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Reilly Group – Myocardial biology with a specific focus on the mechanisms underlying cardiac fibrosis and atrial fibrillation
Using a combination of extensive cell culture and molecular biology techniques, and functional cellular assays to understand molecular mechanisms underlying myocardial structural and electrical remodelling associated with atrial fibrillation.
About the research
Pursuing a long-standing interest in myocardial pathophysiology, our main focus is to understand molecular mechanisms underlying myocardial structural (e.g., fibrosis) and electrical (changes in ion channels and calcium handling) remodelling associated with atrial fibrillation. The role of microRNA-31 and -34, and calcitonin signalling in myocardial remodelling is of a particular interest in an ongoing work. To investigate these themes we use a combination of extensive cell culture and molecular biology techniques, and functional cellular assays performed in human clinical material and/or in animal models. We actively collaborate with other groups within and outside the University.
Cardiac fibrosis is a hallmark histological feature of structural changes in the myocardium associated with virtually all cardiac diseases (e.g., heart failure, hypertension, atrial fibrillation and myocarditis). To date, there is no effective treatment for cardiac fibrosis, as we do not understand the mechanisms contributing or causing it. Our group is very interested in uncovering new potentially important pathways responcible for this condition. Specifically, we investigate the role of G protein coupled receptor (calcitonin receptor) and it's downstream signalling pathways in fibrogenesis. This work is faciliateted by a number of internal and external collaborations (for example, with the Department of Pharamoclogy and Melbourne University).
In parallel, we also search for new mechanisms underlying or causing arrhythmogenesis in atrial fibrillation, the most common arrhythmia in humans. Changes in calcium handling have been long implicated in this arrhythmia, as calcium is a key ion in electrophysiological function of cardiomyocytes (a major cell type of the heart); however, the upstream mechanisms underlying changes in calcium handling are still unclear. Thus, we are interested in elucidating electrophysiological response of murine and human cardiomyocytes to hormone called calcitonin and its potential role in arrythmogenesis. In parallel, we aim to assess RNA and protein expression profile of calcitonin and calcitonin receptor in patients with sinus rhythm and with atrial fibrillation in clinical samples (serum/plasma and cardiac biopsies). Part of our work aims to understand function of the calcitonin receptor at the molecular level using X-ray crystallography to facilitate more efficient drug discovery pocess (in collaboration with Diamond Light Source, Harwell).
Potential student would have an opportunity to work on one of the outlined above themes with access to a wide range of molecular and cellular biology techniques (see section "Training opporunities"). The student would learn how to work with human clinical material (serum/plasma samples and cardiac tissue biopsies) and/or animal models (such as mice and guinea pigs). There will be a unique opportunity to work in our collaborators' labs (Diamond Light Source at Harwell and Dept of Pharmacology at Oxford) and acquire some fundamental techniques in structural biology (i.e., GPCR crystallisation) and cardiomyocytes electrophysiology (i.e., assessment of calcium handling).
Training Opportunities
We offer training in the following techniques relevant to the ongoing projects:
- Molecular biology, including immunoblotting, immunostaining, ELISA, cloning, RNA/DNA extraction, qPCR, PCR.
- Assessment of oxidative stress (e.g., measurement of superoxide and nitric oxide production by high performance liquid chromatography, HPLC).
- Extensive cell culture techniques in primary human and rodent fibroblasts and myocytes, or in cell lines (e.g., HEK293, 3T3 and MCF7).
- Cellular functional studies (including assessment of cell viability, proliferation, migration and wound healing; loss-of- and gain-of-function studies using lipo- or electro-poration transfection protocols).
- A student will also have an opportunity to get training in animal work with a focus on heart phenotyping relevant to cardiac fibrosis and arrhythomgenesis.
- Some part of work will involve collection of human serum and cardiac biopsies from patients who will undergo cardiac surgery. A student will be trained in measuring specific biomarkers in these samples as a part of ongoing clinical studies.
- As a part of ongoing collaboration with Diamond Light Source (Harwell), some training (exclusively related to G protein coupled receptors) will be offered in structural biology (e.g., virus amplification, protein purification and receptor crystallization).
- Assessment of primary cardiomyocytes' calcium handling (e.g., contractility, cell relaxation, calcium transients) as a part of internal ongoing collaboration.
Students are encouraged to attend the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine DPhil Course, which takes place in the autumn of their first year. Running over several days, this course helps students to develop basic research and presentation skills, as well as introducing them to a wide-range of scientific techniques and principles, ensuring that students have the opportunity to build a broad-based understanding of differing research methodologies.
Generic skills training is offered through the Medical Sciences Division's Skills Training Programme. This programme offers a comprehensive range of courses covering many important areas of researcher development: knowledge and intellectual abilities, personal effectiveness, research governance and organisation, and engagement, influence and impact. Students are actively encouraged to take advantage of the training opportunities available to them.
As well as the specific training detailed above, students will have access to a wide-range of seminars and training opportunities through the many research institutes and centres based in Oxford.
The Department has a successful mentoring scheme, open to graduate students, which provides an additional possible channel for personal and professional development outside the regular supervisory framework. We hold an Athena SWAN Silver Award in recognition of our efforts to build a happy and rewarding environment where all staff and students are supported to achieve their full potential.
|Reilly S1*, Liu X1, Carnicer R, Recalde A, Muszkiewicz A, Jayaram R, Carena MC, Wijesurenda R, Stefanini M Surdo NC, Lomas O, Ratnatunga C, Sayeed R, Krasopoulos G, Rajakumar T, Bueno-Orovio A, Verheule S, Fulga TA, Rodriguez B, Schotten U, Casadei B*. Atrial-specific upregulation of miR31 depletes dystrophin and nNOS and leads to electrical remodeling in human atrial fibrillation. Sci Transl Med. 2016 May 25;8(340):340ra74. * - corresponding author; 1 – joint 1st author.
|Reilly S, Jayaram R, Nahar K, Antoniades C, Verheule S, Channon KM, Alp NJ, Schotten U, Casadei B. Atrial sources of reactive oxygen species vary with the duration and substrate of atrial fibrillation: implications for the antiarrhythmic effect of statins. Circulation. 2011 Sep 6;124(10):1107-17.
|Liang YL, Khoshouei M, Radjainia M, Zhang Y, Glukhova A, Tarrasch J, Thal DM, Furness SGB, Christopoulos G, Coudrat T, Danev R, Baumeister W, Miller LJ, Christopoulos A, Kobilka BK, Wootten D, Skiniotis G, Sexton PM. Phase-plate cryo-EM structure of a class B GPCR-G-protein complex. Nature. 2017 Jun 1;546(7656):118-123. Epub 2017 Apr 24.
Huang CL, Solaro RJ, Ke Y, Lei M. Editorial: Ca(2+) Signaling and Heart Rhythm. Front Physiol. 2016 Jan 11;6:423.


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Chariots of Desire Monograph
Chariots of Desire Monograph
Chariots of Desire
This first edition softcover LensWork Monograph (#4) titled: Chariots of Desire contains 72 pages, together with 60 museum-book quality reproductions of Witherill's classic and exotic automobile photographs. An Introduction by the photographer is also included. Published 2014 by LensWork Publishing.
Book dimensions: 9" (w) x 8" (h)
Note- To Checkout after you've added an item to your Cart, click the Shopping Cart Icon located on the right-hand side of the main navigation links at the top of this page.

subset: commoncrawl


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LYNDON — The dreams of qualifying for a first state football championship for Lyndon fell one game short as it lost 69-21 to Centralia in the semifinals Friday night.
The Panthers will return to the Class 2A state title game for third straight season behind a rushing attack that amassed 542 yards on the ground in the semifinal round.
The Panthers opened the scoring with a 49-yard punt return by Sam Steinlage and never looked back.
"It was supposed to go to the right and the guys blocked great. No one came through at all and it got things going for us," Steinlage said.
Trevor Mars scored on a 36-yard run on just Centralia's second snap. Lyndon put together a solid drive on its third offensive possession but was unable to score in the red zone after a field goal attempt was blocked. Centralia scored on the very next play as quarterback JT Rosine rushed for an 81-yard scoring scamper.
Before they knew it, the Tigers trailed 27-0 in the first quarter after Rosine scored his second touchdown on a 3-yard plunge.
"A three-and-out and then a run back for touchdown; it just doesn't start much better than that," Centralia coach Larry Glatczak said. "The first quarter was just huge as we were able to get up on them fast."
Rosine rushed for three scores and 166 yards, all in the first half.
"JT was being JT. He brought his A-game and our line blocked really well up front," Steinlage said.
The Panthers outgained the Tigers 347-43 on the ground in the first half.
"We thought we could run on them. We saw some holes on film that we thought we could get to and our kids up front just blocked really well," Glatczak said.
Lyndon did strike for three second-half scores as Joe Walsh, Josh Owens and Gaige Brechesien all found the end zone. Owens had a 7-yard rushing touchdown and ended up with 91 yards on 14 carries. Owens finished the season rushing for more 2,000 yards. He is the first 2,000-yard rusher in the program's history.
"They've got a great squad — they're physical and we didn't match that," Tigers coach Rod Stallbaumer said. "We got beat at the line of scrimmage and we just couldn't get anything rolling tonight.
"I'm proud of our kids, and Josh finished a great career here by going over 2,000 yards."
Centralia will face the winner of Saturday's semifinal between Meade and LaCrosse in the 2A title game.
Centralia (12-0) 27 27 7 8 — 69
Lyndon (11-1) 0 0 14 7 — 21
Centralia — Steinlage 49 punt return (Rosine kick)
Centralia — Mars 36 run (Rosine kick)
Centralia — Rosine 81 run (run failed)
Centralia — Rosine 3 run (Rosine kick)
Centralia — Steinlage 9 run (Rosine kick)
Centralia — Rosine 61 run (Rosine kick)
Centralia — Turner 26 run (kick failed)
Centralia — Mars 1 run (Rosine kick)
Centralia — VanDorn 15 run (Rosine kick)
Lyndon — Walsh 2 run (Pieper kick)
Lyndon — Owens 7 run (Pieper kick)
Lyndon — Brecheisen 28 run (Pieper kick)
Centralia — Ballenger 49 run (Johnson run)
First Downs 12 13
Rushes-yards 34-542 39-247
Passing yards 0 30
Fumbles Lost 0-0 0-0
Punts-Avg. 2-27.5 5-28.4
Penalties-yards 1-15 3- 25
RUSHING — Centralia: Mars 9-198, Rosine 6-166, Ballenger 3-55, Turner 4-39, Rempe 1-34, Steinlage 5-24, VanDorn 4-22, Johnson 2-4. Lyndon: Owens 14-91, Walsh 9-57, Brecheisen 3-39, Burgess 7-25, Swinehart 4-17, Anschutz 1-10, Butcher 1-8.
PASSING — Centralia: Rosine 0-1-0, 0 yards. Lyndon: Walsh 5-13-0, 30, Brecheisen 1-1-0, 7.
Receiving — Centralia: None. Lyndon: Woodruff 3-14, Frye 1-7, Swinehart 1-7, Brecheisen 1-6, Dow 1-3.
PUNTING — Centralia: Rosine 2- 27.5. Lyndon: Woodruff 5-28.4.


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TEMPLATE: Effort-Impact Matrix for Culture Plays
As you develop plays for your culture playbook, you'll want to compare them in terms of both the effort required to implement the play, and the impact the play will have on your culture. You'll want to have a balance of both quick wins and higher effort, longer-term infrastructure-building plays.
Here is a simple matrix template that we have created to help you get started.
Try adding your plays into the matrix to see if you can end up prioritizing some faster, easier to implement plays that help momentum and morale alongside some deeper, longer term plays that change your culture infrastructure for the better.
This post is part of a collection of resources that relate to the Non-Obvious Guide to Employee Engagement.


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Bon Voyage Macaronistas!
No time for a quick mani before your vacay? Don't worry – we got you covered with our new Le Mini Travel Kit! Your perfect travel essentials to make sure you have everything you need to get glam while you're on the move. Nail your gel manicure (or pedicure!) anywhere and everywhere...
Each Kit Includes:
- Cherry Red LED lamp with USB cord
- 2 mini bottles of 3-in-1 gel polish in Watermelon Sorbet and Pearlescence (5 ml/0.17 oz)
- Mini nail file
- Mini cuticle stick
- 10 remover wraps
- Pink travel pouch
- Detailed instructions


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Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Yankee Candle Coupon (In-Store & Online)
Please "like" or "Share" this Coupon so your Facebook friends can Grab it too.
Through December 3rd, Yankee Candle is offering up one FREE Large Candle for EACH Large Candle that you buy – up to three FREE Large Candles! This coupon is valid both in-store and online.
Note that this coupon excludes sale, clearance items, gift cards, outlet stores, wholesale dealers, discount retailers, Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Belk, Kohl's, Staples, Meijer, Target, Yankee Candle Fundraising, American Home by Yankee Candle, and WoodWick Candles.
To grab Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Yankee Candle Coupon (In-Store & Online), ↓↓ click the link below.
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Fashionable goodies of the last festivals are available HERE
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE 2008 December, 2008
On distribution of similarities, intereference-plus-cumulative-effects and dancing your debts away"Dance is always ding, dang, dong. There is not only ding!"
Now, that's a fact, freely borrowed from Giovanni Trappatoni, Italy's renowned soccer semanticist.
As expected, a little more pensive, yes even insecure, yet equally talkative: the Austrians. In their Choreographic Platform (Graz, January 30-February 2, 2009), an entire lecture series is dedicated to the question "Why is that dance? (Crash Course in Contemporaneity)". Also, Oleg Soulimenko's preoccupation with "The Distribution of Similarities. Sandwiches, a Harmonica, a Guitar, Billa, Metro, U-Bahn and other Things." seems notable. Furtheron you may count on contributions from the likes of Superamas, Chris Haring, Doris Uhlich, Christine Gaigg, Philipp Gehmacher, Milli Bitterli, Anne Juren, corpus and many more. And if you haven't been to Graz since Vito Acconci opened his Murinsel...it's about time to give it another shot!
Still in this part of the winter, Tanzquartier Wien is proposing an "island" (yeah, yeah, the oll' desire of the landlocked!) dealing with "doubts, fears and curiosity, visions and ambitions", "Where do I come from and where do I go?" "What are energy suckers?" Mighty positions will be taken by Madalina Dan, Eleanor Bauer, and Eduard Gabia among others at "ALLREADY - beginning and present potential".
Further dang and dong can also be experienced and designed in the French boonies: paf hosts WUM and asks "What is in the name?" Contemporaries are invited to exchange competences & questions on modes and models of arts productions - "an intensification, a furthering, a confrontation and an intereference-plus-cumulative-effect of all projects, activities, concepts and initiatives, which are either in progress, or about to take off in future, or subsist in potentiality", as they say. Definitely a quality way to spend the holidays, I say.
Certainly rather ding: New York and how it deals with the unfortunate accumulation of holidays and economic crises:
"Do you miss shopping?" Miss Sixty is concerned.
Fish's Eddy is boasting an "Economy Sucks Sale".
Only Reverend Billy (Church of Stop Shopping) is a little less defensive and proposes the "Buy Nothing Day 2008: Dance Your Debt Away"
Ever creative NYC. Luckily, Europe is always a little late in adopting US dynamics, plus, nobody in the dance world had money to lose in the first place, so here I am, praising ImPulsTanz vouchers, anyway (but if you listen closely you may hear the insane chuckle in my voice): But the ImPulsTanz Shop DOES offer some humour in this financially dreary period: the first product is a DVD called "Apokalypse", the second one right away a safety set...so considerate! Indulge you in consumerism! If you dare.
Should you happen to still have some cash left, you may want to consider a trip to the edge of space (13.950,-), a jet pilot training (3.560,-) or - cheap scale - helicopter skiing (1298,-). This Spanish website, however, does also offer chocolate massages. And dinners in the dark. And cleans up the mess afterwards...
In the end it is all "about living the life you say you are living" (Penny Arcade)


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Fast Food,Set Meal
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absolutely the worst communication between the station and customer services. sacremento station says they are not traveling north passed redding because of 15 miles of interatate 5 closure due to wildfires.
customer services says there is no delays and every bus route is running on time. been stuck at the sacramento greyhound station for 65hrs. dam greyhound hasnt offered a motel no food not a dam thing but a bunch of lies. how hard is it to navigate a alternate route.
most unorginized *** ive ever experinced. 65hrs and there is still not a definte awnser to this. greyhound needs to fire there whole logistics department. this company is a dam joke.
if i had the means to do it i would start a alternate bjs company to compete with greyhound.
and eventualy over power the market and bring greyhound to its bitter end. i cant beilve this company has been able to survive off the backs of the poor while treating the passenger like *** there is nothing enjoyable about greyhound nothing nothing nothing
Product or Service Mentioned: Greyhound Bus Service.
Reason of review: Bad quality.
I Disagree. There is a Method to the Madness at Greyhound.
you just got to understand the way they run things.
They run things like the Government does. It seems real stupid and doesn't make any sense, but indeed there is a Method to their Madness.


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More fun and understanding of the game for the audience through Apple ARKIT
The Baseball game at AT&T Park witnessed an astonishing view. For the first time in history, the live audience had the opportunity to feel the intensity of the game more deeply with the use of Apple ARKIT on their IPads and iPhones. This sport event was hosted by Major League Baseball.
With the advent of new technology by Apple, it is expected that the future of fandom and experience of watching game is going to become more interesting and engaging. In future, the audience equipped with the ARKIT enabled technology will have better understanding of the game. They will receive the contextual information about the game and will take deeper interest due to the details they'll be receiving by Apple's ARKIT.
For this augmented reality experience, the Baseball game was the perfect choice for two particular reasons: No one can deny this fact that Baseball game contains several downtimes, which can make it extremely slow. Second reason is the stats of this game. Numbers have become fundamentally important to the modern games after the explosion of saber metrics and money balls over the last decade.
To further explanation, it is more likely to watch TV broadcast with the information mentioned on the action as it happens in real-time. This all is made possible by Statcast which accumulates all data. Now, you might wonder about this repetitive word 'Statcast'. Statcast is the in-house analytic tool of MLB.Statcast is a boon for stat nerds which is just a big black box equipped with advanced cameras that covers all the ground and capture the minutest movements of the ground. Statcast has raised the same level of excitement which sabermetrics had developed among the fans, however Statcast has introduced a different dimension of insights to the game. Statcast is perfectly designed to identify the players in the ground, the audience will see a small pop-up on the face of players while watching a game through their iPad or iPhone. By clicking on the pop-up button, one can access to the personalized information of the players.
It is assumed and easily predicted that every app is going to demand the AR feature. Every company will realize the importance and need of augmented reality feature in their mobile app and they will seek this for any reason.
However, there is some challenges which is still demands careful attention and solution. MLB reps has tested the efficacy of the tech in three different location during the games. And each location turned up with some potential problems.
Hopefully, these problems will be sorted by MLB soon and audience will experience a different experience of watching games may be more interesting than the traditional one.
For the Latest Mobile App Technology News and Reviews, follow MobileAppDaily on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIN, Instagram and Flipboard.
She is a content marketer and has more than five years of experience in IoT, blockchain, Web, and mobile development. In all these years, she closely followed the app development, and now she writes about the existing and the upcoming mobile app technologies. Her essence is more like a ballet dancer.


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What is fatty liver disease?
Posted on
What is fatty liver disease?
Did you know? 70 to 90 million Americans have fatty liver disease. Most people have no idea they have it. In fact, you probably haven't even heard of it. My colleague Dr. Mark Hyman recently posted on this topic, and if you're following the Fast Metabolism Diet, a lot of this will sound very familiar.
Fatty liver is exactly what it sounds like: Fat collects around your liver causing all kinds of problems. You've probably heard of foie gras — that's French for "fatty liver." It's made by force-feeding ducks and geese large amounts of corn, which converts to sugar in their bodies, and quickly adds fat to the birds' livers. Shortly thereafter, you can order that foie gras in a restaurant.
The process is not that different for humans: too much sugar — and things that turn to sugar in the body, like corn and refined flours — fatten up your liver just like they do to that poor duck's liver.
And once you've got a fatty liver, it increases the likelihood for all sorts of other problems, including:
- Inflammation
- Diabetes
- Cholesterol problems
- High blood pressure
- Insulin resistance
Dr. Hyman explains it so well in this video, I wanted to share it. I've been privileged to work with Dr. Hyman on several occasions. He's an eloquent and passionate speaker for what we both believe in: Using food as medicine to heal your body.


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SACRAMENTO — The plots and subplots are thickening. That's why there is never a dull day around the Knicks. From rose petals for Patrick (again) to sympathy for the Rangers' firing victims to Chris Webber promising to "bust" the Knicks' butts because of a rather innocuous quote by Jeff Van Gundy during the All-Star Game, it was just another night of fun with New York's finest.
Early in the day Van Gundy lectured that Patrick Ewing is not getting his due respect and then watched as Ewing and the rest of the Knicks were lectured by Webber and the Kings, 103-95, at Arco Arena.
Sacramento is a home-wrecking team, 28-7 at home and 12-22 on the road and last night the Knicks couldn't keep up as Ewing struggled with Vlade Divac, and Marcus Camby & Co. couldn't control Webber and his 21 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
Perhaps Van Gundy should have given his speech to the referees. After the damage was done, Ewing went through a story we've heard before. He wasn't getting any respect from the refs and that is why he was hit with a critical technical after being called for fouling Divac with 4:23 remaining and the Knicks down eight.
"I wasn't getting the same calls that they were getting," Ewing said as to the reason he blew a gasket. "When I turned for my shot Vlade would hit me on my elbow. I had enough. I was just tired of it."
Coaches have to kiss their stars' butts these days and Van Gundy was making another appearance in Macy's window earlier in the day.
"All I know is that in any other city, they'd be throwing rose petals at him," Van Gundy said of Ewing and the constant shooting scrutiny of his center. "We feed into that sometimes, too. Our own people talk about shots and who's getting them. Yeah, sometimes it's going to be here with us, so there is no sense complaining about."
Of course, that didn't stop Van Gundy from complaining. The bottom line is that Ewing has been idolized in New York for nearly two decades, makes $15 million a year and if that's being disrespected, throw some my way.
The Knicks themselves are still trying to sort out who is their go-to guy, and though time says that role should be turned over to Allan Houston (33 points) and Latrell Sprewell, Ewing does not want to let go of the reins. Such is his personality and this will continue to be the theme through the playoffs.
Van Gundy was asked his thoughts about Dave Checketts' firing of Rangers GM Neil Smith and coach John Muckler. In his world the firing of a coach, any coach, is the worst atrocity and the irony of this, of course, was that someone could have been asking Muckler the same question last spring about Van Gundy if Houston's shot did not go down against the Heat.
Van Gundy was in the crosshairs of Checketts' killer scope then. As it turns out, Ernie Grunfeld took the bullet for Van Gundy. In the playoffs Van Gundy led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals and he won himself a new four-year, $14 million deal. The basketball life has its twists and turns.
"I knew Neil Smith a little bit better and he was a real nice guy to me," Van Gundy began. "They accomplished quite a lot there. Brought in some great players in Messier and Gretzky, I don't know nothing about hockey, but they tell me they're the top. They won a championship there for the first time in 50 years, so they accomplished a lot.
"The few times I met Coach Muckler, I can understand why they won championships. He seemed like a real intense, dedicated coach. I feel badly for both guys."
The Kings, one of the favorites of the new generation on hoop fans, made all the Knicks feel and look bad last night. This is the e-generation, infatuated with ESPN highlights and e-mail, so the big picture is often lost on them. The flashy passes of Jason Williams, the Webber super dunks are the plays that get their attention for a few seconds.
The destination, not the journey is noticed. Getting to the point of being a consistent winning team is not as important to many as the individual highlights, so the Kings, while potent at home, are still not a true upper echelon team, but give the Kings credit for putting on a show last night. "They just outplayed us," Van Gundy said.
Ewing only played 32 minutes and finished with eight points and six rebounds. Now he has to bounce back tonight against the struggling and fighting Sonics.
"We've got to put this loss behind us," Ewing said.
Ever defiant, he was asked if Divac and the rest of the Kings are hard to guard.
"No, we just didn't do a good job of guarding them," he said.
So, for now, considering all that, hold the rose petals.


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Happy Stacking the Shelves day!
Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Be sure to check out her site where you can find the link to the others participating in this meme.
For review:
SandRider by Angie Sage (Katherine Tegen)
Last in a Long Line of Rebels by Lisa Lewis Tyre (Nancy Paulsen)
The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier; Doug Holgate (Illst.) (Viking BFYR)
Future Perfect by Jen Larsen (HarperTeen)
The Toymaker's Apprentice by Sherri L. Smith (G.P. Putnam)
Blue Voyage by Diana Renn (Viking BFYR)
See Me by Nicholas Sparks (Grand Central)
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (Henry Holt)
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds, Brendan Kiely (Caitlin Diouhy)
Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson (Greenwillow)
The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas (Delacorte)
The Golden Compass: Graphic Novel by Philip Pullman (Knopf)


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Work With The Perfect Tutor For You
We require the most rigorous qualifications of Shorewood tutors, in addition to a background check. Only a tiny fraction of those candidates who apply ultimately make it through our demanding interview process. From this elite group, an expert director will help you find the best tutor to meet your individual needs – and we stand behind your satisfaction with our money-back guarantee.
Skilled tutors develop lessons to meet your individual needs. One-on-one tutoring sessions are held at a time and location of your choosing.
About Shorewood
Shorewood is a village located in Troy Township. It is part of Will County, Illinois, and has a population of 7,700 residents. People who live in Shorewood are 40 miles away from downtown Chicago.
Students who live in Shorewood are serviced by the Minooka Community and Joliet Township High School Districts, where most attended Joliet West High School. The community also has two private high schools: Joliet Catholic Academy and Providence Catholic High School. Shorewood tutoring lets you receive private instruction, either in-home or online, for your class or test prep today. Shorewood tutors offer online and in-person tutoring sessions to give you the test prep and instruction you need to try to do well on your big exam.


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We're almost to the end of some high school nostalgia with DAN MURPHY(www.murphycommadan.com) and myself.
DAN MURPHY: First panel– 3 fingers and a thumb??? Have no idea if that was intentional or what.
DANNO KLONOWSKI: Yeah, the digit count seems to vary now and then in this story, but I won't hold it against you. But what amazes me is panel 2 and 3. I was sure–SURE!–my joke about an old, outdated, long-since-cancelled "news" show that investigated the tiniest flaw in everything would be a worst throw-away joke of the story. Turns out DATELINE NBC is still around, and even a cursory google search turns up that DATELINE defines itself as: a news program about celebrity, true crime, INVESTIGATE JOURNALISM, and human interest stories. I am so sad for our country right now.
DAN MURPHY: Future Land. Classic.
DANNO KLONOWSKI: That was one of mine!….maybe….I think….maybe not.
DAN MURPHY: Hitler in Six-Gun Annie, possibly related to Hop-Along Phyllis, some character I had that was a cross-dressing cowboy.
DANNO KLONOWSKI: That could be where we got it. I just remember that whole panel–from Six-Gun Adolf to the Manson joke was all you. Sicko.
As you can see up top, there is a new staplegenius.com logo image. It's was done by DAVID STEINLICHT(www.allsmall.net). He did it at the MN CENTER FOR BOOK ARTS(www.mnbookarts.org) as a print kinda like a wood block, except done with paper! VERY COOL!
David–FYI–will be debuting a limited-run collection of his Friday PIONEER PRESS strips on Friday, August 7th at the BIG FUNNY show (www.cartoonistconspiracy.com/bigfunny). YES! A whole 'nother great reason to stop by ALTERED ESTHETICS on Friday for the BIG FUNNY show. See you there.


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Churches are often quiet and contemplative. At a recent Toastmasters meeting I gave a speech on why I love churches as silent spaces. Over the coffee break, several members approached me and told me about their favourite church in Galway.
The one closest to me, and the one I'd never really considered entering, is the Barracks Church by Renmore Barracks. In early April the trees are just waking up and eggs are making ready to hatch. There's a rookery in the trees to the right. The birds were nesting at the time and certainly didn't like it when I walked closer to them.
I have walked past this church umpteen times on my way into town. It's the scenic route into the centre of Galway along a path that follows the railway line (referred to locally as 'the line').
The church is in Renmore next to the Dún Uí Mhaoilíoas army barracks. The chapel was built in 1854 for the soldiers in the then British Army barracks. It was announced in the local paper as "a Catholic Chapel for Renmore Barracks". Up until then, the soldiers (who were mostly Catholic), would have had to walk the mile along the line to the church in Galway town. Galway is the rainiest city in Ireland. According to the report it was common for soldiers to spend most of the service and the journey home in wet clothes.
The Church inside is a beautiful space. Most impressive, though, are the stained glass windows.
I went to this church to meditate. I don't identify as Christian but I grew up in a Roman Catholic family. I understand the imagery. The space is also very much a community church and is used a lot for weddings. The woman who told me about it goes there for mass every week. I might go along one week to see what it's like there.
I will certainly be going back to spend time in the space and to meditate.
There are two windows I would like to look at in detail.
This is a window dedicated to Irish UN forces. My brother spent five years in the Irish army and some time based in Liberia with the UN. Even though he is no longer in the army, I feel a sense of connection with this. At the back of the church is a memorial dedicated to the members of the armed forces who died abroad. And it's impossible to forget that the church was built for the soliders first. When I was there I heard the sounds of rifle fire from the Barracks. All that feeds into the history and the spirit of the place. What a fascinating history it is too. In my research I discovered that the site has a long military history. The name Renmore comes from the gaelic and means Great Headland. It was originally a very strategic site. It was home too to the Connaught Rangers. And now it is home to the First Batallion of the Irish army. Interestingly this is an Irish language batallion so it is known only as An Chead Cath originally founded in 1924 as an Irish language batallion. According to my reading Irish is no longer the daily language of the batallion. I discovered too that The Renmore Historical Society gives talks in the barracks and an army museum exists there too visitable by appointment.
I plan on organising a trip to the museum with a bunch of friends. Imagine, all this beauty and history came simply from being direct and honest about what I enjoyed when I spoke at Toastmasters. It demonstrates to me just how much the world is ready to give when we are generous with our truth.
The words on this window are written in the Irish language and are from a prayer called the Breastplate of St. Patrick. Versions of it are used in song in both Church of Ireland (Anglican/Episcopalean) and Roman Catholic church services in Ireland. I think the words are quite beautiful.
The words translate as:
Christ beside me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me
Christ within me, Christ below me,
Christ above me,
Christ at my right hand,
Christ at my left hand,
Christ in the fort, Christ in the boat,
Christ in the charriot,
Christ in the heart of everyone
Thinking of me
Christ in the mouth of everyone
Speaking to me,
Christ in every eye
That sees me,
Christ in every ear
That hears me.
Galway city is one if Ireland's foremost tourist destinations. People come here to see the remains of the medieval city, to drink and experience the vibrant social life of the city. The Barrack Church is outside the city centre. It represents a chance to tap into a stream of Galway's history that most visitors will never see. An ideal way to visit the Church is to 'walk the line' on the footpath that runs parallel with the railway line. Start the walk from beside bus and train stations. If the sun is shining, the view across Lough Atalia ('Lake of the Willows' in Gaelic) is beautiful. The Church is at the end of the walk, which takes about fifteen mintutes. Phone ahead and make an appointment to visit the Barracks museum.
For more information, click through the following links.
Renmore Barracks Museum info: The Military Heritage of Ireland Trust:
"The museum does not have a full time staff but has a few dedicated individuals who give freely of their time to cater for interested groups to come and experience the rich and varied story of over a hundred years in the life of a barracks.
Personnel wishing to visit the museum in Dun Ui Mhaoliosa should apply in advance to either of the u/m."
The Adjutant, Dun Ui Mhaoliosa: +353 (091) 751156
Sgt PJ Maloney, Dun Ui Mhaoliosa: +353 (091) 751156
This post was written by Paul of Thinking Barefoot.


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The Rev. Stephen Harding, Class of 1995 and Interim Pastor of our neighbor St. Peter's Church as 346 West 20 Street, is offering a part-time administrative position for a seminarian or spouse/partner. Projects include grant writing, research, dealing with space rentals, social media, and other areas as needed. 10 hours per week, $20/hour.
If you're interested, please contact Jonathan Silver.


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Dividends can be underrated but they form a large part of investment returns, playing an important role in compounding returns in the long run. NEUCA SA (WSE:NEU) has returned to shareholders over the past 10 years, an average dividend yield of 3.00% annually. Let's dig deeper into whether NEUCA should have a place in your portfolio. View out our latest analysis for NEUCA
5 checks you should do on a dividend stock
When researching a dividend stock, I always follow the following screening criteria:
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- Has dividend per share amount increased over the past?
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How does NEUCA fare?
NEUCA has a trailing twelve-month payout ratio of 30.51%, meaning the dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Furthermore, analysts have not forecasted a dividends per share for the future, which makes it hard to determine the yield shareholders should expect, and whether the current payout is sustainable, moving forward.
If there's one type of stock you want to be reliable, it's dividend stocks and their stable income-generating ability. In the case of NEU it has increased its DPS from PLN1.48 to PLN6.4 in the past 10 years. It has also been paying out dividend consistently during this time, as you'd expect for a company increasing its dividend levels. These are all positive signs of a great, reliable dividend stock.
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The abolition of gift duty and how it effects you
As you may be aware, on the 1st of October 2011 the Government abolished gift duty for which the consideration was natural love and affection. The repeal of gift duty extends to all gifting not just "natural persons" gifting associated with family trusts. It also applies to all gifts including company gifts and charitable entity gifts.
The abolition of gift duty impacts on all gifting programmes in that:
Gift statements are no longer required to be filed with the Inland Revenue Department from 1 October 2011, however Deeds of Forgiveness of Debt (or Deeds of Gift) are still required to complete existing gifting programmes. Although it is not a requirement that any new gifting be recorded in a Deed of Gift, we recommended that this still take place. You may be required to complete a "solvency statement" at the time a Deed of Gift (or if no deed is prepared gifting) takes place.
Should you sell a property to a related party for nil or little consideration then effectively no valuation is required, however it would be best practice to obtain a valuation so that there is something that determines the value of the asset being transferred and therefore the value of the gift.
In respect of family trusts, if the settlor is transferring the family home to the family trust for no consideration, then an agreement for sale and purchase is not required as the authority and instruction form recording the transfer is sufficient. As discussed earlier, a deed of gift is still prudent.
If you have in the 12 months preceding 1 October 2011 already made an annual gift of $27,000.00 this will not impact on you being able to make a final "super gift" post 1 October 2011.
Income Tax Implications
Gift duty is ineffective in preventing income splitting where assets have been sold to a trust.
Given the alignment of tax rates there is now reduced benefit in having income split through trusts.
The Inland Revenue Department will continue to rely on general anti avoidance provisions where they feel income spliting crosses the line.
Gifts made to persons other than for whom the "natural love and affection" rules apply will be taxable in the hands of the donee.
Implications for Creditor Protection
The provisions of the Insolvency Act 2006 and the Property Law Act 2007 are still applicable and have not been amended. You should be aware of clawback provisions in respect of this legislation in particular whether (in the case of companies) the company could have been deemed to be insolvent at the time it made the gift and in the case of individuals whether there were gifts made within two years (or in some cases five years) of bankruptcy.
Any intent to defraud, prejudice or defeat creditors could result in gifts made being "clawed back".
Implications for Relationship Property
As a result of the abolition of gift duty and the expectation that people will now complete "super gifts", it is easier for people to put relationship property beyond the reach of a spouse or partner and it is more likely that spouses/partners will make use of "Trust busting" provisions.
Any dispositions made in order to defeat the claim or rights of any person under the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 could result in compensation for any spouse or partner whose rights have been defeated and the Courts are able to vary the terms of any Trust to avoid this.
The Courts are also empowered to vary the terms of any pre and post nuptial agreements including settlements that have been made on any Trusts under the Family Proceedings Act 1980.
Implications for Family Protection and Testamentary Promises Claims
As property gifted ceases to be part of the donor's estate, a property that has been gifted is not able to be subject to Family Protection claims nor testamentary promises claims and claimants can only bring an action against the Donor's estate not the Trust created by the Donor.
Implications for Residential Care Subsidy
It is important to note that the Residential Care Subsidy asset thresholds have not been changed and currently any gifts made in excess of $6,000.00 annum for the preceding five years and any gifts in excess of $27,000.00 at any time prior to that are able to be brought back in, in terms of calculating the current assets of the person applying for the Residential Care Subsidy. This includes gifts made by the person's partner.
A failure to charge or demand interest by a person or their partner is treated as deprivation of income.
The Ministry of Social Development will be more vigilant in determining whether deprivation has occurred where a person has an interest in a trust.
You should discuss the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a Trust and carrying out gifting with your legal advisor to ensure that there are no adverse tax, solvency, property relationship or residential care subsidy implications for you.
If you have any questions regarding the above, or wish to seek advice regarding gifting and family trusts, please contact Trust Law expert, Peter Smith by phone on 837 6882 or email email@example.com
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Go to Making Light's front page.
Forward to next post: The Art Department
Subscribe (via RSS) to this post's comment thread. (What does this mean? Here's a quick introduction.)
U.S. detainees to get Geneva rights. Terrific. Except, not really. Via Matthew Yglesias on Tapped, we see that the CIA's worldwide gulag is entirely exempt from today's ukase.
Just like yesterday, if our lords and masters decree it, you can be disappeared without trial and without recourse down a very deep hole. Yay, us.
Could you guys help me out? There's been something I've been trying to get framed about how the current administration (and too many folks who love it) are entranced with the idea of defining some people as outside the bounds of entitlement to decent treatment. Any thoughts on the subject?
Part of it is the sadism, but another piece is wanting it to be legal, I think.
I guess I'm being cynical, but I believe it when I see it.
As for defining some people as being out of bounds, it seems to me that it's the standard tactic of defining a set of people as not being human. It seems to me that those who do this are invariably doing it out of fear.
What disturbs me (and I feel a bit like China Mieville when I write this since this seemed to be a running theme of his through Readercon) is that they know that the things they do are wrong, but they keep doing them anyways. e.g., with respect to prisoner abuse, given the prevalence of such acts, even if we believe it was the work of "a few bad apples", we'd still have to conclude that the responsible leaders are allowing it to happen by not enforcing discipline.
(Is there a script that gets passed from former global powers to current global powers so that the current global powers know how they can inevitably work towards their own downfall? It's as if a slim majority of us decided that the American Century ought to be over and worked towards that cause.)
What's become evident is that Cheney and Rumsfeld came into office with an overriding agenda, which was to overturn the post-Nixon reforms and rebuild the Presidency as an unstoppable, uncheckable, essentially dictatorial power center. Finding and establishing areas (referred to by these guys, slangily, as "outer space") where Congressional limitations, or the writ of the Federal judiciary, or our treaty obligations, don't limit executive action, has been a significant part of this larger project.
Their determination to do this long predated 9/11. They've been thinking about it and making plans since the end of the Ford administration. This New Yorker profile of David Addington, Cheney's longtime legal adviser, documents and substantiates this to an impressive degree.
"the CIA's worldwide gulag is entirely exempt from today's ukase"
Yes, that's even in the main article -- in the very bottom paragraph. Are they hoping people will stop reading before they catch on?
One structural (rather than emotional) possibility is that since these guys believe in unlimited punishment, they do everything they can to make sure they're not at risk for *any* punishment themselves.
They're big on scaring people. It's gotten them a long way.
This administration -- well, the far right in general -- is notorious for redefining words for their own benefit. "Liberal" for example has transformed from a position of broad-minded tolerance and social reform for the benefit of all, to that "volvo-driving, latte-drinking, body piercing freak show" or however that anti-Howard Dean ad went.
So perhaps shoving anyone they want away in gulags for torture is how they now define the "freedom" that our soldiers are supposed to be fighting for.
Near as I can figure, the mentality is that of the vigilante, i.e. extraordinary circumstances (surprise terrorist attacks) require extraordinary measures (lockdown on rights, torture, invasion). From their standpoint the system as is has failed, therefore the system must be circumvented for justice to prevail. They attribute the failure to "liberalism" which becomes defined as whatever causes something to go wrong. I find it interesting that Bush portrays himself as a cowboy, and this is right in line with the cowboy mythos ("Open Range" and "Unforgiven" being two movies that leap to mind where the law is corrupt and must be ignored).
This idea ignores that 9/11, while surprising, was one in a long list of attacks. It was not the beginning of an uber-threat as it's being presented.
Although it's off-topic, I wonder to what extent the Right is correct about the Media's liability. We in Hollywood tend to adore the rebel-against-the-system stories, the "cop who plays by his own set of rules". The whole anti-hero movement is a great example. I remember on one of these threads someone mentioning "Batman Begins" and how the Bat's tactics walk (or perhaps cross) the line between intimidation and torture. If our stories are how we define ourselves and our society, then how can we be surprised when the principles from those stories are applied to different ends?
Naturally, entertainers shouldn't be responsible for raising other's children. Plus, the system being rebelled against in those stories is almost always shown as corrupt. But in the case of the Neo-conservatives, they've painted a working system as corrupt (how else could have 9/11 happened?) and in need of outside justice.
Quoting the BBC report which is the first you link to, When the detention centre was established in 2002, President Bush ordered that detainees be treated "humanely, and to the extent appropriate and consistent with military necessity, in a manner consistent with the principles of Geneva".
This doesn't look like much of an improvement, and we all know how Bush's initial orders were carried out.
Wasn't it Andrew Jackson who said "the Judicial Branch has made their decree, now let them enforce it" when the SC declared his forcible relocation of the Cherokee Indians unconstitutional?
Bush is doing the same thing with his "interpretations" of laws and rulings where he says he'll follow them only when it suits him.
In a republic such as this one which extends over a not insignificant portion of the earth, there is a tension between the demands for centralisation and efficiency and the demand for civil and civic liberty. The one, taken far enough tips the republic into empire. The other keeps it a republic, though there will be constant disagreement about its ends.
The Great Republic (and I capitalise without any ironic intent)is founded on a set of principles that involve civic equality and (from Lincoln on, in theory at least, political equality) of all citizens. That means, to quote one of my heroes C.L.R. James, that 'every cook can govern'. Of course, to those who believe that central control increases efficiency, and most especially to those who believe that human beings are not and can never be equal in any real sense, this is nonsensical. The counter-argument is that for the state to survive free (that is, uncontrolled by outside forces) it requires leadership, and in times of crisis the need for leadership is greater.
The problem is, of course, that the more you give power to the leader the less the power of the republic (in the sense of the people as a whole)becomes until you no longer have a republic, you have an empire and Georgius Prćsidens becomes Augustulus Cćsar. At that point, we enter an orwellian world in which key terms, like 'freedom' become the opposite of what they used to mean. (To give a classical example, the word which in classical Athens was used to refer to a citizen's right to speak out in his behalf became by the time of high Byzantine empire one of the words for 'rude'. Note:If I'm wrong, Candle, correct me gently)
Nancy, there's an internal inconsistency in all this that's been niggling me. I'm trying to work it out:
The most recent reason for the occupation of Iraq is that we are 'exporting democracy'. If it's accurate to say that a democracy must include the rule of law, then we are supposedly exporting that as well. And yet, with respect to prisoners and even sometimes even our own naturalized citizens, we have discarded the rule of law. We're trying to export the idea of basic human rights, but we don't respect them.
Well, there's something in that, but ragged.
Wasn't it Andrew Jackson who said "the Judicial Branch has made their decree, now let them enforce it" when the SC declared his forcible relocation of the Cherokee Indians unconstitutional?
Not exactly - the opinion was to the effect that Georgia - not Jackson - lost and there was never a finding the relocation - by statutory order - was unconstitutional.
....In December 1835 the Treaty of New Echota, signed by a small minority of the Cherokee, ceded to the United States all their land east of the Mississippi River for $5,000,000. The overwhelming majority of Cherokees repudiated the treaty and took their case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court rendered a decision favourable to the Indians, declaring that Georgia had no jurisdiction over the Cherokees and no claim to their lands.
Georgia officials ignored the court's decision, and President Andrew Jackson refused to enforce it. As a result, the Cherokees were evicted under the Indian Removal Act of 1830 by 7,000 troops commanded by General Winfield Scott. Some 15,000 Cherokees were first gathered into camps while their homes were plundered and burned by local residents. Then the Indians were sent west in groups of about 1,000, most on foot.
The eviction and forced march, which came to be known as the Trail of Tears, took place during the fall and winter of 1838–39 and was badly mismanaged. Inadequate food supplies led to terrible suffering, especially after frigid weather arrived. About 4,000 Cherokees died on the 116-day journey, many because the escorting troops refused to slow or stop so that the ill and exhausted could recover....
"Cherokee."Encyclopćdia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopćdia Britannica 2006 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD 11 July 2006 .
2 interesting bits somewhat related as background:
.....One popular technique for dealing with unpopular decisions has been defiance. During Andrew Jackson's presidency, the states sometimes defied Supreme Court decisions, such as when Georgia went through with the execution by hanging of a Cherokee named Corn Tassels in the face of a Supreme Court order not to do so. Jackson was thought to lack the will to enforce federal court mandates. In another Cherokee controversy with Georgia, Jackson reputedly said, "John Marshall has made his decree, now let him enforce it." As one newspaper aptly reported, "We are sick of such talks [of defiance]. If there is not power in the Constitution to preserve itself--it is not worth keeping." It is notable, however, that when John Calhoun launched the nullification movement, Jackson made it clear he stood behind the Court....
Judicature, the journal of the American Judicature Society, January-February 1998.
Barry Friedman,
Pause a moment to consider the relationship between the federal government and the Native Americans on the one hand and the relationship between the federal government and the states on the other. What other relationships exist outside the federal-state-people power relationship which mostly defines the constitution?
Con Law I § 2 Handout I p. Trail of Tears Case Notes from Howard University School of Law
Bush is doing the same thing with his "interpretations" of laws and rulings where he says he'll follow them only when it suits him.
I'd say Bush is not doing the same thing as refusing to enforce against a somewhat sovereign State - (remember this was well before Sumter and the amendments following the 1861-1865 conflict) nor do I recall Jackson ever denying the effect of decisions on him personally or his office. This was still - as always - a period of feeling things out and cases of first impression - the Constitution and the Court as the whole nation had only a brief past for guide. Obs SF Eric Flint The Rivers of War The Arkansas War et. seq.
I am reminded of Stalin, asking how many legions the Pope has...The Busheviks do remind me often of Stalinist Russia. Amusing (not very) testimony in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today on the subject of developing regulations under which the Gitmo prisoners may be tried: the administration witnesses basically said, Gee, why don't you just leave it all up to the President? He can make it up as he goes along.
To which Lindsey Graham remarked, I don't think so.
I wonder if he'll stick with that.
Excuse me, but I feel an attack of total rage coming on. Again.
flaring: If you think of life as a zero-sum game, which arguably the crooks in power do, it makes perfect sense: if we export all our democracy to Iraq, there will be none left over here. This raises the question of where the democracy went, since obviously there isn't any in Iraq either. I'm going to bet it was skimmed off by Halliburton in a sweetheart deal.
Ths 5 jstcs f th Sprm Crt hvn't vn rd th Gnv Cnvntn t vn knw wht thy'r tlkng bt, lt ln hw t ppls t th ppl t Gntnm. Ths ppl r TRRRSTS! Thy r nt sldrs f frgn rmy, thy r TRRRSTS! Thy'r nt qt crmnls, thy'r nt qt sldrs, thy r thr wn nq ntty n nd f thmslvs. Th Gnv Cnvntns wr nt wrttn t hndl ppl lk ths! Prsdnt Bsh hs bnt vr bckwrds t trt ths ppl s HMNLY s pssbl nd yt tht s nt ngh fr y ppl! r th Sprm Crt!
Gntnm s nt Glg! Sch cmprsn s PRPSTRS! Trrrsts wll stp t nthng t KLL Y ND VRYN Y LV wtht mmnt's hsttn. Thy r nt jst pltcl dssdnts wh dsgr wth th gvrnmnt, thy r nsn mncs wh wll stp t NTHNG t dstry th ntd Stts nd brng TRRR t th hrts f hr ctzns! Y r cmprng PPLS wth RTTN GRPFRTS!
Shoelimpy is, on the wording of its post, a troll. However, it might actually have something worth listening to, if it isn't a troll and decides to lose the screaming caps and bangs.
Now I have an image of democracy being a liquid, dripping out of leaky, rusted pipes.
It's alarming to me (such a gross understatement) that some many people I see posting and commenting around the net seem to believe that a democracy can exist without the rule of law. Or maybe they just don't understand the consequences of what they advocate.
Clicking through to Shoelimpy's own URL, I literally can't tell whether this is a real wingnut or a parody of one, a la Jesus' General or the Landover Baptist Church.
Dmcrcy xsts wth th rl f lw. TRRRSTS r nt prt f dmcrcy. Thy RJCT dmcrcy nd ll tht t stnds fr. Thy r nt sldrs, thy r nt crmnls, thy r nt cvlns, thy r s sd bfr smthng cmpltly nd ttlly dffrnt nd shld b trtd s sch. Th Sprm Crt hd n d wht t ws dng whn t md ths dcsn. PRD!
Why dn't w jst gv ll f th nmts t Gntnm CTZNSHP n th ntd Stts f mrc? Thy r HMN BNGS ftr ll, shldn't thy gt Mdcr? Scl Scrty? Shldn't thy b prtctd ndr th bsc rghts nd frdm w ll njy?
HLL N! Thy wld dstry vry sngl rght nd frdm f thy wr gvn th chnc! Tht s why thy r TRRRSTS!!!!
Patrick, don't you remember these guys? They're the same ones who posted about How to handle an open thread on liberal blogs, only to have their own thread turned into a festival of pinatas.
They're kind of like satirists, only without the startling reframes, incisive commentary, humor, or other unnecessary stuff like that. I'd classify them as belonging amongst the right-wingers because they don't know much and they aren't particularly talented, but they're nevertheless sure they're entitled to our respectful attention.
Is the SUPREME COURT trying to put DEMOCRACY out of BUSINESS?!?!?!
No, the POSTER is trying to run the TYPESETTER out of CAPITAL LETTERS!?!?!?!?!?!
Avram: Is the SUPREME COURT trying to put DEMOCRACY out of BUSINESS?!?!?!
Oh, Jesus... I'd completely forgotten about that one. LOL. Those were the days...
n wy, ys thy r, bt thnk tht s smwht f n xtrm pstn t tk, vrm. wld nvr sggst t myslf, bt thr mtvs n ths prtclr cs r crtnly sspct.
Shoelimpy, you aren't amusing.
Ppl wh lv frdm nd stnd p fr wht thy blv n vn whn t sms th ntr wrld s gnst thm rrly r, Trs.
If only we could get Miss Caroline Weber to weigh in on the Supreme Court.
"I am totally psyched about THE TERRORISTS!"
And so forth.
Now that could be funny. Though Shoelimpy's response would, perforce, be funnier.
No kidding? So are self-congratulating bores.
What a brave, noble man, taking on the mantle of spittle-flicking boor in order to better defend freedom. Carry on!
I was, of course, addressing Shoelimpy.
dn't ndrstnd wht y fnd hmrs n th d tht w shld gv trrrsts spcl prvlgs. Myb whn th Sprm Crt dclrs tht t s n-Cnstttnl fr TRRRSTS t kdnp cvlns wtht cs nd thn bhd thm n ntnl TLVSN thr mght b sm cs fr rsnbl dbt n th ss. Bt thy wn't bcs thy cn't nd gss wht? Thr s n l Qd Sprm Crt t rl n th ss thr bcs TRRRSTS d nt blng t gvrnmnt t frc thm t b hlfwy hmn, thy r TRRRSTS.
Why r y tryng s dsprtly t trn ths nt prsnl dscssn, Trs? s t bcs y hv n rsnbl dfns why w shld pply cnvntns dsgnd t prtct sldrs f cntrs wth whm w r t wr wth t trrrsts wh swr llgnc t n ntn nd n flg? spclly whn th fct f th mttr s tht th prsnrs t Gntnm hv bn trtd n th mst prt qt hmnly, s hs bn th pstn f Prsdnt Bsh frm dy n?
Re: exporting democracy -- As Jon Stewart said when Iraq was trying to come up with a constitution -- "They can have ours -- we aren't using it."
Okay, that does it. You're killing the conversation.
R: xprtng dmcrcy -- s Jn Stwrt sd whn rq ws tryng t cm p wth cnstttn -- "Thy cn hv rs -- w rn't sng t."
Th Cnstttn dsn't pply t trrrsts.
Stupid ignoramus. The Constitution is law, and the law applies to everyone.
Shoelimpy -- why not? That is, why doesn't the Constitution apply to terrorists? Don't get snarky. I mean it. The Constitution is our Rule; Americans observe it the way Benedictines observe the Rule of Benedict -- we consider it a living document which should be applied to all situations in American life requiring the application of legal principles. Congress is empowered by the Constitution "to make rules concerning captures on land and water" (Article 1, Section 8.) All treaties made "under the authority of the United States...shall be the supreme law of the land." (Article 6, Section 2.) The Geneva Conventions are a treaty. There is nothing in the Constitution which states that "terrorists" (who may, indeed, not be so; we can't know unless and until they are tried either by a criminal court or a military one) constitute a special class of enemy -- the Constitution does not provide for a special class of enemy. Why isn't the Rule we have followed for 219 years, since 1787, appropriate to this situation, as it has been for all others, including a terrible civil war in which our country nearly destroyed itself? I say it is.
(Tell me why I bother....)
I'm actually not interested in arguing with these people at all, even to the extent of letting their nonsense stand in disemvowelled form.
That goes emphatically for the secondary character whose posts Teresa just now deleted outright. This isn't a public bulletin board. If you're going to be obnoxious, be smart and interesting.
Basic principle: no one is outside the law. If you think you are, or if you think someone else is, you can be certain that you're wrong.
Our legal tradition used to allow for the possibility of removing oneself from the law's jurisdiction. It wasn't pleasant.
Do Not Bother The Moderator, For Your Name Looks Silly Without Vowels.
Nancy--I think that Shoelimpy has addressed the basic issue for you, but it has nothing to do with either sadism or legality. The folks to whom you are referring aren't necessarily all sadists; they are tribalists who do firmly believe in the rule of law.
The problem is that "the rule of law" has as its necessary corollary the concept of the outlaw, the person who does not abide by the law and is therefore not entitled to the law's protection.
The idea you express ("defining some people as outside the bounds of entitlement to decent treatment") is much, much older than the relatively recent and utterly revolutionary idea that all people are entitled to equal protection under the law.
The law is intended to protect societies, and once you've accepted that premise, you must ask from whom societies need to be protected--sometimes the answer is "foreigners bent on waging war", but more often it's from the internal elements, the outlaws, those who do not conform.
I think you're going to have a difficult time framing the issue as "sadism" because I don't think that sadism really has anything to do with it.
Re-read what Shoelimpy said, and consider it from this point of view.
Dmcrcy xsts wth th rl f lw. TRRRSTS r nt prt f dmcrcy. Thy RJCT dmcrcy nd ll tht t stnds fr. Thy r nt sldrs, thy r nt crmnls, thy r nt cvlns, thy r s sd bfr smthng cmpltly nd ttlly dffrnt nd shld b trtd s sch. Th Sprm Crt hd n d wht t ws dng whn t md ths dcsn. PRD!
Why dn't w jst gv ll f th nmts t Gntnm CTZNSHP n th ntd Stts f mrc? Thy r HMN BNGS ftr ll, shldn't thy gt Mdcr? Scl Scrty? Shldn't thy b prtctd ndr th bsc rghts nd frdm w ll njy?
HLL N! Thy wld dstry vry sngl rght nd frdm f thy wr gvn th chnc! Tht s why thy r TRRRSTS!!!!
UN-altered REPRODUCTION and DISSEMINATION of this IMPORTANT Information is ENCOURAGED.
I was listening to Talk of the Nation this morning. They had a lawyer speaking very clearly and forcefully about the inhumane treatment of the detainees, and the need to follow the applicable law in the UCMJ and Article 3 of the Geneva Convention.
For balance, they brought on a lawyer who'd served in the Justice Department under Reagan and G.H.W. Bush. He sounded very articulate and reasonable, and did his best to support the administration. His approach was to use the term "unlawful combatants" and say that the Geneva Conventions didn't protect them because they weren't following the rules. This seemed like backwards logic. If we believe him, the Geneva Conventions spell out the rules for how we will allow ourselves to be attacked. Those who follow the rules will be treated with honor and respect, unless of course we kill them first. But woe to anyone who does not follow the rules, who does not wear a uniform, who does not serve in an organized military unit, who does not have a home country. They will be punished for their transgressions by being tortured and detained indefinitely without any legal recourse. This is true even if they are innocent, because revealing their innocence could jeopardize the war on terror.
Back in the real world, my understanding is the Geneva Conventions apply to the states that signed them. The rules bind the states to treat humanely those of their enemies that fall into their hands. To me, it seems immaterial whether our enemies play by the rules. If they attack us, they will meet overwhelming force, and if we capture them, they are at our mercy. At that point, it would be a good idea, practically as well as legally and morally, for us to actually have mercy. To follow the laws and treaties we signed, and that previous generations fought for. To demonstrate that we're better than the people attacking us.
I don't think that trolls came up with the idea on their own that terrorists aren't protected by the Constitution or by the law. It is the administration party line.
I don't think that trolls came up with the idea on their own
They never do.
I have never been able to get any of the "don't you understand, they're TERRORISTS!" cowards to answer the question of what should be done about people who have been detained wrongly and are not, in fact, terrorists. The official position of the Bush Administration, which has not allowed them a trial, appears to be "We don't make mistakes, and if we do, too bad. They can rot." How this is meant to be compatible with ideals of freedom and justice is beyond the ability of my mere liberal mind to comprehend.
There is no class of person who does not fall under the Geneva Conventions. The class "unlawful combatant" does not exist; neither in law nor in custom and tradition.
There is no class of person who can be treated in a cruel or inhumane manner under the Geneva Conventions.
America abandons its core values only at its great peril.
wow.... Cnstttn & trrrsts are way fun-looking, disemvowelled.
Samantha Joy: The problem is that "the rule of law" has as its necessary corollary the concept of the outlaw, the person who does not abide by the law and is therefore not entitled to the law's protection.
I'm unclear whether this is your view or the view of someone else you are describing here.
There is no such concept in our legal system of people who do not abide by the law being "therefore not entitled to the law's protection".
Certain parties may behave as if that concept exists, but when they do they are operating outside the law themselves and are therefore liable to punishment under the law. But they are also protected by the law from being, for example, summarily executed, or detained indefinitely without hearing or trial.
A legal system that doesn't protect everyone, even outlaws, is totalitarianism. You're talking Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe, here.
There is no class of person who does not fall under the Geneva Conventions.
Well, not strictly true.
Unless I've slipped a gear here, the original intent of Geneva was to establish that POW's and political detainees are not criminals and are not to be treated like criminals. NOT to say that anyone not falling under it had no rights.
If you don't fall under it -- which is supposed to be decided by an tribunal, NOT by the government doing the detaining -- you are supposed to fall under (aside from the right of the accused wherever you happen to be) Human Rights In The Administering of Justice.
(they're both linked here, with other stuff)
IOW, not falling under Geneva doesn't mean they can treat you badly. It means they have to charge you and try you and convict you -- honestly and openly -- or let you the hell alone.
Classing a lot of these detainees under Geneva makes me nervous as Hell; Geneva is NOT meant to apply to situations where guilt or innocence is relevant; it presumes that you have the right to detain persons who fall under it as part of war, but that they are by definitions not guilty of anything.
And a lot of the people currently detained seem not to have been any sort of combatant at ALL, lawful or not.
Samantha Joy: Apparently your mind took a wrong turn and landed in the middle ages. Not very well either.
The concept of outlawry, as it existed in some medićval European countries, arose at a time when the public authorities had limited power to enforce the law. It made sense then to define -- normally by a judicial process -- some persons as outside the protection of the law; this meant that law-abiding persons had the right to act against those people in the name of the law.
In an age in which the agencies that enforce the law are somewhat larger than the personal following of a large landowner, that concept is worse than useless. That's because it invites retaliation. If I say you're outside the law how, exactly, do you stop me from saying the same of you and seeking to kill you before you kill me? Once you claim that some people are outside the law you have no moral right to complain when you are so defined.
wow.... Cnstttn & trrrsts are way fun-looking, disemvowelled.
They sure are. Also, does anybody else keep parsing 'Sprm Crt' as Sperm Count?
Nothing has really changed. Read this article about what the Executive attorneys said to Congress on this issue:
wow.... Cnstttn & trrrsts are way fun-looking, disemvowelled.
I myself am extremely fond of "PRPSTRS."
Thy wld dstry vry sngl rght nd frdm f thy wr gvn th chnc! Tht s why thy r TRRRSTS!!!!
Simply killing people is not enough to dstry thr rghts nd frdms. The only way that I can think of to do that is to take over the government and abolish the Constitution.
Oh, wait . . .
And now that I have my received-late jury summons straightened out (thanks to the nice people at the court's website, since the computerized phone system is useless if you actually have a problem)...
If we aren't going to be serious about "liberty and justice for all" then maybe we shouldn't be serious about requiring kids in schools to say it every day. If we're going to have a government that talks big about liberty and democracy, maybe we should have a government that actually puts some effort into, you know, practicing it. At home, where it's supposed to be the norm.
"PRPSTRS"? Prepsters are destroying r frdms? I knew there was something wrong with all those Abercrombie & Fitch droids!
Way back up there, Nancy asked a question.
People deal with unmanageable complexity by making gods.
Some folks make gods out of the market, or the presumption of benevolence, or duty, or service, or love; the Bush administration -- though this is much more Cheney and Rumsfeld, since Bush's own god is privilege -- has made a god out of naked force.
You could say unconstrained power, too, but the way they deal with feeling uncertain and knowing that the world is more complicated than they can understand or control is to worship naked force. If they have enough force, everything and everyone which frightens them will submit in fear or die in pain, and they will be safe.
It's not a helpful god, it is not a wise god, and theirs is not a worship known for working, but it is their god and their worship and their faith is very strong.
Given that Shlumpy is just noise, and has nothing of any interest to contribute, why let its posts keep wasting space, even disemvoweled?
It's amazing, Teresa. Even though I can slowly decipher them, you appear to have removed any meaningful content along with the vowels. Just as those damn Martians keep removing the gold coins from my avocados! I never find gold in avocados anymore! MARTIANS ARE NOT ENTITLED TO THE PROTECTIONS OF THE GENEVA CONVENTION!!!!!
xopher, haven't you heard? The Geneva conventions were updated to include all solar system inhabitants at Vatican XLVII (Anacron Creed, para ii[b]).
"The Geneva conventions were updated to include all solar system inhabitants at Vatican XLVII."
Just don't try to marry them.
Samantha Joy:
"The problem is that "the rule of law" has as its necessary corollary the concept of the outlaw, the person who does not abide by the law and is therefore not entitled to the law's protection.No. That's never been held to be a corollary, necessary or otherwise, of the existence of rule of law. Michael Weholt's dead right on this one.
The idea you express ("defining some people as outside the bounds of entitlement to decent treatment")is much, much older than ..."
The idea that some people won't abide by the law is implicit in legal codes: "No householder shall dump garbage in his neighbor's garden. If, in disregard of this statute, a householder shall dump his garbage in his neighbor's garden, upon the third such offense he shall be fined eight pazoozles, and three more pazoozles for each like offense thereafter." The peccant garbage-dumping householder has failed to abide by the law, yet he, his offense, his punishment, and his ongoing relationship with his neighbor are still within the scope of the law.
Basically, anything that happens on this planet falls under the rule of law, in theory if not always in practice.
If you want to talk about a bizarre novelty with no grounding in preceding codes of law, it's the idea that anyone can decree that some alleged offense puts the offender outside the protection of the law, including having recourse to standard legal procedure and access to courts. What that boils down to is "We can do whatever we want to anyone whom we accuse of this offense" -- a formulation that would have shocked European witch-hunters and Spanish Inquisitors alike. It's not law. It's a denial and a violation of the entire concept of law.
Once upon a time, so long ago that weregild and compurgation were still part of everyday legal practice, it was possible for a person to be declared an outlaw, a wolf's head (weargesheafod), meaning they were dead in the eyes of civil society. No one could give them assistance. They had no right to sue in court, though others could sue on their behalf. They could be killed out of hand, a sort of laudable homicide, as long as their killer reported it to the authorities ASAP.
There are two things you should note. First, outlawry wasn't necessarily imposed for heinous crimes. You could chop someone into kindling as long as it wasn't done under unfair or improper circumstances, you didn't use excessively cruel methods, and you paid weregild afterward. More than anything else, outlawry was imposed as a punishment for holding yourself above the law, or failing to acknowledge that the law applied to you.
Second, an outlaw was still covered by the law. There were rules and procedures for declaring someone an outlaw, getting a sentence of outlawry lifted, and punishing people who aided and abetted persons who'd been outlawed. Which is as it should be. The law does not contemplate an end to its own jurisdiction.
"... the relatively recent and utterly revolutionary idea that all people are entitled to equal protection under the law."You only get to say that's "relatively recent" if you make a habit of selling your great-great-grandmother's antiques at yard-sale prices. "Utterly revolutionary" isn't accurate under any circumstances. Equal protection under the law was codified and confirmed, not created, by constitutional amendment. Before that, it was implicit and emergent in our law. Whoever told you it was a revolutionary change was lying to you, most likely with the intent of seducing you to your own ruin.
Marna, it may be that you're thinking that there's only one one Geneva Convention, covering Prisoners of War. It seems to be a common mistake.
The Wikipedia entry is a good start. It's the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions which would be applicable.
Note that Afghanistan is a party to the Geneva Conventions, and so all Afghans are entitled to GC4 protection. Foreign nationals detained in Afghanistan are entitled to the normal consular protection provided by any government.
Xopher, they're there to serve as an example. But if they really are cluttering up the place to no good effect, I'll nuke 'em.
Madame Teresa: I'd say let 'em stay; without context, our mockery isn't as funny.
To hell with the Geneva Conventions (plural) and laws generally.
How were these people brought up? Didn't anyone instil into them, at the age of about five, even the most basic morals? Can't they understand that treating people in a cruel or inhumane manner is simply wrong - as in bad, wicked, unacceptable, contemptible - and that no amount of legal finagling will make it right?
Lk n m wrks mght nd dspr
Oh, and if you really want law:
Nullus liber homo capiatur, vel imprisonetur, aut disseisiatur, aut utlagetur, aut exuletur, aut aliquo modo destruatur, nec super cum ibimus, nec super cum mittemus, nisi per legale judicium parium suorum vel per legem terre.
No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land.
[article 39 of Magna Carta, 1215 - British Library translation]
Of course, they didn't keep to it. But the principle goes as far back as that, and probably farther.
John, you seem to be implying that morality applies to subjects other than sex. That's a completely foreign concept in our political climate.
Of course, they didn't keep to it. But the principle goes as far back as that, and probably farther.
Definitely farther, or the king wouldn't have been forced to sign on to it. The barons who forced him certainly thought it was a Good Idea.
Thy wld dstry vry sngl rght nd frdm f thy wr gvn th chnc! Tht s why thy r TRLLS!!!!
Sorry, just had to get that out of me.
For a bit of self-promotion:
My story titled "Extraordinary Rendition" will be in the September issue of The Deepening.
I kept seeing that phrase in the news and I had to write something about it.
John Stanning: Of course, there is also the article following: Nulli vendemus, nulli negabimus aut differemus rectum aut justiciam. To none will we sell, to none will we deny or delay right or justice. Something that the Shrub administration doesn't seem to believe in much.
Today's WashPost lead article states that "The administration also has decided that even prisoners held by the CIA in secret prisons abroad must be treated in accordance with international standards, an interpretation that would prohibit prisoners from being subjected to harsh treatment in interrogations, several U.S. officials said."
Until those prisons are open to random, surprise inspections by the International Red Cross, that's rather meaningless.
And there is still no purpose whatever to this set of secret prisons. All they do is blacken America's reputation and pull down the respect for human rights worldwide.
Suppose they got information from their prisoners through torture. It's widely known that the information gained in that way is useless. A fantasy constructed by the prisoner out of his best guesses at what the torturers want to hear. Afterward he himself won't be able to tell fact from fiction because he'll no longer remember the facts.
And suppose one of the prisoners wasn't tortured and today, some three years after going into the system, decided of his own free will to tell, honestly and openly, everything he knew. Again, the information would be useless. All the codes, all the plans, all the meeting places, would have been changed long since.
The Geneva Conventions admit the possibility that prisoners of war, protected persons, displaced persons -- can also be common criminals. In those cases, they are tried in the normal courts, under the usual rule of law, of the power that holds them. Nor are those accused of war crimes or crimes against humanity exempt from being tried and punished for their offenses, regardless of what category they fall into under the Geneva Conventions. But in no case is torture permitted, not even for those accused of the gravest crimes.
It's amazing, Teresa. Even though I can slowly decipher them, you appear to have removed any meaningful content along with the vowels.
There was meaningful content?
(goes back and rereads)
All I see is meaningless discontent.
adamsj: I know it's a meaningless coincidence, but I do like the way that 'I' and 'you' are completely obliterated by disemvowellment.
John Stanning:
"How were these people brought up? Didn't anyone instil into them, at the age of about five, even the most basic morals? Can't they understand that treating people in a cruel or inhumane manner is simply wrong - as in bad, wicked, unacceptable, contemptible - and that no amount of legal finagling will make it right?"I can't speak for their upbringing, but no, these people don't believe that cruelty for its own sake is not a legitimate tactic. They use it all the time. Look at episodes like the destruction of John McCain during the 2000 South Carolina primary. (McCain is pretty much their creature now, whereby we may judge that they're more effective torturers than the North Vietnamese.) Their constantly implied threat is that not only will they beat you in the current political fight; they'll go all-out to destroy you personally, and your career, and all the people close to you, including noncombatant junior staff and family members; and they'll make it as painful and humiliating as possible.
TNH: The difference between the Rovebots and the North Vietnamese, in the case of McCain, is that the former have something that he wants desperately -- control of a key bloc within the Republican party -- and the latter could offer him nothing except surcease of suffering.
James D. Macdonald: Suppose they got information from their prisoners through torture. It's widely known that the information gained in that way is useless. A fantasy constructed by the prisoner out of his best guesses at what the torturers want to hear. Afterward he himself won't be able to tell fact from fiction because he'll no longer remember the facts.
This thought reminded me of the Star Trek TNG two-part episode Chain of Command. Part II has Captain Picard captured and tortured by Cardassian Gul Madred (played by David Warner). At the time this episode first played [1992], much was made about how Patrick Stewart and David Warner (both British actors) modeled the scenario on actual interrogation techniques used by the British on IRA suspects.
Picard is asked, "How many lights are there?", and answers (truthfully, literally) "Four". He is then tormented, told there are five lights, and then asked again. And so on.
In the end he is rescued, and the final scene shown is a conversation with Conselor Troi, where he describes his final session with Madred. He was told the battle had already been fought, the Federation forces defeated, the Enterprise left a burning wreck adrift in space, and the information they sought from him was irrelevant. He could remain in prison, or he could be retired to an acedemic career. All he had to do, was give Madred the answer he sought.
Troi says something like "In those circumstances, anyone would be tempted to lie and give the answer that was wanted."
Picard's responds, "That isn't what bothers me. What bothers me is, in that instance, I saw five lights."
Hm. Kipling is definitely in again (if he was ever out). Avram posted "The Old Issue" back in October of 2004, and I'm now hearing The Reeds of Runnymede.
-Lisa Padol
abi, that was exactly my point.
Dug up by William Gibson:
"The power of the executive to cast a man into prison without formulating any charge known to the law, and particularly to deny him the judgment of his peers, is in the highest degree odious, and the foundation of all totalitarian government whether Nazi or Communist."
~~Winston Churchill
Dave: no, I know that. I did link to all four, I believe.
But some of the people we're talking about are not Afghanis, nor Iraqis, nor in any other way involved in these idiot war. Unless we're accepting the contention that the US is at war with the world.
By applying the Geneva Conventions, sure, you address the issue of their treatment.
But you basically rubber stamp the question of their detainment.
One very interesting thing I found myself considering recently (after reading "Dining With Terrorists" by Phil Rees; ISBN 0-330-43305-9) is what people actually *mean* by the word "terrorist". As Rees points out through the course of his very interesting book, there is not an internationally agreed definition of the term. Instead, what's being used is a media-fed yardstick, where "terrorist" is taken to mean "anyone who opposes the current US policy regarding their country".
However, this particular meaning also catches a lot of other groups in the one net. There are the resistance movements which are started against foreign invasions (eg Hezbollah in Lebanon, the French Resistance in WW2) who are now "terrorist". There are those who have been displaced in their native lands and who are protesting about this (Palestinian Arabs, Aboriginal Australians) who are "terrorists". There are groups which are working to achieve political change in their own countries (Basque separatists in Spain, the Sinn Fein party in Ireland) which are now identified as "terrorist organisations" or "supporting terrorism". There are people who are visually different within their own countries (Islamic French, African-Americans) who are now identified as "supporting terrorism" when they demand equal treatment. As Rees points out - if you look at *any* group defined as a "terrorist" group today, you'll find a parallel group which was supported by the Western powers in recent history.
One man's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter. Or at least, he used to be. These days, I live in the expectation of discovering that the minor political parties here in Australia have been labelled "terrorist" for opposing the government, or that democracy has been discarded as "supporting the growth of terrorism".
There is a workable definition of terrorism though: it's the use of violence as a tool of political propaganda, rather than directly to achieve a military victory. It usually makes matters much, much worse. The use of nowhere near enough force in Iraq, in the hope that the Iraqi would be awed into submission, fits the definition.
Have a nice day.
"Their constantly implied threat is that not only will they beat you in the current political fight; they'll go all-out to destroy you personally, and your career, and all the people close to you, including noncombatant junior staff and family members; and they'll make it as painful and humiliating as possible.". What surprises me is that no-one has counter-attacked. What little I know about the personal lives of the Republican leadership is apalling: addiction in the Bush family, Abramoff, Gingrich and his first wife. Surely some digging would show them up as the sleaze they are. Yet, somehow, none of their political opposition seems willing to undertake the work, even at the most desperate need. Are all the Democratic pols--with the possible exception of the current version of Al Gore--cowards? In this regime they're toast--they'd be better off putting up a good fight.
Helloooo!!! Actual humans welcome here. 'Bots...not so much.


text:
Relevant statistics and data surrounding cannabis in Oregon which are reported by various sources are constantly changing and the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA continuously reviews the information that is made available. As part of the program's continuing review of available, reliable and relevant data surrounding cannabis in Oregon, a noticeable shift in Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) and Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) registrant information for grow sites and producers was identified. Because the new information reflects a fairly significant change from the data reported in An Initial Assessment of Cannabis Production, distribution, and Consumption in Oregon 2018 – An Insight Report which was published last week, the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA has amended previously reported data and has issued an updated report.
Changes from the previous report are summarized below:
- OLCC reported producer statistics are updated and clarified with figures from August 1, 2018 – pages 9, 13, and 15
OMMP grow site statistics are updated and clarified with figures from July 2018 – page 15
Reported grow site to user ratio updated – pages 9, 13, and 16
Info-graphic showing ratio of grow site to users updated – page 16
Essential Elements of Information (EEI) updated – pages 9 and 13
OLCC and OMMP retailer, wholesaler, and caregiver statistics updated with information from August 1, 2018 and July 2018, respectively – pages 9, 13, and 20
Updated technical appendix to reflect new calculations time frame – page 46
All footnotes have been adjusted to reflect the data changes
The updated version of An Initial Assessment of Cannabis Production, Distribution, and Consumption in Oregon 2018 – An Insight Report (8-6-18) is located in the REPORTS & FORMS section of this web site. Previous copies of the report which were released prior to 8-6-18 should be replaced with the new version.


text: Nipomo Just a large private empty lot for Freefly and Gate set-up. We also have access to a private ranch with meet-ups scheduled at CENTRAL COAST FPV on Facebook. Local MultiGP Chapter is CENTRAL COAST ROTOR RACING ;) All members have Administrative status so feel free to schedule a Meet-up anytime even if it's just a notification that you are going flying... Messaging is not yet available so maybe provide contact info in the Meet-up description... FPV THE PLANET!


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hello world. How are you on this fine Spring day? I am doing splendid, so happy that I get to share some of the progress on one of my favorite pastimes: gardening.
A few weeks ago the hubby built me a raised garden bed in the backyard. It's the perfect size for our little outside space, and large enough to have quite the harvest come summer.
I'm still trying to get the hang of this gardening thing. I've become quite an expert at growing kitchen herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme, etc) and last summer I had some potted tomatoes and jalapenos that did very well. But now I'm transitioning to an actual garden. An in the ground, from seed packets, garden. It's kind of scary.
I sowed the seeds a few weeks ago (zuchinni, mesclun lettuce, and carrots). I was so nervous they wouldn't pop up that I planted more than I should have, with the intention of pinching any extras. I also purchased an heirloom tomato seedling and planted it at one end.
Well, it's only been a few weeks, but so far so good!
The mesclun lettuce popped up right away! Mesclun refers to the spring greens mix that are harvested young (also called baby greens). This type of lettuce is "cut and come again" meaning it will continue growing once you harvest it. I decided on mesclun lettuce after reading a post on it here. I've been told it is easy to grow, and given that I am definitely a beginner, thought it to be better safe than sorry.
The zucchini took a bit longer, but they sprouted soon after. I was so happy! I decided to make my own garden markers with left over wine corks and copper wire from this idea on Pinterest.
They've started to take off. I've heard that zucchini's will get HUGE {several feet wide} so I need to reassess my organization of them, considering that all of my seeds sprouted.
Anyone have any experience they'd like to share? I'd love to hear your tips or tricks on how to have a green thumb. Please tell me, how does your garden grow?


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