text:
3 Bedrooms Apartment
A Corner Single Storey Semi Detached House
1.5 Storey Townhouse
Double Storey Terraced House With Extra Land
3 Bedrooms Condominium
Double Storey Terraced House
3 Bedrooms Condominium (1 Car Park)
3 Bedrooms Low Cost Flat
Renovated Double Storey Mid-Terrace House
The Terms and Conditions specified herein shall govern all users of
www.best2bid.com ("best2bid.com").
1.1. Parties who are interested to participate online in public auction
("E-Bidders") may do so by logging on to best2bid.com and register as a
1.2. E-bidders who register as a user to participate in the public auction
via best2bid.com shall:
a. Be of 18 years and above, sound mind and not an undischarged bankrupt;
b. For a company, be incorporated under the laws of Malaysia and must not
be in liquidation;
c. Be able to take, fulfil and perform all necessary actions, conditions
and matters (including obtaining any necessary consents) in terms of law to
enable E-bidders to participate in the public auction and complete the
purchase in the event of successful bid.
1.3. E-bidders' eligibility requirements are also subject to the existing
Federal and State legal provisions. Non-Malaysian E-bidders or companies
are also advised to take note of restrictions applicable on foreign
purchase imposed by relevant authorities.
2.1. E-Bidders shall provide true, current and accurate information to
register as a user.
2.2. Individual E-Bidders are required to upload copies of identification
2.3. For E-bidders who are companies, certified copies of the Form 24; Form
44; Form 49 (or its equivalent forms under the Companies Act 2016);
Memorandum and Articles of Association/Constitution of the company in
compliance with Companies Act 2016 and a duly signed Board of Director's
Resolution shall be uploaded at www.best2bid.com/Account/Login (click at
"Register for a company account?").
2.4. E-Bidders only need to register as user once and the registered
E-Bidder's username and password can be used for the subsequent auctions on
the best2bid.com.
2.5. E-bidders are responsible to identify the property properly and to
ensure that the details and description of the Property are correct and
accurate before bidding.
2.6. It is the sole and absolute responsibility of all intending E-Bidders
at their own costs and expense, seek and obtain from the Developer and/or
the relevant authorities or bodies, all confirmations and/or consents as
may be required or as may be applicable in respect of the purchase of the
Property and to satisfy themselves on the physical condition of the
Property and all matters in connection with the Property prior to the
bidding (including and not limited to verifying the identity, particulars,
state and condition of the Property and the terms of the conditions and
restrictions affecting the Property if any, whether or not the Property is
reserved for Bumiputra or Malay only and/or is a low cost property, and
matters relating to the ownership and transfer of the Property, the status
of the separate document of title to the Property and its particulars, the
liabilities including amounts of outstanding service or maintenance charges
owing and other obligations pertaining to the Property and the E-Bidders'
eligibility and qualification to purchase the Property). E-Bidders shall be
deemed to have full knowledge of all of the matters aforesaid. The
Auctioneer, the Assignee/Bank, the Assignee/Bank's solicitors and
best2bid.com and their respective agents or servants do not in any way make
any representation or warranty in respect of any of the aforesaid and shall
not in any way be responsible or liable to the E-Bidders in respect of any
of the aforesaid.
2.7. The registration of an individual or company as a user on the
best2bid.com shall not be construed as approval of eligibility of the
intended E-bidder to conclude the auction sale. Please refer to Part 1
above for requirements on the eligibility of E-bidders.
3.1. E-Bidders may browse through the best2bid.com website and select the
properties they wish to bid.
3.2. E-Bidders are required to agree and accept the best2bid.com's Terms
& Conditions before proceeding with the bid.
3.3. The Terms & Conditions shall be read together with all the
Conditions of Sale attached to the Proclamation of Sale which is uploaded
on the best2bid.com and shall be deemed to have been read and agreed upon
by the E-Bidders prior to bidding. In the event of any inconsistency
between the Terms & Conditions stated herein and the Conditions of Sale
attached to the Proclamation of Sale, the Conditions of Sale attached to
the Proclamation of Sale shall prevail.
3.4. E-Bidders must make deposit payment as required under the Conditions
of Sale attached to Proclamation of Sale, i.e. 10% of the reserve price.
Payment of the deposit must be made via local bank transfer to MALAYAN BANKING BERHAD in favour of
Account No: 5070-7741-4305
. Evidence of the transfer must be uploaded and submitted at the time of
3.5. E-Bidders are required to complete the registration process by
inserting the relevant details and uploading the relevant documents
including evidence of payment of the deposit onto the best2bid.com latest
by 11.59 pm, at least one (1) working day before the auction date.
3.6. Registration shall be subject to verification and approval of
best2bid.com and subject further to deposit payment being cleared by the
bank. Please take note that approval from best2bid.com administrator may
take at least 1 working day and any improper, incomplete registration or
late registration may be rejected at the sole discretion of best2bid.com.
Neither best2bid.com nor its agents and/or representatives bears any
responsibility or assumes any liability in the event that the registration
of a prospective E-Bidder is rejected and/or delayed for any reason
whatsoever. In the event of the registration is rejected, the deposit paid
(if cleared by the bank) shall be refunded to the same bank account from
which the deposit transfer was made within two (2) working days.
3.7. E-Bidders intending to authorize any person to execute the
Memorandum/Contract of Sale upon successful bidding of the property shall
do so by furnishing the following documents to the Auctioneer:
a. The person's NRIC copy (front and back); and
b. A copy of the relevant Letter of Authorization.
3.8. Upon approval and verification by best2bid.com and subject to the
deposit payment being cleared by the bank, registered E-Bidders will be
notified by email for registration approval which will allow the registered
E-Bidders to bid for their intended property on the auction day.
3.9. Bidding may be done via a computer, smart phone or any device with
internet connection.
4.1. Bidding shall generally commence based on the sequence of the lot
being shown on the best2bid.com. However the Auctioneer has the right to
vary this sequence without notice.
4.2. It shall be the responsibility of registered E-Bidders to log in
through the best2bid.com to wait for their turn to bid for the property lot
in which they intend to bid.
4.3. The Auctioneer has the right to set a new reserve price in the event
there is more than 1 bidder. The reference to a "bidder" here includes
E-Bidders as well as on-site bidders.
4.4. Auctioneer will announce the amount of incremental bid and the same
will appear on the website prior to the commencement of the auction.
4.5. Auction starts when a flash message "Auction Started. Bid Now" is
4.6. Each bid will be called for 3 times, "First Calling, "Second Calling",
"Final Call". Registered E-Bidders may submit their bid at any of these
stages of biddings by entering the bid amount.
4.7. Any bid by the registered E-bidders shall not be withdrawn once
4.8. In the event of any clarification, disruption or special situation,
the Auctioneer may at his discretion decide to pause, postpone and/or call
off the public auction. The E-bidders will be notified of this on the
4.9. When system displays "No More Bids", no further bids will be accepted
by the Auctioneer, whether on-site or through the best2bid.com.
4.10. The bidder with the highest bid shall be declared as successful
bidder upon the fall of hammer.
4.11. The decision of the Auctioneer shall be final and binding on all
on-site and/or E-bidders.
4.12. A successful bidder will be sent an email where further directions
are given in order to conclude the sale of the auction property. Please
also refer to Part 5 below.
4.13. Unsuccessful E-Bidders will have the deposit paid processed to be
refunded to the same bank account from which the deposit transfer was made
within two (2) working days.
4.14. The information shown and/or prompted on the screen handled by the
best2bid.com regarding the public auction, particularly to the calling of
bidding price during the bidding process and the declaration of successful
bidder shall be final and conclusive.
5.1. Any E-Bidders who successfully bids for the Property shall and
undertake to sign the Memorandum of Sale and pay the difference between 10%
of the purchase price and the deposit paid under clause 3.4 above
("differential sum") at the office of the Auctioneer within 3 working days
from the date of auction, failing which the deposit paid will be forfeited
to the Assignee Bank and sale will be deemed cancelled/terminated and the
property may be put up for subsequent auction without further notice to the
said E-Bidders. The Auctioneer shall send the Memorandum of Sale for
stamping and thereafter forward the same together with the deposit paid
under clause 3.4 above and the differential sum paid under this clause If
any) to the Assignee Bank.
5.2. Any successful E-Bidders who is unable to attend to sign the
Memorandum of Sale at the office of the Auctioneer may do so by authorising
another person to sign the same on his behalf by inserting the particulars
of the authorised person and print a copy of the letter of authorisation
from best2bid.com. The authorised person shall provide the Letter of
Authorisation signed by the successful E-bidder together with a copy of
his/her identity card to the Auctioneer.
5.3. In the event if there is inconsistency between the personal details
and documents uploaded in the best2bid.com and the actual documents
produced by the successful bidder, the Auctioneer shall have the right to
refuse the successful bidder from signing the Memorandum of Sale and may at
his discretion cancel the sale and proceed to put the property up for a new
auction and the deposit paid shall be used to defray the cost of the
auction and the balance (if any) shall be refunded to the successful
5.4. The Memorandum/Contract of Sale, upon being signed by the Auctioneer,
Solicitor for the Assignee Bank and successful bidder, shall be a
conclusive evidence for the sale of the Property to the successful bidder.
6.1. All registered E-bidders at best2bid.com undertake to fully comply
with this terms and conditions herein. Further, all successful E-Bidders
shall also be bound by the terms and conditions of the Conditions of Sale
attached to the Proclamation of Sale.
6.2. The Auctioneer may from time to time add, modify, or delete any terms
and conditions herein.
6.3. E-Bidders are responsible to ensure that their internet access is in
good condition during the whole process of public auction until conclusion
thereof. Unsatisfactory internet access may disrupt any bids made by the
6.4. The Auctioneer or the best2bid.com shall not be liable for any
disruptions, delays, failures, errors, omissions, or loss of transmitted
information due to the unsatisfactory internet access or any online
disruptions that may howsoever occur during the process of public auction
at best2bid.com.
6.5. best2bid.com is owned and operated by MNP Auctioneers (Central) Sdn.
Bhd.. The E-Bidders agree and accept that MNP Auctioneers (Central) Sdn.
Bhd. or the Auctioneer or the Assignee Bank in which MNP Auctioneers
(Central) Sdn. Bhd. / Auctioneer acts for or their Solicitors or any of
their respective servants or agents shall not be in any way liable for any
claims or loss arising out of the use of the best2bid.com.
7.1. The usage of best2bid.com together with the terms and conditions
hereof shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of
7.2. The laws of Malaysia shall regulate and apply to all electronic
transactions of immoveable property by public auction. Any legal actions or
proceedings arising out of or in connection with the electronic transaction
of immoveable property by public auction shall subject to the exclusive
jurisdiction of the Courts of Malaysia.
8.1. By accessing best2bid.com, the E-Bidders acknowledge and agree that
best2bid.com may collect, retain, or disclose the E-Bidder's information or
any information by the e-bidders for the effectiveness of services, and the
collected, retained or disclosed information shall comply with Personal
Data Protection Act 2010 and any regulations, laws or rules applicable from
time to time.
8.2. E-Bidders agree to accept all associated risks when using the service
in the best2bid.com shall not make any claim for any unauthorized access or
any consequential loss or damages suffered.
8.3. E-Bidders shall be responsible for the confidentiality and use of
password and not to reveal the password to anyone at any time and under any
circumstances, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
8.4. E-Bidders agree to comply with all the security measures related to
safety of the password or generally in respect of the use of the service.
8.5. E-Bidders accept the responsibility that in any event that the
password are in the possession of any other person whether intentionally or
unintentionally, the E-Bidders shall take precautionary steps for the
disclosure, discovery, or the Bidders shall immediately notify MNP
Auctioneers (Central) Sdn. Bhd.
9.1. Any information, contents, materials, documents, details, graphics,
files, data, text, images, digital pictures, or any visual being displayed
in the best2bid.com shall not be used or published either by electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission
from best2bid.com.
9.2. In the event of any infringement of intellectual property rights under
the Terms and Conditions herein, best2bid.com may use any available legal
remedies which may include the demand for actual or statutory damages,
solicitors' fees and injunctive relief.
10.1. In the event there is any discrepancy, misstatement or error
appearing in translations of the particulars and the Terms and Conditions
to any other language (if any), the Terms and Conditions in the English
Language version shall prevail.


text:
Cardiff City wide-man Peter Whittingham has reportedly been approached in request of his services for Team GB at the forthcoming London 2012 Olympics.
The football public may not be so surprised, considering the former England Under-21 man's sizzling form and consistency in the Football League Championship.
Whittingham, now 27, has been at Cardiff since 2007 and has struck an impressive half-century of goals in 204 appearances for the Bluebirds since he departed Aston Villa for South Wales.
Now Stuart Pearce wants to add his creativity and skill to a team which must contain just three British hopefuls over the age of 23.
If selected as a senior member of Team GB, this would provide an overwhelming sense of achievement for Whittingham, whose talents have been overlooked thus far by England at full international level.
Permission will need to be granted from his club side to enable Whittingham access into the final squad. Nevertheless, his manager Malky Mackay is in no doubt of what the midfielder brings to a team.
He said: "Whittingham's a fantastic footballer and someone I admire, he's a Cardiff player he's central to my plans."
Elsewhere in the Olympic fold, it remains to be seen whether Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale will be granted access to Team GB by the Football Association of Wales after both were pictured in the team's training jersey late last year.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The following Cool Kiz On The Block Episode 40 Eng Sub has been released. Kshow123 will always be the first to have the episode so please Bookmark us for update.
Watch other episodes of Cool Kiz On The Block Series at Kshow123.
Watch other episodes of Cool Kiz On The Block Series at Kshow123.
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text:
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, one of President Obama's most persistent critics, joined him for dinner at the White House on Wednesday night to talk immigration, the budget and a wide range of other topics.
Not big breakthroughs emerged from the gathering of political foes – which included other Republican senators – but it furthered Obama's attempts to reach across the partisan divide and develop closer personal relationships in hopes of eventually resolving some thorny issues.
Rubio's staff called it "a positive discussion" without further comment.
More than four years into his presidency, Obama has launched a charm offensive to...


text:
VERSION 2 (V.2) FLASH for 2009 Ralliart:
Version 2 flash is a semi customization of your ECU via Email.
25-60whp gains expected on 2009 Ralliart!
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In our experience our Mustang Dyno tuning services have proven the most effective at demonstrating REAL WORLD street performance and the best racetrack performance as the intake air temps, aerodynamics, load on the wheels, boost response is the same during the tuning session as it is when the customer receives back their fully tuned Evo on the street from the eddy brake equipped Mustang Dyno.
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text:
When I picture life on Newt Gingrich's moon colony, I picture women and men long nights spent hunched over a microscope, or working in the oxygen processing center, where they'll convert moon water to breathable air. But one Madison Avenue firm had a very different view of life in space, one where women's key contribution was keeping the habitat spic-and-span.
Welcome to the future of Lestoil, where men are men and women pose serenely with cleaning products. Wasn't the 1960s version of the future supposed to come with robot maids?
Well, at least the second ad gets it right. Your alien pal got his red sandy footprints on the ceiling, young man? You clean it up.
"Tomorrow's Lestoil" Ads, 1968 [Retronaut]


text:
Selecting your vehicle's make, model, and year allows us to display only parts and items specific to your car's model and year.
Part# TC84051
Mfg# 084051
1 Review
OPGI Price: $71.99
Part Type: (P) High Performance, designed to improve performance
Years: 1959-1976
Sold As: SET
The "Thundervolt" custom-fit (manufactured for your specific engine) plug wire sets were developed and dyno-tested to deliver more power and spark energy, while producing a smoother idle and improved fuel efficiency. The Ferrite spiral-wound core is coated with an exclusive copper/nickel alloy bonded by a conductive acrylic cover. The special dual Zimplex silicone outer jacketing protects up to 600° and provides extreme durability. The 100% silicone spark plug boots feature a double spring-locking plug terminal for a positive contact.
COLORS AVAILABLE: Black, blue or red.


text:
The Washington Post leads with reports that the government keeps more data on American travelers than it had previously let on—holding onto records of everything from traveling companions to reading material. The Los Angeles Times leads with the White House's request for funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which is projected to go up another $47 billion in 2008, despite troop withdrawals beginning in December. The New York Times leads with New York state being denied federal funds for chemotherapy for illegal immigrants. The Wall Street Journal tops its world-wide newsbox with another Iraq withdrawal proposal getting shot down in the Senate.
The government's Automated Targeting System, used to screen for dangerous people attempting to enter the United States, has been around for 15 years, and some of the details of its inner workings have been public for a year. The WP suggests, however, that the depth of the information being kept is far greater than anything the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged previously. When several activists obtained their own travel records, they were outraged to learn that their travel plans, traveling companions, and the items they brought with them were all scrutinized in their files. The department, which expanded the program beginning in 2002, has defended the data collection, saying that the Sept. 11 attacks were an object lesson in the importance of "connecting the dots of terrorist-related information."
The LAT says that the reason the tab for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be increasing is partly because of the surge troops, which weren't included in last year's spending request, and partly because of the need to replace and upgrade equipment. The Pentagon is particularly looking to replace Humvees with mine-resistant vehicles that can stand up to improvised explosive devices, a leading cause of troop casualties in Iraq. The paper predicts congressional Democrats will be incensed by the larger-than-expected increase but are likely to still approve the funding, since it's so closely tied to troop safety. Last week, a vote on a proposal to cut off most Iraq war funding garnered just 28 votes in the Senate.
The New York chemotherapy dispute is being viewed a federal crackdown on illegal-immigrant access to civil services. Under federal law, Medicaid can be used to cover uninsured foreigners who need emergency treatment. The paper says that the law is clearly worded in such a way that would exclude long-term treatments like chemotherapy. Since the law only expressly forbids using the program to fund organ transplants, however, some states have argued that "emergency" means any treatment without which a patient will end up in the emergency room.
The NYT offleads with a surprising decision by Chile's Supreme Court to send former Peruvian President Alberto K. Fujimori back to Peru to stand trial for corruption and human rights violations. The deal is significant since sending corrupt leaders home for trial used to be quite rare, and since the Chilean courts made the determination without pressure from the country's executive branch.
In a local story of some national import, the WP covers the collapse of an $8 billion buyout of D.C. audio-equipment maker Harman International Industries. The buyout is the first to collapse since August's credit market upheaval, leaving the future of several other large takeovers in doubt.
Dowries may be illegal in India, but women are still being killed over them, reports the LAT. It has become increasingly common for the groom's family to demand more money after the wedding takes place, beating and sometimes killing the wife if the cash is not forthcoming.
The WSJ reports on all the unexpected consequences of the Canadian dollar rising to equal the value of its U.S. counterpart for the first time in 31 years. Dry Canadian wit pervades throughout.
While Blackwater USA is going back to work in Iraq after a Sunday shooting that left 11 people dead, the LAT says the Iraqi government isn't letting the issue go. The government has expanded its investigation of the private security company to include six other violent incidents in the last year. It may all be a moot point, however, since Iraqi government officials admit they are unable to kick the company out of Iraq. Blackwater provides security details for diplomats and civilian officials in Iraq.
The Israeli airstrikes on Syria and the resulting questions about Syria's weapons capacity and where it may have come from go unresolved in the pages of the NYT.
A recent Harvard study found people living in more diverse societies turn away from community interaction and volunteer less—with the exception of evangelical Christians, who have been increasingly willing to welcome faithful from all parts of the globe while maintaining their community focus. The NYT profiles the experiences of one such "international" congregation in Georgia.
The WP reports that a local campaign may have crossed an unusual line—using a blog comment written under a pseudonym as a source for an attack ad.
More and more campaign money is coming from Americans living abroad, says the NYT. Obama and Giuliani lead the pack by appealing to wealthy ex-pats living in London, Paris, and Hong Kong.
How did all that O.J. memorabilia end up in that Vegas hotel room? Why was O.J. trying to get it all back? The LAT does an admirable job of fitting the pieces together.
The WP fronts and the NYT teases Giuliani's speech to the NRA. In truth, several candidates made speeches to the association that day, including Democratic candidate Bill Richardson, but Giuliani's speech is the most newsworthy, as he had the most to prove and the most to lose. The NYT focuses on Giuliani's partial about-face on gun control, saying he'd oppose any new restrictions. Despite the concessions, however, the WP focuses on the candidate's failure to win many hearts and minds with the speech.
The State Department has hired a team to post on Arabic message boards with pro-American messages, so says the NYT.
Inside, the WP notes the failure of what was once considered one of the most promising AIDS vaccines.
Parking Up the Wrong Tree …
The LAT covers an unusual citywide protest favoring more space for parks. Protesters set up temporary Astroturf parks in parking spots to draw attention to the city's preference for blacktop over green spaces. It's worth reading if only for the confused, almost wounded, quotes from locals trying to understand protesting about parks in neighborhoods where not everyone has enough to eat.


text:
Chair Korman called the meeting to order.
Trustee Korman asked for a MOTION to approve the minutes from March 15, 2011. Motion carried and minutes approved.
There was no request to make comments.
Provost Workman presented to the committee eighteen nominees being recommended for tenure and promotion based on a traditional review of their credentials.
Trustees asked if this list represented all candidates that came up for tenure this past year and Provost Workman remarked that there were a few candidates not recommended for tenure; that this process is not a fait accompli.
Trustee Korman asked for a MOTION for approval for tenure for the 18 nominees. The MOTION was carried as presented.
Dr. Asai Asaithambi, Director, School of Computing, College of Computing, Engineering and Construction: Trustee Korman asked Provost Workman to speak about this item.
Dr. Workman remarked that UNF was able to recruit a candidate who has both the academic and administrative experience necessary for the position of Director of the School of Computing to replace Dr. Judy Solano.
Trustee Korman asked for a MOTION for approval for tenure by reason of appointment for Dr. Asai Asaithambi. The motion was carried as presented.
The Finance and Audit Committee joined the Academic Affairs Committee to discuss the University Work Plan.
Provost Workman presented the University's Update to the BOG Work Plan 2011. The BOT had seen and approved an earlier version of this plan but asked to review any update. The Work Plan outlines UNF's strategic directions, request for a tuition increase, legislative budget requests, and other elements the BOG has mandated as part of the Update.
Chair Taylor asked for a MOTION for approval of UNF's 2011 Work Plan update. The motion was carried as presented.
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text:
Out of a group of 125 graduates in the class of 2007 at Baghdad University's economics department, three landed ministry jobs and four enlisted in the Army. The rest are unemployed.
This year, the outlook for the 2,800 students graduating from the university's economics and business school is not much better. An estimated 1 percent will find jobs related to their fields, says Thaer al-Ani, an economics professor at the school.
As the security situation improves, polls show that Iraqis are more optimistic than they've been at any time since 2005. Oil revenues are sloshing into the government coffers, providing the government with a record $70 billion budget this year. Iraq's prime minister led a delegation to Europe last week and left with promises of new investment by several German firms. US military officials say they are now focused more on rebuilding than on combat.
Yet as promising as the broader economic trends appear, the view for most Iraqis hasn't improved much – if at all yet.
As the Baghdad University graduating class shows, most good jobs are found in the military, police, and intelligence forces. And many of those jobs are only attained through family ties or payoffs, say Iraqis interviewed.
"Our sole goal is to get a government job…. There aren't other ways for getting ahead," says Asfar Jihad surrounded by her classmates at Baghdad University on a recent morning.
"And the only way you achieve that: pull and connection or bribes," adds her friend Elaf Ahmed.
In 2006, the latest official data available, Iraq's jobless rate was 42.7 percent, according to the Ministry of Planning. But that figure is low, say Mr. Ani and another Iraqi economist, Ahmed al-Wazzan. The unemployment rate doesn't count the "nonproductive workforce" – the tens of thousands of state employees who receive a salary but do little or don't show up for work at all. Unemployment rates are the highest among new graduates, say the two economists
One of the biggest problems, say experts, is that despite the best of intentions, the government continues to be plagued by corruption, mismanagement, and cronyism at every level.
Iraq's main political actors, both in the central and local governments, use their positions and budgets to dole out jobs or simply cash to boost their political leverage. For example, Iraq's Ministry of Youth and Sports is headed by a Shiite. In addition to ensuring that Shiites dominate the ministry, the minister is accused of sabotaging the work of the country's National Olympic Committee once headed by a Sunni. This was one of the reasons cited last week for the International Olympic Committee's ban on Iraqi athletes from participating in the coming Beijing Olympics.
All the main political parties, which tend to be oriented by sect or ethnicity, follow a similar path, creating a recipe for more conflict and turf battles. When one group attains power, the money flows to its supporters only.
Last month, US-backed Iraqi forces launched an operation in the province of Maysan against militia groups linked to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. There was little resistance, but dozens of top local officials associated with Mr. Sadr were arrested.
Plans are under way to purge the provincial police force of any militia or Sadrist influence. Tribal leaders beholden to rival parties, such as the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), were told to furnish lists of candidates for 5,000 new jobs in the security forces. Replicating what was done in other parts of the country this year after military operations against the Sadr's Mahdi Army, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki tasked a committee to spend $100 million in Maysan Province to provide emergency relief for the poor and unemployed, and to improve services.
Bribe for a job: $1,250
But not all poor are treated equally.
Nadhim Salman and seven members of his family squat in a crumbling two-room structure, part of a former Army barracks in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Maysan's capital Amara.
Mr. Salman, a former soldier, has been unable to collect a pension. The whole family lives on the 6,000 dinars ($5) earned daily by his son Aqeel as a bus driver. His other son Walid wants to join the security forces but was told that since he had no tribal leader to vouch for him, he had to pay a bribe of 1.5 million dinars ($1,250) to join the army or 3 million dinars ($2,500) for the police.
The family used to get occasional handouts of cash, flour, or bags of groceries from Sadr's movement, which has been known to help the neediest throughout Iraq. But this came to an abrupt end with the government offensive in the province.
In Baghdad's slum of Sadr City, Ahmed Abbas has a similar story. He's a school dropout in his early 20s. He has been an on and off fighter with the Mahdi Army over the years. He has held odd jobs ranging from selling ice, eggs, and cooking gas to pushing carts at the central market.
Mr. Abbas has tried to get a job as a street sweeper but was told "the applicant lists were full." Jobs with the security forces he says required up-front bribes.
Baghdad's police chief Maj. Gen. Kadhim al-Mahamadawi denies that any bribes are taken for hiring at any level. He says the force is simply "overwhelmed" by applicants.
Col. Shelia Bryant-Tucker, outgoing inspector general with the US military command tasked with training and equipping Iraqi forces, says although she has not personally encountered the phenomenon of up-front bribes for security jobs, she would not be surprised, given the prevalence of other corrupt practices within the Army and police.
"It's going to take a whole paradigm shift, a whole generation…. It's a huge problem," she says.
American officials say they have learned their lesson from the "mismanagement" of the past and that the focus of the US effort – military and civilian – is now on promoting private sector growth and helping the government function better.
Last year's surge in US troops, which has largely wound down now, was intended to create the right conditions for economic revival.
Shop owners were handed cash payments, starting at $2,000, to reopen shuttered markets. Unemployed youth and former insurgents were hired for neighborhood watch programs and community cleanup drives. Prominent tribal sheikhs and community figures were given cash and the opportunity to get involved in reconstruction projects.
Military provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) are working in concert with local governments on longer-term initiatives too. USAID and the PRTs have so far funded nearly $5.5 billion worth of projects in Iraq.
For example, the US is now spending $8 million to set up four municipal outposts known as public works substations in mostly Sunni neighborhoods in western Baghdad. The US is buying all the equipment, hiring the Iraqi staff, and paying their salaries. Municipal officials must promise to match the numbers hired by the Americans and take over the whole program after one year. The idea is to bring services and create jobs in parts of the city where authorities may be hesitant to operate because of sectarian or security considerations.
"You get two for one.... People need to see an example of government working.... That's the thrust," says Lt. Col. Curt Carson, a US commander in western Baghdad.
The US military is also hiring more Iraqis on its bases and directing more procurement contracts to Iraqi companies as part of what it calls its "Iraq First" drive.
The military estimates that at least 75,000 Iraqis are employed now as a result of $3.3 billion worth of contracts with Iraqi-owned firms since January 2007.
An additional 3,700 Iraqis are employed at 60 US military bases across the country, 1,400 are involved in businesses on or near bases, and some $182 million has been directed to Iraqi vendors over the past nine months as part of the $4-billion-a-year military contract for food and services handled primarily by Halliburton's KBR unit, according to Maj. Gen. Tim McHale, director of personnel, logistics, and resources.
The Pentagon's task force to improve business and stability in Iraq is headed by Deputy Undersecretary Paul Brinkley, who says he wants to spur economic growth by assisting foreign investors with "the logistics of going back to Baghdad."
Mr. Brinkley told Al Jazeera television on July 16 that there are already commitments for $500 million worth of foreign investments in Iraq "with billions of dollars [more] in the pipeline...."
Clearer rules, more investors
US diplomats say they continue to push the Iraqi government for more transparent rules in the hope that this will encourage more private initiative and investment, and eventually more jobs. "The system of government is opaque. It's very hard to find out what you are supposed to do to be in compliance with the law.... That system lends itself to corrupt bureaucrats," says Lawrence Benedict, the US Embassy's coordinator for anticorruption.
But the elaborate system of patronage – a hallmark of the previous regime – seems to be reestablishing itself now, Mr. Benedict says. "Iraqis expect benefits from their leadership and for that they are expected to be loyal. To us that looks a lot like corruption. I am not sure it does so much to Iraqis."
One crude example of how this works was evident in Baghdad earlier this month when Iraq's prime minister visited a restaurant. While he ate, the prime minister's aides stopped passing motorists who were driving old vehicles. They were quizzed about their income and jobs. Those deemed poor enough, were given 500,000 dinars ($416). One recipient of the cash handout, Salah Ali, said the government gift represented three-quarters of what he usually made in a month from holding three jobs: government employee, air conditioning technician, and taxi driver.


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Greetings IR Shooters. Once again, it's been quite some time since anyone has contacted me to have their work Showcased on the IR Buzz. I don't think that it says anything about a general lack of interest in IR Photography, but rather reflects how busy and diverse our lives are these days. In any case, I am very pleased that talented IR Photographer, Francisco Jose Marin Fatuarte sent me an email offering to let us all view his extensive IR work. Francisco lives in Sevilla, Spain, and it is very apparent that he has some first-rate IR locations to choose from. Francisco has developed and specializes in Panoramic Infrared Photography. Let us give a warm welcome to Francisco to The IR Buzz!
Bio: It is always difficult to write about yourself and especially if you are using a foreign language. You are supposed to give personal data and details of your photographic techniques.
But that information is probably boring for most readers. I prefer to talk about my experience and my personal view of life.
I was born in Sevilla (Spain), where my home has always been; although I love traveling I believe my homeland is second to none. My character is away from being like a standard Andalusian. I like feast and sleeping siesta but keep my feelings deep inside even with my close friends. Since I became my own boss three years ago, my life is involved in a more creative and artistic world, leaving a stressful engineering job behind.
From my first pencil drawings and oil painting when I was a teenager, the attraction for artistic expression has always pushed me in the same direction. I started in photography as many others with an old manual reflex camera (in this case it was a Fujica), and soon started processing my own films and prints. My first enlarger was made of balsa wood and black card box, which didn't last very long, but helped me to obtain enough self-confidence to start many other projects.
I am reaching a half of a century in less than a couple of years and have plenty of experience in photography with an extensive collection of cameras and other photo related pieces of equipment. Panoramics, pinhole, fish-eye lenses, cross processing, and many other techniques are behind my fondness for artistic expression. I have always being amazed by Surrealism, and even though photography is intended for recording the "real" world I try to use it for extreme deformation and abnormal appearance.
The beginning of my IR experience was in 1999 using a Kodak 1.5 MPX camera but I soon discovered that tripod, long exposure, and soft images were not the way to go for me. Some time later I discovered HIE film and Infradol developer allowing me to use my panoramic cameras hand-held. I always have my equipment ready for a new infrared experience since then.
Some favorites of my own IR images:
Francisco's Images can be view at his Photo Galleries
Seville Holy Week
Gallery of IR Panoramas
Gallery - Summer of 2007
Panoramics in WPS
Panoramics in PI
Read more about Francisco
Copyright Statement: All images and materials displayed and showcased here, are copyrighted and are the exclusive property of the artist. Images and material may not be reproduced or used in any way without the written consent of the artist.
Please Comment Freely to this Post.
Please let Francisco know how much you enjoy and appreciate his fantastic IR Photography!
-=- Jerry -=-


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Accountancy Recruitment Agency Carlisle
Accountancy Work is a division of CV Screen Ltd and specialises in recruiting accountancy & finance professionals for organisations in the Carlisle area.
Established in 2000, we have built up a large database of Accountancy professionals in the Carlisle area, and our experienced recruiters are able to source highly skilled accountancy & finance staff for your business.
Our permanent placement fees of 12.5% of the basic salary are excellent value within the marketplace and we also offer a 100% rebate for 100 days to provide you with added peace of mind when you are recruiting.
Our experienced Consultants recruit Accountancy & Finance professionals at all levels of seniority from Accounts Assistant right through to Finance Director.
We pride ourselves on our honest, ethical and professional approach to recruitment and have successfully recruited for over 1500 companies in the UK including household names such as Red Bull, Links of London and Kleeneze.
Why not call us on 0845 200 8170 to discuss how we are able to assist you.
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Both girls keep their collections in one of my hand-painted lunch tin boxes.
Friday, July 20, 2012
* Homemade Erasers With Eraser Clay
My girls have extensive (embarrassingly large) collections of little erasers.
They come from different places and different companies
but they are all basically the same thing --
little erasers in the shape of tiny animals and junk food that pop together
Both girls keep their collections in one of my hand-painted lunch tin boxes.
They enjoy sorting them and acting out little plot lines with them.
They even build little houses out of shoe boxes for them.
We spotted a package of "Eraser Clay" (Sculpey brand) at the craft store
and the girls wanted to try making their own eraser figurines.
This is not a sponsored post.
I'm just sharing the fun we had as a family when we discovered this fun clay!
So we brought home a package and had a playdate with Grandma
to make some figure. Grammy is a bit of clay expert - she helped make
a claymation film (I GO POGO) a million years ago when I was a little girl.
The girls are always impressed with her play dough and clay modeling skills!
Grammy made the tiny pink kitty for "C"
We used some play dough molds to make the carrots -- "C" had fun making them.
"E" made the green frog and the birthday cake above.
It kept the girls (big and little) entertained for part of an afternoon
and it was fun to add some homemade "toys" to our collection.
I just baked them in the oven on a cookie sheet per the package instructions
and they weren't very stinky.
I wouldn't use these as "real" erasers - but they do "erase" a little bit when we tested them.
Happy Crafting!
Pink and Green Mama
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Posted by pink and green mama MaryLea
Labels: Clay, Create, Homemade Toys, Play
Blog Archive
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- * Curvy Board, Waldorf Rocker Board Review
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Kite Shape Diamond Rendering sketched in pencil, painted in watercolor on 140 lb. paper then printed on 100 lb. paper, finished with mat.
Painted by my Mom, Amy.
Image size: 10.5 X 13.5 inches; Finished size with super white mat: 16 X 20 inches.
Print will be shipped with foam backing board in a clear bag with protective closure.
*Frame not included, this listing is for print not original watercolor.*
Contact me for custom sizes or purchasing information of original watercolor.
Orders will ship out 2-4 business days after being placed, shipped through FedEx Ground.
© 2017 Juler's Row LLC. All rights reserved.
We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and Etsy Gift Cards.
Shipped through FedEx Ground.
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
All pieces are made to order, we don't accept returns. If there is damage to the piece upon arrival, message me and we will coordinate shipping a new piece out and return of the damaged item.


text:
From the sublime to the ridiculous - gentle canoeing to white water kayaking
My Favorite Web Sites - Winchester Star - 7/4/02
This is a bi-weekly column providing an annotated list of Web sites that may be of interest to the community. Each column will list sites that belong to a particular category: search engines, art, online newspapers and magazines, health and medicine, history, business and economics, etc. or sites relevant to a particular season, for example, skiing or gardening. Most sites will be non-commercial. To make it easier to access the sites, each bi-weekly column will be posted on the Town of Winchester's Web site so that the sites can be accessed and bookmarked without having to be typed. Previous columns will be archived at the Winchester site, also.
Previous columns with live links can be found at www.winchestermass.org/wstar
When he is not updating the Town of Winchester Web site (www.winchestermass.org), Martin Zombeck can be found at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, where he is a physicist. E-mail: email@example.com.


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All of the following, very useful travel phrases are brought to you courtesy of the Live Journal community SF_Drama. I hope they help you as they have truly helped me.
- Je suis le grande pomplemousse. I am the big grapefruit.
- Je suis le petit lutin de papier photosynthetique! I am the little photosynthetic paper goblin!
- J'ai manger les mauvais herbes de la mer. I ate rotten seaweed.
- Je vais te violer avec un grand couteau. I am going to rape you with a big knife.
- Le chat est dans le bonbons. The cat is in the candy.
- Je suis un petit champignon heureux. I am a happy little mushroom.
- Wo de pigu zhao huo le. My ass is on fire.
- Su perro es en la tostadora. Your dog is in the toaster oven.
- Mis pompis estan comiendo mis pantalones. My butt is eating my pants.
- El diablo esta en mi pantalones. The devil is in my pants.
- El gato es muy salado. The cat is very salty.
- Umeboshi tabetai boku wa imasugu kimi ni aitai. I want to eat pickled plums and I am longing to see you right now.
- Samurai wa watashi no pantsu no naka ni imasu. The samuri is in my panties.
- Saru-tachi ga toushokan no naka ni imasu. Ooi hon o tabemashita. There are monkeys in the library. They have eaten a lot of books.
- Ohana ni narimashita. I became a flower.
- Chinko ga haitteru kaban wo kue. Eat a bag of dicks.
- Toshokan (w)o tabenai de kudasai. Please, do not eat the library.
Now, I take no responsibility for the accuracy of these phrases. They're just copypasta from the loveliest community on LJ. I also take no responsibility for your dumb ass if you actually use these for other than hilarious purposes. And if you get beaten up for saying something you found here, please put the footage on YouTube.
*The phrase you'd be searching for is: Mea navis aëricumbens anguillis abundat. Don't you wish you'd taken Latin now?


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Dance. 3xBoléro is a collection of three dance and musical variations based on Maurice Ravel's classic work, Boléro.
A collection of three dance and musical variations based on Maurice Ravel's classic work
Three publicly acclaimed Nordic choreographers are behind the two newly created works and the third, which has been performed before. The retiring Cullberg Ballet's artistic director, Johan Inger, created Walking Mad in 2001 for Netherlands Dance Theatre NDT.//
"A complete success" Frankfurter Allgemeine
"It's definitely worth keeping an eye on this company" Frankfurter Allgemeine
"A tremendous hit. A knockout evening" Dagens Nyheter
"A night that leaves the audience smiling happily" Svenska Dagbladet
"Three Boléro interpretations is a brilliant idea" Svenska Dagbladet
Watch a movie from the performance.
OreloB is Kenneth Kvarnström's first creation after finishing as director of Dansens Hus. Alexander Ekman belongs to the younger generation of choreographers. After a successful career as dancer he has been engaged as a choreographer by, amongst others, the NDT. Episode 17 is his first larger work performed in Sweden, and is a form of mangainspired musical parody.


text:
(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
Contact us for information about using this image.
This is a Fuel Oil Ration Identification Folder issued by the South Deerfield Rationing Board to Caryll Crafts of South Deerfield, Massachusetts. It identified the owner of the coupons, or stamps, enclosed. These stamps entitled Mr. Crafts to purchase 34 gallons of home heating oil between June 1, 1945 and September 1, 1945. Note the self-sacrificing and patriotic image captioned "Oil is in the Fight." This assures Mr. Crafts that he is doing his part for the war effort at home when he economizes on oil, thus freeing up more oil for American warships that "guard the supply lines that feed and protect our men overseas." The Office of Price Administration (OPA) used every opportunity to print patriotic rationales and justifications for rationing, encouraging Americans to support this homefront effort. Under "Your Part in the War," Mr. Crafts was reminded that "Military needs come first," and "There is not enough left to satisfy uncontrolled civilian demands. Rationing gives everyone a fair share."
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WWII Class 4 fuel oil ration coupons
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text:
As they did in the first three games, the Creighton baseball team used late offense to claim a 5-1 win over BYU in the second game of a doubleheader on Friday, March 1.
The Bluejay victory salvaged a split for Creighton in the doubleheader after dropping the first game of the day, 9-0. With the win, Creighton moved to 4-1 on the season, while BYU fell to 6-6 overall.
Both teams scratched across a run in the opening frame as the Jays' leadoff man, junior Brad McKewon drew a walk and came around to score on an RBI double from sophomore Jake Peter. BYU answered with a single, sacrifice and an RBI single by Jaycob Brugman to tie the game at 1-1.
It remained tied into the seventh inning, when the Jays delivered three two-out runs. After the first two Bluejays were retired, junior Jerry Mitchell and McKewon drew back-to-back walks. JuniorFederico Castagnini made the free passes hurt as he beat out an infield single to the left side, pinch-runner Jordan Makovicka never hesitated rounding third as he slid into home ahead of the relay throw to give Creighton a 2-1 lead.
After BYU went to the bullpen, junior Jake Peter worked Creighton's third walk of the inning to load the bases for junior Mike Gerber. The Naperville, Ill., native delivered a two-run RBI single to make it 4-1.
Creighton tacked on an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI single from sophomore Kevin Lamb to claim the 5-1 victory.
On the mound, freshman Tommy Strunc was dominant in his second start. He limited the Cougars to just one run on four hits and two walks in seven innings, including just three base runners over his final six frames to earn the win (1-0).
BYU's Adam Miller took the loss (0-3), allowing three runs on five hits and six walks in 6.2 innings.
Gerber paced the Jays' offense with a 3-for-4, two RBI performance. Creighton's table setter, McKewon, drew two walks and scored both times he reached base.
The Jays and Cougars will play the rubber game of the three-game series on Saturday, March 2 at 11:30 a.m. (CT).


text:
Next Episode of The Dr. Oz Show is
not planed. TV Show was canceled.
After five years as a health expert on "The Oprah Winfrey Show", Dr. Mehmet Oz gets an hour of his own each weekday to discuss viewers' health-and-wellness concerns. No subject is off-limits, as Dr. Oz addresses viewers' questions and talks to health experts about any and all topics, from sex to diet and exercise to diseases and ways to avoid them.
Dr. Mehmet Oz(Dr. Mehmet Oz)
Looks like something went completely wrong!
But don't worry - it can happen to the best of us,
- and it just happened to you.
Please try again later or contact us.


text:
Ana metne git
Our system of corporate governance is structured as follows.
Directors, Board of Directors, and Vice Presidents
The Board of Directors makes decisions concerning important management-related matters and oversees the business affairs of Directors and Vice Presidents. Directors and Vice Presidents undertake business affairs in accordance with the basic policies determined by the Board of Directors. In order to strengthen the health and transparency of management, Directors and Vice Presidents serve one-year terms, with multiple outside directors having been appointed since fiscal 2007.
Management, Nomination and Remuneration Advisory Committee
The Management, Nomination and Remuneration Advisory Committee was formed as an advisory group to the Representative Director(s), and consists of outside directors and auditors who offer advice from a different perspective on important management issues, the appointment and dismissal of Officers and the director compensation system.
Corporate Auditors and Board of Corporate Auditors
Corporate Auditors attend Board of Director meetings to audit the business affairs of Directors. Additionally, their tasks include attending other important meetings, listening to the activity statuses of Directors and employees, viewing approval papers and other important documents, inspecting the main office, technology/business divisions, plants, and subsidiaries in Japan and overseas, and receiving audit reports from and exchanging opinions with accounting auditors.
Çalışma saatleri (Türkiye saati ile)
8:00-17:30(Cumartesi, Pazar ve Tatil Günleri Hariç)
©NITTO DENKO CORPORATION. 2019 All rights reserved.
Üst Sayfaya Dön


text:
I used to think that it was just the Washington Redskins (because I live near Washington) who had a problem with foul-mouthed and inebriated fans creating problems for families who want to attend games without being verbally assaulted. But then I spotted this item in The Catholic Spirit in St. Paul, Minn.
Editor Joe Towalski took his 10-year-old son to last weekend's game between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers. The headline on Towalski's column says it all: "Vikings game was memorable for the wrong reasons." An excerpt:
Here's what my son said to me in the closing seconds of the third quarter: "I think maybe we should wait until I'm older to come to another game. I've never heard so much swearing in one building in my life."
Earlier this month I read a piece by one of my favorite sports columnists that made several references to the problem here in Washington, but no longer will I think the problem is just because the Redskins have one of the biggest stadiums and most raucous fans in the league.


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A top television pundit and former GAA star has earned nationwide praise after donating a kidney to a seriously ill friend.
All-Ireland winner Joe Brolly is recovering in a London hospital after coming to the aid of fellow GAA enthusiast Shane Finnegan.
Belfast 40-year-old Finnegan, a club mate of the former Derry star, had been preparing for the surgery for some months.
He told the Irish Independent he was bowled over by Brolly's gesture.
Finnegan said: "Joe's altruism is overwhelming and, of course, there are no words to thank him or his family for his wonderful gift.
"I know it's early days, but I'm so relieved that it's all going well for both of us so far."
Brolly coaches an under 10 team with Finnegan at the St Brigid's club in Belfast.
The transplant took place on Wednesday and both men are now recovering at Guy's Hospital in London.
Brolly said: "I'm honoured to have been in the position to help Shane. He's been waiting for a transplant for over six years and when I heard that the only possibility of one was through a live donor I contacted his medical team.
"And, of course, in my considered opinion it's all going according to plan - and thankfully the doctors concur."
A barrister who specialises in criminal law, Brolly has told colleagues he will be out of action for several months.
A friend told the Irish Independent: "He's known about this for a while but he didn't want it made public. Joe is a very good friend who would do anything to help his friends.
"To do this for a family member is one thing but to do it for a friend, that brings it to a whole other level."
Brolly is one of the most popular and controversial pundits on gaelic games and features regularly on Irish state broadcaster RTE.
He was part of Derry's first ever All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning side in 1993. He also won two Ulster Senior Football Championships and four National League titles.


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This week (as with any week) there was only one Portuguese, Real Madrid Galactico, and Sporting Lisbon academy graduate hogging the headlines.
As Cristiano Ronaldo ruthlessly dispatched his 21st goal of the season, his predecessor, one of his childhood idols, and former international captain, Luis Figo celebrated his 41st birthday.
The crown jewel of a royal collection of Portuguese talents who emerged in the 1990s, Figo went on to score 32 goals and earn 127 caps (a national record) and captained the side that contained Messrs Rui Costa and Nuno Gomes. Schooled at the same Sporting CP academy that would later churn out fellow wingers Ronaldo and Nani, it was following his move to Barcelona in 1995 that he entered the global consciousness.
With the number seven adorned on his back, the skilful winger aided Barcelona, post-dream team, in continuing their wave of success, bringing two La Liga titles and an UEFA Cup Winners Cup amongst other trophies.
Ultimately, Figo's legacy in the game will perhaps be as much about his controversial move to Barcelona's rivals Real Madrid in the year 2000.
The £37million fee broke world records; his defection to Los Blancos broke Catalan hearts, earning him a wave of abuse in the next Clasico (which of course included a pig's head being launched onto the field of play).
In many ways, he had the last laugh, beating future teammates Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham to the 2000 Ballon D'Or and 2001 FIFA World Player of The Year Awards. Personal glory was also allied with Champions League success in 2002 and two La Ligas, before he ended his career at Inter Milan, retiring in 2009.
As only one of a host of superstars during the first Galactico era at Real Madrid, he can perhaps only be defined as a legend for the Portuguese national team.
As much as Greece's victorious Euro 2004 was a victory for the underdog, it was also a tragedy that prevented the crowning glory of one the finest players active at the turn of the century. To lead Portugal to its first major championship, in his home town would have been fitting. Instead that runner-up finish was as close as he came to translating the success in the 1991 U-20 World Cup and 1989 UEFA U-17 Championship into senior honours.
Portugal's first king was Eusebio; its current is Ronaldo. In between, there was a magical winger, named Luis Figo.
Write for GiveMeSport! Sign-up to the GMS Writing Academy here: https://gms.to/1a2u3KU
DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article. GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.


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Sandy hero's Staten Island house destroyed by fire
A New York City man who used a small boat to rescue his neighbors during Superstorm Sandy has lost his house to a fire.
Peter Vadola's home was spared when Sandy devastated the Staten Island shoreline last October. He had moved into it just three days earlier.
But on July 20, while running out for pizza with his wife and two young sons, the house in Staten Island's Midland Beach was destroyed by fire.
His wife, Melissa, tells the State Island Advance (http://bit.ly/1cJRnS5 ) she may have accidently turned on the stove with her hip before they left the house.
Firefighters were able to rescue the family's dog and cat.
The couple's wedding rings were found in the rubble.
The cause of the blaze is being investigated.
Information from: Staten Island Advance, http://www.silive.com


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If you're a US citizen, you're probably aware that Barack Obama will be sworn in for his second term on Monday, January 21, 2013. If you own an iPhone or iPad, you can keep up with the inauguration including streaming live video.
There are quite a few options to choose from so if you aren't sure where you can catch all the action come Monday, follow along and we'll get you the apps and resources you need to catch every minute of the 2013 Inauguration.
Official Inauguration 2013 app for iPhone
Inauguration 2013 for iPhone is sponsored by AT&T and is the official app for the presidential inauguration this year. It isn't available for iPad but if you're only concerned with following media from your iPhone, it's probably your best choice.
Aside from providing a live stream on inauguration day, Inauguration 2013 for iPhone also provides maps and routes for events and parades that will be going on surrounding the inauguration. Upon first launching Inauguration 2013 you'll also be asked if you'd like to receive text updates about events. You don't have to opt in but if you're going to be out and about, it's a nice option so you know you're up to date on what's going on.
There are also options for volunteering, photos, and social which feeds in stories about the inauguration from sources on the web. Inauguration 2013 is a free download in the App Store for iPhone owners.
- Free - Download Now
News outlet apps for iPhone and iPad
There are lots of news outlets that are providing live streams of the event as well. If you prefer a more robust experience with complete news, coverage, snippets, supplementary photos, and more - we recommend trying one of the following apps.
You also never know how hard any one app or live stream will get hit with viewers and web traffic so for live events of this magnitude, we recommend downloading a few so if one live stream goes down, it's easy for you to quickly switch to one that isn't having issues.
If you have an iPad, you'll definitely want to check out some of the ones below since the official Inauguration 2013 app is iPhone only at this time. Some news outlets even have dedicated optimized iPad apps which provide for a better viewing experience. The best part? Most, if not all, are available to you for free.
- CNN News for iPhone and iPad - Free - Download Now
- NBC News for iPhone & iPad - Free - Download Now
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The relentlessly industrial city of Sheffield gained worldwide recognition in the 19th century for its production of steel, but far more relevant to me was its early 80s production line of innovative electronic bands, such as The Human League, Heaven 17 and ABC.
As the rough and tumble of post-punk gave way to a more sophisticated sound, ABC gave us the definitive soundtrack of the time with their debut album, The Lexicon of Love. The album's glamorous, synthesizer sound sat comfortably with the New Romantic school of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet, but it was clearly the belle of the 1982 ball. Lexicon is rightly recognised as a high-water mark of 80s music, a timeless pop classic that sounds as good today as then, allowing you to relive those days where everything seemed possible.
This masterpiece of orchestral song-craft and audacious lyrical insights is the sound of a band (nay, a generation) falling in love with the new stylistic and technological promise of 80s pop music. With just the right mix of high drama and blue-eyed soul, Lexicon is soaringly ambitious from the start: big on glam, big on glitz, big on sound, the album screams out quality with every gold lamé flourish.
"The Look of Love ?"
Famously produced by Trevor Horn, who emerged unscathed from his comical experiments with The Buggles and Yes to create a lush landscape of sensuous synthesizers, majestic string arrangements, shiny horns and pounding drums. All of this was orchestrated by the future Art of Noise member, Anne Dudley. The cracking bass lines came courtesy of Mark White ("that's right"). Horn experimented with many creative production tricks, but never lost sight of Martin Fry's commanding voice, allowing free rein to his witty, literate lyrics.
Martin Fry was the brains trust behind ABC. The singer was a romantic, a smooth operator influenced by Bowie and Ferry. He didn't seem to sing so much as ache – for affection, glamour and the good life. Believing that the pen is mightier than the sword ("you're going to hear my vocal chord"), his lyrical dexterity perfectly complemented the sharp music of ABC – a democratic dance party asking you to vote with your feet.
"If you judge a book by the cover ..."
Fry himself has described The Lexicon of Love as, "all about the same thing, me ranting on about lost love". Each track is indeed a love affair in miniature, but there are a million ways to say "I love you" and Fry manages to cram most of them onto this dazzling debut album. He gives you the full range of emotions in a grand love story, or at the very least an elaborate seduction. In fact, the record could be re-christened "The Diary of Heartbreak", as it showcases the innocence of hopeful love and the bitterness of a man scorned, but, let's be honest, The Lexicon of Love is a great title that cannot be improved.
And you cannot ignore the sheer uplifting quality of the music. Yes, the band may have one foot on the stage, but the other foot is moving on the dance floor. Dance music has rarely been so literate with the synthetic drum beats and Chic-like bass lines giving disco a whole new vocabulary, like on "Valentine's Day": "If you gave me a pound for the moments I missed/And I got dancing lessons for all the lips I shoulda kissed/I'd be a millionaire/I'd be a Fred Astaire".
Some critics could not see beyond the gold jackets and the somewhat cheesy videos, but the band's ambition and attitude demand to be taken seriously. Yes, the songs are smart and funny, but there's so much commitment in Fry's voice that you completely believe in him. And just listen to the passion and energy of the band as they pull together in the closing lines of "The Look Of Love": "Sisters and brothers/Should help each other".
"You saxy thing"
Ultimately, it's all about the songs:
We spend a lot of time writing and crafting the songs – they must be danceable, memorable, intelligent, functional, passionate. These things shouldn't be excluded from pop music – they should be exploited and exaggerated.
A demanding manifesto, but these lofty aims were gloriously achieved with Fry's skilful wordplay launching brilliant couplets from every direction. "Poison Arrow" boasts a simple, classic chorus ("Who broke my heart?/You did, you did") before a synthesized drum roll explodes in Fry's face, as his girl brutally cuts him down: "I thought you loved me but it seems you don't care/I care enough to know I can never love you".
The theme of unrequited love is explored again in the funky "Tears Are Not Enough": "Searching for certainty/When it's such an unstable world/Searching for something good/And I'm looking for the real McCoy", while the end of a relationship is dissected in the string-drenched ballad "All Of My Heart": "Add and subtract/But as a matter of fact/I still want you back".
Martin Fry later sang on "Alphabet Soup", "I hold in my hand three letters: vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C", but no supplements are required here. This album replenishes mind, body and soul.
Love never sounded so grand. Easy as ABC.


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Message Board
Beulah Jones Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Jones has written!
Author Jones's Book Reviews
Conduct Unbecoming: A Principal Under Siege
This book describes the events surrounding the dismisal of Beulah Jones, the only principal to be fired three times in the history of the Chicago Public School System. It portrays teachers as incompetent, inept and oft-times dishonest individuals who view any criticism of their performance as harrassment; it describes the insecurities of some school officials who were unable to cope with the challenges of "the system"; and it exemplifies how a few ...


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WASHINGTON (AP) — Michigan Sen. Carl Levin says his regional office in Saginaw received a suspicious letter and that authorities have been alerted.
Levin says in a statement that an aide received the letter Wednesday, but did not open it. Authorities are now investigating.
The Democratic lawmaker says he and his staff do not know if the mail presented a threat.
Separately, the FBI says a substance in letters sent to President Barack Obama and Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker have preliminarily tested positive for ricin, a potentially fatal poison.
The FBI says those letters are related and are both postmarked out of Memphis, Tenn., dated April 8. Both letters were intercepted at off-site mail facilities.


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A quiet Sunday afternoon is a reason to be thankful.
After living in the freezer for the past couple of weeks, nothing beats a warmer, sunny day to lift your spirits and remind you that winter will one day come to an end. Such is it this Sunday.
It seems as if a calmness has settled upon our town. The streets are quiet and bathed in late afternoon sunlight, which casts lengthening shadows through winter's branches.
This is the kind of day to spend with a friend or a significant other, or maybe just a dog or a cat. It is soothing to the soul, a quiet pause in the action before the busyness of Monday and the week ahead descends upon us.
Anyway, I am thankful simply to be able to enjoy this peaceful day, and I hope that some in the rest of Pratt were able to do so also.


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The Real-Life Events That Inspired Sunday's Game of Thrones
If you've been on the Internet at all since Sunday night, chances are pretty good that you know what happened on Game of Thrones whether you wanted to or not. But let me warn you now that there be spoilers ahead, so stop reading if you're still trying to stay in the dark.
Still here? OK. As shocking as Sunday's Starkicide was, what's even more shocking is that events like these actually happened. Author George R.R. Martin has said that the inspiration for the betrayal is based on two dark events in Scottish history: the Black Dinner of 1440 and the Massacre of Glencoe from 1692. "No matter how much I make up, there's stuff in history that's just as bad, or worse," Martin has said. And he's absolutely right. See for yourself.
The Massacre of Glencoe
In 1691, all Scottish clans were called upon to renounce the deposed King of Scotland, James VII, and swear allegiance to King William of Orange (of William and Mary fame). The chief of each clan had until January 1, 1692, to provide a signed document swearing an oath to William. The Highland Clan MacDonald had two things working against them here. First of all, the Secretary of State, John Dalrymple, was a Lowlander who loathed Clan MacDonald. Secondly, Clan MacDonald had already sworn an oath to James VII and had to wait on him to send word that they were free to break that oath.
Unfortunately, it was December 28 before a messenger arrived with this all-important letter from the former king. That gave Maclain, the chief of the MacDonald clan, just three days to get the newly-signed oath to the Secretary of State.
Maclain was detained for days when he went through Inveraray, the town of the rival Clan Campbell, but still managed to deliver the oath, albeit several days late. The Secretary of State's legal team wasn't interested in late documents. They rejected the MacDonalds' sworn allegiance to William, and set plans in place to cut the clan down, "root and branch."
In late January or early February, 120 men under the command of Captain Robert Campbell arrived at the MacDonalds' in Glencoe, claiming to need shelter because a nearby fort was full. The MacDonalds offered their hospitality, as was custom, and the soldiers stayed there for nearly two weeks before Captain Drummond arrived with instructions to "put all to the sword under seventy."
After playing cards with their victims and wishing them goodnight, the soldiers waited until the MacDonalds were asleep, then murdered as many men as they could manage—38 in all, some still in their beds. At least 40 women and children escaped, but fleeing into a blizzard blowing outside as their houses burned down meant that they all died of exposure (you can see a depiction of the grim scene above).
The massacre was considered especially awful because it was "Slaughter Under Trust"—sound familiar, Game of Thrones fans? To this day, the door at Clachaig Inn in Glen Coe has a sign on the door denying entry to Campbells.
Wikimedia Commons/Paul Hermans
The Black Dinner
In November of 1440, the newly-appointed 6th Earl of Douglas, who was just 16, and his little brother David, were invited to join the 10-year-old King of Scotland, James II, for dinner at Edinburgh Castle. But it wasn't the young King who had invited the Douglas brothers. The invitation had been issued by Sir William Crichton, Chancellor of Scotland, who feared that the Black Douglas (there was another clan called the Red Douglas) were growing too powerful.
As legend has it, the children were all getting along marvelously, enjoying food, entertainment and talking until the end of the dinner, when the head of a black bull was dropped on the table, symbolizing the death of the Black Douglas. The two young Douglases were dragged outside, given a mock trial, found guilty of high treason, and beheaded. It's said that the Earl pleaded for his brother to be killed first so that the younger boy wouldn't have to witness his older brother's beheading.
Sir Walter Scott wrote this of the horrific event:
"Edinburgh Castle, toune and towre,
God grant thou sink for sin!
And that e'en for the black dinner
Primary image courtesy of Glasgow Museums.


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beaugsburger needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 23 designs submitted by 9 freelance designers.
The product is a thick rope like toy used to tie your partner up. The logo should be white with a black background and some pink (#9f1b32) for flare.
Love Lasso (lovelasso.com)
The product is targeted at men so nothing you would see on a wedding invitation ;-) (no cursive, etc.) I think I'd prefer some a bit bold. If you can come up with a tagline, go ahead and use it. A good tagline will help you win!
- be creative for a tagline
- white logo on black background
- something that can be sewn on the actual product would be nice
- Clean and modern
- Maybe a play with both letters "L" but not required
- cursive letters
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently reported the February ABI score was 50.6, up slightly from a reading of 50.0 the previous month. This score reflects a modest increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 56.4, compared to a mark of 56.5 in December.
Key February ABI highlights include:
- Regional averages: Midwest (55.3), South (50.1), West (49.1), Northeast (46.4)
- Sector index breakdown: commercial/industrial (55.0), mixed practice (51.3), multi-family residential (49.7), institutional (48.9)
- Project inquiries index: 56.4
To see the entire press release, visit www.aia.org/press/AIAB088452
Source: The American Institute of Architects
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Patricia M. Dehmer is the Deputy Director for Science Programs in the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In this capacity, Dr. Dehmer is the senior career science official in the Office of Science, which is third largest Federal sponsor of basic research in the United States, the primary supporter of the physical sciences in the U.S., and one of the premier science organizations in the world.
As Deputy Director for Science Programs, Dr. Dehmer provides scientific and management oversight for the six science programs of the Office of Science (basic energy sciences, biological and environmental research, fusion energy sciences, advanced scientific computing research, high energy physics, and nuclear physics), for workforce development for teachers and scientists, and for construction project assessment. The Office of Science supports research at 300 colleges and universities nationwide, at DOE laboratories, and at other private institutions.
From 1995 to 2007, Dr. Dehmer served as the Director of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) in the Office of Science. Under her leadership, the BES budget more than doubled in size to $1.2B annually. She built a world-leading portfolio of work in condensed matter and materials physics, chemistry, and biosciences. A five-year effort to relate fundamental research in these disciplines to real-world problems in energy – including problems in fossil energy and carbon dioxide sequestration, nuclear energy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy transmission and storage, and the mitigation of environmental impacts of energy use – facilitated greater integration of basic and applied research across DOE.
During this period, Dr. Dehmer also was responsible for the planning, design, and construction phases of more than a dozen major construction projects totaling $3 billion. Notable among these were the $1.4 B Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, five Nanoscale Science Research Centers totaling more than $300M, the total reconstruction of the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), and the start of two new facilities for x-ray scattering – the Linac Coherent Light Source at SLAC, which is the world's first hard x-ray free electron laser, and the National Synchrotron Light Source II at Brookhaven National Laboratory, which will provide the highest spatial resolution of any synchrotron light source in the world.
Dr. Dehmer began her scientific career as a postdoctoral fellow at Argonne National Laboratory in 1972. She joined the staff of the Laboratory as an Assistant Scientist in 1975 and became a Senior Scientist in 1985. In 1992, the Laboratory established a new scientific rank that recognizes sustained outstanding scientific and engineering research, and Dr. Dehmer was among the 1% of the Laboratory's technical staff promoted to that rank, now called Argonne Distinguished Fellow, in that first year.
Dr. Dehmer's research in atomic, molecular, optical, and chemical physics resulted in more than 125 peer-reviewed scientific articles. Her studies of the interactions of electronic and atomic motion in molecules provided fundamental understanding of energy transfer, molecular rearrangement, and chemical reactivity.
Dr. Dehmer is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. For the 15 years prior to assuming her position as Director of BES, she served in dozens of elected and appointed positions in scientific and professional societies and on review boards. Dr. Dehmer was awarded the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award in 2000 and 2008 and the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award in 2003.
Dr. Dehmer received the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Illinois in 1967 and the Ph.D. degree in Chemical Physics from the University of Chicago in 1972.
Last modified: 3/24/2011 5:03:34 PM


text: On Monday Pusuke, a Shiba mix who took Guinness World Records' title for oldest dog last year, died in Sakura, Japan. He was 26 years and eight months old. His owner Yumiko Shinohara, said Pusuke had suddenly become ill and refused to eat. She added that she "would just like to thank him for staying alive so long." Sniffle. Okay, everybody go hug your pet now!


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Conventional wisdom would have you believe that since many farmers find themselves in dire financial straits, you'd find their lenders in similar circumstances. Conventional wisdom would be wrong. Fact is, the ag lending sector hasn't yet felt the sting of depressed commodity prices.
"We have a lot of concern about the current financial stress in the agricultural industry. However, the current environment in the ag lending sector is remarkably good considering we've had low commodity prices for the past five years, and considering the economic conditions we're faced with today," said Alton McRee, president of CEO of the Federal Land Bank Association of South Mississippi in Jackson, Miss.
McRee, speaking to a group of agricultural economists attending the Southern Region Agricultural Outlook Conference in Robinsonville, Miss., said, "I pinch myself everyday, and ask myself, when is this bubble going to burst, because things are remarkably good from the standpoint of overall agricultural loans and loan performance."
Involved in agricultural lending since 1977, McRee said he has been around long enough to see the absolute best and worst of times. From a lender's perspective, he said, the agriculture credit sector is strong and lenders are continuing to be proactive with regards to agricultural lending.
"The Farm Credit System, as well as the commercial banking sector, has very strong financials, and we really don't see many signs of stress in our loan portfolios. It's just remarkable," he said.
Agricultural credit continued its upward trend in 2001 in the commercial banking sector, and actually expanded by about 5 percent. That marked the ninth consecutive increase. In comparison, the Farm Credit System experienced about 9.3 percent increase in gross loan volume over the previous year.
"We're seeing growth from large commercial farming operations consolidating, as well as small part-time operations created, in part, by favorable interest rates," he said. "Slightly more than 50 percent of the Farm Credit portfolio of the Federal Land Bank of Mississippi consists of loans to individuals who do not rely completely on farm income to meet their primary financial obligations. There's great diversity in the individuals who stand behind the agricultural land loans made by the Federal Land Bank Association."
In addition, asset quality has remained favorable and the ratio of non-performing loans to total loans is only slightly over 1 percent. Net charge-offs of loans are estimated at 0.9 percent of total loans for commercial banks, which is up slightly from the previous year. "Loan losses haven't been greatly increasing, however because of the economic conditions we are faced with, we are increasing our loan loss reserves," he said.
The reasons for McRee's optimistic view of agriculture's financials are not necessarily all cash-flow based.
A lot of the favorable conditions we have today in terms of loan performance are due to interest rates, he said. "For several years now, because of the Fed's action, interest rate reductions have created a more favorable borrowing environment for agricultural producers. Certainly we as bankers would like to see commodity prices a lot higher, but we're very thankful that interest rates are at the lowest level they have been in some 40 years."
Current interest rate levels, of course, are subject to various economic factors, including the current situation with Iraq looming on the horizon, but McRee is optimistic that relatively low inflation and interest rates should help keep the farm sector strong.
"The economic news continues to be both good and bad, depending on what day you wake up and look at the newspaper. We've got a very volatile situation in the world and in the financial markets. But thankfully, the money markets are remaining fairly steady and low, fueling consumer confidence in the economy," he said.
Another factor influencing farm liquidity is the price of land.
"Land prices have remained steady, and bankers have remained cautious," McRee said. "Commercial banks and the Farm Credit System learned a lot of the lessons back in the 70s and early 80s about lending on balance sheets and collateral lending. Those of us who went through that period are very cautious, and more careful about letting someone get over-extended just because they have a strong balance sheet."
According to McRee, the real estate market has remained strong, with an overall steady to slightly upward trend in land values, which is due in part to low interest rates. "People have money to invest because in many cases they are taking it out of the stock market. There's capital out there that's looking for a place to go, and a lot of it is going into real estate," he said.
Based on current market conditions, interest rates, and overall economic conditions, McRee believes land values will continue to remain steady, and perhaps level off somewhat.
"Land values are not being supported by agricultural cash flow necessarily, it's just that the economy in general is supporting land values," he said. "A lot of small tracts of land are being sold as the Baby Boom generation ages and they are looking to diversify their asset bases and portfolios. In a lot of cases, these boomers simply want to own pieces of land somewhere. As a result, we're continuing to see a strong demand for real estate."
That's good news for producers who own land, McRee said, because it's keeping their financial statements strong, despite increasing input costs and depressed commodity prices.
e-mail: email@example.com.


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Judge: No racial disparity in death cases
Black criminal defendants are not more likely to get the death penalty in Connecticut than white defendants, a judge has ruled.
In a 44-page decision, Superior Court Judge Samuel Sferrazza rejected a lawsuit by death row inmates who claimed discrimination, not violations of the law, was responsible for their sentence.
"Constitutional and fair legal procedures may produce unequal results. Inversely, disparate outcomes standing along, do not necessarily mean the legal processes which preceded that outcome were unfair or unlawful," the judge wrote.
"We're pleased with the results, absolutely," said Chief State's Attorney Kevin Kane, although he added he expects the inmates to file an appeal of the decision.
Last year Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed a law eliminating Connecticut's death penalty for any new cases but leaving the existing 11 inmates on death row. Meanwhile, five of them, Sedrick Cobb, Daniel Webb, Todd Rizzo, Richard Reynolds and Robert Breton, filed suit seeking to have their sentences converted from death to life in prison without parole.
Cobb was convicted of raping, robbing and killing a 23-year-old Watertown woman. Breton received a death sentence for beating and stabbing to death his ex-wife and their 16-year-old son in Waterbury. Reynolds was convicted of murdering Waterbury police Officer Walter Williams. Rizzo beat 13-year-old Stanley Edwards of Waterbury to death with a sledgehammer. Webb was convicted of kidnapping, attempting to rape and killing bank executive Diane Gellenbeck in Hartford.
During a series of court hearings before Sferrazza last year, the five inmates, represented by the state public defender, presented a study done by John Donahue, a law professor at Stanford Law School of nine of the state's death penalty cases.
Donahue found, based on his study, that a black perpetrator who killed a white victim in this state had a statistically significant higher probability of being charged with a death penalty offense than a white perpetrator who killed a white victim. Donahue stated that the egregiousness of the crime had little impact on the outcome, with respect to charging or sentencing decisions in the state.
In his decision, however, Sferrazza pointed out that of the nine death penalty cases considered by Donahue's study, only three -- Webb, Cobb and Reynolds -- were black on white offenses.
"The other six capital murders for which the death penalty was imposed and upheld on appeal did not involve a black defendant who murdered a white victim, including those for the petitioners Breton and Rizzo, who are classified as white," the judge stated.
firstname.lastname@example.com; 203-330-6308; http:// twitter.com/dantepfer


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Hi! I'm a first time mom of twin boys born at 38 weeks (full term!) on May 7 and May 8, 13-1/2 hours apart; they're 4 weeks old now. I know the advice is to BF within the couple of hours of delivery. Because I was still in labor with the second baby my first baby didn't nurse until his brother arrived. The only bonding I was able to do with baby 1 was skin to skin while I was still in labor. I feel like it delayed our bonding and stunted my milk. And I had some random infection after while still in the hospital which made me exhausted and made it difficult to nurse.
Baby 1 lost 12% of his 6.3 birth weight and baby 2 lost 10% of his 7.2 birth weight; baby 2 had some high jaundice and their ped was fine with BF but we also wound up supplementing formula in the hospital to get their weights up and flush out the jaundice; we are still supplementing. (We're probably at 85% milk, 15% formula.) The advice I got from the hospital LC to increase supply was to pump, pump, pump 8 to 12 times a day with a minimum goal of 6 times a day, so we rented hospital grade machine and I feel like now all I do is pump, though I've never been able to fit in more than 6 pumps a day with the need to sleep and feed myself. I don't feel like my supply is boosted and now they're taking more at each feeding (100mls each!) and am concerned I'll never be able to catch up to their need.
I BF either one of them maybe once a day. I feel really guilty that I'm missing out on the bonding and find when I nurse one it's so easy. (I've tried tandem and am not sure I'm coordinated enough to do it on my own.) But if I nurse them one at a time then that's all I'd do all day and frankly, at 3 am it's nice to have my husband in their room with me, feeding one of them.
So, I'm looking for advice on how to boost supply as well as strategies for efficiently nursing them throughout the day and would I still need to pump to boost supply? Maybe I switch them off during the day? Nurse one and bottle feed milk to the other? Thank you for your help/advice.


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Argument 1.
I would argue that mathematics and logic are independent of issues of the existence or non-existence of God. Consider the following question. Can God create a universe/reality where 2 + 2 = 3 or 5. I maintain that the answer is a resounding no! The axioms of arithmetic (which are restated as the foundation of all mathematics - check the first chapter of any advanced textbook or treatise from algebra on) are abstractions (not in the 'abstract art' sense) of the rules by which physical objects combine. To create a reality in which 2 + 2 = 3 or 5 would require magic/supernatural powers to change what was already four somehow to three or five, and to adjust the perceptions of all observers. I invite any theist to credibly argue for such a reality.
Argument 2.
The known and unknown laws of physics are described by logical and mathematical constructs that model physical existence and so are independent of the holy, spiritual, or supernatural. God in/from/of an unknowable reality in acting on/through natural things is constrained by natural law in order to interact with it. Theists then have a diminished basis for claiming that God is not subject to physical limitations or is in a realm beyond human comprehension. I invite any theist to credibly argue against such limitations.
*By which I mean any definition that satisfies the reader.
Views: 311
I grok your point (a). As for (b), at least per the cataclysmic consequences, certainly science fiction writers through and beyond Star Trek to scientists such as Brian Greene have imagined phenomena such as universe/hyperspace/subspace bubbles insulated from other realities. Now, in each fictional instance a mechanism, often plausible, is offered the reader. You offer a declarative statement as though it were a fact. Scientifically, how would you justify that statement?
And, if God is part of the universe, creation of the universe becomes quite a conundrum.
Aside from technical meanings of 'potential', the term connotes 'possibility'. Perhaps the closest thing to that idea that we can name is quantum randomness. Now, exactly how that would work I cannot say for certain (a Nobel if I could!), but self-creation via quantum randomness appeals to my inner Occam far more than a self-created, all powerful, intelligent creator of everything else.
I also like the concept of potential as an inherent state in the universe. To me it's obvious – were there no conditions of potentiality from which extant reality emerged, there would be no current reality. The potential(s) must conform to physical constants of the universe (whether we are aware of them or not) - If they don't then they are irrelevant. An all powerful entity running the side show doesn't fit that criteria. How silly is the idea that such a being would create a universe in which he couldn't exist?
The unit of probability you posit would have to be a statistical expression - I don't think an absolute measure could be established.
Because science is about finding mathematical models that have predictive power. Perhaps the closest anyone has come to a predictive TOE is Stephen Hawking and associates in discovering a string theory model using negative space-time curvature, very much like in M. C. Escher's work, that produces, via a quantum probability function, an expanding universe and may have predictable results unlike current string theory that uses a positive curvature. Unfortunately we cannot just come up with a clever term such as 'potential' and pronounce it a TOE.
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If you would like a copy of my Crescent Shape Book, it will soon be listed in my TPT store.
Thank you DJInkers for the wonderful clip art.
I'm giving you the Versatile Blogger award. Thank you for sharing so much of your hard work!
Funky First Grade Fun
I just awarded you the Versatile Blogger Award. Stop by my blog to pick it up!
Faithful in First
Thank you for these Michelle! I downloaded a couple of these as travel activities for my girls. They love coloring (& tracing) mini books!
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