text:
The B-2 bomber was no stranger to controversy when the first airplane rolled out of the plant in Palmdale, Calif., in November 1988.
The existence of the B-2 program had been revealed to the public almost eight years previously by means of a news leak during the election campaign of 1980. "Some Air Force enthusiasts have nicknamed this new bomber 'Stealth' because of its ghost-like qualities," the Washington Post reported.
The Carter Administration-under criticism for having canceled the B-1 bomber-followed up right away with a press conference to confirm that a new bomber with "so-called stealth technology" was in the works, representing "a major technological advance of great military significance."
Republicans accused the Administration of engineering the leak to make the B-1 decision look better and with taking the cover off a national security program for political advantage.
When the Reagan Administration subsequently restored the B-1, defense critics attacked the overlap of two bomber programs as excessive. Agitation about the B-2 has been a staple of the defense debate ever since. The B-2 was still in flight testing when the Cold War ended and the economies of the 1990s went into effect.
The Major Aircraft Review of 1990 reduced the planned B-2 fleet from 132 aircraft to 75. In 1992, the Air Force's Bomber Roadmap cut it further, to 20. (The number edged up slightly in 1996 with a decision to upgrade the first test aircraft to operational configuration, setting the total at 21.)
B-2 backers in Congress and elsewhere have waged a long-running campaign to get the total increased. In 1995, seven former Secretaries of Defense wrote to the President, asking him to consider the purchase of more B-2s. However, B-2 supporters could not overcome the opposition, which included the White House, the Department of Defense, and the Air Force.
The last major subassemblies were completed in 1994, and the 21st aircraft was delivered to the Air Force in 1997. The subcontractor team has dispersed, but Northrop Grumman, the prime contractor, said it would be possible-if expensive-to reconstitute the production line and a supplier base.
Last year, in what even some of the staunchest B-2 advocates said was the "last stand" on the production issue, Congress established the Panel to Review Long Range Airpower and told it to study a list of questions, the pivotal one being whether $331 million appropriated for the B-2 program should be applied to "further low-rate production" or be spent on improvements to the baseline program.
That panel was chaired by Gen. Larry D. Welch, former Air Force Chief of Staff and now president of the Institute for Defense Analyses.
A Recommendation--and a Warning
The panel's report to the Administration and Congress in March said that all of the money should be used for upgrades to improve the deployability, survivability, and maintainability of the existing fleet.
In fact, Welch told the House National Security subcommittee on Military Procurement April 1, "Doing anything to disrupt the upgrades would be very ill-advised. It was our strong feeling that it would really be a very bad decision to not do the work needed to make these 21 airplanes reach their full potential. Because if the work is not done, they clearly will not serve the purpose that you will hope they will serve."
It will take several years of upgrades to make the B-2 fleet all it can be, he said. "As it stands today, the B-2 is a valuable asset, but it has nothing like the value that it ought to have," Welch said.
Among other things, he said, "The sortie rates as of now do not meet the original expectations. The CINCs [theater commanders in chief] won't be happy with the current sortie rates. Plans assume rates higher than now available."
Upgrades and improvements, especially those that make the B-2's "low observable" (stealth) features easier and less time-consuming to maintain, will go a long way toward solving the problem.
"If you believe that you need more B-2s, what you really mean is you want more B-2 sorties," Welch told the subcommittee. "The way to get more B-2s over targets is to fix the sortie rate to what you want to have. The way to get the capability is to bring these airplanes to their full potential."
"Can you double the sortie rate with the investments you recommend?" asked Rep. Norman Sisisky (D-Va.).
"We can more than double it," Welch replied.
The report said that "from an investment perspective, increasing the efficiency of the bomber force is more cost effective than procurement of additional aircraft."
Welch said the report reflected a "common understanding" and "was not a compromise." He said that not "even the most avid B-2 supporters" on the panel favored a concept, advanced by Northrop Grumman, that would have reopened the line to produce nine more B-2s at a cost of $14 billion.
The other members of the panel were Samuel D. Adcock of Daimler-Benz Corp., former Sen. James J. Exon of Nebraska, John S. Foster Jr. of TRW, Inc., Frederick L. Frostic of Booz·Allen & Hamilton, Inc., former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Merrill A. McPeak, Walter E. Morrow Jr. of MIT Laboratory, former Secretary of the Air Force Donald B. Rice, and retired Air Force Gen. Robert L. Rutherford.
What Plan?
The panel's report said, with considerable understatement, that "current plans do not adequately address the long-term future of the bomber force." More to the point, there wasn't any plan until very recently.
"This bomber force, given that you make smart upgrades and do the things that Air Combat Command wants to do to it and that we think should be done, this is a pretty good bomber force for at least the next 15 years," Welch said in an interview with Air Force Magazine.
"But we couldn't find a long-range plan. The Air Force acknowledged [that] it had been in the 'too hard' pile for them for some time because of the B-2 issue. This whole B-2 [additional production] issue that's been dragging on for so long-it's really been an inhibitor for a lot of things. So now they are embarked on developing a long-range plan."
The need for such planning is driven not only by anticipated changes in technology but also by the inevitability of attrition. The Air Force's total inventory of bombers consists of 94 B-52Hs, 94 B-1Bs, and 21 B-2s.
Attrition occurs both in combat--15 B-52s were lost in 10 days during Operation Linebacker II in December 1972, for example--and in peacetime. The B-52 force has experienced losses of about one aircraft per year over its 40-year service life. B-1B losses have been approximately one aircraft about every two years. The B-2 loss rate is yet to be seen.
There will be an ample reserve of B-52s. The Defense Department intends to retire another 23 of them in 1999. Losses over the next 15 years will hit hardest at the newest bombers in the fleet, especially the B-2s, which are in the shortest supply of all.
The BottomUp Review of 1993 said 100 heavy bombers would be required per Major Regional Conflict, but projected a total of 184 operational bombers for the two-conflict strategy.
The difference, it was said, lay in having the bombers "swing" their attention from one conflict to the other. The requirement is further offset by increasing capability. The B-2, for example, has demonstrated that it can strike 16 separate targets on a single sortie.
Of the present fleet of 209 bombers, 121 are in operational (Primary Aircraft Inventory) status.
The Next Bomber
Among the alternatives for the long-term future of the bomber force, the panel report said, are "a variant of the B-2, incorporating upgrades suggested in this report and those that will emerge in the future" and "development of more advanced technologies that might lead to a better solution for the next generation aircraft."
Although the report did not specifically say so, the options other than the B-2 variant might include an all-new manned bomber, which some in the press have dubbed the "B-3" or the "B-X," and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
At present, the panel said, there is not enough information to make a choice from these alternatives, nor is there yet any need to choose. "A continuing program to demonstrate advanced technologies in support of long range airpower should be given high priority," the report said.
Welch said that UAVs may be part of the solution but that "it's very difficult for me to believe that you won't always want a large, high-payload, long-range, manned platform."
The panel also examined the value of stealth--low observables technology to reduce the radar signature--to bomber aircraft at some length.
"Today, after 15 years of stealth aircraft operation, the most modern air defense systems on the international arms market have increasing capability against current levels of deployed stealth," the report said. "Even so, most targets can be attacked with minimum external support other than air refueling."
The Russian-built SA-10 surface to air missile is the best-known example of a weapon system that has some effectiveness against stealthy aircraft.
"It was expected and it occurred that air defense systems have evolved over these 15 years, so that stealth is not an adequate stand-alone survivability feature," Welch said.
"On the other hand," he said, "stealth technology has not stood still." Developments in the next few years could affect the decision on the next bomber.
"Given the evolution of stealth technology, there could be a next step where you could have a level of stealth that changes the game again," Welch said.
Making the B-2 Better
The panel found "compelling arguments for measures to leverage the [B-2] investment by adequately supporting and upgrading the existing force."
Welch left no doubt about the importance of the upgrades. "If you had asked me two years ago where we would be in 1998 with deployability and maintainability of this airplane, I would have been an awful lot more optimistic than would have been warranted," he said.
He was equally emphatic about the results if the improvements are made.
"Once they are upgraded and the maintainability problems are addressed so that you can fly these airplanes at the kind of sortie rates which you should expect to be able to fly them-once you do that, these 21 airplanes are a very high leverage force."
Some of the improvements were already scheduled as the B-2s progress from the initial Block 10 configuration, through the interim Block 20, to the eventual Block 30. Thus far, six of the aircraft have reached the Block 30 configuration.
The prescribed upgrades and improvements are of four kinds.
Low observables. The panel reported that "significant improvements are needed on low observables maintainability." Welch added that "given the maintenance man-hours that it takes to maintain the stealth characteristics, we are only able at the present time to get a very low sortie rate out of these airplanes."
However, he said, "When all the airplanes are upgraded to Block 30, for example, just that step, which is ongoing through about 2001, just that alone significantly improves maintainability, and that step alone will just about double the sortie rates. But there are other initiatives that we regarded as mature enough for very serious consideration-in fact, mature enough to fund--[that] go well beyond that and really make low observables maintainability a fairly routine matter."
Deployability. "Second, if you really are going to get the weight of effort from these airplanes that you need in a major contingency, they have to be forward deployed," Welch said. "You can do small scale operations from the CONUS [continental United States], but a 36-hour round-trip flight by itself tells you that's not the best way to operate if you're trying to focus a lot of weight of effort."
The panel report said that "while bombers can operate from the continental United States, they must be deployed forward to generate the sustained high sortie rates needed in major contingencies."
That means having at selected forward locations the equipment, materials, munitions, and facilities needed to maintain and sustain the B-2s at combat tempo. The most likely bases are on Guam and on Diego Garcia, the British-owned island in the Indian Ocean.
(Two B-2s deployed from Whiteman AFB, Mo., to Guam for a 10-day exercise in March and April. They achieved a 100 percent sortie success rate, flying almost 90 hours during the exercise. Because of recent damage to hangars at the base, one of the B-2s had to be left outside, exposed to the weather, which included driving rainstorms. The Air Force said that most maintenance, including that of low observables coatings, was performed outdoors. A spokesman for the 509th Bomb Wing said this "shot a hole" in the wild news reports last year that the B-2's stealthy coatings melt away in the rain.)
The panel said that the much-discussed "lockout" problem, in which US forces are denied the use of foreign bases, must be overcome. "The concept that says I can't deploy tactical air to a forward base because I'm going to get locked out by chemical or biological attacks--we have to deal with that," Welch said. "Neither one of those ought to be in the 'too hard' pile anymore. They were in the too hard pile for a long time, but now we've done enough work and we have approaches that those things ought not to be in the too hard pile anymore."
Mission planning. "A third category is the mission planning system," Welch said. "You have to be able to change the target on the fly, and have a command-and-control structure that can support that. So the mission planning system is far, far more important than people are used to thinking about a mission planning system."
Survivability. "The other upgrade issue has to do with survivability features," he said. "There are some important improvements that can be made to the basic survivability features. And I really can't say much more about that, but they're significant."
As a separate action to improve capabilities of the bomber force, the panel suggested that the planned procurement of the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile should be "substantially increased." It said that "the addition of enough standoff precision guided munitions and other survivability features can make this force effective throughout the life of the aircraft."
The Production Issue
Whether B-2 production should go beyond 21 aircraft has been a matter of fierce contention in Congress, the defense community, and the news media. For its part, the Pentagon acknowledges the value of more B-2s but opposes further production as a matter of budget priorities.
In 1995, the Defense Department's Heavy Bomber Force Study, in which the Institute for Defense Analyses was a leading participant, confirmed the earlier decision to end the production at 20 aircraft (actually 21, counting the test aircraft that was later upgraded to operational configuration).
It said more B-2s would be useful but that the strategic bomber requirement could be covered adequately and less expensively by force upgrades and additional precision guided munitions. Cost estimates for 20 additional B-2s, the number then proposed, ranged from $14.8 billion to $24.5 billion, depending on what was included.
In 1997, the Quadrennial Defense Review, drawing on the recently completed Deep Attack Weapons Mix Study, said additional B-2s would improve US ability to halt an enemy's advance in early days of Major Theater War, especially in cases of little or no warning, but the QDR rejected the option to produce more B-2s because it would take money from other priorities.
The QDR finding was lambasted by an independent commission headed by Brent Scowcroft, former national security advisor, which said the decision "does not appear to have been made on sound strategic grounds. Instead, it seems to have been driven primarily by a rare service consensus that further B-2 production would jeopardize other, more favored modernization programs within all services."
The question put to Welch's long range airpower panel by Congress, however, was not whether additional B-2 production was desirable but whether the appropriated $331 million would be better spent on "continued low-rate production of the B-2 or for upgrades to improve its deployability, survivability, and maintainability."
Furthermore, the phrase "continued low-rate production" was a misnomer since the line closed in 1997. The final assembly plant in Palmdale is empty except for upgrade work.
"We had a whole complex flow of information on which we based our decision, and only one of the factors was that there is no production line," Welch said.
Even so, the production issue hung palpably over the panel's work.
"Should the Department decide to reestablish production, the current estimate, not supported by a firm commitment from major subassembly contractors and the array of essential vendors, would deliver the first additional B-2 in 2005," the report said. "The only cost proposal available to the panel was based on a recent Northrop proposal, about $14 billion for nine additional aircraft. When start-up time for subassemblies, requalifying vendors, and fabrication and checkout time after delivery of subassemblies are considered, 2005 is probably optimistic."
Welch told the Military Procurement subcommittee that "no member of this panel--even the most avid B-2 supporters--thought that you ought to spend $14 billion for nine more."
In his mark on May 5 to the Fiscal 1999 defense appropriations bill, the subcommittee chairman, Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), added $86 million--on top of the money voted last year--for post-production support and enhancement of the B-2.
The mark also directed the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a "long-term bomber force structure plan" to the congressional defense committees by March 1, 1999.
Long Range Airpower
Most of the panel's findings responded directly to questions about the B-2, but one section of the report emphasized that "long range airpower is an increasingly important element of US military capability" in operations ranging from a show of force to Major Theater War.
"The ability to strike from longer range reduces some of the constraints associated with basing restrictions and reduces the force's vulnerability to attack," the report said. "Long-range bombers provide a rapid initial response to threats. With the assistance of aerial refueling, long range airpower can strike targets anywhere on Earth. Such capability, if properly supported, would give long range airpower the virtual presence cited by its proponents. This ability to operate from beyond the immediate area of operations also enables long-range aircraft to influence a region of interest while remaining distant enough to keep diplomatic tensions low.
"The potential of the bomber force is multiplied by the addition of precision guided munitions, both direct delivery and standoff. Precision guided munitions extend the capabilities of all bombers in the force and should dramatically alter and strengthen their role.
"While bombers have been used heavily in virtually every major conflict to include Vietnam and the Gulf War, they have been employed as 'aerial trucks' delivering large payloads of unguided munitions against areas of interest.
"With the addition of precision guided munitions, this force can now attack multiple, discrete targets with high effectiveness, fundamentally altering the role of bombers. Because these capabilities are just emerging, existing plans for supporting and employing bombers do not fully exploit their capabilities. The panel believes that more attention is needed to exploit this expanded capability of the bomber force."
Daily Report: Read the day's top news on the US Air Force, airpower, and national security issues.
Daily Report: Read the day's top news on the US Air Force, airpower, and national security issues.
Tweets by @AirForceMag


text:
Major Feature coming shortly
In a recent edition of Mission Catalyst (Issue 2, 2010 on the Arts) the Baptist Missionary Society asked whether architecture could be missional. The answer was yes, architecture can be used in the church's mission, as a base for a church to work from, and as a community building to attract people to.
The article in Mission Catalyst suggested that three components were necessary for this architecture with a mission – a vision, a site (and other resources) and an architect who will design to build the vision, rather than his own ideas.
To be successful missions must act out what they proclaim. If the buildings are really missional, and more than tools architecture must speak to people as do the other arts.
Psalm 19 shows God communicating in two ways, and just as God's creation communicates so does the built environment, for good or ill, and whether or not designed by Christians. Secondly God speaks through his word, which traditionally meant in the context of buildings, through the artwork and texts they contain. Today we might include the performing arts and interactive displays.
This means everything from the ceiling of the Sistine chapel to paintings displayed by the Sunday school!
A fine 20th century example is the Holy Land pilgrimage churches by Antonio Barluzzi. Each church was designed to evoke the mood of the event in Jesus' life which it commemorated. Each brings out the appropriate atmosphere, for example the joyful occasion of two expectant mothers meeting at Zechariah's home at the Church of the Visitation, and the gloom in the Garden of Gethsemane at that church. These moods are proclaimed by the buildings, even without the murals, mosaics, sculptures and texts they contain.
These ideas are readily evident in the design of churches, and their fittings, down to the message which the church notice board actually proclaims; but they are applicable to the whole of the built environment from regional planning down to interior and product design. Looking at all this, or just at our topic of architecture, this means that the mission, or task, of architecture is to sustain, or to play its part in helping to sustain communities.
Part of sustaining a community is to promote, celebrate, its identity, providing personal, local or regional identity in the global village. So architecture, or the architect (and by implication the design team and client) should be sustaining community, whether a household, educational establishment, or business park.
This was the theme of a symposium held in 2009 by the RIBA in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum and Arups, "to prove that the creation of uniquely localised, people-centred space is still possible." It must be acknowledged that in a fallen world it is also possible to use architectural design to sustain totalitarian regimes and oppress peoples.
Hence we can say that the role of Architecture is not to be an end in itself, but to be one aspect, or process, one necessary means to the end of Sustaining Communities.
|Can Architecture be Missional ? Baptist Missionary Society

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Nationwide (PRWEB) March 30, 2012
Our Pleasure Box releases a new tip sheet on stimulating and pleasing both men and women.
This tip sheet will provide several suggestions on locating the G-Spot and different ways to provide stimulation to both men and women. Many people may not know that both women and men have a G-Spot, an area of tissue in the genital area that, when stimulated, is capable of causing an orgasm. The G-spot has been gaining popularity since the early 1980s, a book was written about human sexuality and focusing on The G-Spot (by Ladas, Whipple, and Perry, and published by Holt, Rinehart, Winston in 1982). The spot itself is named after Ernest Grafenberg, MD, who was credited by the authors for first identifying a highly sensitive area in the vagina in 1950. Dr. Oz has also talked about the G-Spot, referenced here: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/ask-dr-oz-sex-edition1-Gspot-sex-menstruation-size-matters. Dr. Laura Berman, a leading love and sex expert speaks about the G-Spot and how to find it when she was as a guest on the Dr. Oz show.
Foreplay can assist in locating the women?s G-Spot. The G-spot swells as the arousal increases. The G-Spot is located about two inches in to the vagina and up towards the belly button. Make the penetration a little easier by using some water-based lube. The G-spot will be swollen and the skin is a little rough. If the area feels smooth and firm, then the cervix has been located. Pull back out a little bit. Massage the g-spot in a rhythmic motion with varying amounts of pressure.


text:
Katy, TX News – Educators to Receive Walter Kase Teacher Excellence Awards
Katy, TX News (April 21, 2014) – Three Houston-area educators have been chosen to receive the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL's) 2014 Walter Kase Teacher Excellence Award at the Walter Kase Teacher Excellence Award Luncheon at 11:30 a.m., May 2, at the Westin Galleria, 5060 West Alabama, Houston, TX, 77056. The ADL founded in 1913, is a leading civil rights organization with programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice, and bigotry. The Walter Kase Teacher Excellence Award pays tribute to three Region IV educators for their outstanding efforts to create an atmosphere in their schools that rejects prejudice and promotes respect for and understanding of diversity.
The recipients are first grade bilingual education teacher Beneranda Alvarez of Andre Elementary School in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, sixth grade teacher Rebecca Ryan Millhench of the Young Men's College Preparatory Academy in the Houston Independent School District, and Texas history teacher and department chair Phyllis Nawrot of Cardiff Junior High in the Katy Independent School District.
Beneranda Alvarez recognized that her bilingual education students weren't exposed to other cultures in Andre Elementary School because their language skills kept them segregated, so she created the Andre Cultural Museum. The Museum is a two-week transformation of her classroom into a world of diverse cultures and traditions, helping her students learn about people who are different, and that their differences matter and enrich society.
Students in Rebecca Ryan Millhench's Sixth Grade Contemporary World Cultures class at Young Men's College Preparatory Academy are upstanders, because Millhench has them participate in her "Be an Upstander" program. The students spend the school year reading books and collecting experiences that increase their cultural awareness, teach them how prejudice and discrimination ultimately can lead to genocide, and how non-violence and respect lead to growth and success. Millhench writes: "As Nelson Mandela stated, 'education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.' In order for my students to change their world, they start in room 115."
Phyllis Nawrot became a teacher later in life, but she embarked upon her career with the enthusiasm, creativity, and commitment of a freshly-minted college graduate. As history department chair at Cardiff Junior High, she coordinates the history club, and her students drink up the lessons they learn in their history club activities like sponges. They visit museums such as the Holocaust Museum Houston and the Buffalo Soldier Museum. They read about other cultures and learn about their struggles. Nawrot teaches them to stand up against prejudice, respect differences and value diversity, and brings awareness that different ways of life matter.
The Walter Kase Teacher Excellence Award is named for Holocaust survivor Walter Kase, who has dedicated his life to telling his story about life before, during, and after the Holocaust. The luncheon is underwritten by Sysco Foods.
For more information or to set up an interview or coverage, call Dena Marks at 713-627-3490, ext. 234, or via cell phone at 832-567-8843. Tickets start at $150. For more information on tickets, check out the event website.


text:
A tartan-weaving enterprise taking shape on the Black Isle has launched a six-figure crowdfunding campaign as it looks to return the trade to the Highlands.
Prickly Thistle was founded two years ago by Clare Campbell, who gave up a career in accountancy to do so. The brand's clients include high-net-worth individuals around the world, as well as Scottish firms such as Skyscanner, Tomatin Distillery and Belladrum Estate.
Campbell decided to build her own mill and has already bought a farm steading suitable for conversion, having received pre-planning approval for the project. The "Build the Mill" Kickstarter campaign aims to raise £500,000 to convert and fit out the mill building, and runs from Saturday for two months.
Campbell said: "We are creating a premium brand for Scotland that will be on a par with the famous European designers, such as Hermes, LVMH and Chanel."


text:
Most people merely buy a computer. Apple Macintosh customers fall in love.
Some Mac owners love their computers so much that they tattoo the rainbow-stripe Apple logo into their skin, proclaiming a passion unsurpassed in consumerism except by certain riders of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Even though Windows-based computers now outsell Macs by more than 20 to 1, when was the last time you saw people with ''Windows 95'' flags or ''Intel Inside'' logos pierced into their flesh with needles?
Recently, however, even Mac lovers have started to switch to the dark side, replacing their cherished Apples with computers that are less elegant and innovative but cheaper and more popular. And some who once extolled the Macintosh with religious fervor are now discovering that when friends and relatives ask them which computer they recommend, or even when they themselves ponder which computer to buy next, they hesitate, even though there was no hesitation before. And sometimes they betray their love.
And some think what was once unthinkable: the Macintosh, which Apple once called ''the computer for the rest of us,'' has become the Sony Betamax of the computer industry, a superior technology that won people's hearts but lost in the marketplace.
Bob LeVitus, also known as Dr. Macintosh, is the author of more than 20 books on the Macintosh and its major software applications. Even he is starting to wonder if history is about to repeat itself.
''You can deny the Sony Betamax analogy only so long,'' he said in an interview. ''There's still hope, but let's get real. I'm not sure that even the most rabid Mac fanatics can look you in the eye today and say, without reservations, that everyone ought to buy a Mac.''Continue reading the main story
One cannot compare Apples with, well, Sonys, but one can argue that there are eerie parallels between Betamax and the Macintosh.
Sony introduced the Betamax, the first consumer video cassette recorder, in 1975. It quickly developed a loyal consumer base. JVC of Japan came out with a rival, the incompatible VHS system, the next year, but Betamax was widely regarded as the superior technology. But JVC aggressively licensed the VHS system to other large electronics companies. While Sony continued to be first with new advances, like hi-fi recording, the VHS companies always caught up.
By 1977, VHS machines usually cost less than Betamax machines. Sony's share of the VCR marketplace fell swiftly. Video magazines began to note that software choices, in this case, prerecorded movies, were broader for VHS.
By 1987 Sony's market share had fallen below 5 percent. Sony threw in the towel and began making VHS video recorders in 1988. It repositioned the Betamax as a high-end technology for the niche markets of television and video production, where it remains popular.
Some in the computer industry say the Mac is tracing a similar path.
''It is a platform that is slowly sliding into oblivion,'' said Dave Tremblay, a former Apple executive who is now a senior industry analyst for Computer Intelligence, a market research firm in La Jolla, Calif. ''I don't think the company is in danger of disappearing, but it is getting harder and harder for it to be a legitimate competitor.''
According to Mr. Tremblay, Apple's share of the worldwide computer market, once as high as 12 percent, plummeted to 2.8 percent in 1997 and is in danger of drifting lower this year, even as the overall computer market continues to grow robustly. Other research companies project Apple's 1998 market share at 2 to slightly more than 4 percent.
''One thing Apple has traditionally had going for it is its loyal customer base, but even that is eroding,'' Mr. Tremblay said. ''We do an annual study of repurchases, where we ask customers if they would buy the same brand of computer again. Apple has historically had the highest repurchase loyalty. We did for the first time a midyear study last year, and Apple's loyalty fell off dramatically. People are moving off the platform. They were less likely to buy a Mac than users had ever been, which is serious.''
Of course, some loyalists point to the Macintosh's ease of use and large base -- 25 million users -- and say the Mac is still the best choice for home use. ''I would absolutely, with no hesitation, recommend a Macintosh for a friend who is going to buy a computer for the home,'' said Adam Engst, editor of the popular Macintosh electronic newsletter Tidbits. ''For a business, well, that's a different story. The reason I have trouble pushing the Mac on the business side is not so much whether I believe in the Mac, but more that I'm so stinking tired of Apple and the whole soap opera it has turned into.''
And there is no doubt that the company, based here in Cupertino, has been on a tear lately. It recently introduced the fastest personal computer available. It has refocused its efforts on building Macintosh computers, jettisoning the handheld Newton and other distractions. A reinvigorated sales and marketing strategy, including a new emphasis on Internet sales, is getting positive results.
For the first time in a decade, Apple appears to have its manufacturing and inventory systems working smoothly. It has a new alliance with the Microsoft Corporation, which is simultaneously its largest software developer and its most lethal adversary.
Apple's share price has doubled since its charismatic co-founder, Steve Jobs, returned as the company's interim, part-time chief executive, making Apple the best-performing stock in the computer industry so far in 1998. A new board of directors is the savviest ever. The company, which lost $2 billion in the past two years, is likely to post its second consecutive quarter of modest profitability this month.
But although Mr. Jobs and his crew have pulled the company out of its death spiral, one of its main engines, the corporate marketplace, has been lost, perhaps irretrievably. Apple executives say that the company will instead pursue niche markets within corporations. And the company's other main engine, the famously loyal consumer base, is sputtering.
There has also been a veritable exodus of top-level research and management talent in the past two years, a brain drain that some analysts say is unprecedented, even in the merry-go-round world of Silicon Valley. Apple's annual revenues have been plummeting, to $7 billion last year from a high of $11 billion in 1995.
''I bought my last Macintosh last year,'' said Glenn Fleishman, editor of the Internet newsletter Netbits and a longtime Mac enthusiast. ''It was sad because I realized it was the last Mac I'd ever buy at retail.'' He did not rule out buying a Mac if it was a bargain.
Asked if he would still recommend a Macintosh to friends who were shopping for a new computer, he said he would if they were graphic-arts professionals. Otherwise, he said: ''It would be a PC without any question. It's too cheap. For $1,000, I can get something powerful enough that in four or five years, it might be clunky but not out of date.''
''The amount of software and the quality of software is just better on a PC,'' said Chipp Walters, founder and chairman of Human Code, a multimedia software developer in Austin, Tex., a city that Apple once boasted had the highest per-capita penetration of Macintoshes outside Cupertino. Mr. Walters said he was a ''Mac fanatic'' who used to carry his early Macintosh desktop computer into work each day at Compaq and I.B.M. Like a rising number of companies, Human Code is putting its Macintoshes in mothballs.
In education, a traditional stronghold for Apple, the company still accounts for more than half of the computers in use for grades kindergarten through high school, but the trends are also unfavorable. One-third of the schools shopping for new computers are considering Macintoshes, said Jeanne Hayes, president of Quality Education Data, a market research firm in Denver, but that represents a new low for Apple. Many schools are turning toward computers that combine Microsoft Windows with Intel microprocessors. ''In my heart, I find it hard to recommend the Macintosh anymore, although it makes sense for younger grades because of its ease of use,'' Ms. Hayes said. ''I've become a Wintel fan for cost reasons.''
Although students probably grew up using Apples, they do not appear to have much brand loyalty. ''A few years ago, students were buying Macintoshes in droves from the student center,'' said Thomas Edgar, associate vice president for academic computing at the University of Texas at Austin. ''The picture today is that students are 80 percent to 90 percent Wintel. They're coming here and bringing Wintel computers with them.''
Apple has always priced its computers higher than the so-called Wintel machines. Just as some car buyers happily pay more for a Mercedes or a BMW, loyal Apple customers have paid a premium for a more elegant operating system, a comparatively stress-free hardware architecture and advanced networking and multimedia features. Macintosh users led the consumer migration to the Internet, for example.
But the arrival of Windows 95, which borrowed a number of features from the Macintosh operating system, narrowed the technical gap. Today, while powerful Wintel machines are selling for less than $900 and could go as low as $600 this summer, the least expensive new Macintosh for sale on the company's World Wide Web site costs $1,699. Dollar for dollar, the Macintosh delivers more features than its rivals, but critics say that is not enough to offset the much lower prices of Wintel machines.
Even loyal users, the kind who once wore Apple's rainbow logo as a badge of honor, have begun to drift away. The last straw, some said, was when Mr. Jobs suddenly killed the company's licensing program last year, which had allowed several manufacturers to sell less-expensive Macintosh clones.
Apple executives say the numbers and the naysayers do not give full credit to the recent changes at Apple. They say that the surveys were taken during Apple's darkest hours, before the second coming of Mr. Jobs, and that customers who have been briefed on Apple's forthcoming products have gone away with renewed optimism.
In interviews here last week, Apple executives said the company would soon announce a new generation of Macintosh computers that would compete more effectively on price and performance with the low-cost Wintel boxes. But they declined to give even the vaguest hints of what those products might be, when they might be available or what features they might have to set them apart from the dominant Wintel competitors.
They discouraged speculation about reports that Apple was developing a new consumer entertainment and communications device, code-named Columbus, and emphasized that Apple's sole focus these days is on restoring the luster of Apple's Macintosh line, both desktop and portable. They said the development of a new version of the vaunted Macintosh operating system was going very well. But Microsoft will release Windows 98 in less than three months, adding more Maclike features, while Apple's software plans remain unclear.
Mr. LeVitus reaffirmed his own loyalty to the Mac but said it was not limitless. ''There's no reason to bail this very second, but how long can you drink the Cupertino Kool-Aid? I'm giving them until summer.''
Meanwhile, an informal poll of Macintosh enthusiasts in recent weeks revealed growing ambivalence. At a recent annual conference of several hundred computer-industry and venture-capital executives, a gathering where Macintosh computers used to dominate, a reporter tried unsuccessfully to find someone with a Powerbook. Even former Apple executives -- and there are a lot of former Apple executives these days -- were toting Windows-based laptops.
''I would still probably recommend the Mac to friends and relatives if they want a pleasant experience,'' said John Warnock, co-founder and chief executive of Adobe Systems Inc., which once made only Macintosh software but now gets more than half of its revenue from Windows products. ''Configuring a PC is really, really hard.''
He said his company would continue to write Macintosh software ''forever.'' But he added: ''You can look at the trends and say Windows is clearly going to win. But everybody in their right mind ought to root for the Mac because having just one operating system is really, really dull.Continue reading the main story


text:
Putting it in words
Born in Harrogate (Yorkshire, UK) 1956. Graduated from Bristol University with at BSc (Politics) 1978. After running an alternative arts festival, travelling overland through pre-war Afghanistan to India and living for nine months at the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland (where I published my first book, Canoeing Through Life – a spiritual philosophy in very few words) I moved to Spain in 1985. There I worked as an EFL teacher but eventually broke into journalism: regular contributor to Lookout, correspondent for Reporting Europe and Windpower Monthly; and deputy editor of Costa Blanca News. Then a travel writer and contributing editor of Charming Small Hotels Guide Spain.
Returning to London in 1993, I was appointed assistant editor of Playdays magazine and soon after senior editor for the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness series, producing illustrated guide books.
In 2002 I relocated with my family to southwest France. I continue to work as a writer, translator and photographer, as well as lecturer on tourism, communication and leadership skills to undergraduates of EUTI – Toulouse University.
I have contributed to a great many publications, printed and online, including The Guardian, The Independent, The Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph, Resurgence, The Eden Magazine, Odyssey, E!Sharp, El País, France Magazine, The Journalist, Philosophy Now, The Church Times, The Author, Tribune, Takimag and The Yorkshire Post. Currently leader-writer for The Connexion, Europe's leading English-language newspaper.
In publishing, I have had a hand in the origination of 90 books (as author, contributor or editor). Many of these are travel guides for international publishers, notably Michelin, the AA, Thomas Cook and Berlitz-Insight. My other non-fiction includes Politipedia (Harriman House 2007), The Optimist's Handbook (Harriman House 2007) and Who on Earth are You? (Findhorn Press).
I publish certain books myself through my imprint, Mimbelle Books, including two albums of my photography.
My latest book is A Guide to Mystical France (Findhorrn Press/Inner Traditions), gold winner of the Foreword Indies Travel Award in 2016. My next book will be Explore Andalucía (Insight Guides, 2018).
I am a long-standing member of the National Union of Journalists and the Society of Authors.


text:
Black Book – Kali Kitab Specialist
If you strongly believe in the intense power of black magic and believe that black magic is the ultimate solution to all your difficulties and only black magic can help you achieve your desired goals then the black book – Kali Kitab, the book for black magic or Vashikaran mantra is your thing. The kali Kitab is known to have malevolent intentions behind it but it also has beneficial uses. The kali Kitab is not just a black book but a powerful book which has the solutions and remedies to every life problem mentioned as Kali Kitab mantra. These strong and powerful mantras are capable of solving problems relating to love, marriage, children, property, business and so on.
Kali Kitab specialist Bengali Astrologer Tantrik Adity Gautam Maharaj Ji has in depth knowledge of kali Kitab and is an expert in this art. He exercises the tantras and mantras stated in the kali Kitab to change the fortune of the people and fill their lives with love, health, wealth and happiness. Also if you feel that you are in the impact of Vashikaran mantra and get bad dreams then you can consult black book specialist babaji Adity Gautam Maharaj and he will free you from the impact of Vashikaran.
Babaji also specialize in Kali Kitab ke totke, which is an old Indian art which can be used on people, for both good and bad purposes. This art if used for a good purpose is harmless, but if it is used with the intention of harming another person it can pose a threat to both the user and the targeted person. Therefore this service should be used very carefully. The Kali Kitab mantra and Kali Kitab ke totke have been known for resolving life problems since the ancient age.
So certainly visit Kali Kitab specialist Adity Gautam Maharaj Ji in case of any crisis and fill your life with happiness and positivity!!!


text:
There are many ideas on how to take the best photograph. The tips you will learn in this article can help you create quality photographs and show off your artistic ability.
Snap your shots as quickly as possible! If you take a long time to snap the shot, you might miss it. It will change the look of the photograph. The quicker you and your camera are, the better shots you will get.
Truly unique pictures are often the result of trying new ideas and experimenting. A good photographer will be able to convey a sense of style with his or her pictures, and show a meaningful point of view. Avoid classic pictures that you have seen a thousand times. Try to find interesting angles, and be creative!
A lot of people think that days that have lots of sunlight are ideal for taking pictures. In fact, bright sunlight can ruin most pictures. Direct sun will cast shadows and cause glares but it will cause highlights that are uneven and your subjects may squint. If you can, choose late evening or early morning when you shoot outdoors.
Framing is very important when you are considering your photo's composition. You should zoom in on your main focal point to eliminate anything that takes away from your main subject. This prevents clutter in your pictures, and multiple unwanted, unsightly focal points.
Most importantly, photography should be fun. Photography will help you remember a certain time or event that was important and that you may want to share with others. Have fun taking photographs, and you'll want to enthusiastically learn new skills.
When you are traveling, take small snapshots of intricate details. Small unique details are often what makes a particular item, location or face interesting. Take a picture of the bus you took or the hotel lobby. Take pictures of the outside of a theater or your goofy doorman.
Take pictures of the souvenirs you purchased when you travel. For example, photograph the shop where you had originally purchased the memento, or frame the object against a memorable background. This will allow you to create a story behind the objects you bought as souvenirs that you will enjoy when you return home.
Look for the right types of things to take pictures of. Without the right subject you will be unable to compose a beautiful portrait even if you have the best equipment available. Look for things that actually give you inspiration, or find a real life model who is willing to model for you.
Pre-focus your camera before moving slightly, so your subject isn't centered in the frame. Centering can be very expected and therefore not all that interesting to look at in a photo. You may create more interest by focusing on what wouldn't normally be considered the subject in your photograph.
One thing you will need to learn is to be absolutely still when you snap your photos. Even taking a breath can blur the photo. Even a very slight movement can cause motion blur and ruin that perfect shot. Just before hitting the button, take a moment to steady the camera and take a deep breath.
Whether your model is a stranger or loved one, take the time to make them feel at home. Some people look at photographers as threatening. Be courteous and friendly and make sure you ask permission before photographing. You can help them to see that photography is the art of capturing memories, and not an invasion of their personal privacy.
Throughout life, we are coached on making things centered and even. We have been taught all of our lives to always strive towards perfection, but when you are shooting photographs of a more off-beat, artistic nature, do not focus directly on your subject. Be wary of your camera's auto-focus feature as it will simply focus on whatever is directly in the middle of the lens. Use manual focus instead, and lock your focus before snapping the picture.
When setting up a scene to be photographed, you must choose between emphasizing the subject's highlights or shadows. There are ways in Photoshop to do both of these things at the same time, by blending together two photographs. This can make your photo look perfect.
Do your own photo editing! Software designed for image editing is readily available in the marketplace. Try different software and choose one that allows you to edit your pictures easily and in a variety of ways. These programs will include settings to edit such things as having the ability to change photos from color to black and white or sepia, red eye removal tools, and many others.
Extensions made for your lenses are called filters. Most can be attached directly to the lens, where each one serves a different purpose. UV filters are the most popular type. This prevents harsh sunlight from damaging the lens. It can also help to protect your lens from damage if you should happen to drop it.
If you're serious about photography as a hobby for life, it's important to find out which equipment works best for you. Many professional photographers prefer a specific name brand, but there are several other brands that provide consistently good results as well.
You need to be aware of how sharpness works and where it appears in the image. Sharpness appears in the center of the picture and the lens most often. The closer you get to the edges, the more distortion you get.
Take advantage of a tripod for the optimum landscape photograph. A steady base is always handy, but when taking landscape shots, it can be very important because you want to adjust settings without worrying the camera will shake all over the place.
Think of how you will use your photograph before taking the picture. Some photos are better shot vertically than horizontally and vice versa. You will be able to edit your picture later, but sometimes, it is preferable to shoot a picture exactly as you mean to use the finished photograph.
These suggestions have mentioned important things to consider when taking a picture. You should now be much better prepared to take some photos that will show off your artistic vision.


text: I noticed that the Kenwood TS-120S has slots for XTALS to basically use as memory channels. Could an Si5351A be substituted as a pseudo VFO using the crystal connections, maybe with QRP Labs ProgRock? https://www.qrp-labs.com/progrock.html I don't know if you'd actually gain anything by doing that, besides the improved frequency stability, right? Maybe you could trick it into doing 30 or 75 M, if the BPFs will let you get away with it?


text:
A collection of love letters written to the town.
"I think I'll miss you most of all."
Eight years. I came here in 2008 with every intention to be out by summer of 2009, but here I am – proud to call you my own. I came solely to help kick start my medical education career, little did I know, I would stay to complete it.
As I near the end of my emergency medicine residency, I've started to reflect on my time with you. I cannot believe that that on July 1 I start to close out the longest chapter of my life so far. We've come a long way.
I came from bigger cities than you. I was born in Birmingham England, grew up in Orlando, went to undergrad in Atlanta, spent some time doing work in DC, and here I am. You're my longest adventure yet. I intended only on a prolonged visit to get involved in the political sphere while completing my first Master's degree, and afterwards leave for medical school. It was supposed to be a short tryst. I came to you alone. All of my family was down south. I found myself questioning what a guy like me was doing here. I soon found out.
Master's degree in hand, I continued my relationship with you. My journey would perpetuate for four more years as I entered medical school at the University of Toledo College of Medicine. I met some of the most brilliant minds; some that have already revolutionized medicine and others that soon will. These folks care more about others than themselves with the spirit to make a difference. There was a simple truth leering throughout medical school though – it was tough. I faced some of my darkest days and this city forced me to become stronger. I was alone in a city of gratitude and light. The problem was my eyes were just closed to it all.
2009 was also the year I met my 'little brother', Jacob, through Big Brothers Big Sisters. I've been blessed to be part of some great movements, but this moved me most of all. It gave me an opportunity to see Toledo in its colorful prism. You allowed me a temporary escape from medicine, with my incredible little brother by my side, I discovered your streets; it is the perfect medium for mentorship. Big Brothers Big Sisters pushed me to see your culture, your passion, your festivals and spirit as I strived to create experiences for a young man ready to take on this world. It forced me to acclimate and understand a town I never knew existed. In an attempt to help another individual grow, I found my own humility of a questioned city begin to flourish.
On June 7, 2013 I had the honored moment of my life – I graduated from medical school. I walked out to beaming sunshine in my eyes at the Stranahan Theater. The light couldn't have been brighter. I've seen the greatest of greats perform on the Stranahan stage, but for me it will forever hold the memory of when I made my parents the proudest. They knew what I had been through, and you gave me the opportunity to make two of the most influential people in my life smile with pure compassion and joy. Despite the struggle, I was proud to call to Toledo a new home.
Shortly after my graduation, I made plans to leave you for Denver. My bags were packed. I had already spent five years with you. I had a best friend in Denver, and after the struggles with medical school, I thought I was ready to say goodbye. My eyes were set on another city, but I knew you would forever sit in the back of my mind. On the day I was supposed to tell Denver I was coming, you again gave me an offer that I couldn't refuse; a full scholarship for a healthcare MBA and training as a business fellow. I unpacked my bags and stayed with you, Toledo.
For the third time, I faced the juncture of staying or leaving. I interviewed around the country for emergency medicine residencies, but found my calling here with you. This time, I didn't fight it. The opportunity to work at two distinguished Level One Trauma centers, serve your population that helped me grow into the person I am today, and be part of this flourishing downtown spirit. I couldn't say goodbye just yet.
The recently rapid development into the city you are today has been remarkable. When I came here eight years ago downtown was barren; abandoned buildings and empty streets. Now that I live in a loft downtown, I've lived to feel the growth – and a very fast one at that. Your restaurants, your bars, your people, your sport, and your spirit. All of it is growing at an exponential rate, and I wish I would have experienced your potential sooner.
As I enter my final year with you, I reflect on the gifts you have given me. I work in emergency departments and trauma centers. I have no idea what's coming my way, but you, your people, and your opportunities have prepared me for anything and everything. You gave me the biggest gift of all, you helped me, so I can help heal others.
Your wild trauma filled nights, your humbling and outrageous stories, and your loving soul – it's your people that keep me inspired to do more. Every day at work I am surrounded by people with real lives and sobering stories. These are people who have an eye for art, hard work, and passion; and on occasion, a funny patient who took their own bodily adventures a little too far. Simply put, you make me laugh, smile, and you keep me humble, Toledo.
I treasure my numbered days with you as I start the journey back home to Florida. Every festival, seasonal color change, Mr. Freeze opening and closing, and Toledo Rocket football game opener from here until June 30, 2017 will be my last. The subtle reminders already bring a sense of longing, but there's an overarching emotion of pride.
Eight years ago I thought I came here for a mere degree, but in turn you gave me a sense of accomplishment and purpose, lifelong memories, and the knowledge to heal the hurt. For all of this, I am forever thankful to you, Toledo.
It was Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz who said it best, "I think I'll miss you most of all."
Rajiv and his "Little Brother" Jacob were photographed at Rajiv's apartment at The Standart Lofts where our shutterbug, Heather noticed he is quite the photographer himself. Rajiv is the well-respected and well-liked Chief Resident Physician of Emergency Medicine at The University of Toledo Medical Center. As noted, he'll be leaving the "city of gratitude and light" to return to the city he was raised in, Orlando (he'll be closer to his family!), in the summer of 2017.


text:
Protecting Your Core Business Operations
As more and more back office resources are becoming "cloud based", the need for fast and reliable Internet service is even more critical. In addition, Israeli-based companies are judged by how well they manage their connections with branch offices, investors, clients, suppliers, and donors abroad. Therefore, a few minutes of Internet down time multiplied by the number of employees can add up to not only a lot of wasted operations time and potential damage with foreign clients.
Efrat Networks has superior International experience with clients all over the world who depend upon us for their connections for both data and voice services. In addition, our remote office solutions for employees who work away from the office are "best of class". This means that our solutions must address reliability and quality first, even before the overall size of the Internet pipe. That is why we offer managed internet solutions, using our unique and "clean" routes to locations abroad.


text:
I have used pattern papers from Webster's Pages pad Your Life Beautiful which was from Joan's Gardens. My colors of greens, red and natural are warm and cozy. I found the wooden snowflakes in my stash and left them their natural color. I have both trees in the pattern paper and a Santa on a punch out icon from Authentique Wonder Collection. For edging the pattern paper, I used Memento Rhubarb Stalk ink which is available at Joan's Gardens. I used Cuttlebug EF Snowflakes for some texture.
Check out: www.atjoansgardens.com
Other Challenges:
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra: Month of Sept Anything Goes for Christmas
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge: Layer it up.
CRAFT Challenge: Christmas
I enjoy all your comments. Thanks, Theresa


text:
The following is an excerpt from "Down and Dirty Down South" by Roger Glasgow. It's published Butler Center Books and available in paper ($29.95) and cloth ($34.95). The cover design is by H.K. Stewart.
On the morning of August 25, 1972, my wife and I were sitting in our car as the line of traffic moved slowly forward toward the Gateway International Bridge at Matamoros, Mexico. Like many Americans coming back into the United States through that southern border crossing, we were looking forward to our return.
A long drive across the flat plains of south Texas would bring us back to Little Rock. We were ready to put Mexico behind us, particularly after some disturbing events over the previous days at our Matamoros hotel.
The apprehension we felt was nothing I could specifically explain. But there was a gnawing discomfort in my neck and shoulders, as if I had been carrying a heavy backpack all day. I drummed my fingers on the Ford LTD's steering wheel as we inched forward, the traffic forming a single line as it approached the solo guard station in use that day. On the other side was Brownsville and the open road home.
As we drew closer, I could see a single U.S. customs official greeting every car with a series of questions. We were four or five cars back in the line, and I was impatiently estimating the time each car might need to get through the gate. I was really ready to get out of Mexico. The customs officer was a short, stocky woman whose brown uniform fit tightly on her barrel-shaped torso. She spoke the same words to each car, took their driver's identification, checked off a series of perfunctory questions, and sent each car through with an impersonal efficiency.
I rolled down my side window, ready to slide through.
"Welcome to the United States," she said, stepping up to my open window. "Your driver's license, please."
I handed it to her and she examined it carefully.
"Why were you in Mexico?"
"Vacation," I said, smiling.
"You are Mr. Glasgow?" she asked.
"Yes. I decided to take a vacation from shaving, too," I said, rubbing the scruffy new five-day beard I had grown. She didn't crack a smile, only looked at the license more intently, holding it in better light, adjusting her bifocals.
Finally, she said, "And this is Mrs. Glasgow?" pointing at Jeannie.
"Yes, it is," I said a little defensively.
"Where did you travel in Mexico?"
"We entered at Laredo, drove down to Monterrey, and back up to Matamoros," I said.
"Do you have anything to declare?" she asked.
"Some curios and souvenirs in the trunk, and two bottles of tequila, which we got in Matamoros," I answered.
"Have you been in contact with any animals, like out in a cow pasture or barn?"
"Any poultry, chickens, or the like?"
"Only to eat," I said, trying again to lighten the mood. She did not smile.
"Live poultry?" she emphasized with a stony look.
"No, sure haven't," I said.
"Do you have any fruits, vegetables, or other fresh produce?"
"No, we don't," I said, dropping all further attempts at humor.
"How long were you in Matamoros?" she asked.
"Two nights," I responded.
"What's in the ice chest?" she inquired, pointing toward the back seat.
"Ice," I said, then in response to her impassive glare, I added, "We're planning to get some sodas in Brownsville for the ride home."
"Pull over there," she said, pointing to a side ramp manned by another customs agent, a man with a no-nonsense expression.
I pulled over, and the agent asked me basically the same questions, leaving out the ones about animals and produce, but he also wanted to see my vehicle registration papers. I handed them to him, and he glanced at them briefly. Keeping the papers, he looked at me and said, "Would you both step out of the car, please?"
Unusual, I thought, but I knew it would not help matters to question his request. Jeannie and I got out of the car.
"Open your trunk," he commanded.
I complied, aware of the changed tone of his voice. The agent took a quick look around the inside of the trunk, which was crammed with our luggage and the numerous souvenirs we had bought, all wrapped in Mexican newspapers and taped up by the vendors who had sold them to us. Leaving the trunk open, the agent then walked over to a small building on the bridge that was part of the customs facility and summoned another male agent. They both came over to our car.
"Stand back, please," one of them said.
They opened the passenger-side door and pulled the seatback forward (our vehicle was a two-door hardtop). They removed the ice chest and began rummaging around the back seat.
In a moment, they had pulled the seat bottom loose from the floor attachments.
I could see through the opened door that they were pulling out an object from underneath the seat. The item was box-shaped and wrapped in newspapers. My attention was fixed on their actions and my mind was racing with silent questions. The wrapped item one of the agents now held in his hands was nothing I had ever seen before, a package I had neither bought nor placed under the car's rear seat.
The two agents looked grim, glanced at each other and nodded. A deep sense of dread came over me. I felt sure that something bad was about to happen.
The first agent walked over, gave me an icy stare, and said, "Mr. Glasgow, you are under arrest."
Border agents ultimately searched the cavity of the car's back seat and confiscated 24 pounds of marijuana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raul Gonzales charged the Glasgows with a felony — transporting a controlled substance, marijuana, with intent to distribute. Roger Glasgow, 30 years old at the time, was deputy attorney general. Weeks earlier, he had lost his bid for Pulaski County prosecuting attorney in a Democratic primary runoff against Lee Munson. The Glasgows posted bond and later hired Brownsville defense attorney Thomas Sharp.
One night in mid-September, Tom Sharp called. I could not recall him ever calling after work, so I took the phone with a fair amount of trepidation. The news, I thought, was either real good or real bad.
"Does the name John Patterson mean anything to you?" Sharp asked. "He is a cab driver in Little Rock."
"I don't know anybody who is a cab driver," I replied. "Why do you ask?"
"I just got a call from Raul. He said he had been contacted by the U.S. attorney in Little Rock, a guy named Sonny something," continued Sharp.
"Sonny Dillahunty. He's the U.S. attorney here," I said.
"Okay," Sharp went on. "It seems that Sonny got some information from a confidential informant up there, Patterson, this cab-driver guy, who is considered reliable. The word is you were set up, that the marijuana was planted."
I was stunned and unable to speak for a moment. Then, recovering somewhat, I shouted to Jeannie, who was standing nearby, "Tom says somebody planted the marijuana on us. I was framed!"
"Well, Raul didn't go quite that far," Sharp continued, having no trouble hearing my shouting. "But, he felt he should tell me. Raul shoots pretty straight. He said he would check into it further and let me know. If the whole set-up deal can be verified, he won't prosecute an innocent man."
"My God, Tom," I exulted. "That's the break we've been looking for!"
"Well, it's certainly something I thought you should know about right away," Sharp said. "But let's not get too excited just yet. Informant stories can be misleading. I should hear more tomorrow."
Sharp called the next day with more information. It seems that Patterson, who was a regular police informant in Little Rock, told of picking up a passenger named Jim Hunter at a house in North Little Rock. A party was under way, and Hunter, who had been drinking heavily, was in no position to drive himself home. In Patterson's cab, Hunter supposedly made some incriminating statements to the effect of, "How do you like the way we fixed up old Glasgow down on the border?"
Raul Gonzales had reported this to his superior, and they agreed to assign a couple of Customs Service special investigators to interview Patterson, and Hunter also, if he would consent. If the whole thing proved true, Gonzales would ask permission to nolle prosequi (voluntarily dismiss) the case, perhaps backed up with a polygraph from me.
"That would be a dandy way to dispose of it," I said.
"It may not be that simple," Sharp continued. "Patterson is an informant for the state prosecutor in Little Rock, not the feds, so we don't know how much credence he'll be given."
"Let me fill you in on the local politics," I said. "The prosecuting attorney here was Jim Guy Tucker, a friend of mine. When Tucker ran for state attorney general, I ran for his seat and lost to a guy named Lee Munson. Jim Hunter was one of Munson's biggest financial supporters. Munson was also supported by the Little Rock Police Department, particularly Police Chief Gale Weeks. They hate both Jim Guy and me. If the Customs Service investigators get hooked up with any of them, you can bet they'll do everything they can to discredit the informant and turn the tables."
"There's not much we can do about that at this point," Sharp said, "but wait and see."
We heard nothing for the next few weeks. The longer the silence lasted, the worse I felt. I knew that if Lee Munson's people found out, they would do everything possible to interfere. Unable to stand it any longer, I called Tom Sharp and learned that the investigators had completed their interviews with John Patterson and Jim Hunter. Patterson had vaguely implicated Munson, so the investigators were arranging to interview him as well.
"I can't see anything good coming out of Munson getting involved," I said.
"I'll be getting copies of the statements from Patterson and Hunter," Sharp said, "plus the Munson statement and any others they take. We'll know more then."
A few days later, I received copies of the recorded statements of John Patterson and Jim T. Hunter. I read each one a couple of times to be sure of what they said. I found myself shaking my head, dumfounded at my own naivete. I recalled a comment Mamie Ruth [Williams, the media consultant and strategist in the Arkansas Attorney General's office] had once made about my being "a babe in the woods" about local politics. I had been clueless about the real nature of my political opponents. Now I was angry, but I was also embarrassed.
The details of what Hunter had told the cabdriver and the casual brazenness with which it had all happened were startling. Patterson's story began on Sept. 15, 1972, some three weeks after my arrest at the Mexican border. He had been called to a home in an exclusive area of North Little Rock to pick up a fare. He found three men in the driveway beside two automobiles, a Cadillac and a Lincoln Continental with a license plate reading "JTH." One of the men was Munson. Another was Hunter, who was drunk. Munson and the third man, whom Patterson did not know, were holding Hunter by the arm to keep him from getting in the Lincoln and driving home in his impaired condition. Patterson had driven Hunter in his cab before, and they recognized each other. On the way to Hunter's home, they got to talking about the prosecuting attorney race. Patterson's interview contained the following exchange:
And we got to talking about several different things, just common talk, and he asked me how I liked the way they fixed up Roger Glasgow down in Mexico. So I asked him at the time, "What do you mean, the way you fixed him up?" He said, "You didn't read that in the paper?" And I said, "Yes, I read it in the paper. Are you trying to tell me something about this?" And he said, "Well ..." I said, "Everybody in town here thinks he is guilty." And he said, "Aw, bullshit. You know that man is not guilty of that." And I said, "Well, I don't know it for sure. Everybody I talked to thinks he's guilty." And he responded, "Well, he's not, believe me, he's not."
So we got to talking a little bit more about different things and then I finally asked him. I said, "You mean you got enough power down there to do that?" And he said, "Well, let me tell you something, I'm not a millionaire, but I do have a little money." He said, "I do have influence across the border. I race horses down there in Mexico. I own a racing stable ... and I go down there every year and race horses and I know a lot of people down there. I can get anything done in Mexico that I want.
From this and other statements made by Patterson, it was clear to me that Hunter and others had framed me. And it had been done with Munson's knowledge and approval. Before this, I had never even imagined such a thing. But thinking back, plenty of clues were available if I had paid attention. I was aware of the widespread rumors that the bond business was heavily infiltrated by a group known as the Dixie Mafia, and I knew Hunter was the owner of a bond house, Delta Securities, and was one of Munson's chief supporters. I had seen him several times at campaign events in the company of Little Rock Police Department detectives, whom I also knew to be strong Munson supporters.
Patterson's transcript also revealed that Hunter's intent was more than punishment for my campaign activities. The plan was to permanently remove me from the political arena.
The transcript showed the following:
[Patterson:] When we rode on out and I finally asked him, "What does Lee Munson think about it?" And he said, "Aw, he knows all about it, he knows all about. ... It was done with his approval." And I said, "What was your purpose of doing this? He won the election." And he said, "Yes, but that no good rotten son of a bitch," he said.
Q. Referring to Glasgow?
A. Right. He said, "Did you see the dirt that he brought up during the campaign? He brought out more damn dirt. He really put it on us bad, and we figured that's the only way."
Q. What was he referring to when he said "dirt"? Was he referring to the racetrack business and the bookie business?
A. No, he was talking about the dirt that Roger Glasgow put on Mr. Lee Munson.
Q. Yes, but what type of dirt?
A. I don't know. He came out with some pretty bad stuff during the campaign on Lee Munson. He said, "We figure that he is the only one that can be able to run against Lee in the next election and we just fixed his wagon where he couldn't run at all."
Q. And this would be the day before he came back into the United States.
A. Yes, the night before.
Q. The night before. Was there any mention of how this was done physically? I mean did someone remove the back seat or did he make any indication how it was done physically?
A. The only thing he told me was that the night before while they were in the motel that they put it under their seat.
Q. Did he mention the motel?
A. No sir, he did not mention the name of the motel. He did mention the motel, but he didn't mention the name of the motel, but he did mention the motel.
Q. He said they put it under the seat?
A. Yes sir.
Patterson's statement also described an offer by Hunter to buy a list of other paid informants supplying confidential information to then-prosecuting attorney Jim Guy Tucker. At the time, Tucker's office was deep into an investigation into suspected corruption and racketeering by elements of the Little Rock Police Department, where Munson had strong support. As the newly elected prosecuting attorney, Munson would clearly be interested in a list of informants who might compromise his friends at the LRPD. Patterson stated that he was willing to obtain the list and supply it to Hunter, all the while realizing that he intended to turn it over to Munson.
The transcript continued:
Q. Now, okay, you arrived at the residence of Jim T. Hunter, now what took place there?
A. We sat and talked for about 15 minutes I guess, and he was talking to me about different things and then he asked me if I thought I could do him a favor and I said, "Yeah, I probably could if everything ..." He said, "Well I tell you what. I'll give you $100 now and I'll give you $100 when you get it." And I said, "Well what is it you want?" And he said, "Well, do you think you could get me a list of the paid informers from the prosecuting attorney's office?" I told him, "I don't know, that would be pretty hard to do, because you just don't get into Jim Guy Tucker's office like that, because he's got a tight office." And he said, "Well, do you know anybody up there?" And I responded, "I know some people up there." And he said, "Well if you can get me the list, I'll give you $100." And I said, "Well I'll try like hell to get it, but it's going to cost me something too." And he said, "At least whatever it is, I'll fix you up on it." And I said, "Okay."
Q. Did he indicate what he wanted the list for?
A. Yes, he said that Jim Guy Tucker wouldn't ... leave them anything in the prosecuting attorney's office to work on after they took office the first of the year. And he said they needed the list in order so they could get work sooner. I agreed to get the list for them, if I could.
Q. At this point he gave you $10 for the cab and $100?
A. $100, yes.
Q. So he gave you a pretty good tip and put $100 on you?
A. Yes.
Q. Okay, then what happened? He gave you a phone number?
A. Yes sir, he gave me his home phone number.
Q. Now, after the conversation you had that night. Has he ever brought it up again?
A. Yes sir.
Q. He has brought it up again, and when was this?
A. It was on Sunday morning about 10 o'clock in the morning.
Q. This was last Sunday?
A. Yes. And we sat there and we had a long conversation. We talked for about an hour, I guess, and I asked him how this deal turned out down there in Mexico, because I had called his wife the day before trying to get in touch with him and she told me that he was in Texas.
Q. That would have been Saturday, right?
A. Yes sir, when I called her she told me that he would be back the next day; for me to call him then. I called him Sunday. It would have been Friday he was in Texas. He told me he had just got back from Juarez, Mexico, when I saw him that Sunday morning. I asked him, "Well, how did that deal turn out down there?" And he said, "Well, I bullshit a lot. You can't believe everything I say, because I am a liar." So then I asked him what type of business that he was in and he told me that he owned Delta Securities in the Worthen Bank building. I asked him what type of business that was and he said well, he said, he sells some securities. But, he said most of his money is made through the racetrack and his racehorses. The conversation got back on him and he was kinda reluctant to talk about it, he didn't want to talk about it too much.
Q. About the Glasgow affair?
A. Right. So then he kept asking me questions about myself and he kept turning a little switch on and off in the car, you could hear it clicking. When I asked him what the sound was, he told me it was the air conditioner, but the air conditioner wasn't blowing. So evidently he had a tape recorder in his car. That is what I believe it was, and so at the time I did sort of incriminate myself talking to him and the thing that I talked to him about, I was guilty of and so ...
Q. So actually he's got a hammer of sorts on you at this stage of the game?
A. No sir, he don't have a hammer on me.
Q. Well he's got some information on you.
A. The prosecuting attorney already knows about it.
Q. Ok.
A. And there's no charges filed on it.
Q. Did you turn over a list?
A. Yes sir, I did.
In his statement, Jim Hunter admitted that he had been at the house in North Little Rock on the night in question, that John Patterson's cab had been hailed to drive him home because he had been drinking, and that a conversation occurred touching on the Mexico marijuana case. But Hunter claimed he was too drunk to remember exact detail. Interestingly, the content of Hunter's interview reveals that he had been told by the Customs Service investigators about the interview they had done with Patterson, including some of the statements Patterson had attributed to Hunter.
Q. Mr. Hunter, the allegation has been made concerning a statement made by you the night of September 15, 1972. Now we have previously discussed this allegation, have we not?
A. We have.
Q. Now, where were you the night of September 15, 1972?
A. The first part of the evening I was at the home of Ted Johnson in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
Q. How did you get home?
A. As the night wore on, I make a policy of not drinking and driving, and I rode home in a taxi.
Q. Did you know the cabdriver?
A. I recognized him ... he recognized me too.
Q. After getting into the cab with this driver did you have a conversation with him? ...
A. Yes, we did have a conversation.
Q. Did the name of Roger Glasgow come up?
A. Yes it did. ...
Q. Did you at any time make the statement, to your recollection, to the effect that, we planted the marijuana or had it planted on Glasgow the night before he came back to the United States?
A. That's preposterous. I can't, no, I don't think so.
Q. Could you have?
A. I could've said anything but it's beyond my belief that I could have ever said those particular words.
Q. Did you discuss Lee Munson in any context during the cab drive?
A. I am sure Munson was discussed because he seemed to be impressed that I knew Lee Munson, and he already knew that I supported Munson. ... The Glasgow affair (he was asking me questions) I say "affair," it was brought up. Was Glasgow guilty? Did I think he was guilty, you know. I of course, don't particularly care. I wasn't too much of a conversationalist; I actually don't remember all the details of the conversation.
Hunter also admitted later that he received the list of informants from Patterson, but he tried to make light of it. Finally, he conceded that Patterson had inquired again about the previous conversation of Hunter's role in the planting of the marijuana, but he passed that off as well, saying that the cabdriver must have "misconstrued something."
The transcript continued:
Q. Did you subsequently have any contact with this cab driver?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. What was that occasion?
A. ... I got a phone call that woke me up from my sleep. I had been on the road, out of town, had gotten in late and was really tired; I asked him what he wanted and he said he would rather not talk about it on the phone. I didn't have any idea what he was talking about so I asked him to call me back in an hour so I could sleep just a bit longer. In an hour or so the phone rang again, it was this taxi driver.
Q. Did he give you anything at this meeting?
A. I did want to know what the big secret was that he didn't want to talk about over the phone. I was under the impression that he wanted to talk about me helping him in a business that was brought up, but he had a calling card with several names on it.
Q. Whose calling card? Do you recall?
A. I honestly do not; it was just a small card that had some names on it and he asked me if I wanted this list of names. I said what is it? He said, these are some of the informers in the prosecuting attorney's office. I said, not really, I don't like to get involved in things like that, but I did take the card and put it in my pocket.
Q. Did you have any other discussion with him at this time?
A. Yes, he brought up that Glasgow matter.
Q. Did he bring up the previous conversation concerning your having something to do with the plant in Mexico?
A. Yes he did.
Q. What did you say?
A. I said I didn't even know what he was talking about.
Q. Did he make any comment about your drinking?
A. I told him I was inebriated, but hell, he knew that. I looked at him like he was crazy. I told him he must have misconstrued something, but that conversation didn't last long at all.
After I had calmed down some from the shock of reading the transcripts, I called Tom Sharp. I was convinced that the details of the interviews would prove beyond any doubt what happened and why.
"I can't believe Gonzales would actually take this case to trial," I declared. "We'll make him look like a fool."
"It's not quite that simple, Roger," Sharp said. "Gonzales says there are discrepancies in what the cab driver said and the actual facts. For example, the driver claimed that the car was in a garage when the plant occurred, and there is no garage at the Holiday Inn."
"Oh hell," I said, "that's just a minor detail, and it's all hearsay. Hunter was telling the story and the driver was simply trying to recall it several weeks later. It's impossible to remember every detail perfectly. Besides I'm sure Hunter himself didn't personally do the dirty deed. He was probably some distance away and had his hired Mexican minions to do the actual plant. He likely didn't even know what kind of car it was or whether the car was outside or in a garage."
Sharp agreed but added, "There's still more to it than that. Gonzalez thinks Hunter was only guilty of drunk talk, and he says the cab driver has a lot of credibility problems, plus a fairly long rap sheet."
During the campaign I had an inside source at the Little Rock Police Department — for his protection, I'll just call him "Officer Jones" — who occasionally fed me information he regarded as important.
He had been a sergeant in the detective division for several years but had been demoted back down to patrol by LRPD chief Gale Weeks. He was quite bitter at Weeks about that, but he had maintained a couple of good friends in the detective division who kept him abreast of various goings-on in the upper-officer ranks.
Officer Jones worked part-time as a security guard at Pfeifer-Blass, a downtown department store on Main Street. Jeannie also worked there in the cosmetics department at the time. Officer Jones learned that she was my wife and struck up a friendly relationship with her. At times, he would write her notes and provide other materials to deliver to me concerning the illegal happenings involving the upper echelon of the police department.
After I lost the election to Munson and took the ill-fated Mexico vacation trip, Officer Jones continued to pass information. One nugget of particular interest was a report, allegedly from a participant, of a big party at Buice Drugstore celebrating my arrest.
The drugstore, owned by Little Rock mayor George Wimberly, was frequently used by police officers and city officials for back-room meetings. Once I heard about this, I arranged to meet with Jones at the Pfeifer-Blass store the next night. I wanted him to tell me the names of all who were there and as many details about the affair as he knew.
When we met, Jones told me that the party occurred two or three days after my arrest and was attended by many of the people who were involved in setting me up. Jones said [Forrest] Parkman [head of the LRPD intelligence unit] had once laughingly told him that he and [Fred] Hensley [an LRPD detective] had been in Matamoros, Mexico, the same night the marijuana had been planted in my car.
Hunter and some unidentified "federal agents" were also there, and several of them took advantage of the locale to consort with local prostitutes, no doubt while the dirty drugs deed was being done.
Jones told me how Parkman extravagantly related the setting at "boys town" on the south side of Matamoros where the prostitutes were. It was a kind of Old West replica, he said, with saloons lining both sides of a dirt street. The one they were in had a long bar along a back wall where the customers could order drinks, and a dance floor, complete with Mexican musicians. An array of couches surrounded the dance floor where the girls lounged, displayed their wares, and hustled. They all got roaring drunk and had a great time making their selections, dancing and lounging with the girls, groping and squeezing them.
Jones further identified the individuals in attendance at the late-night party at Buice Drugstore. In addition to the host Wimberly, the attendees included Munson, [Kenneth] Pearson [head of the LRPD vice squad], Parkman, and Hensley. Jones did not know if Hunter was there, but he said he heard they all drank a lot of whiskey and vociferously celebrated a job well done.
Most of this information was of no particular surprise. From the Patterson and Hunter interviews, I already knew or strongly suspected that the individuals named were involved in my setup. But it was stunning nevertheless.
Later, I shared this information with Sharp, and I said that I wondered if we should subpoena Officer Jones, Wimberly, or Munson for trial.
"No," he said. "First off, what the source told you is all hearsay and therefore inadmissible in court. Secondly, you can be sure neither Munson nor Wimberly would admit anything. We would just muddy up the water and offer up free enemy witnesses. God only knows what they would say about you at trial."
"Yes," I agreed. "That's a can of worms we don't want to open up."
That ended the matter, but the image of that party, no doubt around the infamous table in the back of Wimberly's drugstore, stuck vividly in my mind. There was little left to do other than wait for the trial to begin.
At a trial in October 1972 in Brownsville, a jury found Glasgow not guilty on drug charges. He has worked as a lawyer for Wright, Lindsey & Jennings for more than 40 years. Munson went on to serve as municipal and chancery/circuit judge in Pulaski County. He retired in 2008. As Glasgow writes in his memoir, Munson was "never directly associated with any wrongdoings, except by innuendo."
Showing 1-3 of 3
Cover Story / Arkansas Reporter / The Week That Was / The Observer / Editorial / Max Brantley / Ernest Dumas / Gene Lyons / Jay Barth / Words / Guest Writer / Letters
A&E Feature / To-Do List / In Brief / Movie Reviews / Music Reviews / Theater Reviews / A&E News / Art Notes / Media / Dining Reviews / Dining Guide / Calendar / Gallery Listings
Is There any Law in Arkansas USA ?
MadaLyn i agree with You !!! Thats very possible scenario. Only exFBI private squad can…
Hi MadaLyn !!! Such a very good Question. Its highly possible so "black man" is…


text:
Hide Forgot
Description of problem:
The spamassassin out of the box doesn't work very well, in particular it has no
plugins (say DCC) and is very slow. I suggest that you provide a
redhat-config-spamd that provides a few basic options:
- Turn on or off network checking. With training -L spamds can be quite
effective and are loads faster.
- Set timeouts for RBL, razor, DCC, etc. if they're included in the first place.
- Allow server admins to setup a globally shared training file for Bayes tests
(this might be significantly trickier w/o knowing the config of the mail spool
and such).
Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
How reproducible:
Steps to Reproduce:
Actual results:
Expected results:
Additional info:


text:
Hung Le
The Government's Decree 12/2015/ND-CP clarifies that to enjoy the preferential tax rate, enterprises should have products recognized as items for the hi-tech field as regulated in hi-tech regulations and for apparel, electronics, automobile, and mechanics sectors, and these products had not been manufactured in Vietnam as of January 1 this year.
The Government has introduced the tax policy in an effort to attract investments in supporting industries which are still underdeveloped.
At a conference held in HCMC in October last year to gather comments on the draft decree on developing supporting industries, Truong Thanh Hoai, deputy head of the Heavy Industry Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said the decree would provide small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a lot of tax and capital incentives.
According to the industry ministry, although the Government issued Decision 12 on development of supporting industries and Decision 1483 on priority products for the industries, businesses have not benefited from incentives in these decrees.
The Industrial Policy and Strategy Institute under the ministry said Decision 12 disappointed local enterprises as the incentives provided in the decision were the same as those provided for SMEs and did not contain a clear list of priority products.
The corporate income tax of 10% for 15 years will be applied to investors of manufacturing projects worth at least VND12 trillion and capital disbursements within five years from the date of licenses being issued.
Đăng ký: VietNam News


text:
Top 100 Best Restaurants in America
3 Comments
Terri Sokoloff
The staff, food, wine list, and the ambiance makes Altius a special restaurant. It's a great experience when you dine in a restaurant that the servers are proud to be a part of and the attention to detail is evident. Pittsburgh is fortunate to have such a gem. Everyone we have dined with at Altius have been impressed and returned. Keep up the hard work and high standards. Congratulations to all who have contributed to the restaurants success!
Michael Debic
Everyone of us have dined with these restaurants & have been impressed sometime with the quality of food, texture, ambience. Keep up the good work and high standards of these restaurants. Congratulations to all who have contributed to the restaurants success and sharing the list of Fine Dining Restaurants
Michael Debic
A perfect fine dining restaurant is the one where you will get the most authentic cuisine paired up with a glass of wine, clean and elegant décor. so thanks for sharing this usefull link with us.


text:
Rock wash, Acid Wash, Distressed, Bleached...
So, what we're doing is buying brand new clothes and making them look old, worn, and discolored and labeling it as 'vintage'. Although some may call us crazy for participating in this old/new 'vintage' trend, it's quickly becoming more and more popular.
I decided to participate in this trend months ago for a school event...and instead of shopping for the perfect brand new old outfit, I chose to make it a DIY[Do It Yourself] project. By simply using an object to randomly apply bleach to frayed jeans or torn shorts, I ended up having the perfect bottoms from things I already owned. And the frayed jeans came into existence simply from me cutting and creating fashionable frays with a hair brush! Goodbye expensive boutiques and HELLO "At home fashion remedies!"
I guess it's true 'what goes around comes around'. Everything that was once in style is coming back one step at a time. If you want to be ahead,[in fashion]think back to the ones that were in the fashion game years before us rookies!
CHIcFashion...more than a blog; it's a way of life
Filed under: Uncategorized


text:
Saturday Research Orientation [Genealogy]
email@example.com. Patrons are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes prior to the orientation. Seating is available on a first-come basis. Registration does not guarantee entry after the orientation start time. For more information, please visit: https://www.loc.gov/rr/main/satorient/
- Start:April 14, 2018
- End:April 14, 2018
- Where:Main Reading Room, First Floor, LJ-139B, Thomas Jefferson Building , 10 First Street SE, Washington, District of Columbia, United States, 20540
- Phone:N/A
- Event Type: Other
- Ticket Price:N/A
By submitting this comment you agree that your personal information will be made public.


text:
On Friday, August 11th I had the opportunity to see my all time favorite artist, Lady Gaga, live at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. She embarked on her first world tour since 2014's ArtRave called The Joanne World Tour, which started on August 1st in Vancouver, CA. Going into the concert, I didn't really know what to expect considering the album she was touring, Joanne, is a lot more "toned down" than her previous work. I wasn't really sure if she'd incorporate her elaborate costumes, stage design, etc., but needless to say, she did not disappoint.
Her setlist was a good mix of older music and new songs from Joanne (although to my dismay she only performed one song from album ARTPOP), and her stage design was impeccable. Each costume change she did seemed to fit the overall "aesthetic" of whatever song she was performing, and overall her vocals were flawless.
One of my favorite parts of seeing her was listening to her incredibly emotional speeches she sometimes gave before each song. She seemed to be talking from the heart and treated each and every one of us in the audience like we were her close friends. She carries this sort of warmth with her whenever she speaks, comforting everyone in the audience with her words of wisdom.
Another one of my favorite parts and perhaps the most emotional was when she said a stripped down version of hit song "Edge Of Glory" as well as a newer song "Joanne", both of which are inspired by the deaths of two of Gaga's relatives. These two songs hit especially close to me, and she gave incredibly moving and personal speeches before each song, ensuring there was not a dry eye in the room. Her vocals were powerful and she commanded the stage with her graceful presence.
She also made sure to bring her A-game while performing amped up songs such as "Bad Romance", "Poker Face", and "Dancin' In Circles". It can be hard to do choreography while serving vocals at the same time, but she somehow managed to do it and that in itself deserves a round of applause.
Overall, Lady Gaga's Joanne World Tour was an experience I'll never forget. Her words of wisdom and inspiring lyrics are something that will always stick with me and if you have the chance, I definitely encourage you to go see her.


text:
Three year-end action items
See if any of the following action items apply to your retirement plan and take action prior to December 31, 2011:
1. Make discretionary amendments for plan design changes
Whether a defined benefit (DB) or defined contribution (DC) plan, any plan design changes that you want to be effective for the 2012 plan year need to be adopted by the
end of 2011. Examples of amendments include changes to automatic enrollment or matching amounts.
2. Complete in-plan Roth conversions
Earlier this year, I wrote about in-plan conversions to Roth accounts, part 1 & part 2. If you have an employee who wants to split the conversion amount between 2011
and 2012, be sure that proper documentation is executed prior to December 31, 2011.
3. Amend DC plan documentation if you suspended 2009 required minimum distributions
The Worker, Retiree and Employer Recovery Act (WRERA) of 2008 allowed DC plans to treat 2009 required minimum distributions (RMDs) as eligible rollover distributions. Make sure that your plan document is amended to reflect the 2009 RMD rollovers if you took advantage of this provision. (You were able to defer documentation until now.)