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On Judging the Value of a Dev Team
I wrote a post last week on InfernoRed's blog on how to judge the value of a software development team.
I got some interesting feedback from the people who've read this post (namely, my two partners) that this post was "harsh" and might be misinterpreted.
Importantly, I wrote this from the perspective of an outsider looking in on a software development team, trying to figure out how to make an objective assessment of the team's capabilities. I don't think you hear this perspective often, especially in the Agile community. And there's a good reason for this, our community is focused on improving software teams, not evaluating them. If we evaluated every software development the way I'd proposed, many would fall short, including some teams I've been a part of. That doesn't mean a team is doomed, won't succeed, or is beyond help.
We'd frame development short comings in the Agile community as opportunities and that's right. Agile is about making things better: faster development, higher quality, improved process that makes work more meaningful for stakeholders and developers. And in the DC area, where employers across the board are having a hard time finding development talent, it doesn't make a lot of sense to evaluate or judge a development team on relative measures. The question IT leaders need to ask that's the most pressing is: what can we do to get better?
That doesn't mean there's not a time and place to ask the other question — is my dev team any good?
It's Official: I've Started with InfernoRed
My last day with Excella was Friday, I've now moved on full time to getting InfernoRed Technology running.
Agile isn't a Sham
I feel obligated to react to William Edwards's "Agile is a Sham" post. Edwards' humorous takedown of Agile processes and engineering techniques resonated with many people today; it blew up on Ycombinator, DZone, and reddit. It was a huge hit on Excella COE distros, where lots of good conversation was had.
Even though mine will be the 87th unoriginal rebuttal to this post, I feel obligated to comment because Edwards and I are kindred spirits. We apparently both share a deep appreciation for minimalist Tublelog themes. (Thanks, Bill Israel.)
In any case, I have three thoughts on Agile being a Sham:
- I understand why this idea is so popular. Process is an impediment.
- Agile is NOT at all a Sham, but there are hucksters who sham people with Agile.
- Agile works and we need it. Winston Churchill understood why 65 years ago.
Process is an impediment
I write code, and I get why there's a resentment for Agile methodologies. Edwards likens writing coding to playing "Legos without gravity." When you're having this much fun, anything at your job that doesn't involve writing code is an annoyance, at best. Agile methodologies require process, and process requires developers doing lots of activities that aren't coding.
This sentiment isn't new. My favorite (and likely not at all safe for work) take on Agile being an impediment is Zed Shaw's "Programmer's Manifesto". What self respecting programmer doesn't want to be left alone to just do "Programming, mother@#$%!"!?
I understand the frustration, and I agree with the anti-process sentiment. Developers need liberty. Edwards is right that process is like a tax. He's right that processes that evolve organically are better than prescribed processes. Says Edwards:
"Iterative development is what we used to do when we got things done, and we didn't have some process we had to follow to do it. Common Sense. Get Things Done. Not so far from the agile manifesto, even. A long way from the sham that is the Agile business though."
Great points, all of them. Edwards almost seems to agree that the principles behind Agile support the common sense approach he describes. So, why is it a sham? And, what does he mean by "the Agile business"?
Agile Hucksters in our midst
The "Agile business" is big. There's tons of different services, software, and other products to sell, and there's oodles of companies selling these things. But it's a lazy and inaccurate generalization to say that all of these businesses are a sham. There's tons of companies that are generating great value in the Agile space. There's ALM products that have rabid fan bases. There's Agile coaches who help teams make sustainable improvements. There's trainers who legitimately put teams on a path to success.
And, there are hucksters in the Agile business. I agree with Edwards that a four figure sum is too high of a price to pay for a pack of planning cards and a class that does nothing but certify you to use them.
The question is, why do the hucksters offend Edwards so much as to reject the entire idea of Agile, which he seems to agree with in principle?
There will always be snake oil salespeople in IT. IT, as a business, changes rapidly, which makes it vulnerable to exploitation. Rapid change makes it difficult for customers to make good acquisitions because being informed comes at such a high cost. Evolving technology makes it harder still for business providing IT services to provide consistent and high quality service. Any IT exec will tell you that "caveat emptor" is a motto to live and die by.
There are businesses who will do a terribly shoddy job putting your enterprise in the cloud, or helping you virtualize. These aren't reasons to avoid upgrading your infrastructure. There are technology certifications and training on every platform that are a complete waste. That doesn't mean that all training is without value. There are software development body shops that will provide you with small armies of software developers that can't code their way out of a box. That's not a reason to stop buying software development services.
There's hucksters in the Agile space too. That's not a reason to reject "SCRUM and TDD and all the rest".
The bit about Churchill
Agile means doing many of the things that Edwards values. Minimizing impediments, evolving processes organically and continuously improving our processes, these are things that we value in the Agile community. But at the core, Agile processes are about improving collaboration, a consideration that Edwards mostly avoids.
Few developers are lucky to work on projects where we can work independently and build whatever we want: we're working in places where we're solving business problems, and we need to collaborate with people who understand these problems better than we do. Most of us are working in teams that include people with different goals and different needs, and to deliver software, we have to find ways to collaborate effectively.
Collaboration is hard. Really hard. Winston Churchill, having led Britain through the biggest existential crisis in her history, understood how hard. In a speech to the British House of Commons, just after the end of WWII, he quipped:
"Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."
Churchill understood that getting people to cooperate towards a common goal is difficult. Even if we all want the same results, and that's not always the case, people have different opinions on how best to get there. Getting people to work together effectively is a tall order. Democracy is empirically, the best way to do this at a macro level. Churchill knew it wasn't perfect, but it was still the best we had.
Similarly, Agile methodologies are far from perfect, but they're still the best way we know how to enable effective collaboration on software development teams. Agile's core principles, things like self-organizing teams, a product owner empowered to call the shots, and conversation over documentation, simply work. These principles have helped tons of software teams communicate better, learn more, and evolve their products quicker. Agile engineering techniques streamline collaboration. It still amazes me that I can write a test capable of identifying a bug in the code that my teammate will write one day in the future.
Democracy and Agile methodologies have this in common: they're the best ways to get people to work together while preserving as much individual liberty as possible. There's also plenty of opportunities to claim to be democratic or Agile, while being anything but. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is not a democracy, teams that develop "Agile" methodologies that are drenched with heavy process aren't being Agile.
In the future, we'll understand human interaction even better. We'll probably have a better way to govern than democracy, and we'll definitely discover better ways to develop software. Edwards is right that we're probably due for a paradigm shift soon. It's been more than a decade since the Agile manifesto was written.
But let's hold off on throwing out our Agile values until we have a better answer in hand. And let's not let the hucksters drag us down. Agile is flawed, but it continues to do a whole lot of good for software teams. And it's been great for developers who just want to use common sense to get things done.
How to Sell and Implement Pair Programming, the Middle Way
On an Excella COE distro, we recently had an interesting discussion about pair programming, and how to sell the idea to a reluctant client during an Agile adoption. Through this discussion, I learned that I believed two things:
1) Incredibly strict regimens for pair programming aren't always optimally productive arrangements.
2) In an Agile transformation, Agile coaches and practitioners need to be careful about advocating too fiercely for pairing.
I believe that it's generally a good practice, but I think often, the Agile community is a little too dogmatic about it's approach to this technique. Adopting more productive pairing practices should be a goal in any Agile transformation, but I also think there's a middle way to sell and implement the practice. Specifically, those tackling this issue should do three things: be specific about the evidence, understand the nuances, and understand the people issues.
Be specific about the evidence
This excerpt from a blog post by Katie McCroskey at Thycotic is a fairly typical assertion from the Agile community: "Case studies have been conducted, the experts have weighed in, and the results are unequivocal: the benefits of Pair Programming can result in significant advantages for an organization developing software."
Well… what studies? What benefits do these studies prove conclusively? Are they really "unequivocal"? (Answer: NO.) There's a lot of unsubstantiated claims from the Agile community about pairing, and unsubstantiated claims aren't going to convince a skeptic.
If I'm Joe Waterfall with a super long Gantt chart that needs people on line items, why should I put faith in what sounds like a statement of opinion? "Pair programming is more productive" isn't an intuitive conclusion for someone who hasn't done it before. If you're selling the idea, you need to bring more concrete evidence and examples.
This Cockburn/Williams study is a great piece of evidence in favor of pair programming:
Understand the Nuances
The research is not as conclusive as hardcore pair programming advocates make it out to be. Some examples:
The Cockburn/Williams study actually demonstrates that pairs suffer a 15% decrease in productivity. Notably, defects decrease 50% with pairs and pairs build better designed software, so that more than makes up for it. This nuance is important, because it might help your client get over the idea that two people can't possibly do more work than if they were working in parallel: They can't! Pairs do write less code than solo developers, but they write better code.
Experts are relatively less productive in pairs than novices. Teams comprised of seasoned veterans are going to get less out of pairing than rookies. This nuance is especially important to anyone in consulting. Consultants are often high skilled engineers, but we're noobs when it comes to a new client's systems and architecture. Pairing is especially important to us because we have a lot to learn. It's not just about enforcing good engineering habits, pairing is about sharing system and domain knowledge as well.
The biggest benefit of pair programming is in software design, not implementation. There's an uncomfortable implication here for pairing advocates — you get most of the benefits of a pair approach if you have an environment where developers collaborate around a whiteboard to design software. The advantages are less profound when a pair is sitting around one machine trying to get unit tests to pass. Pairing also is more productive on complex tasks and less valuable for simple development tasks.
Be Flexible, and Understand the People Issues
How common is this anecdote: an Agile expert, with buy-in from executives, stakeholders, or management, tells a software team that starting next week, they're going to write all their code in pairs. Shockingly, there's lots of resistance from the development team, and eventually, the practice gets shelved, or maybe it doesn't even get off the ground.
Even if pairing were an absolute slam dunk, offering 400% gains in productivity, it will still fall on it's face if implemented in a way that fosters dissent or reduces moral. If you're setting out to change how someone actually does their work, seek to do it with their involvement, buy-in, and un-coerced commitment. It's completely worth "being Agile" about implementing pairing. Work up to it incrementally and allow the people doing the work to own the pace of adoption.
The most productive software team I've ever served with was a dot-com I consulted at a five years ago. At this dot-com, developers almost always pair up when designing new features or debugging troublesome issues. They write a lot of code in pairs, but they also have the flexibility to go it alone, and they do so when it's appropriate. I think this approach makes a lot of sense. Pairing is essential when working on the transactions for their ordering system, it's not as valuable when converting fairly static classic ASP pages to ASP.NET. I believe that their flexible and developer-driven implementation of pair programming is superior to a rigid top-down mandate.
The Bottom Line
My own experience in a project with rigid pair programming requirements lead me to believe that something like the more flexible approach I described above is more productive. Certainly, if I'm writing code as part of a software team, I prefer a more moderate approach to pairing: let me pair up when we're launching a complex re-design task, or slaying a dragon-sized defect. But if I'm tasked with changing some button colors in a bunch of CSS, give me the flexibility to get this done on my own without having another developer sitting next to me, feigning interest while checking his phone.
Having said that, I can imagine a many scenarios where that approach wouldn't work, and a more rigid pairing arrangement would be beneficial. I can't imagine a scenario a lack of support or encouragement of the practice at all would be beneficial. The trick is to find out what works for the team, project, or enterprise that needs to make the change. There's probably a middle way that will elude you as long as you're thinking dogmatically.
As Agile practitioners, we could certainly afford to be less dogmatic, more thoughtful and flexible when it comes to the direction we're giving teams about pair programming.
Don't tell me what NOT to do!
When I was a snowboard instructor, a clinician gave me some very effective advice: "Don't ever tell a student NOT to do something. Always tell them what to do instead."
Putting aside it's self-contradictory nature, this is the best little gem of coaching advice I've ever received. Adhering to this rule made me an much better instructor. Intermediate snowboarders commonly make their turns by failing their arms and rotating their upper body. I'd struggled many times with students trying to correct this behavior. Telling a student not to turn the with their upper body had the effect of preventing them from turning at all. Plus, it made them angry at me. I found that completely ignoring the ugly upper body movements, and instead focusing on teaching students to turn with their feet, knees, or hips made things click immediately.
I think this idea is incredibly relevant to working with teams on an Agile adoption. That hour long daily status meeting that the team is having every day? It's ineffective to say it's a waste of time and they should stop doing it. It also makes you sound like an Agile jerk. What works is to figure out why stakeholders or team members need to have such a meeting, and to work with the team to adopt other more effective strategies for collaborating, such as co-location, daily stand ups, more transparency and more ad hoc interaction between stakeholders and developers. If the team or stakeholders decide on their own that their daily status meeting is a waste of time, you've helped them make a sustainable and positive change to their process.
I also believe that it's advice many in the agile community could afford to embrace. I'd be rich if I had a dollar for every time someone in the community has told me what I'm doing wrong. I'm certain I'm not the only one in the community who has had a negative reaction to advice like "You're a Scrum Master, you shouldn't be solving a team's people problems!" Advice like this makes people defensive, which makes the advice pretty ineffective.
It's understandable though, it's easy to point out flaws. It requires a lot of thought to craft suggestions in positive and non-judgmental ways. Being an effective Agile coach means doing this consistently.
But how can we sue our contractors if we're Agile?
Computer Weekly just published an interesting opinion piece from a UK attorney named Alistair Maughan, who contends that Agile can't work in the government:
I'm prepared to accept on trust that, if all goes well, Agile may reduce the risk of project failure. But Agile simply won't work in the real world of government ICT. We need a Richard Dawkins to bust the myth of the Agile gospel.
The whole article is worth a read. He makes good many points that will resonate with anyone who has tried to do Agile in the federal government. No doubt, it's hard.
Maughan's conclusions are all wrong, however. Most of his arguments stem from the unique cultural issues involved with working with the government. Certainly, there are big cultural impediments in the government to being Agile, but I'd assert that these impediments are impediments to successful software development in general, not just to being Agile.
People issues are the biggest liability of any project, those issues include organizational culture. One of the partners I work for at Excella states this as a consulting rule: We solve business problems with People, Process, and Technology, and in that order. If you want Agile to succeed on a federal project it's essential to address the people issues first. CYA and anti-collaborative behavior are commonplace in the government.
Maughan seems to assume though that these things can't change. He implies that the lack of trust between customer and supplier are inevitable, and hierarchical, centralized decision making are permanent fixture. I believe, perhaps naively, that we CAN change these things in the government. In fact, I think it's essential that we work to change these things. If we're talking about a new federal Agile contract, or an Agile adoption for an existing federal team we should start by asking questions like:
How can we inspire people to collaborate across organizational boundaries? How can we create an environment where accountability is shared across organizational boundaries? Can we structure projects and contracts so that success is measured based on working software? What can be done to empower both Product Owners and Teams to make more decisions? Can we create an environment where planning for success is more important than planning for failure? How can we build the relationships necessary for creating trust between stakeholders and development teams?
We should be asking these types of question before we discuss Scrum logistics and start deciding on Jira vs. Mingle or Jenkins vs. TFS. I do think that it's possible, certainly on smaller government projects, to chip away at the margins on the cultural impediments. I think that many feds really want to see us do this as well.
Here's where Maughan really misses the boat: Waterfall is not the answer either. He writes as if the majority of non-Agile federal development efforts have "watertight contracts, clear deliverables, and open procurement." Maybe the UK is a magical fairyland of Waterfall goodness, but I'm certain that no one involved in the Hewitt-OPM debacle would argue that the current state of software development in the federal government is just fine the way it is. Most of the liabilities he discusses are just as present in well-structured Waterfall efforts, they just manifest themselves in different ways.
For me, when he says that Agile isn't the answer, he's saying: it's impossible to do effective software development for the government. If you work in government IT, that sounds like a terrible thing to believe. Unless you're a lawyer, I guess. Really, his arguments here can be condensed to: Waterfall makes it easier for the government to sue contractors when things go wrong; Agile makes litigation harder for the government, but increases the chances of a project succeeding.
How many federal executives would accept a higher risk of project meltdown in exchange for more "appropriate remedies for litigating failure?"
Even traffic lights can self organize!
Typically, traffic engineers manage traffic by using historical data and a central model of control. But Swiss researchers are now experimenting with traffic lights that adapt independently to changing traffic conditions:
Lämmer and Helbing wondered if traffic lights might devise better solutions on their own, if given some simple traffic-responsive operating rules and left to organise their own on-off schedules. To find out, they modelled the flow of traffic as if it were a fluid, and explored what happens at road intersections, where traffic leaving one road has to enter another, much like fluid moving through a network of pipes.
The idea doesn't seem terrifically analogous to how an effective scrum team self organizes until you consider this:
They found, however, that this simple rule isn't enough: the lights sometimes adapt too much. If they are only adapting to conditions locally, they might stay green for too long and cause trouble further away. To avoid this, Lämmer and Helbing modified things so that what happens at one set of traffic lights would affect how the others respond. By working together and monitoring the lengths of queues along a long stretch of road, the self-organised lights prevent long jams from forming.
Despite the simplicity of these rules, they seem to work remarkably well. Computer simulations demonstrate that lights operating this way would achieve a significant reduction in overall travel times and keep no one waiting at a light too long. One of the biggest surprises, however, is that all this improvement comes with the lights going on and off in a seemingly chaotic way, not following a regular pattern as one might expect.
In other words, the traffic lights are programmed to share the same goal of reducing travel times overall, and they're armed with information about the traffic conditions at other intersections on the grid. It's just like the shared commitment and transparency you'd see in a high performing scrum team.
In Lämmer and Helbing's models, travel times decreased 10-30% overall. Performance at any given node varies, but overall, you can expect to get to your destination quicker. It's all eerily similar to the way that software managers can expect to get working software quicker when teams are given the freedom to overcome their own obstacles.
Team Velocity and a User's Heirarchy of Needs
A colleague and I ran into a dilemna when working through a recent presentation to a long time client. It's not an uncommon one: we needed an easy way to convince the client that with the team's current velocity, they weren't likely to get the product they envisioned in the long term.
More specifically, this client wanted a "sexier" application. The reality though was that everytime the team estimated work items that would improve the application's desirability, they'd be left out of iteration plans, or they'd be significantly scaled back. There were always more important things for the team to work on.
Re-prioritizing our backlog to invest more in presentation wasn't a realistic silver bullet; we were supporting an application with a user base that had constantly changing needs. Those needs always ended up coming first, regardless of how we planned our releases.
The challenge came in finding a way to communicate this problem to the client, which we did with the handy pyramid below. I culled this together and customized it based on our several similar pyramid ideas I found on the Interwebs. (And for the love, I wish I'd have known to say "desirability" instead of "sex appeal" earlier.)
We put a few animations in to walk up to the point where our application was currently hovering (in the third tier), and everyone got it right away.
I see several obvious ways for a scrum team to solve this problem; though I'm sure there are plenty more:
- Improve the team's velocity (new resources, eliminating waste)
- Improve the team's efficiency in UX tasks (different resources, training, inspire a shared ideal of beauty through regular team outings to art galleries)
- Convince our users to have less needs
None of these seem particularily easy, but importantly, we're now taking steps to really solve this problem, instead of just doing a lot of wishful thinking.
I think this blog needs some content
I have a blog
I'm fresh off of the Agile 2010 conference in Orlando, with a head full of ideas. One of them: I'm going to start writing. (Well, blogging, anyway.)
I've discussed the idea of having a professional blog with a number of my colleauges before, and the idea always seemed to fall flat. There are already a million blogs on software and agile development. It always seemed a little egocentric for me to assume that I'd be able to generate a steady stream of original thoughts that people would be interested in reading.
But, there's an important angle I'd been missing: writing is a valuable tool to learn. So I'm going to start doing it.


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Fall 2014 Second Installment Payment Due Date
Fall 2014 Second Installment payment of the Payment Plan is due September 19, 2014.
Important Notice: Payment must be made by the payment deadline or your registration schedule may be canceled. If your registration schedule is canceled due to non-payment, a $100 reinstatement fee will be charged to re-enroll.
Paper bills are no longer mailed. See our eBill page for more information.
Important Note: If you decide not to attend for the semester or session, you must drop your course(s) thru Duck Trax (Web Self Service) or inform the Registrar's Office in person or writing before the due date. Otherwise, you may be held responsible for tuition and fees and/or any financial aid that has posted to your account and you will receive grades of "F".

subset: commoncrawl


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Raiders Silver and Black Blog
All about the Oakland Raiders
Posts filtered on Tag
Woodson gets his jersey No. 24, other notes (updated)
Raiders players checked into the Napa Marriott for three and a half weeks of training camp on Wednesday and found out who their roommates were for training camp. Backup running backs Jeremy Stewart and Latavius Murray dodged a bullet as Rashad Jennings was given his own room. The former Jaguar running back doesn't snore. It's […] [Read More]


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A judge will decide Tuesday whether or not Brian Gale, the man found guilty of leaving his stepson in a McIntosh County swamp, will get a new trial.
According to the vitim's family, one of the jurors was texting with the victim's brother, who was also a witness, during the trial.
According to law professors WTOC spoke with, if that is true and the defense can prove it, that is a very clear cut reason for a new trial.
Gale was found guilty of contributing to the deprivation of a minor and involuntary manslaughter in October after he got lost hunting with his stepson Daniel. Daniel was found face down and investigators say he drowned.
A judge sentenced Brian Gale to five years in prison, but if he grants a mistrial, Gale could walk away from the courthouse because he was originally on a recognizance bond.
According to a law professor WTOC spoke with, if Gale gets a new trial he will not be tried for murder because of a double jeopardy law.
Copyright 2012 WTOC. All rights reserved.
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All-New 2014 Acura RLX Employs an Array of New Signature Acura Technologies to Deliver a New Level of Performance, Sophistication and Driving Comfort
02/14/2013 - Acura announced today the all-new 2014 RLX is the most powerful, spacious, and technologically advanced sedan introduced by the luxury brand.
2014 Acura RLX Press Kit
02/14/2013 - The 2014 Acura RLX is the most powerful, spacious, and technologically advanced Acura sedan ever.
Acura Announces Launch Plan and Pricing for 2014 RLX Flagship Sedan
01/15/2013 - The all-new 2014 Acura RLX flagship sedan will debut at Acura dealerships on March 15, 2013, with a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) starting at $48,450*.
Acura Debuts 2014 RLX Sedan at Los Angeles Auto Show
11/28/2012 - Acura took the wraps off its all-new 2014 RLX luxury-performance sedan – the most powerful, spacious, and technologically advanced Acura sedan, ever.
Acura Debuts Next-Generation AcuraLink® Connected Car System at Los Angeles Auto Show
11/28/2012 - Acura today announced the next generation AcuraLink® cloud-based connected car system that will debut in early 2013 on the all-new 2014 Acura RLX luxury sedan.
Acura to Debut Flagship 2014 RLX Sedan at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show
09/20/2012 - The production model of the all-new 2014 Acura RLX will debut on November 28, 2012, the first press day of the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, it was announced today. The new Acura flagship sedan will employ an array of new technologies uniq...
New Video Available from the 2012 New York International Auto Show
04/06/2012 - Exclusive video from the 2012 New York Auto Show is now available on www.acuranews.com. If you missed the press conference, an archive of the live event is now available. The video includes exclusive interview and live footage with Ac...
Acura RLX Concept Makes World Debut in New York
04/04/2012 - Acura today held the world debut of the Acura RLX Concept at the New York International Auto Show, providing luxury buyers with a first look at the design and engineering direction for its all-new Acura RLX flagship sedan, slated for lau...
2012 New York International Auto Show Press Conference Remarks
04/04/2012 - Mike Accavitti Hey everyone... it's great to see all of you. Thanks for joining us today. 2012 has already been quite a year for Acura, and today we're taking another major step forward in the continued revitalization of the Acura br...


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Start learning with our library of video tutorials taught by experts. Get started
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Kabiru Ibrahim
United Nations Police Elections Adviser, United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone
Focus: Accountable Policing
Topics: Training
Keywords: UN policies, training, oversight agency, internal management, incentive systems
Interviewer(s): Arthur Boutellis
Country of Reform: Sierra Leone
Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone
Date: Tue May 6 2008
Kabiru Ibrahim discusses the nature of the relationship between the Sierra Leonean Police and the United Nations Police, and the policing reforms that they were jointly pursuing. Most of the reforms involve a high degree of training and capacity building. The best and most cost-effective training method for a country like Sierra Leone, Ibrahim asserts, is to provide training for a small number of officers and equip them with the skills to train the rest of the Sierra Leonean Police. As the U.N. Police elections adviser in the country, he identifies the major challenges that reformers face, including limited resources, weak discipline within the Sierra Leonean Police, and the division and distrust that exists between the unarmed general duty police and the armed operational support division. Ibrahim also discusses issues surrounding investigation and crime management, specifically the tendency of police officers to bring a large number of cases to trial, but failing to follow through on the cases. He concludes by maintaining that the reform efforts were succeeding slowly and that more resources would have increased effectiveness.
Full TranscriptDownload PDF (432.2K) Download TXT (19.7K)
Full InterviewDownload MP3 (43 MB)
Kabiru Ibrahim Interview
Full Profile
At the time of this interview, Kabiru Ibrahim was the United Nations Police elections adviser at the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone. A Nigerian, he attended Nigerian Military School before deciding to shift his focus and join the police service. He began working with the international police force in 2000, and was deployed as a U.N. police officer to Kosovo and Burundi before his deployment to Sierra Leone in 2007.


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Send off! The Scott Expedition
The time has come after years of planning and intense training for British adventurers Ben Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere. Departing England, they are now in the icy cold of the Antarctic to sort final checks to complete Scott's 1,800-mile return journey to the South Pole on foot. All of us at 2041 are eagerly waiting their departure and most importantly, their safe return.
Be sure to follow their journey and their great use of technology while on this mission on their website The Scott Expedition.


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Keep Fear Alive: Mirrorless will cannibalise DSLRs and P&S cameras
Amateur Photographer UK has a new article based on new commentary by market research firm "GfK Retail and Technology" that both manufacturers and retailers are worried that mirrorless (they call them compact system cameras in their report) cameras will "cannibalise sales" from DSLRs and P&S digital cameras.
Meanwhile, the New York Times have their own "keep fear alive" article, smartphones eat P&S cameras.
Both make great dramatic stories, but month after the month, the CIPA numbers do not really match the rhetoric.
One thing that everyone seems to forget in all these discussions is that cameraphones are introducing photography to millions and millions more people at a much younger age than previous generations. Kids these days are born with a mouse and cameraphone in their hands. This has a tide-effect on the camera market, as a percentage of these new younger photographers increase their skills and interest and advance to more advanced cameras.
Back in our time, we had to climb up a hill backwards, barefoot in the snow, under a 130-degree scorching sun, just to take the film to the shoppe for development, just to see the last 24 pictures we took!


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Sunrise Audio Xcited
" (This is my first review ever so, if you see something you don't agree with, it's a free country. Voice your opinions. But this is only one person's thoughts. Take it with a grain of salt.) I've been hearing about this IEM for the past year now. I was most intrigued by the reviews. It was hard to see a review about the Xcited (and its older brother, the Xcape IE, which our brother Spica,..." --amzies01
" Impressed with the sound overall, balanced throughout the frequency range (bass is tight, medium to high frequencies not bad but I still think my Shures are better in the mid to high). That being said, the build is very worrisome - the right shell came apart exposing the tiny speaker and had to be glued. The cord is very flimsy and appears it won't take much of a yank to break the cord...." --jlopes89
AKG K3003I Reference Class 3-Way Earphones with Mic and Control
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Readers Talkbackcomments powered by Disqus
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Dec. 17, 2008, 3:18 p.m. CST
by wallygogo
Bring Back Pa Kent
Dec. 17, 2008, 3:24 p.m. CST
recommended SUPERNATURAL viewing guide for those catching up or
by BilboFett
This has been brought up in other talkbacks, but I am posting it here because people are asking and I'm afraid they may not see it in the other TB. Basically, people are done with HEROES and since Pushing Daisies is closing, people are seeking out other shows like Supernatural and LOST. So here's the recommended cliff-notes viewing guide for those checking out Supernatural: S1 pilot, S1x4-5, s1x9, s1x11, s1x14, s1x16, s1x20-22. So there's 10 out fo the 22 to watch from S1. Now for S2: s2x1-4, actually, nevermind. I was going to add ep 5, 6, 7, up through 10, and thats halfway through the season already. Just watch those 10 from S1 and start on S2 and just go through it. You may be able to skip eps 11, 13, and 16-19. All the others are important to the overall arc or further develop mysteries and secrets about the brothers, the dad, the demon, etc. From that point on just watch all of S3 and keep going. So I saved you from watching 12 episodes of S1 and 6 from S2. Fair enough? If you find you love the show, go back and watch the ones you missed. There's some REALLY good ones in there. Scary, dramatic, sad, funny, etc.
Dec. 17, 2008, 3:33 p.m. CST
...and guest starring Jack Black as BouncingBoy
by JeffManSixtyFo
you betcha Chuck Taine
Dec. 17, 2008, 3:34 p.m. CST
I'm really glad Geoff Johns is writing this episode
by SpyGuy
A professional comic writer and hardcore Legion fan should do a solid job on this. Here's hoping this becomes the SMALLVILLE spinoff instead of Martian Manhunter.
Dec. 17, 2008, 3:35 p.m. CST
is this show still on?
by seteger
I like the Legion and all, but enough already.
Dec. 17, 2008, 3:39 p.m. CST
Yes, it's on.
by Croweyes1121
But thanks for the least original post about a Smallville topic that's ever appeared on AICN. Smallville has actually been *exceptional* this season.
Dec. 17, 2008, 3:44 p.m. CST
BilboFett - hell yeah. SUPERNATURAL
by turketron
I'm guessing you recently watched all of these so you have a good idea of what episodes are what. That's probably a good Cliff's Notes list of Season 1 episodes. I can't remember, but I think you were the poster who left a comment about not liking the season finale of Heroes s1, and you were about to watch season 2 hoping it would be better. I think I left a comment that said, "BilboFett is about to get OWNED". Looks like it happened. Kudos for getting into Supernatual though! Best genre show on TV, next to LOST.
Dec. 17, 2008, 3:49 p.m. CST
Legion standing over epileptic attack Chloe
by Squashua
Scene needs more lightning rods and a Proty for a proper resurrection.
Dec. 17, 2008, 4:01 p.m. CST
by eric haislar
Season has gotten better, Still not great but better. Also Doomsday look great.
Dec. 17, 2008, 4:13 p.m. CST
So the show is ending so they decided to make it good?
by Smashing
Sums it right up really.
Dec. 17, 2008, 4:30 p.m. CST
Fuck Supernatural and its fans
by White Goodman
is what I used to say. I finally got around to watching the first season and I love it. Great show. It's way better than Smallville.
Dec. 17, 2008, 4:35 p.m. CST
Supernatural is the only non-girly show on the CW.
by F-18
Anyone who likes the rest of the CW shows possesses a set of ovaries.
Dec. 17, 2008, 4:50 p.m. CST
Great formula, Smallville
by Heckles
Have a host of other heroes to get every last dime from the CW you can. Brilliant.
Dec. 17, 2008, 4:52 p.m. CST
I don't get the hate for SUPERNATURAL based on
by BilboFett
The fact that the two leads are good looking? Abercrombie and Fitch or whatever? umm... aren't like 95% of the LOST regulars VERY good looking people? Or... Smallville? Heroes? Pushing Daisies? Comeon. This is television.
Dec. 17, 2008, 4:56 p.m. CST
by Mr. Zeddemore
I guess I'm the exception who likes Supernatural, Heroes and Smallville. Okay, coolio.
 Means I can refute the 'no-one who likes Supernatural can like Heroes' bullshit.
Dec. 17, 2008, 4:57 p.m. CST
by Reasonaxe
I've been seeing lots of love for this show on here the past few days and it's finally got me interested to catch up. Where can I watch everything? I tried to Hulu that shit but it's not there.
Dec. 17, 2008, 5:06 p.m. CST
Where to catch up
by Kampy0jay
Use google, download azureus or "Vuze" (a torrent download program) go to http://eztv.it/ index.php and find your show. Click the link, it adds it to your downloads, watch it when its done. Easy. Google is a good tool.
Dec. 17, 2008, 5:29 p.m. CST
The best thing about Supernatural
by David Cloverfield
Is that they constantley adding new truly exciting characters to the show, who never overstay their welcome, no matter how big the fan reaction is. They don't put Bobby in the backseat of the car, no matter how much people love him. Nor Jo, Ruby or Castiel. They all pop up here and there a few episodes, and then go away. There are no long romantic sub plots. No overcrowding (ruining Heroes) no triangles (ruining Lost), no streching (also ruining Lost) and no Ross/Rachel terribleness (ruining Smallville among other things.) As I hear, the producers are at constant war with CW. They wanted to fuck the show up right from the soundtrack (imagine Kanye West instead of Metallica. argh.) They want more sex, and female characters, and love interests. I hope Kripke and co continues to fight the good fight.
Dec. 17, 2008, 5:51 p.m. CST
Shadow Lass and Dream Girl
by NudeandAroused
I almost hate to say it, I had serious fantasies about the two of them. I forgot the name of the hot Princess. She up there as well. Yes I am sick.
Dec. 17, 2008, 6:01 p.m. CST
ooooh that looks good.
by Yeti
Sorry haters but it does.
Dec. 17, 2008, 6:41 p.m. CST
Damn. I Might Actually Start Watching Again
by estacado1
It looks good. But I didn't Lois there. But it's good. I always preferred Lana to Lois.
Dec. 17, 2008, 7:09 p.m. CST
And in even bigger news:
by ShogunMaster
'FUNNYMAN EDDIE MURPHY will play The Riddler in the next Batman movie, The Sun can reveal.' <p The film, set for a 2010 release, is being developed under the working title Gotham.
 Execs have also signed up rising Transformers star SHIA LABEOUF, 22, to play Robin.
 CHRISTIAN BALE will return as Bruce Wayne, while MICHAEL CAINE will again play Bruce's assistant Alfred.
 Meanwhile, Brit RACHEL WEISZ is said to be up for the Catwoman role.
 http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article2048300.ece
Dec. 17, 2008, 7:10 p.m. CST
And Shia Le Beef
by ShogunMaster
is to Play Robin! http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article2048300.ece
Dec. 17, 2008, 7:19 p.m. CST
Supernatural is a prime example
by smackfu
of what happens when actors and writers take the silly premise that's been dropped in their lap and treat it like it's Citizen Kane. Jensen Ackles is by far one of the best young actors working in Hollywood today.
Dec. 17, 2008, 7:23 p.m. CST
doesnt ferro lad where the helmet?
by bacci40
legion are cool
form the looks of that cover of Legion of SH, it looks like Superboy wont make it to the next round of "America's Got Talent"
Dec. 17, 2008, 7:47 p.m. CST
What about Porcupine Pete?
by Bob Cryptonight
Will he show up in the Legion?
Dec. 17, 2008, 8:09 p.m. CST
I'd like to see Lethargic Lad make an appearance.
by tonagan
That comic was laugh-out-loud funny.
Dec. 17, 2008, 8:14 p.m. CST
by SnapT
Dec. 17, 2008, 8:27 p.m. CST
by UMAGA
No one gives a fuck anymore.
Dec. 17, 2008, 8:45 p.m. CST
Well, I'll give a fuck
by Barrymore Yorke
Seeing one of the pivotal Superman / Superboy / Legion stories brought to life? Written by Geoff Johns? Yes, thanks, Smallville . . . I'll come back for this one!
Dec. 17, 2008, 8:59 p.m. CST
So Supernatural fans are defending the show to each other?
by Drath
On a Smallville talkback? Shit, dudes, that's sad. Honestly, I couldn't connect with that show and I gave it until half way through its second season--which seems to be when it got "so great" for a lot of people. My tastes just don't lean towards the Ring/Grudge wave of horror movies, and that's what SN seemed to be mostly. Also I didn't much like the leads--though Ackles wasn't bad. I don't have a brother, maybe that also has something to do with the appeal.
Dec. 17, 2008, 9:11 p.m. CST
Jensen Ackles
by Melvin_Pelvis
Has really grown as an actor durring Supernatural, imho.
 Landing this show has given him an opportunity to grow a character and develop his skill in the process.
 Dean is basically the same smartass, cocky sumbitch he's done in other roles.
 But thos were all short lived roles, guest spots or reocurring parts.
 Jensen has taken Dean, made him one of the better characters on television right now.
 Of course having great writers makes that job a lot easier.
 But Jensen really brings it home.
Dec. 17, 2008, 9:15 p.m. CST
Someone still cares?
by MJohnson
Who the fuck still watches this show? Let me guess...they're the same idiots who also watch anything with the word "Stargate" as a prefix...
Dec. 17, 2008, 9:42 p.m. CST
what the fuck is this shit?
by sharpie
as soon as i give up on the friggin soap opera, they make it awesome? i hate you tom welling, because you're the most obvious scapegoat i can think of
Dec. 17, 2008, 9:47 p.m. CST
johns is writing this epi?
by bacci40
see...smallville got it right...hire good comic book writers for comic book tv shows...undertand kring?
Dec. 17, 2008, 10:18 p.m. CST
jensen ackles = capt. kirk
by BlackJackBauer
we all know it to be true.
Dec. 17, 2008, 10:34 p.m. CST
by Cameron1
And Supernatural is a great great B movie show punching way above it's expectations. Season 4 has been pretty tremendous what with Angels showing up and being badasses and all. More people need to wacth it.
Dec. 17, 2008, 10:34 p.m. CST
bring back Ma and Pa Kent...
by lynxpro
Since Superman Returns was a dud, it is high time Smallville brought back Pa Kent. Just ignore the fact that he was killed off in Smallville as commanded by Warner Bros. Pictures over the wishes of the Smallville producers and WB Television.
Dec. 17, 2008, 10:35 p.m. CST
Ackles would've made an awesome Kirk...
by lynxpro
...of course, I also think Ryan Reynolds would've done one helluvuah job too.
Dec. 18, 2008, 12:34 a.m. CST
Clark Flying
by Playhouse
Unfortunately, in that preview, that's not Clark flying. The shot of someone streaking into the night sky was actually the last appearance of Supergirl on the show (thank god). And those people pointing up to the sky were from an earlier episode this season ('Identity') where a Superman-like figure was finally revealed, gave people hope and finally gave Clark an idea of what a symbol he can be not just a savior.

And Smallville really has stepped it up this season. Best it's been in years. With AlandMiles gone, they've really felt free to start making leaps and bounds towards Superman.

Dec. 18, 2008, 2:32 a.m. CST
Smallville has improved...
by MonkeyManReturns
...I am well impressed...writers are actually paying attention to what they are writing! Bravo...also, the people who keep on saying: Is this show still on? Are completed fuck-turds. Seriously, you might as well say NOT after every sentence and follow it up with a WASSUPPPPPP....cos you're as unoriginal as Britney's comeback... Smallville: Good show Supernatural: Good show... and..Reaper...also a good show!
Dec. 18, 2008, 3:13 a.m. CST
Smallville did improve
by David Cloverfield
It has all to do with the new showrunners. And the more behind the scenes Lex.
Dec. 18, 2008, 3:35 a.m. CST
David Cloverfield
by Hamtaro Hentai
Interesting, I didn't know about the CW trying to screw up Supernatural, props to the producers for standing their ground. The show is top notch, and this season has an 'epic' feeling to it that is rare.
 Then again, Dean DID get to bone an angel...
Dec. 18, 2008, 3:50 a.m. CST
SUPERNATURAL's been kinda meh this season.
by Shermdawg
And like I've said before, what they've done with Ruby in terms of pussyfying the character is fucking lame.
Dec. 18, 2008, 4:46 a.m. CST
More lameasses in vague color-coded jacket 'uniforms"
by reflecto
Where have I seen this before? This show has been, and always shall be, a piece of shit.
Dec. 18, 2008, 6:02 a.m. CST
SMALLVILLE Is EPICLY Awful
by LaserPants
How anyone (who isn't 5 years old) can defend this terrible show is beyond me.
Dec. 18, 2008, 7:57 a.m. CST
SUPERNATURAL has BUNNY fuckin COLVIN
by turketron
Supernatural has Bunny fuckin Colvin from The Wire as a badass who calls us humans "mud monkeys" and threatens to turn the main character to ash if he doesn't do what he says.

 Daniel Cloverfield, I read what you wrote above... it's a shame that the producers have to fight so hard against the suits at the CW to make the show as awesome as it is. Everything you wrote is spot-on. No love triangles (1 night stands are pretty much the norm), no shitty characters that overstay their welcome, no dragging plotlines, no idiotic writing, cool special effects, a good amount of gore, and probably the best use of music on a TV show at the moment aside from Michal Giacchino's work on Lost and Fringe.

Shermdawg, I didn't like the new Ruby at first either, but I've warmed up to her. Can't deny her hotness, which probably clouds my judgement of her acting. Gotta love how Sam is banging a helpless demon possessed comatose girl. I can't blame him...
Dec. 18, 2008, 8:57 a.m. CST
Sorry, kids...SMALLVILLE is much better this season
by SpyGuy
No, it's still not perfect, especially with bringing Lana back for five episodes, but it's gotten much better and has been far more solid than HEROES.
If only Gough and Millar had left about two seasons earlier...

Dec. 18, 2008, 9:03 a.m. CST
Where the f*ck is Matter Eater Lad?!?
by menacingphantom
not to mention Bouncing Boy.
Dec. 18, 2008, 9:29 a.m. CST
It's funny...
by HapaPapa72
Mr.Spork up there thinks "girly" and "possessing a set of ovaries" is an insult to a show. I bet the last time he was near anything girly or even close to ovaries was when he was born. And yeah, Smallville still has hope.
Dec. 18, 2008, 10:17 a.m. CST
by terquick
The Legion of Super Heroes on Smallville is something i've been waiting to see since season one. Plus with Geoff Johns writing it should be awesome.If anyone has read his Legion in Action Comics recently you know its going to be great. Smallville has stepped up its game and is getting really good again. If your not a fan then dont watch. Just wait an hour with your TV off and wait to see your beloved Supernatural or you can see Smallville and give it a chance. Long Live the Legion!!
Dec. 18, 2008, 11:02 a.m. CST
Well, Heath Can Rest Easy...
by HapaPapa72
"F--k Yeah Jensen Ackles...!" Looks like some of you fanboys are positively frothing at the mouth about this guy. But do what ya like. Despite all the fawning, though, Supernatural does sound pretty cool. I'll have to check it out. I'm a sucker for Smallville too though, ups and downs aside. Glad I never watched a frame of Lost. Sorry.
Dec. 18, 2008, 11:11 a.m. CST
The new Smallville showrunners
by veritasses
have done a good job addressing some of the structural issues that plagued the series.

 One of the biggest problems was setting the story in Smallville and making it about Super"teen" instead of Superman. This resulted in boring "teen coping with teen issues commiserating with teen friends and fighting boring situations/enemies that can be easily resolved by a dumb teen in an hour" stories set in a very small, boring, rural world. Every story was about Lana or Lex and there were only a finite number of stories you could tell about them before ideas were recycled. Plus the teen angle meant a lot of teens whining about how their lives sucked which has never been great entertainment. Setting the series in a small, confined world also meant there were limitations in where the character and overall series arcs could go. Getting rid of Lana and Lex as major characters and moving the story (essentially) to Metropolis freed the new showrunners to create far more interesting character and story arcs.

 They've also made positive strides in other areas such as the relationship between Lois and Clark and making Green Arrow a regular. I'm not particularly fond of the actor playing Green Arrow, but the character's presence does a number of positive and interesting things to the structure. And while I understand the fan controversy of Doomsday, it's good to finally see an antagonist that's worthy of Superman and which has enough heft to have major consequences on the lives of all the characters.

 That being said, the show is far from perfect and still suffers from many issues that are going to turn-off a lot of viewers, but I like what the new showrunners have done so far and I'm looking forward to where they intend to take the show.
Dec. 18, 2008, 11:48 a.m. CST
How about Triplicate Girl
by mrfan
Foursome with Clark.
Dec. 18, 2008, 11:49 a.m. CST
Don't want the Legion. Get the Substitutes.
by mrfan
Dec. 18, 2008, 12:01 p.m. CST
Arm Fall Off Boy
by Jonas Grumpy
I will not rest until I see him on Smallville!
Dec. 18, 2008, 12:04 p.m. CST
So all the best bits were in the trailer then..
by Damien Chowder
Dec. 18, 2008, 3:59 p.m. CST
smallville has actually been quite excellent this season
by Mr_X
like a crack addict i kept watching, despite only really loving the 1st season. the more ridiculous it became ( lana in hospital again ) clark does some super stuff in lexs mansion ( get a fucking camera in there for goodness sake!) lex and lana ( fast forwarded those scenes)I thought it had reach its end long ago, and just watched it out of habit. with the departure of lex/ lana i thought it was completely finished. but im happy to say with new show runners, comes some fucking great ideas. its what was needed for ages. IT's essentially become metropolis now. everyones grown up and the eps have become a hell of a lot better backtrack and watch this season from the start you 'll be pleasantly surprised
Dec. 18, 2008, 4:01 p.m. CST
and yeah.. its been better than heroes this season
by Mr_X
Dec. 18, 2008, 7:10 p.m. CST
Smallville has been MUCH inproved this season
by darquelyte
And this promo looks, as Cam the Terminator would say, "tight."
Dec. 18, 2008, 7:45 p.m. CST
Yeah, you know the Supernatural guys are a cut above
by smackfu
when they add Bunny from the Wire to the cast. Kind of lets you know, they're 'our' kind of people...
Dec. 19, 2008, 10:43 a.m. CST
Tom Welling couldn't act surprised
by Snookeroo
is someone shoved a car tool up his ass. The guy has roughly three facial expressions.
It's just friggin' stunning.

That being said, he's still better than Brandon Routh -- but that's a pretty low bar.
Dec. 20, 2008, 1:48 a.m. CST
Tom Welling always looks confused
by doubledown44
Dec. 21, 2008, 3:31 p.m. CST
BLEH! Why do they look so SHITTY?
by Big Dumb Ape
Look, as an old time comic fan myself and a true geek at heart, sure, I love seeing a TV show that has superheroes in it. But I hate when they don't LOOK like superheroes. For crying out loud, I don't go to Outback, order a filet mignon, and then get all excited when they bring me a hamburger. If I'm going to invest time and energy and some sort of emotional commitment into a superhero show, then give me some fucking superheroes. It's bad enough that SMALLVILLE has gone on this long with the boring ass notion that it's a show about Superman -- oh, I'm sorry -- I meant to say it's a show ABOUT Superman, but they can't SHOW YOU him being Superman in costume.
Okay, fine, you can't do that because of the movies or whatever. But then you bring in side characters like this, like the Legion, and you STILL have to put up with this new Hollywood image of superhero outfits? Once again, it's the Legion, they just won't LOOK like the Legion so that instead we can put them in simple flat color, leather outfits that you could go buy anywhere off the rack? Fuck that. This is shit and it should be called for that. And the fact that Geoff Johns is picking up a quick check or making himself a bit richer is no reason to defend crap like this. If anything, if Johns is such the fan and if the new producers are such the fans and if this is really the last season then fucking have the Legion showing up LOOKING cooler in outfits ala the comics. Seriously, it's the last season, so what the fuck do you have to lose by going all-out on the geek meter?
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Justice and Law Enforcement:
Comments on H.R. 316
B-202303: Published: Jun 18, 1981. Publicly Released: Jun 18, 1981.
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- Full Report:
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By congressional request, GAO commented on H.R. 316. The intent of this bill is to protect individuals and businesses against untimely Government regulatory enforcement with respect to their otherwise private business or personal endeavors. The bill would provide a uniform 4-year limit on the time that any agency could require a person to retain records. While GAO believes that reducing records retention requirements is a desirable goal, it does not believe that imposing a single maximum retention period is a desirable way to achieve that goal. Instead, GAO prefers the approach recently adopted in the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980. Should Congress decide that a uniform retention period for all federally mandated recordkeeping is desirable, GAO has several recommendations. The bill measures the 4-year retention period from the date of the transaction or event which is the subject of the record. However, the bill needs to define what is meant by transaction or event. Also, records relating to Government contracts should be exempted from the provisions of the bill. Alternatively, the bill should be amended to provide that, with respect to Government contracts, the transaction or event refers to the point of time when final payment is made under the Government contract or when the program to which the contract relates is completed. The bill would establish a uniform 4-year limitation period on the bringing of actions by the Government to enforce laws or regulations or to collect fines, penalties, or forfeitures. GAO is opposed to the enactment of this limitation. A law with such broad application would have a devastating effect upon ongoing efforts to collect billions of dollars in delinquent receivables which have been identified by Federal agencies. Further, since the limitation period for actions against the Government is in most instances 6 years, such a law would result in affording litigants against the Government a greater period of time within which to sue to protect a private interest than the Government is afforded to sue to protect a public interest. GAO favors extending the limitation period in some instances to allow the Government to recover moneys owed it. While a section of the bill excludes from its application records relating to dangerous materials, another section does not. It is unclear whether this distinction was intended. Also, Congress may want to broaden the definition of dangerous materials.
Jul 9, 2014
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives:Enhancing Data Collection Could Improve Management of InvestigationsGAO-14-553: Published: Jun 30, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 9, 2014.
May 14, 2014
Law Enforcement Body Armor:Status of DOJ's Efforts to Address GAO RecommendationsGAO-14-610R: Published: May 14, 2014. Publicly Released: May 14, 2014.
Apr 30, 2014
Medicare Fraud:Progress Made, but More Action Needed to Address Medicare Fraud, Waste, and AbuseGAO-14-560T: Published: Apr 30, 2014. Publicly Released: Apr 30, 2014.
Mar 26, 2014
USDA Litigation:Limited Data Available on USDA Attorney Fee Claims and PaymentsGAO-14-458T: Published: Mar 26, 2014. Publicly Released: Mar 26, 2014.
Jan 13, 2014
Cruise Vessels:Most Required Security and Safety Measures Have Been Implemented, but Concerns Remain About Crime ReportingGAO-14-43: Published: Dec 20, 2013. Publicly Released: Jan 13, 2014.
Dec 9, 2013
Federal Courthouses:Better Planning Needed Regarding Reuse of Old CourthousesGAO-14-48: Published: Nov 7, 2013. Publicly Released: Dec 9, 2013.
Dec 6, 2013
Bureau of Prisons:Opportunities Exist to Enhance the Transparency of Annual Budget JustificationsGAO-14-121: Published: Dec 6, 2013. Publicly Released: Dec 6, 2013.
Nov 20, 2013
Immigration Detention:Additional Actions Could Strengthen DHS Efforts to Address Sexual Abuse [Reissued on December 6, 2013]GAO-14-38: Published: Nov 20, 2013. Publicly Released: Nov 20, 2013.
Oct 29, 2013
Financial Crime:Foreclosure Rescue Schemes Have Become More Complex, and Efforts to Combat Them ContinueGAO-14-17: Published: Oct 29, 2013. Publicly Released: Oct 29, 2013.
Sep 25, 2013
Community Policing Hiring Grants:Grant Application and Monitoring Processes Could Be Improved to Further Ensure Grantees Advance Community PolicingGAO-13-521: Published: Sep 25, 2013. Publicly Released: Sep 25, 2013.
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Uncommon Apples
Api Étoile
Like little stars.
Topics: Life News
I seem to have struck a nerve with my last column on the hype and hypocrisy surrounding the epidemic herpes virus; it certainly inspired an unusual amount of e-mail. One reader, who hosts a herpes support mailing list, wrote me, "You are the only public figure who has come out to my knowledge and admitted to having this."
Sheesh, if that's true it's ridiculous. Herpes is so much less traumatic than many other conditions people live with all their lives, it's not even fair to make a comparison. Yes, it's worse than dandruff, but it's nowhere near as bad as high blood pressure, migraines or plantar warts!
It's not the true nature of this disease but the sexual shame and prejudice surrounding it that shuts people up. I urge you to follow my example, get out of the herpes closet and put an end to leper-colony metaphors!
Other itchy, cranky, sometimes-terrified and sometimes-grateful people wrote to me about their own experiences with herpes. Here are a few:
You are dumb. You can get herpes with condoms, because the sores can be anywhere, and oral sex spreads herpes too.
Dear Anonymous:
You are so sweet. I should have been more blunt in my condom advice! I merely said that rubbers would "drastically reduce" one's chances of infection. Instead, I should have loudly shouted that they will NOT eliminate the risk, any more than wearing a hat in the rain will keep your feet dry. You can certainly get infected from mouth-to-genital contact, or by rubbing against a sore in the pubic-hair area or on the perineum, to give some common examples.
But hey, don't be so conservative: Condoms can be used for oral occasions as well. You can even split one in half and use it as an instant "dental dam." The point I'm making is that if you cover up a "prime area," it will save you from overexposure, n'est-ce pas?
Once again, people are bitching about condoms, rather than admitting that rubbers have alleviated much worry and suffering while providing the opportunity for orgasms and intimacy for millions. I am perfectly willing to grouse about the drawbacks of condoms with folks who actually use them on a regular basis, but I find that most of those whining about rubbers are people who A) are not getting laid very often, and B) have no realistic plan to protect themselves or their partners, preferring instead to rely on romance and moralism to save their butts. Now that's what I call dumb.
On a more concrete level, I feel certain that my frequent use of condoms kept me from getting herpes for many years — not to mention the other STDs it shielded me from. Using condoms, I fucked my brains out for a good 10 years before I came down with a sore — just as you might predict — on my perineum, one of the spots that condoms don't protect from the virus. (Sex remains very much a part of my life, but horseback riding is out.)
This e-mail was sent to Salon's editors:
Susie Bright's article reflects the ignorance and recklessness that has led to the spread of so many cases of herpes … For our children's sake, they need to be given the facts regarding STDs. Monogamy is the only way to truly prevent the spread of STDs, and minimizing the disease will only make things worse.
J. Okamoto, M.D.
Dear Doctor:
Oh yeah, you're right — I keep forgetting to say that if two virgins (who have never had so much as a cold sore on their mouths) marry each other and then never have sex with anyone but each other, they are definitely going to live a herpes-free existence! Gosh, if only more people could follow their example.
You are not helping by treating people with average sex lives as reckless fools and by wagging your finger about marital fidelity. You're only going to scare people until the moment when they feel so horny, lonely or cynical that they throw all caution to the wind.
What would you say to the woman who wrote the following message?
I am only 30, I have only had two sex partners in my whole life, and I just had my first herpes outbreak. I never thought this would happen to me. My doctor is out of town, but when he comes back, I'm afraid to ask him what comes next. Can I tell who gave this to me? How long have I been infected? Do I have to tell my other partner from a few years ago? Will I be able to have children? When will I be able to have sex again?
Well, if your doctor is like the one who e-mailed me, I don't blame you for having the heebie-jeebies. If you get scolding "monogamy" rants from your physician, you should know that he or she is not aware of the full range of research and debate on this subject.
A few hints: You can have sex whenever you want, although you may not enjoy it during outbreaks. Probably, you will want to change the kind of sex you have at those times. Your partner may have a preferred means of self-protection, and I'm sure you'll talk about how you want to handle this. There's no single "right" way that everyone agrees on. Generally, when you get that "tingly feeling" or those telltale flu-like symptoms, you will want to avoid exposing the affected area to pressure, heat (that includes sun!) or friction.
You can have children. You can have virtually the same life you've always had, but you're going to need to be more aware of your genitals, your immune system and your well-being — which is a good thing in any case.
Please stop beating yourself up about how and when you got infected and who it came from. Even if you knew, this is a classic case of spilt milk.
There is an etiquette for telling your former lovers about your current status. First, you look up anyone who's still in your Rolodex. Then you write: "I've just experienced my first herpes outbreak and am learning about how to take care of myself and prevent reinfection. Feel free to get in touch with me if you want to share stress-relieving strategies!"
In other words, you tell them what's happening to you. Do not assign blame. Instead, open a window to sharing mutual support. Neither dish out abuse nor accept it!
I would recommend that you, and the scolding doctor who wrote me as well, check out the information and support available at these herpes information Web sites.
Finally, a pertinent note from another veteran:
Most people have oral herpes, and most were infected in childhood, myself included. Why do people with oral herpes feel under no obligation to reveal their herpes status before they kiss and suck, while people with genital herpes who don't announce themselves as infected before sexual contact are considered dishonest, evil, disease-spreading sluts? What if you haven't had a genital outbreak in five years? What if you get a cold sore every summer?
And don't tell me it's because people are more afraid of getting sores on their genitals. I've had people perfectly happy for me to go down on them, but they were not OK going down on me.
Between outbreaks, my oral attention to them puts their genitals at a small risk, while their going down on me puts their probably-already-infected mouth at a small risk. They were already at a bigger risk when they spent the evening kissing me! (HSV-1 attaches to the mouth easier than HSV-2.)
The absolute worst thing about herpes is telling people about it and wondering what reaction you'll get. I had boyfriends in high school who got lots of oral sex from me, but no one cared when they saw a cold sore on my lip (I of course kept my mouth to myself at those times), and no one was infected. So why the new rules for genital herpes? Why the new stigma for the same symptoms? Why the new hysteria for the same risk? The oral ones hurt worse, for God's sake. It's pure hypocrisy.
Thanks for reading,
Sonia Arana
Susie Bright is the author of the new book "Full Exposure" and many other books, and the editor of the "Best American Erotica" series. For more columns by Bright, visit her website.More Susie Bright.
Api Étoile
Like little stars.
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Knobbed Russet
Freak city.
Newtown Pippin
Ben Franklin's favorite. Queen Victoria's favorite. Only apple native to NYC.
Pitmaston Pineapple
Really does taste like pineapple.


text:
Hennepin County Library - KidLinks
> blog
KidLinks Blog
Register for the online book club
Spend some time this summer talking about awesome books with other awesome kids through our online book clubs!
today for our first club and join in the discussion of
the week of June 24-28. We will even have a live chat with the book's author,
Anne Ursu
, on June 25. You can participate in the online book club any time of day throughout the week, and every day we have new discussion questions, opinion polls, trivia questions, and more! You just need a current email address (may use family email) and Internet access (you can use a computer at the library, at home or a mobile device) to join in the fun.
posted May 28, 2013 by Amy L.
Homework Help
Enjoy the end of summer
Join an online book club
Spice and Slice
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Science and art collide...
Women in STEM
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September 2014
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Hosted by Jonathan Atherton, co-founder of The Comedy Club, Talk Cock Comedy is an open mic session for all aspiring comedians to show their stuff...12 Bali Lane (6292 3800)
Get on your dancing shoes this da:ns festival with Footwork, a series of introductory classes conducted by professional instructors. The classes...1 Esplanade Drive (6828 8377)
© 2007 - 2014 Time Out Group Ltd. All rights reserved. All material on this site is © Time Out.


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Denis Campbell: The three front running GOP candidates trail President Obama among Hispanic voters by 54-56 points! President Obama trumps front-runner Mitt Romney by 70%-14%! Statistically that is death.
Progressive Media Advocates
Hector Villagra: We think it's clear that because California has no stop identify and statute — and, therefore, in the words of the Supreme Court, has not created a legal obligation requiring a suspect to answer questions — you cannot be arrested for failing to provide identification when detained by a police officer.


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The wonderkids of Arsenal FC - Season 2013-14 (PART 1):
This season the average age of my squad is only 20 years old. The media predictions for Premier League is 3rd place. I have no expectations this season, as I use this season to test out players and tactics.
My squad consists of 6 wonderkids, a new personal record. The players are;
- Jack Robinson, DL
- Lucas Digne, D/WBL
- Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, AMR/ST (for a short period)
- Lazar Markovic, AMR/ST
- Mbaye Niang, ST
- Carlos Fierro, ST (had to try him out as I had not bought him on FM12 before)
1) # The rise of the Young Gunners - Arsenal Season 2011-12
2) # The Youngsters of Arsenal showing class (Season 2012-2013)
3.A) The Wonderkids of Arsenal FC PART 1 (Season 2013-2014)
3.B) # Arsenals hunt for Premier League glory PART 2 (Season 2013-2014)
In the pre-season, which ended with 5 wins and 1 loss (aggregate 22-6), I decided to try out the Free Formation tactic for FM12 for a longer period.
Because of the change of tactic I needed to strengthen my squad with suiting players. I bought Isco for €9,25Mill from Malaga. The attacking midfielder have had two poor seasons before I bought him.
I also bought Carlos Fierro from Chivas for €11.75 mill to compete with Mbaye Niang and Lazar Markovic in the attack. Before the Premier League season kicked off I decided to strengthen the midfield with the deep-lying playmaker Jack Rodwell (€25mill from Everton).
A short summary of the fixture list on a monthly basis:
August 2013:
The start of this season was very difficult. With only 4 points after three matches I must say I was disappointed. I know I could have won all three matches, but bad luck and poor performances (poor form) sealed the results.
The fixture list:
Fulham - Arsenal, 1-0
The opening match of a long campaign was a very even match.
My line-up consisted of eight U21 players, one of them where Isco which debuted. Robin van Persie, my captain had to watch the first half from the bench. I had given my trust to Chamberlain, Mbaye Niang and Lazar Markovic in the attack.
Even though I won on possession and passes completed my team did not manage to score the required goals to make a draw or win the match.
Arsenal - Liverpool, 1-1
I felt I had everything in my hands in this match. Unluckily Luis Suarez scores a goal in the 75 minute. Liverpool had only one shot on target.
Jack Rodwell got his debut and played well. He had a passing accuracy on 90% (40/36).
Aston Villa - Arsenal, 1-2
Finally I got the first victory for the season.
Robin van Persie and Chuks Aneke made the difference, scoring one goal each.
September 2013:
September could be a hard month with 5 matches in 15 days I had to rotate the squad and let young players like Jamaal Lascelles and Chuks Aneke get the feel of first team football. September consisted of matches in UEFA champions league group stage and League Cup.
Arsenal - Manchester City, 2-3
After a difficult first month, Manchester City (double Premier League winner 2011/12 and 2012/13) was the next team I should face.
Bad luck followed my Arsenal team as Man City got two "cheap" penalties in a match where I where superior in possession and passing accuracy, and scored some tremendous goals. You can see the goals by Bender and Alba at Youtube
A reason for the defeat could be the poor performances in defence by Jack Robinson (5.6), Donervon Daniels (5.7) and Thomas Vermaelen (6.0).
The next two matches in Premier League where two "easy" matches against Sunderland and Norwich. Watch the match highlights against Sunderland at my Youtube channel.
October 2013:
The opponents in October may have not been of the highest caliber, but I got some easy points and higher morale. Marc-Andre ter Stegen got a serious injured late september and would be out for over a month. I had to rely on Craig Gordon for the next two months until ter Stegen were match fit.
I used mostly my most experienced players in these matches. Robin van Persie had a good month scoring 5 goals in 4 matches (1 CL match included).
His best match was against Cardiff where he scored 2 goals.
My best match in october was against Juventus in Champions League.
Read more in the Champions League section
November 2013:
The figure list for November was very hard. It was also in this month all the problems started, with morale dropping and internal unrest. The first match in November where against Tottenham, a real classic. Tottenham have had a very good season and are leading the Premier League with 4 points to Man Utd and 11 points to me, by end of December 2013.
Even though the intense rivalry with Tottenham I decided to play with Mbaye Niang, Tony Trindade de Vilhena and Jack Rodwell instead of Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott and Mikel Arteta. The match ended with a boring draw.
Chelsea - Arsenal, 2-1
After a mid-week away match against Juventus in CL the next opponent I had to beat was Chelsea. Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott was yet again in the starting line up, but ter Stegen who had been out for over a month with a serious injury was not match fit.
A screenshot of the match statistics against Chelsea:
As you can see I yet again had the most possession and the most shots (on target). My most experienced players did not deliver at all!
Arsenal - Everton, 2-0
After three poor results (draw against Tottenham, lost 4-2 against Juventus and 2-1 against Chelsea) I needed to do some changes.
I decided to have a conversation with Thomas Vermaelen, Robin van Persie and Mikel Arteta about their poor performances. They are my most experienced players, and have not delivered as expected.
Some of the changes where quite drastic. I let 20 years old goalkeeper, Jamal Blackman debut. The debut was okey regarding the amount of work he had to do. Everton had only one shot against goal!
In the other end of the pitch Robin van Persie delivered and scored a lovely goal. A typical Robin van Persie goal, a hard well-placed shot secured a win.
Summary of the first half until December 2013:
December 2013:
After a poor November I had not much confidence in my players. In this month I played 7 matches. The matches came with an interval of 2 and 3 days, so my young squad could get in trouble regarding fitness and drop of morale if I lost one game.
Arsenal - Man Utd, 3-2
Finally Robin van Persie and the other more experienced players performed on the highest level.
Newcastle - Arsenal, 2-2
After a win against Manchester United I gained more confidence and I was so ready to trash Newcastle.
But as prior in the season I have trouble in away matches. ter Stegen played awful and got 5.8 in rating. Thomas Vermaelen gave 2 points away with an own goal 15 minutes before end of match.
Because of the tight schedule between the December the 23rd and January the 1st 2014 I had to rotate my squad. Also I may have underestimated teams like Wolves and Swansea.
Match stats Wolves - Arsenal, 3-2
Match stats Arsenal - Swansea, 3-2
Because of the tight schedule I let players like Hector Bellerin (18yo), Jamal Blackman (20yo), Jamaal Lascelles (20yo) and Carlos Fierro (19yo wonderkid) get the chance.
Change of tactic to save the season:
After two poor defeats I decided to go back to the Domination Tactic. The domination tactic is one of the best tactics I have ever made! Highly recommended!
Arsenal - West Ham, 1-0
Q.P.R - Arsenal, 0-0
Records for the first half of Premier League:Standings in the Premier League from August to December. Notice how poor Manchester City has played, a team who have won the Premier League two years in row.
Home records:
Away records:
Overall records:
Arsenal Team Report:
Arsenal in UEFA Champions League:
This year I had a difficult draw for the group stage.
You could say Arsenal came in the group of death, as they should face Juventus, Benfica and LOSC Lille Metropole.
The Champions League campaign started well with a 2-0 win against LOSC Lille. Jordi Alba scored an amazing goal, which you can watch at my Youtube channel.
I also want to single out the 3rd match in group stage against Juventus.
In the home leg I won with amazing 4-0! Jack Wilshere where tremendous in this match scoring hattrick and assisting Robin van Persie with the first goal of the match.
I lost the next two away leg matches against Juventus (4-2) and LOSC Lille (2-1). With two defeats the group where totally open. Before the last match against Benfica there where only 1 point separating Benfica, Juventus and Arsenal. So I needed a win in the last match against Benfica, which led the group before the final match.
Not surprisingly, Juventus won their match against LOSC Lille, which put pressure on me. Against Benfica I tried to use my most experienced squad. The previous matches had gone good so I went into match with much confidence.
With two goals from Theo Walcott and a possession of 65% Arsenal won the group stage.
1st Knockout rnd:
1st Knockout round: CSKA Moscow - Arsenal
1) # The rise of the Young Gunners - Arsenal Season 2011-12
2) # The Youngsters of Arsenal showing class (Season 2012-2013)
3.A) The Wonderkids of Arsenal FC PART 1 (Season 2013-2014)
3.B) # Arsenals hunt for Premier League glory PART 2 (Season 2013-2014)


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This is a really good and refreshing tea. Next time around , for my personal taste, I will add less sugar. The juices add a nice amount of sweetness on their own. And maybe another clove or two. But very good overall.
Citrus Sweet Tea
Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell
Yield: Makes 5 cups
More From Southern Living
Recipe Time
Hands On:
15 Minutes
Total: 1 Hour, 30 Minutes
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 family-size tea bag
- 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2/3 cup sugar
- Crushed ice
- Garnish: lemon slices
- 1. Bring 3 cups water and cloves to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat; reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and add tea bag; steep 10 minutes.
- 2. Discard tea bag and cloves. Add fruit juices and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover and chill for 1 hour; serve over crushed ice. Garnish, if desired.
My Notes
Only you will be able to view, print, and edit this note.Add Note
Citrus Sweet Tea Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Beverages, Beverages, Nonalcoholic
- CONVENIENCE: Entertaining, Make-Ahead
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Fruits
- PUBLICATION: Southern Living
More Recipes Like This
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GRIFFITH | A shaky defense is like driving on bald tires. Eventually, you end up in a ditch.
Hammond found itself in a ravine at Wednesday's 3A Sectional 17 game with Gavit, losing 10-0 in five innings no thanks to its four errors, six wild pitches and several passed balls.
The Gladiators (5-16) advance to face host and tourney favorite Griffith (16-9-1) Saturday at 10 a.m.
Gavit lost an earlier meeting with the Panthers, 7-0, in a game coach Tony Harris said was closer than the final score.
"They scored a couple (runs) late to pull away," Harris said. "We're preaching to the kids that if we can limit our mistakes and hit the ball, we can beat them.
"We've been able to hang with a lot of the good teams we've played."
Hammond (0-14) had only 11 players and trailed 7-0 after two innings as Gavit scored twice on wild pitches and on a two-run fielding error — with James Thompson's three-run homer in the fourth the clincher.
"Most of the pitchers I've faced have been throwing me curveballs. Today was a fastball, right there," Thompson said of his 340-foot drive over the left field fence.
Hector Calderon joined the fun with a two-run single and Mike Anguiano had an RBI double.
Gavit's Chris Gomez struck out nine and allowed two hits in getting the best of Hammond's tough-luck Marcos Arredondo, who had seven walks, six wild pitches and little defensive support.
"Our seniors are very good," said Thompson, a four-year varsity player. "We never let a loss get to us. We have a hard practice, come back and continue to battle.
"Since a blowout loss to Chesterton in about the sixth game, our team has improved and the games we've lost have been by only two, three or four runs."


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The Midwestern Governors Association, which includes Indiana Governor Mike Pence, is asking President Obama and federal agencies for help to increase propane supplies.
There has been a shortage due to several factors including increased demand by farmers drying grain during the fall harvest, extreme cold weather and maintenance on a pipeline that supplies the Midwest.
The Governors are asking President Obama to consider regulatory waivers, and are hoping the Small Business Association will loosen requirements to help communities impacted by the shortages.


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All free guest memberships include a free photo personal ad, free browsing, free matching, and the events calendar.
Subscribing members access live chat, message boards, Mingle Mail, and more!
To browse through thousands of photos and start meeting other singles, click here.
Aloha- I am a born and raised Hawaii girl, been all over the world but still call these islands home. I got my BA and MA at Stanford and served my mission in Korea. I love to travel and I love different cultures, dancing, singing, learning languages. I've traveled to many parts of the world to meet, exchange and learn with different indigenous peoples and it's a passion of mine, along with education.
Last country I visited was Ghana. Next on my list is Ireland!
I enjoy being outdoors- favorite is snorkeling and hiking, playing sports- basketball definitely, as well as being able to chill and watch movies at home. I like to have both intelligent and silly conversations. I like learning and am trying out surfing, SUP, guitar, piano, sewing, etc.
I'm dedicated to the gospel and am set on a temple marriage and raising my family in the church. I've always pursued education and am focusing on progressing in my career experience now, but my dream is to be the best mother and wife I can be to my family. If I can contribute my talents and intelligence to the community and society as I raise my family then awesome! But until that happens I will keep focusing on learning, growing, and progressing spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and professionally.
Hmmmm i like guys who can challenge me, who i can have good conversations with, who are taller than me, who value their health and education, who have a dream or passion they're pursuing. if you are musical, better, if you can dance, even better haha. music moves me, so its fun when music can move both of us. and there's just something about red heads... nah j/k
have a good one-- aloha.
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Just a guy taking life one sundae at a time.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Coconut Fudge Pretzel Sundae:Coconut Ice Cream topped with a Thick Fudge Sauce, Milk Chocolate Pretzels and finished off with a Coconut Praline sprinkled Whipped Cream.
Coconut Fudge Pretzel Sundae Follow my friends sundae blog. He inspires me through ice cream