text: Bashar al-Assad's family have promoted Alawites, but the sect denies that they are favoured by the regime [REUTERS] As we left the central Syrian city of Homs, Abu Laith pulled a 9mm Llama pistol from under his shirt, loaded it and placed it in the gap between our seats. He was a sergeant in Syria's State Security and drove a small Chinese-made taxi to avoid the attention of armed men looking for members of the security forces. Heading north to his village of Rabia, in Hama, we passed shops covered in gashes from gunfire. "There was a sniper here," he said at one point on the road. "He shot six military buses." We drove by a Military Security building that had been attacked by armed opposition fighters. "Here was a statue of the late President Hafez," he pointed at a now empty pedestal. Visibly offended, he added: "They took it down and put a live donkey there instead." Abu Laith belongs to the Alawite sect who make up about ten per cent of Syria's population. Sunni Arabs comprise 65 per cent, while Sunni Kurds and Christians constitute ten per cent each. Druze, Shia, Ismailis and others make up the remainder. Since the Baathists seized power in Syria, sectarianism has been taboo, ever-present but unspoken of, with perpetrators of incitement harshly punished. Prejudice in all its forms - racism, sexism, sectarianism - exist in all societies, but, in times of crisis, collective identity often comes to dominate social relations. Identity is complex and membership of ethno-religious sects is only one part of Syrian identity. Social class, profession, nationalism, regional identities and other factors are all very important. But one is born into a sect and few but the wealthy elite transcend these classifications, typically revealed by one's name and place of birth. As in the Balkans, religious identities are often cultural identities and lead to ethnic-like divisions, even within same-language groups. A history of persecution In the Arab world, the Sunnis exercise a hegemony which has often made minority sects feel insecure. Shia and heterodox sects - such as the Alawites - have been persecuted. Little is known about the history of the Alawite faith - even among the Alawite community - as its beliefs and practices are available only to the initiated few. It bears little resemblance to mainstream doctrines of Islam and involves belief in transmigration of the soul, reincarnation, the divinity of Ali ibn Abi Talib - the fourth Caliph and a cousin of Prophet Muhamad - and a holy trinity comprising Ali, Muhamad and one of the prophet's companions, Salman al Farisi. "A common theme to Alawite identity is a fear of Sunni hegemony." A common theme to Alawite identity is a fear of Sunni hegemony, based on a history of persecution that only ended with the demise of the Ottoman empire. Sunni cultural hegemony, however, remains. Beginning in the 1960s, the Syrian regime encouraged mainly Alawite peasants to migrate from the mountain regions to the plains, giving them ownership of lands that had belonged to a mainly Sunni elite. But since the beginning of this year's uprising, some have sent their families back to rural areas for safety. Yahya al Ahmad, an Alawite doctor in Homs told me that his community were resented for migrating and finding work in the government and industry. "Sunnis say we took their jobs and should go back to the countryside," he said. An Alawite friend told me he was outraged after seeing Sunni demonstrators in Latakia on television, chanting that they would send President Bashar "back to the farm". To him it meant that Sunnis wanted Alawites to go back to their villages. "The lot of the 'Alawis was never enviable," wrote historian Hanna Batatu. "Under the Ottomans they were abused, reviled and ground down by exactions and, on occasions, their women and children led into captivity and disposed of by sale." Empowerment and identity loss The French mandate that replaced the Ottoman empire empowered minorities and weakened the older Sunni elite, while Alawites begged the French to grant them a separate state. Minorities, especially Alawites, later saw the ruling Baath party and its pan-Arab ideology as a way to transcend narrow sectarian identities, while state employment and the military offered opportunities for social advancement and an escape from poverty. In 1955, the majority of the military's non commissioned officers were Alawites, and early on, the party's Military Committee was also controlled by Alawites. They determined who went to the military academies, choosing people from social backgrounds they trusted - most often Alawites or rural Sunnis, encouraging loyal allies into the more powerful praetorian units. "In 1955, the majority of the military's non commissioned officers were Alawites ... in 1970 Hafez al-Assad ... seized power." In 1970, Hafez al-Assad, the Alawite minister of defence and a former military officer, seized power. He empowered close friends and relatives, including many Alawites from his home region of Latakia - though he also promoted some Sunni War College colleagues. With Alawites gravitating towards government employment, combined with Assad's nepotism, the sect became over-represented within state institutions. The state - even "Assadism" - supplanted the Alawite religion as the focus of their identity. While Alawites identify as Muslims they have historically been rejected by mainstream Islam. To be accepted as leader, Assad had to persuade Sunnis and Alawites alike that Alawites were, in fact, mainstream Muslims. While Alawites have a powerful communal identity and still visit mazars, or shrines, and will have an Alawite sheikh at funerals and weddings, they do not necessarily know what it all means. Wiped from the text books Joshua Landis, director of the University of Oklahoma's Center for Middle East Studies, revealed that Alawites do not receive education about their own religion. Syrian school books on religion contain no mention of the word "Alawite". "Islamic education in Syrian schools is traditional, rigid, and Sunni," he wrote. "The Ministry of Education makes no attempt to inculcate notions of tolerance or respect for religious traditions other than Sunni Islam." Christianity, noted Landis, was an exception to this. The regime denied any public space for Alawites to practice their religion. They did not recognise any Alawite council that could provide religious rulings. This could have been a tool to clarify the Alawite religion to other sects and religions and to reduce suspicions over what many Syrians perceive as a mysterious faith. Alawites struck a bargain; they lost their independence and had to accept the myth that they were "good Muslims" so as to win Sunni acceptance. Assadism then filled the gap left by the negation of traditional Alawite identity. The loss of the traditional role of community leaders fragmented Alawites, preventing them from establishing unified positions and from engaging as a community with other Syrian sects - reinforcing sectarian fears and distrust. Without a central authority to represent them, Alawites were unable to engage and develop their teachings. Of Syria's sects, Alawites boast the largest number of cross-denominational marriages, and are the most integrated with other sects, in both personal and business relationships. It's hard to say what makes someone an Alawite, except for being born an Alawite. Alawites only socialise as Alawites in mazars, in the security services and within state institutions. 'Assad for ever' The state and Assad's rule replaced even the Alawite's religion as the focus of their identity [GALLO/GETTY] With an identity based on Assad's rule, they have adopted slogans such as "Assad for ever", unable to separate themselves from the regime or imagine a Syria without Assad. Alawites who dare to oppose the regime believe they will face extra punishment for their "betrayal". The Muslim Brotherhood rebellion which began in 1976 and led to a civil war between 1979 and 1982 determined how many Alawites see the current uprising. The Brotherhood attempted to rally the Sunnis into a sectarian struggle. Many Alawite intellectuals, judges and doctors were assassinated. The massacre of Alawite officer candidates in the Aleppo military academy in 1979 - as well as the assassination of Alawite Sheikh Yusuf Sarem - remain fresh in the community memory. The Sunni majority, meanwhile, remember the brutality with which the Brotherhood's armed uprising was crushed. The Brotherhood was destroyed within Syria and remains largely absent from the current uprising, even if most of today's protesters are conservative Sunnis. This year's is also a popular and leaderless uprising, especially of the poor, unlike the Brotherhood's rebellion. While the Brotherhood lost much of its credibility after that crackdown, it remains influential in the diaspora-based opposition, which encourages Alawite fears. The historian Hanna Batatu wrote in 1981: "Working for cohesion at the present juncture is the strong fear among Alawis of every rank that dire consequences for all Alawis could ensue from an overthrow or collapse of the existing regime." 'Liberal' identity Alawites perceive themselves to be more "liberal" and secular than mainstream Muslims. They point to their consumption of alcohol, the freer interaction between their men and women and the more western way their women dress and behave. They also resent untrue rumours spread by the Sunni majority - inferring, for example, that their religious practices include orgies - as much as they resent hearing that Syria is an Alawite regime or that they benefit from it. In fact, Alawites support the Assad family itself more than they support the regime, readily criticising state corruption. "Alawies were simply transformed into a sort of tribe, unifed around one purpose: Keeping the king in power." - Karfan, Alawite blogger Denied the right to mobilise as Alawites, they look to the ruling family for leadership. But the regime does not act to further Alawite interests, it acts primarily to further its own interests. The opposition has failed to articulate a vision for what will happen to the tens of thousands of Alawites in the security forces and the state. The demise of the regime will directly affect nearly every Alawite family. But some in the opposition, most importantly the firebrand sheikh Adnan al Arur, have called for those who actively support the regime to be punished in the future. The Alawite blogger Karfan wrote: "By erasing all sort of religious identity while making sure that Alawies will not find another one elsewhere, Alawies were simply transformed into a sort of tribe, unified around one purpose: Keeping the king in power." "A couple of tribes that does not have any real religious conviction or ideology but are held together by the fear of the others and the fear of revenge by the others for the regime's deeds. Meanwhile, everyone around them keeps labelling [it] an "Alawie Regime" and keeps throwing all the faults that this regime did on the Alawies' shoulders. We will be doomed to carry the burden of the faults of the same people who destroyed our religion and destroyed any religious identity we might have had." Personality cult Alawite solidarity and the support of some rich Sunni families solidified Hafez al Assad's rule [GALLO/GETTY] When Hafez al-Assad took power, he eased the Baath Party's secularisation, attempting to reconcile Alawites with Sunni religious practices. He also proceeded to emasculate the Baath Party, turning it into the Assad Party. Alawite solidarity and the support of some rich Sunni families bound the regime together. And as the Baath Party, unions and syndicates were weakened, conservative Sunni Islam filled the social vacuum, with Islamic charities allowed to play a growing role. Sunni clerics were also given more freedom - which first increased the regime's base of support, but now fuels divisions between Sunni groups and the Alawite-dominated security services. Iraq's Saddam Hussein "Islamised" his Baath party to legitimise his rule, but the Alawite Assad family appear to fear fear giving a democratic opening to the Sunni majority will cause the entire system to collapse. The weakness of the Baath party also means the regime cannot mobilise people around anything but Bashar al-Assad, who took power following his father's death in 2000. It is easy to tell if you're in an Alawite area in Syria these days. It will be the place where every available space is festooned with pictures of President Bashar, his brother Maher or their father Hafez. It is a cult of personality, with walls bearing the graffiti: "Assad forever," while men zip back and forth on motorcycles, all wearing t-shirts bearing Bashar's portrait. An Alawite accent can help get you through a military checkpoint. The taxi driver who took me to the Damascus suburb of Duma - an opposition stronghold - was an Alawite from Latakia. He spoke to the officers at the checkpoint in an Alawite accent and told them I was Lebanese. They waved us in without looking at my identity card. Leaving the town later, however, without the protection of the Alawite cabbie, I was stopped and removed from the car. Village character Back in Hama governorate, Abu Laith was worried about checkpoints staffed by the opposition. He was acutely aware of the cultural identity of each of the surrounding villages, as he turned off the main road to avoid the restive Sunni city of Hama. We passed the poor Alawite village of Alamein, near Tumin. "Tumin is a Christian village," he said, "Christians here are trustworthy. Tumin is rich and the people are very good." We picked up a hitchhiker heading to Rabia. The traveller was a soldier returning from duty. "We don't have any jobs but that," Abu Laith said. The soldier was relieved when he saw Abu Laith. He was afraid to stand on the road he said, "afraid of terrorists". He wore civilian clothes. "Because they'll slaughter me," he explained. He was hostile to all Sunnis, blaming them for the brutality with which soldiers had been killed. Abu Laith was uncomfortable. "Not all of them are like that," he admonished. Public buses now went through Rabia to avoid the "less secure" Sunni villages. Large stone barriers blocked the entrance to Rabia. We slowed down by three men with shotguns and belts full of rounds until they recognised Abu Laith. We passed more men patrolling on motorcycles with rifles slung on their shoulders, and drove to the town cemetery. Up to one thousand people were attending the funeral of a soldier named Naeem Tarif, who was killed in Hama. Many mourners carried rifles. Some children carried pictures of the president. The western road leading out of town was also blocked by rocks and a checkpoint. Several men with rifles sat in a small wooden shack. On one side of the shack was written: "God, Syria, Bashar and that's it." Many of Rabia's roads were unpaved. In the centre of town was a shiny copper colored statue of former president Hafez al-Assad holding a sword in one hand and an olive branch in the other. The townspeople put it up at their own expense one month earlier, Abu Laith told me. Family life "Rabia has only schools, no playgrounds or anything else," Abu Laith complained. He took me to his father's house, where his six-year-old son greeted me by asking directly: "Are you with us or with them?" "Who are you with?" his father asked him. "I am with Syria," the boy replied. Security men such as Abu Laith were busier than usual and rarely got to see their families. He had four brothers in the security forces and one who was unemployed. "Most men here are in the security forces," Abu Laith explained. "But we have very few officers. They don't let us be officers." As of that day in August, Rabia had ten "martyrs" from the security forces and up to fifteen others had been wounded in battles with armed opposition fighters. Two more security officers from Rabia, both sergeants, were killed days later. Alawite deaths We visited the family of Naeem Tarif, the man whose funeral we had observed earlier, at a tent outside their home. Tarif was a 40-year-old sergeant in the army, a 20-year veteran. He had been killed in Hama one week earlier but his body was not found until the day I arrived. His head was cut off and his body burned, his brother Adil told me. Videos of armed men disposing of his body were found on captured mobile phones and shown on television and online. "We feel afraid ... the whole village is ready to be martyrs for the country." - Resident of Rabia village "We feel afraid," one nephew told me. "The whole village is ready to be martyrs for the country," proclaimed another. They worried about armed groups, they said. "They were here before as sleeper cells," said one relative. All were angry at international media for failing to report what was happening to them. I met with the family of Issa Bakir, an 11-year veteran police sergeant serving in Aleppo. After visiting his family in Rabia on July 5, Issa was driving back to Aleppo via Hama. On the outskirts of Hama he was stopped at a checkpoint. He was hit on the head with a club and his throat was then slit. "They stopped him, burned his car, slaughtered him and we found him next to the mosque," his father told me. Bakir's brother worked with him in the Aleppo police but now drove to work via Latakia to circumvent Hama. "They killed him for being Alawite," his father said. " My sons and I are a sacrifice for the homeland. We don't have sectarianism. Before, our relations [with the Sunni] were normal." The state was responsible for seeking justice for his son, he told me. "We don't want revenge," he said. "So there wont be sectarianism in Syria." Not far away lived Muhamad Khazem, a 46-year-old State Security sergeant, a large and heavy man lying injured on a bed. He showed me where a bullet entered just below his throat and exited from his back one week earlier. He and several dozen other security men had gone out to remove opposition roadblocks in the city when he and two others were shot. "It's al-Qaeda," his brother claimed. "I fought in the 1973 war. If the Israelis wounded a Syrian they would take him to the hospital, and if they killed him they would bury him properly. Israelis have more mercy than them, they are savages." Rabia bordered two Sunni villages - Tizeen and Kifr Tun. Rabia's electricity came from Tizeen and locals claimed its Sunni residents had recently cut the power supply. They also blamed the people of Tizeen for killing two Alawite men six days earlier. Several days earlier a military bus going through Tizeen was shot at, they said. Alawites in Rabia said that the Sunni villages of Mitneen, Arzi and Kifr Tun had expelled Alawite families - and Rabia had welcomed the newly displaced people. Farmer Hamid Diab and his eight children were among the thirty families expelled from Kifr Tun where they had lived since 1959. Alawites in Kifr Tun had received threats, he said. "We will slaughter you," people warned them. One week earlier, armed men attacked in the morning. "They burned tires and shot to scare us," he said. "Some Sunnis were good and did not accept this. It was a Sunni man who helped us get out. We told good Sunnis that we want to leave. Bad Sunnis said if you sleep here tonight we will slaughter you." He claimed that one of the attackers was a bedouin who called himself Dabih al Thawra, or "Slaughterer of the Revolution". "They burned tires and shot to scare us ... some Sunnis were good and did not accept this ... bad Sunnis said if you sleep here tonight we will slaughter you." - Hamid Diab, farmer from Kifr Tun The people of Rabia welcomed them, he told me. But they left all their belongings in Kifr Tun. Now they could not access their farm and orchards. There had been no problems before the uprising, he said, and his children had gone to school with Sunni children. He suspected the hatred had been hidden before. "It was the people of the village who attacked us," he said. "They had demonstrations starting in Ramadan and they sent salutations to Bandar and Arur," he said, referring to the powerful Saudi prince Bandar bin Sultan and to the exiled firebrand Syrian sheikh Adnan al Arur. "They all love Arur there and when he is on they turn up the volume and we could hear it in our house." Hamid told me that on the same day villagers from Kifr Tun attacked an Alawite man from the village of Addas when he was passing through on his motorcycle, pouring benzine him. He was set on fire but other locals saved him. There were no security forces in these villages, the men told me. There was one police station in the Alawite village of Jarjara which had jurisdiction over the many villages of the area. "We didn't have any weapons or we would have fought back," Hamid said. "Security needs tanks [to enter the village]. They [the opposition] have blocked off roads. We want the state to solve our problem and the army to return us to our land. The army has to enter the villages, but the army is busy in Hama. Why is the state taking its time?" Abu Laith's father, Abu Iyad, a retired soldier, agreed: "Only the army can solve this," he said. "If we respond it will be sectarian and other villages will join them and they will be more than us - and his lordship the president has rejected this." For its Sunni neighbours, Rabia is equally frightening, representing fanatic pro-regime Alawites. Firas, an opposition organiser in the nearby town of Rastan told me of his cousin Muhamad Hussein Shahul, a 35-year-old taxi driver not involved in the opposition. In July, Shahul took four labourers returning home from Lebanon to Tizeen. The road via Hama city was closed because of fighting, so they drove through the Christian town of Kfarbo and on to Rabia, where Firas said "an Assad gang of Alawites" ambushed them. One passenger escaped, but the remaining four men were tortured and executed. Their corpses were left in the car and it was abandoned near the town of Masyaf before their families were notified. "We could not go ourselves," his cousin said, "because we would get killed." Army officers from Rastan coordinated with officers in Masyaf and Muhamad's body was taken to the border of an Alawite village, from where the family could collect it for burial. Part two of Nir Rosen's 'Guardians of the throne' will be published on Al Jazeera later this week. Follow the author on Twitter: @NirRosen SOURCE: Al Jazeera ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nir RosenNir Rosen is an American journalist who writes on current and international affairs. Iraq Lebanon Saudi Arabia Syria's Civil War


text:
Matthew Jonas / Times-Call
Jeremy Papasso
Jeremy Papasso
Longmont city officials were pleased Monday that Gov. John Hickenlooper had announced that he is urging the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to drop its lawsuit it filed against the city over its oil and gas regulations.
The announcement was part of a compromise that the governor said had been struck between pro-oil and gas groups and those concerned about the potential harmful affects of "fracking," or the method of using hydraulic fracturing to extract oil and natural gas from the earth.
"He basically used the dismissal of the lawsuit as a measure of good faith," Longmont Mayor Pro Tem Brian Bagley said.
Bagley, who attended the midday press conference to represent the city in lieu of Mayor Dennis Coombs being out of town, said he told the governor it was "gracious" of him to drop the suit and that the city was extremely thankful.
"That's going to save us a lot of time, money and headaches," Bagley said by phone Monday afternoon. "That's a distraction that's now over. Absolutely we're thankful."
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, stood next to the governor during his announcement. He issued a statement later calling the compromise "a victory for the people of Colorado and the movement to enact sensible fracking regulations.
"I know for many today's announcement will not go far enough, but I believe it's just the beginning of the next chapter."
Several environmental groups, including Our Health, Our Future, Our Longmont, issued a joint statement condemning the governor's announcement, calling it "back room deal making."
"This 'compromise' will do nothing to address the fact that the oil and gas industry, in league with Gov. Hickenlooper and the state of Colorado, continues to sue communities for voting to protect themselves from fracking. Local communities should not be pre-empted when it comes to protecting our health, safety and property from the dangers that flow from fracking, an extreme industrial activity," said Our Longmont's president, Kaye Fissinger, in the statement.
Along with the state dropping its suit against Longmont, Hickenlooper on Monday also called for an 18-member task force, to be appointed by him, that will study the state's current regulations and laws and discuss possible changes.
Also, four ballot initiatives, two considered pro-industry and two being put forth by Coloradans for Safe and Clean Energy, a group receiving financial backing from Polis, will be dropped from November's ballot.
Bagley said compared to some of the restrictions that were in the anti-fracking ballot measures, "our regulations are actually pretty benign."
Since the COGCC suit was first filed against Longmont, several other communities have either issued or considered moratoriums against fracking. The governor, meanwhile, has been steadfast in his belief that the regulations the state has in place regarding fracking are not only sufficient but are, in fact, the toughest in the nation.
But some believe the state regulations don't go far enough. That's the reason that two years ago, the Longmont City Council voted to put regulations in place that went further than the state's, many as "recommended" standards that a driller could agree to in order to get a permit more quickly. For example, the standards call for a buffer zone of no less than 750 feet between a well head and the nearest house.
That "surface use restriction," as Bagley calls it, provided a bigger buffer than the state's regulations called for, but would still allow oil and gas companies to access their minerals by using directional drilling. After a contentious debate within the City Council, a vote passed in July 2012 that put the tougher regulations into place. That same month the COGCC filed its lawsuit.
"We were kind of ground zero," Bagley said Monday. "My understanding is they felt they had to sue us so other cities and towns didn't pick up what we did."
Coloradans for Safe and Clean Energy put out a statement that said it would agree to drop its two ballot initiatives, 88 and 89, but only if the pro-industry groups that are backing the other two initiatives slated for the ballot would agree to drop theirs, which are 121 and 137. There was no word as of Monday afternoon that the pro-industry groups had agreed to do that, although some media outlets had reported the governor saying that both sides backing ballot initiatives were "on the same page."
The COGCC lawsuit against Longmont was the first time the state had ever directly sued a community over oil and gas rules.
The COGCC suit was one of two Longmont faces regarding oil and gas issues.
Monday's compromise has no direct bearing on a separate lawsuit that the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, joined by the COGCC and TOP Operating, filed against Longmont over the voter-approved ban on fracking within city limits.
In that lawsuit, Boulder District Court Judge D.D. Mallard last month struck down that ban, but put a stay on her ruling pending appeal.
Bagley said that if and when the City Council debates whether to appeal Mallard's decision, it will be discussed in public, not in executive session.
Contact Times-Call staff writer Tony Kindelspire at 303-684-5291 or firstname.lastname@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
LEBANON, Maine — Rescue officials helped a driver to safety after his car started taking on water on Friday morning.
The Lebanon Rescue Department, Maine State Police and Lebanon Fire Department responded to a report of a vehicle stuck in the water with the driver still in the vehicle and the vehicle was taking on water. The incident was reported at 9:04 a.m. near 88 Lord Road, about a half mile from Little River Road.
The EMS Command truck was the first apparatus on scene about four minutes after the call was reported and located a 2005 Pontiac Grand Am in the water with water up to the steering wheel and still rising. The driver of the car was climbing out and sat on top of the car.
Lebanon Rescue Crew Chief Mike Sabine was able to use his personal 4 X 4 truck to back close to the car with his tailgate down and have the driver jump to his truck. The driver was able to safely jump and was removed from the water area.
"Two Lebanon Rescue members used water rescue suits to check the vehicle for hazards and confirm there was no one else in the vehicle. When we got out to the vehicle, the water had risen above the front seat and was filling the back seat of the car. Rescue crews confirmed there was no one in the car and stood by while the tow company was able to pull the car out." Assistant Chief Jason Cole added.
This area has seen several vehicles get stuck in the water in the same spot.
"I know of at least five vehicles in the past few years who have tried to make it down Lord Road all the way and ended up in the same spot this gentleman did. Unfortunately several GPS machines show this as a travel route and people unfamiliar with the area attempt to use the road, which is not town maintained. Several roads listed on GPS units that are listed as passable but are not in Lebanon and we have had to go to other roads for similar calls. We cannot stress enough not to ever try to drive through flooded roads. Turn around and seek another route." Cole added. "This call was about 1 mile away from the location where two people died on Chick Road during the Patriots Day Storm six years ago from trying to cross a swollen river on foot. When we heard the person was still in the car and it was taking on water, and we just attended the anniversary memorial service for those victims, you have a lot running through your mind."
After the first few incidents on Lord Road, the road crews put signs up on both the Little River Road and the Long Swamp Road end saying the road is not a through road, but the driver did not see the sign and followed the GPS.
"Fortunately no one was hurt. It appears the car is a total loss, but the driver was thankful that he was able to get out safely and that's what truly matters." Cole said.
The driver of the car was a male in his early 20s from Barrington, N.H. He was en route to the Portland, Maine, area when the GPS sent him up Lord Road.
The vehicle was finally removed around 10:30 a.m. and emergency crews cleared the scene.


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Breaking his silence on FDI in multi-brand retail, Dravida Munnetra Kazagham chief M Karunanidhi on Monday said his party will not support the Centre's decision to allow foreign investment in the sector.
"We are not in favour of the decision to allow FDI (in multi-brand retail)," he told reporters responding to a query on what was the DMK's stand on the FDI issue.
DMK, a key constituent of the ruling UPA government, had recently refused to clarify its stand on the decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail.
"Small and medium retail traders in Tamil Nadu are apprehensive that Foreign Direct Investment would greatly affect them. We would discuss and take a decision on this (FDI) keeping their interest in mind," Karunanidhi had said last week.


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Florida State University, like most state schools in the US with a storied (American) football program, also has a respectable comp sci department that is not afraid to spend a little cash on a new technology when it comes along. And that's how the Seminoles have ended up being one of the first customers of upstart server maker 3Leaf Systems.
Back in November 2009, after nearly six years of development, 3Leaf brought to market a shared memory clustered system called the Dynamic Data Center Server line. The DDC Server machines take Opteron-based SMP servers and a homegrown chipset called Voyager to lash together and virtualize the cores, memory, and I/O slots in the machines in the cluster.
When equipped with 3Leaf's own virtualization layer, the DDC machine can be made to look and feel like a giant SMP server or a regular HPC cluster based on the Message Passing Interface (MPI) cluster. Which is one of the reasons why the DDC machines may be the vanguard of future systems that will allow users to toggle from loose coupling with memory unshared to tighter coupling with shared memory being implemented over super-fast networks. This way, as workloads change, the hardware doesn't have to. It just reconfigures itself on the fly.
FSU's Department of Scientific Computing has a bunch of systems that support processing related to molecular biophysics, evolutionary biology, network modeling, and Monte Carlo algorithm development. The key HPC system at the university has 256 of Dell's PowerEdge SC1435 blade servers, which are two-socket Opteron-based blade servers from a few generations ago, plus eight Dell PowerEdge 6950 servers that act as head nodes for the cluster. The nodes in the cluster are glued together with a 288-port 20 Gb/sec InfiniBand switch from Cisco Systems, and two Cisco 6500 switches link to a 156 TB storage array from Panasas. This machine is rated t a relatively modest 8 teraflops, and it was clearly due for some kind of boost.
According to Bob Quinn, the founder, chairman, and chief technology officer at 3Leaf, FSU is starting out relatively small, with a twelve-node DDC Server that is based on two-socket systems crafted by motherboard and whitebox server maker Super Micro (which has created a special motherboard with room for the Voyager ASIC and which is also 3Leaf's hardware manufacturing partner). The system uses the 2.6 GHz Opteron 8400 processors from Advanced Micro Devices (these are the six-core chips known by the code-name "Istanbul"), and it has 144 cores in total. The dozen nodes are linked by a 40 Gb/sec InfiniBand switch, and the cluster has 576 GB of shared coherent memory.
The nodes have a modest 6 TB of local storage. This box, says Quinn, sells for $206,000. Assuming the Istanbuls do a peak of four floating point operations per clock cycle, then this machine should be rated at around 1.5 teraflops. By modern standards, this is not a lot of number-crunching power. But Florida State is not the University of Illinois, either, which is getting the 1 petaflops "Blue Waters" super made by IBM, the fastest machine currently installed at a university in the United States. (The Seminoles might be able to pull even with the Fighting Illini on the gridiron, even though they have been bested on the compute grid).
The DDC Server lineup can scale up to 16 server nodes in a shared memory configuration, so FSU has a little room to grow. And Quinn says that it will be able to support the impending twelve-core "Magny-Cours" Opteron 6100s in the DDC Servers by the third quarter of 2010.
Scalability was not really top-of mind for FSU, according to Quinn. What mattered to them, and what matters to the companies that 3Leaf is going to chase with its current and future (and much more scalable) machines, is the flexibility of the DDC Server systems software, which allows for nodes to be partitioned and repartitioned in a matter of seconds and configured with new software stacks in 30 seconds or so.
The MPI protocol can run atop the shared memory architecture without any changes to the code, too, so shifting between shared memory and distributed applications is no big deal. Up until now, customers had to decide what way they wanted to go and buy a machine to do one or the other.
While the initial DDC Servers are interesting, it looks like the systems will be far more scalable with the "Sandy Bridge" Xeon servers due from Intel in 2011. Quinn says that since the middle of 2008, 3Leaf has been working with Intel on modifying the Voyager ASIC so it can make use of the second generation of Intel's QuickPath Interconnect. The DDC Servers using the Sandy Bridge Xeons will be able to support up to 64 TB of shared memory, and "a large number" of server nodes and cores, according to Quinn. He would not specify how many nodes. But the word on the street is that it will scale to 32 nodes.
The Sandy Bridge Xeons aimed at two-socket servers are expected to have at least eight cores, and possibly more in machines where thermals are not as big an issue. Assume for Sandy Bridge-EP class machines Intel can push it up to a dozen cores, which they have to do to compete with Magny-Cours. So a single 3Leaf machine in the Sandy Bridge era should be able to house 768 cores using two-socket boxes.
How is 64 TB is going to be crammed into 32 nodes, you ask? Well, brace yourself, because a terabyte per node is going to be normal with the server chips that Intel and AMD are cooking up for this year. So doubling that to 2 TB per node in a year is so, well, that's just Moore's Law. ®


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by erwin solihin


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I appeared on Lawrence O'Donnell's "Last Word" last night to talk about Why Romney Lost. O'Donnell asked me whether Romney was not a fatally flawed candidate. I answered that while all candidates are imperfect, Romney was not running against the second coming of Teddy Roosevelt either. As an example of President Obama's lack of natural political instinct, I mentioned his odd omission to thank supporters.
I got a lot of pushback from the MSNBC audience via email and Twitter, pointing me to the president's videotaped thanks to his campaign workers and his messages to his supporters.
But I was thinking of moments like this, unscripted and face-to-face:
Or like the moment in the town hall presidential debate in Hempstead, Long Island, when the president encountered a skeptical formal supporter. A Roosevelt would begin with thanks for past support. In real time, Obama didn't. The president has his abilities, obviously, but he's not such a superb natural campaigner as to have been unbeatable by a Republican challenger offering an attractive message.
PS: A reader writes in:
Though I think you're a little harsh on him (the thanking thing is hairsplitting, frankly), I'm not sure why Democrats cling to the idea that he's some kind of unbeatable political genius. If he doesn't win because of his skills as a campaigner, it implies he does because Democratic ideas are much more popular - which, in fact, they are. That's much more reassuring to liberals, especially as he can never run again.


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Break out your calendars, Anglophiles!
"Downton Abbey" is set to return for its highly anticipated fourth season on Sunday, Jan. 5, PBS announced on Tuesday. Consider it a belated Christmas gift, one much better than last season's gift; the death of a fan favorite.
The period drama will run for eight weeks before closing out season four on Feb. 23.
U.S. & World
NEWS: "Downton Abbey" to launch clothing line
Of course, viewers will be seeing a lot of changes at Downton. Not returning to the series are Dan Stevens, whose character Matthew Crawley was killed off in the season three finale, Jessica Brown Findlay, who played the beloved Lady Sybil, and Siobhan Finneran aka villainous maid O'Brien.
When we chatted with executive producer Gareth Neame about how the show would continue without Stevens, he told us, "This is a lesson in something that seems like a really big loss in the moment [that] will actually turn into a great opportunity [for Lady Mary], which it will also be for the show, to take a turn in a whole different direction."
The series will also introduce its first recurring black character, a jazz singer played by Gary Carr. Tom Cullen will also join the cast in season four as a potential love interest for Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery).


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Resources to Prevent Adolescent Alcohol Use
OAH's Adolescent Health Library has federal resources about adolescent alcohol use for parents and youth-serving professionals. Some additional resources are listed below.
Did You Know?
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has resources for parents, teachers, and communities on preventing alcohol use among adolescents of all ages.
For Parents
- Parenting to Prevent Childhood Alcohol Use, from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), is a guide that explains what parents can do to prevent their children from drinking. It includes information on parenting styles, modeling behaviors, the role of genetics, and practical tips.
- Talk. They Hear You. Parent Resources, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), provides a suite of materials to help parents understand adolescent alcohol use and discuss it with their children.
- Teen Drinking and Driving: A Dangerous Mix—Vital Signs is a campaign from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that provides data and information on teen drinking and driving. Its website outlines the problem, risk factors, and tips for how to help.
- Talking with Your College-Bound Young Adult About Alcohol, from SAMHSA, provides suggestions for talking about alcohol use with youth who are headed to college.
For Educators
- Underage Drinking and School and Campus Health, from SAMHSA, provides information on alcohol use among college-age youth and suggestions for how schools, colleges, and universities can prevent it.
- Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking – A Guide to Acton for Educators, from the Office of the Surgeon General, is a guide for schools and teachers with information about adolescent alcohol use and advice for preventing it.
For Communities
- 2012 Town Hall Meetings to Prevent Underage Drinking: Moving Communities Beyond Awareness to Action is a report from SAMHSA that presents different approaches, outcomes, and lessons learned from a series of town hall meetings held on underage drinking prevention.
- Surgeon General's Guide to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking – A Guide to Acton for Communities, from the Office of the Surgeon General, provides information about adolescent alcohol use and tips for how community members can reduce and prevent it.
For Adolescents
- Drug Facts: Alcohol, from NIDA for Teens, has facts, videos, blog posts, and more for adolescents who want to learn about alcohol.
- Underage Drinking – Myths vs. Facts, from SAMHSA, provides facts about alcohol use and gives adolescents information about what to do if they or a friend has an alcohol problem.
- SAMHSA's National Helpline, at 1-800-662-HELP (4357), is a free, confidential, 24/7 treatment information and referral service for anyone facing substance use and mental health disorders. The helpline provides information in English and Spanish and referrals to local treatment centers, support groups, and community-based organizations.
- SAMHSA's Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator is a confidential and anonymous source of information for anyone seeking treatment facilities in the United States for substance use or mental health disorders.
Content last reviewed on March 29, 2019


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Originally from California, Alex followed his Danish wife here. He has been frequenting our shop for years - and we've been keeping an eye on his work. His pipes are very popular back home in the states, which is obvious from the huge amount of followers he has on various social media platforms, and to us it's not a surprise. He makes solid work! One of his trademarks is the various takes on the Poker shape, often with very playful stem work. An interesting fact about his production is that doesn't involve any kind of machinery - his pipes are 100% handmade (with 110% dedication). The F line from Alex is is "faster" pipes with pre-made stems, and some of them are made for optional 9mm filter use.
At The Danish Pipe Shop in Copenhagen, Denmark you find the largest selection of tobacco pipes in Northern Europe: Tom Eltang, Kurt Balleby, Anne Julie, Manduela, Tao, Stanwell, Peter Heding, Neerup Pipes, Poul Winsløw Pipes, Ascorti, Caminetto, Dagner, Dunhill, Castello, Volkan, Brandon Brooks, Vesterholm Pipes, Suhr Pipes, Bay Pipes and many more!


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Why No "Realist Caucus" in the GOP Has Emerged
There was something else from Jim Antle's good article on Republican foreign policy divisions that I wanted to discuss. Antle writes:
None of this is to say it's not troubling that we haven't seen a realist caucus emerge during the Hagel confirmation fight, one that pushes back against the more hysterical accusations or at least acknowledges the millions of Americans who don't want another Iraq.
More troubling than the lack of a realist caucus is the reality that ten years after the invasion of Iraq so little has changed in the way that national Republicans think and argue about foreign policy. Hard-liners are still employing the same despicable smear tactics that were used against conservative opponents of the war in 2002 and 2003, and they still face no penalty inside their party or the conservative movement for doing so. One would have thought that multiple defeats at the polls, the loss of credibility on foreign policy, and the humiliating failure of the most important policy initiatives of the last administration would shock Republicans into some measure of sanity and sober reflection. Nothing of the sort has happened, and even most of the ostensible insurgent Republicans feel obliged to endorse the party's prevailing obsessions. The Hagel nomination was a small but important opportunity for Republicans to demonstrate that they were at least capable of improving on these issues, and at least at the level of party and movement leaders they have blown it completely.
The Hagel fight represents the Republican Party's larger foreign policy weaknesses in miniature, beginning with the fact that there is any controversy over Hagel's nomination in the first place. One might think that leaders of a party so closely identified with the Iraq debacle wouldn't be falling all over themselves to castigate one of their few nationally-known colleagues when he was more prescient about the war's pitfalls and was less willing to persist in a bad cause. A party led by people who think that the "surge" makes up for the greatest strategic blunder in a generation (or, more absurdly, think that it means that the U.S. "won" the war) isn't suited to pass judgment on anyone else on matters of national security and foreign policy.
Minimal awareness of past failures might encourage Republican hard-liners to hold their tongues and be less obnoxious in their treatment of one of the relative few elected Republicans that recognized the folly of the war long before any of them did. There is no such awareness, and no desire to acquire it. Put simply, no "realist caucus" emerged in the last two months because most party leaders remain stuck in a fantasy world in which the Iraq war was a great success, uncritical support for all Israeli policies is wise, and unending hostility towards Iran is prudent, and most elected Republicans continue to take their cues on these issues from the people who have been wrong about virtually every major foreign policy issue for at least the last fifteen years.


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Neato's robot vacuums get smarter room mapping and zone cleaning
IFA Daily Show Day 5: What's next?
IFA 2018: Neato connected models personalise home cleaning
Best robots at IFA tech show in Berlin
Neato adds extra smarts to new and older Botvac robot vacuum cleaners
Since we launched our first robot in 2010, people have been talking about Neato. Take a look at what others are saying about our revolutionary robotic floor cleaner. Then find out what's new by checking out our Neato press releases.
Neato's robot vacuums get smarter room mapping and zone cleaningRead more > Pocket-lint (YouTube)
IFA Daily Show Day 5: What's next?Read more > GC Magazine
IFA 2018: Neato connected models personalise home cleaningRead more > Yahoo! News UK
Best robots at IFA tech show in BerlinRead more > Yahoo! News UK
Neato adds extra smarts to new and older Botvac robot vacuum cleanersRead more > 9to5Mac
Neato brings smarter features to lower-cost robot vacuum cleanersRead more > Trusted Reviews
Neato unveils the Botvac D4 and D6 robot vacuum cleanersRead more > The Ambient
Neato's new Botvacs are cheaper, less likely to make an escapeRead more > Pocket-Lint
Neato launches Botvac D6 and D4 to make top-notch robot cleaning more affordableRead more > BT.com
In Video: Latest robots go on show at IFA tech eventRead more > Ben Woods
CEO of @NeatoRobotics shares bullish outlook for robot vacuum marketRead more > Yahoo! News UK
Best robots at IFA tech show in BerlinRead more > Daily Mail
In Video: Latest robots go on show at IFA tech eventRead more > The Ambient
Neato Botvac D7 Connected ReviewRead more > Mix 97.3
Five Reasons You Might Want One of Those Robot VacuumsRead more > City A.M.
Neato Botvac D7 review – This is the Lamborghini of the vacuum cleaner worldRead more > Pocket-Lint
Spring cleaning deal! Neato Botvac D5 robot vacuum is now discounted by £300Read more > Geeky-Gadgets.com
Using the Neato Botvac D7 companion smartphone application and thanks to Google Home and Amazon Alexa integration, owners can now enjoy ordering their robotic vacuum cleaner to carry out mundane tasks using voice commands.Read more > T3
Neato Botvac D7 Connected review (early verdict): the next generation of robot vacuum cleaners?Read more > Pocket-Lint
As before the robot cleaner will scan the home when in Discovery Mode or in the normal cleaning mode but new is the FloorPlanner with No-Go Lines so you can tell the cleaner exactly where to go - this all works via a new version of the excellent Neato app for iOS and Android.Read more > TechRadar
With the introduction of My FloorPlan and No-Go Lines, Neato has taken its exemplary cleaning to the next level, allowing you to see exactly where the Botvac D7 cleaned, how long it took, and even set up zones that you don't want it to enter.Read more > Trusted Reviews
It's great to see IFTTT support, too. The Botvac D7 Connected has no Triggers, but Actions let you start, stop, pause and resume the vacuum cleaner. That means that you can start a clean when you go out (or stop when you get home), or automatically pause the cleaner when you receive an incoming call on your Android phone. This is super-smart and a league or two ahead of what Dyson offers.Read more > Pocket-Lint
12 best Amazon Alexa compatible devices you can buy today: top Alexa accessoriesRead more > Pocket Gamer
The big Pocket Gamer accessory guide 2018 - Smart home appliancesRead more >


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|Payment Terms:
|L/C,T/T,Western Union,MoneyGram
|Supply Ability:
|3000000 Piece/Pieces per Month delivery date can be short by 20 or 25 days if order is urgently
|CMYK color or pantone color
|Metal Type:
|Place of Origin:
|Guangdong China
|0.23mm tinplate
|Model Number:
|Customer's Logo
|Brand Name:
|Tin Star
|Cartoon+PP bag
|Key words:
|Gift Tin
|Packaging Detail:
|Each tin in a unsealed opp bag and then in a master carton
Factory Manufacturer Custom Metal Packaging Car Shape Gift Money Bank Tin With Slot
0.23mm thickness tinplate
Suitable for packing food and gifts & storing as well as decoration
Offset (CMYK and or PMS) printing, printed on the surface and or inside
each tin in one poly bag, dividers which will be inserted into master carton.
Payment term
30% deposit by T/T in advance, 70% balance before shipment.
Sample times
10-15 days after confirmation
Delivery Detail
30-35 working days or depends on your order quantity
To be supplied by buyer with resolution not less than 300 dpi. AI , PSD, CDR or PDF format file.
1. We are manufacturer, not trading company.
2. Pest control facilities in all production, packing, tooling and warehouse areas
3. Automatic production line,
4. Prompt & considerate service, competitive price and high quality products
5. In-house tooling department, more than 300 existing molds
6. R&D Team with 15 engineers & technicians with full expertise
1. Tinplate is recyclable and will not cause any pollution to environment.
2.The products featured here in are shown as a sample and are not intend to represent an endorsement
by the individual companies. Specific designs on this sample are the respective property of the companies which are identified the use of these specific designs are strictly for demonstrative purpose as examples of size design .position and color .and they are not for resale.
1. Q: What is tinplate? Are printed tins safe for food?
A: Tinplate is the steel electrolytically coated with a fine layer of tin for tin protective purposes. Tinplate is a high quality safe packaging material for food items. such as cookies candies, chocolate, etc. A food grade lacquer is coated on the inside of the tin to prevent corrosion and interaction of the tin with the food product and thus make it suitable for food storage.
2. Q: How do you print on the tins? Is it screened or offset printed?
A: Metal decoration is an offset printing process utilizing CMYK colors. Print is done on large metals first,then slitting into smaller piece for stamping and formation.
3. Q: How do I get a copy of you product catalog or samples?
A: Our product and samples are free for you. Please note that it is our policy that the receiver pays for the service. If it is convenient for your company, please confirm this with us and give us your company name, detailed address, zip code, telephone number, courier service account number(FedEx,UPS,DHL,TNT, etc). We shall do your best to help you.
4. Q: What is the MOQ for tin order?
A: Due to mass printing and production set up, minimum order quantity is roughly 3000-5000pcs for large size and 10000pcs for small size of tins
5. Q: What is metal proofing charge?
A: Metal proofing sample is distinctive process for showing the color effect on the metal compared with paper. It is separate process from mass production, and thus also cost money.
6. Q: Can I get a price list ?
A: We do not provide a list to our customers. All items are quoted individually. As we know,the price can be effected by several factors, such as material thickness,product shape,size,order quantity,print colors,etc. Also,the material prices can change constantly. Please tell us your requirements and we shall find the best solution for you.
7. Q: How should I design on a tin?
A: Before designing any graphics on a particular tin,we will furnish a dimension layout for positioning graphics. According to the tin construction,this positioning info is very important to ensure the proper placement of artworks onto each of the tin.
8. Q: What artwork file formats are acceptable?
A: The most popular acceptable software for artwork design is CDR and AI. PDF and PSD are also welcome. The resolution should be no less than 300 dpi. Please save your files on a CD and submit it to us by service and freight prepaid.
9. Q: Do you have any special varnishing effect in metal decoration?
A: In addition to traditional glossy and matt varnishes, we can offer crackle,wrinkle and pear varnishes etc.


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News Report: Rihanna Gives Kanye West A Lap Dance At A London Club!
"Rihanna and Kanye West reportedly hooked up at Whisky Mist where she gave him a "very private dance" to Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You." " - CelebTV
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Cass Co. compost expansion concerns neighbors
Compost facility may go beyond yard waste facility
Cass County is looking to expand a compost facility from 5-acre yard waste facility to a landfill for food scraps. The plan has neighbors concerned.
The land is outside Ashland, off Interstate 80 near Henry Doorly Zoo's Wildlife Safari Center. The 20-acre facility would have open-air trenches and a warehouse.
"Others states have been doing this type of composting for a number of years and have had minimal impacts," said Michael Jensen, county zoning administrator.
Since the county doesn't have a landfill, officials are on board, but neighbors are worried the smell will be overpowering, and the landfill will be an eyesore.
"Not only for us that live at the lake, but for all the people in Nebraska that visit this area and from out of state, too," said resident Nan Merill.
-- Video: Residents worry about the smell
Jensen said there will be no run-off onto other properties, no fumes and no environmental concerns.
But neighbors, like Merrill, said they are upset the county didn't contact them.
"It feels really bad not to be notified ahead of time," Merill said. "We're taxpayers in Cass County and we didn't receive any letter or notice."
Jensen said the company is required to personally contact people if they live within 1,000 feet of the compost facility. Right now, he said the only place is the safari center, which is on board with the project.
Jensen said if the facility is managed right, even the park won't smell anything.
"It falls under a conditional use permit, which gives the county a chance to review it if there are recurring problems," Jensen said.
The Cass County Board will vote on the compost site March 5 at 8 a.m. It is open to the public.
Polished Properties is the company requesting the permit for the facility.


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Stock Investments: The Right Investments For Little Ones
Most folks invest, but a few choose to assist their youngsters break into the financial world of investments before they are fully grown. Doing so comes with a great deal of unique benefits, which include giving your youngsters the understanding that they will require to be able to be monetarily successful in the future. Whilst it can be extremely tough to invest with and for your kids, you can get several aspects that can be done to make the operation simplier and easier and even pleasurable. The finish objective is to educate and to show your young children about the economic world. Maintain these things in mind and see just precisely how far your son or daughter can make their cash go.
There are actually a large number of kid friendly stock options accessible that you simply can help your kids choose from. Anything like Sony, or other products that they're familiar with, help make good choices. These choices will permit them to connect to the investment that they are making, furthering the lesson that you are attempting to teach. In the long run, it will be the fact that they can pick from businesses that mean something to them which will cement the understanding in their head and get them excited concerning the prospect of putting their cash away rather than spending it.
It may be the best idea to get a qualified broker to purchase shares on behalf of your kid. This is specifically true in case you are not well versed within the ways of investments in stocks. Make sure that you simply select a broker that's willing to talk to your child and explain factors to ensure that they can comprehend it.
Remember, you don't want this to be a bad experience, so do just a little research and find the broker that is correct for the scenario. You can find plenty to pick out from, so ask close to and look on the internet for ideas of where you may begin. Remember, finding the proper broker can help make all of the difference in the globe.
Investing is something that various individuals decide to get involved with, and one can find tons of details that your children can learn from the operation. It is an excellent idea to get them involved with investing early on, even if it only means buying a couple of shares of a organization that they're well versed with.
Ultimately, you won't only be setting up your young children for financial success, but you will probably be enabling them with understanding that they will use all of their lives, which can make the entire procedure well worth the effort that you put into it.


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Hip And Knee Replacements On The Rise
The number of hip and knee replacements performed in the U.S. could skyrocket in the next seven years, researchers warn, placing an enormous burden on America's already beleaguered health care system.
An increase in obesity and arthritis-combined with a larger elderly population-has prompted a steep rise in these surgeries. Seventy-six million Americans reach retirement age this year, and many baby boomers are right behind them. Since arthritis is more common in older adults, experts predict more and more cases of arthritis in the coming years.
Arthritis affects more than 46 million Americans; it can cause joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. While more common in older adults, arthritis isn't simply an effect of aging. Carrying extra weight also increases a person's risk for arthritis. Maintaining a healthy weight could make you less likely to develop arthritis.
Joint replacement surgery is a popular treatment option for those with severe, debilitating arthritis that causes significant pain or greatly limits their ability to move.
Using data from joint replacement cases in the U.S. from 1997 and 2004, researcher Sunny Kim, Ph.D., with the Robert Stempel School of Public Health at Florida International University, analyzed the increase in the number of surgeries and their cost.
Her research shows:
- Hip replacements increased 37 percent and knee replacements increased 53 percent in 2004 compared with 2000.
- Hip and knee replacement increased significantly among those aged 45-64.
- Medicare paid for most procedures.
- Private insurance payments had steeper increases.
Kim published her findings in the April 14 issue of Arthritis Care & Research. She writes that 600,000 hip replacements and 1.4 million knee replacements could be performed in the year 2015 if current trends persist.
"Public health education is critically important to reduce the proportion of people who are overweight as well as to manage arthritis at earlier stages," she says in a news release. "At the same time, given the steeply increasing trends of joint replacements and the expected number of joint revisions needed, the health care community should be prepared for this upcoming demand of surgical loads and its economic burden on government and private insurance systems."
By Kelli Stacy
Reviewed by Louise Chang
©2005-2008 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved


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This PU leather case with laptop-style keyboard is the perfect accessory for most 10.1" tablets. This case is equipped with a full working keyboard,USB cable, stylus pen and an extendable stand. This keyboard case is compatible with Windows, Android system. Plug and play, no need to install the driver. With this keyboard case, your tablet PC will run freely and type quickly!
- 2-in-1: USB Keyboard + Folding Leather Protective Case
- Great PU material case, soft and comfortable, no peeling
- With a stand to support tablet PC
- Qwerty keyboard, quiet keystrokes, comfortable to type
- Can protect your tablet PC from damage
- USB port: USB 2.0
- Color: Blue
- Keyboard material: Plastic
- Case material: PU leather
- Keyboard size: Approx. 23.5 x 9 cm / 9.3 x 3.5 inch
- Case size: Approx. 28 x 19 x 3 cm / 11 x 7.5 x 1.2 inch
- Fit for 10.1" PDA, tablet PC and so on
Package Includes:
- 1 x USB Interface Keyboard PU Leather Case For Tablet PC 10.1" MID
Note: This leather case with laptop-style keyboard is for most 10.1" tablets. Make sure that your Tablet has USB interface and support external keyboard.


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You know those wooden Brio train tables you see at toy stores? The one's designed specifically for children that are set so low to the ground that grown ups who are still young at heart can't possible use them? That 'problem' is exactly what these TrackTile dining tables were designed to solve.
Created by Paul Mottram, the adult-sized tables feature a series of flippable wooden tiles with toy railway tracks on one side that make dinner time about a thousand times more entertaining. They're available in different configurations depending on how you want your railway to look, but the tiles can be mixed and matched as desired, and even flipped over to their smooth side when uptight dinner guests are expected. The smallest version of the table, which seats four guests, will set you back just over £2,340, while a larger six-seat version is a little more at just over £2,760. Not including the cost of the trains, of course, but if you've got kids, there's a good chance you already have a decent supply.
[TrackTile Tables via The Fancy]


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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called for an end to an "era of absentee leadership in the Oval Office," delivering a rousing keynote speech at the Republican National Convention Tuesday night in which he challenged GOP leaders to tell the American people the "hard truths" he said Democrats weren't willing to address.
He did not mention President Obama or the Democrats by name. Instead, he portrayed the battle for America's future as us-versus-them. He balled his hands in fists as he spoke, furrowing his brow and narrowing his eyes and pausing when the delegates repeatedly rose to its feet in applause.
"I know this simple truth and I'm not afraid to say it: our ideas are right for America and their ideas have failed America," Christie said.
U.S. & World
His remarks ended the convention's first day, in which Mitt Romney was formally nominated to be the GOP's presidential candidate. As keynote speaker, Christie provided the hard sell that Romney needed to fire up the GOP base and attract undecided voters.
The soft sell came earlier, from Romney's wife, Ann, who gave a deeply personal speech aimed at making her husband appear less stiff and more personable. That image is crucial to closing Obama's lead among women and in likeability polls. She delivered, telling the story of how she and Romney fell in love, praising American mothers, and portraying her husband as worthy of voters' trust.
"This man will not fail," she said.
When she finished, Romney emerged from the wings, and in his first appearance at the convention, kissed his wife and escorted her off the Tampa Bay Times Forum stage.
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Then the stage belonged to Christie, who took a tougher tack, pounding at red-meat Republican issues: the escalating national debt, expensive entitlement programs, stagnant job growth, and public sector unions who resist reform of their pensions and health benefits, Obama's health-care reform legislation.
Christie, a former federal prosecutor whose combative personality has made him something of a conservative folk hero, portrayed the Democrats as unwilling to tell the public that it can't have everything it wants when times are hard.
"They believe that the American people don't want to hear the truth about the extent of our fiscal difficulties and need to be coddled by big government. They believe that the American people are content to live the lie with them. They're wrong."
In a not-too-veiled dig at the president, Christie criticized leaders who "have decided it is more important to be popular, to do what is easy and say yes rather than to say no when no is what's required."
Christie portrayed the GOP ticket as the men who'll say no for the good of the country. "I know this simple truth and I'm not afraid to say it: our ideas are right for America, and their ideas have failed America."
He added: "It is time to end this era of absentee leadership in the Oval Office and send real leaders to the White House. America needs Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan and we need them right now."
Christie weaved in his personal story: the son of an Irish father and Sicilian mother who grew up poor. He called his mother the family's "driver," who advised him "to speak from the heart and fight for your principals." Her greatest lesson, Christie said, was telling him that is was always better to earn someone's respect rather than love, because respect could grow into "real, lasting love."
"Now, of course, she was talking about women," Christie noted, as the audience laughed. "But I have learned over time that it applies just as much to leadership."
He described his own difficult decisions after he was elected governor in 2009: cutting taxes, closing a budget deficit and take on the public sector unions by cutting benefits and making it more difficult for teachers to earn tenure.
"Believe me, if we can do this in a blue state with a conservative Republican governor, Washington is out of excuses."
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He accused the president of following polls instead of really leading. And he asked the GOP crowd to rise to its feet.
"It's now time to stand up," he said. "There's no time left to waste."
Ann Romney began her speech by telling how she fell in love with her husband for his sense of humor. "He still makes me laugh," she said.
She also portrayed him as a "good, decent man" who helped her weather a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and a cancer scare.
"I read somewhere that Mitt and I have a 'storybook marriage. Well, in the storybooks I read, there were never long, long, rainy winter afternoons in a house with five boys screaming at once. And those storybooks never seemed to have chapters called MS or breast cancer.
"A storybook marriage? No, not at all. What Mitt Romney and I have is a real marriage."
She dedicated a large portion of her remarks extolling the countless American women who held their families together. "You are the best of America. You are the hope of America," she said.
She finished with a broad defense of her husband, outlining his work as governor to expand educational opportunities. And she referred to Obama's demands that they release more of their tax returns, suggesting that Mitt Romney didn't want to publicize his charitable giving.
"Mitt doesn't like to talk about how he has helped others, because he sees it as a privilege," she said to cheers. "Not as a political talking point."
She added, "You can trust Mitt."
Christie and Ann Romney's speeches capped a busy opening day for the Republicans, whose schedule was reworked in response to Hurricane Isaac, which made landfall during the evening lineup of speeches and spun toward New Orleans.
The day began with Republicans approving a party platform that would ban gay marriage and abortions without exception, repeal Obama's signature health care legislation, change Medicare into a voucher system and cut taxes.
Such sessions are typically highly scripted and staid, but this time it was interrupted by supporters of libertarian Texas Rep. Ron Paul, a former Romney challenger for the presidential nomination. They booed at the adoption of new rules that would make it more difficult for insurgent candidates to earn the nomination, the Associated Press reported.
Later, the GOP began its roll call and formally nominated Romney as its presidential candidate.
With 50 votes, New Jersey put Romney over the 1,144-delegate threshold needed to officially become the nominee.


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6 years ago
Saturday, 20 June 2015
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