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What Do Italian Priests' Mistresses Want You To Know?
A group of 40 or so mistresses of Italian priests, including Stefania Solomone (pictured), want you—and especially Pope Benedict—to know that they don't like priestly celibacy.
That's why they've written the Pope a letter (Italian original) on the subject.
The occasion was Pope Benedict's statement that
"The horizon of the ontological belonging to God also constitutes the proper framework for understanding and reaffirming, in our day too, the value of sacred celibacy which in the Latin Church is a charism required for Sacred Orders and is held in very great consideration in the Eastern Churches . . .
"It is an authentic prophecy of the Kingdom, a sign of consecration with undivided heart to the Lord and to "the affairs of the Lord", the expression of their gift of self to God and to others. The priest's vocation is thus most exalted and remains a great mystery, even to us who have received it as a gift. Our limitations and weaknesses must prompt us to live out and preserve with deep faith this precious gift with which Christ has configured us to him, making us sharers in his saving Mission."
The mistresses particularly objected to the phrase "sacred celibacy," who seem to have determined to write their letter "from the moment we heard the reaffirmation of the sacredness of what is not sacred in the least."
This episode just fills me with sadness.
The discipline of celibacy (i.e., remaining unmarried, which implies continence, or abstaining from sexual relations as its corollary in Christian morality) for the service of the Kingdom has been part of Christian patrimony since the time of the apostles. Jesus himself recommended it in the Gospels, though he noted that it was not a gift given to everyone.
How that discipline is applied in particular ages and in particular spheres of the Church is something that has changed over time.
There is no reason in principle why the Church could not change its discipline regarding clerical celibacy in the future. The question is whether it would be prudent to do so, and what form of revision—if any—would be beneficial.
A Catholic can thus legitimately hold the opinion that the Church should modify or even abolish the discipline of clerical celibacy.
There was a period after Vatican II where there was a great expectation that a change in the discipline would be coming in the near future, which created unrealistic hopes in many. It also, no doubt, helped alienate many priests when these unrealistic expectations were not fulfilled, leading many of them into sexual sin (with adult women; wanting permission to marry a woman doesn't correlate with desires to have sex with children) or out of the priesthood entirely.
The pressure was so great that John Paul II judged it prudent to take the subject off the table, even though it is a matter of Church discipline rather than dogma, and so he and others at the Vatican repeatedly stressed that the subject was not up for discussion.
Pope Benedict has taken a somewhat different tack. In the 2007 Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist, he allowed the subject to be discussed among the participants. As one might expect, reports at the time indicated that some of the Eastern bishops, who deal with the practical difficulties of a married clergy, were the most vocal in stressing that the Latin Church should not abolish its discipline on this point. So the topic was discussed, and that bishops recommended that it not be pursued further (at least at this time). That's right there in the propositions that the bishops delivered to the pope as recommendations (see Proposition 11).
So on the one hand, my heart goes out to Pope Benedict, who has been singularly unafraid of dialog on points where the Church could change its discipline, including dialog on this point in particular. Yet as this story gains traction in the world press, he stands to be shoved into the media mold of "mean old celibate pope"—when in reality he has been willing to have the subject of revising the Latin Church's celibacy discipline be seriously discussed!
My heart also goes out to the mistresses, because they have a human desire to marry those to whom they are romantically attached and are genuinely pained at the situation in which they find themselves.
That's the position in which mistresses commonly find themselves.
But the thing is . . . they're mistresses.
They are living a life that is objectively sinful.
They are violating very basic and well-known elements of Christian morality. It's hard to claim innocent ignorance in this case.
The same thing goes—even moreso—for the priests with whom they are involved.
One can feel for the emotional distress over the situation in which they find themselves, and one can understand their petition for a change in Church law that would allow them to regularize their situations, but at the same time there is a tragic dimension to their situation that remains unacknowledged in their letter: They are, in fact, living in sin.
And it's a big one, overlaid with sacrilege because priests are involved—a factor that weighs even more heavily on the priest in the relationship than one the mistress, because the priest is responsible for his consecrated person in a way that others are not.
It is a tragedy that these people attached romantic feelings to each other—something that they knew from the beginning was wrong.
So reading the letter is a mixed experience.
In certain passages they make insightful points (particularly regarding the psychological dynamics of their situation). In other passages they articulate positions that a Catholic may legitimately hold.
But then they get into stuff that is flat-out rationalization.
They play the victim card repeatedly, and there is an element of truth to the idea that they are victims—but not as much victims of the law of celibacy (as they would maintain) but rather victims of the men who have been playing with their affections to fulfill their own psychological and sexual impulses.
I'm sorry, but there are lots of people in the world who are romantically off limits to every single one of us. These people include all children, all members of our own sex, all married members of the opposite sex except our spouse, and—if we are married—every other person on the planet except our spouse.
To become romantically or sexually involved with any one of these people is a sin, and anybody with even a basic education in Christian morality knows that.
Not being able to marry or to become romantically involved with someone is not something surprising. It is the norm for every single human being with respect to almost every single other human being.
If you want to marry someone, great. Go out and look for someone you legitimately could marry, but you are not a victim because a particular person you'd like to marry has already taken a vow (or made a promise) of celibacy any more than you are a victim if the person you'd like to marry has already taken marriage vows to someone and is thus one among the billions of people not romantically available to you.
This is just life.
And I'm not sure that's something the authors of the letter get. At times reading it, describing the struggles that they and their paramours experience, one hears echoes of what ordinary people face and fear. Do priests get lonely? Sure. So do lots of non-priests, including lots of married people. Do they get depressed? Of course. So do lots of people of every age and every condition.
We all experience unpleasant things in life, we all have struggles and pain, and we all encounter situations that would be different in a more perfect world. But the ability to claim victimhood is limited when one has become involved with a person who is not lawfully available to you and with whom you are conducting an objectively sinful affair.
It's one thing to advocate a change in the Latin Church's discipline of clerical celibacy (or the Eastern Churches', for that matter, because they have a version of it, too). It's another thing to portray oneself as the victim because you are engaging in a relationship that is objectively sinful from the beginning and which you knew to be objectively sinful when you entered it.
If you want to advocate a change, fine. But don't do so portraying yourself and your paramour as victims and ignoring the real and objectively sinful character of your relationship. You are in control of your actions and your choices. Don't pretend that you're not.
As St. Paul, who knew a thing or two about celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom, wrote: "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Cor. 10:13).
What are your thoughts?


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The David Library of the American Revolution
The David Library of the American Revolution is a specialized research library dedicated to the study of American history circa 1750 to 1800. The David Library is a non-profit educational institution. Our mission is the collection and dissemination of information on this early period of American history, and the support of related educational programs and scholarly research.
The David Library was founded in 1959 by Sol Feinstone (1888 – 1980), a businessman, philanthropist and collector of Americana. He named the Library in honor of his grandson David Golub who was born developmentally disabled. In order to secure the future of the foundation he established, Mr. Feinstone donated to the institution his extensive collection of Revolutionary war manuscripts, his 118-acre farm on which the Library and auxiliary buildings are situated, and an endowment. In 1974, the present Library building was built and opened to the public.
Two things set the David Library apart from every other research institution that has materials on the American Revolution: concentration and convenience. Here you will find almost all the basic primary sources on the Revolution, including materials, such as many documents microfilmed at the British Archives, found no where else in this country. And you will find this material in one building, serviced by a small but highly knowledgeable staff that has no other objective than to assist its users in learning about the broad era of the American Revolution.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Don't miss these top stories:
- 5 ways to keep your home sale on track
- The boomer home: Small house, big rooms
- Fringe 15-year mortgage becomes hot property
- Home builder confidence is more than just talk
North Dakota is the country's fastest-growing state, in terms of population, the U.S. Census Bureau reported this week.
Its population grew by 2.17% between July 2011 and July 2012. That's three times faster than the nation as a whole, according to the Census. The state's economy has been improving in recent years due to increased oil production in the area.
The rest of the top 10 fastest-growing states, in order: the District of Columbia, Texas, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Florida and South Dakota.
Read more Real Estate news in this week's pages, including how to keep your home sale on track; why the wealthy are putting home-renovation expenses on their credit cards; and a Q&A with Freddie Mac's chief economist.
While the country as a whole saw a rise of a 2.3 million in total population between 2011 and 2012, there were two states that lost people during that time: Rhode Island and Vermont.
— Amy Hoak, Real Estate writer
5 ways to keep your home sale on track
Encouraging signs in the housing market may entice more homeowners to put their properties on the market in 2013.
5 ways to keep your home sale on track.
The real meaning of rising home prices
Values jumped again in November, but analysts say there's reason to curb your enthusiasm.
The real meaning of rising home prices.
Racking up rewards for a home renovation
Home-remodeling companies say many wealthy clients have been putting renovation costs on their credit cards — not just for small jobs, but for renovations that run north of $100,000.
Racking up rewards for a home renovation.
Freddie Mac chief economist on threats to housing
While the housing market is showing signs of life, the looming fiscal cliff remains a threat, as does global instability, the chief economist at Freddie Mac tells MarketWatch.
Freddie Mac chief economist on threats to housing.
10 things your houseguest won't tell you
As the old saying goes, guests are like fish and begin to smell after three days. Turns out that assessment may be optimistic. A 2010 survey by travel-rental site HomeAway.com concluded that during the holidays, nearly a quarter of relatives have overstayed their welcome after just one day.
10 things your houseguest won't tell you.
U.S. housing starts fall 3% in November
Construction on new homes fell 3% in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 861,000, as building permits rose 3.6%, U.S. data show. An economist flags multifamily growth as a potential red flag for the housing recovery, however.
U.S. housing starts fall 3% in November.
The boomer home: Small house, big rooms
While a significant percentage of baby boomers are in downsizing mode, neither they nor the rest of the population have lost their infatuation with features associated with big homes, according to a survey released by the home-builder PulteGroup Inc.
The boomer home: Small house, big rooms.
Fringe 15-year mortgage becomes hot property
More borrowers are choosing home loans that they can pay off much faster.
Fringe 15-year mortgage becomes hot property.
Home-builder confidence highest since 2006
A gauge of confidence among home builders rose in December to the highest level since April 2006, with respondents encouraged by declining inventory and good sales conditions.
Home-builder confidence highest since 2006.
Home-builder confidence is more than just talk
Andrew O'Day says superstorm Sandy's slamming of housing apparently was only temporary. The White House says "no deal" to Boehner's Plan B. Also, a charity finds a half-billion new reasons to love Mark Zuckerberg.
Home-builder confidence is more than just talk.


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Tom Cruise is standing in the center of the stage. He's shirtless, wearing black jeans with long black hair and painted black nails. His back has a huge bird like tattoo with longs wings that stretch from shoulder to shoulder. Along his midsection and sides, he's got a number of smaller tattoos. In front of him are 1,500 screaming fans. As the camera zooms in closer to the stage, the music starts and the crowd erupts in to cheers. All of a sudden, I realize he's singing "Pour Some Sugar on Me" by Def Leppard, and he's moving around the stage like he's been there for years. In only a few moments, I believe Tom Cruise is a rock star, and I'm completely sold on director Adam Shankman's Rock of Ages.
Let me back up a second.
As I type these words, it's August 13, 2011 and I spent last night on Los Angeles' Sunset Strip in 1987. However, since that's filming on the real strip and dressing it up in 1987 culture would be beyond expensive and impractical for a huge movie, Warner Bros. recreated the strip on a few streets in Miami. And based on what I got to see and hear last night, Rock of Ages looks like it's absolutely captured the 80s in a really fun way. Hit the jump for so much more.
Before going any further, if you haven't seen the recent trailer, I'd watch that first:
Video Blog
Shortly after getting back to the hotel last night, I recorded a video blog about the set visit with Amy from Myspace and Jamie from IAmRogue. We talked about the amazing sets, the interviews, what we thought, how excited Adam Shankman was, and so much more. All three of us were very impressed when we left the set. Further down is more.
20 Things to Know About Rock of Ages
– Rock of Ages takes place in 1987
– The movie isn't making fun of the era. They're playing it straight.
– They filmed in Florida.
– Shankman said he wanted to make a musical that straight men would want to see.
– Shankman said the Rock of Ages budget was the same budget as Hairspray. He had to cut 40 million to get it made.
– Alec Baldwin is the reason Rock of Ages got in front of cameras. Apparently, Baldwin is known as "Dr. No" because he always says no to everything. When he said yes to the project, WB told Shankman to make it work, and then Shankman rushed to get it in front of the cameras.
– The Sunset Strip set they built in Miami was amazing. It was truly like being transported back in time. When though it looks like it must have taken four months to bring it to life, we learned it only took half that time.
– It was a huge undertaking to get all the legal clearances for the movie. Anything that couldn't get cleared, the production would build something similar but different enough so they could use it. An example is the Marlboro Man: His billboard used to be on the strip. However you can't advertise cigarettes in a movie, so they built a billboard featuring a guy that looks like him, but he's advertising being a cowboy or something like that.
– There are 23 songs in the movie, a few of them are originals, and some are medleys of two songs mixed together. Desmond Child, who wrote many of the big songs of the 80's, wrote or co-wrote the original songs.
– There are three primary locations in the movie: the Sunset Strip, The Bourbon Room and the Venus Club.
– They have over 70 "picture cars.", i.e. era-appropriate cars being used in the movie.
– All the singers in the movie are using their own voices. Even Tom Cruise.
– On the vintage bus they have old movie banner ads. One side of the bus had The Lost Boys while the other had Little Shop of Horrors.
– They're shooting using digital cameras, specifically the ARRI Alexa. Shankman told us that while it was a learning curve for everyone, he's been blown away by the ability of the camera to film at night with almost no light.
– Everything on the Strip has been moved closer together. The production made a list of every bar, nightclub, and real world location they wanted to use, and then put them next to one another. It's like they took all the commercial buildings and restaurants off the strip, and what was left is the Rock of Ages strip. It worked; the set was amazing, and it captured the essence of the strip.
– The movie and the stage musical are different. Shankman decided to focus on the lead character rather than a side character, and instead of a club being sold, the movie is about censorship, which was a real issue back in the 80's with Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center.
– Tom Cruise surprised everyone with the way he was able to learn his choreography, and also with how hard he worked. Shankman said he's spend hours answering Cruise's questions, and he was like a sponge always trying to learn. Also, Cruise never gets tired and never slows down.
– Most of the main cast did 5 weeks of intense rehearsals before shooting began. They called it "Rock Star College". They did vocal, dance and guitar work.
– Shankman isn't afraid to show visiting journalists unfinished footage in his trailer. After doing an extremely honest interview, he led us into his trailer and showed us Tom Cruise singing "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and another sequence with Mary J. Blige inside the Venus Club. Both sequences looked great, and even the unfinished Cruise sequence caused normally-jaded journalists to applause. Trust me, you won't believe how Cruise looks and sounds in Rock of Ages. After seeing the footage, I wanted to watch the entire movie then and there.
– When we showed up on set last night, I wasn't sure what we'd see. Would the production have built a theater, or converted a music venue into what they needed? Whatever I thought beforehand, the actual set was infinitely better.
– One of my favorite parts of the set was the Tower Records store. Until a few years ago when it went out of business, the Tower Records on the Strip was as much a part of Los Angeles as palm trees and the Coffee Bean. Getting to see the store come back to life, with vintage album covers by Kiss, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Anthrax, Cinderella, and many others on the outside of the building, was a lot of fun. Also, while the store wasn't real on the inside, the front door was open and they had a basic setup that would look real for the camera. It was great to see albums and other vintage posters when the doors were open between takes.
– Of course the Tower Records wasn't the only store on the set, and the production also built The Comedy Store, Guitar Center, The Body Shop, Frederick's of Hollywood, Trashy Lingerie, Carney's, the Rainbow Room, Filthy McNasty's, and so many other places. In addition, with the movie taking place in '87, they made sure to include another famous Angeleno: Angelyne (read about her here). The production actually built a massive billboard of the busty blond, and she overlooks the strip like she did back in the '80's. It's the little touches like this that demonstrated how much love and care went into bringing the past to life.
– I think anyone who ever walked the Strip in the 80's is going to love Rock of Ages and experience some serious nostalgia.
– I really can't say enough about the footage I saw of Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx. Trust me, it's going to blow you away.
– In director Adam Shankman's Rock of Ages, Cruise plays the biggest rock star on the planet and he's about to start playing his farewell show with his band Arsenal before he does a solo project.
Final Thoughts
As you saw in the video blog, I've got a lot of enthusiasm for Rock of Ages. While I knew very little about the movie before the set visit, everything I saw and learned tells me this musical is going to be a big hit for Warner Bros. next year. It's got an amazing cast and a soundtrack that I can't wait to hear. I never thought I'd have written that last sentence before visiting the set. Wait until you see Cruise sing "Pour Some Sugar on Me". You'll be impressed.
For more on Rock of Ages, here's my on set interviews with the cast and over twenty behind-the-scenes pictures I took while walking around set:
- Julianne Hough Talks Singing with Mary J. Blige, Giving Tom Cruise a Lap Dance and More on the Set of Rock of Ages
- Director Adam Shankman Talks Turning Tom Cruise into Stacee Jaxx, Choosing Songs, and Much More on the Set of Rock of Ages
- Diego Boneta Talks Jamming with Tom Cruise, Favorite Songs, Def Leppard, and More on the Set of Rock of Ages


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מידע על רכישת הנדל"ן בברלין גרמניה
Faqs and other useful information about Berlin שאלות נפוצותקנה נדל"ן בגרמניה
חיפוש דירות, בתים או בברלין
נא להשתמש בתפריט משמאל
Links to web sites offering useful information concerning the purchase of property in Germany.
Links to web sites offering useful information concerning the purchase of property in Germany.
Berlin airport City Berlins new International airport opening 2099. Finally, 110 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin, the capital city of Europes biggest economy will get its own international airport, with direct flights to and from the USA and Asia and the moon. Why its taken so long, only Berlin's politicians know. But, once you get here, Berlin has a really great municipal transport system. You'll find it's pretty easy to get round on Bus, U Bahn and S Bahn, or one of the 7.000 taxis operating in town.
Berliner Bus and U Bahn Information
Berlin in 7 minutes from fivetravel
Berlin's official internet site: Here you can find information about different aspects from Berlin: Hotels and Hotel Booking, Visitors Guide of Berlin, Entertainment in Berlin and Tickets, Political System and Local Authorities, Berlin Capital City, Business in Berlin
Wikipedia links to sites in English Espanol Francais Deutsch Italiano
Jobs in Berlin looking for a job in Berlin; here`s a good website to search
How to Germany Advice and information on buying property in Germany
Berlin Airports Tegel and Schoenefeld airport information. Arrivals and departures
German railways Deutsche Bahn Booking online, arrival and departure times
Tax information from the German embassy in Washington, covers all tax issues; very good straight forward explanation.
Just Landed Student housing How to get cheap student accommodation
Information for International Students: Flats for Students in Germany. The Studentenwerke offer around 181,000 places in student accommodation all over Germany.
The Telegraph.co.uk : Berlin property a "no-brainer for British buyers Expat property: January 2015
New York times: Within Berlin, a modern suburban home Real Estate
Invest in Germany Funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, Invest in Germany is the official investment promotion agency and the primary contact for your business interests in Germany.
Wikipedia Boroughs and localities of Berlin: Berlin is both a city and one of Germany's federal states. It is made up of twelve boroughs (Bezirke in German, also known as districts or administrative districts in English), each with its own borough government, though all boroughs are subject to Berlin's city and state government.
Berlin public transport: Public transport information in English
U Bahn and S Bahn map Download
Berlin Map: showing districts and boroughs (Wikipedia)
Underground and overground rail system map u bahn s bahn map.pdf
USA.gov Help and assistance for US citizens
New York Times: Great homes and destinations Berlin
Marlene Dietrich "Das Ist Berlin, Wie's Weint, Wie's Lacht"
Eine Koffer in Berlin - Marlene Dietrich
Some famous Berlin visitors
Motion picture covering President John F. Kennedy's visit to Berlin, Germany (June 26, 1963).public domain. See *****By Bailey, Bill Baker, Al SSgt Connelly, James United States. Air Force AFTV-Berlin (Special Events Department of AFTV) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
JFK "Ich bin ein Berliner" public domain. See ******By Robert Knudsen, White House [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Adhoc WAYBACK Machine:
Eduard Gärtner, Gemälde von 1Eduard_Gärtner_Gemälde_von_1863_Berlin_Brüderstraße_und_Petrikirche.jpg - 56.4 kb
public domain
City palace Potsdam, Germany, garden side Johann Friedrich Meyer (1728–1789) public domain
Charlottenburg Schloss public domain


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Teasing laughs out of a superhero flick is trickier than tackling a bad guy sporting a crazy costume, exotic powers and sociopathic tendencies.
In The Green Hornet, which opens Friday, writer-producer-star Seth Rogen and director Michel Gondry push hard for yuks, leaning heavily on coarse slapstick, self-conscious pop culture references and bromance shtick in between the flashy 3-D visuals and standard-issue origins story.
The plot, which updates the story of the Green Hornet character created for a 1930s radio serial, revolves around the relationship between Rogen's spoiled-schlub-turned-vigilante Britt Reid and his crafty chauffeur, Kato (played by Taiwanese martial arts whiz Jay Chou). The buddy-flick dynamic mostly consigns Cameron Diaz to third-wheel status.
In the movie's guy-centric world, Reid, vain heir to a family newspaper fortune who's hung up on the way he's been treated by his media maven father (Tom Wilkinson), generates some solid laughs grounded in Rogen's hapless superhero routine and the clearly superior talents of his sidekick.
But while sight gags and juvenile jokes score some laughs, the movie's most arresting moments come from the interplay between the individuals, including a knock-down, drag-out fight between Kato and Reid that draws on the pair's clashing egos. It's an elaborate fight scene similar to the classic comedic battles between Inspector Clouseau and his manservant Cato in the original Pink Panther movies, only this time juiced by Gondry's time-warp visuals. Here, the comedy-action cocktail goes down easy and packs a punch.
Still, the on-screen antics in the PG-13 flick grow tiresome by the time Britt kicks his pal Kato in the groin. And that's part of the problem with The Green Hornet: You'd never see Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne slug Michael Caine in the nuts.
There's also the sad case of the underutilized villain. Coming off his once-in-a-lifetime role as Inglourious Basterds' nightmare Nazi, Christoph Waltz is good but not great as Los Angeles crime boss Benjamin Chudnofsky.
His outrageously excessive two-barreled gun looks pretty amusing, but the film's running gag about Chudnofsky's desire to be perceived as a scary dude wears thin. You know Waltz could bring unbridled hilarity to the celluloid party, but somehow Gondry fails to extract the kind of performance that could have livened up the bad guy's scenes. Instead of gut-busting black humor, we get a watered-down psycho.
The constant friction between the movie's quest for laughs and its seeming thirst for balls-out action leaves Green Hornet dangling in its final third. The movie gets an A for effort but a C for execution in this a delicate cinematic balancing act — often tried, rarely perfected — that points toward an interesting evolution in superhero movies, as measured by three distinct epochs in the genre's rapidly changing landscape.
The Earnest Hero Era: The villains got the laugh lines during the first wave of superhero blockbusters. Superman (Christopher Reeve), Batman (Michael Keaton), Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) and the Incredible Hulk (Eric Bana and later Edward Norton) played it straight as somber crime-fighters harboring secret obsessions.
The Age of Wit: Armed with minds every bit as sharp as their weaponry, Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark and Heath Ledger's Joker elevated Iron Man and The Dark Knight from standard superhero spectacle into the realm of well-rounded entertainment. Both movies did boffo box office by appealing to general audiences in addition to comic book fans. Lesson learned: Character arcs gain traction when the serious stuff is leavened with clever dialog.
The Post-Modern Superhero: Pioneered by 2010's Kick-Ass, the new model features ordinary losers who favor punch lines over actual punches. Like last year's cult hit, about a comic book fan who orders his costume online, Green Hornet follows the transformation of a self-conscious dork into an actual crime-fighter.
What's Next for Superhero Flicks?
The upcoming year in superhero movies draws from all three templates. Thor does not look to be a barrel of laughs, while Super, featuring Rainn Wilson (The Office), seems rooted in the weird misadventures of a depressed fanboy. X-Men: First Class, with Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn at the helm, might pull off the deft combo of action and humor. Further out, Joss Whedon's The Avengers could become the gold standard of comic superhero movies in 2012.
Blunted though Green Hornet's sting may be, the movie — as the latest entry in the Kick-Ass School of Post-Modern Superheroism — represents a promising new direction for a genre that only now seems to be catching up with the "dramedy" concept that TV auteurs have been practicing for decades in shows like The X-Files, Firefly and Fringe.
"Funny" and "heroic" need not be mutually exclusive concepts. But, like the formula for the knockout gas in the Green Hornet's gun, it can prove difficult to find the right mix.
WIRED Goofy guns, ingenious monster car and surreal fight scenes offer plenty of 3-D eye candy.
TIRED Comedy is hard, and star Seth Rogen plays the schlub/superhero card for laughs a few times too many.
Read Underwire's movie ratings guide. Follow us on Twitter: @hughhart and @theunderwire.
See Also:
- Rating Green Hornet's Guns and Gadgets
- Seth Rogen Talks Green Hornet's Fast Cars, 3-D Secrets
- First Look: Green Hornet's Black Beauty Is a Killer Car
- Photos: See Classic Cars, Green Hornet Gear in Britt Reid's Garage


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Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed in violence since the US-led invasion last year, according to public health experts who estimate there were 100,000 "excess deaths" in 18 months.
The US-based researchers found that the risk of death from violence in the period after the invasion was 58 times higher than before the war.
The rise in the death rate was mainly due to violence and much of it was caused by US air strikes on towns and cities, they said.
"Making conservative assumptions, we think that about 100,000 excess deaths or more have happened since the 2003 invasion of Iraq," said Les Roberts of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in a report published online by The Lancet medical journal.
"The use of air power in areas with lots of civilians appears to be killing a lot of women and children," Mr Roberts said.
The report comes just days before the US presidential election in which the Iraq war has been a major issue.
Mortality was already high in Iraq before the war because of United Nations sanctions blocking food and medical imports.
But the researchers described their findings after the war as shocking.
Air strikes
The new figures are based on surveys done by the researchers in Iraq in September 2004.
They compared Iraqi deaths during 14.6 months before the invasion in March 2003 and the 17.8 months after it by conducting household surveys in randomly selected neighbourhoods.
Previous estimates based on think-tank and media sources put the Iraqi civilian death toll at up to 16,053 and military fatalities as high as 6,370.
By comparison, about 849 US military personnel were killed in combat or attacks and another 258 died in accidents or incidents not related to fighting, according to the Pentagon.
The researchers blamed air strikes for many of the civilian deaths.
"What we have evidence of is the use of air power in populated urban areas and the bad consequences of it," Roberts said.
Gilbert Burnham, who collaborated on the research, says US military action in Iraq was "very bad for Iraqi civilians".
"We were not expecting the level of deaths from violence that we found in this study and we hope this will lead to some serious discussions of how military and political aims can be achieved in a way that is not so detrimental to civilians populations," he said.
The researchers did 33 cluster surveys of 30 households each, recording the date, circumstances and cause of deaths.
Before the war the major causes of death were heart attacks, chronic disorders and accidents. That changed after the war.
Two-thirds of violent deaths in the study were reported in Fallujah, the insurgent, [? resistant], held city 50 kilometres west of Baghdad which has been repeatedly hit by US air strikes.
"Our results need further verification and should lead to changes to reduce non-combatant deaths from air strikes," Mr Roberts added in the study.
Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, said the research which was submitted to the journal this month had been peer-reviewed, edited and fast-tracked for publication because of its importance in the evolving security situation in Iraq.
"But these findings also raise questions for those far removed from Iraq - in the governments of the countries responsible for launching a pre-emptive war," Mr Horton said in an editorial.
By End The Occupation 29 October 04
Related War Statistics:
Unknown News Update - 2009
More than 103 times as many people have been killed in these wars and occupations than in all terrorist attacks in the world from 1993-2004. About 241 times as many people have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq than in the ghastly attacks of September 11, 2001.
Related Links:
British militants take up 'badlands' position in Iraq
Sixty-eight British militants have died in combat and from other causes, including accidents, since the war began, compared with more than 1,100 Americans and at least 100,000 innocent Iraqi men, women and children.
BBC news boss slams US media bias
The head of the BBC's news operations has accused United States media organisations of being overly patriotic in their coverage of the lead-up to the Iraq war.
Resistance in Iraq want Japanese militants to leave
Allegedly, resistance in Iraq has threatened to behead a Japanese hostage it said worked with Japanese forces in Iraq, if Tokyo does not withdraw its forces from the country within 48 hours.
Australia, Iraq US puppet work for Hassan's release
Margaret Hassan ... her kidnap is the result of the illegal and degrading war on Iraq and the subsequent occupation, genocide, maiming and torture of a sovereign nation.
Freed journalist denies he ignored advice
Australia: Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says an SBS journalist detained by militants in Iraq was in an area of Baghdad to which he was advised not to travel.
Australia's Baghdad embassy to be moved
He says the embassy is currently located several kilometres from that area and security provided by Australian troops is "adequate".
Why is war-torn Iraq giving $190,000 to Toys R Us?
If that seems backwards, it's because it is. Iraqis have never been awarded reparations for any of the crimes they suffered under Saddam, or the brutal sanctions regime that claimed the lives of at least half a million people, or the US-led invasion, which the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, recently called "illegal". Instead, Iraqis are still being forced to pay reparations for crimes committed by their former dictator.
Iraq war protesters take to London streets
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of central London to protest against the Iraq war as Prime Minister Tony Blair struggles to shake-off fierce criticism of the invasion.
Blast hits cafe near Iraqi Australian embassy
A loud explosion has rocked a cafe frequented by Iraqi militia near the Australian embassy in Baghdad, according to witnesses.
US launches air bombing on Fallujah
US planes raided the Iraqi town of Fallujah killing five people and wounding 16. US warplanes have launched sustained and fierce attacks on the Iraqi town of Fallujah, witnesses said.
500,000 Iraqis may be in mass graves?
Satire: Baghdad, Iraq - Fatima Al-Zahra is believed to have up the ante and said Saddam Hussein's government buried as many as 500,000 opponents in 300 mass graves that dot the Iraqi landscape.
Five killed as US militants clash with resistance
United States warplanes have dropped a huge bomb on the Iraqi city of Fallujah after US marines clashed with resistance on the eastern fringes of the Sunni Muslim bastion.
Weapons inspectors missed WMD in Iraq
An Iraqi minister has said United Nations nuclear inspectors are welcome to return in response to concerns of an "apparent systematic dismantlement" of Saddam Hussein's once-vigorous nuclear program.
US accused of breaching international law
The United States is violating international law by holding prisoners in its war on terror incommunicado and in secret hiding places, Human Rights Watch said in a report to be published on Tuesday calling for an end to such practices.
Observers endorse Afghan election despite complaints
International observers in Afghanistan have endorsed the nation's first, [alleged], democratic election despite, [pre-emptive strikes on the Sovereign Nation, subsequent occupation, genocide, maiming, torture and a puppet government, as well as], irregularities that caused several candidates to boycott the poll. The, [alleged], voter enthusiasm for Saturday's first democratic poll in Afghanistan was, [allegedly], formidable.[?]
Kerry attacks Bush's Middle East policy
The US Democratic presidential contender, John Kerry, has slammed, [war criminal], President George W Bush's Middle East policy, saying democracy cannot be imposed on foreign nations.
Bloodshed continues as Rumsfeld visits Iraq
Two blasts have killed up to 18 people, including an American, [militant], in Baghdad, hours before US Defence, [War], Secretary, [War Criminal], Donald Rumsfeld visited Iraq to gauge efforts to calm violence ahead of January elections?
US votes against the draft
The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would have brought back compulsory militant service. The measure sought to require Americans aged between 18 and 26 to perform two years of national service.
Gaddafi joins calls for British hostage's release
Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has added his voice to calls for the release of British engineer Ken Bigley, who was kidnapped by resistance in Iraq last month. He also called on the, [war criminal], British Government to use its influence to persuade Iraqi and the, [war criminal], United States authorities to free a number of Iraqi prisoners, in line with the, [resistance], demands.
Australian caretaker Prime Minister, [war criminal], John Howard 'a rodent type' does not need to apologise for the illegal and degrading war in Iraq despite a new report that has found Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction at the time of the US-led invasion.
IRAQ: `Things are definitely not improving'
It's been a frequent refrain of US officials that Washington is winning its counter-insurgency war in Iraq. "It's very important for the people of the world really to know that we are winning, we are making progress in Iraq. We are defeating terrorists." In this case, however, it was US-installed Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi who made the claim.
Nothing fair about more lies, fear, terror and war!
Who's going to be sacrificed? for HoWARd's illegal and degrading war in Iraq and Australia's current foreign policies that are morally bankrupt?
Allies 'planned' Iraq war despite denials
The United States, Australia and Britain started to plan the invasion of Iraq months before the conflict, according to a report Wednesday quoting a leaked Pentagon document.
UN warns of Iraqi malnutrition
One in four Iraqis are dependent on food rations to survive and many of them have to sell what little food they have for basic necessities like medicine and clothes, the UN World Food Program (WFP) said.
Jordan's king doubts Iraqi elections possible
Iraq is far too unsafe to hold elections as scheduled in January and extremists would do well in the poll if Baghdad tried to hold it, Jordan's King Abdullah said in an interview. Excluding troubled areas from the nationwide poll would only isolate Iraq's Sunnis and create deeper divisions in the country, he said.
British hostage pleads with Blair to save his life?
A video, [allegedly], posted on an Islamic web site and allegedly recorded by Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi's group in Iraq has shown British hostage, Kenneth Bigley, pleading to, war criminal, Prime Minister Tony Blair to save his life.
Annan tells world leaders to respect law
United Nations (UN) secretary-general Kofi Annan has made an impassioned plea to bring about the rule of law across the globe today. Mr Annan told world leaders to respect international law at home and abroad.
The 'coalition of the killing's' complicities - the US, Britain and Australia - have insisted that their countries' military action in Iraq was legal after they have committed war crimes against humanity.
Iraq war illegal, says Annan
United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan says the United States decision to invade Iraq in March 2003 was "illegal". Australia was a key supporter of the war on Iraq and sent troops to join the United States-led invasion last year.
Bush team 'knew of abuse' at Guantanamo
Evidence of prisoner abuse and possible war crimes at Guantanamo Bay reached the highest levels of the Bush administration as early as autumn 2002, but Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary, chose to do nothing about it, according to a new investigation.
Australia will not Save Your Soul
The Federal Government will not Save Australian Soul's? Even if they're an innocent bystander caught up in it. Despite a group claiming to have kidnapped two Australian security guards? The alleged group, which allegedly calls itself the Horror Brigades of the Islamic Secret Army, allegedly has given the, war criminal, Prime Minister John Howard 24 hours to end Australia's involvement in Iraq.
World wants Bush out: poll
The world wants United States President, [war criminal], George W Bush out of the White House, according to a poll that shows in 30 of 35 countries people preferred Democrat candidate John Kerry.
Free Speech Free Speech "New York Style" Eight Blocks to Go !
The opening day of the Republican National Convention. Rudy Giuliani, New York City's beloved mayor, spoke. Giuliani disappointed me, although that shouldn't surprise anyone. He spoke about the Iraq war as if it were part of the War on Terror. Speaking with Bill Hemmer, he spoke of the Iraq war as if it were the War on Terror.
Anti-Bush rally hits New York streets
More than 100,000 people have marched through New York on the eve of the Republican National Convention, protesting against President George W Bush and the war in Iraq.
TIDE? OR IVORY SNOW?: Public Power in the Age of Empire
When language has been butchered and bled of meaning, how do we understand "public power"? When freedom means occupation, when democracy means neo-liberal capitalism, when reform means repression, when words like "empowerment" and "peacekeeping" make your blood run cold - why, then, "public power" could mean whatever you want it to mean. A biceps building machine, or a Community Power Shower. So, I'll just have to define "public power" as I go along, in my own self-serving sort of way.
Najaf clashes stretch hospital to the limit
Some stroke victims are too afraid of the fighting to go to hospital, doctors don't have the medical instruments to save many victims of mortar bombs and snipers and ambulances cannot get to patients at night. Najaf's main hospital can barely cope with the chaos gripping the city of 500,000 after three weeks of battles between resistance Shiite's and US militants.
Journalists ordered to leave Najaf as fighting continues
Journalists have been kicked out of Najaf as clashes flared in the Iraqi city, prompting speculation that a major United States-led assault on resistance Shiite fighters was imminent.
Enemy Mortars attack opening of Iraqi summit
US Enemies have fired mortars at a meeting where Iraqi puppet government leaders met to pick an interim national assembly, killing at least two people.
Howard's war crimes, Turnbull, at least he's honest
HIGH-profile Liberal candidate Malcolm Turnbull has told voters the Iraq invasion was "an unadulterated error".
Alexanda Downer guilty of war crimes!
The agreement for going to war on Iraq carried with it and incentive and that was free trade with the US. The Howard Government knew about it and went along with it with the US under the guise of Iraq's WMDs. In criminal law this is commonly know as collusion to commit a crime.
John Howard's war crimes blameworthy
General Peter Gration is the spokesman for a group of 43 ex-military leaders, diplomats and departmental heads who have criticised the Government, saying involvement in Iraq has put Australia at greater risk of a terrorist attack.
Human Rights Watch slams Iraq war attacks
Human Rights Watch has condemned the 'wanton' targeting of civilians by 'armed militants', in Iraq. Then what about the Coalition of the Killing?
Genocide and Torture in Iraq: Justice in the balance?
No one is more vulnerable than a prisoner held beyond the reach of the law. So the grim picture of life as a US detainee, [prisoner], held without charge or trial, set out in the Guardian yesterday by three Britons should come as no surprise.
Auditor Generals damning war report
The Defence Department computer system upgrade has cost Australia tens of millions of dollars in a gigantic bungle, according to the Federal Opposition. The Commonwealth auditor-general has issued a damning report into the project.
Truck drivers working for US face death: resistance
A lot has been written about Insurgents they're all over the place these days especially in Iraq and the term means "Rebel" so all the Rebel's once they've been locked up and "tortured" become "Enemy Combatants" without any "rights". Can someone explain to me what is going on?
Ancient Babylon ruined by foreign troops: Iraqi minister
Iraq: Foreign forces in Iraq have caused severe damage to the site of ancient Babylon, one of the world's most renowned archaeological treasures, and need to leave the area as soon as possible, Iraq's Culture Minister Mofeed al-Jazaeri said.
UK report propaganda
Damaged basic services, cover up of key intelligence and prisoner abuse........They got that right but they got the remedy of the report wrong. Sure as hell they're using this as serious "propaganda".
Iraqis accuse British troops of war crimes.........
British troops committed "war crimes" in post-war Iraq, unlawfully killing civilians and beating and torturing prisoners in their custody, lawyers for the victims have alleged. Soldiers played cruel "games" with prisoners, forcing them to recite lists of English or Dutch footballers and beating them if they failed, Phil Shiner, a British lawyer leading six test cases in the High Court this week, said.
Fifteen "resistance" killed in Iraq shootout
The US military said insurgents opened fire on Iraqi security forces as they provided security for the 1st Infantry Division during a raid in a nearby farming area.
US:Military Draft expected
US: There is pending legislation in the House and Senate (twin bills: S 89 and HR 163) which will time the program's initiation so the draft can begin at early as Spring 2005 -- just after the 2004 presidential election. The administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed now, while the public's attention is on the elections, so our action on this is needed immediately.
US accused of butting into Australian election
The Prime Minister, war criminal, John Howard couldn't win an election this year if he hired the cheerleaders of the US Super Bowl. Howard the coward has accused the Opposition leader of hypocrisy in his response to the, war criminal. Bush administration's criticism of Labor's Iraq policy.
Whatcha Gonna Do, When They Come For You? Bad boy!
Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was a threat and sought to possess weapons of mass destruction, United States President, [war criminal], George W Bush reaffirmed when asked why no such weapons had been discovered in Iraq.
Saddam trial US propaganda
Saddam will be handed over to Iraqi, [puppet], justice on Wednesday, two days after the country allegedly regained sovereignty from Washington, but US militants will still guard him to ensure he does not escape.
US liars warn against 'fortress Australia'
The US and Australia could lose the war on terror, [the Coalition of the Killing's resource war's in the Middle East], if they adopted a fortress mentality and failed to go after the terrorists, [scapegoats and patsies], in their global strongholds, US ambassador to Australia Tom Schieffer warned yesterday.
Fahrenheit 9/11: Cannes ends in controversy
Moore's film - about the, [war criminal], George Bush presidency and its response to, [US reichstag, call to arms, false flag], 9/11 and the subsequent, [resource], wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - pulls no punches in depicting George W. as a duplicitous buffoon.
George Bush never looked into Nick's eyes
My son, Nick, was my teacher and my hero. He was the kindest, gentlest man I know; no, the kindest, gentlest human being I have ever known. He quit the Boy Scouts of America because they wanted to teach him to fire a handgun. Nick, too, poured into me the strength I needed, and still need, to tell the world about him.
IRAQ: CPT Colleagues Describe Massacre in Fallujah
What is portrayed in the US mass media as a grand and heroic firefight is,in reality, the crassest, goriest, and basest single incident of massacre of innocents by US troops in recent memory.
Lose the Occupation and Win the War on Liberty!
Friendly allies do pull militants out of illegal battles, believe it or not, under the heading, lose the battle and win the war. In this case it's lose the Occupation and Win the War on Liberty.
Spain demands 'radical change' in Iraq strategy
Spain's prime minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has demanded a "radical change" in the post-war strategy in Iraq otherwise he would withdraw Spanish militants from the country.
Well think about this! Australia's intelligence agencies, [fear mongering, propaganda agencies], look set to receive a substantial funding boost in this year's Federal Budget, with the Prime Minister saying it is an obvious step to take.
US to increase Iraq border security in Iraq
Just plain rubbish, the USA are the terrorists and are dividing and conquering Iraq, by attacking the Shiite Muslims and blaming it on someone else another "A" typical false flag operation.
Halliburton's Ancient Scandals
In the world of corporate scandals, the story breaks, there is a frenzy of reportage, a culprit in the lower levels of upper management is thrown to the SEC and then, slowly, the story dies.
Missile defence program 'will lead to arms race'
A group of Australian doctors opposed to war is warning national security will be compromised by any proposed involvement in the United States' missile defence program 'Son of a bitch'..
Pope calls for sanctions on leaders who violate rights
Leader of the child molesters, Pope John Paul II has called for political leaders who violate human rights to be punished, in a World Day of Peace message released amid worldwide debate over how Saddam Hussein should be brought to justice.
War criminals should be tried: Human Rights
The UN War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague should try George Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard for their part in the coalition of the killing for crimes against humanity.
Who cares wins? Those who inflict or those who endure?
When occupation means war then who cares wins? Not those who can inflict the most, but those who can endure the most, I would have thought.
Coalition of the Killing's alliance against law 'the wrong way'
Australia and Britain [and the Coalition of the Killing], could have agreed that the [resource], wars on Afghanistan, Iraq, and liberty, the proliferation of Security Housing Units, and Detention Centres, can be addressed unilaterally - a trend in the US that is feared all over the world - but must be faced collectively.
After a war waged by the U.S. military against Vietnam which took the lives of more than 3 million Vietnamese people and more than 58,000 GIs, the U.S. finally withdrew in 1975. It had suffered its first official major military defeat by a united people struggle led by the Vietnamese, along with a mass U.S. anti-war movement.
Police surround protesters outside US Embassy
Thousands of protesters have marched to the Lodge to protest against [war criminal], US President George W Bush's visit. The protesters had rallied outside Parliament House, booing when the president arrived this morning and chanting "go home Bush you war criminal".
David Burchell: Paradox of anti-Americanism
[War criminal] President George W. Bush's trip to our shores today has focused attention on a striking fact - the apparently irresistible rise in hostility among many Australians towards the US.
Pilger said White House knew Saddam was no threat
Australian investigative journalist John Pilger says he has evidence the war against Iraq was based on a lie which could cost George W Bush and Tony Blair their jobs and bring Prime Minister John Howard down with them.
Illegal and degrading war crimes: Society on the New World Order (OWN)! While Australia and the US are very distinctive societies war criminal, Prime Minister John Howard and war criminal, President George Bush share core values.
Thousands march for peace! But does that mean no war?
THOUSANDS of people took to the streets around the country yesterday to march against the war in Iraq and for world peace.
US disturbed over 'biased' reporting in Arab media! But the US lies to the world! How could anyone describe pre-emptive strikes on a sovereign nation, occupation, genocide, torture, and human rights abuse by the Coalition of the Killing in a positive light?
Coalition force 'surprised' by stiff resistance for food aid
About 4,000-5,000 allied forces have launched what they vowed would be an all-out blitz. "We're going straight through that city," a US Marine officer, who asked not to be named, said. "It will be a Hail Mary with guns ablazing."
Explosions rock Baghdad, jets overhead Iraq
BAGHDAD, March 20 [Rooters] A handful of explosions rocked Baghdad at dawn today as jets roared overhead, Iraqi anti-aircraft batteries opened up and air raid sirens sounded.
Bin Laden calls? CIA blind man's bluff!
A [US propaganda, fear-mongering] taped message purportedly from Osama bin Laden has warned Arab nations against supporting a war against Iraq but has branded Saddam Hussein an infidel.
The Australian Federal Opposition and Labor Party Leader, Simon Crean, has again warned the U.S. ambassador to stop meddling in Australian politics.
War: Part one The human cost
On the road to Basra, ITV was filming wild dogs as they tore at the corpses of the Iraqi dead. Every few seconds a ravenous beast would rip off a decaying arm and make off with it over the desert in front of us, dead fingers trailing through the sand, the remains of the burned military sleeve flapping in the wind. "Just for the record,'' the cameraman said to me. Of course. Because ITV would never show such footage.
Mandela speaks out against Bush, Blair
Former South African leader Nelson Mandela has lashed out at US President George W Bush's stance on Iraq, saying the US leader has no foresight, and cannot think properly.
All the way with (LPK) Love Peace and Kindness: Dalai Lama
Communication is a two way street. Threats and punishment solve nothing and serve none. In fact it is against the law in most countries to threaten or punish a person.
Pleas for peace ring the globe
Anti-war demonstrators turned out in their hundreds of thousands around the world on Saturday to protest against United States military preparations for an invasion of Iraq.
Not too late for Iraq peace, Blix says
But we all know that's rubbish now. The Coalition of the Killing were not seeking WMD in Iraq, they were there for their resource wars. So who gave the 'UN' and Blix the wrong information back then? War criminals!
George Bush's other poodle
John Howard, Australia's PM, is the mouse that roars for America, whipping his country into war fever and paranoia about terrorism within.
Govt, police 'let off the hook' Haneef inquiry
11 years ago


text:
Monday, February 11, 2008
Birthday Boy!!
Okay, this is rather late, but here is Josiah on his 4th birthday in his super hero cape!! It's hard to see the red J on this, but it is there!
Posted by Mom to 5...Daughter of the King at 10:33 AM
2 comments:
- Dawn said...
awww, he's such a cutie pie!!
- February 11, 2008 at 3:15 PM
- erin richardson said...
- February 11, 2008 at 4:07 PM
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text:
Antmarin Inc.; Georgios P. Tzanakos; Domar S.r.l.
B-296317: Jul 26, 2005
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
(202) 512-8278
Kenneth E. Patton
(202) 512-8205
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
Antmarin, Inc., Georgios P. Tzanakos, and Domar S.r.l. protest the Department of the Navy's decision to exercise an option (specifically, option year 6) under contract No. N68171-99-D-4029, awarded to MLS-Multinational Logistic Services, Ltd. for the provision of husbanding services to the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force vessels in over 40 ports throughout the Mediterranean. The protesters argue that the Navy's exercise of the option failed to comply with regulatory requirements, the decision was arbitrary, and that it was the result of the agency's lack of advance planning.
We deny the protest.
B-296317, Antmarin Inc.; Georgios P. Tzanakos; Domar S.r.l., July 26, 2005
The decision issued on the date below was subject to a GAO Protective Order. This redacted version has been approved for public release.
Matter of: Antmarin Inc.; Georgios P. Tzanakos; Domar S.r.l.
Craig A. Holman, Esq., and Kara L. Daniels, Esq., Holland & Knight LLP, for the protesters.
Walter A. I. Wilson, Esq., Lawrence M. Prosen, Esq., and Donald E. Santarelli, Esq., Bell, Boyd & Lloyd PLLC, for MLS, Limited, an intervenor.
Vicki E. O'Keefe, Esq., and Michael D. Rossiter, Esq., Naval Supply Systems Command, for the agency.
Edward Goldstein, Esq., and Christine S. Melody, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision.
Protest that agency improperly exercised option is denied where agency reasonably determined that exercising the option was the most advantageous means of satisfying the agency's needs.
Antmarin, Inc., Georgios P. Tzanakos, and Domar S.r.l. protest the Department of the Navy's decision to exercise an option (specifically, option year 6) under contract No. N68171-99-D-4029, awarded to MLS-Multinational Logistic Services, Ltd.[1] for the provision of husbanding services to the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force vessels in over 40 ports throughout the
As explained by the parties, U.S. Navy ships visiting ports (at which the Navy does not maintain a base) frequently require and obtain husbanding services and supplies from contractors. These services and supplies generally include trash and sewage removal, refueling arrangements, force protection for ships, transportation for ship members, as well as the provision of fresh food and water. Historically, husbanding services in the Mediterranean region had been awarded under 36 port-specific contracts. In early 1998, however, the Navy issued a single solicitation for regional husbanding services throughout the
Eight firms competed for the Mediterranean regional contract. MLS,[3] however, was the only contractor to submit a proposal for all countries and all ports (MLS submitted its proposal on an all or none basis)--the other offerors submitted proposals for only portions of the requirement, limited to particular ports or countries. Overall, MLS's total price ($234.6 million) was substantially lower than the lowest composite price of the other firms' proposals ($412 million), a difference of approximately $177 million. Agency Report (AR), Tab 6, Determination Not to Exercise Option Year Seven, at 1.
Under its contract, MLS is required to provide, among other services, force protection for the ships, trash and sewage disposal, replenishment of water and food, arranging for pilots, tugs, and line handlers, providing water taxi services, and other supplies or services as needed. At specified ports, MLS is also required to provide unique port services, including, for example, air terminal services for military aircrafts, and in support of operations other than war (e.g., emergency situations caused by natural disaster, terrorism, etc.), MLS is required to fulfill logistical requirements including, for example, providing liaisons with local political and police authorities. AR at 1-2.
The husbanding requirements are set forth in a Schedule of Supplies/Services and Prices, which provides for numerous fixed-price and unpriced contract line items. Contract, attach. 3. As a general matter, where a requirement has not been priced, MLS is required to assist the Navy in contracting, from at least three reliable sources. Contract, attach. 5, B.4. As to the purchase of fresh fruit and vegetables (FFV), which were not priced, MLS is required to solicit three sources and provide the information to the Navy only for purchases in excess of $10,000.
So far, the agency has exercised six of the nine options under the contract. It is the exercise of the sixth option, covering the period
Before an option can be exercised, an agency must make a determination that exercise of the option is the most advantageous method of fulfilling its needs, price and other factors considered. FAR sect. 17.207(c)(3). This determination must be based on one of the following findings: (1) a new solicitation fails to produce a better price or a more advantageous offer; (2) an informal market survey or price analysis indicates that the option price is lower or the more advantageous offer; or (3) the time between contract award and option exercise is short enough and the market stable enough that the option price is the lowest price obtainable or the more advantageous offer. FAR sect. 17.207(d). With regard to the consideration of other factors, under FAR sect. 17.207(c)(3), the contracting officer should take into account the need for continuity of operations as well as the potential costs of disrupting operations. FAR sect. 17.207(e). The contracting officer is accorded broad discretion in making this determination, and our Office will therefore not question the decision to exercise an option, rather than conduct a new procurement, unless it is shown to be unreasonable or contrary to applicable regulations. Sippican, Inc., B-257047.2,
We find no basis to question the agency's exercise of option 6. The record reflects that the contracting officer based her decision to exercise option 6 on an informal analysis of prices or an examination of the market. AR, Tab 7, Determination to Exercise Option Year Six. More specifically, the Navy considered the fact that during the initial competition, MLS's price (to include options) was 43 percent lower than the best composite pricing drawn from the other offerors, that MLS's escalation in prices from option year 5 to for option year 6 was close in line with that of other offerors in the original competition, and that MLS's escalation in price from the base year to option year 6 was less than that of other offerors in the original competition.[5] Agency's Response to Protesters' Comments at 7.
In addition, the Navy compared MLS's escalation rate for option 6 with the 2004 average rate of inflation for each country under the contract. In comparing these rates, the Navy noted that MLS's average percentage rate increase for all countries was 1.66 percent higher than the average of the inflation rates for all countries under the contract. Considering only the countries actually visited in the past year, MLS's average price increase was 2.14 percent higher than the average inflation rates for those countries. However, the agency also noted that MLS's average rate increase for the countries visited the most under the contract in the prior year was 2.09 percent lower than the average increase in the rate of inflation for these countries.[6] The contracting officer also considered that MLS's prices for sewage and trash removal services in Naples, Italy are approximately [deleted] percent lower than those of a separate Navy contract in Gaeta, Italy, and that from option year 4 through the end of option year 5, MLS was highly rated for past performance in many respects and either stable or better in virtually all categories. AR, Tab 7, Determination to Exercise Option Year Six.
Aside from price and performance considerations, in deciding to exercise option 6, the Navy highlighted the fact that the process of resoliciting and awarding a new contract would take more than 12 months,[7] and that the Navy requires the husbanding services under MLS's contract, which, in the past year supported 356 ships in 633 port visits, in 52 ports and 13 countries, on a continuous basis without interruption. AR at 6; Tab 7, Determination to Exercise Option Year Six. This was a significant concern for the agency because, as explained by the Navy, many of the ships visiting ports were replenishing supplies as they moved to and from the Persian Gulf carrying critical war material in direct support of Operation Freedom, and other ships required port visits in order to execute their daily missions of regional counter'terrorism and participation in NATO and other joint exercises. AR at 4.
In challenging the agency's determination to exercise option 6, the protesters principally rely on the agency's determination not to exercise option 7 under MLS's contract, which was signed several days prior to the determination to exercise option 6. As part of the determination not to exercise option 7, the contracting officer indicates that she is unable to make a determination that exercise of option 7 is the most advantageous method of fulfilling the government's need, price and other factors considered, and includes a request for authority to commence the planning for competition of the husbanding services requirements currently provided under the MLS contract. The determination also includes a tentative schedule for a 12-month acquisition process, which includes development of a new solicitation, issuance of the solicitation, receipt and evaluation of proposals, and award of a new contract. AR, Tab 6, Determination Not to Exercise Option Year Seven, at 5. As support for its determination and request to proceed with planning for a new solicitation, the contracting officer identified a variety of factors.
Specifically, the contracting officer noted that when the Navy awarded MLS's contract, the political and economic situation in
Given the Navy's determination not to exercise option 7, the protesters assert that the determination in favor of exercising option 6, made days later, was a completely arbitrary concoction apparently issued in order to justify an extension caused by the Navy's failure to test the market in a timely fashion. Protesters' Comments at 16. The two determinations, however, are not wholly at odds as argued by the protester. Rather, as the Navy argues, they reflect the contracting officer's reasonable effort to address a difficult acquisition planning problem--the need to obtain necessary services on an uninterrupted basis from a quality contractor, while also justifying and planning for a follow-on acquisition, which requires the length of one option period for completion. Given these circumstances, it was reasonable for the Navy to conclude on the one hand that exercise of option 7 was not in the best interest of the government since it was due to be exercised more than 12 months from the date of the determination, and on the other hand to conclude that exercise of option 6 was in the best interest of the government, given the Navy's legitimate need for continuity of services, as well as the Navy's determination that MLS's prices were in line with market prices and that it had a positive record of past performance. While this analysis may not have placed maximization of price competition for the option 6 requirements as a top priority, as may have been the case in the agency's decision to issue a new solicitation instead of exercising option year 7, maximizing price competition is not required in the exercise of an option. Rather, the determination whether to exercise an option requires a balancing of many factors and it is this balancing and weighing of factors which characterizes the discretion afforded agencies in this area.
In arguing that the agency's exercise of option 6 was the result of the Navy's lack of advance planning, the protesters maintain that the Navy should have evaluated whether to exercise option 6 approximately 1 year before the option exercise date, just as it had done with option 7. The logic of this argument, however, falls under its own weight. Had the Navy, as the protesters suggest, analyzed the exercise of option 6 a year earlier, and made a determination not to exercise the option, the determination to exercise option 5 also would have been improper under the theory advanced by the protesters, unless the option 5 determination had also been made a year in advance. Following the protesters' argument to its logical conclusion, the Navy would have had to decide whether to exercise the first option at the moment of contract award, a clearly unreasonable circumstance.
Moreover, the decisions cited by the protesters as support for their assertion that the Navy's exercise of option 6 violated well-established law requiring reasonable advance planning, are inapposite. All of the cases cited by the protesters in this regard involve situations where agencies, owing to their lack of advance planning, awarded contracts using noncompetitive procedures, e.g., sole-source awards under FAR Part 6. See, e.g., VSE Corp., Johnson Controls World Servs., Inc., B-290452.3, et al., May 23, 2005, 2005 CPD para. 103 at ____; Signals & Sys., Inc., B-288107, Sept. 21, 2001, 2001 CPD para. 168 at 9. We sustained those protests, citing the requirements of the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) of 1984, 41 U.S.C. sect. 253(f)(5)(A), which expressly provides that under no circumstance may noncompetitive procedures be used due to a lack of advanced planning by contracting officials.
In this case, the agency did not utilize noncompetitive procedures; rather, the Navy exercised an option, which had been evaluated as part of the initial competition and thus satisfied the requirement for full and open competition.[8] In such a situation, the determination to exercise the option simply does not require the same degree or kind of advance acquisition planning required to meet the competition mandates of CICA for the award of a new contract, and thus the decisions relied upon by the protesters do not apply.
The protesters also challenge the adequacy of the Navy's price analysis, arguing that it was unreasonable for the Navy to compare MLS's prices with those of the original competition because these prices are no longer valid due to the passage of time and changes in the market conditions, as acknowledged by the agency in its decision not to exercise option 7.[9] The Navy did compare MLS's prices with those of the original competition and reasonably focused on the fact that MLS's price was approximately 43 percent lower than the other offerors' (a significant difference), and that MLS's escalation for its option year pricing was in line with the increases of the other offerors (demonstrating that MLS's did not offer overly inflated option year pricing in the original competition). Contrary to the protesters' suggestions, the Navy did not rely exclusively on a comparison of the prices from the original competition.
Rather, the Navy compared MLS's rate of increase for its option pricing with the current inflation rates for the countries visited and concluded that they were actually lower when compared with the average rate of inflation for the countries most visited. While the protesters maintain that the countries' average inflation rates do not provide a valid basis of comparison because they are more general, and therefore are not a good indicator of the increase or decrease in prices for the particular products and services under MLS's contract, the protesters fail to present any specific evidence suggesting that MLS's prices are actually higher than those found in the market. In addition, as noted above, the Navy specifically compared MLS's prices for sewage and trash removal services in
As a final matter, the protesters mistakenly rely on our decisions in Banknote Corp. of Am., Inc., B-250151,
Specifically, in Banknote, the agency's needs exceeded the estimated quantities under the contract by more than 50 percent in the year prior to the agency's option exercise and by more than 16 percent, 2 months into the option year. There has been no similar showing in this case. Rather, the record suggests the agency's requirements are decreasing--the number of ship visits under MLS's contract has declined from the date of award to the beginning of option year 6--a fact suggesting that a new solicitation could result in higher prices.[11]
Similarly, in AAA Eng'g & Drafting, the agency exercised an option based on prices for 736 square feet of warehouse space; yet, the agency's requirements under the contract had grown to 8,820 square feet. Moreover, the protester in that case presented evidence that prices for similar warehouse space had decreased to less than half of that charged under the option exercised by the agency. Again, the protesters have not made a similar showing or presented any evidence to suggest that MLS's option 6 prices are substantially higher than those paid in the current market.
We conclude that the Navy's determination under FAR sect. 17.207 that exercise of option 6 under MLS's contract was in the best interest of the government, price and other factors considered, was not unreasonable and was in accordance with applicable regulations. While the protesters ultimately disagree with the Navy's judgments in balancing its need for continuity of services, price, and the difficulties posed by a lengthy and complex acquisition planning process, their disagreement does not demonstrate that the Navy abused its discretion in deciding not to compete the option requirements at issue.
The protest is denied.
Anthony H. Gamboa
General Counsel
[1] The Navy entered into a novation agreement resulting in the transfer of the contract from MLS-Multinational Logistic Services, Ltd. to the intervenor, MLS, Limited. The intervenor represents that MLS, Limited has recently changed its name to that of the original contractor, MLS-Multinational Logistic Services, Ltd. The protesters argued in part that the Navy's decision to novate the contract was a nullity and contrary to law because MLS-Multinational Logistics Services, Ltd. had expired or dissolved by operation of Maltese law prior to the novation--MLS'Multinational Logistic Services, Ltd. had been a Maltese offshore company, according to the protesters. The protesters further argued that the exercise of the option to MLS, Limited constituted an improper sole-source award, as a consequence of the improper novation. In developing the case, our Office dismissed these issues because they turned on the propriety of the novation agreement--a matter of contract administration--which is not for GAO's review.
[2] The Navy requested dismissal of the protesters' challenge to the exercise of option 6 arguing that the decision to exercise an option is a matter of contract administration and therefore not for our review. See 4 C.F.R. sect. 21.5(a) (2005). While our Office views an agency's decision not to exercise an option as a matter of contract administration, we will entertain protests arguing that an agency unreasonably decided to exercise an option in an existing contract, rather than conduct a new procurement. See, e.g., Test Sys. Assocs., Inc., B-244007.6,
[3] According to the protester, 14 Navy husbanding contractors (including Antmarin, Tzanakos, and Domar) joined in the purchase of MLS-Multinational Logistic Services, Ltd. to compete for the Mediterranean husbanding contract requirements. Principles from the three protesters, Antmarin, Tzanakos, and Domar, were elected to serve on the board of directors for MLS-Multinational Logistic Services, Ltd.. However, as described by the protesters, due to disagreements with other board members, they have been effectively excluded from the operations of MLS-Multinational Logistic Services, Ltd. and the successor contractor, MLS, Limited. Protest at 3, 7.
[4] The contract included Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clause 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 1989), which states in relevant part:
(a) The Government may extend the term of the contract by written notice to the Contractor; provided that the Government shall give the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 60 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.
Contract at 13.
[5] The Navy noted that MLS's escalation from option year 5 to year 6 was 4.9 percent, while the price escalation for the two other offerors considered by the agency was 4.4 percent and 4.7 percent. In addition, the Navy noted that the total escalation in pricing from the base year to option year 6 was 12.92 percent while the escalation of the two other offerors considered was 18.62 percent and 25.29 percent. While the protester contends that the Navy's analysis was flawed because it did not compare MLS's prices to all offerors' prices, the Navy explains that it only considered the price information for those offerors in the competitive range that had submitted price information on a sufficient number of ports to perform a meaningful comparison. Agency's Response to Protester's Comments at 7. The protesters do not provide any reason to suggest that the agency's judgment in this regard was unreasonable.
[6] The Navy defined countries most visited to mean those that comprised at least 5 percent of total visits and noted that these countries, when combined, constituted 89 percent of total visits: (1)
[7] The Navy indicated that the acquisition planning process for soliciting and awarding regional husbanding contracts is complex and time-consuming. In developing the solicitation, the Navy obtains input from many agency customers, with at times conflicting requirements. Based on past experience, the Navy's regional husbanding contract for
[8] Exercise of an option satisfies the requirement for full and open competition, where the option was evaluated as part of the initial competition and it is exercisable at an amount specified in or reasonably determinable from the terms of the basic contract. FAR sect. 17.207(f).
[9] The protesters also argue that the agency failed to properly consider overbilling by MLS during contract performance. Prior to filing their protest, the protesters had raised allegations of overcharging by MLS with the contracting officer. The Navy, however, explains that upon review of these allegations it appeared that they related to invoice reconciliation matters, which MLS had immediately and appropriately remedied after it was alerted as to these issues. See Agency Response to June 15, 2005 Conference Call.
[10] The protesters assert that when the Navy compared MLS's prices for trash and sewage services with those of the Navy's
[11] According to the Navy, in fiscal year 1999, there were 628 visits, while in fiscal year 2004, there were only 355 visits. AR, Tab 6, Determination Not to Exercise Option Year Seven, at 3.
Sep 17, 2020
Sep 16, 2020
Sumaria Systems, Inc.
We deny the protest.
We deny the protest.
Sep 15, 2020
CenturyLink QGS
We deny the protest.
Patronus Systems, Inc.
We sustain the protest.
Sep 11, 2020
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text:
Rugby in The Hague
Welcome to most social rugby club in The Hague and Westland.
WRC Haaglanden and Te Werve is a fusion of WRC Haaglanden and Te Werve RUFC.
Champagne rugby!
Rugby is a sport in which a physical battle goes hand-in–hand with respect and sportsmanship. That is exactly why beautiful rugbyplay and exiting games draw many new players and fans to the pitch.
A suitable team for everyone
Young or old, beginner or experienced, man or woman, recreational or top athlete, there is a suitable team for everyone.
The first team is a selection of highly motivated and experienced rugby men. Meanwhile the second team offers players to grow or the opportunity for players to have an occasional run around when time allows.
There is also a team of Immortals for the veterans among us, a ladies team and a youth division.
All teams train on Tuesday and Thursday. Competition games are held on Sunday or for the younger kids on Saturdays.
Although we aim for competitive results we certainly find the social aspect just as important. Our club members are a tight group of friends but are open to any newcomers. With both carpenters and lawyers and many different nationalities every soul can find a connection here. A rich mix of people, rugby and a bar
6 Spacious changing rooms with warm showers and a 10 meter long bar. What more could you want?
Follow us
The latest gossip, rugby info, match reports and other interesting news can be found on Facebook.
Does this appeal to you? Then come and meet us. Read more about becoming a New Members.


text: I think in the older version of BWs you used to be able to have something like the like word tab showing when you had the analysis tab open. Is there anyway to do that now. I would like to have the word tab open always, but not at the cost of the analysis tab.


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There are 2 item(s) tagged with the keyword "Mura Updates".
Displaying: 1 - 2 of 2
Spent a whole weekend building a new theme. The base is the MuraBootstrap with some insperations from Themeforest and a couple purchased graphic packs. Some customizations had to be made.
But that is ok, I learned something new!
I don't know when the change came about, but I updated to the latest version 5.4.4599 and found that there is either a new file or a large change. The file in question is:
[Site Directory]/includes/Application.cfc
I run a custom banner page so I can have those randomly generated images that you see above. Read more to find out the details and the little addition to get your pages running again and not showing Access Restricted.
Displaying: 1 - 2 of 2


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Written by Turkish chef, Sevtap Yuce, who grew up in Turkey and now lives and owns a restaurant in Australia, 'Turkish Flavours: recipes from a seaside café' consists of classic Turkish dishes with an inspired modern feel.
The book is organised into chapters according to dish type, and include chapters on Mezze and salads. The recipes are easy to read and simple to follow. The book also contains beautiful images of food that will make you want to start cooking right away.
You will find traditional dishes such as koftes, menemen and dolmades as well as yummy sweets such as baklava and yoghurt and olive oil cake. This is for anyone interested in Turkish cooking, or simply tasty food.


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I teach students with multiple disabilities. I hold both a Teacher of the Handicapped Certification and Elementary School Teacher Certification from the State of New Jersey. I am also a Licensed Practical Nurse.
I am on several committees at the school including but not limited to prom, graduation, anti-bullying, and high school curriculum.


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2011 must be the year of the hotrod tow truck or something, because everywhere I go, I find myself surrounded by them. They must see what I drive and just assume that I need help anytime I stop. Anywho… As promised last night, I have more pictures from the ungodly awesome Milltown show. Tonight's display of hotness is a hot rod wrecker of epic proportion. It's low. It's menacing. It's basically everything I have ever wanted. After spending about 15-20 minutes staring at this truck from every angle, I can assure you that it is bigger and badder in person than it is in the photos. Keep that in mind.
Also worth noting: Notice how all the people in the above picture are staring in different directions. A strange moment in time no doubt!


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The security of your Data is very important to www.alpffirs.eu and as such we take all appropriate steps to limit the risk that it may be lost, damaged or misused.
This site expressly and strictly limits its membership and/or viewing privileges to adults 18 years of age and over or having attained the age of majority in their community. All persons who do not meet its criteria are strictly forbidden from accessing or viewing the contents of this Site. We do not knowingly seek or collect any personal information or data from persons who have not attained the age of majority.


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Monthly Means of air temperature
|Last update: Nov. 2016
Monthly averages (approx. 30 years) of ambient air temperature available worldwide resulting from interpolation of measurements made in meteorological networks.
Provider: Meteotest, Switzerland.
Monthly values are taken from the climatological database METEONORM (Remund and Kunz, 1999), which is based on WMO CLINO 1961-90 (1998). It contains 2500 stations.
Input variables:
1. Longitude and latitude in degrees and decimals of degrees. Western longitudes and northern latitudes are positive.
2. Altitude above sea level in meter. If ommitted, the mean altitude of the 5' grid is taken.
Hourly values of ambient temperature is interpolated according SODA interpolation task. The data of the meteorological stations are interpolated on-line.
The interpolation has an rmse of about 2°C for monthly values.
Lefèvre M., Remund J., Albuisson M., Wald L., Study of effective distances for interpolation schemes in meteorology . European Geophysical Society, 27th General Assembly, Geophysical Research Abstracts, vol. 4, April 2002, EGS02-A-03429.
Remund, J. and S. Kunz (1999): METEONORM Version 4.0. Nova Energie GmbH, Schachenallee 29, CH-5000 Aarau , Switzerland.
WMO (1998). 1961 - 90 Climatological Normals (Clino). Version 1.0 - November 1998.CD-ROM. World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. More info


text:
sponsored by
CHRIS COYNE, agent - State Farm Insurance
Jaycees Angel Tree project under way now
Send a link to a friend
[November 17, 2012]
The annual Lincoln Jaycees
Angel Tree is under way. The Angel Tree is a project to help the less
fortunate children of Logan County. Tags with these children's names are
placed on "Angel Trees" around the county. Employees or customers then pick
a child from the names on the tree and buy them gifts. The Lincoln Jaycees
distribute these gifts to the families in time for Christmas.
Gifts need
returned to businesses by Dec. 10.
The Lincoln Jaycees purchase gifts
to go with any names not picked from the trees. If you would like to
make a monetary donation, send it to: Lincoln Jaycees, P.O. Box 254,
Lincoln, IL 62656.
Gift pickup will be at the Lincoln
Jaycees Center, 325 S. Chicago St., on Dec. 15, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4
The Lincoln Jaycees are a
not-for-profit organization serving Lincoln and the surrounding
communities. The Lincoln Jaycees give young people between the ages
of 18 and 40 the tools they need to build the bridges of success for
themselves in the areas of business development, management skills,
individual training, community service and international
connections. Membership meetings are on the third Thursday of each
month at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln Jaycees Center, 325 S. Chicago St.,
and are open to everyone.
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Live Chat
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Sign in to MyChart
Pancreatitis is the redness and swelling (inflammation) of the pancreas. This happens when digestive juices or enzymes attack the pancreas.
The pancreas lies behind your stomach on the left side of your belly or abdomen. It is close to the first part of your small intestine (the duodenum).
The pancreas is a gland. It does 2 main things:
Pancreatitis may be sudden (acute) or ongoing (chronic).
The most common causes of pancreatitis include:
Each person's symptoms may vary. Symptoms may include:
The symptoms of pancreatitis may look like other health problems. Always see your health care provider to be sure.
Your health care provider will look at your past health. He or she will give you a physical exam.
You may have some blood tests done. You may also have some imaging tests including:
The treatment goal is to rest the pancreas and let it heal.
In most cases you:
Pancreatitis often gets better in a few days.
If any problems occur, treatment depends on the type of problem. Treatment may include:
If you have chronic pancreatitis you may also:
Acute pancreatitis usually gets better on its own over time. Most people recover without any problems.
Chronic pancreatitis may also get better on its own. But that can take longer, after a few attacks. Chronic pancreatitis has a greater risk of long-term problems such as:
Vidant Health can connect you to health care professionals to help you understand your condition and guide you through the treatment process. Let's chat.


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Home > Toys & Games > Scale Models > Model Weeping Willow Tree Train Set Scenery Landscape O S HO OO TT - 10PCS
Product Details
This pack of 10 bright green trees have bendable trunks and branches so you can alter the shape of each for added authenticity. It perfect for adding a touch of realism to the sides of your track, enhance the appearance of your model landscape with a touch of greenery.
- Condition: 100% brand new
- Color: Green
- Quantity: 10pcs
- Scale: O S HO OO TT
- Gauge: 1:48 - 1:100
- Approx Height: 3inch (7.5cm)
- Approx Width: 1.75inch (4.5cm)
- Tree branches can be altered to desirable shape
Package Includes:
10pcs model tree in retail package
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What is Team Joseph?
Team Joseph is a non-profit organization whose mission is to aggressively fund cutting edge research to find a treatment or cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It is our goal that when a parent hears a diagnosis of Duchenne, it is simply a manageable condition and no longer terrifying news. Our focus is on rapidly moving basic research into applications that can make a difference for the current generation of boys afflicted with this devastating disease as well as for generations that aren't even born yet. We are a caring community of motivated people joined together in efforts to give young boys affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, not only a chance at a better life, but simply a chance at a life.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Imagine struggling to climb the steps in your home, never experiencing the joy of running, progressively losing independence and having doctor appointments and hospital visits as a regular part of your routine. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common degenerative genetic muscle disease in boys. As most boys are growing stronger and gaining independence, boys with Duchenne are losing muscle function and mobility.
How you can help.
"Individually we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean." ~Ryunosuke Satoro, Japanese Poet
We can't always decide the circumstances that we've been handed, but we can decide how we handle them. Giving rise to hope through action, Team Joseph works on behalf of all young boys and their families who have been affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We can't do it alone – we invite you to join the team! Defeating Duchenne together, we will change and save lives.
Become part of the momentum.


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DOCOMOMO/NOCA Benefit, Saturday July 21st
Location: 330 Chatanooga Street, btwn 24th and Jersey Streets
Times: 9am to 4pm
In the spirit of Summer, the local chapter of docomomo (documentation and conservation of the modern movement) is hosting a "Mostly Mid-Century Modern"* Garage Sale to raise funds in support of their efforts to educate the general public about modern architecture and landscapes and advocate for the preservation of these cultural resources in the Bay Area, which of course include Eichlers!
*mid-century is the focus. there will be other merchandise as well.


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Resource Library
The Food Security and Nutrition Network resource library features practical implementation-focused guides, tools, and training materials.
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text: Philip and Frannie Leach are potters who belong to the great West Country dynasty of Leaches, and are based in Hartland in North Devon. Philip is grandson of the legendary Bernard Leach, and son of the late Michael Leach, in whose pottery Frannie was trained. Frannie also studied in New York, and Philip spent six years in Iran, where he was involved in setting up student workshops. Married in 1977, they opened their Springfield Pottery two years later.