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Information is currency for democracy. - Thomas Jefferson
A day without sunshine is like, you know, night. - Steve Martin
Education is unique among consumer products; when it fails to work as advertised, it's the customer that gets labeled as defective. - Kevin Killion
Please download for best results in using this website.
Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtues consistently. You can't be consistently kind or fair or humane or generous, not without courage, because if you don't have it, sooner or later you will stop and say, "The threat is too much. The difficulty is ...too high. The challenge is too great. ~ Maya Angelou
Click here to read my letter to the Eanes ISD Board of Trustees - Dianna Pharr
How long before a prior ADA complaint in 2004 was closed by the Office of Civil Rights? Early 2007. OCR phone log here
Published September 26, 2007 - Austin American-Statesman - Letter to the Editor
Access in Eanes During a recent Eanes ISD school board meeting, the Americans with Disabilities Act Task Force spokesperson described serious access problems in district facilities, including children in wheelchairs not being evacuated during fire drills, blocked from recreational fields and excluded from playgrounds. Months of attempts to work with the superintendent stalled as administrators refused to provide the task force with documents and reneged on deadlines.
Trustee Robert Durkee asked Superintendent Nola Wellman whether this was true, and she said, "No."
Brick-and-mortar facts say otherwise. Removing barriers that segregate children and affect issues of safety and legal compliance should be an urgent priority for the $53 million bond issue.
Published September 12, 2007 - Letter to the Editor - Westlake Picayune newspaper
Dear Editor,
August 29th, parent volunteers of the Eanes ADA Task Force asked the
Board of Trustees to appoint a member to serve on a Task Force to work
positively and effectively with the district to remove architectural
barriers and eliminate ADA compliance violations dating back to the
Dianna Pharr
Austin, Texas
Support Eanes ISD children - Here's How You Can Help!
August 31, 2007
Once again, Eanes ISD's continuing refusal to work with parents of children with disabilities or comply with federal law is documented. Once again, Nola Wellman, Eanes ISD denies the district's noncompliance in an open public meeting.
History of Eanes ISD's Refusal to Provide 2003 ADA Facilities Assessment Review to the Public:
September 2005: In response to public information request district refuses to provide a single document.
January 2006: In response to second request for this public information, district continues to refuse to provide a single documents and submits an opinion request with Office of the Attorney General to attempt to withhold the information from requestor.
April 2006: State of Texas Office of the Attorney General ruled and ordered the district to produce the public information. The district continued to withhold the information.
December 2007: 16 months later and only with the assistance of the County Attorney David Escamilla, Eanes ISD produces the documents including but not limited to the 2003 SHW Facilities Assessment Review referenced below.
April 2007: District representative Bill Bechtol convened the ADA Task Force. When one member informed the group that the ADA reports existed, the entire Task Force specifically requested data, including the most recent ADA facility assessment report, in order to begin their work.
May 2007: At the second of two meetings, District representative Bill Bechtol informed the ADA Task Force that each committee member must pay $90.00 to receive a copy of one report, the 2003 SHW ADA Facilities Assessment Review. A taxpayer submitted a $90.00 check to Eanes ISD the following day. His check was never cashed and he did not receive the report. The 2003 SHW ADA Facilities Report provides detailed lists of ADA compliance problems at every Eanes ISD school. The report includes specific information regarding emergency egress problems, playground and recreational field barriers, restroom barriers, and numerous other ADA violations.
August 2007: Several members of our community speak out at the regular board meeting. In response to a direct question from a board member regarding these issues, Nola Wellman, superintendent denies community and parent assertions. LISTEN HERE - Note: please listen to entire segment to hear all community speakers and Eanes board and superintendent response.
To date, Eanes ISD has not provided the 2003 SHW ADA Facilities Assessment Review to the ADA Task Force. Eanes administrators have actively and repeatedly withheld this report from stakeholders, and now have paid more consultants to generate more reports.
Support Parent Task Force Efforts To Address ADA Violations
On August 29th, parent volunteers of the Eanes ADA Task Force asked the Board of Trustees to appoint a member to serve on a Task Force to work positively and effectively with the district to remove architectural barriers and eliminate ADA compliance violations dating back to the 1990's.
Trustee Robert Durkee asked Superintendent Nola Wellman if this was true, and she said, "no."
Check back for updates.
Best regards,
Dianna Pharr
Bond Priorities Update - 3/20/07 - Warning! Pay for the fields and then KEEP OFF! Eanes ISD Board just authorized the expenditure of millions of our tax dollars to "change the scope" of the 2006 Bond Program and "authorize artificial turf and lights for Westlake High School athletic fields. See more below ...
Here are the design options for the "Multipurpose Practice Fields" rendered by a tax-funded architect. Sound familiar? Like the "Multipurpose Activity Field" (actually a Covered Football Field) turned down by the voters? Perhaps Eanes ISD will try to cover the fields in a future bond? Review the superintendent's March 19, 2007 recommendation (approved by the Eanes ISD board) stated as a "Change in Scope of 2006 Bond Program and Authorize Artificial Turf and Lights for Westlake High School Practice Fields One and Two."
At the same time, many community members are concerned about other issues ... such as safety, and the district's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The following documents were obtained using the Texas Public Information Act and reflect specific issues by campus. The ADA documents do not stand alone. Rather, they a part of a voluminous report on these issues including the Facility Analysis Objectives Report.
Part 1 of 5 Part 2 of 5 Part 3 of 5 Part 4 of 5 Part 5 of 5
Note: I requested these reports pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act in September 2005 and January 2006. I finally obtained a portion of the reports over one year later after a formal complaint to the County Attorney when the district did not produce the public information as the Office of the Attorney General ruled.
Information obtained includes the following and has been shared with community as appropriate:
2000 SHW Facilities Assessment Report (reflects ADA issues)
2001, 2002 - SHW Facilities Assessment Report (reflects ADA issues) - Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
2003 - SHW Facilities Assessment Report (reflects ADA issues)
2004 - EANES ISD "ADA ISSUES" - JUNE 11, 1004 - This oversized, color-shaded summary of past reports was produced SIX MONTHS after Nola Wellman began working in Eanes ISD.
Click here to inspect more ADA noncompliance reports funded by our tax dollars. Please note the dates span 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.
May 2005 - Eanes ISD Safety and Security Assessment
August 2006 Inspection Report Westlake High School
Check back for updates on the district's bond priorities.
"Bond Priorities" link - see menu bar on left side of this webpage.
Prior ADA complaint in 2004 was closed by the Office of Civil Rights in early 2007.
Eanes superintendent doesn't like "tone." OCR phone log here
Rights complaint against Katy ISD could spill over to other districts
May 8, 2008 -
Houston Chronicle
A complaint alleging discrimination against disabled people could lead Katy school district officials to improve access to football practice fields at a high school campus to comply with federal law.
The Office of Civil Rights, a branch of the U.S. Department of Education, ensures that programs or activities that receive federal money comply with the Rehabilitation Act. Violations could result in withholding of funds or court action.
Jim Bradshaw, of the department's press office in Washington, said Tuesday there is no timeframe for resolving the complaint but reviews are typically completed in six months. Full Story Here


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The Award
Cardiff University Professor Sir Martin Evans FRS has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine, the most prestigious honour in world science.
The Nobel Assembly announced Sir Martin as one of three winners for a series of ground-breaking discoveries concerning embryonic stem cells and DNA recombination in mammals.
The Science - Gene Targeting
The genetic techniques developed by Sir Martin and his two fellow Nobel Laureates are already bringing huge benefits, having been adopted in laboratories the world over for vital research into hundreds of diseases and disorders.
Watch the video about the science
Media Resources
Images and additional video
University school named after Sir Martin Evans FRS
In a special unveiling ceremony held in Cardiff's civic centre, the University officially re-named its prestigious School of Biosciences in honour of its Nobel Prize winning Chancellor, Sir Martin Evans FRS. Coinciding with this event was the official opening of the School of Biosciences' new £4million avant-garde extension.
Read more
The Copley Medal
Professor Sir Martin Evans FRS has been awarded one of the worlds oldest prizes for scientific achievement - the Copley Medal - by the Royal Society. Sir Martin joins an eminent list of previous recipients including Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Michael Faraday and Stephen Hawking.
Sir Martin Evans (left) receives the Nobel Prize for Medicine from King Carl XVI Gustaf
© Reuters
Nobel Prize Ceremony
Sir Martin received the prize from His Majesty the King of Sweden at a ceremony in Stockholm on 10 December 2007.
A video of the ceremony is available on the Nobel Prize website.
The award ceremony was followed by a Royal Banquet which was held at the Stockholm City Hall where Sir Martin and his colleagues dined with their family and friends, alongside other Nobel Laureates and members of the Swedish Royal Family.
Sir Martin talks about his work
Sir Martin, described by The Independent newspaper as one of Ten Britons who have shaped our world, talks about his work and what the award means to him.
The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, led tributes to the achievements of Sir Martin.

subset: commoncrawl


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BLOOMINGDALE, MI — The Gobles girls basketball team jumped out to an early lead against Kalamazoo Christian on Wednesday night and never looked back.
Fueled by Ellen Doyle and Michaela DeKilder, who scored 17 and 18 points, respectively, Gobles cruised into the Class C district final at Bloomingdale with a 58-25 victory.
Doyle led Gobles' charge early, scoring 12 of the her team's 15 points, helping the Tigers to a 15-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.
DeKilder picked up where Doyle left off in the second quarter with 11 points as Gobles extended its lead to 33-6 at halftime. With the game out of reach, the duo sat the majority of the second half.
After each made basket, Gobles set up its trap defense and Kalamazoo Christian had difficulty running any offensive sets in the half court. Gobles forced 18 turnovers in the first half.
Kalamazoo Christian's first basket of the game came with 2:45 remaining in the first quarter and by then, the Comets already trailed 15-0.
Once Gobles gained a 41-11 lead with 4:28 left in the third quarter, the Tigers never led by less than 30 points and had a lead as large as 36 at multiple points in the game.
With the victory, Gobles improves to 22-0 on the season and will face the winner of the Bloomfield and Hartford semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28.
In the regular season, Gobles was 3-0 against Hartford and Bloomingdale.
The loss ends Kalamazoo Christian's season and drops the Comets' record to 8-13.
Email Justin Dacey at email@example.com and follow him on Twitter: @JustinDacey.


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Toward the beginning of January, I joined a pantry challenge hosted by an amazing blogger who encouraged everyone to clean out their pantries and see how far you could stretch those grocery dollars for the month.
After my 14yo looked into our (crowded) pantry and declared, "There's nothing to eat in here," I decided drastic measures were necessary. Or at least, some measures.
I arbitrarily challenged myself to plan meals around the items we already have on-hand and to spend less than $200 on groceries for the entire month. "Groceries" to include personal items, toiletries, cleaning supplies, pet food and supplies…
I am very pleased to announce that I met my goal! Woo-hoo! With just a teeny-tiny setback when I forgot to take my cash to the store with me last week… (This was also the first month we started cash envelope spending.) But hey, technically I still spent under $200. The cash left in the envelope will be rolled into next month's grocery budget, which I will be diving into in just a few short days…
(What? Can't you tell a difference?)
Obviously, the pantry is still not empty. I actually made better progress in the freezer, percentage-wise: our meat supply is dwindling and the frozen veggies are almost gone…
The Hubs being gone, of course, also helps with the food bill. And I hope to continue this saving trend (much to my teenager's chagrin) throughout the time he's gone.
(Then when he gets back we can PAR-TAY!) (Just kidding.) (Sort of.)
My goal is to continue to plan meals around what we already have on-hand, and to restrict new items to the bare minimum of what we need each week and only stock up when I can match coupons with sale items or otherwise get a rock-bottom deal, a money-saving shopping method that I could certainly improve upon.
I do try to get a special something or two that my teenager can look forward to putting in his sack lunches… But even then, I've often "splurged" for something I have a coupon for.
This isn't just about the dollars saved, however! I love the old adage, "Waste not, want not." In our throwaway society, we have lost so many skills of how to make things stretch and get the optimum use out of our schtuff. I love the idea of finding a use for everything — not just the things in your pantry! and making do with what you have.
But I digress.
I originally wished estimated $1749.76 would go toward debt this month. That ain't gonna happen. But leave no doubt about it, spending at least half of what we normally spend on groceries this month got us that much closer. Stay tuned for an update on the final figure.
To read how others did on their pantry challenge (and to find some interesting recipes) visit Money Saving Mom.


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Representative-elect Joseph P. Kennedy III wed fiancée Lauren Anne Birchfield on Saturday in Corona del Mar, Calif., surrounded by family and friends, the Boston Globe reported.
Birchfield's father, the Rev. Jim Birchfield, officiated at the ceremony at Community Church, said spokeswoman Emily Browne in a statement.
The couple's wedding page on the website, The Knot, read "Newlyweds 1 Day" Sunday.
Kennedy, the 32-year-old son of Joseph P. Kennedy II, former US representative, and the grandson of US Senator Robert F. Kennedy, defeated Republican Sean Bielat last month to win the Congressional seat left vacant by the retirement of US Representative Barney Frank.
Birchfield's parents announced Kennedy and Birchfield's engagement in January.


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viagogo, Europe's largest online ticket marketplace for live event tickets, has today (Wednesday) signed a deal with Camden Crawl to become its official ticket exchange partner.
The company has already renewed similar deals with Reading, Leeds and Latitude Festivals which means they provide safe, secure and guaranteed tickets to each of the events.
Speaking about the partnership, Camden Crawl 2010 organiser Lisa Paulon said: "The ever increasing popularity of the Camden Crawl means that the festival regularly sees an over subscription for tickets. We wanted to make sure that fans had a safe and secure forum to sell tickets onto another fan if they can't make it. viagogo has unparalleled expertise in this market and we have absolute confidence that they will offer the best possible service to our customers."
viagogo will provide a safe and secure online platform enabling fans to sell spare tickets if they are unable to attend. viagogo guarantees every transaction meaning that buyers can be sure they will get the tickets they paid for, and that sellers will get paid for their tickets.
Click here to buy or sell Camden Crawl tickets on viagogo.


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If you've been to a Great Customer Cook-Off at the Vintage Wine Shoppe (432 Cahaba Park Circle, 205-980-9995), you'll know why you want to be there for the tasting on Friday, July 30, from 5- 6:30. If not, try it and here's betting you'll like it.
The theme for this one is "Southern Favorites" and six cooks will present their finest with wines paired by the shop. Vote on your favorite to help them win the biggest prize. There is no charge.


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This deal has ended.
Through 12/3, get this Cuisinart 7Pc Steel Bakeware Set, valued at $79.99, for $39.99 at Best Buy. Better yet, shipping is free on this item. We couldn't find this set anywhere else for less. It comes with a lifetime warranty and includes two 9" round cake pans, a 9" square cake pan, two 9" loaf pans, a 6-cup muffin pan and a 17" baking sheet. It is nonstick and dishwasher safe. Sales tax is charged in most states.No longer available


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The Top 10 lines from L.A. Confidential:
10. "Gentlemen, just go out and get them. Use all necessary force. The people of Los Angeles demand it." (Police chief)
9. "Remember, readers, you heard it here first. Off the record. On the QT. And very 'hush hush.'" (Sid Hudgens)
8. "Sue came on a bus with dreams of Hollywood and this is how they turned out. Thanks to Pierce, we still get to act a little." (Lynn Bracken)
7. "Edmund, you're a political animal. You have the eye for human weakness, but not the stomach." (Dudley Smith)
"You're wrong, sir." (Ed Exley)
"Would you be willing to plant corroborative evidence on a suspect you knew to be guilty in order to ensure an indictment? Yes or no, Edmund." (Dudley)
"No." (Ed)
"Would you be willing to beat a confession out of a suspect you knew to be guilty?" (Dudley)
"No." (Ed)
"Would you be willing to shoot a hardened criminal in the back in order to offset the chance that some lawyer ..." (Dudley)
"No!" (Ed)
"Then for the love of God don't be a detective." (Dudley)
6. "Unless you came in here to wipe my ass, I believe we're through. Come on, don't pull that good-cop-bad-cop crap. I practically invented it. So what if some homo actor is dead? Boys, girls, ten of 'em get off the bus to LA every day." (Ellis Loew)
5. "Is that how you used to run the good-cop-bad-cop?" (Ed)
4. "Well, actually it was only two. You're different, Officer White. You're the first man in five years that didn't tell me I looked like Veronica Lake inside of a minute." (Lynn)
"You look better than Veronica Lake." (Bud White)
3. "She is Lana Turner." (Jack Vincennes)
2. "Why are you doing this? The Nite Owl made you. You want to tear all that down?" (Bud)
"With a wrecking ball. Wanna help me swing it?" (Ed)
1. "Have you a valediction, boy-o?" (Dudley)
"Rollo Tomasi." (Jack)


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Here are my 10 most-anticipated movies of the green season, here presented in order of my most-anticipatedness:
1. "Trance" (R) – Danny Boyle directed a new movie. That bears repeating in all caps: DANNY BOYLE DIRECTED A NEW MOVIE. The guy is one of the most thrilling filmmakers in the business - he won Oscars for "Slumdog Millionaire" and helmed "Trainspotting" and "127 Hours." He returns with this crime story about an auctioneer dipping into the underworld, looking for a lost painting. It stars James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson and the terribly underrated Vincent Cassel. (April 5 limited, TBA in Grand Rapids)
2. "Happy People: A Year in the Taiga" (not rated) – Werner Herzog's latest documentary follows fur trappers who live in a remote area of Siberia, in touch with nature and cut off from everything we recognize as modern. Narrated in the venerable director's hypnotizing and strangely calming voice, expect it to be as philosophical and profound as every other film Herzog (probably the greatest living director) has helmed. (March 22 at Grand Rapids' Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts)
3. "The Place Beyond the Pines" (R) – Ryan "The Goz" Gosling plays a motorcycle stunt rider dabbling in the art of bank robbery. Yes, if it's half as good as "Drive," it'll be worth your 10 bucks. Adding to the handsome-man factor is co-star Bradley "The Coop" Cooper. It's directed by Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine," also with The Goz), so expect it to be dark and gripping. I'm all over this one. (Limited release March 29, opens in Grand Rapids April 11)
4. "Spring Breakers" (R) – Filmmaker Harmony Korine follows up his insane "Trash Humpers" (yep) with this insane-looking thing starring Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine as perpetually bikini'd college students involved with James Franco's insane drug-dealing gangsta. It features an insane soundtrack of Britney Spears songs and compositions by Cliff Martinez ("Drive"). If it's half as tawdry, trashy and off-the-rails as it looks, it could be wildly entertaining. Insane! (March 22)
5. "Evil Dead" (R) – "THE MOST TERRIFYING FILM YOU WILL EVER EXPERIENCE" screams the poster for this horror flick. Huh. Setting the bar pretty high for ourselves, aren't we? As if it wasn't set pretty high already: the original Sam Raimi movie is a nigh-untouchable cult horror classic. It has a couple things going for it, though – Oscar winning writer Diablo Cody ("Juno") punched up the screenplay, and it got some good buzz after recent screenings at SXSW. (April 5)
6. "The Lords of Salem" (R) – After directing a couple of lackluster "Halloween" remakes, Rob Zombie hopefully has righted his credibility ship with this original venture about rock-radio DJs who inadvertently invoke the return of the nasty Lords of Salem. From all reports, this is a step forward for Zombie, who has shown flashes of brilliance behind the camera, but has yet to fulfill his potential. (April 19)
7. "Oblivion" (PG-13) – Are we tired of post-apocalyptic sci-fi thrillers yet? Not if they're done well. Tom Cruise headlines here, having regained our goodwill recently with turns in the excellent "Jack Reacher" and "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol." (It also stars Melissa Leo and Morgan Freeman.) It's helmed by John Kosinski, who made his directorial debut, "Tron: Legacy," a visually resplendent bore – but let's give him a second chance. (April 19)
8. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" (PG-13) – This was originally supposed to debut in the summer of 2012, but was delayed so cheapie aftermarket 3-D effects could be added. Boo. Otherwise, this is a likely step up for the franchise, which upgraded its cast to include Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Bruce Willis (in addition to holdover Channing Tatum), and recruited a better director this time in "Step Up" veteran John M. Chu. Not that it'll be anything more than brainless-dingbat fun – the trailer suggests the title should be "G.I. Joe: Night of a Million Zillion Ninjas." (March 29)
9. "The Croods" (PG) – Yet another cartoon? Maybe. But "How to Train Your Dragon" director Chris Sanders co-helms this prehistoric caveman story, which is such a gorgeous and extravagant bowl of colorful eye candy, you won't even care that it features the voices of Nicolas Cage and Emma Stone. (March 22)
10. "Pain and Gain" (R) – Michael Bay directs this movie, prompting the question, Why is a Michael Bay movie on the most-anticipated list? Morbid curiosity, my friends. The story has a twisty premise (bodybuilders tangled in a kidnapping plot), and it stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Mark Wahlberg and "Pitch Perfect" scene-stealer Rebel Wilson, and it has a trailer that redefines the word "hyperbole." That, and we'd rather watch this than another "Transformers" pile of garbage, right? (April 26)
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com or follow John Serba on Twitter


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In Theaters
We are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists Concerts Documentary
- Summary
- Reviews / Ratings
- Photos
- Videos
- Events
"We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists" is a documentary that takes us inside the world of Anonymous, the radical 'hacktivist' collective that has redefined civil disobedience for the digital age. The film explores the historical roots of early hacktivist groups like Cult of the Dead Cow and Electronic Disturbance Theater and then follows Anonymous from 4chan to a full-blown movement with a global reach, one of the most transformative of our time.
More Details
Released - Friday, October 19 , 2012
Official Website
Official Website
- Directed by - Brian Knappenberger
- Distributed by - FilmBuff
- MPAA Rating - Unrated


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Sign-ups start for fall youth soccer leagues
Registration has started for the Bainbridge Metro Parks & Recreation District's fall youth soccer leagues.
The leagues are for boys and girls ages 4 through 9. League play is Saturday mornings Sept. 15 to Nov. 3 on the Battle Point Park turf soccer fields.
Registration fee includes a reversible soccer jersey and a participation medal.
For those with children younger than age 4, the district offers Tiny Tots Soccer (for ages 1 1/2 to 2 1/2); Soccer Squirts (ages 2 1/2 to 3 1/2) and Pre-Kicks Soccer (ages 3 to 4) classes.
For more information or to register, visit www.biparks.org or call 206-842-2306.
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This poorly known grassland specialist is suspected to be in rapid decline as a result of the widespread loss of its tall grassland habitat. It therefore qualifies as Vulnerable.
Taxonomic source(s)
Sibley, C. G.; Monroe, B. L. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.
15 cm. Dark brown babbler with blackish streaks on lower throat and breast. Uniform brown crown and upperside. White of underparts restricted to throat and centre of belly. Lower throat and breast washed rufous at sides. Similar spp. Puff-throated Babbler P. ruficeps has prominent supercilium, rufous-brown crown and prominent brown spotting on breast. Voice Sings with short phrase, introduced by harsh notes krrt trr trr wi yi-yu; trr trr wi-you; trh-trh tu-tiu and trrh-ti trrh-ti trrh-ti. Hints Listen for its distinctive song in wet grasslands.
BirdLife International. 2001. Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.
Further web sources of information
Detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001).
Explore HBW Alive for further information on this species
Search for photos and videos, and hear sounds of this species from the Internet Bird Collection
Text account compilers
Benstead, P., Gilroy, J., Taylor, J.
IUCN Red List evaluators
Butchart, S., Symes, A.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Pellorneum palustre. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/10/2016. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2016) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/10/2016.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
Additional resources for this species
|Key facts
|Current IUCN Red List category
|Timaliidae (Babblers and parrotbills)
|Species name author
|Gould, 1872
|Population size
|10000-19999 mature individuals
|Population trend
|Distribution size (breeding/resident)
|62,800 km2
|Country endemic?
|Links to further information
|- Additional Information on this species


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India: the engineering of Sadhgurus Isha
Ramesh Avadhani
2008-12-28 00:05:00
In the Velliangiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, near Coimbatore, a fairly new spiritual organisation has become active in recent years: the Isha Foundation, guided by Jaggi Vasudev, a.k.a. Sadhguru. Our intrepid South Indian correspondent, Ramesh Avadhani, continues his exploration of ashrams and gurus in the area, and reports on his visit there.
A picture of Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, founder of the Isha organisation.
Its only after I come out of the restaurant, after a breakfast of roast
and filtered coffee, that I spot him in the adjoining newsvendors shop. He is on the cover of a Tamil magazine, an unruly grey beard thats easily bigger than the glistening brown face it surrounds. He is the reason I have come to this industrial city of Coimbatore in southern India. Fifty-one year old Jaggi Vasudev, a.k.a. Sadhguru, founder of the Isha organisation and the Inner Engineering technique.
But Balu, the news vendor, gives a lopsided smile when I ask if the guru is popular in this region. People talk things about him, Balu says.
What things?
A dismissive shrug.
I keep looking at him.
He relents. When I asked some of my friends whether I should join Isha, they said, dont.
Just then Srinivas, the restaurant manager, walks up to us. He points to the pictures of Lord Shiva and Lord Venkateshwara behind the cashiers desk. When we have the real gods, why do we need gurus and godmen?
Has he heard something negative about Sadhguru?
Everyone has a weakness, Sir. Who is perfect?
I tell him I have scoured the internet but didnt find any of the scandal sometimes associated with gurus. Srinivas brings his hands together in a noncommittal
. I hope you enjoyed your
. Please come again.
Half an hour later I am in a bus hurtling towards Isha headquarters located at the foot of Velliangiri Hills some thirty kilometres away. Seated beside me is A.S. Ravi, who also needs to be goaded into talking. He took voluntary retirement from a Nairobi job and returned to India some years ago. Then he chanced upon a talk given by Sadhguru on TV. That convinced me to do the introductory course. Now I am going for the four day course called
Bhava Spandana
. I will learn some more yogic practices. It will change my life much more.
What changes?
Ravi gazes at the green hills in the distance, as if thats where all the divine secrets are locked up. How I can tread the spiritual path even as I perform day to day tasks. In the olden days, people struggled a lot for enlightenment. But Sadhguru has devised a way by which we can obtain it quickly.
Although the term Sadhguru means an unlettered guru, hes actually a graduate in English literature from Mysore University. Perhaps he wants to proclaim that he is unlike any other guru. Or convey that its impossible even for an enlightened soul to know everything about the universe. Either way its novel marketing. But yes, he hated school and college. In one of his numerous lectures, he confessed that he disliked lecturers because most of them mouthed stuff that they didnt understand or werent passionate about themselves.
Isha Yoga Centre! shouts the bus conductor. I look out of the window but theres nothing, just the road forking, one goes left and the other plunges into thick vegetation. We have to walk a kilometre, says Ravi. Or you want to take a taxi? A couple of dusty Ambassadors are parked outside and their drivers look hungrily at us.
Lets walk, I say.
Conference building at the Isha Yoga Centre. In the background, the Velliangiri Hills (© 2008 Ramesh Avadhani).
Its a good decision because the walk is invigorating. Tamarind and
trees form a bountiful canopy overhead. The December air is so crisp it brings a pleasant ache in my lungs. Looming ahead, as if inviting touch, are the green hills of Velliangiri. Sadhguru has certainly picked a gorgeous spot for his campus. We walk past a guard whose posture suggests this place really doesnt need any guarding, past plantations of coconut and areca trees fenced in by barbed wire. Thats when I notice two plain wires. Farther ahead my suspicion is confirmed: a symbol of an electric charge: the wires are electrified. I learn later that it is so only in the nights, to discourage wild animals like boar and elephants that roam these woods.
Swami Nisarga (© 2008 Ramesh Avadhani).
Soon we come to the actual centre, well spaced out buildings in red tiles and granite, several exquisite cottages and meditation halls, even an open-air canteen thats busy frying
and blending fruit juices. All around men and women volunteers with ID tags move about briskly as if loaded with multiple deadlines. Our organisation is young and lean, said Nisarga, 39, a computer specialist from Indian Institute of Sciences and now a senior
(celibate apostle) at Isha. I met him in Bangalore. Sadhguru is always after us to get more and more things done. He stretches us to the maximum.
On an elevated hallway, two giggling young women are lighting dozens of tiny snake-like lamps. I spot a few
, male and female, walking with their heads down, with tags on their chests proclaiming Silence.
Ravi is taken away by a sari clad volunteer. And a
cloaked in saffron leads me to the meditation centre or Dhayanlingam. He says that I am in time for a special session. From 11.50 to 12.10, he intones solemnly and extends a hand. Your cell phone and camera, please.
I tell him I wont take pictures or make a call. But the celibate just keeps looking at my bag until I surrender it. As I go towards the dome shaped hall, past a solid pillar that has Muslim, Christian and Hindu symbols inscribed on it, past large motifs of scenes from Hindu mythology, a young volunteer tiptoes to me and whispers, Please fold up your trouser cuffs, they are scraping the floor.
Entrance to the Dhayanlingam Hall (picture courtesy of Isha Foundation).
Moments later I step into the massive hall. The silence is deafening but what is more overwhelming is the tall lingam around which a massive snake has thrown seven coils. A metal cone at the ceiling drips holy water in widely spaced apart drops on to the lingam. The splats resound like occasional bullets. The half-raised head of the serpent seems to promise an awakening to those who seek. In fact that is Sadhgurus proposition: meditation (combined with yogic exercises) to stimulate the seven
that are believed to reside in ones body, the specific regions that will release the energy to experience the divinity lying dormant within each of us.
About fifty devotees squat on the cold floor, and all around, in grottos recessed into the wall, are thirty more, already meditating. The ceiling is a breathtaking hemisphere, thousands of bricks that seem to have jammed ineluctably. Not a single pillar anywhere. Its evident that Sadhguru has drawn well and deep from his construction experience.
The Dhayanlingam decked up for a special programme (picture courtesy of Isha Foundation).
I spot a mat and dart there. But another volunteer urges me to sit elsewhere. Moments later, an attractive European or American woman attired in flowing whites steps on to the mat. She sits cross legged with practised ease. Two more people stride in, a young bearded man and an elderly plump woman. They sit near the lingam. They each pick up a porcelain bowl and with what looks like a stout pestle, move it on the bowls rim in circular motions. A metallic hum fills the hall and then the foreign lady starts to sing and sway. No words, just vocalisation of vowels. It sounds like a blend of the Occident and the Orient. I look around. The others are frozen, as if already transported to another dimension. The only other movement is near the door where a bearded man keeps tilting a long cylinder in which sand or some other powder gushes in a watery sound from one end to the other. I know I am expected to close my eyes but I keep looking around. I am no stranger to meditation and have experienced long states of serenity, together with reduced breathing and heartbeat rate.
Swami Aloka (© 2008 Ramesh Avadhani).
But this is much more, says 38 year old Aloka, who I meet later in a residential building in the shape of a triangle, a shape that in yoga denotes stability and energy. Sadhguru has locked into the Dhyanalingam the energies of the seven
that influence human life in several waysearth, water, fire, air, space, knowledge, and divinity. Its a permanent structure. Sadhguru believes his experience should be available for future generations long after his death.
And yet I feel that Sadhguru has erred in calling the Dhyanalingam non-religious, that the lingam is not intended to represent Shiva, the destroyer aspect of the Hindu Triad, but is actually the optimal shape in science for preservation of energy. In terms of any communication in mass marketing, one of the fundamentals is that a message ought to be not only unambiguous but also
to be unambiguous. The lingam is universally acknowledged to be a Hindu symbol. It would be next to impossible to change that centuries old perception. Also the various props that adorn the walls and spaces of the Dhyanalingam hallthe engraved motifs from Hindu mythology, the serpent, the mud lampsall are Hindu enough to deter people from other faiths to examine the supposedly non-religious nature of Isha. But I dont want to start a debate with Aloka; my objective is to observe and report.
Hailing from Gobichettipalayam near Coimbatore, Aloka is a post graduate in electronics and worked with the premier Tata Consultancy Services. I had certain beliefs about the West. I went to USA, saw what it was all like, the complete absence of the personal touch, the heavy leaning towards all things material. I didnt like it. So I came back and was fortunate to have met Sadhguru in 1995.
In 1996, Aloka became a teacher at Isha and in the following year he embraced sanyas to become Swami Aloka. Isha has been in existence for the last 27 years and we have 15
, all Indians, 12 males and 3 females, and approximately 130
. Its tough to become one. For instance in 1996, there were 105 applications for the celibate life. Only five were approved by Sadhguru. The thing is you have to be ready. Theres a two year mandatory residence but you are allowed to visit your family occasionally. At the end of two years, if all goes well, if Sadhguru thinks you are ready, he will grant you permission to become a
. We also have fifty families from all over the world living with us in this campus.
Why was it, I ask myself, that Sadhguru, a married man, wanted his closest disciples to embrace celibacy? (His wife, Vijayalakshmi, passed away in 1997She attained
, Aloka said. She worked in a bank in Mysore but gave it up when Sadhguru summoned her. She was like a mother to us. She still remains a channel for us to Sadhguru. Their daughter, Radhe, is in Chennai, studying performing arts.)
The samadhi or resting place of Vijayalakshmi, is located in a quiet nook at the Isha Yoga Centre (© 2008 Ramesh Avadhani).
It was only after sifting through the numerous speeches, both written and recorded, that I found out what could be the reason. Sadhguru believes that complete enlightenment is possible if that is the only focus in life. Perhaps what is unsaid is that Sadhguru, who has a reputation for being clinical in his methods, direct in his attitude, and no-nonsense in his talk, demands utter loyalty so that his movement spreads in the specific way he wants.
We know that corruption and undesirable attitudes can crop up in our organisation, Nisarga had said. But Sadhguru is determined to keep such negative stuff away. He wants the movement to remain as pure as possible. Maybe thats one explanation why the movement claims a following of a quarter million which is modest when compared to, say, that of Amma Bhagwan (the Oneness Organisation) which claims several million. It could also be one reason why it was difficult for me to get views of outsiders in Bangalore and Coimbatore on Sadhguru or the Isha movement; nobody seemed to know much about either.
The cheerful Kumud, a volunteer at Isha Yoga Centre (© 2008 Ramesh Avadhani).
But the bubbling and attractive Kumud, who took me around the campus (150 acres), gave me an interesting perspective. A film producer in Mumbai and the youngest of seven siblings, Kumud has been residing here for the last two months as a volunteer. I did the basic course last February, I wish I had done it long back.
What made her do it?
I was grappling with some important questions. What is my life all about? Where am I headed?
Where was she headed?
I want to become a
, she said simply.
Looking at her glowing face, her colourful kurti and pyjamas, her well toned personality, I couldnt help but express surprise. I ask her the question that is commonly asked in India: Why didnt she want to get married?
Isha makes more sense to me.
So when will she become a
Depends on Sadhguru. He will know.
How many times has she met him?
Its not necessary to meet him. He is always here. He knows me.
At the time of my visit, Sadhguru was away in Delhi. Sadhguru travels frequently, lecturing international institutions and conferences. In brochures supplied by the organisation, I learnt that he is a member of the World Council of Religious Leaders, Alliance for a New Humanity, and was a delegate to the United Nations Millennium Peace Summit, Australian Leadership Retreat and Future Summit, the Tallberg Forum in Sweden, and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The brochures also quoted S.V. Parthasarathy, Executive Director, Ashok Leyland Finances Ltd, who says: After the practice, I am able to give the same kind of output at 5 pm that I am able to give at 9 am. And a psychiatrist, Jim Broom, of Sewanee, TN- USA, puts a scientific stamp on the programme: It gives a clear step by step methodology that leads one to a new understanding and way of being. Negative self-defeating patterns simply drop away.
Art teacher Deanie of Massachusettes (© 2008 Ramesh Avadhani).
Yet, Deanie of Massachussets, an art teacher and mother of two adopted children, shared a somewhat guarded perspective on the Isha movement. I met her at the canteen. This was her second visit to the centre, she said; she is teaching at the home school for the last four months. I was looking for a teacher, a guru, when a friend of mine, who had visited the Nashville centre of Isha, asked me to try this programme. I met Sadhguru briefly in 2002. I am still in the process of committing myself. Yet I am involved in a slight way to bring the Isha movement to the Boston area.
Deanie is a petite woman in her sixties and has only recently undergone a divorce. After 25 years of living with the man, he decides to quit! she sighed. The pain is evident in her voice. Then she changes the subject. I suppose its easy for the younger generation to catch fire, to try out something new. For older people like me it takes some time. But again, one cannot generalise. All people are different.
What did she like about Isha?
Well, I have found some yogic practices that have stuck to me. I am a churchgoer actually, yet I found the Isha programme attractive. I am no longer depressed. My general health and concentration levels have improved. I can exercise my emotion at will. From agitation to equanimity. I also feel more courageous than I really am! She finds Sadhgurus logic perfect and there is a clear magnetism about him. I especially like meditating at the
. It has a gravitational aura about it, something bottomless and strong. She finds the people at Isha impersonal; they mind their own business, but theres a common denominator, something about this place on a social level that binds us all together. Especially when we sit on mats on the floor to eat or meditate. She feels it would be incredible if world leaders go through the programme but is convinced that wont happen anytime soon. They are caught up in their own belief systems. Why will they trade that for this? They wont change the status quo because it means forsaking huge amounts of money and power.
When I prepare to leave, Aloka bundles up some literature authored by Sadhguru (
Encounter the Enlightened
published by Wisdom Tree proved to be a stimulating read) and some
and hands them over to me. You must come again, experience more of this place, he says. I am thinking of it.
Ramesh Avadhani
The story behind Ishas birth
Nisarga was one of the earliest to become a Swami at Isha. He had this to say about Sadhgurus background. He was a rebel, always questioning what was normally accepted by society. For example, as a boy when he was dragged into a temple he asked of his parents: why was it necessary to pray before idols? What good would it do? He would get beaten up for that. In ten years he changed ten schools in and around Shimoga where he was born. It was also because his father, an ophthalmologist with the Railways, was shunted him from place to place. When the time came to join college, Sadhguru refused. Instead he spent a whole year reading all kinds of books. Finally, because of parental pressures, he enrolled for the B.A. course and just about managed enough examination questions to pass.
After college, Sadhguru wanted to make a lot of money because he craved to travel the world. He started poultry farming as that was a thriving business in those days. He succeeded, and his father was thrilled. But Sadhguru disappointed him by winding up the farm. He was bored of chickens, Nisarga chuckled.
Sadhguru then teamed up with a partner to enter the construction business in Mysore. It did very well. Once again his father was thrilled. And once again he was in store for disappointment. One afternoon, Nisarga explained, while sitting on a rock on nearby Chamundi Hills, Sadhguru experienced something mysterious yet ecstatic. He was left crying and smiling for several hours.
Giant murals of Shiva, behind the Dhyanalingam Hall (© 2008 Ramesh Avadhani).
From then on the experience repeated frequently. It endowed him with a deep insight into life and people, an insight that proved to be an unfair advantage over competitors in the construction business. He wound up the business and set about finding what exactly it was that he had experienced. In the ensuing months, he was able to remember experiences in a previous life with a sage called Palaniswamy.
A previous life?
Yes, about three hundred years ago. And there are many people in Isha who experience vivid memories of their past lives. It comes spontaneously. It can come to you too. Only you need to prepare yourself for it through appropriate yogic techniques. As the Sadhguru says, the body and the mind both die but memories remain forever.
Sadhguru was already equipped with various aspects of yoga learnt during his youth from Malladihalli Swamy, a reputed yogi in Karnataka. This knowledge together with memories of life with Palaniswamy helped Sadhguru design specific practices for the yoga of
(action), and
(energy). This method of inner engineering that Sadhguru designed was to align these four wheels in such a way that one could travel smoothly. Each individual is equipped with different strengths in each of the four qualities, said Nisarga. In one, the head is dominant, in another the heart, and so on. So, for each individual, only a specific blend of the four can work to bring the desired results. Sadhgurus mission was to share all that he knew with the rest of humanity. Thats why Isha Yoga Centre. Isha means the formless divine. Which is why our movement is not religious but spiritual. Anyone can join us.
A meditation room (© 2008 Ramesh Avadhani).
He said that there are a variety of yoga programmes costing between $ 5 and $ 20 in India (free of cost in villages). A minimum transformation is guaranteed even with the entry level programme. For many people, the minimum transformation can prove to be life turning. The basic course is over five days, three hours daily. It comprises the
shambhavi maha mudra
or inner engineering. Certain heightened states of peace and joy can be experienced. The next is
bhava spandana
, a four day residential programme. Its a deeply inclusive experience that gives you a glimpse of what is possible to change your life. Then there is a two day residential programme where a set of asanas of the
disciplines are taught. This is to clean the
in your body to channel the divine energy latent in your body. The Shoonya meditation is also a two day residential programme that offers deeper states of awareness. Most meditation programmes use the mind. Here you break free from that. Finally there is the seven day
residential programme that is observed in complete silence. You meditate for 14 to 16 hours everyday, to explore the maximum possibilities of your consciousness. --
For more details:
© 2008 Ramesh Avadhani
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©2004-2014 Religioscope unless otherwise noted.


text:
Saturday night in Houghton, and I was angry. The alma mater had embarrassed itself in a rare opportunity to play Michigan State at home. Even Michigan had recorded an unimpressive home win over Air Force.
The Tigers were in the midst of throwing away a game to the Los Angeles Angels.
In a race where the 24 team desperately needed a good finish to make the Chase for the Championship, Jeff Gordon appeared to be tooling around Richmond International Raceway in what looked like an ill-handling Yugo.
Heck, even my favorite tap at the Keweenaw Brewing Company, the hefeweizen, is on hiatus for the winter and Saturday night Live was still in re-runs.
Woe is me, right?
I decided that perhaps joy would come with the morning and I'd better just sleep it off. Besides, the 24 wasn't going anywhere. But I was still so perturbed that after performing a horizontal triple axel in bed a few times that I ought to just find a movie until I got tired.
Well, the race was still on, and after a rain delay, Gordon finally made his move, earning a place in the chase and leaving Kyle Busch to spew expletives on live TV. It was a midnight miracle.
Reminds me of a few other times I'm glad I stuck it out to the end.
In 2006, the Tigers had just blown the American League Central title to Minnesota by losing three in a row to Kansas City, setting up a Division Series with the Yankees.
"Oh, I'll watch, but this team is going to be like lambs to a slaughter," I said. It didn't turn out that way, to say the least.
It's 2004. Brian Kelly, the new football coach, is leading Central Michigan, but after an offseason scandal involving a deadly fight at an off-campus bar, and a losing record, the excitement level is pretty low for the home team. It gets even lower when Ball State scores the first 27 points before the end of the first quarter.
I distinctly remember my friend Dan and I with front-row seats in a student section numbering maybe 200. The other 2,000 probably didn't make it out of the parking lot that day.
CMU tied it up by halftime, and though Ball State (coached by none other than Brady Hoke) took a double-digit lead again in the second half, the Chippewas pulled out a totally unremarkable thrilling 41-40 home win.
Just a few weeks before I collected a college degree, thousands of CMU fans gathered at Ford Field, where we won a MAC Championship.
When Aaron Rodgers got a concussion midway through a particularly uninspiring loss to the Lions at Ford Field on Dec. 12, necessitating he miss the following week's game against New England (also a loss), there wasn't much the Packers had to look forward to.
But they won their next two games at home to sneak into the postseason, then ran off four more in the playoffs to win the Super Bowl.
So, when I see fans streaming for the exits, I settle into my seat. You never know when a little magic might strike - even in the middle of the night.
Brandon Veale can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/redveale.


text:
The Purchase Order is a five-part form which is used as the University's official contract document for securing services and materials from commercial vendors. The various copies of the order are distributed as indicated on the form, with two copies being sent to the requesting department: the receiving report and departmental copy.
Each Purchase Order has the following instructions to vendors printed on the reverse side of the order:
Failure on the part of the vendor to comply with all of the following terms and conditions will relieve East Carolina University of any responsibility, and merchandise or equipment shipped against this order will be subject to return shipment at our discretion. The vendor will be fully responsible for postage, freight and restocking charge.
East Carolina University supports the protections available to members of its community under all applicable Federal laws, including Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 799A and 845 of the Public Health Service Act, the Equal Pay and Age Discrimination Acts, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Executive Order 11246 as amended, Executive Order 11375, and Section 404 of the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974.
East Carolina University is dedicated to give small businesses and Historically Underutilized Businesses full access and fair and equitable opportunity to participate in the University's procurement activities.


text:
DAUPHIN ISLAND, Alabama -- Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) will offer their High School Summer Program for ninth through 11th grade students this summer.
The classes will be held from June 15 to July 11.
The deadline for application is April 8, and space is limited.
This intensive, residential program offers students a looks at a diverse course of marine science study, from oceanography to salt marsh ecology, marine vertebrate and invertebrate zoology and more.
Students participate in over 150 hours of academic activities supplemented by group and individual projects and field trips.
Field activities include weekly trips aboard the Sea Lab's research vessel, the Alabama Discovery, trips to local salt marshes, to barrier island shores, a behind-the-scenes tour at an aquarium and an overnight snorkeling trip.
Students work with sampling gear such as plankton nets, otter/shrimp trawls, seine nets, bottom grabs and instruments that sense water quality characteristics.
Other activities include dissections, identification labs, GPS mapping and an individual research project.
The Alabama State Department of Education has approved this class and recommends that schools grant participating students credit toward an Advanced or Standard high school diploma.
It is strongly recommended that participating students have completed a course in general biology.
Selection is based on interest, teacher recommendations, grades and a personal essay.
There is a $50 non-refundable application fee.
The program cost is $2,000 and includes tuition, housing, meals, lab fees and field trip costs.
For more details and to download the application, visit http://dhp.disl.org/highschoolsummer.htm, email Sara Johnson at email@example.com or call 251-861-2141 ext. 7515.
-Submitted by Lisa Young


text:
UN questionnaire for Belgrade
European data
Additional information
Themes covered are waste and water, for a total of fifteen countries belonging to EECCA and SEE groupings.
For references, please go to www.eea.europa.eu/soer or scan the QR code.
This briefing is part of the EEA's report The European Environment - State and Outlook 2015. The EEA is an official agency of the EU, tasked with providing information on Europe's environment.
PDF generated on 27 Oct 2016, 07:35 AM


text:
Alphabet Toss
Together, students create an alphabet of their favorite, healthy lunch foods in this active gameTags: nutrition activities, elementary school, lunch
The application for the 2017 United Airlines NYC Half is now open. Enter the drawing or claim your guaranteed entry today!
Students alter their speed according to the healthiness of lunch foods in this dynamic game.
Tags: nutrition activities, elementary school, lunch
|In this game, students will speed up or slow down their movements in response to the healthiness of the food named.
|Students will distinguish between "go" (healthy) and "slow" (less healthy) lunch foods.
Although all foods can fit into a healthy eating plan in moderation, it is important to reinforce that healthier foods give the body more energy to play and grow. "Junk foods," (processed foods high in fat and added sugar), contain a significant amount of calories but add very little nutrition to kids' diets.
It is important to connect kids with their food and get them thinking about food less in terms of "good" and "gross" and more in terms of "healthy" and "less healthy" (or "go" and "slow").
Healthy ("Go") Lunch Foods and Drinks:
Less Healthy ("Slow") Lunch Foods and Drinks:
Further information about the national standards can be found here.


text:
Classic match
West Ham United 3-0 Leeds UnitedPremier League30 March 1998
The Hammers eased past Leeds United on this day 15 years ago, maintaining a fine home record cultivated throughout the 1997/98 season.
Harry Redknapp's side would only lose twice on home turf all campaign, and took maximum points from 13 of their 19 Boleyn Ground league fixtures.
This result was never in doubt once John Hartson had given the hosts an eighth minute lead. West Ham soon doubled their advantage, with Samassi Abou netting one of his six goals for the season with 23 minutes on the clock,
A dominant Monday night performance was sealed after the break when Ian Pearce notched to round off a pleasing 3-0 success.
West Ham would go on to end the campaign eighth in the table with 56 points, just three behind fifth placed Leeds.
Complete record - 30 March
2002 West Ham United 3-1 Ipswich Town (Premier League)1998 West Ham United 3-0 Leeds United (Premier League)1985 Nottingham Forest 1-2 West Ham United (Division One)1982 Swansea City 0-1 West Ham United (Division One)1974 West Ham United 3-1 Leeds United (Division One)1971 Everton 0-1 West Ham United (Division One)1960 Manchester City 3-1 West Ham United (Division One)1959 Newcastle United 3-1 West Ham United (Division One)1957 West Ham United 1-1 Middlesbrough (Division Two)1956 West Ham United 2-0 Stoke City (Division Two)1935 Sheffield United 1-2 West Ham United (Division Two)1934 Manchester United 0-1 West Ham United (Division Two)1929 Portsmouth 3-0 West Ham United (Division One)1923 West Ham United 0-0 Bury (Division Two)
Played 14, Won 9, Drawn 2, Lost 3, Scored 21, Conceded 14


text:
Search Results
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Gütersloh, Germany
A Community Roadmap: the Wegweiser Kommune
Making data work for local communities committed to strategic integration planning
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A Community Roadmap: the Wegweiser Kommune
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- Ottawa : Statistics Canada Statistics Canada, 2008
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Analysis of EUROCITIES demographic change survey 2007Brussels : EUROCITIES EUROCITIES, 2007
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Becoming American: becoming New Yorkers: the second generation in a majority minority city / by Philip Kasinitz, John Mollenkopf, Mary C. Waters, Jennifer HoldawayWashington : Migration Policy Institute, 2006
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Fort Wayne, Indiana: Community Data Profile, 2010Fort Wayne, Ind. : Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance, 2010
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Integration potential of California?s immigrants and their children: new estimates of potential new voters at the state, county, and legislative district level / by Rob ParalSebastopol, Calif : GCIR Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR), 2008
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Mapping of race and poverty in Birmingham / Alessio CangianoOxford : COMPAS Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS), 2008
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Philanthropy in a changing society: achieving effectiveness through diversity: full report / by Jessica Chao...[et al.]New York : Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, 2008
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The newest New Yorkers 2000: immigrant New York in the new millennium / Arun Peter Lobo and Joseph J. SalvoNew York : New York Dept.of City Planning New York (City).Dept.of City Planning, 2004
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The situation of immigrants and ethnic minorities in Portugal in 2005: annual report for the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and XenophobiaLisbon : European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, 2005
Tags: anti-racism, ethnic communities, Portugal, Statistics
The urban audit : measuring the quality of life in European cities / Berthold FeldmannLuxembourg : Eurostat, 2008
Tags: cities, EU, quality, Statistics, urban life
Toronto Social Atlas / Social Policy Analysis & ResearchToronto : City of Toronto City of Toronto. Social Policy Analysis & Research, 2008
Tags: immigration, Statistics, Toronto
- Canada's population estimates: fastest growing 1st quarter estimates since 2001 (06/23/2009)
- Immigrants' education and required job skills: Canadian study, 1991 - 2006 (12/22/2008)
- Immigration Over Time: US National and State Trends (12/22/2008)
- Immigration and asylum statistics released (02/25/2010)
- International Migration Data 2009 (10/29/2009)
- Interview with Georges Lemaitre, OECD international migration expert, on recent migration trends in the European Union (03/05/2010)
- Korean Immigrants in the United States (01/05/2009)
- Largest ever survey of destitution among asylum seekers shows system is failing (05/20/2009)
- Living conditions in Europe, 2003-2006 data (12/24/2008)
- Migration 2007-2008: new data from Statistics Canada (09/29/2009)
- New statistical data on dual citizens in the Netherlands (12/15/2009)
- Newcomers set to play critical role (02/25/2009)
- Over one quarter of Australians were born overseas (07/28/2009)
- Rise in immigrants coming to UK, ONS data shows (11/26/2009)
- Spotlight on Legal Immigration to the United States (06/04/2009)
- Thousands of Iraqis granted Swedish asylum (12/08/2009)
- Top 10 migration issues of 2008 (12/07/2008)
- UK Refugee Council response to asylum statistics (02/24/2009)
- USA: A Rollercoaster Decade for Migration (12/02/2009)
- United Kingdom: A Reluctant Country of Immigration: updated MPI country profile (07/21/2009)
Didn't find what you were looking for? Search again.


text:
Romney to Pittsburgh on Tues!
According to multiple reports, Mitt Romney has scheduled an election day visit to Pittsburgh.
It's a curious move by the Romney campaign, which will now literally be working until the last possible day to win Pennsylvania. An election day stump could weaken the get out the vote effort for Romney on election day. A large rally would likely mean pulling significant resources from polling places.
Let's hope it goes better than yesterday's Mittstock Rally in Yardley, where the Pennsylvania Progressive, John Morgan had the worst time evah(tm).
I had a ticket but couldn't get to it on time. I had dressed as warmly as I could preparing for the outside venue (long underwear, thick socks, sweater, heavy coat) but many folks tried to leave because of the cold and Romney staffers prevented them. They began Tweeting that their kids were getting frostbite and they weren't being allowed to leave. Attendees had to start sneaking out to get warm. This was a fiasco.
Fiasco for the Democrats, who were totally caught off-guard by the GOP surging in PA. Crazy, I know.
"Pencilvania" had a much, much better time, Freezin for a Reason.
Finally, Corbett got the signal, an engaging video about the Romneys played on the large screens, and at the end the bus pulled right up to the stage and the crowd went wild. Mrs. Romney graciously thanked everyone for waiting in the cold – it was now after 7 – and reiterated her promise that Mitt "will – not – fail!" and introduced her husband. Mitt rolled out his upbeat, enthusiastic vision, constantly punctuated by cheers – I'm sure you've all heard clips from it in the last few days: "he makes excuses – I've got a plan" – "on January 20th I won't just take office, I'll take responsibility." There is not a drop of hesitation in the man.
Mitt concluded by talking about the terminally ill young boy whom he helped in making out a will, and the audience calmed to a hush. He said the boy really loved the fireworks on Independence Day and hoped to see them, but was afraid he might not make it till the Fourth. Mitt attempted to get the town to do an early fireworks display, but town ordinances prevented it. "So you know what we did? We drove him up to Maine. Because Maine didn't have those laws, so he and his family got to enjoy those fireworks after all!" The crowd erupted.


text:
Some CUs Settling Fight With Fannie Mae
Some of the credit unions that lost money when US Mortgage CEO Michael McGrath fraudulently sold some of their loans to Fannie Mae have made progress in coming to a settlement with the mortgage giant and CUNA Mutual Insurance.
Sources close to the negotiations said a recent New York City meeting included a mediator and saw many of the credit unions with complaints against Fannie Mae settle those complaints. A committee of credit unions hurt by the fraud formed after Fannie Mae initially refused to return the stolen mortgages.
Sources said that not all the credit unions in disputes with Fannie Mae or CUNA Mutual were able to reach a settlement with one or both of them, but the sources said that many credit unions with smaller claims had been able to reach settlements.


text:
Skip to comments.Sarah Palin Wants Levi Johnston To Disappear
Posted on 07/15/2010 9:54:16 AM PDT by My Favorite Headache
Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston shocked the world when they announced they were engaged again. The on-again, off-again couple seemed happy despite Sarah Palin's obvious disapproval of their reunion. It's no surprise considering her future son-in-law has betrayed and bad-mouthed the Palin clan on numerous occasions. According to a Palin insider, Sarah has already threatened him if he ever messes with her family again.
"Levi did everything he could to destroy Sarah and her family. He has accused Sarah of being a bad mother, a bad wife and a bad leader. How can he walk back into their life like nothing happened? He should think again," a Palin insider tells me. "He may have won Bristol back, but he will never gain the trust of Sarah. She doesn't forgive and forget."
Sources tell me that the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee is furious about her daughter's decision and thinks Bristol is making the biggest mistake of her life -- despite the fact that she and Todd eloped in 1988 without telling their parents. Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin
But it was ultimately Sarah who played grandma and comforted Bristol during her toughest times, while Johnston soaked up his fifteen minutes of fame by posing for Playgirl and hanging out with comedienne Kathy Griffin.
But it all comes back to politics. A Republican insider tells me Sarah is worried that her loose-lipped son-in-law will continue to ruin her political career and the public's perception of the Palin family.
"You can't control who your kids fall in love with, but Sarah wants this kid to go away. However, that doesn't look like it going to happen," the insider admits.
"So for the time being, Sarah is doing everything she can to protect her daughter and herself. And trust me, Levi has been warned. This isn't the sort of family you want to mess with twice."
Trojan Horse?
I think Sarah Palin would be a pretty cool Mother-in-Law. Johnston really blew it.
As a Mom, I can imagine Gov Palin whispering in Levi's ear.......hurt her again and I will hurt you.
I'm sure it is just a coincidence that Levi wanted to get back together after Bristol started making some money.
Sarah Palin Wants Levi Johnston To Disappear
"Levi did everything he could to destroy Sarah and her family. He has accused Sarah of being a bad mother, a bad wife and a bad leader. How can he walk back into their life like nothing happened? He should think again," a Palin insider tells me. "He may have won Bristol back, but he will never gain the trust of Sarah. She doesn't forgive and forget."
Lying presstitutes at it again.
Sarah is absolutely correct, this guy is a total scumbag and her daughter is making a huge mistake she's going to deeply regret.
The boy is trash. Bristol must have a cucumber for a brain. She obviously puts herself way above her family — parents, her child, etc.
More Palin Derangement from the scared-s*itless media.
Here is her actual statement:
"Bristol at 19 is now a young adult. As parents, we obviously want what is best for our children, but Bristol is ultimately in charge of determining what is best for her and her beautiful son. Bristol believes in redemption and forgiveness to a degree most of us struggle to put in practice in our daily lives.
"We pray that, as a couple, Bristol and Levis relationship matures into one that will allow Tripp to grow up graced with two loving parents in his life."
And don't forget Todd.
And his chance to cash in backfired...
Methinks he's just doing research for book deal #2.
Bristol is an idiot. It is confirmed many times over. Levi is definitely back to put the final nail in whatever he can here to scoop as much as he can.
Only one motivating factor here...and it is money. Nothing else motivates Levi but money and fame.
If the Palin's allow this to continue (I don't care if the girl is over 18 and can make her own decisions yadda), a family has to step in and say enough is enough.
How Bristol can allow this POS back in after going around for 2 years with the MSNBC/Bravo gang and killing them is beyond me. It does raise questions however about their judgment by allowing it to happen again.
There is no loyalty at all in this story.
Is "A Palin Insider" the name of the author's tapeworm?
Sure, the quote doesn't support the headline. But why should we even trust the quote?
Todd and Track should have taken Levi behind the woodshed and had a chat will him a long time ago.
Can't do that anymore though...
Now there's a classy way of saying "I'll forgive Levi when H*** freezes over..."
Maybe for their new neighbor?
Levi is just lucky his prospective mother-in-law is Sarah and not Hillary. In the latter case, he might REALLY disappear.
Levi could be working for some Liberals. How about this, some rich liberal, Soros?, finds a way to pay this kid some money, or guarantee him millions (future guaranteed book deal?). All he has to do is get back into the Palin family, and then destroy them come 2012. Piece of cake..
The Prospective future son-in-law is sitting with his fiance's parents at dinner. The father looks to him and asks- "So, how will you provide for my daughter?"
The young man responds, "God will provide"
Then the father asks, "where will you live?"
The young man responds, "God will provide"
The father finally asks, "What will you do for a living?"
The young man responds, "God will provide".
The father finally states, well I think I approve! He has called me "God" three times.
I wouldn't forgive and forget either.
sounds right to me
]he's a bitch
I wonder, I wonder...
Could Levi have been ASSIGNED to worm his way back into the family? To lay low and quietly gather intelligence for 2012?
If I were Sarah and Todd I would quietly accept the situation but keep the happy couple away from day-to-day operations. And I mean BOTH of them. Bristol cannot participate as long as Levi is her pillow-partner.
If I were Todd, I'd see to it that he finishes his welding-certification and gets a good job on the North Slope or somewhere equally far away and that the two lovebirds are given a nice dovecote FAR away from Wasilla.
"...despite the fact that she and Todd eloped in 1988 without telling their parents...."
What difference does that statement make? At least Todd and Sarah didn't put the cart before the horse when they eloped.
Trojan horse, or mole, probably. I wonder who's paying him?
Who is a Palin insider i ask. This story is bullcrap. However, I do hope that Palin put the fear of God in ole Levi's head!!!
Hey Sarah, do you need an Italian from NJ to help you "resolve" this problem?
She is far more gracious than I think I would be under the same circumstances.
Lovely relationship between Bristol and Sarah ... if she can't raise her family well, imagine what she'll do for you as President. After all, Bristol got pregnant when she was a MINOR. Parents are responsible for their kids when they are MINORS.
Still many clamor for her t be their next President.
This ridiculous engagement just gave the press plenty of fodder for years to come. How many times must one be betrayed till one gets it? Ole hopeful Levi is just jumping on the gravy train since his dried up.
Btw, maybe her new hubby wanted to be a pron star but Bristol is now trying her hand out in ACTING! Yes, ACTING!
See Bristol Palin's Dramatic Acting Debut!
Wednesday June 23, 2010 5:01pm
This family is becoming a political parody as well as a mockery of traditional family values.
Maybe a cucumber would have been a better choice
....and pants...
Levi is trouble just waiting to happen.
Buy the kids a house two hours away by plane.
Now Sarah going to have to keep things from Bristol as Bristol may yap confidential stuff to Levi.
And where would it go from there?
Bad situation.
While Palin probably isn't thrilled about this she already released a very gracious statement to the press about Bristol and Levi.
I wouldn't trust him any farther than I could throw him. It wouldn't surprise me if dem's journalists didn't pay him to infiltrate.
Did the "insider info" come from the imagination of the author stalking the Palin family from next door?
Levi is a Democrat operative hired to funnel dirt on the Palin family.
I kinda doubt it, the kid has no self-discipline.
I give this marriage a year and a half max. I understand how tough it is to be a single mother, but Bristol is crazy to think she can make it work with this immature loser.
Yikes! I never thought of that.
See my post #20, I think alot of us must be thinking this.
What if Levi has been reborn, and saved by Grace. Has anyone considered that possibility? If it can happen to me, then it can happen to anyone.
I don't think Sarah Palin has too much traditional family value room to be scolding her daughter. The Palins were married Aug 29, 1988, Track was born April 20, 1989. Unless severely premature, Sarah Palin was 7 weeks pregnant when they married.
"Sources tell me that the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee is furious about her daughter's decision and thinks Bristol is making the biggest mistake of her life — despite the fact that she and Todd eloped in 1988 without telling their parents.
Agree with everything you said. Keep Palin in the tea party business and as a spokesperson for Conservative causes...but the White House?
Too much baggage and always drama.
"the scared-s*itless media."
And a highly accurate characterization.
The last thing the assorted Commies, professors, queers and union slobs want is a uniquely charismatic and accomplished conservative, like Sarah Palin, to mobilize and motivate the conservative majority in America.
What is your problem and whos side are you on. Great to have you on our side dude/not!!!
Maybe I'll buy it if I hear Sarah Palin say these things...
That being said, I think Levi is a scumbag and went back to Bristol because his 15 minutes were up.
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text:
By BEN
Web: nj.com/ben
Phone: 856-451-1000, ext. 556
Cellphone: 856-237-6645
U.S. Army: RA13815980
The column that says we've found Devin Riley.
Good evening!
Somebody said watch out for snow.
WSNJ AM 1240 radio will broadcast every California Angels game this season.
The station is also back to playing music.
That shooting in Millville doesn't bode well for the county jail consolidation, does it.
As the jail reaches capacity, who gets let out first — Gloucester of Cumberland inmates?
We can't find the mailing address of our office on line.
No wonder we don't get letters.
Jack Hummel
93 5th Street
Salem N.J. 08079
Couldn't get your Times at Walgreens?
You can now.
Geri Schleich, 72, is proud of her roles as a wife, mother, librarian, and volunteer who doesn't know how to say no.
All of the above has left her with a life of fulfillment.
But her most fulfilling role came after she retired almost 10 years ago.
If an at-risk child in New Jersey is going to bed tonight with a warm pair of new pajamas and a book, Schleich might have something to do with it.
Since 2004, Schleich has led the New Jersey Chapter of Pajama Program, a national program that distributes new pajamas and books to at-risk children. The New Jersey chapter Schleich heads with co-President Denise Violand donated more than 21,000 pairs of pajamas and thousands of books to children in the state in 2012.
Through two donation deliveries, Gateway Community Action Partnership Head Start received 250 pajamas and about 100 books from Pajama Program last year.
"The children are so thrilled to get a simple pair of pajamas with a book, and when I see that, it is a constant reminder of what we have and what we don't appreciate," said Schleich, whose New Jersey Chapter, the largest in the nation, is based in Middletown.
"Some of these kids have never had a pair of pajamas. I know that sounds unbelievable. Every time I say that, people will look at me and say, "No, that's not true. That can't be true in this country.' Well, it is.
"Every time we go and read to these children, and give them a pair of pajamas, at least one of the children will come up to me and ask, 'Can we take these home?'
"They are not used to getting things that actually belong to them. These pajamas and books are not going to solve their problems. Some of them live very difficult lives.
"But there is something about getting into a new, warm pair of pajamas that gives them a feeling of security and safety. I think people understand that feeling, and that's why we've been so successful."
Schleich's connection to Gateway Head Start started in 2009 when she was trying to reach someone in Social Services no longer employed at Gateway and kept getting Nicole Cornwall in Head Start. It was a case of the wrong number leading to the right person.
Cornwall, a Gateway Head Start Health Specialist, began telling Schleich about Gateway and the needs of our Head Start children, and a donation was arranged. Ever since, Gateway's Head Start children have been the recipients of pajamas and books from Pajama Program. Seabrook, Fairfield, Swedesboro, Woodbury and the Expectant Parents Program received the most recent donation in December 2012.
"We are grateful to Pajama Program for their kindness and generosity and proud to be associated with such an outstanding organization," said Albert B. Kelly, Gateway's president and CEO.
"Our Head Start program is all about the children. We want to do whatever we can to make their lives better. It's comforting to know that our children are going home with new, comfortable pajamas to help keep them warm at night."
Schleich's organization facilitates the donations of pajamas, books or funds from a particular county to those in need in that county.
They could come in the form of pajama drives from churches, schools or community organizations or private or corporate donations.
Pajama Program will also contribute to the donation if their inventory is short on a particular size when it comes to meeting the needs of the children.
Most counties have a Pajama Program coordinator, although Schleich said she is currently seeking one for Cumberland. For now, she is it. But she isn't complaining. She loves what she does.
For more information about Pajama Program or to make a donation, go to its website at www.pajamaprogram.org.
The regular monthly meeting of the Lawrence Township Historical Society, 177 Main Street, Cedarville will be held on Tuesday, March 19, at 7:30 p.m.
Jim Bergmann will again be our guest speaker.
His topic will be a history of the Broad Street Cemetery in Bridgeton.
Time permitting, he will also tell a history of the Nail House located in Bridgeton City Park.
All are welcome to attend.
If you get a chance, go.
Bergmann is gold.
At Wheaton Village, this weekend, from 1 to 4 p.m., dip into the green as you sample the General Store's new all-natural dip and seasoning mixes from Bittersweet Herb Farm in Massachusetts.
Make a Lucky St. Patty's Day paper rainbow in the Brownstone Emporium.
We can't promise a pot of gold at the end, but it will surely brighten up your wall!
If you are looking for signs of Spring hop into the Gallery of Fine Craft and make a spring Animal Pencil Topper.
Twist colorful pipe cleaners into bunnies, chicks, pigs and frogs to top off a fun spring pencil.your website.
A caller to WSNJ's Delaware Valley Hotline'' says that Bob Thompson's idea of guest houses in Bridgeton is a good one because when we take prisoners from Gloucester, their families can stay in guest houses when they come to visit the inmates.
Not funny.
Obviously, the Cumberland County Jail was terribly mismanaged before Warden Bob Balicki arrived.
It was "terribly overcrowded'' when he was hired.
MY KIND OF TOWN: Where


text:
Cason J. Callaway is last through Soo Locks in 2012 season
Tuesday, January 15, 2013 10:26 PM
Inappropriate photo? Alert us.
The sun sets on the Cason J. Callaway as it makes it way into the Poe Lock at the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie on Tuesday, Jan. 15. The last boat through the Soo Locks signifies the end of the 2012 shipping season on the Great Lakes and the beginning of the winter work season for shipyards around the region. (Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Detroit District).
Related articles
- Army photos of last boat through the Soo Locks mark end of 2012 Great Lakes shipping season January 16, 2013, 7:01 AM
- 'This is a first,' says engineer after beeping package prompts bomb scare shut down of Soo Locks March 29, 2013, 4:45 PM


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RAMADI, Iraq - The U.S. military has struggled for nearly four years to secure Ramadi, a city west of Baghdad that had become a magnet for Sunni insurgents and a lawless haven for al-Qaida militants.
Now - slowly and in halting steps - something appears to have given way. At least by its own tortured standards, Ramadi seems to be calming.
"It's much safer than it was. But is it perfectly safe? No," said Army Col. John W. Charlton, the commander responsible for the city about 75 miles west of the capital. "As long as al-Qaida is operating in Iraq, it's not going to be."
Ramadi offers a snapshot of the Pentagon's latest strategies to quell violence across the nation.
Whole neighborhoods are being walled off to keep insurgents from reaching their targets. Military units are moving off the major bases and establishing smaller U.S.-Iraqi posts in the most violent areas downtown.
Most crucial of all, alliances are being struck with influential Sunni sheiks once arrayed against American-led forces. Local tribal leaders, in turn, have provided personnel for a new police force.
Anbar's Sunni leaders have had little direct contact with the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, yet they control prime territory. Anbar, stretching from Baghdad's western edges to the Syrian border, serves as a key supply route for anti-government militants who range from former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party to al-Qaida fanatics. Ramadi, a Euphrates River city of about 400,000, is Anbar's capital.
While the U.S. military claims progress here, Ramadi remains a place where even the most commonplace acts are shadowed by fear and the possibility that any moment could be fatal. White flags are carried by shoppers and school children in desperate attempts to show neutrality.
"A lot of people are still scared in their hearts," said Mahmoud, an elderly man in white robes who only would give his first name. "The jihadists were all around here. They were killing everybody. They could come back anytime."
In large part to allay those fears, Charlton said 70 percent of American forces were off the big bases and living downtown.
"We used to go on patrols and get shot at, then go back to base, eat chow, and do it all again," said U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Michael Jusino, who also served in Ramadi two years ago. "But we realized that doesn't work. You have to go into the city and stay there."
A year ago, the only permanent U.S. outposts were on one main road through the city center. Today, troops show off maps dotted with dozens of new posts in former insurgent strongholds. They also show graphs indicating the turnaround in violence in recent weeks. Compared to 20 to 30 daily attacks a year ago, now there often are just a few bursts of small arms fire in a day.
But dangers remain. Suicide bombers still strike. On April 6, a truck loaded with TNT and chlorine gas hit a police checkpoint in the district of Tameem, killing 27 people.
Marine Brig. Gen. Charles M. Gurganus, commander of U.S. ground forces in Anbar, said the insurgents who've fled Ramadi are still in Anbar and haven't lost their punch.
"They're going to places we aren't. They regroup, they re-equip themselves, and they plan more spectacular attacks," Gurganus said. "But wherever they go, we're going to go with them."
U.S. commanders say the only way to defeat the insurgency is with the support of the local people. In the past, many supported the guerrillas, or were too afraid to cooperate with coalition forces.
A breakthrough came last fall when local sheiks began turning on al-Qaida and other extremist insurgent groups.
For some, it was a reaction against the religious fanaticism and brutality of al-Qaida gangs who had begun overshadowing their own influence. For others, it was a reaction to the growing power of rival Shiite Muslims, who became a majority in government after Saddam's fall. Iraqi army units that patrol Sunni-dominated Ramadi are overwhelmingly Shiite.
With no police or security forces to protect them, local tribesmen depended on their own militias for security. At the behest of the sheiks, many of those militias, including former insurgents, have joined the new police force.
U.S. forces often have stood aside and watched, but not always.
Several months ago, Americans sent help to Ramadi's Abu Soda tribe after it tried to prevent insurgents from using their territory to fire mortars on a nearby American base, said U.S. Army Maj. Jared Norrell.
"We gave them food, fuel, money - everything we could to try to restore their way of life because they stood up and denied insurgents safe haven," Norrell said.
U.S. officers claim similar scripts have played out across the province.
In Ramadi, coalition troops now are trying to peacefully secure the gains.
Outside one new downtown outpost set up several weeks ago, U.S. Marine Capt. Ian Brooks watched a truck siphon up spilled sewage.
"It's very basic," he said. "These people aren't screaming for a Disneyland, Ramadi. What they are asking for is, 'get the sewage out of here, we need electricity, we want the schools to open like in any normal city."'
In Mulaab, once of the city's most violent areas, U.S. forces sealed off streets with blast walls and concertina wire to keep insurgents out and then conducted a massive security sweep.
The other sides of the neighborhood are ringed by a canal next to a large American base and a road open only to military traffic.
Residents, banned from using motor vehicles, use donkey carts and bicycles. Many have welcomed the "gated community," and people in other neighborhoods have asked for them, too.
"What we're finding is, once you separate the insurgents from the people and push them out, the residents come forward and tell us where the insurgents did business, where they keep their weapons, where they put IEDs," Norrell said.
One insurgent carrying a bomb on a bicycle was tackled by residents and handed over to police, something virtually unheard here before, Charlton said.
The Mulaab's walls came up recently, ahead of a massive security sweep. Today it is quiet, but insurgents are still trying to slip back in. Roadside bombs and weapons caches are found almost everyday, said Iraqi Col. Ali Hussein, who commands an Iraqi battalion that has operated in Mulaab for a year and half.
"Anybody who tells you it's 100 percent cleared of terrorists is lying," Hussein said. "But things have changed."
During a recent meeting at a new security station, the mustachioed colonel slammed his fist on the table. "Help the civilians as much as you can. The doctors, the beggars. Give them what you have," he told his men. "Don't leave them hungry, or they'll find another way to fight us."
U.S. troops make headway in Ramadi
RAMADI, Iraq - The U.S. military has struggled for nearly four years to secure Ramadi, a city west of Baghdad that had become a magnet for Sunni insurgents and a lawless haven for al-Qaida militants.


text:
"Riley are you okae?" Blake asked just as I got up and ran to the bathroom.
I didn't have time to close the door beforee I was hunched over the toilete puking my guts out.
"RILEY!" Blake yelled coming into the bathroom and holding back my hair.
I groaned and sagged in his arms.
"It's okay love. I got you." He said flushing the toilete and wiping my face with a wet wash clothe.
"I don't feel so good." I say laying my head on his chest.
"What hurts?" He asked.
"Nothing." I said.
"How do you feel?" He asked
"Like I want to cry." I said bursting into tears.
"Crap." He said.
"What's wrong?" I asked looking at him through blurry eyes.
"I think your pregnant." He said.
"How?" I asked putting a hand to my stomach.
"Your scents changed." He said lifting me up higher until his nose was against my stomach.
"Yup I smell him/her. We're pregnant." He announced.
Suddenly I was overcome with anger.
"I can't handle another child! We already have a handful with Tommy. Blake I don't think I want this baby." I shout my voice softening at the end.
"Please don't kill my baby. It'll be my first born." He begged tears streaming down his face.
I couldn't do that to him.
He was my mate.
This will be our child together.
Not his brother.
Not one I found that pack was killed.
"I won't." I say kissing his face.
I wiped the tears away.
"You mean to much to me." I say.
Dammit I've gotten soft!
I sighed.
Damn Baby. -_-
Blake smiled sadly and kissed my eyelids.
"I love you." He said into my ear.
I surpressed a giggle.
WTF?! I don't giggle.
"I love you more." I say running my fingers through his soft hair.
Pain shot through me and my back arched.
I sucked in a pained breathe and my wings exploded from my back.
"Dangers near." I heard myself say.
"What?" Blake asked shocked.
I felt a tug deep inside my heart.
"TOMMY!" I screamed. Suddenly I wasn't in Blake's arms I was flying down the hall to my sons room.
"Well would you look at that. Touch you and she comes ready to kill. To bad she killed my mate." A woman with blonde hair and green eyes said.
"Let him go. He has nothing to do with this. It's you and me." I said darkly.
"Do you really think I'm willing to do that? You killed my mate!" The sicko blonde said.
chpter 19: I'm WHAT?!