text:
The state broadcaster bans a charitable appeal on behalf of charities raising funds to help Gaza residents rebuild after Israel's attack – for fear of being associated with criticism of the "good terrorism" carried out by the UK's ally.
Now those travelling to Gaza to deliver aid to people who have been bombed are targeted by police as though they were about to bomb people! (If only there was the same readiness to seize weapons destined for Israel!)
All of the men arrested have been released without charge. The action taken by police looks suspiciously like an Islamophobic media stunt designed to smear the Viva Palestina convoy and feed into the hysteria about Muslims that the corporate media are drumming up.
Preston's socialist councillor Michael Lavalette wants answers:
The three Burnley men arrested on Friday night under anti-terror legislation were today (Thursday) released without charge. The men had been held for six days in a secure detention centre in Manchester. The men were arrested on Friday as they drove to join the 'Viva Palestina' convoy taking humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Also arrested, as part of the same operation, were six men from Blackburn. They were kept isolated in police vans for 7 hours before being released without charge. Some of those from Blackburn were religious scholars.
The arrests and the treatment of the men in question raise serious questions about policing in Lancashire and about the 'targeting' of both the Gaza Convoy and Muslim men in the region. There are serious questions that now need to be answered from Lancashire constabulary. Questions like:
1. Who ordered the stop and arrest of the 9 men?
2. What evidence of 'wrong-doing' did the police have?
3. Why (given the fact that the convoy organisers submitted all the names, passport and visa details of those on the convoy) did the police not act sooner if they had 'real' or 'significant' concerns?
4. Who provided the police with the (now obviously flawed) 'evidence' that suggested the men were involved in wrong-doing?
5. This was clearly a national police operation. Who led the operation? Did it have Government clearance?
The suspicion is that this was a politically motivated operation to disrupt the convoy. Where are the Labour Ministers on television or in the press defending their operation and explaining the actions that were taken?
The Gaza Convoy is a humanitarian mission and the men travelling from Lancashire had vehicles that were laden with gifts from children in our area for the children of Gaza. The disruption of this trip is nothing short of a disgrace.
George Galloway condemned the timing of the arrests, the arrests themselves and the deliberate efforts of the police to create a story in the press the purposes of which appears to have been to discredit the aid convoy to Gaza. Viva Palestina reports that there was a drop of 80% in donations following the broadcast of the arrests and the police allegations on the BBC on Saturday afternoon.
"Nine innocent people were prevented by the police from joining our convoy with vital aid to meet the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," said George Galloway this afternoon.
"The follow up action by the police, which has apparently included the strip-searching of an Imam and his wife in their own home in Blackburn, has gravely damaged their relations with the community whose trust they need to win.
"Anyone with any sense can see that it is in everyone's interest to encourage Britain's Muslim community to engage themselves in democratic politics. That is precisely what this convoy – and the huge political, and humanitarian effort throughout Britain's often alienated Muslim communities which lies behind it – is about.
"To arrest innocent men in such a provocative and hyped operation will achieve precisely the opposite of that engagement. The timing of the operation is seen locally as an attempt to smear and intimidate the
Muslim community and I must say they seem to be right.
"The arrests were clearly deliberately timed for the eve of the departure of the convoy. Photographs of the high-profile snatch on the M65 were immediately fed to the press to maximise the newsworthiness
of the smear that was being perpetrated on the convoy" said Galloway.
"I am writing to the Chief Constable of Lancashire to demand an explanation and will consult Viva Palestina's lawyers with a view to seeking compensation for the real financial and public relations damage we have suffered as a result. I will also be writing to the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, to demand action against those who seem to have abused their power and authority as a police officers to produce this really damaging outcome."
But the events of the last week also raises another significant issue. For the last two years the Government has attempted to divide the Muslim community in this country by launching a programme called Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE). PVE has come with substantial sums of money that can be directed towards projects aimed at stopping 'extremism'. The funded projects have been varied (and its certainly the case that there is a need for 'good projects' in our city and amongst the poorest communities). But PVE isn't about providing services. Its about obtaining surveillance and criminalising sections of the Muslim community.
For example, how is an potential extremist defined? People who fall under suspicion include those who have an interest in global politics (so opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or opposition to the murderous regime in Israel could lead to someone being identified as a potential 'extremist'.) Of course that could include someone like me – but I'm not subject to PVE surveillance because I'm not Muslim, and this is the crux – its the combination of the political interest with the religious beliefs and style of dress of the individual that marks them out as 'suspicious'; and its one reason why converts to Islam are particularly targetted. Here is the Government's own document PVE – A Strategy for Delivery (May 2008), which states that:
"The most severe terrorist threat currently comes from individuals and groups who distort Islam. … It is
not the role of Government to seek to change a religion. However, where theology is being distorted to justify violent extremist rhetoric or activity and threaten both Muslims and non-Muslims, Government should reinforce faith understanding and thereby build resilience."
PVE is actually an extension of the 'war on terror'. Its intention is to isolate the 'enemy within'. In this form it is no different to other historic strategies of 'divide and rule' that the British state has used to isolate and intimidate minorities such as the Irish community in the 1970s or Communist Party members at the hieght of the Cold War.
PVE was piloted in a number of places across Britain – including Preston and Reading. Both these areas were included because police sources argued they were 'hotbeds' of extremism – though there is no evidence of this being the case in Preston at all (there have been no high profile 'terror' arrests in Preston and there is no network of 'political islamists' in the city.)
In Preston one of the major PVE interventions is called the Channel Project. Here is what the police have to say about it:
"The Channel Project is all about supporting vulnerable individuals. It is a local and community-based initiative between the police, local authority and the local community. The project takes referrals from a number of sources on individuals that may be vulnerable to becoming involved in violent extremism. A joint risk assessment of each individual case is then made by project members and any issues of concern are identified. A programme of intervention tailored to the needs of the individual is then developed and implemented. Involvement of community partners is key. They will have expertise and insight into the process of assessment, referral and intervention. This process will make the vulnerable person confident
in their rejection and condemnation of violence. If you would like to know more about this initiative."
The language used makes it seem almost 'social workesque'! The 'needs' of 'vulnerable individuals'; a 'programme of intervention' etc. You have to stop for a minute to realise that all of this is being done without the knowledge, input or consent of the 'vulnerable individual'! (Their 'vulnerability' remember is opposition or hostility to the imperial policies of the British state combined with the fact that they are Muslim!)
But of greater concern is their claim that they take 'referrals from a range of people' (people with a grudge? spies in the community? the security services? who?) and that 'involved community partners' are key.
There is an old saying that 'there is no such thing as a free lunch'. The 'involvement of the key community players' essentially means those that have taken funding for their projects – certainly that was the indication of what was happening in Derby and Reading (two PVE areas featured on Panorama on Monday evening): once the projects get their funding the police and security services come calling asking 'surveillance' questions.
The PVE agenda brings a 'dirty money' reward to a few 'community leaders', but in the process it turns them into an outreach of the security services. The events of last week-end and the harassment faced by 9 innocent Muslim men in Lancashire should bring to an end this form of 'engagement'.


text:
Single Origin Coffee Aged in a Pinot Noir Barrel? Only in Portland
I know, I know. We're all thinking the same thing. Portland found one more thing they could infuse with booze? This time, a beautiful single origin coffee from El Salvador, aged in an oak Pinot Noir barrel? Sure. But think again: beyond gimmick and Portlandianism, to a subtle, thoughtfully conceived coffee roasted by Southeast Portland roaster Water Avenue Coffee, balanced and still very much a coffee beverage.
Water Avenue partner and roaster Brandon Smyth came to the unusual idea—coffee beers are sometimes aged in oak barrels, but not coffee coffees—through winemaking.
"A long while back, when I was still roasting at Stumptown, I was making my own wine. And you can either go out and buy a barrel, which is pretty expensive, or you can add oak powder to wine. And I was making a red wine and I was tasting it before and after I put the oak in there, and what I expected was the oak to tasty oaky, to taste woody. But it actually brought out a bunch of berry, fruit flavor! So I thought, oh man, that'd be cool to try that with some coffee."
Smyth originally dropped the oak experiment on some Sumatran coffee beans, post-roasting, and found the final brew fruity and "more burly" but overall a bit extreme. His next move was to try aging green, unroasted coffee beans for a short time in a barrel used for making red wine. But it's not as easy to find a good used wine barrel as you might think—Smyth says one vintner was "so confused by what I was asking and what I was planning to do with it that he thought I was a crackpot." But when he finally came into possession of a decommissioned Pinot Noir barrel from Oregon vintners Crowley Wines, he knew he just had to use the right coffee. "I opened it up and it just smelled amazing," Smyth said. "Like cherries."
Luckily, Water Avenue already had a coffee called El Manzano from El Salvador in their repertoire—a coffee with whose farm they've had an ongoing relationship, and which offers flavors of apple, dark berries, caramel and chocolate, while still maintaining a sunny acidity. It's also a pulp natural processed coffee, meaning the freshly harvested coffee undergoes its drying period with the fruit's mucilage still on the bean, which can result in sweeter and fruitier flavor in the cup.
"I thought, it's a pulp natural, and the fruit flavor it had had a lot of red apple to it," said Smyth. "There's a certain crispness to it that I felt if you were going to add anything to it, that clarity of that coffee would only bring it out more. The barrel's not going to cover anything up that would actually be detrimental to the flavor," said the roaster.
"To me, those fruits that come out, the cherry from the barrel work really well with the red apple from the Manzano. I also feel like having a little bit of pulp helps the coffee absorb the flavor. Pulp naturals age really well, they have a lot of that pectin on the bean that helps protect them from the environment."
And the results are vivid: a balanced coffee whose intrinsic apple and cocoa flavors and the delicate oak and cherry additions exist in harmonious parallel. You can separate them out in your brain—but in a way that is more likely to surprise and make you rethink tasting than anything else.
Water Avenue has already gone through 300 pounds of the 13-day-aged coffee beans, and they expect to be able to age another 500 pounds before they think the barrel flavor will begin to fade—then again, Smyth doesn't really know when that will happen, because he's never tried this before. What's next?
"I know a guy down here who's a cooper making cedar barrels, so we're going to do a cedar one which might be interesting. I don't want to get too far into it because, while it's interesting and it's fun, I'd like to have one thing going on, or all of the sudden, are we flavoring coffee? Is it just manufacturing it, or a certain kind of gimmick," mused Smyth. "I don't want to get too weird."
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Hey fucknuts! #Seapunk is back at Walmer with that fucker Riot Earp hitting you hard with his interpretation of underwater exploration called Whales & Bongs. You fucking listen to this while you swim with the whales and use a bong to breathe. That's how you live in the sea. This track is exclusive to Walmer and we're fucking happy to get this piece of madness from a musical killer like this mofo. GO GRAB IT AFTER THE JUMP FUCKERS!


text:
"B.C. officials in the West Kelowna area say they have one wildfire about 40 per cent contained, but admit they have been unable to get a handle on two others burning in the region." CTV News
"So far, 11,000 people have been told to leave their homes, while another 6,000 are on evacuation alert. Some are staying at a local community centre or in hotels, while others are bunking with friends and family." CTV News
Sad to say, this fire keeps growing...it's creating a lot of unrest, fear and lack of sleep among those on Evacuation Alert. I must admit I cannot even imagine being in a situation like this. It just saddens me to think of all the loss and damage of so many families.
On the home front, it's gorgeous, sunny weather and after several days of torrential thunder storms rolling in, this entire week is supposed to be sunny, dry and hot...finally! What a great start to this week!!
Yesterday our City had an Airshow and I caught a bit of it with planes flying, screeching and booming across the sky overhead. Most impressive was the tight formation of the famous Canadian Airforces Snow Birds


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Now that we know who's putting the "S" in "DWTS," it's time to move on to the next phase in the dance competition's hype generator.
Who will the stars be dancing with?
Well, the match-ups have been revealed, which is helpful for all those "Dancing With the Stars" fantasy leagues out there. Start with the handicapping!
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
David Arquette may be the early favorite based solely on the fact that he's paired with last season's champion-assisting Kym Johnson. She and football star Hines Ward took the last DWTS crown.
Former talk show host Ricki Lake also snagged a past winner in Derek Hough. He and "Dirty Dancing" star Jennifer Grey won it all at the end of season 11.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy snagged U.S. soccer star Hope Solo (he and Kirstie Alley were a pair last season), while Karina Smirnoff has definitely upgraded by getting "All My Children" star and former soldier J.R. Martinez, seeing as she was matched up with Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino last time around.
Maksim's brother, Val, is probably not disappointed to have gotten former George Clooney flame Elisabetta Canalis.
Rob Kardashian made out pretty good, too. He will be with two-time winner Cheryl Burke (who tangled with pro wrestler Chris Jericho last season). Ron Artest and Peta Murgatroyd would have been a more fun pairing if he were allowed to use his new name, Metta World Peace.
Chazz Bono will shimmy with bombshell Lacey Schwimmer, who was paired with (and rumored to be romantically involved with) Mike Catherwood last season - but let's try and keep things professional, eh, Chazz?
After twirling Wendy Williams around last time, Tony Dovolani will be with Chynna Philips. Kristin Cavallari has two-time champ Mark Ballas, and former "Queer Eye" star Carson Kressley will be with Anna Trebunskaya (who was paired with Sugar Ray Leonard last time).
And in what is clearly a case of punking the new guy, dancer Tristan MacManus makes his DWTS debut alongside Nancy Grace. Good luck, man!
"Dancing with the Stars" Season 13 kicks off September 19th on ABC.


text:
June A. Vail
June A. Vail (A.B., Connecticut, M.A.L.S., Wesleyan) offers courses in dance history, criticism and choreography. A former choreographer/performer, she has been dance critic for the weekly Maine Times since 1982 and for the Portland Phoenix since summer, 2000.
Her research focuses on dance as cultural performance and modes of writing about dance. She has contributed chapters to two recent books on dance: "Watching American Critics Watch World Dance" in Looking Out: Perspectives on Dance and Criticism in a Multicultural World (1995) and "Balkan Tradition, American Alternative" in Moving Words: Re-Writing Dance (1996). Her book Kulturella Koreografier [Cultural Choreographies], on the broad range of dance forms practiced in Sweden, was published (in Swedish) in 1998.
- MALS, Wesleyan University
- AB, University of Connecticut


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Back in the day when A.O.S. was working to dominate the local college music scene in our little corner of the American Southwest, our main rivals in town, along with The Young Pros, were a group of upstarts called The Sextants. I just ran across this track of theirs from 1987 on soundcloud, so I thought I'd share it with ya'll.
And to facilitate the head to head comparisons and a nostalgia overload - here's The Young Pros (doing a cover of an A.O.S. song)
and A.O.S.'s DIY cassette release from 1988- Rip It Up - Enjoy


text:
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text:
Many of the business expansions the administration of Gov. Mitch Daniels has funded with state dollars through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation sit empty after much fanfare when they were originally announced. There are empty fields where we are told factories exist, or are supposed to exist. Do you want to know the specifics on how your tax dollars were spent? That information is strictly off limits according to the Daniels administration. Those were some of the findings of an investigative report by WTHR television's Bob Segal that aired this week.
Frustrated by months of stonewalling on open records law requests, Segal confronted Daniels on camera, not once but twice about the requests. The second time Daniels stormed out of the room without responding. As Segal's report discovered, the reason the administration is keeping the public information secret is because the job claims being made by the IEDC–over 100,000 jobs created–are simply not true.
A former member of Daniels' Office of Management and Budget is blowing the whistle on the fraudulent job claims of IEDC. Tad DeHaven served as Deputy Director of OMB's Government Efficiency and Planning Office. DeHaven told Segal that the administration's secrecy claims to the public records is specious.
"I can tell you if they have the numbers and they were good, you'd have them by now," said Tad DeHaven. "If they don't the numbers, it means either they're bad or they don't have them." He continued, "IEDC was one of those programs we consistently laughed at because we knew that their numbers were 'wave their magic wand and, poof, up they came,'" he said. "No one in their right mind would have believed the numbers coming out of IEDC because these state agencies would just submit whatever numbers they wanted to: real, fake…who knew? We didn't audit it, and whenever we'd suggest an independent auditing process, it was always shot down."
Mitch Roob, the guy who handed the failed multi-million dollar contract to his former employer to manage the state's welfare programs while serving as Secretary of FSSA in the Daniels administration, wants you to believe him when he says 87% of the jobs are on track, even if he won't release any numbers to substantiate that claim. Segal's investigation suggests the actual percentage is below 60%. Roob conceded that his agency had no way of tracking whether all of the business firms awarded state incentives actually produced the jobs promised.
Although Segal's investigation found that every other state and city that he contacted made this kind of information available to the public, Roob insists the information must remain confidential under Indiana law. "That's not a mistake," Roob said. "That is a competitive weapon that companies believe can be used against them by their competitors."
What is particularly embarrassing about Roob's claim is that his counterpart agency in Illinois, the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, makes all of this information public. Roob served as a member of former Gov. James Thompson's administration before moving to Indiana.
DCCA Director Warren Ribley was puzzled by Roob's claims. "I don't understand that philosophy, particularly if a state is using public funds and state tax dollars to pay the bill for those new jobs," Ribley said in response to Segal's inquiry. "We need to hold [companies] accountable to make sure they do create those jobs, and the public also has the right to hold us accountable" said Ribley, adding that publicly releasing corporate job numbers has not discouraged companies from bringing jobs to Illinois. "We've never had a single company express concern or raise the fact that they did not want to choose Illinois because they were going to have to report that information," he said. In the case of Illinois, they provide to the public the number of jobs promised, the actual number of jobs produced and the wages paid on those jobs, among other information.
If Gov. Daniels is planning to run for president, he had some moments in Segal's report that could come back to haunt him and don't bode well for the scrutiny presidential candidates often face. He reacted angrily when Segal first asked him about his own report's finding that less than 60% of the jobs claimed to have been produced never materialized. "You seem to have a blindingly clear view of what is perfectly obvious," the governor said of the Eyewitness News investigation. "In a recession, a lot of businesses have to change their plans." Daniels directed Segal to attend an IEDC board meeting if he wanted the specific information he requested, which are open to the public. So Segal took him up on his offer and this was what transpired:
WTHR attended IEDC's spring board meeting, where board members reviewed charts and graphs showing summary job information. But despite the governor's invitation, the board offered no job realization numbers to support specific job commitments previously promoted by Daniels and the IEDC. So after the meeting, WTHR again asked the governor to provide that information and, this time, he simply walked out.
IEDC director Mitch Roob explained the governor and IEDC will not release Indiana's detailed job numbers to anyone. While the state uses Hoosier tax dollars to help attract new jobs, Hoosier tax payers do not get to see what they're paying for.
"We don't share it with the public. We don't release it to the news media. That's confidential information," Roob said.
Political advisers to Daniels must have cringed after watching Segal's report. I'm sure Democratic operatives are storing away the video footage from this investigative report, particularly the part where Daniels stormed out of the room to avoid Segal's questioning. Nationally, Republicans should be having second thoughts about what kind of a candidate this guy would make.


text:
Beauty Blog is a free Blogger template with 4 columns, right sidebar, fresh look, posts thumbnails and girly looking.
Excellent template for blogs about fashion or people.
Author: Templates Novo Blogger.
Hi Mahmood
It's http://www.dubaispaguide.blogspt.com
I have a big problem: I added 2 "new pages" to my blog, but they do not open in full, even when I click on them. How can I do so I can see them in full when I access the page?
Thanks a lot!
hi Alina, i tried it out it doesn't allow to view the full page. I would suggest just add an html post and link that manually.
For example: http://www.zeenatstyle.com/2009/11/zeenat-salwar-kameez-saris-about-us.html
Mahmood, thank you for the answer, I will take in consideration your suggestion. I've seen on the site you gave me as an example that it has a very nice navigation bar. How did you do it?
Thank you so much!
Hi Alina… you will have to add a css to your code and modify the html for this code to show up….. contact me through email and i CAN help you set it up. since i cant post the code here.
i already download the templates.why i can't open the xml???
when i open it will pop out error.
I dl the file and upload to blogger…
But when i apply it, the blog page only show the ppink background, the white background/ red background and the girl pict. did not show up.
Anythings wrong with the code???
Jaslynn, I have the same problem, I've been using this template for months now, and this never happened.
Not only the picture disappeared but the colours and horizontal menu colours, too!
Anybody can help? thanks.
I solved it. I downloaded the template again but not from here! from the author's website:
In the folder I found "outer-top" which i simply copied as a photo in the header and it worked.
I'm glad now :)
My problem is solved, two days after the blog appeared normally – I have no problem now :)
i already download the templates.why i can't open the xml???
Hi.I oredy download this tempalte.but wierd why the template not exactly same so different.can anybody send the code to me.:(i oredy upload the xml file still not same.tq
Hola, me gusto mucho este template, pero cuando lo instale, es otro totalmente diferente, que nada que ver con este. Ojala me puedan ayudar y poner el correcto. Saludos y gracias!
I love this template and have added and customised it for my blog.
It works really well for the type of bog I have. I wanted one that you had to click for posts rather than it showing the whole post on the front page which this one does.
However I have a few problems I would like to fix if you could help please :)
Firstly on the summery of posts it displays the title, thumbnail and some of the content. I would like to make the thumbnail clickable so that it will take you into the full post like the title does. Is there a way to do this. I found this bit of code below in the template which I think is to do with it, but I'm not sure how to edit it to make it work.
Also is there a way to make the title fit into the box as longer titles instead of going to the next line just get cut off.
The [….] can you change this to [read more]
I'd really appreciate any help
Love Jo
function createSummaryAndThumb(pID){
var div = document.getElementById(pID);
var imgtag = "";
var img = div.getElementsByTagName("img");
var summ = summary_noimg;
if(img.length>=1) {
if(thumbnail_mode == "float") {
imgtag = ";
summ = summary_img;
} else {
imgtag = ";
summ = summary_img;
var summary = imgtag + " + removeHtmlTag(div.innerHTML,summ) + ";
div.innerHTML = summary;
I am developing new salon site.I just found this post.Love this template I got idea from this…
Hi Jo, to remove […] go to edit html expand widget and find
soon after this you will find […] simply change it to Read more or [Read More] or whatever you prefer.
Regards, Moody.
hi joe the comment didn't take the code reference so im putting it in quotations referring to open and close brackets.
"span id='showlink'" "a expr:href='data:post.url'"
or simply search for [ … ] in the edit html and replace it with what you want it to say.
I uploaded it and it looked soo different too!! Totally different layout, illustration and no photos.. (?)
@Layla, yes. I saw it is different blog template and the my older blog that using this template, the layout pictures all missing, showing "picture not found", so I guess this admin already delete the pictures and template. So, if you still want to use this template, you can google search "beauty blog", then click "image", then you will see the picture screen-shot of this blog template, click the image to go into the website, there are many websites are hosting this blog templates, it mean you can download this template from many other websites, not only this website :)
HI! I tried downloading the template but when i uploaded in my blog, it is showing the other beauty blog template.. Can you give me the correct file for this template. Thank you appreciated..
Thanks for this template.
There a problem when using this template when creat a new page (not the post). The Page content show in thumbnail style.
How can I show page content as manual?
Hi, I've been already download this template. But, when I preview it in my blog, it doesn't like the demo in this site. How?
It´s worng. WHen you download, another template is in!!!!!And, there´s no way to have the 4 boxes !!!
I tried to download this template ( 5 times ). but i can't..
Somebody can help me ?
Hi, maybe someone can help me. I just added this template to my blog and it looks great despite a few problems. One is I added an about page to my blog and this layout wont let the user click the post to read it. It's really annoying, I don't know of anyway to fix this. I would appreciate any help please!!!
Hi Matti..
This template is amazing.. i love it so much.
But can I change the girl picture with my picture..?
I do need ur help.
Olá! Eu amei esse template. Como posso mudar a imagem do cabeçalho?
awesome template..hats off to the designer..
I've already used this template….Can you instruct me how to change the picture above….picture of the girl sitting……
I want to use this beautiful template, is perfect for what I need but when I download nothing come. Can u please send me the HTML? Thanks a lot!!
How do I remove the image of women
I want to use this template but the 4th column is overlapping over the 3rd column. How can this be fixed so I can customize for my blog
I absolutely luv this template but prefer a two column blog. I'm not tech savvy at all and want to know if this template can be converted to a two column instead of a four column.
Thank you


text:
The City of Mount Ephraim, NJ
Mount Ephraim is a small town in the state of New Jersey. The largest nearby city to Mount Ephraim is Philadelphia, approximately 16 miles from the city center.There are several family restaurants in or near Mount Ephraim, including New Black Horse Diner, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Cabana Water Ice, Dinic's Oven Roasted Beef and Pork and International House of Pancakes. For a larger selection of Mount Ephraim restaurants select our Restaurants tab above. Visitors and residents can enjoy nearby Mount Ephraim Museums, Arenas, Golf Courses and/or Aquariums, including the Pomona Hall, Wells Fargo Center, Walt Whitman House, Greenfield Hall and Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial. For a more complete list of attractions in or around the city of Mount Ephraim please click on the Attractions tab above. The following 4 airports are located in or near Mount Ephraim:
- Mount Holly South Jersey Regional Airport (LLY)
- Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE)
- Philadelphia Intl. Airport (PHL)
- Trenton Mercer Airport (TTN)
Mount Ephraim, New Jersey Attractions
1Abington Art Center - , Jenkintown,
Abington Art Center, located in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia, PA is a non-collecting contemporary art museum with exhibition galleries and a sculpture park. Abington Art Center's mission is to cultivate the power of the arts – inspiring individuals and strengthening community. The Art Center supports its mission through exhibitions, a studio school for visual arts & dance, community education programs and public events at its Jenkintown, Pennsylvania cultural campus.
2Academy of Natural Sciences - , Philadelphia,
The Academy of Natural Sciences is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the New World. It was founded in 1812 by many of the leading naturalists of the young republic with its expressed mission of "the encouragement and cultivation of the sciences." For over nearly two centuries of continuous operations, the Academy has sponsored expeditions, conducted original environmental and systematics research, and amassed natural history collections containing more than 17 million specimens.
3Adventure Aquarium - Camden,
The Adventure Aquarium, formerly the New Jersey State Aquarium, is a for-profit educational entertainment attraction operated in Camden, New Jersey on the Delaware River waterfront by the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. It originally debuted in 1992, and re-opened in its current form on May 25, 2005, featuring about eight thousand animals living in varied forms of semi-aquatic, freshwater, and marine habitats.
4African American Museum in Philadelphia - , Philadelphia,
5Ambassador Course at Hickory Valley Golf Club - , Gilbertsville,
The Ambassador Course at Hickory Valley Golf Club is a 36 hole public golf course in Montgomery County Pennsylvania. Built in 1968, this Gilbertsville course is open all year. For tee time information call the pro shop at 610-754-9862. The golf course dress code is as follows: No tank tops or cutoffs.
Address: 1921 Ludwig Rd, Gilbertsville, PA 19525
6American Helicopter Museum & Education Center - , West Chester,
The American Helicopter Museum & Education Center is a museum that can be found at 1220 American Boulevard, West Chester, Pennsylvania. The transport museum focuses on the history, science and technology of rotary wing aviation. The collection contains over 40 civilian and military autogyros, convertiplanes and helicopters, including some early generation models. The museum also contains an extensive research library.
7American Philosophical Society Museum - , Philadelphia,
The American Philosophical Society is a discussion group founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin as an offshoot of his earlier club, the Junto. Through research grants, published journals, the upkeep of the American Philosophical Society Museum, an extensive library, and regular meetings, the society continues to advance careful study in a wide variety of disciplines in the humanities and the sciences. The museum is located immediately east of Independence Hall and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
8American Swedish Historical Museum - , Philadelphia,
The American Swedish Historical Museum is the oldest Swedish-American museum in the US. It is located in Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park in the South Philadelphia neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on part of a historic 17th-century land grant originally provided by Queen Christina of Sweden to settlers of New Sweden.
9Amstel House - , New Castle,
Amstel House, which is also referred to as Dr. Finney House, is a preserved building in New Castle, Delaware in the US. 19th century New Castle's decline meant that many owners of homes could no longer afford to make changes to them, which is why so many buildings were preserved. That changed, however, when New Castle was "rediscovered" during the Colonial Revival phase of the 1920s and 1930s and old buildings began to be torn down and replaced by new construction.
10Andalusia (Nicholas Biddle Estate) - , Andalusia,
Andalusia, which is also referred to as the Nicholas Biddle Estate, is an historic mansion and surrounding estate that can be found on the Delaware River just north of Philadelphia in the village named Andalusia for it in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Mount Ephraim, New Jersey Hotels
1Budgen Inn And Suites
310 North Black Horse Pike
Mount Ephraim, NJ 08059
2Quality Inn
1200 Crescent Boulevard
Gloucester City, NJ 08030
3Days Inn Brooklawn
801 Route 130 South
Brooklawn, NJ 08030
4Days Inn Phila Brooklawn
801 Crescent Blvd
Brooklawn, NJ 08030
5Red Carpet Inn Brooklawn
418 Route 130
Brooklawn, NJ 08030
6Econo Lodge Bellmawr
301 S Black Horse Pike
Bellmawr, NJ 08031
7Americas Best Value Inn And Su
217 S Black Horse Pike
Bellmawr, NJ 08031
8Super 8 Motel
341 S Black Horse Pike
Bellmawr, NJ 08031
9Howard Johnson Express Inn Bellmawr
341b S Black Horse Pike
Bellmawr, NJ 08031
10Comfort Inn Runnemede
101 E 9th Ave
Runnemede, NJ 08078
Mount Ephraim, New Jersey Restaurants
This is a list of Mount Ephraim Family Restaurants with addresses and phone numbers, including Diners, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Shops, Sandwich Shops and Fast Foods & Carry Out. Happy Dining!
110 Black Horse Pike
Audubon, NJ 08106
152 N Black Horse Pike
Mount Ephraim, NJ 08059
102 W Kings Hwy
Mount Ephraim, NJ 08059
1 South Black Horse Pike
Mount Ephraim, NJ 08059
601 USHighway 130 North
Mount Ephraim, NJ 08059
610 West Nicholson Rd
Audubon, NJ 08106
513 South Black Horse Pike
Audubon, NJ 08106
Us Highway No 130
Gloucester City, NJ 08030
521 Black Horse Pike
Haddon Heights, NJ 08035
USHighway 130
Gloucester City, NJ 08030
1International House of Pancakes
110 Black Horse Pike
Audubon, NJ 08106
2New Black Horse Diner
152 N Black Horse Pike
Mount Ephraim, NJ 08059
3Cabana Water Ice
102 W Kings Hwy
Mount Ephraim, NJ 08059
4Dinic's Oven Roasted Beef and Pork
1 South Black Horse Pike
Mount Ephraim, NJ 08059
5Browns Stop in Restaurant
601 USHighway 130 North
Mount Ephraim, NJ 08059
6Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar
610 West Nicholson Rd
Audubon, NJ 08106
7Blackhorse Pike News Agency
513 South Black Horse Pike
Audubon, NJ 08106
8Brooklawn Diner & Restaurant
Us Highway No 130
Gloucester City, NJ 08030
9Good Friend Chinese Restaurant
521 Black Horse Pike
Haddon Heights, NJ 08035
10KFC - Brooklawn- Dine in OR Carry Out
USHighway 130
Gloucester City, NJ 08030
Mount Ephraim Articles
Published January 21, 2013
Visit the National parks of Utah by car driving through scenic routes in Zion National Park and Escalante National Monument with unforgettable colorful rock formations such as the hoodoos and arches
Published November 21, 2012
Magnificent formations, easy to access short trails, lookout points, and grand vistas make Arches National Park an inspirational wonder for people of all ages.
Published November 20, 2011
Hotel review for Comfort Inn Philadelphia Airport Essington Pennsylvania. Paid $99+tax on business rate; arrived at 8 pm and left at...
Published November 4, 2011
See Fabulous Philadelphia's Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, City Hall filled with Alexander Milne Calder's statues including William Penn's, and the Magic Gardens
Published October 30, 2011
Botanical Garden and outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy these lovely oases in and around Philadelphia Pennsylvania ideal for family strolls and picnics!
Published October 22, 2011
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is the third largest museum in the nation, with vast collections housing hundreds of thousands of artifacts spanning various periods
Published September 29, 2011
With so many historic places to visit in Philadelphia, we managed to pack in all the main attractions and still include less known locations that make Philly so unique.
Published September 28, 2011
From the Franklin Institute to the Ben Franklin Memorial to the recreation of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Philadelphia is Ben Franklin's Town


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After its season was cut short last year in the Division 1 South Sectional quarterfinals, the Marshfield High baseball team is looking to improve on last year's results.
The Rams are off to a good start this season. Despite playing just two games thus far, the Rams have defeated Atlantic Coast League goes Sandwich, 16-3, and Falmouth, 2-0, in a couple of impressive showings to begin the season.
"It's amazing, we're five weeks into the season and we've only played two games (due to the weather)," said Marshfield coach Bill Battis. "Right now we're looking for small victories, one step at a time. The ACL is very competitive so we know that every game we play is going to be tough."
The Rams have some great talent on their team this year. Senior pitcher Eddie Kielty has been fantastic this season pitching 12 innings while allowing just three runs. In Friday's win over Falmouth, he tossed a complete-game, one-hit shutout.
Junior catcher Jackson Phinney will be a player the Rams lean on for offense throughout this season. The Rams will also look towards outfielders Brendan Ward and Marcus Forrester, who were key contributors in Marshfield's most recent victory, to produce as the season progresses.
Ward made a tremendous catch in the final inning of Friday's game, and that type of effective fielding has Battis optimistic for this team's success moving forward.
"We've played 14 innings of baseball, some in good weather and some in bad weather, and we have only committed one error in the field," said Battis. "I do like the way we work with the glove, so I would like to think defensively we are going to bring it as the season goes on."
Battis is currently in his 19th season as a coach.
"The kids are fantastic," said Battis. "I've enjoyed coaching each and every one of them over the years. We had four former players show up at the Falmouth game (on Friday,) which was nice. I just enjoy the relationships that come through coaching this team, whether it be with the players or their families."
Marshfield was scheduled to host Plymouth South on Tuesday at 11 a.m. (after Mariner deadline) before a three-game road trip. The Rams will play at Super 8 regular Braintree on Thursday at noon. On Monday, Marshfield travels to Nauset at 4:30 p.m.


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Milledgeville State Bank, a True Community Bank
Your Source for Mortgages, Ag Loans and Deposit Accounts in Carroll County
At Milledgeville State Bank, we are invested in our community because we are your family, friends and neighbors. We strive to meet the needs of any of community member, from deposit accounts and mortgages to ag loans. Contact Milledgeville State Bank or come by to see what we can do for you!


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MB Madaera
Lost 31.7 lbs fat
Built 11.7 lbs muscle
Chris Madaera
Built 9 lbs muscle
Keelan Parham
Lost 30 lbs fat
Built 4 lbs muscle
Bob Marchesello
Lost 23.55 lbs fat
Built 8.55 lbs muscle
Jeff Turner
Lost 25.5 lbs fat
Jeanenne Darden
Lost 26 lbs fat
Built 3 lbs muscle
Ted Tucker
Lost 41 lbs fat
Built 4 lbs muscle
Determine the Length of Your Workouts
Evaluate Your Progress
Keep Warm-Up in Perspective
"Doing more exercise with less intensity,"
Arthur Jones believes, "has all but
destroyed the actual great value
of weight training. Something
must be done . . . and quickly."
The New Bodybuilding for
Old-School Results supplies
MUCH of that "something."
This is one of 93 photos of Andy McCutcheon that are used in The New High-Intensity Training to illustrate the recommended exercises.
To find out more about McCutcheon and his training, click here.
Mission Statement
H.I.T. Acceptable Use Policy
Privacy Policy
Weights Or Wait?
WHY they became popular 100 years ago and WHY they're still popular today.
I challenged Dr. Darden to design a hard-hitting, 5-minute workout — and he challenged me to go through it.
How a HIT routine for several small, ignored, upper-arm muscles can increase the size of your biceps — quickly!
Many trainees believe you can't increase the size of your ribcage through exercise. When I started exercising at age 15, I experienced remarkable growth in my rib cage. It's time to separate fact from fiction — and learn a few well-kept secrets. The following questions and answers also will be posted on T-Nation.com.
My oldest daughter, who is 21, recently e-mailed me a document that described some of the characteristics of individuals born in the 1940s. Since my birth year was 1943, most of them are meaningful to me — especially since my wife and I have two children less than 5 years of age. Here are the traits:
Need a workout to shock your muscle mass into some solid gains? Then, pay attention to big Jim — big Jim Flanagan!
Full Article | Discuss this article
How about focusing on your biceps and triceps for the next two weeks?
It's the time of year when your pasty skin is itching and your summer abs are twitching. Let the Hard-Body Challenge be your guide to success.
The following excerpts are from 1976 discussions I had with Dr. John Kalas, who was Chief of the Department of Pathology, West Volusia County Hospital, DeLand, Florida. A subsequent article was published in Athletic Journal (January 1977) as a rebuttal against the popular practices of coaches and athletes to "train fast to be fast." The concepts explored within these answers are as relevant today as they were 30 years ago.
No man deserves a neck that looks like a stack of dimes. If your neck is lagging behind the rest of your body, do something about it – now.
Here's a routine that will help your running, jumping, and swinging ability.
Since Arnold Schwarzenegger was back in the national news this week with his motorcycle accident, which required 15 stitches in his upper lip, I couldn't help but remember the first time I met Arnold. I mentioned the scene in one of my HIT Tips in 2004. The entire story is worth reviewing.
(The following conversation took place more than six years ago and was posted soon thereafter on Classic X. The material should be required reading for anyone planning to spend time in the sun.)
Note: This article was adapted from chapter 11 of The Bowflex Body Plan.
Note: My wife is at the supermarket and Im home alone with some laundry to do which made me think back to this article. Theres a certain something about washing, drying, and folding clothes that gets my attention. Theres a lesson here, so pay attention.
Think you understand losing fat? Convince me with your answer.
A shredded midsection is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Or is it 3, 2, 1, or 2, 1, 3? Even the experts cant agree.The truth is . . . that great,cleanly defined abdominals are some ofthe most difficult of all muscle groups to accrue.
Welcome to the lost art of the shoeshine not a regular shoeshine, but a shine on leather as reflective as a mirror. Learn how a little polish can add a lot of sparkle to putting your best foot forward.
When it comes to being successful in professional basketball or bodybuilding having the right genetics is the most important factor.


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Atlas of Kashmir
|Wikimedia Commons Atlas of the World
The Wikimedia Atlas of the World is an organized and commented collection of geographical, political and historical maps available at Wikimedia Commons.
Discussion • Update the atlas • Index of the Atlas • Atlas in categories • Other atlases on line
The introductions of the country, dependency and region entries are in the native languages and in English. The other introductions are in English.
General maps
|Map of divided Kashmir
|Divided Kashmir
|Map of Kashmir
|Kashmir standoff
|map (2004)
History maps
This section holds a short summary of the history of the area of present-day Kashmir, illustrated with maps, including historical maps of former countries and empires that included present-day Kashmir.
- See Atlas of India and Atlas of Pakistan
|Britain's holdings on the Indian subcontinent were granted independence in 1947 and 1948, becoming five new independent states: India, Burma (now Myanmar), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and Pakistan (including East Pakistan, modern-day Bangladesh)
|Historical Pakistan until 1971
Notes and references
General remarks:


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The Next Generation in Brick-Breaking Games!
Super DX-Ball delivers a vibrant and colorful brick-breaking game that the whole family can enjoy. Created by Michael P. Welch, the original author of DX-Ball, this game brings together the amazing world of tessellation and repeating patterns with the classic game play of DX-Ball. Hand-crafted by an old pro, Super DX-Ball is the quintessential brick-breaking game that you've been searching for.


text:
This was published 6 years ago
Life on Mars: Meet the Australians preparing for the mission of a lifetime
The colonisation of Mars is no longer the stuff of science fiction. Meet the Australians signing up for a one-way trip to the red planet - and the biggest show on earth. By Mark white.
They dream of the Red Planet as they lie sleeping in their Australian beds. The barren landscape reminds 44-year-old Dianne McGrath from Melbourne's South Bank of her childhood in the outback, growing up on an Aboriginal mission on the edge of the Simpson Desert. She remembers the extraordinary peace of being there.
In his dream world, 32-year-old Korum Ellis from Scarborough in Western Australia, calmly surveys the Martian sunrise, surrounded by mountains that can extend 21 kilometres into the thin atmosphere, and rock formations that have been moulded by aeons of alien weather systems. He marvels at the richness of the reds and ochres, infinitely more intense than those that saturate his native state.
They are just two Australians among 705 international applicants being considered for inclusion in Mars One, a privately run Dutch expedition, the goal of which is to begin populating Mars from the year 2024. In that year, a first ship of four astronauts will land on the planet; another five or six crews will follow.
Currently, 38 men and women from Australia and New Zealand are in the running to make a one-way, seven-month-long journey to an inhospitable planet no human has ever visited - an initiative conceived by a company that aims to generate the $US6 billion required to fund the mission by selling worldwide TV rights to what will be, in effect, the biggest reality-TV show ever. A suicide mission? Those involved don't think so.
Mars, the fourth planet from the sun, has long inspired intense curiosity as the only planet in our solar system to have a surface that's visible from Earth by telescope. (Venus is closer, but it's permanently shrouded in thick cloud.) Galileo first began to observe it in 1610, hoping to detect its different phases (these describe how the moon's appearance alters as it waxes and wanes) - something that wasn't possible if working within the then widely accepted confines of Aristotelian astronomy, which declared Earth to be the centre of the universe with perfect spheres rotating round it. Thousands of years of faith in humanity's place in creation were about to be overturned.
Jonathan Clarke, a geologist and associate member of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology at UNSW, is president of Mars Society Australia, the local chapter of a worldwide movement founded in 1998 to build public support for colonising the planet and to lobby for more government involvement in exploration programs. "Mars captured the imagination very early," he says. "In many respects, it's very Earth-like - a 24-hour day, more or less, and seasons, permanent surface features and weather."
In the 1951 science-fiction book The Martian Chronicles, American sci-fi author Ray Bradbury imagined Martians "painting pictures with chemical fire, swimming in the canals in the seasons when the wine trees filled them with green liquors". The poetry ended when the Mariner 4 spacecraft did a fly-by in 1965, coming as close as 9846 kilometres to the planet's surface, revealing a desolate, seemingly dead world with little atmosphere to shield against radiation and an average temperature of -55ºC, peaking during summer on the equator at 20ºC and falling to -153ºC at the poles. The gravity is 38 per cent that of Earth's, meaning an 80-kilogram person would weigh just 30 kilograms there.
"Mars has an atmosphere and a lot of water - mostly ice," says Clarke. "The technical view is that it would be easy to settle, [seeing as it has] water and gas and other raw materials. We'd be expanding humanity's presence in the universe, possibly creating new societies and escaping terrestrial problems."
Clarke wishes Mars One every success and says he'd go if someone was offering a round trip. "The chance to walk on another world, explore it and come back and talk about it? Absolutely," he says. But he wants to see more detail from Mars One. "The problem is they've released very few specifics, so it's very hard to technically assess. It's like talking to someone who says they're going to sail single-handedly around the world non-stop and the only thing they show you is a generic picture of a yacht."
Space flight used to be the province of government-funded bodies such as NASA, but the private sector is muscling in. Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla Motors (which released the world's first modern-era electric road car, the Roadster, in 2008) and space transport services company SpaceX, wants to send 80,000 people to colonise Mars, charging them $US500,000 each. Musk hopes to land people on Mars in 2020. "Either we spread Earth to other planets or we risk going extinct," he said at a Wall Street Journal conference in May. "An extinction event is inevitable and we're increasingly doing ourselves in."
Dutch entrepreneur and Mars One CEO Bas Lansdorp, 37, began working full-time on his own plan in 2011. He sold a majority interest in his start-up, Ampyx Power, a wind-energy technology company, to kick-start funding for the mission. He says the technology exists to fly
people to Mars safely and sustain life - the rockets, life-support system, living units, spacesuits and autonomous vehicles known as rovers - but estimates the cost of sending the first crew and sustaining the outpost to be about $US6 billion. US aerospace company Lockheed Martin will build the Mars lander, and the Paragon SpaceDevelopment Corporation will develop the life-support systems.
"No new inventions are needed for a mission of permanent Mars settlement," says Lansdorp. "But a human mission to Mars is hugely complex. We have a great team, the best suppliers and support from all over the world. We know that permanent settlement can be done and we are dedicated to making it happen."
In March last year he was quoted in The New York Times, saying: "How many people do you think would want to watch the first humans arrive on Mars? This will be one of the biggest events in human history."
Shortly before starting to assemble a team in February 2011, Lansdorp turned to fellow Dutchman Paul Römer, 51, co-creator of the Big Brother franchise and now a Mars One ambassador, who told him funding shouldn't be a problem if they created "the biggest media event in the world" around it. "Reality meets talent show with no ending and the whole world watching. Now there's a good pitch." The potential audience figures - and, therefore advertising revenue - are enormous: 94 per cent of Americans and an estimated 528 million people worldwide watched the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969; the audience in 2024 for a Mars mission would be well in the billions. As for potential revenue, the International Olympic Committee generated $US3.9 billion from selling broadcast rights in the 2012 period.
Filming could start as early as this year when 20 regional selection rounds will be held to reduce the 705 contestants to the most suitable 100. (More than 202,000 would-be astronauts applied initially.) These will be supervised by Mars One's chief medical officer, Dr Norbert Kraft, a 51-year-old from Austria who has worked on space programs for the Austrian, Russian and Japanese governments, as well as Raye Kass, professor of applied human sciences at Canada's Concordia University, and the European Space Agency's James Kass.
Applicants will answer questions on a series of Mars-related topics, be invited to share their backstories, including the reactions of their families to their proposed adventure, and reveal their motivation: are they really passionate about wanting to go to Mars and embracing all the sacrifices such an odyssey will entail?
At the end of next year the number of candidates will be whittled down to 20 or 24. Each crew will comprise two men and two women. Kraft will help the crews choose each other with as international a mix as possible, to show how people from different cultures can learn to get along. He says, "They're making a new society by scratch on Mars, and I think this is beautiful."
In June, Mars One inked a deal with Darlow Smithson Productions, a company owned by TV production giant Endemol, to produce a show based on the selection and training of the candidates. Now they just have to sell it.
There promises to be no shortage of interesting viewing. Kraft spent 110 days in a Russian isolation unit in 2010 with would-be astronauts - the cramped setting revealing those mentally tough enough to survive on Mars. "The personalities come out very quickly in this closed environment where people are 24 hours together," says Kraft. "There's basically no escape."
I really like the idea of completely commercialising it and having it free of any government agenda," says Korum Ellis. "Selling this amazing story as it happens is a really modern way of doing things." Speaking to Good Weekend via Skype from WA, he's charming and with his wire-framed lozenge-shaped glasses, singlet, stubble and styled hair, looks as if he's just stepped off a fashion shoot that involves boats and woolly jumpers - as well he might: he's a model. He also acts, runs a micro-horticulture business and is a wellness coach.
"I've always had a deep excitement for the potential for discovery and pushing the boundaries of human endeavour," he says. "If it was 500 years ago, I'd be doing everything I could to get on the next expeditionary ship."
Ellis lived without electricity until he was 13. He grew up, off the grid, with his parents on the mid-north coast of NSW and watched them grow much of their food. They used kerosene lanterns or made candles and heated water in pots. "I wouldn't say they were Third World conditions, but they certainly weren't First World," says Ellis. "Let's say I have a pretty good understanding of how to make do for yourself with minimal input."
He says that, as a nature lover, the biggest thing he'll miss if he makes selection is the outdoors. "But the vistas of a new environment on Mars will certainly be mind-blowing enough to keep me interested."
He refuses to see the trip as a one-way mission, but rather as a migration. "Many people have left their country of origin and gone to a new land with the idea that they'll never return," he says. "There's a difference between sacrificing yourself on a suicide mission and making some personal sacrifices." He believes his experience in growing food in self-contained units will be useful, but admits that he feels out-qualified by most of the other candidates: 44-year-old German astrophysicist Robert Schwarz, for example, has spent the past 10 winters manning a radio telescope at the South Pole, while US-born Brent Bos, 44, is a research physicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre.
There's also "the entertainment factor, as silly as that might sound", he says. "I'm used to engaging with an audience and keeping them interested. A big part of the funding for the mission is selling the story and engaging an audience. They're going to need people who are great to watch and fun to interact with."
The five or six groups of trainee astronauts will be officially hired by Mars One next year at a salary to be determined. Then training will begin in earnest. In their groups, they'll spend three months of every year prior to lift-off cooped up in a Big Brother-like environment designed to simulate the living conditions they'll experience on Mars. A test building has been constructed in Denmark, but the site for the first working model has yet to be chosen. During this phase, they will be filmed constantly, both to provide footage for the show and to help researchers analyse their interactions. A further nine months of each year will include training in key specialist areas, such as medicine, dentistry, engineering, agriculture and exobiology - the field of alien life.
The psychological component of the training will be very tough. One test will be to enter a radiation shelter - "about the size of your kitchen or bathroom, very tiny", says Kraft - and stay there for two to three weeks, to mimic what you'd have to do in the event of a solar-flare emergency. "You have to do everything in this small confined room: you cannot go out to the toilet because you will get radiation. Can they survive this psychologically?"
As the would-be astronauts train - and any of them can be replaced at any point until their rocket leaves Earth - Mars One will prepare the site for habitation. The plan is to send a communications satellite into orbit around Mars in 2018 to enable transmissions between Earth and the Red Planet, followed by craft in 2020 and 2022 so that the site is operational by 2023 and habitable for the 2024 landing, with a new crew of four arriving every two years. Settlers will explore the surface, conduct experiments (is there native life on Mars?), carry out construction work and farming. The goal is to have the colony living independently as soon as possible. The site - expected to be located between 40 and 45 degrees latitude north - will be picked largely for the soil's water content. Before the first manned flight, this soil will be collected by a rover and heated until the water evaporates. Oxygen will be extracted from the water and power generated by the use of solar panels.
If all goes well, there will be a life-sustaining atmosphere inside the base, a modular environment of inflatable units, each one measuring 1000 cubic metres, equivalent to a cube 10 metres on each side. The settlers will begin growing food hydroponically as a priority. Mars One has yet to provide details, but Ellis suspects algaes are a possibility, since they're a potent aid for oxygen conversion and could feed a protein source, such as locusts and mealworms, along with salad greens, tomatoes and capsicums. There will be two years of food in reserve, similar to that on the International Space Station (ISS). (The ISS menu includes beef sirloin tips with mushrooms and ham baked with candied yams.)
The teams will spend the seven months travelling to Mars in less than 20 cubic metres of space each, the first group existing as sole settlers for two years, with each message transmitted to and from Earth expected to take at least 10 minutes. These men and women will need to be adaptable, says Kraft. "You know MacGyver? Think about four MacGyvers working as a team: 'How can I solve this problem?' 'How can I repair this machine?' Once they're on Mars, we can't help them."
At a Sydney CBD cafe I meet Sinui Pavino, 35, from Drummoyne, another of the 705 remaining applicants. He shows me a photo of an engineering project of his: a mechanical glove he's made that he plans to roboticise. Pavino's a fan of Iron Man, the cartoon superhero who invents a mechanical suit to augment his powers. (In June, the character's creator, Stan Lee, signed the glove at the Supanova Pop Culture Expo in Sydney.) He also shows me a video of a double-acting jackhammer he's built. "You'll only see it work for a second because I don't want to blow the fuse in the apartment," he says.
At 14, Pavino dropped out of high school to work in the Lightning Ridge opal fields. "I had to go to work, I had bills to pay," he says. "School wasn't working out too well, though it turns out I'm good at maths." Pavino has had various jobs, but is now studying for his tertiary preparation certificate - his "second chance" at a Higher School Certificate. His strengths are in repairs and mechanical assembly. "I can basically fix anything," he says. "Mars is a hostile environment. Everything has to work like clockwork." The idea of travelling to Mars inspires him. "I've always wanted to be part of a large-scale project like this. Up until now, I've only had grunt work and odd jobs. Having an opportunity like this - it's the ultimate."
His mother, Angela Pavino, says, "We're going to miss him, we wouldn't be human if we didn't. But this is his dream."
Applicant Dianne McGrath volunteered for two weeks in 2012 as a crew member on the Endeavour tall ship as it circumnavigated Australia, and it whetted her appetite for adventure. "Climbing 40-metre masts when the ship's rocking like this" - she see-saws her hands - "and the wind is gale force is pretty intense stuff. But when you're up there and doing it, you forget about all the stuff that almost stopped you. I like to push myself past the things that stop me."
McGrath, chic in a black-leather jacket and striped grey scarf, with a wedge haircut almost hiding her left eye, is a sustainability project management consultant with an interest in closed-loop food systems. She's also very fit, being a distance cyclist and runner. McGrath has been with her partner, Michele Bauer, for 11 years. "When I came home and said, 'I want to apply for this thing', Michele said, 'Of course you do. And you'll get in - of course you will' ... Her attitude is, 'We'll deal with what happens to us on the day you leave.' "
McGrath, says Bauer, has a habit of winning competitions she enters, whether it's a two-dollar Scratchie or a trip to the Whitsundays. She's got a gut feeling she'll make it all the way. "I'd absolutely miss her but, at the same time, she'd be doing something no one else has ever done before," she says. "That's amazing."
When Jake Sinclair, 19, from Sydney's Doonside, told his mum he'd applied to join Mars One, she replied, "Yeah, if they'll take you." Then he made the first cut to a group of 1056 and she "started freaking out - she didn't realise I was serious." Sometimes when he gives her a hug when he gets home, she says, "I'll miss these hugs when you're on Mars." He's dressed like any normal teenager - hoodie, T-shirt, sneakers and jeans - has floppy brown hair and is polite and articulate. Sinclair is studying contemporary music and is planning to transfer to a bachelor of arts with a major in media, technology and law.
He works at a local video-production company and also tours schools giving talks about robotics: he's worked on teams that have built robots that can play soccer, basketball, and throw a frisbee. He finds it easy to see how things work.
He's wanted to travel across the universe since he was young. "It feels very comfortable, very natural, picturing being out there on Mars," he says. "It'll be sad to never see the beach again, feel the waves, the sand, see the sunset, go on a train somewhere, but there are certain compromises you have to make if you want to do something like this."
The Mars One mission is not without its critics, including the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment, an organisation set up by the United Arab Emirates, which has issued a fatwa against Muslims taking part. "Such a one-way journey poses a real risk to life and that can never be justified in Islam," the committee said, according to the Dubai-based Khaleej Times.
Andy Thomas, Australia's first astronaut, who flew on a number of space shuttle missions, was part of a NASA team planning a round-trip to Mars in 2035 touchdown, until he retired last February. He calls Mars One "a marketing scheme, more a way of generating revenue. It's all hype and gloss and marketing. There's no light or substance behind it. It's certainly not based on any sound technical proposal."
Former German astronaut Ulrich Walter believes there's probably only a 30 per cent chance of Mars One astronauts reaching the planet alive and no more than a 20 per cent probability of them lasting there for more than three months. Professor Andrew Dempster, director of the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research, believes - like Jonathan Clarke - that the technology to get people and equipment to Mars exists, but says, "There's not much to which we can compare the psychology of a one-way trip. They're not just living together, they're dying together."
Galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) - high-energy particles that originate in deep space and defy effective blocking - are a real concern, says Thomas, with settlers on Mars very likely to be exposed to severe doses of it as time passes. A 2013 University of Rochester study stated GCR could accelerate the onset of Alzheimer's disease. "Life expectancy will be severely reduced," Thomas says. To what extent is a good question: there's little research on the topic. Thomas says the real challenge lies in just getting to Mars.
Norbert Kraft, who is more bullish about a life on Mars, likes the idea of settling there with his wife when he retires. He says the planet's low gravity means the heart won't have to work as hard to pump blood around the body, and knee and back pain will be lessened. "Your wrinkles disappear, too," he says jovially. "It's an absolute youth farm." Settlers will, he insists, be shielded from radiation by a minimum five-metre-thick barricade of soil surrounding the base.
Defending the one-way nature of the trip, Kraft says returning to Earth is likely to be very dangerous due to the effect of long-term low-gravity living on bone density. The G-force the body must withstand on re-entry into Earth's atmosphere - two to three times the gravitational force we experience on the surface - would likely cause bones to crumble. You could spend all your time in a centrifuge to keep your bone density high, Kraft says, but then why be on Mars at all?
In April, Arthur Saniotis, from the University of Adelaide's School of Medical Sciences, was appointed adviser to the International Academy of Astronautics' study group on medical support for an international human expedition to Mars. He's interested in how long-term space travel will affect human physiology and psychology. Of the Mars One project, he says, "My basic problem is we're going to be away from the biosphere and from nature. We are animals and we have evolved in this particular domain.
"When we're divorced from nature there are going to be all kinds of problems going on. Our interaction with nature ... affects every aspect of our neuro-hormonal repertoire. When you go to a world where you don't have this sensory engagement, how will this inform our future evolution?"
So what's next? First up, selling the TV rights now the Endemol deal has been signed. Mars One won't say how much it has raised - it's seeking investors as well as TV money - but it's not missing any opportunity to fund-raise. To become a member of the Mars One web community, which will give you voting rights for what the website calls "several mission decisions in the future", one must donate money or buy a piece of merchandise. So far, public donations and purchases total more than $US570,000.
"Bear in mind 99 per cent of what viewers will see will look like housekeeping inside a tin can," says Clarke. Watch the ISS webcam, for instance, and you will see little in the way of death-defying stunts. "They're running experiments, fixing things, doing the cleaning," he says. In other words, if it's exciting, something has gone wrong. "It will be the opposite of Big Brother where contestants are chosen to fail," Clarke adds. "Here, safety has to come first. In Big Brother, you can leave. You can't walk out of Mars."
Indeed, selecting would-be astronauts on the basis that they might perform well on camera could backfire. US psychologist Suzanne Bell has studied how certain personality types fare within a space-travel environment. In June, she told a conference that extroverts can be too demanding. "Their level of warmth may be undesirable in a confined setting," she says. "You're talking about a very tiny vehicle where people are in a very isolated, confined space. Extroverts can have a little bit of a tough time in that situation."
While they would become instant global celebrities, our would-be Martians are driven by a sense of something greater than themselves. Jake Sinclair is inspired by the project's massive international scale - "not just the Americans or Russians sending humans up into outer space, but everyone, a collective, working together for a greater purpose". Korum Ellis says the moon landing of '69 inspired a whole generation to raise the bar on what is possible. "Imagine a child growing up 15 years from now with the mindset that humans are a dual-world species; that's where our horizons are right now."
Lead-in photograph by Mike Baker. Digital illustration by Igor Morski


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PSC Bentz Ruins Mississippi now is Promoted out of Accountability
August 16, 2013 Leave a comment
Bentz leaving PSC to head South Mississippi Planning and Development District
by Associated Press
Published: August 8,2013
Tags: commission, commissioner, community development, developer, development, economic development, Leonard Bentz, Mississippi Public Service Commission, South Mississippi Planning and Development District
JACKSON — Leonard Bentz is leaving the state Public Service Commission to become executive of the South Mississippi Planning and Development District.
The board of the 15-county planning district voted yesterday to hire the Republican Bentz, paying him $150,000 a year.
Bentz, who made $78,000 per year representing the PSC's Southern District, was chosen from among five finalists. He will have to resign his elected post on the three-member utility commission to accept the job.
Bentz is a former Harrison County deputy sheriff, former PSC utility investigator and a former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives.
Gov. Phil Bryant will appoint a successor.
Bryant spokesman Mick Bullock said the governor hasn't officially been notified of Bentz's departure and declined to comment on how or when the governor might replace him.
It wasn't immediately clear when Bentz would resign. He and his spokeswoman did not return phone calls and emails from The Associated Press. The move to appoint Bentz had faced scrutiny in part because his father, Leonard Bentz Sr., is secretary of the planning district's board. As part of the agreement to hire Bentz, his father agreed to resign, the Clarion-Ledger reported.
During the search, the district's board altered its qualifications so that it could hire someone without a college degree, which Bentz doesn't have.
The appointment comes at a crucial time for the power plant that Mississippi Power Co. is building in Kemper County. The total cost of the plant, including an associated mine and pipeline, is currently projected at $4.7 billion. Atlanta-based parent Southern Co. has agreed to shoulder about $1 billion of that cost, and another $1 billion is supposed to be diverted into bonds that customers will repay, but isn't supposed to include profit for Mississippi Power.
But the Public Service Commission must approve the prudency of Mississippi Power's spending, and opponents are pushing commissioners to reject as much spending as possible, which could force additional losses onto Southern Co. shareholders.
Bryant has been a supporter of the Kemper plant, testifying in favor of it before the PSC when it was originally approved, lauding it as part of his energy strategy for the state, and signing two bills this year that ratified a rate settlement between Mississippi Power and the PSC.
Any appointee would serve until after the 2015 state elections. Winning re-election could be tricky, though. Many House members from areas served by Mississippi Power voted against the settlement legislation that Bryant signed, betraying concern about being seen to support the Kemper project.
Kemper opponents called on Bryant to appoint someone willing to vote against Kemper.
"We call on Gov. Bryant to appoint a smart, experienced, and courageous commissioner who will make protecting Mississippi ratepayers her absolute priority — even if it means standing up to Mississippi Power," Mississippi Sierra Club director Louie Miller said in a statement.
The three-member regulatory commission faces some other big decisions in coming months. For example, commissioners are likely to vote in September on whether to allow Entergy Corp. to spin off its transmission system to ITC Holdings Corp.
More here: http://msbusiness.com/blog/2013/08/08/bentz-leaving-psc-to-head-south-mississippi-planning-and-development-district/


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I'm pleased to report that 99-seat theater is alive and well in Sherman Oaks and just as happy that the Whitefire Theatre has comfortable seats with good sightlines and excellent air conditioning. So it's a cozy place to be on a hot Sunday afternoon, and you have the next five lazy, summer Sundays to catch this suite of six experimental one-act plays.
The title Love, Sex, Violence, Etc. made me wonder what playwright Helena Weltman could have possibly left out. In fact, what she and directors Paul and Daniel Cerny have not done, as small theater companies in this town too often tend to do, is suck up to Hollywood. These are not sitcom-wannabe scripts populated with dewy-eyed kids just off the bus ready for their network close-ups. This is minimalist, black-box theater, inviting the voyeuristic audience to join with the actors in their exploration of how oversexed human beings can entice and alienate each other.
If these plays have a common theme, it's teasing. How can I provoke a reaction from you? Don't just sit there, I want something from you. When you don't give it to me, I want to scream, sulk, lash out. Hence, we run the gamut from love and sex to frustration and violence. These are games, games adults play every day, but with the volume turned up on all the emotions. Just the stuff of living, breathing theater.
I'll comment on each of the pieces and try to hold back on the spoilers. But first I want to comment on the form. Traditionally, a suite of one-acts has two or three plays, one for each act of a comparable full-length work. Although Weltman's suite is not TV, it reflects the recent legacy of YouTube. I don't know what god of media decreed that a webisode must be no longer than 14 minutes, but that's today's reality. Maybe it's because that's the typical waiting time for the next bus, for a food order, or for the nurse to invite you into the doctor's office. We crave watching something short and diverting on our mobile devices while we wait, lest we succumb to the inexcusable disease of boredom.
So plays can be shorter now, in keeping with our distracted and fractionated attention spans. Here's what Weltman has on offer in her webisode-length scenes.
Saturday Night Date. A couple meet up in a bar. She's more than usually flirtatious and he makes no secret of what he wants. They cajole and bicker, and Weltman plants at least one telling clue to hint at the twist ending. Lizzie Czerner as the vivacious Vivian and Danny Grossman as the hunky-horny Clark are fun to watch, and it's a neatly done skit, telling an engaging story in a short span. Of all the pieces, this one is the most self-contained, the most like, say, SNL. If you wonder whether what will follow will get more and more out of hand, you are on the right track.
Sitting in a Tree. Stephanie T. Keefer as Marla is both literally and figuratively up a tree. Does she have a crying baby with her? Or is she delusional from the recent loss of one? Does she even want a baby or is she just tormenting her mate? Aaron, played by Lee Biolos, is worried to distraction looking for her and is mystified and just as confused as we are about her intentions when he finds her up a tree. Of all the pieces, this one is not so sure of itself. Sometimes screaming is not emotion -- it's just noise. We may be intrigued by Marla's plight but we're bewildered by her ambivalence. Firefighter Charles Wesley and Policeman Chad Wood play supporting characters and are featured later in much more ambitious roles.
Beauty Fiction. Hairdresser Arlene, played by Kat Primeau, and her customer Justine, Barbara Cole, are zany chatterboxes, interacting in the mystifying verbal shorthand that only two women who are totally familiar with each other can share. The pace is crisp and witty, and we're left wondering whether humans actually communicate anything worthwhile to each other.
Leaving Him and Her. Two sisters - Rita, Susan Sommer, and Melinda, Shannon McIntyre - have met reluctantly at a sushi bar. It seems baby sister Melinda is in the throes of a breakup with her sixth boyfriend (who is different from all the rest, of course), and self-righteous Rita's scolding is no help. There's a twist as the arguing and the mutual confessions go deeper. This piece could have used some humor, and the director no doubt gave the actors opening-night notes not to fuss so much with their props.
Number 11. Two women, a bag lady and a young hottie, meet at a bus-stop bench. Lithe young blonde Jennifer, played by Anastasia Savko, is in a gigantic hurry. Ditsy, rouged-up Gabriela Graciela, Georja Umano, is not. In fact, we sense that teasing the girl is her idea of entertainment, that she hangs out at the bus stop to escape the boredom of some extended-care facility. This is the funniest and most diverting of all the pieces because of the comic stylings Umano brings to her character and the close, lively interaction between the actresses. Umano's wonderfully wacky character is by far the best thing in the show.
Acting It Out. Two sexually adventurous women, - Lora, Alexandra Ackerman and Carla, Stepka Li - share the services of beefy gigolo Derek, Chad Wood. When they all bicker about who will end up on top, fictional-playwright Richard, Charles Wesley, barges onto the stage to adjudicate, perhaps even participate. This piece is like absurdist Ionesco or Pinter, and I wondered whether a similar dose of confusion and unreality might serve the rest of the suite.
Applause to Helena Weltman for understanding what intimate theater should be about. Some of the pieces come off as works in progress, but I'd much rather see the attempt than recycled, gag-strained Neil Simon. Pavel Cerny directed "Sitting in a Tree," "Number 11," "Leaving Him and Her" and "Acting It Out." Daniel Cerny directed "Saturday Night Date" and "Beauty Fiction."
Gerald Everett Jones is the author of the Rollo Hemphill series of comic novels.
Photos: Judy Preminger
Whitefire Theatre and the Orpheum Theater Corporation present
Love, Sex, Violence, Etc.
Whitefire Theatre
13500 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA
[email protected]
1 818.990.2324
Sundays at 3 pm, July 26 - August 30
Tickets $20
www.theatermania.com or 1 866.811.4111


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Taijutsu (体術, Literally meaning: Body Techniques) is a basic form of techniques and refers to any techniques involving the martial arts or the optimisation of natural human abilities. Taijutsu is executed by directly accessing the user's physical and mental energies, relying on the stamina and strength gained through training. It typically does not require chakra, though chakra may be used to enhance its techniques. Taijutsu generally requires no hand seals to perform, occasionally making use of certain stances or poses, and are far quicker to use than ninjutsu or genjutsu. Taijutsu is simply put: hand-to-hand combat.
Although it is used by nearly all ninja, some characters use taijutsu almost exclusively like Rock Lee and his teacher Might Guy, are experts of many taijutsu techniques. Example of taijutsu techniques are Dynamic Entry and Leaf Whirlwind. The Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist, however, makes extensive use of chakra and demands great skill in its control. The taijutsu techniques are the right choices for those that want to save their time and chakra, or for those who rely on their physical attributes. It can also be used uniquely in collaboration with ninjutsu to create nintaijutsu techniques. The Shikotsumyaku is said to be the ultimate taijutsu ability, due to the produced bones can be used to augment offensive and defensive powers in versatile ways. Killer B's unique style of taijutsu combined with kenjutsu is called Disturbance Taijutsu (攪乱体術, Kakuran Taijutsu, Literally meaning: Disturbance Body Technique) and used through Acrobat.


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Anonymous Courtroom Notes Raise Serious Questions About SurfTheChannel Conviction
from the a-nod,-a-wink-and-a-false-beard dept
Update: The blog has been taken down, but a Google cache remains.
We just wrote about the extremely troubling ruling in the UK that has left Anton Vickerman, the operator of the TV linking website SurfTheChannel, facing up to ten years in jail. The charge is the rather ambiguous "conspiracy to defraud", which is not surprising, because it's still not clear what STC did that was actually illegal—it certainly wasn't copyright infringement, since similar sites in the UK have been found to be non-infringing in the past. These websites don't host any pirated content, they only index links to videos on other sites—and there's no evidence that their operators assisted in the uploading of that third-party content. At worst, it can be argued that they were somehow implicitly encouraging their users to upload infringing content and submit the links, which is why "conspiracy to defraud" is just about the only charge that could stick. The UK has a notoriously low bar for conspiracy charges, which can be used to go after people who have gotten on someone's nerves without really breaking any laws, and this has been the subject of controversy for some time.
But, even when it comes to the conspiracy charge, there are some serious questions that need to be answered—especially after a look at this collection of notes from the trial posted by an anonymous blogger. I'm taking this information with a grain of salt, because the source is unidentified, and it also can't be ignored that the notes are one-sided and focus on flaws in the prosecution's case—so there may well be another significant side to the story. But there is also enough specific information about the case that it seems unlikely that the notes are fake, and some of the things that happened look very bad no matter what other evidence was presented.
First, there are several things the judge did that are concerning:
- Judge leaves jury little choice after directing as a matter of law that knowingly linking to infringing content is illegal despite no such offence in the UK;
- Judge ignores SportsRadar High Court judgement that states if an infringement takes place it takes place in the country the server is based (linking to infringing content legal in Spain where SurfTheChannel was based);
- Judge states "if I have got the law wrong then a higher court than this one will sort it out";
What the entertainment industry has wanted all along is for linking to content to simply be illegal, so they twist around interpretations of various laws to try to make it so. From the sound of it, the judge let that happen to some degree, despite precedent to the contrary. The notes then go on to detail the activities of FACT, the Hollywood-backed private group that independently investigated Vickerman (without police knowledge) then helped set up the raid on his offices. Their investigation included posing as potential home buyers to gain access to his house, and telling service providers (like his ISP) that he was selling counterfeit DVDs to get them to share information about him. There was even a bizarre dispute about whether or not Vickerman was wearing a false beard at some point, but the details are unclear, and the FACT agent claimed in court to have lost the log book about the incident. FACT also admitted that it conducts about 15 of these surveillance operations a month. Other statements made by FACT reveal that it was extremely sloppy in its evidence gathering methods, and that it had a clear goal of shutting down STC regardless of legal authority:
- FACT Ltd staff admit to attending raid on Vickerman's address with USB stick that contains a replacement home page to be placed on SurfTheChannel website that states "This website is under investigation" despite having no legal authority to do so and in contravention of the Computer Misuse Act 1990;
- FACT Ltd contractor Ben Clelland admits to copying all case evidence from Vickerman's computer to a USB drive, putting USB drive in pocket and leaving house without alerting Police that this evidence existed or bagging and tagging it. All forensic evidence in case emanates from this USB drive.
- FACT Ltd contractor Ben Clelland admits to "making a mistake" by not attaching a write blocker to his examination computer before examining USB drive data. All file creation dates on evidence are changed.
I don't know the details of UK procedure, but it sounds like there should be serious questions about the admissibility of that evidence. The other component of FACT's case was their star witness, Brendan DeBeasi, who had been involved with STC in the past and admitted offering to bring the site "to its knees" for the highest bidder. DeBeasi faces charges in the U.S., and testified in exchange for immunity and more:
- DeBeasi says he is not tailoring his evidence to help FACT despite admitting that his immunity deal in the US is dependent on him "performing well" in the Vickerman prosecution;
- DeBeasi admits MPAA offered him a job not long after he agreed to cooperate in prosecution of Vickermans;
A representative of the MPAA also testified, revealing that he posed as a potential STC investor to gain access to Vickerman. Then, some interesting facts about the MPAA's broader strategy were revealed. It turns out that STC had commercial deals with some networks, including A&E and Discovery, but those partners withdrew before the charges were brought—allegedly under targeted pressure from the MPAA:
- Defence accuses the MPAA of arranging commercially damaging news stories containing false information about STC in an attempt to isolate it as a "piracy site" so that its commercial partnerships with TV networks such as Discovery Channel, A&E Television Networks and others are destroyed;
- [MPAA representative] Pascal Hetzscholdt admits that senior MPAA personnel including John Malcolm contacted NBCUniversal to pressure them into terminating A&E Television Networks partnership agreement with SurfTheChannel;
The notes also highlight several serious errors on behalf of FACT's lawyer throughout the trial. Most notably, the prosecution repeatedly presented digital forensic evidence that was clearly flawed and in some cases seemingly presented in a very selective way to paint a picture of guilt. Though FACT did back down on some of these instances, it casts a lot of doubt on their approach to building a case:
- [FACT Prosecutor David] Groome opened case by saying that the Chinese websites linked to by STC are "run by Chinese Gangsters", "obviously and completely illegal" and "owned by thugs" amongst other things. Anton Vickerman accuses him of misleading the jury when he presents evidence that the sites referred to (Youku & Tudou) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and that another (56.com) is funded by the Venture Capital arm of FACT Director Walt Disney Studios. Vickerman also presents evidence that many of FACT's directors have partnership deals with these so called "Chinese Gangsters";
- Groome tells jury that there were many many movie files found on Vickerman's computers and that he was uploading them to third party websites before linking to them from STC. This is again proven false when the defence shows that there is only 1 movie file found on any of Vickerman's computers and the other handful of video files are for TV shows all of which were downloaded for personal use. The defence also shows that there is not one shred of evidence that any uploading took place from Vickerman's computers despite 3 separate teams of forensic investigators inspecting the computers;
- Groome tells jury that Vickerman saved specific forum posts and private messages to his computer that talk about uploading and other controversial topics. Vickerman accuses Groome of again misleading the jury by showing that the posts they have exhibited are extracted from a backup of the forum which contained 91,000 posts which he had only seen a tiny amount when browsing the forum from day to day. Groome tells the jury that a spread sheet produced by the prosecution proves that links to movies were added to the STC site by Vickerman from his computer. When Vickerman says that is not true Groome tells him that he is therefore calling FACT witness Andrew Smith a liar. Vickerman then points out that the spread sheet is an extract created by Smith of a backup from the STC database that shows list of links to movies added to the STC database by those users. Not Vickerman adding the links from his computer. Groome eventually agrees.
- Groome ambushes Vickerman with a printout of a forum post and accuses him of running a server that staff uploaded material to which was then streamed to STC's users. Vickerman flatly denies this and explains that he is getting confused and that STC used a complicated system for hiding its links from its rivals. The next day Vickerman accuses Groome of misleading the jury again by printing out only the first page of the forum post when the third page actually shows that the forum thread is regarding the link hiding system not the hosting/streaming of content by STC.
Vickerman himself raised some damning points as well, including something that sounds a lot more like a genuine "conspiracy"—evidence of infringing links being added to the site by anti-piracy groups themselves:
- Vickerman explains that SurfTheChannel's then number one rival, BlinkX.com, has commercial partnerships with every one of FACT's directors despite BlinkX.com having the exact same links that FACT is using as evidence of illegality in this case;
- Vickerman provides unchallenged evidence that Anti-Piracy companies, in particular Aiplex Software, are responsible for automated adding of around a million links to the STC website.
(Interestingly, BlinkX.com—once a well-known pirated TV destination—seems to have been recently scrubbed of most infringing links.)
Again, it's entirely possible that there are errors and omissions in these notes—but the points of concern really are piling up. It seems insane that Vickerman faces ten years in jail for actions taken primarily, and perhaps entirely, by the users of his website and not by him. In court he noted that he researched the law and received advice that merely linking to infringing material was entirely legal—and from the many apparent flaws in the evidence showing that he participated in uploading, it looks like he was careful to ensure that he didn't cross that line. Some will call this exploiting a legal loophole, but it's not a loophole—it's a vital safety valve on copyright, a law that already flirts dangerously with curtailing freedom of speech. It is not illegal to merely point to something in the internet. The real legal loophole is the charge of "conspiracy to defraud"—a seemingly magic way to create a general sense of wrongdoing where no lucid laws have been broken.
Filed Under: anton vickerman, conspiracy, uk
Companies: blinkx, fact, mpaa, surfthechannel