text:
Sources: Norwich shooter had multiple weapons, standoff ended with suicide
Norwich — City police officers were outside the apartment of Jason Razzino, trying to convince him not to harm himself, when he started shooting, hitting one officer, law enforcement sources said Tuesday.
The injured officer, Jonathan Ley, 38, was listed in fair condition Tuesday night at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Police found Razzino in his bathroom, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, ending a standoff that began Monday afternoon at the Cedar Glen Apartments on Cedar Street and continued into Tuesday morning.
Razzino, 30, first fired through the doorway of his apartment in Building D, and then, with officers trying to retreat, shot through a window, sources said. Police believe Ley was shot when Razzino fired through the window, sources said.
Under fire, the officers shot back, unable to find adequate cover on the exposed walkway outside Razzino's third-floor apartment, just a few feet from an open stairwell and to the closest exit.
Three other officers were injured. One fell down the stairs and two others were struck by bullet fragments, causing minor injuries, the sources said.
Police said Razzino shot a rifle and handguns at the officers. Sources said he had at least three weapons — a Mini-14 rifle, which is a lightweight semi-automatic gun, and two handguns. State police would not say whether Razzino had a permit for the weapons.
Dozens of rounds were exchanged, according to sources and witnesses, and in the midst of that chaos, Ley was carried down the stairs by his fellow officers and taken to safety in Building C nearby.
Shortly after hearing the gunfire, Amanda Norman, who lives on the second floor of Building D but had been evacuated to the rental office in Building C, saw police running while carrying the bleeding Ley.
"I heard them say, 'We need more guns. We have an officer down.' It all happened pretty fast," she said.
Norman's 14-year-old sister, Taha, saw Ley's bleeding body and suffered a stress seizure. She was treated The William W. Backus Hospital and later released.
Ley's bullet-proof vest had been cut off, witnesses said. Sources said he had been shot multiple times, including in his hand and leg. He initially was taken to Backus Hospital and then was flown by Life Star to Yale-New Haven Hospital.
SWAT teams called in
When police responded to Razzino's apartment, they knew they were dealing with an armed and suicidal man.
Police quickly began to evacuate his neighbors in Building D, while residents in other buildings were told to stay inside. No one was let in.
Police said they quickly came to the conclusion that Razzino was intent on committing "suicide by cop."
Capt. LJ Fusaro, commander of the state police Tactical Unit, said the state's two SWAT teams responded to the scene, the first around 4 p.m. Fusaro said state police provided cover to get the officers out of the "threat area."
He said numerous techniques were used to try to get Razzino to surrender, but he would not elaborate.
What appeared to be a single gunshot was heard around 10:15 p.m. Monday night, and more loud bangs were heard from the scene after 11 p.m. Police later said officers had at one point "gassed" the apartment and had seen no movement from Razzino. It's unclear when exactly that was during the ordeal and when Razzino took his life.
Norwich police said Tuesday that state police were in charge of the scene. Investigators carrying clipboards spent Tuesday morning combing the grounds near Building D, marking spots on the ground with small evidence cones and measuring distances using a tape wheel. What appeared to be a black vest with straps cut off lay in the rear parking lot near the rental office door. Two evidence markers numbered 1 and 2 were placed near the object.
Apartments still off limits
Norwich Emergency Management Director Gene Arters said 25 Cedar Glen tenants stayed overnight at a shelter set up at Kelly Middle School.
Norman and her family were among them. On Tuesday, wrapped in an American Red Cross blanket, she stood outside the complex wondering when she would be able to return to her apartment.
Tenants in the affected areas of the complex are not being allowed to return because the area remains a crime scene. Arters said the city is arranging for hotel rooms for those who do not have local family or friends with whom they can stay.
Norman said about 10 to 15 minutes prior to being evacuated, her twin brother saw Razzino outside his apartment, smoking a cigarette. She said there was no indication that Razzino was suicidal.
Norman said Razzino had a pregnant girlfriend in the military service. Police said the girlfriend was not in the apartment but that she spoke to police during the standoff, and confirmed that Razzino was suicidal and homicidal. Police also spoke with Razzino's mother, hoping that would diffuse the situation.
Razzino does not appear to have a criminal record in Connecticut. He is originally from Rhode Island and it appears that he had only motor vehicle violations in that state.
Police said that during the standoff, Razzino was monitoring the situation on Facebook and other social media.
His last entry at 3:34 p.m. Monday, in the midst of the standoff, was "Let's bang it out..."
Day Staff Writers Claire Bessette, Sasha Goldstein and Greg Smith contributed to this report.
Cards for wounded officer
Norwich Police are accepting "get well" cards for Officer Jonathan Ley, Police Chief Louis Fusaro said. Cards should be mailed to Officer Jonathan Ley, c/o Norwich Police Department, 70 Thames St., Norwich, CT 06360. Norwich police will deliver the cards to Ley, who is recovering at Yale-New Haven Hospital from several gunshot wounds suffered during an armed standoff Monday afternoon at Cedar Glen Apartments.
Stories that may interest you
Correa's girlfriend: He showed me guns, told me to stay away from his sister
Correa's former girlfriend appeared terrified on the witness stand, hunching behind the judge's bench.
Detective: DNA and fingerprints link Sergio Correa to Griswold crime scene
Detective Frank Cuoco from the state police Eastern District Major Crime Squad testified that a computer monitor found in Sergio Correa's car contained DNA from murder victim Kenneth Lindquist, as well as Correa's fingerprints and DNA.
Lewandowski, House Democrats spar at 1st impeachment hearing
EPA to revoke California's power to set stricter auto emissions standards
GOP leaders want special session to correct 'badly written' meal tax law


text:
GameHitZone.com - Games For Free!
English | Русский | Español | Français | العربية | Português | Deutsch
Download Free Game Extreme Motorbikers
3D moto racing game. Ultimate motorcycle ride on a winding road with tricky opponents and a variety of obstacles. Upgrade your motorbike and use kicks to finish all races.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
You may save up to 15 listings. Please note that this listing will be over-writing your oldest saved listing.
Vehicle Details Prices shown are Manufacturer suggested retail prices only and do not include taxes, license or dealer installed accessories. Contact us with any questions. All vehicles are one of each. MSRP is an acronym for Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price it is not our sale price and is used for comparison purposes. A dealer documentary service fee of up to $150 may be added to the sale price or capitalized cost. All offers expire on close of business the day subject content is removed from website and all financing is subject to credit approval. All transactions are negotiable including price, trade allowance, interest rate (of which the dealer may retain a portion) term and documentary service fee. Any agreement is subject to execution of contract documents. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this data. Please verify any information in question with a dealership sales representative prior to the sale of this vehicle.
Price may exclude tax, title, tags, governmental fees, any emissions testing charges and any finance charges (if applicable). Unless otherwise stated separately in the vehicle details, price does not include documentation, processing, administrative, closing or similar fees. Current mileage may vary due to test drives and vehicle relocation.


text:
As time goes by, especially during your most formative years, who your key influences are start to really take shape, and become of great importance. It's hard for me to imagine my playing as being influenced by anyone else, but I guess it's sort of like imagining being raised by different parents…pretty much impossible! I do know that if I had been influenced by different players, it would've meant that my "tastes" would've also been completely different, and my choices in music would be wildly radical from what I chose to do after all.
Again, the taste you have in music I believe, is sometimes even pre-determined, and is certainly decided by a lot of what kind of music you were exposed to at a very early age, for sure. Today, for example, my daughter had to fill out a form for her upcoming audition for that TV show "The Voice." Many questions were asked about influences on her singing and on her music in general, and also about her family. With us and our backgrounds, it's obviously easy to come up with tons of major influences, but it's harder to really narrow things down to a few, as they want it. Of course, it can be done, but it takes a lot of thought, especially when your influences and musical upbringing has been so eclectic, as hers has been.
It's the same thing with me, her father, but when many people ask me about my influences sometimes it's just easier to say "everything I've ever heard!" This also is very true, as all I have ever heard has gone into what I process through me, and what comes out! It's kind of the way I describe how I come up with my instrumental versions of songs that normally have lyrics. It's not like I sit around saying "darn, how will I ever come up with a new version of that song…." rather, it's simply the way that song that I once heard before now comes through me, and how it is literally "translated" by me onto the guitar.
This takes a lot of experience to have a good handle on, but again, everything I've ever heard, and all that I ever heard in that song's original version somehow manages to find its way into the final version that I put forth.
So when you are making your musical choices, be sure to always be aware of the true musical influences you have, and how they have affected you over time. There's nothing like being able to cite major influences, while at the same time being able to completely sound like yourself!


text:
If you go
What: Annual Deschutes River Clean-up
Where: Riverbend Park
When: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday
It started out as a lesson for his teenage daughter, Rhyan.
On Friday, 34-year-old Russell Huntamer donned scuba gear to search for the 14-year-old's iPhone, which had fallen into the Deschutes River when she and her friends tipped their inflatable mattress while floating.
If you go
What: Annual Deschutes River Clean-up
Where: Riverbend Park
When: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday
But when he got underwater near Columbia Park, he discovered something that should be a lesson to all Central Oregonians: a whole lot of garbage.
"I was very surprised by how much stuff was down there, how much people have been throwing things off of the bridge," he said. "In any given stretch of 100 feet of river, there's at least 50 to 100 bottles and cans, let alone everything else from bikes to Mardi Gras beads."
Huntamer found out what the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council wants everyone to know. The council will host its annual Deschutes River Clean-Up at 10 a.m. Saturday, with volunteers removing invasive weeds and litter. The council has put on the cleanup for about 15 years, according to Education Director Kolleen Yake.
Yake said when the group started the event, there were 12 sites along the river where volunteers cleaned out debris. In the early years, each of those sites had an equal amount of litter. That has changed in the past decade, particularly since Riverbend and Farewell Bend parks opened and floating the river became so popular.
"We've had to focus in that area that people float through the Old Mill District, because unfortunately the quantity of beer bottles and (restaurant) chairs and bikes has increased a hundredfold," Yake said.
Yake said the cleanup always yields a variety of odd garbage: There are the ubiquitous flip-flops and beer cans, but in years past volunteers have found jewelry, chairs, even a safe.
This year, with a variety of volunteer divers and groups that will pick up garbage on land, Yake hopes floaters will get the message: "We hope that a lot of people are on the river because we want to raise awareness about the problem so it doesn't continue to get bigger."
Huntamer initially hoped just to find Rhyan's iPhone, clad in the Lifeproof case that was designed to protect against water and other damage.
"We were thinking we might be able to get to it in time before it was ruined, before the case leaked," he said.
First, father and daughter tried snorkeling, but the current was too intense. So instead, Huntamer made a deal with Rhyan: She could either pay for a new iPhone or she could pay for half of the scuba gear rental. She chose the latter, and Huntamer rented the gear and the tank and headed underwater on Friday.
"I didn't find it on the first day when I dove, but I saw an unreal amount of trash," he said. "I just really thought I should go back down there and get all this stuff."
Huntamer called Central Oregon Diving, where he'd rented the gear, and the store agreed to donate another day of the equipment, plus two tanks of oxygen. At 9 a.m. Saturday, he was back in the water.
While some of the detritus at the bottom of the river seemed to be accidentally dropped, other stuff, like PVC pipe, road signs, 50-gallon drums and a piece of rolled-up cyclone fencing, did not. Huntamer, with help from his family, was in the water until 2 p.m. Saturday.
"What started off as a way to teach my daughter responsibility turned into something more," he said. "It turned into a take-care-of-the-Earth expedition. (A dirty river) is something that just didn't really fit my image of Bend."
And Huntamer might just get the happy ending he'd hoped for. On Saturday, he found Rhyan's cellphone.
"We don't know (if it will work) yet," he said. "It's in a bag of rice. There was a little bit of moisture inside the case."
— Reporter: 541-617-7831, firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Legal Notices, Reprints, Privacy Policy, Info and Rules
All web content copyright 2000-2009 The Maille Artisans International League (M.A.I.L.). Articles, Weaves, Links, and Gallery submissions are the property of the author(s), and any reproduction requires their express written permission.
The Maille Artisans International League (M.A.I.L.) and any affiliates thereof will not be held responsible for any injuries or mishaps in the use or misuse of any information presented at this website whether intentional or coincidental.
Maille construction is not intended for children or intended to be taken lightly. Care must be taken at all times, as sharp hand and power tools may be used, as well as other materials capable of causing injuries or repetitive stress disorders. Take precautions and have fun mailling responsibly.


text:
All Products
All Products
The HOBO RX3000 is Onset's next-generation remote data logging station that provides instant access to site-specific environmental data anywhere, anytime via the internet. The new station combines the flexibility and sensor quality of more expensive systems, an onboard LCD display, and the convenience of plug-and-play operation. The RX3000 has four configurable systems, that can be configured below, that consist of the following part numbers: RX3001-00-01, RX3002-00-01, RX3003-00-01 and RX3004-00-01.
The RX3000 station is the basis for the cost-effective and scalable HOBOnet Field Monitoring System for crop management, environmental research, and greenhouse operations.
This rugged weather station is Onset's most durable outdoor environmental monitoring solution. Users can easily configure the HOBO U30-NRC Weather Station to fit their application needs. Use up to 15 channels to collect environmental data and then upload to HOBOware® software for analysis. HOBOware Pro is recommended for extended features, see the comparison here. The U30-NRC has four configurable systems, that can be configured below, that consist of the following part numbers: U30-NRC-000-05-S100-000, U30-NRC-000-10-S100-000, U30-NRC-VIA-05-S100-000, and U30-NRC-VIA-10-S100-000.
Measure temperature, relative humidity, light intensity, and more with the HOBO U12-012. With 12-bit resolution measurements, this data logger gathers a range of recorded data and stores 43,000 measurements.


text:
From the fringes of space and time comes the dreaded Galactus, prepared to feast on the Ultimate Universe! With an entire universe full of new planets to devour, it's up to the Ultimates to stop him from the catastrophic destruction of their entire universe!
Plus, don't miss the return of fan-favorite Ultimate Vision as she makes a desperate, last-ditch attempt to stop Galactus and the Gah Lak Tus swarm! But is she enough to stop the coming of the dreaded Devourer of Worlds? Witness the beginning of the end in Cataclysm 0.1!
Tom King's Batman Isn't Done With 'The Button' Yet


text:
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera is fond of telling jokes, and he couldn't resist sharing one with 32 other heads of state at a recent meeting in Mexico. Swallow whatever you're drinking and take a seat, because the joke is hilarious, rapey, and definitely worth humiliating yourself over:
Do you know what the difference between a politician and a lady is? When a politician says "yes," he means "maybe," when he says "maybe," he means "no," and if he says "no," he's not a politician. When a lady says "no," she means "maybe," when she says "maybe," she means "yes," and if she says "yes," she's not a lady.'"
That's some comic gold, though unfortunately actual ladies in Chile's government weren't laughing. Pinera's Women's Minister said she didn't find the joke funny, and opposition Senator Ximena Rincon said, "Remarks like these are an affront to women and an embarrassment for this country, in terms of gender politics, they set us back some 20 years."


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
A Galax native has explored his hometown's darkest corners to reveal tales of terror and the unknown.
Brandon Ayers hopes these legends, extracted from locals and presented by professional storytellers and guides, will educate and enthrall during the Ghosts of Galax Haunted Historic Walking Tour.
Ayers, who grew up in Galax, says he got the idea after taking similar ghost tours in Abingdon and in Beaufort, N.C. "Why not here? People are always looking for something to do, and this is an hour of live entertainment that includes ghost stories and the history of our city."
Ayers began compiling stories, and figured he'd accumulate a handful to fill out a brief tour. At last count, he had about 40 stories — 15 of which are included in the hour-long ghost walk. "I've lived here all my life, and I'd never heard most of these stories," Ayers said.
Ayers launched the ghost tour last year, and is bringing it back each night this week to coincide with the Galax Old Fiddlers' Convention. He will also offer the tours on weekends in October.
He said there are six new stops and new stories added to this year's tour.
Ayers read a half-dozen history books about Galax, then began talking to anyone who'd listen. Just about everyone had a story to tell, some passed down through their families from before the city's founding in 1906. While collecting spooky tales, he discovered a fascinating history of Galax and those who used to live here.
The hauntings are the hook, but the true spirit of the tour is a history lesson peppered with weird happenings and funny stories, like the Sunday morning when a cache of dynamite exploded right in the middle of a fire-and-brimstone sermon, leading the congregation to believe the end had finally come.
Each candlelit tour will be led by a guide who has been schooled in the history and hauntings of Galax. Ayers is using one tale in particular to tie the tour together — the story of a spectral nurse who doesn't so much haunt as help those in danger.
"The story of Nurse Alice begins back in 1904, when the Hotel Waugh stood on the site on North Main Street where Macado's is now and what used to be the Galax Post Office," Ayers says.
"While she was staying at the hotel, it caught fire. Alice got out, but she ran back in to check on others — right as the building collapsed around her." Alice's story didn't end there. Like a guardian angel, she turns up when another fire breaks out years later.
"The Central Hotel caught fire some time in the early 1900s," Ayers said. "The guests kept asking what happened to the nurse, who they said knocked on their doors and told them the building was on fire."
Ayers said 11 guests all described the same incident — a woman in white came to get them, told them she was a nurse, and led them to safety. "There was no one that matched that description staying at the hotel, but she exactly matched the description of Alice — a white dress with a Victorian collar, her hair in a bun and holding a handkerchief."
Legend has it that, one foggy night at the city's old bus stop, a woman getting off the bus stepped around the front to smoke a cigarette, tripped over some luggage and fell into the street, where she was hit by a car.
Tour guide Jason Vaught said that, years later, a driver reported "hitting" a woman at that spot on a foggy night.
"He felt the impact, but the woman disappeared and he felt a cold wind blow through the cab of his truck and smelled cigarette smoke."
Looking at old photos of Galax, Ayers was struck by how busy downtown was in the early 20th Century. "I want to see it thrive, I want Galax to become everything it can be. There's so much potential here, and we need to embrace our history."
He stresses that the tour is about life, not death — the goal is to bring vitality back to downtown.
In those fading photos, the streets are filled with people, shoulder to shoulder. "My wish is that we could be just as bustling and thriving as Galax was in its heyday."
Ghosts of Galax Haunted Historic Walking Tour
The tour is six-tenths of a mile long, and begins each night at the Galax Farmers' Market on North Main Street
Hours: Nightly through Aug. 11, with tours departing at 7, 8, 9 and 10 p.m. Starting in October, tours are on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, at the same times.)
Prices: $12 for adults; $8 for students with ID, senior citizens and active military; and free for children age 5 and younger. This week, the ghost tour is offering a $1 discount for those with paid admission to the fiddlers' convention.
Reservations: recommended, but not necessary.
Contact: (276) 235-5264
Add new comment
Read and share your thoughts on this story


text:
Tim Deveney, manager of preacher relations, introduces us to parents Don Enrique and DoÒa Angelina in El Salvador. Although the couple was unable to attend school when they were young, Don Enrique and DoÒa Angelina value learning and make great sacrifices to provide their children with an education.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/4187831 w=500&h=350]
Editor's note: Hazel was sponsored during a parish appeal on Jan. 24, 2009. Learn how you can volunteer to help at a parish appeal.


text:
|Country of Manufacture
|Mr Babache
|44g per stick
|Country of Manufacture
|Mr Babache
|44g per stick
We offer free UK shipping for all orders over £35 - can't say fairer than that! (Some remote and offshore postcodes are excluded.)
Standard delivery costs £3.95. This service generally takes 1 to 2 working days, however it is not a guaranteed service and we have to wait 10 working days before we can resend should the parcel get lost in the post (extremely rare).
We offer a Guaranteed Next Working Day service for £6.95 (Monday to Friday - next working day orders placed before 4pm on Fridays will be delivered on the following Monday. Orders after 4pm Fridays and over the weekend will be delivered on the following Tuesday). If the order has not arrived the following working day by 7pm (again this is very rare) your postage will be refunded in full and your goods will be delivered free of charge (read more).
You can return unwanted items within 60 days for a full no quibble refund (as long as the item is still in the same condition). All goods carry a 12 month manufacturer's guarantee unless otherwise stated (read more).
Please note that aerial acrobatics equipment has separate Aerial Acrobatics Returns Policy


text:
House GOP: Do immigration bit by bit
House Republicans on Tuesday suggested Congress take a piecemeal approach to immigration reform and work on everything but a pathway to citizenship.
GOP members of the Judiciary Committee used the year's first hearing on immigration to discuss border security, background checks and the possibility of giving illegal immigrants a permanent legal status without granting full citizenship.
Story Continued Below
There also was talk of working out how to attract and keep higher-skilled workers with advanced degrees in the science and technology fields. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the former chairman of the committee and a longtime immigration hard-liner, said allowing these workers to stay would be "a much easier lift" for members than a more comprehensive bill, pointing to legislation he sponsored that previously passed the House, which would have granted such workers permanent U.S. residence.
Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho), an immigration lawyer before coming to Congress, said he believed there could be a solution to the immigration issue without including a pathway to citizenship.
"What they want is to come out of the shadows, they want to be able to be legal, they want to be able to work, they want to be able to travel, they want to be able to feel like they are being treated with dignity," Labrador said. "Not very many people told me: I want to be a citizen, I have to be a citizen in order to feel like a dignified person."
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) was concerned about immigrants coming in and using federal health care programs. The conservative congressman joked that he was sitting "to the far right" of the chairman of the committee, but floated the idea of requiring farmers who employ temporary workers to purchase health insurance for their employees.
But Democrats said breaking out parts of the immigration debate into separate measures would ensure the larger issues and the fate of 11 million undocumented workers are never addressed.
"[The GOP] is asking, why can't we just get the skilled labor part done first?" said Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.). "Well politically, and just being very practical about it, if we got the skilled labor part done first, do you think we would ever come behind it and finish the job?


text:
Edie Eckman teaches knitting designers how to write clear and correct patterns that editors and other knitters will love - and buy!
Learn the keys to communicating your one-of-a-kind knit designs. Author, teacher and technical editor Edie Eckman presents an insider's guide to clearly communicating knitting patterns to editors, publishers and fellow knitters. This class offers experienced knitters the opportunity to strengthen their pattern writing and reading skills, as well as increase their chances of successfully selling their designs. Edie walks you through how to write a knitting pattern, from articulating stitch repeats to understanding the impact sizing has on your creative choices, and provides you with essential pattern-writing tools, including her detailed templates and a meticulously crafted style guide. Her sample pattern, the pretty Acorn Cardigan, is included free!
If you're not delighted with your Bluprint experience, we'll make it right or give you a full refund.


text:
Q: My bedmate and I accept had a Mastercard through Citi back 1992. About three years ago, I got a alarm from their artifice assemblage adage the agenda was hacked, and we got new cards. In the aftermost 3-1/2 months, our agenda has been afraid three times and replaced.
With the aftermost cards I got, I activated over the buzz as I consistently do and aural a anniversary I got a alarm from the artifice assemblage allurement my about accuse that I did not make. We had never alike acclimated the new agenda and the cards had never larboard the house!
How can our cards be afraid if we never acclimated them?
The man I batten to at Citi asked me if we use our cards for online purchases and I told him my bedmate has purchased items from Amazon. He again told me that back Amazon is such a ample aggregation that they automatically get the new acclaim agenda number.
Is that alike possible? I am actual afraid to actuate our new cards. Any admonition would be abundantly appreciated.
S.P., North Olmsted
A: The admirer from Citi told you correctly. Many merchants and drop banks that we accord with automatically get our new annual numbers back we get a acclaim or debit agenda replaced. The annual is alleged "account updater."
Here's what Amazon says about it: "About Automatic Updates to Acclaim or Debit Cards . . . Amazon participates in annual amend casework offered by some banks to advice accumulate your cards a in our system.
"If your coffer participates, these annual (sic) will automatically amend your agenda cardinal or cessation date in our arrangement back it changes. If you don't appetite to accept your cards automatically updated, you can opt out of these casework by contacting your arising bank."
Amazon absolutely accustomed your new annual number. It seems your acclaim agenda abusage may be occurring from addition who has admission to your Amazon annual (inside or alfresco Amazon). I'd acclaim alteration your Amazon countersign anon and deleting any adored acquittal advice from your Amazon profile.
Back to annual updater services. Here's what MasterCard says about it:
"Customers with account-on-file acquittal arrange face annual disruptions back their agenda expires or annual advice changes. For merchants, these acquittal declines can access the accident of chump attrition, accommodation sales and potentially access absolute and aberrant costs from chump annual calls. Annual changes aggravation barter and can affect their accord with merchants."
Visa says article similar. "Visa Annual Updater is a annual that facilitates and encourages chump satisfaction, assimilation and adherence by exchanging adapted annual advice amid accommodating merchants and Visa agenda issuers."
Clearly, Citi participates in this service. Citi didn't acknowledge to my concern in the accomplished two weeks. I additionally contacted Chase and Coffer of America, two of the nation's added huge acclaim agenda issuers. Chase backer Carlene Lule referred me to Amazon. BofA backer Betty Riess referred me to MasterCard and Visa.
This is a huge accessibility annual for merchants. They don't accept to anguish about your approaching purchases not activity through because you didn't accommodate your new annual number. Or in the case of a alternating acquittal — say a cellphone bill — the buzz aggregation can accumulate on charging your agenda after interruption.
It could be a accessibility to us consumers in some cases, as well. I pay my acclaim agenda bill through my drop bank's online bill acquittal service. Back I get a new agenda cardinal (which has happened several times in contempo years because of abstracts breaches,) I don't accept to ascribe the new annual cardinal in adjustment for the bill to be paid. My coffer is notified automatically by my acclaim agenda issuer.
Still, it would be nice to be offered the adventitious to opt out if we don't appetite it. I advance you acquaintance Citi.
Q: I attempted to accompany the Planet Fitness in North Olmsted and was brash the alone way I could pay was with my blockage account. The actuality at the board explained to me they had to accept my acquisition cardinal and blockage annual number.
Understandably, I am actual afflictive with this because a abstracts aperture could aftereffect in my blockage annual actuality exposed.
I offered to pay the associates in abounding for the year, cerebration I would aloof accord them banknote or a check, and was told I could alone pay annual with my blockage account. I alleged chump annual and they accepted this. The woman did allotment that back presented with this in the past, exceptions accept been fabricated but she could not do that for me back the gyms are franchises.
Every Planet Fitness I drive by consistently seems active so there are allegedly bags of bodies accomplishing this with no issue, but it aloof seems absolutely alarming to me.
G.G., Parma
A: I accede with you, if the gym-goers have alone one blockage account.
Cases like these are one of the affidavit I acerb animate bodies to accept a primary blockage annual and a accessory blockage account. (Or alike a third or fourth.) The accessory blockage annual can be acclimated to address checks to individuals, to articulation to a PayPal annual or accommodate for a alternating transaction like this. If there is a abstracts breach, you haven't apparent your primary blockage annual that you use for absolute deposits, mortgage or hire payments and the majority of your annual assets and expenses.
Another advantage that ability appear in accessible in a case like this: An online checking/ prepaid debit card. One of the leaders in this space, Movo, offers an FDIC-insured annual with no annual fees, behindhand of balance. And you get a acquisition cardinal and annual number, aloof like you would with any blockage account.
With this second-account method, your absolute blockage annual can't be wiped out by a fraudster.
To ability Teresa Murray, email email@example.com or alarm or argument 216-316-7064. She cannot acknowledge to all queries or comments.Previous columns: cleveland.com/moneymattersOn Twitter: @TeresaMurray On Facebook: www/facebook.com/MurrayMoneyMatters
Understanding The Background Of Citi Card Customer Service | Citi Card Customer Service – citi card customer service
| Allowed in order to my personal blog, in this particular occasion I'm going to explain to you regarding citi card customer service


text:
The field for this fall's playoffs might be far different if Josh Byrnes, then the Diamondbacks general manager, hadn't approached the Yankees' Brian Cashman with an idea shortly before Thanksgiving in 2009.
What transpired next may have contributed to Byrnes' firing eight months later. And it no doubt cost Cashman some sleepless nights the next summer.
But the three-team, seven-player trade consummated a month later with the Tigers changed the fortunes of two franchises and set up outfielder Curtis Granderson for one of the greatest seasons in the Yankees' long and storied history.
"The idea for all clubs when they're making a deal is to do the best for themselves," said Jerry Dipoto, Arizona's vice president for player personnel at the time of the trade and now the team's head of scouting and player development. "But I think even on paper that one appeared to address (everyone's) needs.
"And it's proven to be better than that."
The deal sent Granderson from Detroit to the Yankees and right-hander Edwin Jackson from the Tigers to Arizona.
The Yankees moved right-hander Ian Kennedy to the Diamondbacks and pitcher Phil Coke and outfielder Austin Jackson to the Tigers. Arizona, which gained two pitchers, also lost two in Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth, former first-round draft picks who went to Detroit.
It all started with what must have sounded like a plea to Cashman.
In two years, the Diamondbacks had gone from a 90-win playoff team to a 90-loss last-place team. With staff ace Brandon Webb's health uncertain — in fact, he wouldn't pitch again for Arizona — Byrnes wanted Kennedy.
In return he could offer … well, nothing the Yankees wanted.
What Cashman needed was a young, athletic outfielder to replace the aging Johnny Damon and the hobbled Hideki Matsui. But Byrnes wouldn't part with any of his.
The trade was dead before it had taken its first breath.
However, the Tigers revived it. Detroit not only had the guy the Yankees where looking for in Granderson, but the Diamondbacks had the kind of power arms Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski collects like trading stamps.
"We had a lot of discussion," Cashman said. "It did take a long time, a lot of creativity by the people here at this table to pull it off."
Twenty months later, all that work has proved worth it.
After posting a 9-10 record in his first season for an Arizona team that lost 97 games — and cost Byrnes his job — Kennedy has emerged as a Cy Young Award favoritefor a team that is cruising to a division title.
In Detroit, Scherzer is second on the team in wins and Schlereth has been a bullpen mainstay.
Coke has emerged as a valuable swingman, eating up more than 100 innings, and center fielder Jackson, a minor league player at the time of the trade, has been a valuable weapon because of his speed.
Granderson is having the best season of all. He is near the top of the American League in every major statistical category and is playing a Gold Glove-caliber center field.In the last 88 years, only Nomar Garciaparra and Granderson among AL players have had at least 30 homers, 20 stolen bases and 10 triples in the same season. Granderson is on pace to become only the fourth player to lead his team in homers and triples in the same season.
That has quieted critics who excoriated Cashman for giving up two big league pitchers and a top prospect for a center fielder who finished the 2010 season with more strikeouts than hits.
The reverberations of the trade have been felt by as many as half a dozen franchises.
The acquisition of Granderson made Damon and Matsui expendable in New York. So Damon went to Detroit, then to Tampa Bay as a free agent, strengthening both teams. Matsui led the Angels in on-base percentage last year.
Byrnes, who was fired along with manager A.J. Hinch after starting Arizona's rebuilding process, is now trying to turn around the Padres as the team's head of baseball operations.
Jackson pitched a no-hitter during his four-month stay in Arizona before being traded to the White Sox for Daniel Hudson, a 16-game winner who has become another key piece in the Diamondbacks' playoff push.
Six weeks ago, Jackson moved again, this time from Toronto to St. Louis at the center of an 11-player trade that brought the Blue Jays Colby Rasmus and Trever Miller.
"Most trades, on some level, work out like that. Just not quite as magnificent as this one's turned out to be," Dipoto said. "I'm sure all the people wake up feeling pretty good about that day."


text:
Publication Archive
This archive contains all documents published by cep over the last few years:
cepAdhoc: Incisive comment on current EU policy issues.
cepPolicyBrief: Concise 4-page reviews of EU proposals (Regulations, Directives, Green Papers, White Papers, Communications) – including a brief summary and economic and legal assessments.
cepInput: Impulse to current discussions of EU policies.
cepStudy: Comprehensive examination of EU policy proposals affecting the economy.
The Commission wishes to accelerate the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and to establish a legal framework. In its Action Plan the Commission calls for action and sets a timeframe for the deployment and improvement of single ITS.
The analysed Proposal for a Directive is part of the Pharmaceutical Package to improve the safety of medicinal products. The Proposal focuses on the protection of distribution chains from manufacturers to pharmacies against the entry of falsified medicinal products. During debates held previous to the Proposal the Commission opted for maintaining parallel import trade. To this end, the measures proposed now are restricted to prescription medicines, which constitute the majority of medicinal products traded through parallel import.
The Communication continues the "more economic approach" in competition law in a much diluted manner: The Commission wants to pursue only cases in which certain behaviour of a dominant company "forecloses" a market.
The Commission proposes highly ambitious climate protection targets for both developing and industrial countries. To this end, emissions trading is to be extended. In addition, financial support to developing countries is to be partially financed through EU bonds.
The creation of freight corridors aims to establish a European rail network and to increase the competitiveness of rail transport. As a consequence, freight transport will be given priority over passenger transport.
According to the EU Commission, all credit rating agencies in the EU should be registered and should fulfil certain requirements on their independence and transparency. Banks and other regulated financial service providers should be allowed to use ratings from such agencies only, when calculated the own funds they must retain.
The Commission's Proposal aims to establish a harmonised legislative framework for the provision of information to the general public on medicinal products for human use subject to medical prescription. In particular, clear boundaries are to be set between information provided by pharmaceutical companies and prohibited advertising.
The Capital Requirement Directive ("Basel II"), which is mainly based on negotiations held by the international Basel II Committee of the Bank for International Settlements, constitutes the core of banking regulation. The Commission's new proposals aim at improving the effectiveness of the existing Directive and at increasing the stability of financial markets. The Commission's proposal focusses on inter-bank credits, securitisation and the restructuring of supervision. With its Proposal the Commission expedites the process: It is no longer willing to await the results of the Basel II Committee. The amended Directive is scheduled for adoption for early June.
Regarding mass claim cases the Commission wants to open up the possibilities of collective redress for damages claims or develop existing possibilities. To this end, in its Green Paper it presents different options to address the issue which have an effect on cross-border cases as well as purely national ones. It further considers to introduce standardised judicial procedures for collective redress.


text:
CHARLOTTE — Former racer Dick Trickle, a colorful character who won hundreds of short-track races across the Midwest, died Thursday from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office told USA TODAY Sports authorities received a call believed to be from Trickle on Thursday saying "there would be a dead body and it would be his." A 911 operator tried to call the number back, but no one answered.
Trickle's body was found near his pickup truck at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Boger City, N.C., about 40 miles northwest of Charlotte. Lt. Detective Tim Johnson said foul play is not suspected and said a note was found by the body. Further information — including the contents of the note and what type of gun was used — will not be released.
"We're trying to protect the family as much as possible, and they had just gotten notified right after it happened," Johnson said. "We're trying to respect their privacy."
The sheriff's department said Trickle had lived in Lincoln County since the early 1990s. He was 71.
Trickle was the Winston Cup Series rookie of the year in 1989 but never won a Cup race in 303 starts. He won two Busch Series races.
PHOTOS: Former NASCAR driver Dick Trickle
In a statement, NASCAR said its thoughts and prayers were with Trickle's family and friends.
"Dick was a legend in the short-track community, particularly in his home state of Wisconsin, and he was a true fan favorite," NASCAR's statement read in part. "Personalities like Dick Trickle helped shape our sport. He will be missed."
Trickle's hard-partying ways, cigarette smoking and frequent coffee drinking were all part of his larger-than-life persona.
NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski told reporters Thursday that Trickle was "the guy" in his era of short-track racing.
"He was the most significant (short-track) racer in that era," Keselowski said. "His loss, in some ways, is a symbol of the end of that era. That's very sad to see."
Travis Kvapil said last year: "The stories of how incredible a driver he was were one thing, but the stories of him going out at night were great. For a 100-lap race, he'd need an hour of sleep — that was his scale."
Landon Cassill said he once had a memorable experience racing with Trickle as a 14-year-old.
"He punted me out of the way at Madison," Cassill said last year. "We had raced side-by-side for 100 laps and then he put the fender to me at the end. After the race, he came and offered me a cigarette."
ESPN analyst and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace was hit particularly hard by Trickle's death. Wallace and Trickle had compted against each for years on Midwest short tracks and both were honored by NASCAR in 1989. Wallace won his only Cup championship the same year Trickle earned rookie of the year honors.
Wallace issued this statement Thursday:
"I'm in 100 percent shock. Dick Trickle was my mentor. When I was short track racing, I would call him every Monday morning and he would always help me with race setups and stuff. He and I had such a good time telling little stories, but he was the guy that taught me almost everything in the American Speed Association. And he was the guy that I battled right to the end for my 1983 ASA championship. I barely beat the guy that taught me everything. I'd not seen Dick as much as I'd like to of late. He was a legend. A man that'd won over a thousand short track races, was one of the most winning short trackers in America, was a role model to many short track racers coming up. Could just do magic with the race car and he taught me so much about racing. My success in the ASA and what Trickle taught me is what got me into NASCAR. That's what got me hired by Cliff Stewart back in '84. Between Larry Phillips and Dick Trickle, they taught me everything."
NASCAR driver Geoff Bodine said Trickle was full of stories and popular because of it.
"People everywhere knew his name," Bodine said. "That's why they used his likeness in that movie Days of Thunder. He was such a character."
The main character in the Tom Cruise auto racing movie was named Cole Trickle.
Bodine said that a few years ago he had to back out of a celebrity cruise for patients who were on kidney dialysis. He asked Trickle to fill in.
"He made such an impression on people on that ship that everyone wanted to know when Dick was coming back," Bodine said. "They loved him. They tell me he was the last man to leave most of the bars on the ship and I believe it."
Follow Jeff Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck
Contributing: The Associated Press


text:
Your browser does not support iframes.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church will host potluck suppers and services during the Advent season at 6 p.m. Dec. 8 and 15.
Dinner begins at 6 p.m. and services begin at 7. The church will also host a gala service at 7 p.m. Dec. 24.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is located at 2416 S. Ky. 53, La Grange.
St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church recently announced upcoming events.
At 10:15 a.m. Sunday in Graves Hall, the church will host a presentation on preparing yourself and your family for Christmas.
The presentation will be offered by Katherine Doyle, seminarian intern. At 5 p.m. Sunday is "Evensong" in the sanctuary.
NOHS student named a semi-finalist in national scholarship program
He's the lone male in his house. He's married and has five daughters – two biological and three adopted. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
Daniel, an Oldham County resident, and his wife, Lisa, attended an event Friday at the Oldham County Courthouse in honor of National Adoption Day, celebrating adoptive families.
It's a far cry from where Daniel used to be, when he said the word "adopt" didn't exist in his vocabulary.
Oldham students accepted to Air Force Academy
Lou DeVincentis was born July 26, 1939 in McKeesport, Pa., which is a suburb of Pittsburgh. His parents were Alfred DeVincentis and Josephine Park DeVincentis. His grandparents came over from Italy and settled in western Pennsylvania. The following is his oral history, as recorded and transcribed by Oldham County History Center Director Nancy Theiss. Photos submitted by DeVincentis. Portrait by Marian Klein Kohler.
Mr. and Mrs. Kipley McNally of Louisville announce the engagement of their daughter, Kala J. McNally to Brandon M. Gathof, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Gathof of La Grange.
Copyright © 2019
The Oldham Era is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Oldham County and LaGrange, Kentucky, and the surrounding area.


text:
Do you know the facts about circuit protection, or have you just been relying on what you hear around the shop?
As an electrical contractor, system designer, plant electrician, or electrical inspector, you're responsible for providing safe and Code compliant installations. This mindset is probably best stated in the IEEE Buff Book: "The objectives of electrical system design and coordination are to prevent injury to personnel, to minimize damage to the system components, and to limit the extent and duration of service interruption whenever equipment failure, human error, or adverse natural events occur on any portion of the system." However, these stated goals are often impeded by misunderstandings of equipment performance and/or applications.
Misunderstanding No. 1: It's OK to apply 100% rated molded case circuit breakers (MCCBs) and standard (non-100%) rated MCCBs in the same way.
A requirement in 210.20(A) of the 2002 NEC states "the rating of the overcurrent device shall not be less than the noncontinuous load plus 125% of the continuous load." In other words, you shouldn't load the overcurrent device at more than 80% of the continuous load. An exception permits you to rate the overcurrent device for 100% of the noncontinuous and continuous load "where the assembly, including the overcurrent devices protecting the branch circuit(s), is listed for operation at 100% of its rating." A similar requirement appears in 215.3 for feeders. Consider the following differences between standard devices and those rated for 100%, and their application in equipment.
A 100% rated MCCB is intended for continuous operation at 100% of its marked rating in an enclosure. That means it will carry 100% of rated current without overheating or tripping when enclosed. UL-Listed, 100% rated MCCBs are marked "Suitable for continuous operation at 100% of rating only if used in _____." The blank identifies the enclosure or equipment in which they may be used.
Standard MCCBs are neither rated 100% nor marked as indicated above. All MCCBs are tested to carry 100% of rated current continuously without overheating or tripping when connected with conductors sized for their current rating. However, that test is done in open air without an enclosure. When standard MCCBs are enclosed — and especially when they're group-mounted, as in a panelboard — they're applied at 80% of their rating. In temperature tests within panelboards, switchboards, circuit breaker enclosures, and similar equipment, MCCBs are loaded to 80% of their rating unless they're 100% rated.
Given this information about ratings, you might wonder if 100% rated and standard MCCBs trip with the same overcurrent conditions. To answer this question, you must be aware of the following three MCCB considerations:
- Rating
Imagine a 400A MCCB connected with two 3/0 AWG copper wires as permitted by the NEC. Whether 100% rated or standard, the circuit breaker must carry 400A in an open-air test without tripping or overheating. Both types must trip within 2 hr when carrying 135% of rated current, which is 540A. And both are safe and permitted under the NEC when applied within their ratings and markings because the load is known and conductors are sized to carry current within the characteristics of the MCCB.
- Characteristic curve.
Both breakers are rated 400A and have identical tripping characteristics under open-air testing. But the time-current characteristics for the 100% rated MCCB may be slightly different to allow for higher temperatures because it can carry a higher current when mounted in an enclosure.
- Temperature
What differentiates the two types of breakers is the fact that the 100% rated MCCB must also be tested in an enclosure, again with two 3/0 AWG conductors and carrying 400A. If temperature rises are above those permitted for the standard MCCB but within acceptable limits for the 100% rated unit, you may have to use conductors with insulation rated at 90°C. When the standard MCCB is tested in an enclosure, it will be connected with two 3/0 AWG conductors and will carry 320A, or 80% of rated 400A.
Based on these differences, you need to take several things into account for the various possible applications. For a branch circuit, you would determine the load and size the circuit as indicated in Art. 210. Then you would select the conductor size as indicated in 210.19. Finally, you would determine the overcurrent protection in accordance with 210.20.
Now, imagine a circuit with a 300A noncontinuous load plus a 50A continuous load. According to 210.19(A), you must size the conductors for 363A if you're going to use a standard overcurrent protective device. You would also select two 3/0 AWG copper conductors. Per 210.20, you would select a 400A MCCB.
If you intend to use a 100% rated MCCB, you would size the conductors for 350A and use two 2/0 AWG copper conductors. The 100% MCCB may be marked to require 2/0 AWG conductors with insulation rated 90°C. Then, per 210.20, you would select a 350A, 100% rated MCCB. For a feeder, the requirements of 215.2 and 215.3 apply. For service-entrance conductors, 230.42 applies.
Note that the 100% rating doesn't apply when you use a MCCB for motor circuit protection under Art. 430.
Misunderstanding No. 2: It's possible to determine series ratings through a set of calculations.
Questions about whether you can determine series ratings by calculation rather than the extensive test program used through industry standards are common. Beside the fact that any such calculations would bypass industry standards and not comply with NEC requirements, there are definite technical reasons why calculations aren't adequate (Sidebar below).
The standardized test program for series ratings first appeared in 1970 in UL 489 Standard for Molded-Case Circuit Breakers, followed by a companion test program in UL 67 Standard for Panelboards. This test program allows the application of an MCCB where the available fault current is greater than the MCCB's interrupting rating, but only if the MCCB is protected by a circuit breaker or fuse upstream on its supply side.
This mandatory test program calls for the completion of the following test steps before the "series rating" may be applied under 240.86:
The downstream MCCB must be listed.
The upstream circuit breaker or fuse must be listed and have an interrupting rating at least equal to the series rating.
The series combination is short-circuit tested at the series rating.
The series combination is short-circuit tested at a lower short circuit value at which the upstream device may not provide the needed protection, or where the upstream circuit breaker may not operate in time to protect the downstream MCCB. Alternatively it would be the value at which the upstream fuse would just reach its threshold of current limitation.
The series combination is short-circuit tested in the equipment in which it will be applied. The tested rating is then marked on that equipment.
In the above context, the term "series combination" applies to the two devices — upstream circuit breaker or fuse and downstream MCCB — connected together and considered as a unit.
Misunderstanding No. 3: No extra precautions are necessary when installing equipment in corrosive environments.
Electric equipment installed in environments that contain corrosive gases or liquids are subject to severe deterioration, which can lead to unexpected shutdown. Deterioration can also compromise protection levels and lead to fire. Properly enclosed and housed equipment will prevent these unwanted occurrences.
Facilities that contain corrosive atmospheres include animal confinement areas, meatpacking plants, rendering plants for animal products, and sewage treatment plants. The corrosive substances found in the atmospheres in these facilities include ammonia, sulfides like hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, sulfates, chlorides, chlorates, methane, and uric acid. These substances most frequently exist in a gaseous state. However, hosing down areas during cleaning will spread some liquids and bring them into contact with electrical equipment.
Electric parts most affected are those fabricated of bare copper, aluminum, and silver compounds (Photo 1). Many current-carrying parts are fabricated of copper or aluminum compounds. Silver is commonly used in electrical contacts found in circuit breakers and in plating of bus bars to provide good electric contact. Electronic components are especially susceptible to damage by corrosive atmospheres because they're small. Conformal coating generally used to protect printed circuit boards from dust doesn't protect against corrosive gases.
Photo 2 illustrates flaking of silver plating on bus bars. The areas in which flaking has occurred are no longer protected, which leads to further corrosion and poor connections. Such flakes can also fall from the bus bar and cause a short circuit or arc flash condition. In this case, the flaking was discovered after the electronic trip unit of a main circuit breaker was damaged by corrosion and tripped, causing an unexpected facility shutdown.
In 547.5(C), the NEC addresses the issue of corrosion for agricultural buildings. These buildings are sometimes installed in locations and under conditions in which inspection isn't available and there is little understanding of the hazards involved. The NEC doesn't address packing and rendering plants, except with a general statement in 110.11. There are generally no live animals in these plants, but the animal products that generate corrosive atmospheres are present. No special coverage appears in the NEC for sewage treatment plants either, despite the fact that the problems related to corrosion in these environments repeatedly occur. Several options exist for protecting equipment from corrosive environments, including the following:
Install it in locations away from the corrosive environment.
Locate equipment inside enclosures intended for the environment, such as sealed-4X enclosures suitable for the gases in the environment.
Install it inside separate electrical equipment rooms that are sealed and maintained with a positive pressure and where the air supply is uncontaminated.
Proper installation and housing for electrical equipment will avoid unexpected shutdown and expensive replacement or repairs that can result from corrosion during the time the facility is in operation.
Misunderstanding No. 4: Handle ties provide the same operation as internal common trip.
Handle ties provide an acceptable method of linking operating handles of several single-pole circuit breakers together so they'll switch the tied circuit breakers together. Although good reasons exist for using handle ties, such as in multiwire branch circuits, the method in which a handle tie functions is often not well understood. And in some cases, application of handle ties may lead to unnecessary hazards.
It's important to understand the difference between the handle tie feature and the common trip feature. Handle ties fasten the handles of two or more single-pole circuit breakers together. With handle ties installed, all of the poles are switched on and off together. However, if one pole trips because of an overload or short circuit, the handle tie doesn't cause the connected poles to trip. The condition can leave one pole tripped and the other tied poles energized.
Multipole circuit breakers with common trip will switch all poles on and off together. They'll also trip all poles simultaneously when an overload or short circuit occurs on any of the poles. In this case, all poles operate together regardless of whether the circuit breaker is switched manually or opens automatically because of overcurrent.
It's often impossible to determine the difference between the common trip 2-pole circuit breaker and two single-pole circuit breakers with handle ties unless you're familiar with the product design. The potential hazard arises when one pole trips and another pole remains energized. It's especially hazardous if someone assumes that all poles are tripped and open when only one pole is open.
Consider a multiwire branch circuit as described in 210.4. Handle ties are frequently used in multiwire circuits. These circuits supply only line-to-neutral loads unless they supply only one piece of equipment or unless the overcurrent device opens all conductors simultaneously (common trip). By the definition in Art. 100, multiwire branch circuits have a grounded conductor with equal voltage between it and each ungrounded conductor. When one pole trips due to overcurrent, the remaining pole(s) is connected in a closed circuit with the grounded circuit conductor.
Alternatively, consider a straight 240V circuit with no grounded circuit conductor. When one pole trips, the remaining pole(s) is energized with no return path through a circuit conductor. The pole will continue to serve the fault unless tripped or opened manually.
The fundamental requirement of 240.20(B) is that the circuit breaker shall open all ungrounded conductors of the circuit. In other words, it calls for common trip. The section provides the following exceptions to allow the use of single-pole circuit breakers with handle ties:
In multiwire branch circuits
On circuits with line-to-line connected loads of grounded single-phase systems and on 3-wire DC circuits
With line-to-line loads in 3-phase, 4-wire systems and 2-phase, 5-wire systems
In light of the fact that handle ties don't provide for common trip and the fact that the fundamental requirement is for common trip, it seems most reasonable to apply only circuit breakers with common trip in the second and third items above, where line-to-line loads are served. That means eliminating those two items as exceptions.
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has proposed eliminating these two items from the NEC, and the Code Making Panel is considering it. Acceptance of that proposal will require the installation of common trip circuit breakers in circuits serving line-to-line loads and require that all poles clear the circuit simultaneously.
The requirements of 240.20(B) relate only to circuit breakers. They don't affect fuse applications. The separate disconnect for fuses is quite different from the integrated functions of a circuit breaker. Many users believe all poles of a circuit breaker open when one pole opens, without fully understanding the function of handle ties. Common-trip circuit breakers are readily available and are the standard for 2- and 3-pole circuit breakers.
Handle ties have an appropriate place in providing a means for protecting multiwire branch circuits. However, they aren't a replacement for common trip and shouldn't be perceived that way.
Specifying a safe design isn't easy when you're confronted by several of the misconceptions that serve to further muddle the situation. However, taking the time to separate the truth from the myth will help you provide an environment that's not only safe for workers but reliable and low-maintenance.
Gregory is manager, industry standards, overcurrent protection for Schneider Electric/Square D, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Sidebar: Past Series Rating Methods
Prior to 1970, series ratings had been applied by means of calculations in what were termed "cascade ratings." No formal method had been specified for these cascade ratings, and they were unreliable. The formal test program replaced these informal ratings in order to avoid unreliable installations. The requirement for marking of tested series ratings on end-use equipment first appeared in the 1990 NEC.
The "up-over-down method" was promoted by some fuse manufacturers and applied as an alternative to testing until about 1993 when a paper titled "Interplay of Energies in Circuit Breaker and Fuse Combinations" appeared in the May/June 1993 issue of IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications and cast doubt on the viability of the method.
This paper, authored by engineers Bernie DiMarco and Steve Hansen, clarified that the up-over-down method didn't accurately determine protection for the downstream MCCB, especially for faster operating MCCBs. One reason cited was that the method couldn't predict performance if the downstream MCCB contacts separated prior to the time the fuse cleared. Information isn't available to predict when MCCB contacts will separate, even though time-current curves show the longest time that the MCCB will take to clear the circuit by itself. With contacts beginning to open, the MCCB is, in fact, absorbing a portion of the energy of the short circuit that the upstream fuse won't see. Without the full energy, the fuse will operate slower than anticipated by the method. So the degree of protection is indeterminate.


text:
Panda Does Well in German Antivirus Tests
It's that time of the year again: Time for the new versions of the security suites. Our own Neil Rubenking has just completed his review of Webroot Internet Security Complete 2011 and other reviews will be out soon.
Over at AV-Test, a German test lab specializing in exhaustive and sophisticated performance testing they have completed their tests of Panda Internet Security 2011. Testing was done on both Windows XP and Windows 7 (both 32-bit and 64-bit).
Overall, detection was excellent. 100 percent of the 4812 June 2010 WildList samples were detected, both on-access and on-demand. 99.82% (535,964) of a separate library of 536,927 further current malware samples, were also detected. No false positives were found in a scan of 200,000 known clean files from Windows, Office and other applications.
A test of 0day malware, designed to find new threats and exercise the product's defense-in-depth measures, resulted in 18 of 25 threats being detected. AV-Test calls this industry average.
In their system cleaning test Panda was able to disinfect the system 23 of 25 times, although some times the HOSTS file was not properly cleaned.
Panda was able to detect 19 of 25 rootkits and remove 13 of them. In some cases this required running from safe mode.
Scan speed was improved, as Panda claims, in this version, especially on Windows 7. All the improvement is on the initial scan, not on successive scans.
AV-Test did experience some crashes and other problems. When they deactivated the virus guard on Windows 7 it continued to run.
AV-Test's methodology is described in various papers which are available on their site.
AV-Test GmbH is an active member of the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO). All testing is conducted closely following the AMTSO guidelines.
Originally posted to the PCMag.com security blog, Security Watch.


text:
Originally Posted by Razadine
I am selling off my other empath due to still helping family pay off funeral costs. This will be a character transfer. Any questions PM me.
Name: XXXXXX Race: Half-Elf Profession: Empath (shown as: Empath)
Gender: Female Age: 140 Expr: 8356888 Level: 100
Normal (Bonus) ... Enhanced (Bonus)
Strength (STR): 100 (25) ... 100 (25)
Constitution (CON): 98 (24) ... 100 (25)
Dexterity (DEX): 100 (30)
Originally Posted by LaVerdad
It will be an injustice of the largest caliber if he doesn't go to jail. He was willing to sign an affidavit against two innocent men police had in custody, until he found out he knew them. Said another way, if it wasn't the brothers, he'd willingly have provided fake evidence against two innocent men.
They should hang him (in effigy of course, no racism here). IMO, he should get max jail time.
Stop being such a fag and making up new logins, MacGuyver.
I'm so glad that 4th person left in that firefight. I don't think I could've taken down 4 people by myself.
I think I did pretty good with it.
Pardon my edgy gold and black paint scheme.
So this is a mid-tier Assault unit with decent HP and the benefit of a long reaching spear. The unit has a beam rifle but it doesn't charge so I defaulted to the Bazooka. It's a boring tactic but it ultimately pays out in the long run. Hit, stagger, swing, retreat, repeat.
The unit is pretty great at fighting but I feel like if it didn't have a bazooka or it relied


text:
You must have heard all about this on the inter-tubes, or at least here on Techie Buzz. Notch (aka Markus Persson, the developer of Minecraft) tweeted to Tim Shafer saying that he was interested in making Psychonauts 2 happen and seeing this, the internet pretty much exploded. Everyone wanted to see the indie darling dev send some of that ginormous bank balance to DoubleFine Studios and make one of the most beloved yet commercially a failure of a game be revived with a sequel.

@TimOfLegend Let's make Psychonauts 2 happen.
— Markus Persson (@notch) February 7, 2012

So in an interview, Double Fine lead Tim Schafer mentioned that they wanted to make Psychonauts 2 happen, but that nobody had been willing to fund it so far. Being a big fan of the first one, and thinking a sequel could probably be profitable, I semi-jokingly tweeted Tim about me funding a sequel.
Now Notch has put up a blog post where he explains that at this time it is all conjecture, and that he would be willing to invest in this only because he feels this would be profitable – not as gaming charity or anything of that sort:-
All I know is that IF the numbers work out and IF they still want to do it and IF they don't decide to self fund a sequel by doing more crowd funding (which is honestly what I would've done if I were them), I would be most interested in doing this type of investment.
This is a sort of preemptive blog post in case stuff does not go as planned. We all know how crazy some kinds of fans get, do we not?
However, I really hope it does work out!


text: Almost from the first day of my injury (June 2012), I have been in constant pain. I've tried everything. I just cannot take it anymore. It's overwhelming. I cry almost non stop. I have no joy in my life. I feel trapped in this nightmare that has no end. Thanks for listening.


text: Deprecated: mysql_connect(): The mysql extension is deprecated and will be removed in the future: use mysqli or PDO instead in /home/content/65/10102365/html/config.inc.php on line 404 Wallsend, North East - Post Free Classified Ads Home | Post Ad | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us Wallsend, North East Digital Items Community Services Entertainment For Sale Property Tickets Pets and Livestock Jobs Personals Vehicles & Motoring Search Categories: - All - Digital Items Community Services Entertainment For Sale Property Tickets Pets and Livestock Jobs Personals Vehicles & Motoring Go Event Calendar (0) « September 2019 » S M T W T F S 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930 0 event(s) today All Upcoming Events Post Event Home / North East / Wallsend / Digital Items Websites eBooks Website Scripts Software Other Community Activities Announcements Local News Lost and Found Politics Public Service Recreation Obituary Volunteer Online Garage/Car Boot Sales Museums Services Hair & Beauty Chiropratic Dental Medical Financial Legal Massage Self Improvement IT Online Services Motors Other Health & Fitness DIY Photography Employment Gardening/Landscape AC & Heating Building/Remodeling/Extensions Carpentry/Joinery Decorating Plastering/Cementing Childcare Cleaning/Home Chores Electrical Removals/Packing Plumbing/Pools Roofing/Tiling Telecommunications Offline Marketing Printing Entertainment Movies & TV Sporting Goods & Accessories Music & Instruments Literature Clubs Board Games Video Games Gambling Games Consoles Downloads/Online Gaming For Sale Antiques/Collectibles Clothing, Shoes & Accessories Appliances Art/Crafts Bicycles School & College Business/Industrial Photography Phones Electrical Free/Recycle/Exchange Furniture Toys Babies & Children Gardening Food & Supplies Confectionary Gifts & Gadgets Property Acreage/Farms Business/Industrial Domestic Rentals Roommates/Houseshare Holiday Homes Homes For Sale Holiday Rentals Student Accomodation Tickets Sport Shows Travel Theatre & Ballet Discounts/Coupons Cinema Pets and Livestock Dogs Cats Horses Exotic Pets Farm Livestock Free Other Food & Supplies Accessories Jobs Admin/Clerical Automotive Banking/Finance Bar/Hotel/Guesthouse IT Business Development Online Business Opportunities Construction Consultant Customer Service Design Shipping & Distribution Education Engineering Entry Level Executive Facilities Franchise General Business General Labor Government Grocery Health, Medical & Fitness Human Resources Installation, Maintainance & Repair Insurance Management Manufacturing Sales & Marketing Media Non-Profit Real Estate Restaurant/Food/Bakery Retail Fashion Science Skilled Labour Supplies Import/Export Telecommunications Motoring/Transportation Veterinary Warehouse/Storage Travel Personals Loans Penpals Friendship Casual Services Vehicles & Motoring Airplanes/Accessories All Terrain Vehicles Boats Cars Motorcycles Trucks Lorries Vans Parts Tyres Accessories Quad Bikes Maps Sat Navs Driving Attire Featured Ads Upcoming Featured Events Latest Ads What To Consider Prior To Purchasing Home Security System Category: Community / Lost and Found | Location: Goldberg Online Gaming For Fun And Income Category: Community / Politics | Location: Huffler Different Casino Online Strategies Category: Digital Items / Software | Location: Pico Rivera TRANH ĐỒNG MỸ NGHỆ TPHCM Category: Community / Online | Location: Milwaukee Upcoming Events USA North East Blyth Chester-le-Street Darlington Durham Gateshead Hartlepool Middlesbrough Morpeth Newcastle-upon-Tyne North Shields Redcar South Shields Stockton-on-Tees Sunderland Wallsend Washington Whitley Bay Yorkshire & Humberside East Midlands London South West Other Countries Copyright 2012 PostHereFree.com. All rights reserved. Disclaimer


text:
Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Business Administration
Project Design and Management
Three semester hours.
This course includes a practical approach to business problem solving through the actual implementation of a significant software product. It includes study of project management tools and techniques necessary to plan, staff, organize, direct and control the development of computer-based information systems. Prerequisite: MIS 5300.
Home - General Information - Student Services -
Academic Undergraduate Regulations -
Undergraduate Degrees - Academic Graduate Regulations -
Graduate Degrees - Course Descriptions - Faculty -
Appendix A - Appendix B - Appendix C - Appendix D


text:
Major Section: EVENTS
Examples: (table tests 1 '(...)) ; set contents of tests[1] to '(...) (table tests 25) ; get contents of tests[25] (table tests) ; return table tests as an alist (table tests nil nil :clear) ; clear table tests (table tests nil '((foo . 7)) :clear) ; set table tests to (foo 7) (table tests nil nil :guard) ; fetch the table guard (table tests nil nil :guard term) ; set the table guardwhere
General Form: (table table-name key-term value-term op term)
table-name is a symbol that is the name of a (possibly new)
key-term and
value-term, if present, are arbitrary terms
involving (at most) the single variable
op, if present, is
one of the table operations below, and
term, if present, is a term.
Table returns an acl2 ``error triple.'' The effect of
table on
depends on
op and how many arguments are presented. Some
invocations actually have no effect on the ACL2 world and hence an
invocation of
table is not always an ``event''. We explain below,
after giving some background information.
Important Note: The
table forms above are calls of a macro
that expand to involve the special variable
state. This will
prevent you from accessing a table from within a hint or theory where
where you do not have the
state variable. However, the form
(table-alist 'tests world)returns the alist representation of the table named
test in the
given world. Often you have access to
The ACL2 system provides ``tables'' by which the user can associate
one object with another. Tables are in essence just conventional
association lists -- lists of pairs -- but the ACL2 environment
provides a means of storing these lists in the ``ACL2 world'' of the
state. The ACL2 user could accomplish the same ends by
using ACL2 ``global variables;'' however, limitations on global
variable names are imposed to ensure ACL2's soundness. By
convention, no table is important to ACL2's soundness, even though
some features of the system use tables, and the user is invited to
make free use of tables. Because tables are stored in the ACL2
world they are restored by
include-book and undone by
ubt. Many
users of Nqthm requested a facility by which user data could be
saved in Nqthm ``lib files'' and tables are ACL2's answer to that
Abstractly, each table is an association list mapping ``keys'' to
``values.'' In addition, each table has a ``
:guard,'' which is a
term that must be true of any key and value used. By setting the
:guard on a table you may enforce an invariant on the objects in the
table, e.g., that all keys are positive integers and all values are
symbols. Each table has a ``name,'' which must be a symbol. Given
a table name, there are six operations one might perform on the
:put -- associate a value with a key (possibly changing the value
currently associated with that key).
:get -- retrieve the value associated with a key (or nil if no
value has been associated with that key).
:alist -- return an alist showing all keys and non-nil values in
the table.
:clear -- clear the table (so that every value is nil), or if val
is supplied then set table to that value (which must be an alist).
:guard -- fetch or set the :guard of the table.
When the operations above suggest that the table or its
:guard are
modified, what is actually meant is that the current state is redefined
so that in it, the affected table name has the appropriate properties. in
such cases, the
table form is an event (see events). In the
case, if the key is already in the table and associated with the proposed
value, then the
table event is redundant (see redundant-events).
Table forms are commonly typed by the user while interacting with
the system.
:Put and
:get forms are especially common. Therefore,
we have adopted a positional syntax that is intended to be
convenient for most applications. Essentially, some operations
admit a ``short form'' of invocation.
(table name key-term value-term :put) ; long form (table name key-term value-term) ; short formevaluates the key- and value-terms, obtaining two objects that we call
key and
value, checks that the
key and
value satisfy the
:guard on the named table and then ``modifies'' the named table
so that the value associated with
key is
value. When used like
table is actually an event in the sense that it changes the
ACL2 world. In general, the forms evaluated to obtain the
key and
value may involve the variable
world, which is bound to the
then-current world during the evaluation of the forms. However, in
the special case that the table in question is named
acl2-defaults-table, the
key and
value terms may not contain any
variables. Essentially, the keys and values used in events setting
acl2-defaults-table must be explicitly given constants.
See acl2-defaults-table.
(table name key-term nil :get) ; long form (table name key-term) ; short formevaluates the key-term (see note below), obtaining an object,
and returns the value associated with
key in the named table (or,
nil if there is no value associated with
key). When used like this,
table is not an event; the value is simply returned.
(table name nil nil :alist) ; long form (table name) ; short formreturns an alist representing the named table; for every key in the table with a non-
nil associated value, the alist pairs the key
and its value. The order in which the keys are presented is
unspecified. When used like this,
table is not an event; the alist
is simply returned.
(table name nil val :clear)sets the named table to the alist
val, making the checks that
makes for each key and value of
val. When used like this,
table is
an event because it changes the ACL2 world.
(table name nil nil :guard)returns the translated form of the guard of the named table.
(table name nil nil :guard term)Provided the named table is empty and has not yet been assigned a
:guard and
term (which is not evaluated) is a term that mentions at
most the variables
val and
world, this event sets the
:guard of
the named table to
term. Whenever a subsequent
:put occurs,
will be evaluated with
key bound to the key argument of the
val bound to the
val argument of the
:put, and
world bound to the
then current world. An error will be caused by the
:put if the
result of the evaluation is
Note that it is not allowed to change the
:guard on a table once it
has been explicitly set. Before the
:guard is explicitly set, it is
effectively just
t. After it is set it can be changed only by
undoing the event that set it. The purpose of this restriction is
to prevent the user from changing the
:guards on tables provided by
other people or the system.
The intuition behind the
:guard mechanism on tables is to enforce
invariants on the keys and values in a table, so that the values,
say, can be used without run-time checking. But if the
:guard of a
table is sensitive to the ACL2 world, it may be possible to cause
some value in the table to cease satisfying the
:guard without doing
any operations on the table. Consider for example the
:guard ``no
value in this table is the name of an event.'' As described, that is
enforced each time a value is stored. Thus,
'bang can be
:put in
the table provided there is no event named
bang. But once it is in
the table, there is nothing to prevent the user from defining
as a function, causing the table to contain a value that could not
:put there anymore. Observe that not all state-sensitive
suffer this problem. The
:guard ``every value is an event name''
remains invariant, courtesy of the fact that undoing back through an
event name in the table would necessarily undo the
:put of the name
into the table.
Table was designed primarily for convenient top-level use. Tables
are not especially efficient. Each table is represented by an alist
stored on the property list of the table name.
:Get is just a
getprop and
:Put does a
getprop to the get the table
alist, a
put-assoc-equal to record the new association, and a
putprop to store the new table alist -- plus the overhead associated
:guards and undoable events, and checking (for redundancy) if
the key is already bound to its proposed value. Note that there are never
duplicate keys in the resulting
alist; in particular, when the
:clear is used to install new
alist, duplicate keys are
removed from that alist.
A table name may be any symbol whatsoever. Symbols already in use
as function or theorem names, for example, may be used as table
names. Symbols in use only as table names may be defined with
defun, etc. Because there are no restrictions on the user's choice
of table names, table names are not included among the logical
names. Thus,
:pe name will never display a table event (for a
logical name other than
:here). Either
:pe name will display a
``normal'' event such as
(defun name ...) or
(defthm name ...) or
:pe name will cause an error indicating that
name is not a
logical name. This happens even if
name is in use as a table name.
Similarly, we do not permit table names to have documentation
strings, since the same name might already have a documentation
string. If you want to associate a documentation string with a
table name that is being used no other way, define the name as a
label and use the
doc feature of
(see deflabel); also see defdoc.


text:
Madelaine Fletcher (301) 734-6125
Angela Harless (202) 720-4623
WASHINGTON, April 2, 2008--The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has amended its Federal Order on viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) to require permits before allowing species of live non-salmonid fish from VHS-affected Canadian provinces to be imported into the United States for direct slaughter.
As APHIS gathers more information about the disease, a federal regulatory program is put in place that allows for testing and certification prior to the interstate movement of fish susceptible to VHS. The original Federal Order was issued in response to the rapid spread of VHS in the Great Lakes region and the potential impact of the disease on a growing number of fish species, which includes species of fish raised commercially in the United States.
VHS is a highly contagious disease of some fresh and saltwater fish that, while not harmful to people, causes internal hemorrhaging and death in a wide range of fish species. APHIS initially took action in response to detections of VHS for the first time in fresh-water fish in several of the Great Lakes and related tributaries. VHS is responsible for several large-scale die-offs of wild fish in the Great Lakes region.
APHIS issued the October 2006 Federal Order to prohibit the importation of 37 species of live fish from two Canadian provinces into the United States and the interstate movement of the same species from the eight states bordering the Great Lakes. The revision of the Federal Order will facilitate trade of live non-salmonid fish between the United States and Canada. All shipments will require an APHIS permit that will specify the conditions necessary to prevent the introduction of VHS.
The amended Federal Order will remain in effect until APHIS publishes an interim rule establishing federal regulations for VHS later in 2008. Both the modified and the original emergency order can be found on the APHIS Web site at /animal_health/animal_dis_spec
/aquaculture .
Note to Reporters: USDA news releases, program announcements and media advisories are available on the Internet. Go to the APHIS news release page at /newsroom. Also, anyone with an e-mail address can sign up to receive APHIS press releases automatically. Send an e-mail message to firstname.lastname@example.com and leave the subject blank. In the message, type subscribe press_releases.


text:
Call us today
We offer multiple locations across Massachusetts and Rhode Island that can help you get started on the road to recovery. We provide all levels of care from detox, in-patient, outpatient and sober living.
Desert Hope is a beautiful oasis with modern charm located in Las Vegas, Nevada. We provide all levels of care from detox, in-patient, outpatient and sober living.
Start your recovery at our spa-like facility in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Holistic therapies, chef-prepared meals, and LGBTQ+ support are among the many features of our premier drug and alcohol treatment program.
Laguna Treatment Hospital is located in Orange County, CA. The first Chemical Dependency Recovery Hospital in the OC, we offer safe medical detox, mental health support, and wellness programs.
Take a step back from your life and get the help you need at our premier drug and alcohol addiction center. Nestled in the countryside 1.5 hours from Memphis, Oxford gives you the support you need in a calm and beautiful setting.
Your recovery can start at either of two premier drug and alcohol treatment facilities in the Greater Miami area - Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, FL. Our specialties include treatment for veterans and first responders.
Retreat to the sunny climate of Tampa, Florida for a stay at the gold standard of treatment facilities. We offer customized care plans to help you on your recovery journey.
Escape to the countryside to recovery in New Jersey's premier drug rehab & treatment center. Located only an hour from New York City.
Our Centers
Stacy Mosel is a substance abuse specialist, psychotherapist, and licensed social worker. Mosel received her master's in social work from New York University in 2002 and has had extensive training in child and family therapy and the identification and treatment of substance abuse and mental health disorders.


text:
iluvk9 wrote:8) Thanks!
He won't even use the regular door if I open it and call him.
Malli wrote:clip a long line to it. Do you feel bad pulling on the harness?
I honestly think what you are describing is just him wanting to stay out longer.
iluvk9 wrote: I put a thermometer outside and it is only 30 degrees, so I figured he won't freeze his fur off. He stayed out for 45 minutes, just laying 10 feet from the deck/door. I had to run an errand, so I jangled dog biscuits at the door and after 5 long minutes, he trotted in.
But it seems a match of wills and Lenny is in control. I know this isn't good.
iluvk9 wrote:Malli wrote:clip a long line to it. Do you feel bad pulling on the harness?
Tried it and he just wouldn't budge. I was getting angry, so I stopped before it became a pissing match.
iluvk9 wrote::sad2: help.
http://s140.photobucket.com/albums/r35/ ... 78b689.mp4
Users browsing this forum: No registered users


text:
Afghanistan's intelligence agency arrested a prominent Afghan journalist and opposition political adviser this weekend, raising questions about media and political freedom in the country ahead of expected elections and the NATO draw down in 2014.
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) arrested and interrogated Hussain Yasa on suspicion of espionage for Pakistan, an allegation Dr. Yasa denies. He was taken in custody shortly after meeting politicians to discuss an election reform scheme.
The arrest of Yasa comes at a time when the Karzai administration is proposing changes to a mass media law that would restrict the ability of the news media to discuss issues of national security and religion. Afghanistan is entering a sensitive political season, with maneuvering among power players to shape the upcoming elections that will determine who will lead Afghanistan after most NATO troops depart. The past record of Afghan security agencies, including the NDS, of staying professional and above the political fray is not encouraging.
Candace Rondeaux, International Crisis Group's senior analyst based in Kabul, says that the upcoming 2014 presidential elections carry the risk that multiple actors -- and not just the Karzai administration -- could use different parts of the security agencies against each other.
"There is a risk that as political competition heats up ahead of the 2014 presidential elections state resources could be used to silence rivals and critics," Ms. Rondeaux writes in an email. "This need not be solely a Karzai run and owned enterprise; there are a number of powerful political players who are well positioned to exert their control over the parts of the security services to further their own political ambitions."
The NDS admits to arresting, releasing, and rearresting Yasa this weekend because of what it regards as suspicious activity, including frequent visits to the Pakistani embassy.
"Dr. Hussain Yasa has been arrested and held for questioning by the NDS for his repeatedly going to and visiting the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul, and especially the intelligence officer of the Pakistan Embassy," says Lutfullah Mashal, spokesman for the NDS.
Yasa, however, maintains that he was simply participating in legitimate politics, attending a meeting of the National Front of Afghanistan at a recent meeting in Kabul.
Yasa was held for 27 hours, and then released on bail because of his need for diabetic treatment. On Tuesday, however, he was rearrested, Mr. Mashal said, and the NDS intends to hand him over to the Attorney General's office for prosecution on likely charges of espionage.
'A proud Afghan'
While President Hamid Karzai is restricted by the Afghan Constitution from seeking a third term in office in 2014, critics of his administration worry that his control over security agencies such as the NDS will give him power to restrict the activities of his rivals, including some of the warlords and political leaders that form the National Front of Afghanistan.
One of those National Front leaders, Mohammad Mohaqiq, alleges in a statement this weekend, that Yasa was targeted not because of his visits to the Pakistani embassy, nor because of his possession of dual citizenship, but rather because he is a member of the Hazara ethnic group, and thus hostile to Karzai's ethnic Pashtuns.
"A proud Afghan and an honest Hazara community member, Yasa has been known to me for the past 20 years," said Mr. Mohaqiq, in a statement. "I know many ministers and advisors who have the citizenship of Pakistan, the US, Canada and other countries. This dual nationality is a pride for them. Why is it a sin in Yasa case?"
Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network in Kabul, says it is giving the Karzai government too much credit to say that it is "misusing the security institutions."
"That suggests internal coherence and a systematic persecution of rivals or critics, which we (AAN) do not see," Mr. Ruttig writes in an email. The security, judiciary, and civil institutions are still unstable, and run by people with personal or factional loyalties, and often with little regard for the rule of law, he says.
"There are laws, often relatively good ones, but they are not implemented, and those with power can afford to ignore them, put themselves above them. This gives them the room to carry out personal or political vendettas, and if you are the target of one, there is no trustworthy institution you can take recourse to."
Ms. Rondeaux says Afghan elections have had a history of foul play.
"Given recent experience during the 2009 and 2010 polls, we can and should anticipate that targeted assassinations, kidnappings and even false arrests will be only a few of the tools employed by political players seeking gain an edge in the race for the presidency in Afghanistan," she says.
Speaking for the NDS, Mr. Mashal denies that Yasa has been targeted because of his media activities or his connections with top leaders of the National Front of Afghanistan, who are likely rivals for President Karzai's successor in upcoming 2014 elections. "The NDS respects all political parties, and we have no problem with Dr. Yasa's political activities. We have no problem with his media activities. We have not received any direction from the palace or other political parties. This is only related to his activities with the Pakistani embassy."
(Full disclosure: Lutfullah Mashal once worked for The Christian Science Monitor as an interpreter, before joining the Afghan government as a spokesman.)


text:
Added to your cart
You have no items in your shopping cart.
With our small craft stencil templates you can make lovely handmade cards, scrapbook pages and art journals. This beautiful Lotus Grande floral stencil design is perfect for various craft projects, trays, flower pots, birdhouses, picture frames, furniture, napkins and anything that can use some pattern and color! These stencils are useful for creating patterned background for your artwork.
When we have a stencil as outstanding as this one, we want to do everything to make it the true focus of my project. Here we used a variety of inks on my stencil, and then layered a clear glossy gel over to add dimension. Once dry, this made the image shine on my card and we love the bold colors of ink with this design!
These stencil templates can be used with regular acrylic paints, ink, texture paint and gel mediums. (Sold in craft stores and online).
We offer 2 versions of this stencil design - small and medium. These stencil designs are perfect for card making! It's very easy and fun to make your own holiday cards, and one reusable stencil will likely last you a lifetime. You can also stencil some table runners, gift wrapping paper, boxes, and anything that can use some decoration. No need to use a spray adhesive when making cards, just secure the stencil with pieces of low-tack tape so it doesn't move around while you stencil.
Here is a nice Illustrated Card Stenciling Tutorial (so easy!)
Yes, you can stencil your own fabric and use it for curtains, tablecloths, pillows, and what not! When stenciling on fabric, stencil adhesive is very helpful. First, tape your ironed fabric to the surface so it doesn't move around while you stencil. Use stencil brushes, or a dense foam roller, and add some textile medium ( sold in craft stores) to your acrylic paint. You can also get a special fabric paint, but, good craft acrylics with a dollop of textile medium work just as well, and cost way less, too! :)
Textile medium is optional - it only makes the acrylic paint more flexible when it dries, which is important for wearables like t-shirts, but not so much for pillows and curtains. Complete the stenciling and let it dry fully, 24 hours is best, then heat-set it by ironing the fabric for approximately 20 sec. on a LOW setting through the piece of cloth. Heat-setting will cure the paint and will prevent it from being washed off in the washing machine. Always experiment with a sample of your fabric first to ensure good results. I've stenciled on silk, cotton, linen and even sheer fabrics with great results. It's always better if your fabric doesn't have too much texture.
You'll need some stencil brushes and/or a dense foam roller for your stenciling project.
All of our stencils are made of sturdy but flexible 12 mil clear plastic, reusable and easy to clean. In our 20+ years of professional stenciling this material has proven to be far superior than any other material we used, including the industry standard 8 mil mylar.
Our reusable stencils are made to last and with proper care and storage will serve you for a long time.