hit 50. Nor will she ever understand it. I feel for her Mom who voted for Bush BTW. God bless that poor woman. :-}
You know the Dowd FReeper rule!!! Jeeze, ya want anything done ya gotta do it yourself.
Why does anyone pay any attention to this liar?
For once, I can agree with Mo. The dims are now 'little blue puddles.'
I'd prefer that we set you adrift in a raft, far out to sea, with a half canteen of water. Put your body in the same state your mind is in.
The aging schoolgirl strikes (out) again!
She cites this as an example of extremism, I guess, when in fact it is the position of the majority of the population of the country she obviously doesn't know.
Oh, how precious. Ms. Dowd just "knows" what motivates all of us in Fly-Over Country, even though the only talent she's ever demonstrated was how to drain a bottle or two of booze while fabricating Presidential quotes.
...And how...mmmm...touching...that she is concerned that we'll "overreach" now that the overwhelming majority of America has just endorsed us by booting Democrats out of power all over the U.S.
Say hello to *former* Senator Daschle, Ms. Dowd. Ask him how his airline lobbyist wife is now going to keep getting all of those government subsidies for virtually insolvent airlines after the Airline Pilots' Union endorsed and backed Senator Kerry.
Goodness, the Heartland may actually stop subsidizing your under-priced travels between NYC and LAX...heaven forbid.
It was. W garnered a much higher percentage of the women's vote nationwide.
Well, at least Mo dowd has one redeeming quality. She has the next country for us to attack right. France it is.
Thanks for giving the Frog attack your seal of approval!
Hey - you tratorist b@stard - put a sock init! You lost by the largest popular vote in history!
Bye - Bye - live off your wifes billions and be quiet.
But you said we went to Iraq for oil. If we accept your premise, what logical string takes us to France?
There are so many ways to just trash this dribble.
Liberal Com-symp Pinko Socialist knee-jerk robot-like Democrats really are arrogant but it escapes me at the moment about why?
OK, Dowdy has weighed in. Where's Morford?
I feel even more validated!! People like this, and all those euro trash lib rags are what motivated me the most.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
The Dallas Cowboys pass rush was closing in, and Philip Rivers wasn't going anywhere except right toward them.
What ensued was immediately gratifying and gives long-term hope.
Of all the passes on an historic day when Philip Rivers went back to the future in leading the Chargers to a 30-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, his 56-yard, off-balance, into-the-pressure touchdown heave to Antonio Gates was most magnificent.
Chargers v. Cowboys, 9/29/13
- Rivers' three TDs power Chargers over Dallas
- Chargers report card: Cowboys lassoed
- Big blow: Dwight Freeney tears quad
- For Chargers, a 'huge win'
- Rivers keeps flowing like old
- Chargers schedule, game snapshots
It was the completion among his 35 that best illustrated that the Chargers quarterback has fully regained the swagger, the presence, the confidence that had been lost.
"That's fair," Rivers replied when that observation was made late Sunday afternoon.
That muddy pocket described above wasn't the worst he operated in, but it was bad enough that Rivers might have been spooked by ghosts last season and not stepped into the rush.
Rivers dished out compliments to those around him more proficiently than he threw the ball. Certainly, his return to successful quarterbacking is, among other things, a product of new coordinator Ken Whisenhunt's preparation and playcalling.
But pay attention to plays like that TD pass to Gates, a serene scene not seen very often the previous two seasons.
For all the changes , perhaps nothing was more crucial than a vow Rivers made in the offseason and is keeping so far.
"I ain't allowing myself to leave the pocket," he said. "I'm just not going to do it, because nothing good usually happens. I have to stay in there … and whatever happens, happens. If they get you, they get you."
Remember, Rivers was playing behind three new starters on the offensive line Sunday. And that merry-go-round in front of him is the thing we pinned as the biggest factor in Rivers' subpar 2011 and '12, wherein his passer rating plummeted from 15 points from his league-leading rating over the previous three seasons.
But playing against a pass rush that was supposed to make him bloody, he had one of the best games he (or anyone) has ever had.
"He was on fire," center Nick Hardwick said.
Through this season's first three games, operating in an up-tempo, high-percentage offense seemingly tailor made for him, Rivers had exhibited a comfort unseen since the end of the 2010 season.
But Sunday was a whole new level.
Rivers completed 35 of his 42 passes for 401 yards and three touchdowns. The 83.3 percent completion rate was best in NFL history for a quarterback who threw for at least 400 yards.
Last week, he also completed 83.3 percent of his passes (20-for-24) and, thus, became the first quarterback in NFL history to be that accurate over consecutive games.
Give credit to receivers who are rapidly improving, an offensive line that has owned the "next man up" mentality and an offensive coaching staff that equipped their players.
But the Chargers are not scoring 20 unanswered points after going down 20-10 late in the second quarter without Rivers being every bit as good as he's been.
"He's exactly the guy our team needs him to be," Eddie Royal said. "Different teams need a different style of leadership. He's the perfect fit for what we need. The energy, the emotion, the intelligence, the accuracy. He's the perfect guy for our team. And it call came together today. He's just playing great football."
Rivers is the guy who can elevate the Chargers to more victories than they should rightfully expect. He's the guy I've proclaimed several times will never quarterback a team to a worse record than the 7-9 the Chargers sunk to in 2012.
We knew it was Rivers behind whom this team flowed, and the best four-game start in his eight seasons as a starter (11 touchdowns, two interceptions, 116.2 passer rating) means that even with injuries continuing to mount, with paper-thin depth and a lack of defensive playmakers, there remains a chance this Chargers team can outdo what we think they can or even what they ought to this season.
"The sky is the limit when he's playing that way," Gates said. "… He's back to playing like the Philip Rivers everyone knew."


text:
DEATHBOT wrote:I was just doing the level Magma Mines as a Monk and I worshipped Dracul. Upon getting the resistance boon my resistances went down to 15% instead of up to 65%, the boon says "INCREASE resistances by 15%" not "SET resistances to 15%" Please fix.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests


text:
When a former industrial manufacturing yard in Bristol was put up for sale in 2000, a determined group of locals banded together with a plan to purchase the land and construct quality, self-built houses with neighborhood resources allotted to benefit the community. The result was the creation of the Ashley Vale Action Group (AVAG), which successfully built an estate of unique houses that conform to BREEAM standards. The homes sit alongside play areas and the project even boast a city farm within its boundaries.
The plan for the site was split into three phases; the first construction phase formed a ring of self-built houses around a communal green space. The second phase saw the homes finished with external shells and interior design, and the third phase transformed a disused office block into self-finish flats. The project has taken ten years to complete and a lot of dedication and free labor on the part of those involved, but by 2010, "The Yard" was complete.
During the first phase each self-builder purchased a private plot, and worked within their own time restrictions and budgets. Each house is unique, but constraints were set as to the materials used and the final design so as to ensure that the properties complied with BREEAM regulations. Consequently, all except two of the houses have timber frames constructed from reclaimed wood and lumber from sustainable forests. Many of the homes utilize PV and solar thermal arrays, warmcell insulation, lime render and cedar cladding.
The office block conversion proved particularly successful, winning the REGEN South West Renewable Energy Award for Best Housing Scheme in 2009. On the north side of the building the developers reduced the size of the windows and fitted double glazing to reduce heat loss. The building was completely re-insulated, and two wood pellet boilers were employed as well as solar thermal panels to provide the whole building with hot water and heating. A 2.5 kw photovoltaic array provides all the electricity required. The office block now comprises 6 individual flats, a community centre and office space which are all jointly owned under a commonly held agreement by the community group and the occupants.
Also on site is St Werburghs City Farm, where food is grown all year round for the Yard residents. Residents think the manner in which the estate grew has created stronger bonds between residents. The eco-conscious build has also proven both economical and sustainable, and the green spaces plus the City Farm have kept these city-dwellers connected to the countryside. Here at least, a different ideology has resulted in a different type of home.
Via impermanencefilm
Images © Richard Perkins


text:
Return to Transcripts main page
Beyond the Manhunts: How To Stop Terror
Aired May 12, 2013 - 10:00 ET
FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST: Welcome to a special edition of GPS, "Beyond the Manhunts: How to Stop Terror." I'm Fareed Zakaria. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden. ZAKARIA (voice-over): It was just two years ago that Navy SEALs in Abbottabad, Pakistan, spoke the words, "Geronimo EKIA." That meant Osama bin Laden was finally dead. Today the fight continues. As we saw on Boylston Street in Boston. But stepping back from the moment's crisis, we also need to ask larger questions about the state of our security. What is the threat out there and are we prepared for it? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He intended to use the remaining explosives that he had and detonate them in Times Square. ZAKARIA (voice-over): The fight today is at home and abroad. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have seen that threat become geographically dispersed. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Against Al Qaeda's core, its affiliates and lone adherents, known and unknown, in all corners of the globe. During this hour, we will explore some of the toughest challenges facing our intelligence community and our country. We will talk to people who have spent decades in the shadows and on the front lines surveying and tackling some of the nation's gravest threats and anticipating the next ones. We will examine the state of Al Qaeda today. How big of a threat is it? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My experience was whenever you declare them dead, you could be wrong. ZAKARIA (voice-over): We look at the CIA's not-so-secret assassination program. LEON PANETTA, FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We're in a war. And war is hell. ZAKARIA (voice-over): And enhanced interrogations: did they lead to Osama bin Laden? Are our current interrogation tactics working? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The black site that I visited was probably the grimmest place I have ever been. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Then, tracking terror. How do intelligence officials target a lone wolf? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a whole bunch of things, to me are certainly technically possible but do you really want your government doing that? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shut up. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language). ZAKARIA (voice-over): And it's not just a movie. Two of the actual women in the hunt for bin Laden take us inside the CIA. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you think of 007, you know, you don't think of Jane Bond, you think of James Bond. ZAKARIA (voice-over): And, last, I add my own thoughts on confronting terror today. (MUSIC PLAYING) ZAKARIA: Defining the enemy and understanding the threat. What does Al Qaeda look like today? It's been called Al Qaeda 2.0, a more decentralized organization than the one that attacked us on September 11th, 2001, loosely made up of affiliates and hangers-on like Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Al-Shabaab, Al-Nusra. But who are these smaller organizations? Should we be concerned about them here at home? And what about the lone terrorist living in the West, quietly plotting another Boston bombing? CNN's national CNN analyst, Peter Bergen, oversaw the first television interview with Osama bin Laden in 1997. His book "Manhunt" is the subject of a new HBO documentary. (END VIDEO CLIP) ZAKARIA: What do you think is the state of Al Qaeda today? PETER BERGEN, "THE OSAMA BIN LADEN I KNOW", "THE LONGEST WAR": The best answer to that question is what Osama bin Laden's own assessment of what it was. Before he died, he wrote a letter basically outlining how much the drones had impacted his group. He was very aware that the Al Qaeda brand was in deep trouble. He was advising other groups not to adopt the Al Qaeda brand because it would be bad for fund-raising, would attract a lot of negative attention. So that's Osama bin Laden's assessment and I think that's a pretty accurate one. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Former Secretary of Defense and former CIA Director Leon Panetta oversaw the United States' campaigns against Al Qaeda in Pakistan's tribal areas known as the Fatah. PANETTA: I honestly believe that we are safer since 9/11, largely because of what we've been able to do going after their core leadership in the Fatah. When I first came into government, there were four key people that were largely running Al Qaeda. Today, three of them are dead and one's in deep hiding; not to mention a number of other members of what we were -- often call the top 20 leadership. Many of them have been -- have been hit as well. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Former CIA analyst Cindy Storer, who spent a career tracking terror, says despite the virtual decapitation of Al Qaeda's leadership, don't count the group out. CINDY STORER, FORMER CIA ANALYST: I get a little nervous when people say it's over; we don't have to worry about that anymore because Al Qaeda always has several tracks going at the same time. My experience was whenever you declare them dead, they prove you wrong. So, I don't want to say they're not hurt, they're not in trouble. But it's too early to let our guard down. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Panetta agrees. He's worried about two aspects of Al Qaeda 2.0. First -- PANETTA: I think what we do have to worry about is what I call kind of a metastasized Al Qaeda that has moved into other areas, Yemen and in Somalia and Mali. We have to continue to worry about Al Qaeda being able to establish a foothold in one of these countries and, therefore, establishing a base from which to attack the United States or Europe. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Former CIA counterterrorism Chief Robert Grenier says North Africa isn't an immediate concern. ZAKARIA: When you look at North Africa, do you think this is the next place to worry about, or do you think that's a largely a local struggle? ROBERT GRENIER, FORMER DIRECTOR, CIA COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER: I think it's largely a local struggle. I think that we do need to be somewhat concerned about it. But I think we have to be very, very careful less we internationalize what is fundamentally a local security concern. ZAKARIA: How dangerous are those franchise operations -- we think of Mali; we think of Somalia? GRENIER: I think we have to be very careful because in all of these geographies that you mentioned, yes, there are a small number of international terrorists -- properly so-called -- people that we do have to worry about. But for the most part, the people who occupy this ungoverned space are local people and have their own local concerns. ZAKARIA (voice-over): But if the Al Qaeda affiliates in those areas aren't yet grand threats, Peter Bergen says there's an offshoot we do need to keep close tabs on -- in a surprising place. BERGEN: In Syria, you know, Fareed, we're saying, you know, a very interesting phenomenon where the most effective fighting force against Assad is an Al Qaeda front organization called the Al-Nusra Front. They are doing -- they're doing something that Al Qaeda-like groups have never done before, which is they're providing services to populations; large amounts of a bread to a very desperate population. I think this is really a new phenomenon, where you have a Hezbollah-like militia taking large chunks of territory, operating in a kind of political manner, unlike most Al Qaeda affiliates. How that will play out, we'll see. ZAKARIA (voice-over): What has already begun to play out, as we saw in Boston, is the more immediate, bigger threat to the homeland. Leon Panetta explains what keeps him up at night. PANETTA: What we've seen and what concerns us, I think, in the last few years, is other approaches to creating terror. One of those came from al-Awlaki. ZAKARIA: That's Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born Al Qaeda operative known to many as the bin Laden of the Internet. He is believed to have started "Inspire" magazine, Al Qaeda's online propaganda outfit filled with articles like, "How to Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom." PANETTA: He was basically urging people anywhere, anyhow, do what you can to be able to go into the United States and attack the country. I think that kind of inspiration of trying to get people to -- motivated in some way to either self-radicalize or do something that -- similar to what we saw in Boston. I think that remains a serious concern. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Michael Hayden is the former director of the National Security Agency and the CIA. ZAKARIA: When you look at Boston, does that look to you like the new face of terror? MICHAEL HAYDEN, FMR. DIRECTOR, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY: I really do think that is the case. I mean, there's a real sense that, doctrinally, Al Qaeda wants the mass casualty attack against the iconic target, but they can't do that. And now, what you've got are these one-offs, very likely self- radicalized individuals coming at us. I'm fond of saying that, because of our success -- and this is a measure of success -- I'm fond of now saying that future attacks against our homeland will be less well organized, less likely to succeed, less lethal if they do succeed. They're just going to be more numerous and, unfortunately, that's been borne out. ZAKARIA: Later in our hour, we will ask our experts to stop the next Boston. But, first up, hitting Al Qaeda overseas. Are we on target with killing terrorists with drones? (MUSIC PLAYING) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (MUSIC PLAYING) ZAKARIA: It has been called the shadow war, a war waged not with boots on the ground, but with eyes in the skies. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ZAKARIA (voice-over): Unmanned aerial vehicles, drones, have flown stealth missions in Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia, some armed with laser-guided Hellfire missiles. The CIA and the Defense Department each runs its own drone program with its own set of rules. The CIA's program is so highly classified that it is barely acknowledged by the White House. Between 2004 and 2013, the New America Foundation puts the total estimated number of strikes in Pakistan and Yemen at 428, with 49 under President Bush and 379 under President Obama. That's almost eight times as many strikes under the Obama administration. They estimate the number of militants killed to be between 1,982 and 3,251, the number of civilians between 276 and 368 and unknown casualties between 200 and 330. "The New York Times" national security correspondent Mark Mazzetti says to understand the program today, you have to start at the beginning. ZAKARIA: After 9/11, you see a big change that takes place at the CIA. MARK MAZZETTI, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": After 9/11, about a week, a week after 9/11, President Bush gives the CIA authority to basically go around the world and capture or kill Al Qaeda operatives. And this is the lethal authority that the CIA hadn't had for decades. ZAKARIA: What is the legality of the drone program? We have President Ford's executive order that tells the CIA not to do this kind of thing. We have President Carter's executive order against assassination and, yet, we have a drone program that seems to assassinate people. MAZZETTI: So, the legal authorities given to the CIA and by the Justice Department under, you know, still classified memos are that the CIA can carry out these drone strikes because they're not, quote, "assassination;" they're military operations on a global battlefield, going after military targets. So, you assassinate political leaders, but you kill soldiers on a battlefield. ZAKARIA (voice-over): The problem is, how do you make sure you only kill soldiers on the battlefield? Leon Panetta, the CIA director from 2009 to 2011 says that after an Al Qaeda target list had been vetted, the decision was ultimately his to take the shot. PANETTA: At the time that I was director of the CIA, we made very clear that if there were any women and children in the shot, we were not to take it and that we were to only go after those that we knew were identified as targets and, therefore, enemies of the United States. Was there some collateral when you're hitting a particular target and you're not sure of all -- you know, the situation, especially when you're going after compounds? Sure. There may have been some collateral. But it was minimal. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Former CIA counterterrorism Chief Robert Grenier says in recent years that target list has expanded. ZAKARIA: Fair to say that it started and when it was being run by you was more narrow, more surgical and more directed against international terrorists, terrorists of global reach and morphed into something that became a much more frequently used weapon for just all the bad guys in the region? GRENIER: I think that's a fair way to characterize the evolution over time. It's very easy when you get out on that slippery slope to say, well, look, here, we shouldn't just be focusing only on the international terrorists, what about the people who are supporting them? And when we take the next step and we start attacking them as an affiliated group, as though they were international terrorists themselves, we're inviting a lot of trouble. ZAKARIA (voice-over): And it's trouble that Peter Bergen of the New America Foundation and CNN has seen firsthand on the ground in Pakistan. BERGEN: Because we have the technology and a tactic that works, the temptation is to use it repeatedly. In 2010 there were 122 drone strikes. It is -- there aren't 122 leaders of Al Qaeda in the world. You know, if the cost of that just angering deeply 180 million Pakistanis, a country with nuclear weapons that's going to be the fifth largest country in the world in terms of population in 2015, I think that's a pretty large, high cost to pay. ZAKARIA (voice-over): One recent target in Yemen hit the village where a former U.S. exchange student, Faria al-Muslimi (ph) grew up. Muslimi says the strikes target was a popular and trusted figure in the village. He says they did not know he was connected with Al Qaeda. FARIA AL-MUSLIMI (PH), FORMER U.S. EXCHANGE STUDENT: It angered people there. You don't come regardless of what is happening in this area, you don't come explode bomb and go away as if nothing happens. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Drone strikes in Yemen, he says, have become recruiting tools for Al Qaeda, which sometimes offers compensation to people whose houses have been hit. AL-MUSLIMI: Nothing has ever empowered Al Qaeda in Yemen as much as the strike drones. ZAKARIA (voice-over): General Michael Hayden is a former director of the CIA. ZAKARIA: Is the drone program out of control? HAYDEN: No. I don't think so. It comes back to what are the circumstances in which you find yourself. Targeted killings have enabled us to bring Al Qaeda prime, Al Qaeda main along the Afghan-Pakistan border to the point of destruction. I can think of almost nothing that has contributed more to the safety of the United States than what we've been able to do to take senior Al Qaeda leadership off the battlefield. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Even if Hayden thinks the tactic works, he says the government needs to change the way they deal with it. For the domestic audience, he says the Obama administration needs to do something spies hate to do: talk publicly about what they are up to. HAYDEN: The issue is political sustainability. My advice is to be as transparent as you can be, even perhaps risking a little bit of operational effectiveness. Otherwise, this program, which if I would describe as being very successful, is going to have an on-off switch. It's going to be affected by American elections rather than being a program that most of America supports. (END VIDEO CLIP) ZAKARIA: Later in the show, how to defend against the next Boston-like attack. But coming up next, should the United States be in the business of torture? Does it yield useful information? What if there's a ticking time bomb? We'll find out when we come back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) ZAKARIA: Welcome back to our GPS special "Beyond the Manhunts." It's called the ticking time bomb scenario. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ZAKARIA (voice-over): A terrorist is in your custody, he knows about a bomb, it could go off at any minute. To what lengths would you go to find out where and when? Shortly after 9/11, that was the question that emerged as we wrestled with the palpable fear of the unknown. Where was bin Laden? Was there another attack coming? In 2002 the Justice Department quietly approved the use of enhanced interrogation techniques like waterboarding and extreme sleep deprivation. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The yeas are 93, the nays are zero. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Three years later, Congress banned enhanced interrogations by the military. The CIA could continue to use the techniques, but it was a subject of much debate and uncertainty. OBAMA: I can say without exception or equivocation that the United States will not torture. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Then on his second day in office in 2009, President Barack Obama signed an executive order outlawing these coercive techniques. OBAMA: There we go. (APPLAUSE) ZAKARIA (voice-over): All future interrogations by anyone in the U.S. government had to follow the strict guidelines of the Army Field Manual. So the million-dollar question: did coercive technique lead to Osama bin Laden? (END VIDEO CLIP) ZAKARIA: Once again, our intelligence experts weigh in. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GRENIER: The black site that I visited was probably the grimmest place I have ever been. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Robert Grenier, a 27-year CIA veteran, ran the agency's Counterterrorism Center from 2004 to 2006. GRENIER: It's a grim business when you are, again, for understandable reasons, sequestering people who you believe have information, actionable information, which, if you're able to acquire it, will save lives. ZAKARIA: In your experience, looking at all the information you got, does it work? Is the use of coercive interrogation, which some people call torture, a useful way to get information? GRENIER: For those group of hardened terrorists against whom, you know, the normal sort of measures that you might encounter in a Chicago precinct, for instance, simply did not work, simply were unavailing, we acquired a lot of very important intelligence. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Leon Panetta was in charge the day Osama bin Laden was killed. PANETTA: I often get criticized for saying this, but it is the fact we got information, even though you may not like the approach that was used. The fact was, it was information. The team that really carried out this mission. ZAKARIA (voice-over): But Panetta says the significance of that information is far from cut and dry. PANETTA: Was it absolutely essential to being able to find bin Laden? I'm not sure. I don't think so. I think, frankly, there were a lot of other bits and pieces of intelligence that we had that we ultimately could have put together the same kind of pattern that we needed in order to track bin Laden. But, you know, was there information that came from those interrogations? Yes, there was. ZAKARIA (voice-over): One of the people sifting through that intelligence was CIA analyst Cindy Storer. Do you think the use of torture was important in getting Osama bin Laden? STORER: Well, I have to say that I chose not to be involved in the program from the beginning. So, I don't have a lot of knowledge about what was done and what came out of it. My only experience -- ZAKARIA: What do you mean chose not to be involved? How could you do that? STORER: I just said I wasn't going to. That was it. I mean, I saw what was happening after 9/11 and I said I won't go. And they kept trying to get me to go down and talk to detainees and I just wouldn't do it. I did have to use the information that came back, of course. I think people didn't put in a lot of time in the context of what we knew about the larger organization and they would just say, well, so-and-so said this; it must be true. And that's a danger. PANETTA: I think it really undermines what the United States is all about. We have said to the enemy what we believe is dear can, in fact, be sacrificed because we are scared to death of them. And I think that's exactly the wrong message one has sent. We're strong, we're proud of what we have, we can make our system work. I think we can balance security and our freedoms. That's what the society is all about. GRENIER: The interrogation process is a, it's a very human process. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Robert Grenier says debates over enhanced methods largely miss the point. In the end, he believes, the most integral part of the process has nothing to do with physical pain. GRENIER: The most effective tool you have is knowledge. The fact that if you are a suspected terrorist, perhaps a known terrorist who is detained and you know that you, that in any given instance it's unlikely that you can lie to me with impunity, that is a very, very powerful tool. ZAKARIA: When the interrogator is able to signal to the prisoner, I know these pieces of information, so if you try to lie to me, I'll know you're lying to me. That's the most powerful. GRENIER: It is. And so that -- so when the detainee says something and you shake your head and you smile and you say, my friend, do you think I've come all this way; do you think I'm sitting here with you because I know so little? That could be a very, very powerful thing. ZAKARIA (voice-over): Former CIA director Michael Hayden agrees, but says we should also be mindful of the circumstances. (on camera): Suppose you had a situation like the Boston bombings, except this time you caught one guy and he was, he was able to talk and you thought there was a ticking time bomb somewhere. HAYDEN: Yeah. ZAKARIA: Would you, would you believe that in those circumstances torture would be appropriate? HAYDEN: Torture is never appropriate. It's like asking me, do you think murder is appropriate, that's no. I mean by definition torture and murder are wrong. Now, would I attempt to question that individual beyond the normal practices of the Massachusetts state police? Perhaps. Beyond the 19 techniques that are allowed in the Army Field Manual? Perhaps. But no one claims that, for example, the Army Film Manual exhausts the universe of lawful techniques. And so, you need to keep your options available because you can't predict what circumstances you might find yourself in the future. I had a phrase when I was director of the National Security Agencies, is we're going to play inside the foul lines, but there's going to be chalk dust on our cleats. ZAKARIA: To be able to go right up to the lines. HAYDEN: Exactly. Because if I don't, Fareed, what I'm doing is protecting me and my agency, not America. (END VIDEOTAPE) ZAKARIA: When thinking through this issue, remember that the U.S. government has mostly stopped using enhanced interrogations since 2006. And has completely stopped since January 2009. Since then, al Qaeda has been battered, intelligence has been gathered and acted on and several major plots have been thwarted. So, if the question is, can we tackle terrorism without using torture? The answer seems to be, we're doing that right now. Up next, targeting the radical lone wolf on our shores. Are we on top of this threat? (COMMERCIAL BREAK) ZAKARIA: Welcome back to our special. Al Qaeda may be battered, but there's a new threat out there. The lone wolf. One person or a small group self-radicalized and determined to kill. In other words, Boston. The CIA and FBI are, of course, working hard to stop the next would-be bombers. But what exactly are they looking for? How do you track a shadow? Someone harboring extremist tendencies quietly. Someone who might turn violent, but isn't yet. The former director of the CIA General Michael Hayden says the United States is continually calibrating the balance between freedom and security. HAYDEN: I put my arm out, Fareed, and said, this is what we're doing for you now in terms of security and intelligence community, the defense community and, frankly, we've made those attacks up here, the ones that were very punishing and about which we were very fearful. 9/11, World Trade Center One, the airliner plot over the Atlantic. We've made them very, very unlikely. But now we have got these, these one of kind of attacks. Like Boston, like Najibullah Zazi going to New York, like the drive by shooting in Little Rock. And I ask American audiences, what do you want me to do with my hand? Because I can actually push it down a little bit. I don't know how much more safety I'll buy you, but there will be some more safety. But how much more of your commerce, your privacy or your convenience do you want me to squeeze for a marginal increase in safety? And as a citizen, as an intelligence professional, I'll follow the guidance of the republic. But as a citizen, I'm thinking my hands are about at the right place now. I don't know that we need to do a whole lot more. Now, the secret within that is that sooner or later, some of this stuff is going to happen and we all have to recognize that there is going to be a margin of risk that we're going to have to live with now. ZAKARIA: So describe what it would mean to push that hand down. I mean you ran the National Security Agency, the super secret spy agency with, you know, what many people believe is the largest budget that has the ability to do, it does all the technical, technological data gathering. Could you eavesdrop on, you know, conversations at a much grander scale than you're doing? HAYDEN: You know, what technology is available now, of course, you can be more invasive. And, you know, truth in advertising here, Fareed. I was the one who installed the terrorist surveillance program which caused so much controversy during the Bush administration. ZAKARIA: Which was about eavesdropping on phone conversations. HAYDEN: It was about international calls, one end of which may have been in the United States that we have reason to believe were affiliated with al Qaeda. Which sounds like a pretty good description for threading about the Boston kind of threat. But even there we recognized that we have to be very careful, very selective. This couldn't be this broad net over all of America's conversations. Even there, it was very, very targeted. (END VIDEOTAPE) ZAKARIA: I asked Ali Soufan, a former FBI special agent. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ZAKARIA: So, you look at something like "Inspire" magazine, al Qaeda - al Qaeda publication of sorts on the Web that contained within it the instructions of how to build these pressure cooker bombs. Should the United States government be trying to shut down these kind of Websites and is it feasible? ALI SOUFAN, FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT: I think it's not the issue of, you know, feasibility. You know, it's very hard to regulate the Internet. We have thousands of thousands of websites that promote Islamic extremism. But I think what we need to do is monitor these sites and monitor the people who basically spent a lot of times on these sites and then monitor their travel pattern and their communications. Let's actually start putting this travel pattern, putting their cyber footprint pattern and put them together. And create kind of a profile. A threat profile about that specific individuals. (END VIDEOTAPE) ZAKARIA: Law enforcement would need to do the almost impossible, sort out who are the radical Muslims, not prone to violence and those who could turn into terrorists. Robert Grenier is a former CIA counter-terrorism chief. ROBERT GRENIER, FORMER CIA COUNTER-TERRORISM CHIEF: It's a very difficult thing to detect when an individual, small group of people are self-radicalizing. That key step to go from views that you and I may consider to be radical or unrealistic to then make the decision that now I am going to engage, I'm going to act on this and I'm going to act violently on this. That is very discreet step. It's a very subtle thing and often it is only apparent in hindsight. And I think our greatest ally are the communities in which they live. And I think one of the great challenges for us as a society and particularly for law enforcement, is to have the sort of relationship with immigrant communities, Muslim communities in the U.S., which conveys to them that we are not stigmatizing you as a community. That we want to work with you as partners. We're all in this together. ZAKARIA: Leon Panetta is a former director of the CIA. LEON PANETTA, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: We have learned a lot since 9/11 on basically how to try to get ahead of this. What we have seen is that you absolutely have to develop good intelligence. That intelligence is a key here because if you have intelligence, then that's what can really target you towards where those threats are. I think it can be done. I mean, after all, if you look at the last ten or 11 years since 9/11, we have been able to get ahead of potential attacks. We have been able to prevent attacks that where we knew something like this was happening. So, the record is pretty good, but we just cannot let up. We have got to continue to be very vigilant. ZAKARIA: Coming up next, in putting together the special, I couldn't help but notice how many women were critical in the intelligence hunt for bin Laden. So, next, we ask a somewhat different question. Are women better at this game than men? When we come back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) ZAKARIA: And now for something completely different. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nobody makes a move. ZAKARIA: In the hit series "Homeland" Claire Danes plays a dogged and dauntless CIA agent on the trail of al Qaeda terrorists. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: have a clue about what happened ... ZAKARIA: Sounds a lot like the main character Maya, a CIA operative in the film "Zero Dark 30," right? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You hold up the information on details on the case (ph) network and publicly -- (CROSSTALK) (END VIDEO CLIP) ZAKARIA: And in real life, it turns out that many of the officers in the hunt for bin Laden were women. The person who wrote the first complete assessment of Osama bin Laden, a woman. The analyst who first identified al Qaeda in a briefing to the president, a woman. So it got me wondering. Do women make better spies or analysts than men? Are they in some ways more suited to this kind of work? I put the question to the former CIA Director Michael Hayden. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ZAKARIA: Do you think there's any significance to the fact that so many of the people who hunted bin Laden down were women? HAYDEN: I will confirm, you're right. This was a band of sisters that led this analytical hunt. Two of the sisters were killed at cost. Jennifer Matthews was there and Elizabeth Hanson. Both wonderful officers, both had briefed me about the hunt for bin Laden, they were phenomenal they were obsessed, they were focused. ZAKARIA: Somebody said to me, you know, there are all these macho guys out there, but you wouldn't want these women after you, because they're relentless HAYDEN: They were absolutely relentless. And freedom, and this is a decade's long hunt and for these women, longer than a decade, these people were hunting bin Laden before hunting bin Laden was cool and popular. They were back there in the day prior to 9/11. In fact, in the opening line from "Homeland." UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I missed something once before ... HAYDEN: Where Carrie mutters, I missed something that day. I think a lot of people with the agency, including these folks, were animated by the fact that that event had taken place and now they wanted to set things right. They really were focused on this energy beyond description. (END VIDEOTAPE) ZAKARIA: For the real scoop, who better to ask than former CIA counterterrorism officials Nada Bakos and Cindy Storer. Nada was a targeter of Abu Zarkawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq and Cindy was one of the first analysts to focus on bin Laden. (on camera): Do you think there's something that women bring to this kind of work that is helpful? CINDY STORER, FORMER CIA ANALYST: I do. Women just tend to do it better. Even when I worked with who were trying really hard to do a good job of it, very few and far between. ZAKARIA: So, let me make a crude generalization. Women are more patient, they are better at recognizing patterns that are slightly complex. Men are, you know, eager to shoot first and ask questions later. Do all ... (LAUGHTER) ZAKARIA: Does all that seem, sound a little bit familiar? NADA BAKOS, FORMER CIA ANALYST: I think it does. But I also think there is something to women having a protection mechanism. You know you can attribute it to being a maternal instinct, but I think there is something to, you know, sort of rallying the troops to protect, you know, what we know and what we find sacred versus, I think, men do dominate the offensive position where we take up the defensive position. ZAKARIA: You said something about, you think there are certain advantages women have, also in terms of getting people to talk to you. Right? BAKOS: I do. I think there's, female case officers do have an advantage because I think they can elicit information in a different way than men. They are less threatening. You know, they can come off as more maternal. So, I think they do have an advantage working, recruiting an asset to give them information. You know, I think part of the fascination is when you think of 007, you know, you don't think of Jane Bond, you think of James Bond. So, I think it's the surprise for a lot of people. ZAKARIA: You worked at the agency for a long time. STORER: Yeah. ZAKARIA: Was it difficult being a woman? I mean, you know, all the issues that you hear about, with, you know, the Sheryl Sandbergs and the Anne-Marie Slaughters of the world. What was it like for you working in what we all think of as a very male organization? STORER: I never felt any over discrimination except when I touched military issues. And then sometimes the men would have this sort of, I think it's just an instinctive reaction or maybe a programmed reaction and then you could get them past that and usually it was OK. But there would be that moment where you have to say, no, look, I actually do know about this. I realize I am a woman, but this tank, you know ... (LAUGHTER) ZAKARIA: Let me ask a couple of questions about something that everybody wonders about. Watching the movie "Manhunt," the documentary might have given people the impression that you, Nada, were Maya in "Zero Dark 30." Would that be accurate? BAKOS: That would not be accurate. I, you know, I would never take that away from the people that worked on finding bin Laden. I had left the agency prior to them catching him. ZAKARIA: Is there a Maya? BAKOS: I would say there were targeting officers and analysts involved in the hunt for bin Laden. And I'm very proud of all of them. I think they did do an amazing job. There were a handful of very dedicated people who were part of that. In addition to the people that built the initial intelligence line like Gina Bennett and Barbara (inaudible) ZAKARIA: But no single person? STORER: That I can't comment on. ZAKARIA: It's a very CIA-like response. (LAUGHTER) STORER: Of course, of course. (END VIDEOTAPE) ZAKARIA: Up next, I'll give you my own thoughts about how to stop terror. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) ZAKARIA: We've taken you on a journey to see the new face of terror. You've heard from the top most officials who have fought this battle. The women who tracked Osama bin Laden and those who actually interrogated suspected terrorists. I hope it's helped you understand the dangers we face and how we should respond to them. I thought I owed you my own conclusions based on what I've seen and heard. First, al Qaeda. The group that planned and directed the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, then the attack on the American destroyer USS Cole and then the World Trade Center is a shadow of its former self. Second, it has become a franchise operation with groups around the world latching on to its name and cause. But there's a debate. You've heard it here. As to whether these groups in Somalia, Mali, Yemen are local thugs or global terrorists. In my reading of them, local concerns seem paramount. Even the Taliban, after all, does not have global terrorist ambitions, but, instead, has always focused on its desire to control Afghanistan. Americans often forget that though we went to war in Afghanistan, no Afghan was involved in 9/11. Nor in any other major terrorist plot against Americans and Europeans. Turning local thugs into global terrorists could well prove to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Third, al Qaeda was not crippled by magic, but through the hard work of counterterrorism by many governments across many regions. Now, as we fight terrorism, let's think hard about collateral damage when we target a bad guy with a drone. Fourth, the Boston bombings have reminded us that the war on terror is one that has to be fought at home as well. But how to find the next group of misfits who have no background with terrorists, who might get radicalized over the Internet and who go from talking radicalism one day to plotting terror the next. Well, we cannot identify every one of these perspective terrorists, no matter how well we do. But people in law enforcement agencies across the United States will tell you, the best intelligence about potential terrorists comes from their communities, which often en means in these times, Muslim communities. So we need eyes on the ground. Friendly relations with imams and other leaders. And outreach to all parts of the communities. If that sounds too soft, it's a proven method. Most recently, a few weeks ago a Canadian plot to attack trains was thwarted with just this sort of intelligence, provided by the local Muslim community. The war on terror began as a grand enterprise involving major war. It seems to have evolved into police work. That is a measure of progress. A final point. Not a thought, but some facts. The National Counterterrorism Center released its annual report last June. It showed that terrorist attacks worldwide had dropped by 12 percent from 2010 and were down 29 percent from 2007. The global terrorism index also released last year systematically ranks countries by levels of terrorist incidents. Over the ten-year period it analyzed, 2002 to 2011, the region least likely to suffer from a terrorist attack was North America. The most comprehensive studies show that terrorism was declining in the United States, even in 2001. And it dropped even more sharply after 9/11. Here's Peter Bergen, again, putting it in some perspective. PETER BERGEN: Since 9/11, 17 Americans have been killed by Jihadist terrorists in this country, in the United States. By, you know, 300 Americans die every year accidentally in their bathtubs. We don't have an irrational fear of bathtub drownings, we shouldn't have an irrational fear of terrorism. ZAKARIA: I hope this special report has helped you think about the future of terrorism more rationally. Thank you for watching. I'm Fareed Zakaria.


text:
Panasonic SC-NP10 wireless speaker
Well, well, what do we have here? A spanking new wireless speaker to persuade those who have always wanted to go wireless in their homes and offices, but never really managed to find the time to do so, not to mention getting the best deal out there? Well, Panasonic has just announced their latest SC-NP10 wireless speaker which was specially designed for the masses as an optimal surround sound system which is extremely suitable for tablet viewing and listening. It will be able to see action with just about any Bluetooth-enabled tablet device, where the Panasonic SC-NP10 will see users prop their tablet instead of taking the traditional docking method, while wirelessly stream music or movie sound. Considering the fact that this is not a "docking station", it will play nice with a variety of different tablet models as well as sizes.
For example, if your family is split right down the middle when it comes to the kind of mobile operating system that the home uses, you might want to make a beeline for the Panasonic SC-NP10 wireless speaker. After all, it does not matter whether you're running an iPad or an Android-powered tablet, the SC-NP10 will still work just as well with it. In addition, this particular tablet would tip the scales at 3.5 lbs, making it compact enough to be placed virtually anywhere in the home, whether you want to jive to your favorite tunes in the kitchen, in your bedroom or at the home office, as it gives you the freedom of watching movies from a distance instead of taking up space on your lap that your pet cat would prefer to be on.
Audio quality from the Panasonic SC-NP10 should not be doubted at all, as it utilizes Near Field Stereo Sound in order to produce realistic sound even from a nearby distance. There is a 12-degree slant structure that has been incorporated, allowing it to reproduce stereo sound that is faithful to the original, even when you are listening at a close distance from the device. The SC-NP10 Wireless Speaker will also deliver 2.1-channel Surround Sound in order to produce sound that borders on life-like realism, which is in line with crisp, clear playback for movie sound. There is a 3-1/8 inch integrated subwoofer that delivers robust bass sounds, where it packs powerful sound into a slim wireless speaker system. The inclusion of Bluetooth Re-Master technology for music will also help restore frequencies lost during Bluetooth transmission, so that users get to enjoy an uninterrupted listening experience. The asking price for the Panasonic SC-NP10 wireless speaker stands at $199.99 a pop.


text:
About gort-o-matic
"Leslie sent the hard drive to the manufacturer, Avastor, which ultimately deleted the information prior to sending Leslie a replacement."
I wonder how hard Avastor tried to recover the $!M data on the drive. Usually a defective drive is just tossed in the recycle bin and a new drive is shipped. There are many drive recovery outfits that would, for a few thousand, get every readable bit off the drive. No mention of that being attempted.
News items pop up from time to time about vulnerabilities in the infrastructure. If true, there may be legitimate reason for concern. That does not mean that these bills are the correct solution. Reasoned methods are better than fear mongering to gain control of a portion of the national budget.
SOPA should be amended so that the same rules apply to off-line reproduction as apply to on-line. This way, any self-service copy business that allows a customer to reproduce a copyrighted work is subject to the same penalties. As are digital camera manufacturers, etc.
I hope this would make it clear how over-the-top the law is when Kinko's ability to take credit cards can be removed by a single accusation without any judicial proceedings.
The DC Public Library is not permitted to issue electronic download only cards to those outside our service area (as listed above--D.C., Maryland and Virginia). If you live outside these areas, you may apply for a regular library card by visiting the Martin Luther King Library in person. The cost is $20, and the card is good for one year.
Now I'll have to see if I can get a similar deal from my local library.
Or more likely, the Empire State building trademark's the image of the Empire State building and demands a fee or bars photographs of the New York skyline.
Not the Empire State Building, but the Chrysler Building is trademarked:


text:
Pauldmckay needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 92 designs submitted by 34 freelance designers.
Athena Learning Services
Athena Learning Services provides small to medium sized business the ability to transform their learning culture. We enable small companies to provide learning in al forms to their employees.
Our goal is to demistify the complex nature of learning by making accessible eLearning content, custom content, learning platforms, learning collaboration and Virtual classroom, etc
We are a small team of dedicated learning professionals intending to sell this new service throughout the UK & Ireland.
Small to medium sized businesses of 250-2000 employees particularly in the IT & Software development sectors. The logo must appeal to broad range of decision makers including HR, Business owners and IT Managers.
This is solely a Business to Business enterprise
modern, technological, contemporary, refined, but with strong impact. 2-3 colors max. We need direction as our experience is in learning and not design
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Neverfail provides highly available cloud services to Clever Devices, a company requiring ISO certification and continuous availability for mission-critical applications.
Clever Devices built the United States most resilient transportation company with Neverfail Continuity Engine.
Build a business that's always online - find out how.
The world's most resilient clouds built for mission-critical applications that require 100% uptime
Manage business continuity in-and-out of the cloud to guarantee continuous business operations
Enable secure remote access and BYOD with Workspace-as-as-Service
Neverfail Workspaces creates a security wrapper around your sensitive data and applications. It keeps everything off your devices and within our secure cloud, shielding your data from unauthorized access.
We are here for you 24x7x365. Our cloud and business continuity experts are only one-click or call away. Always available. Always here for your needs!
US Sales: +1.512.600.4300
UK Sales: +44.0870.777.1500
We can help you find your account manager. Just click here.


text:
Code: SD-LBS-MOTH
Brand: Sheena Douglass
- Product Details
Create a realistic torn paper effect with ease with Sheena's brand new stamps! Featuring eerie skulls, mechanical cogs, flowers and more, this fabulous new concept of stamps will definitely give your crafty projects the edge.
Suitable for use with many different colouring mediums, you can create amazing effects and colour with Spectrum Noir pens, and add that finishing touch using Tim Holtz Distress Inks.
- Delivery & Returns
Shipping costs will vary according to the value of your order. If you're from the UK, you will pay no more than £3.95. However, if your order value exceeds £20 then standard delivery is FREE!
You can upgrade to a courier delivery should you wish. Click here for the full shipping information. If you are not happy with your purchase and wish to return an item or items, please click here to see our full returns policy. Please note, we cannot refund or exchange digital purchases.
If you are a Loyalty Club Member, priority dispatch and shipping discounts are available. Click here to join our Loyalty Club - it's absolutely FREE and there are loads of other exciting benefits for members!!


text:
3 in stock
Want Her Wardrobe are excited to introduce our brand new range of sexy swimwear for this Summer season! Featuring sizzling hot bikinis exclusively designed in-house at WHW to make sure you're style is top notch for your next destination abroad. Shop our gorgeous range of sporty ribbed designs, sexy scrunchie bum brazilians and pool party glam styles to get you sorted for your upcoming holiday!
Please note: all swimwear is sold as a set and is non-returnable.
100% polyester with gold coins
One Size fits UK sizes 6-14
Handwash Only
All swimwear is sold as a set


text:
Pitbull + Havana Brown Take 'We Run the Night' Video to the Club
Singer/DJ Havana Brown and rapper Pitbull brag 'We Run the Night' on their new collaboration, and the pair back up their claim by owning the dance club in the song's music video.
Brown is sexy and she knows it — and so does the director, who builds the video around shots of the singer dancing, posing and generally looking hot. In some shots, she sits on a red throne while half-naked bodies get frisky around her. Other frames show close-ups of Brown in a tight gold dress as she urges the guys to make their move:
"When the sun goes down, down, down, down / Boy are you afraid of the dark, dark? / And when the lights go out, out, out, out / Tell me, do you know where to start, start? / And when the bass gets loud, loud, loud / That is when I feel a part / And when the world sleeps sound, sound, sound / The sound is the key to my heart."
When the always well-dressed Pitbull enters the picture for his verse, Mr. 305 gets up close and personal with Brown and teases, "Let me tickle it, baby." Brown enters the DJ booth to crank up the party even more, reminding viewers that she's more than just a pretty face. All the smiling faces and hands in the air make us wish we were at this party!
Despite her stage name, Havana Brown is not of Cuban descent like Pitbull; she was actually born in Australia and has toured with dance-pop acts like Britney Spears and Enrique Iglesias. Having already reached No. 1 on the Dance/Club Play chart, 'We Run the Night' is her first breakthrough in the U.S.
Watch the Pitbull and Havana Brown 'We Run the Night' Video


text:
Hope your Easter was fantastic! Today, I wanted to highlight a few fun ways to use your ham in delicious leftovers.
Cheesy Ham & Pasta Bake - This recipe is a family favorite. We love the combination of cheddar cheese, ham and whole wheat pasta. It's excellent with mushrooms, but if they aren't your thing, leave them out.
Minnesota Wild Rice Soup – If the weather is still chilly where you are, you must make this soup. Creamy. Filling. And, with a hint of nutty wild rice mixed in.
Cheesy Cauliflower Ham Bake – A different dish that combines with ham and Swiss cheese with a yummy cauliflower sauce.
Broccoli, Pea & Ham "Hot Pockets" – Try these on your family. They'll love them. You will too because you can make up a bunch and freeze them for quick dinners.
Ham and Garden Veggie Garden Shell – Easy. Just like mac & cheese, but with ham and more veggies. Your kids will love it.
Ham & Mushroom Omelet – Use up leftover ham for breakfast too!
Ham & Asparagus Quiche – Amazing. Good for dinner or breakfast.
Ham Primavera – Delicious veggies sautéed with garlic and ham, served over sour cream noodles (substitute Greek Yogurt for sour cream, if desired)!
What are your favorite ways to enjoy leftover ham? Links and recipes welcome either in the comments below or over on Facebook!


text:
Washington State football snaps losing streak to California, 44-22
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Connor Halliday threw for 521 yards and three touchdowns and Washington State used its highest scoring conference game in 10 years to snap an eight-game skid against California with a 44-22 victory Saturday.
Vince Mayle caught two TD passes and Teondray Caldwell, Jeremiah Laufasa and Marcus Mason also scored touchdowns for the Cougars (4-2, 2-1 Pac-12), who last beat the Golden Bears (1-4, 0-2) in 2002.
Freshman Jared Goff threw for 489 yards and two touchdowns for his third 400-yard passing game already this season and Chris Harper had 13 catches for 216 yards and a score. But it wasn't enough to give coach Sonny Dykes his first win against an FBS opponent in a disappointing debut season with the Bears.
Cal's only win this season is against lower-division Portland State and the Bears current nine-game losing streak to FBS opponents since beating Washington State Oct. 13, 2012, is the longest of any team in a BCS conference.
WSU runs away from Cal in 44-22 winOct 5 '13
Washington State Tops Cal, 44-22Oct 5 '13
Basketball Pregame ShowTOMORROW | 6:30pm PTLive
TOMORROW | 7:00pm PTLive
Basketball Post GameTOMORROW | 9:00pm PTLive


text:
Awards & Recognition
Recognizing leaders in the credit union movement.
Developing leaders at
the speed of change.
Valuable Resources on Regulatory Matters
Resources to help you and your members deal with data breaches.
Feel the Difference
A PR campaign for credit unions to acquire and retain members.
Learn More
New Report for League Members
Average Retail Fees
View CU Statistics & Reports
Go to:
Select Month
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
You are not currently subscribed. Click Subscribe below to receive the Leaguer email.
Cornerstone Credit Union League is offering a special audio conference to provide member credit union CEOs with an important update on the ADA website issue. Please mark your calendars to join us Monday, Feb. 12, at 3 p.m. CT.
The call for applications for a volunteer associate director position on the Cornerstone Credit Union League board has begun.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau yesterday issued a Request for Information (RFI) about the Bureau's enforcement processes. The Bureau is seeking information to help assess the overall efficiency and effectiveness of its processes related to the enforcement of federal consumer financial law.
CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle wrote to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), responding to a letter Hatch sent NCUA Chair J. Mark McWatters with questions about the state of the credit union movement.
The widening gap between understaffed IT departments and growing demands for better, more complicated data security is pushing many credit unions and community banks to outsource the management of their IT networks and security monitoring, according to new research.
Today's omni-channel member interacts with us across multiple channels and digital drives a lot of their behavior. For you and your credit union to interact successfully and digitally engage this member you need to leverage the digital landscape effectively.


text:
Hyland's ESG can help you determine if your people, processes and technology are working in tandem and at the highest efficiency. The team accomplishes this by applying business and information management consulting practices, allowing companies like yours to make more informed decisions, empowering you to take the first step toward a multi-year technology strategy and roadmap.
Through a detailed investigation, the team – typically two Hyland consultants with, on average, 10 years information management expertise and even more industry- and technology-specific knowledge – tailors each discovery to your unique needs. Maybe your organisation is new to information and content management. Or perhaps you're stuck in a rut, with the same accounts payable solution you inherited a decade ago. You see process inefficiencies all around you and know there must be a better way to get from point A to point B. But you also can't articulate a clear-cut value to any new investment, you might not have the proper tools to demonstrate ROI, or feel incapable of going at it alone.
For example, many organisations build solid foundations for using ECM. But they are largely technical in nature. They rarely consider how their users will work and interact with the technology. There was never an initiative to discover how employees could better use existing applications to help make day-to-day tasks more efficient and cost effective.
With ESG, that historical approach is changed.
Today's leading organisations rely on both the technical and business know-how to move forward and develop a better understanding of what they need to apply, where and why. And what benefits you'll realise as a result.