text:
Why Atigo's New Kisanja is Historic, Critical, and Problematic for UNAA
Parent Category: Issue
in Issue 6/17
In Summary: The biennial UNAA Poll was historic in more ways than one. It pulled more first ones than other elections before. It was a poll where "No Change" campaign machine for the incumbent Monday Atigo triumphed over the forces of "Change" of Daniel Kawuma. It gave incumbent Monday Atigo a new Kisanja (second term); the first to earn it in nearly 20 years.While the victory is a critical and opportune moment for him to accomplish his vision for UNAA, it is problematic; it poses problems for him and UNAA. Failure to resolve the major questions confronting UNAA will neither be optional nor acceptable. Beyond the euphoria of victory, therefore, Mr. Monday Atigo's election offers both opportunities and challenges at the same time. So, as Thomas Friedman once observed, "Change is hard. Change is hardest on those caught by surprise. Change is hardest on those who have difficulty changing too. But change is natural; change is not new; change is important. We simply must adapt and first survive then thrive." Yes we can! For UNAA, change is not negotiable!
Miami, Florida—The biennial UNAA elections were historic in more ways than one. It pulled more first ones than other elections before. Incumbent UNAA President Monday Atigo fought off a stiff challenge from Dr. Daniel Kawuma to reclaim his seat with 189 votes while his challenger got 166; separating the victor and the vanquished with a paltry margin of only 23 votes. The total votes cast were 345; 56 online and 287 on-site. The victory decidedly gives Mr. Monday Atigo a second term; a new kisanja (dry banana leaves), a popular symbol representing a term extension in Uganda body politic. Out of the 87 verified online registered voters, 59 voted and one vote was invalidated, the Chair of the UNAA/EC Mr. Franco Wantsala told the anxious audience that awaited the final results at a packed banquet hall at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami, "Florida last Sunday.
Dr. Daniel Kawuma polled 49 of the online vote and Atigo trailed with 9 votes; a margin of 40 votes separated the two. From a total of 297 onsite votes cast, Atigo received a whopping 180 votes, beating his challenger Dr. Daniel Kawuma who got a distant 117 votes; an unassailable margin of 63 votes. After tallying all the votes cast, the total votes for Atigo were 189 while Kawuma got 166. The margin was only 23 votes. The total number of online and onsite votes cast were 345.
The youthful Engineer John Julius Muwulya, the outgoing deputy speaker for the UNAA Council, was elected unopposed as the new Vice president, replacing John Semanda who had earlier fallen out of favor with the Atigo administration. Incumbent Peter Mukunya returned unopposed as secretary while the youthful Arthur Nantamu was re-elected unopposed as treasurer. This was after the controversial Michael Kimbugwe was allegedly forced to stand down following a stormy meeting between the executive, the UNAA BoT and the Electoral Commission on Wednesday, two days before the convention opened last Friday. He was allegedly accused of smuggling names on the voters' register. Did he act alone? Quite unlikely. All but one council seat was unopposed.
What raised some eyebrows, however, was when the Chair of the UNAA/EC Mr. Franco Wantsala told the expectant gathering before he announced the election results that the UNAA/EC was not responsible for the results of the election because it was only charged with organizing the poll and not accountable for the election outcomes. While this was partly true, was he trying to cover his bases? We cannot answer for him. Mr. Monday Atigo, 35, was declared president by the Chairman UNAA/EC Mr. Franco Wantsala and was sworn in by the Chairman of the UNAA Board of Trustees (BOT) Dr. Joseph Buwembo soon after the results were announced. The other elected officials; the vice president, secretary, treasurer, and the council members were all sworn-in as a group by the chair of the BOT. The Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament Ms. Rebecca Kadaga and several members of Parliament graced the well-attended event that climaxed the 29th UNAA convention, running under the theme "Economic Empowerment and Healthcare Transformation".
The victorious Monday Atigo, who campaigned as if his entire life depended on his re-election, could not hide his delight after he was declared winner. "This election was a defining moment for me and I plan to move ahead with the hard work ahead of us which starts now," he joyfully declared, adding, "I invite all those willing to work with me to come and we work together to move UNAA forward," he delightfully confessed amid thunderous cheers from his supporters who filled the banquet hall. Declaring that "With God, everything is possible," Monday Atigo extended an olive branch to his opponent Dr. Daniel Kawuma: "To Dr. Kawuma, you put up a good fight. I invite you to come and work with me to move UNAA forward," the visibly jolly Atigo said.
Atigo thanked his campaign teams across the USA and assured that; "To those who voted for me and those who did not vote for me, I am your President. I will be a president for all Ugandans in the Diaspora." He also took time off to congratulate the Miss UNAA and the run-up and thanked the association sponsors from Uganda, the government of Uganda, members of Parliament, all Ugandans who traveled to come and attend the convention, and the UNAA Envoy Zephania Seninde and his deputy Isaac Mukiisa Sebakige for ensuring that the 29th UNAA convention was a well-attended event. The 29th UNAA convention offered an opportunity for Ugandans to network and debate on trade and investment, technology, and governance, among other issues.
Voting for the new leaders of the Uganda North American Association (UNAA got underway across continental North America last Friday September 01, 2017. The biennial exercise kicked-off with online voting on Friday and ended on Sunday, September 03, 2017. On-site voting started and ended on Sunday, September 3, 2017, from 9:00 to 6:00PM after it was extended by an extra two hours. UNAA holds elections for office bearers including the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and council representatives every two years to lead the largest and oldest Diaspora organization in North America. The race for the president, which drew the stiffest competition, pitted the incumbent Monday Atigo against former Council Member Dr. Daniel Kawuma. The presidential race, that was too close to call, lived up to its billing as the margin of victory showed.
UNAA members in good standing; those whose membership was up-to date were faced with two diametrically opposed choices at the polls; to either endorse the tested leadership of incumbent Monday Atigo or debunk him and embrace the fresh ideas of the reformist and ebullient Daniel Kawuma, a former council member. At the end of the exercise last Sunday, the incumbent, Monday Atigo trumped his opponent. He narrowly won the election with a margin of 23 votes. The election results were announced a little after 11:00PM during a banquet at the end of the 29th Annual UNAA Convention and Trade Expo.
It was a "No Change" campaign machine for the incumbent Monday Atigo that triumphed over the forces of "Change" of Daniel Kawuma. Monday Atigo, who has been Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) President for the last two years (2015-2017), earned a hard-fought victory for a second term as president of the association. Atigo, 35, a resident of Dallas, Texas, campaigned on the ticket of maintaining the statusquo "to do more for the betterment of the association." Dr. Daniel Kawuma, 36, a former UNAA Council Member and a resident of Maryland, was one of the leaders of the breakaway faction , the UNAA Causes which protested the controversial inclusion of Rahim Kabagambe in the council in 2013 after the then Board of Trustees had ruled that he had been irregularly nominated and elected. Dr. Daniel Busuulwa Kawuma, a pharmacist by profession, made a U-turn and returned to UNAA as the 'biblical prodigal son' to "correct" the wrongs that have dogged the nearly three decade Diaspora organization.
What was so strange with this election, however, was that the UNAA/EC never displayed the voters' register to the public on the UNAA Web site. For purposes of transparence, UNAA members expected the UNAA/EC TO have done so days to the election. It was never to be. Instead, the UNAA/EC held the voters' register as a jealously kept secret—some kind of classified information—a sacred cow that was only privy to the executive and the commission. Little wonder that Dr. Daniel Kawuma cried foul days before the election started. He claimed in a video message widely circulated on Wednesday last week that the voters' register had been compromised. It was not clear whether the UNAA/EC and the BOT managed to clean the register of the hundreds of ghost voters that had been allegedly smuggled on the list before the polls opened last Friday. When the EC finally and hastily released the voters' register onsite last Friday, several voters' names were missing. But that was not enough. There were two voters' registers; one for the public and a completely different one for the electoral commission officials. The voters' register that was used by the EC officials during the voting exercise included more names of other voters which did not appear on the register displayed on Friday. There was even more drama as poll agents for Dr. Kawuma were not allowed to witness the counting and tallying of the votes. Does that not strike one as strange?
These oversights, either by default or commission, could have informed a decision by Dr. Daniel Kawuma and sections of his supporters to postpone the endorsement of the election results "until they conduct a thorough investigation." It is not clear whether the outcome of the investigation may result in a petition of the results or not. Time will tell.
That notwithstanding, by all accounts, this was an historic election in the three decades of UNAA's existence. First, the use of social media during the campaigns was unprecedented. The candidates and their supporters doubled-up their hyper presence on all major social media platforms bombarding prospective voters with their campaign messages. The hotly-contested UNAA presidential election did, as expected, generate hyper excitement among supporters of the two presidential candidates; pitching and plunging for votes to secure victory in the most astounding manner. In some cases, the passion exuded by a few proxies even threatened to outmatch evangelical zeal. While the two presidential candidates conducted themselves with dignity, some of their stand-ins, on a few forums, went really native. In future, candidates may wish to consider infusing bits of netiquette into their overzealous surrogates. Just a thought!
Second, this was the first time in UNAA's history that online voting took place. Despite some setbacks, the UNAA/EC managed to pull off the stint with limited disenfranchisement of eligible voters. Given the average success recorded with the first-ever online voting exercise, UNAA is on its way to becoming a bonafide citizen in the digital world where it has resided for decades but had remained an 'undocumented' digital immigrant. Third, this was the first time in UNAA history that no presidential debate was held before the election. Hopefully, the UNAA/EC will in future insist that presidential debates are held to give the electorate the opportunity to assess the extent to which candidate comprehend the issues, how they articulate them, and how they plan to implement their plans. Not too much to ask.
Fourth, the victory of incumbent UNAA President Monday Atigo was historic; it was the first in nearly 20 years that a sitting president has won a second term. The last time an incumbent won a second term was in 1997 when Rev. Cannon Benjamin Lubega-Musoke won a second term that ended in 1999. He was the second UNAA president after Eng. David Mureeba, the first UNAA president, who also led the organization for two terms from 1988-1995. Eng. Mureeba was re-elected in 1993 to become the first UNAA president to get a second term. Monday Atigo is also the second former vice president to win a second term and apparently the first who previously served as a former secretary of the UNAA/EC, president and treasurer of the Ugandan American Association of Greater Dallas Fort Worth (UAA-DFW); an unequalled record in the leadership experience of Ugandan Diaspora organizations. You have to give it to him!
Fifth, it was the first time in UNAA history that a former leader of a breakaway faction made a U-turn, returned to the UNAA fold (akin to the biblical prodigal son), got embraced, campaigned, and nearly won the election to unseat the incumbent. While victory eluded Dr. Kawuma, his steller performance; losing by only 23 votes to the incumbent was a loud and scathing commentary on the record of Atigo's administration. He nearly rocked the boat!
Sixth and perhaps more importantly, as the process of voting, counting of votes, and declaration of election result unfolded, the UNAA-EC came under more scrutiny than ever before; it was on the spot and on notice around the clock. The election was a litmus test for the UNAA/EC and the individual commissioners to either uphold or stain their respective integrity. UNAA members and all observers expected a credible election process devoid of any manipulation. While the jury is still out there to determine whether the polls were free and fair; the voting and counting of votes met the acceptable standards, the verdict suggesting whether UNAA/EC passed the integrity test and should bask in glowing tribute is still on hold. Only time will tell.
It is still not clear whether the UNAA Board of Trustees (BoT) and the Executive redeemed themselves to savor in the kudos should events in the coming days endorse the exercise. For now, though, the UNAA/EC should keep the champagne on ice. Unlike its predecessor, the UNAA/EC is yet to cast a vote of no confidence in its own relevance. It appears, then, that unlike its predecessor, the UNAA/EC did learn something and has not forgotten everything yet. And, there is still hope that to the impasse of 2013, UNAA will not rapidly return. So, let's keep our fingers crossed. Let the victor and the vanquished put UNAA's future first and everything else second.
Mr. Monday Atigo's victory has come at a critical moment for UNAA and Atigo himself. He now has the opportunity to accomplish his vision for UNAA. He promised a lot on the campaign trail; all aimed at the betterment of the association and its membership. He must now deliver. Mr. President, you have the political capital. Use it while it lasts. If you found UNAA in a crisis two years ago, fix it. If you messed it during your first term, carry your cross and clean up your mess during your new kisanja. If your new kisanja has generated a crisis or finds itself in one, do not waste it. Turn it into a victory. Paul Romer, the Stanford economist, so perceptively warned: "A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.
The time for lofty rhetoric is over. "Work begins now," Atigo said as a marching order on the night of his victory. It is critical that he makes good on his pledge. In the next two years, before his new kisanja (second term) expires, he should prove to his critics and cynics alike that he did not fluke his way to the top but got the job on merit. This new Kisanja places Mr. Atigo at the cusp of delivering on his promises; leave behind a transformed and modern UNAA responsive and relevant to its members.
To compound the historic moment of his election, President Atigo's new Kisanja marks a transition from one era to another; from one generation to another. Now that UNAA founding fathers (mothers inclusive); Dr. Abu Senkayi, Dr. Matovu, Engineer Mureeba, Rev. Cannon Benjamin Lubega-Musoke, and others take their well-deserved back seats, history confers upon
Mr. Atigo an opportunity to lead and steer this organization through this period of generational transition to scale the highest of heights. As residents of the United States, let's learn some lessons from the history of this great nation. Presidents George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, among others, left behind a country without airplanes, nuclear sub-marines, drones, Internet, etc. Today, those new technologies are part of the American culture and psyche.
They left a country founded on core values that endure today. UNAA should emulate the example. Under the steady hand of Atigo, UNAA should evolve from its first generation of existence and transition into a modern and innovative association that impacts its members and its compatriots back in the homeland, Uganda. If the International Community of the Banyakigezi (ICOB), Buganda Bumu, and Twegaite International can renovate and equip technical institutes in Uganda, donate mobile clinics and raise etafaali to construct the Masengere Plaza, and build a modern cancer ward at Jinja Hospital respectively, why should UNAA not even do more and better? Why should UNAA only receive without giving? It is time UNAA used its enormous human and intellectual capital to collectively give back to Uganda from where we have taken too much already. At this critical moment in time, a historical opportunity has presented itself to President Atigo to lead UNAA into the next era; confidently usher the first of the next 30 years of this Diaspora organization to greater heights.
This is the time to become the Abraham Lincoln of UNAA and emancipate UNAA members, not from slavery but from mindsets of perennial recipients into communitarians with a culture of community service. At 30, UNAA should wean itself of holding out a bowl for the annual cash hand out from the government of Uganda. Instead, UNAA should lead in returning the blessing to those who enabled us to be where we are today. A paradigm shift is but inevitable and inescapable. The founders of UNAA had the foresight to start an organization whose values we all cherish. While it is incumbent on the next generation of UNAA leaders to consolidate those values, innovative ways to respond to contemporary and future needs must be a given. We should not take thirty steps in thirty years only to remain stagnant. President Kennedy envisaged a future in which America would land on the moon. It did. It is now time to lead UNAA to take the first practical and baby steps to the moon! Mr. President, this is an opportune moment for you to seize and harness, as you loudly declared in your victory speech, for the benefit of UNAA. Your call!
But Mr. Atigo's victory is also problematic; it has come with inherent problems for him. He has to address and resolve existing hot-button issues and emerging problems confronting UNAA. While some of the problems are systemic (inherited), others are self-made. Either way, failure to resolve the major questions will neither be optional nor acceptable. So, beyond the euphoria that greeted his election victory, on the leadership front, Mr. Atigo must come to terms with several of the outstanding questions in the short and long term. The honeymoon is over. First, his 23-vote margin of victory over his opponent was too narrow to assume he enjoys overwhelming support of UNAA membership. He must be circumspect and magnanimous at the same time. It's what leaders do.
In practical terms, this means that UNAA is as divided as it was after the 2013 elections. Immediate and concerted efforts will be needed on his part to win over dissenting voices in the association that voted for his challenger Dr. Kawuma. This is his first call; an opportunity and problem at the same time. The manner in which he handles this major question will define his legacy. Playing a zerosome game will not cut it. His major ally in reconciling UNAA is his former opponent Dr. Kawuma who returned to the fold and even actively participated in the UNAA harmonization process. Campaigns are over and the time to lead is now. Your call, Mr. President!
Second, Mr. Atigo will have to move fast to assure sections of UNAA members that while they may not be better off or worse off today than they were in 2015, a more responsive, relevant, and progressive UNAA awaits them. A more relevant UNAA may have to review the structure of the high registration fees for the annual UNAA conventions which have remained unchanged and as unrealistic as they are obscene. This, even in the wake of the increased annual Uganda government financial support to UNAA from $20,000 to the controversial $50, 0000 since 2015 when Atigo was first elected. Many UNAA members still say they are not feeling the impact of the much touted cash donation on UNAA and in their lives. The structure of the registration fees, the organization and attendance of the annual UNAA conventions have either remained stagnant or worsened; an indictment of the statusquo as either lacking in imagination or creativity. This is a systemic problem requiring more imagination and innovative reforms.
Third, a split in Mr. Atigo's previous executive that pitted him and the secretary Peter Mukunya on one side against his vice president and treasurer on one side has not helped matters either. In his new executive, the cast has not changed much. Apart from the entry of the seemingly compliant vice president Julius Muwulya, chances are that the antagonism will persist unless a new cordial and professional relationship is developed with the re-elected and uncompromising treasurer Arthur Nantamu. Clearly, the UNAA membership would wish to have the new executive singing from the same script and not firing salvos into friendly trenches. The public bickering that came to define the working methods of the previous executive exposed it as a divided house that stood on sifting sand. A fresh start is a matter deserving exigent pursuit. As Thomas Friedman observed, "Change is hard. Change is hardest on those caught by surprise. Change is hardest on those who have difficulty changing too. But change is natural; change is not new; change is important. We simply must adapt and first survive then thrive." Yes we can! For UNAA, change is not negotiable!
Finally, with a renewed mandate, Mr. Atigo's administration should seize the opportunity to address, head-on, allegations of gross financial mismanagement and incompetence. Granted, the allegations might have been part of the inherent burden of incumbency that came to haunt him but left his support base unshakable, the new administration should not bury its head in the sand imagining that all is well as the proverbial ostrich. While the veracity of financial impropriety could not be readily verified, they served to stalk the flames of lack of fiscal accountability and incompetence that dogged Mr. Atigo's leadership during his first term in office. These were compounded by a rift that developed between the president and the secretary on one side and their former ally, the youthful treasurer, Arthur Nantamu whose public statements cast a dark shadow over the Atigo leadership style and fiscal discipline.
Problematic as this sounds, Mr. Atigo could take the initiative by recommending and supporting a forensic audit into the financial activities of his first term as the UNAA president to vindicate himself. A favorable finding from a forensic audit, which is more of a financial investigation than a mere audit of books of accounts, is the most lethal weapon that Mr. Atigo can deploy to silence his fiercest detractors. Mr. Atigo could use such favorable findings as an endorsement to launch any future political career either here or in Uganda should he wish. This is some strategic political advice offered gratis!
Ahead of the elections, when he was pushed to the wall, Mr. Atigo's executive adopted a fire-fighting mode; went on a jet-setting circuit to visit most of the states and cities with high concentrations of Ugandans to explain what the administration had done for UNAA. Mr. Atigo also released several videos justifying the questionable financial transactions. It was the appropriate and knee-jack response he had to make at the time. Now that he is re-elected, he has to do things differently.
Although the EADM reached out to Mr. Monday Atigo seeking his responses to allegations of poor financial accountability and never responded as he had variously promised, the questions still linger. That said, the re-elected Monday Atigo, rejuvenated and bolstered by his personable personality and ability to interact with all people from diverse cultural backgrounds and demographics, gives him the potential to transcend and overcome the obstacles ahead of his new kisanja, (his second term) in office. If his acceptance speech is anything to go by, UNAA has every reason to remain cautiously optimistic. Both time and history are on his side.
Next years' UNAA Convention will be held in Seartle, Washington State, the home turf for the new vice president John Julius Muwulya, a subtle reward for his loyalty to the incumbent president and a full delivery of the Washington state vote to ensure that Monday Atigo won. In the greater scheme of things, as the host of the 2018 UNAA convention, the ground appears to be prepared for the youthful Eng. Julius Muwulya to launch his bid for the presidency in 2019 UNAA elections. While it may be too early to read into this strategic political plot, the lines for a hotly contested presidential elections among the youthful members of the new executive; Julius Muwulya, Peter Mukunya, and Arthur Nantamu are already drawn. Unless, of course, the incumbent Monday Atigo seeks another kisanja, a third term and, or, a new candidate emerges. For now, though, work for the new executive is clearly cut out; improving its accountability record, making UNAA more relevant to its members, and continuing its efforts to re-unite the oldest Diaspora organization in continental North America. It's a redemptive kisanja of sorts!
Congratulations to you Mr. President, the new executive, council members, the Board of Trustees, and most especially, the UNAA/EC for conducting a historic and relatively credible election under the circumstances. Salutations also go to Dr. Kawuma and his supporters for putting up a spirited fight that may go a long way in helping to grow a democratic culture within UNAA and its membership. Long live UNAA!


text:
An oft-cited expert on execution methods detailed for a Law Center audience the disturbing story of a black Louisiana teenager who was executed twice for the murder of a small-town druggist. Prof. Deborah W. Denno of the Fordham University School of Law related how Willie Francis was only 17 in 1946 when he was strapped into a portable electric chair – dubbed "Gruesome Gertie" – and the switch was thrown. The voltage should have been enough to kill him, but the execution failed. (Some reports blamed a lengthy extension cord hooked to an old generator, while others conjectured that the chief executioner was too inebriated to properly handle his duties.) Regardless of who or what was to blame, there was no mistaking the outcome. "I am not dying," the youth screamed from behind his leather hood. Francis was returned to his cell with a new distinction. "He was one of the few inmates who could tell how (electrocution) felt," Denno noted. The youth's reprieve did not last long. He was executed again – this time successfully – almost exactly one year later.
Denno's provocative presentation was the third in the "Criminal Law at the Cutting Edge Leading Voices Lectures Series" sponsored by the Criminal Justice Institute at the Law Center. Denno researched the decades-old execution story for a chapter – The Disturbing Death Penalty Story of Willie Francis and His Two Executions—in the book Death Penalty Stories published by Foundation Press.
The professor said Francis' appeals were handled by a young lawyer, Bertrand DeBlanc, who was a friend of the victim, but felt morally outraged that the teen would be executed twice. DeBlanc argued all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and focused on three areas of the law: cruel and unusual punishment, double jeopardy, and equal protection. While arguing that the first execution attempt did not violate the 8th Amendment prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment, DeBlanc maintained the second attempt would certainly exceed that constitutional standard. While initially issuing a stay, the high court ultimately affirmed the lower court in a 5-4 ruling. Although there had been indications that the Supreme Court might take up the case when it again worked its way through lower courts, Francis apparently had told his lawyer to "leave it alone." According to Denno, the young man "was ready to die."
Aside from the issue of the botched execution, Denno said there were plenty of things wrong with the murder trial itself:
Denno said the justice afforded Willie Francis was not exclusive to the small southern town of St. Martinville or the South generally, but instead was prevalent throughout the country. "He was just one of the many poor blacks who were being executed," Denno noted. In retrospect, what are the odds that Francis was guilty? "50-50," Denno declared.
Through the years, issues involved in the Francis case have come up repeatedly in capital cases. In 2005, the court ruled that juveniles under 18 cannot be executed. The question of whether lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment remains to be resolved, and a pending case from Ohio involving a second execution attempt bears some similarities to the Francis case of the 1940s.
As an expert on execution methods, Denno was asked what she considered the best means of carrying out capital punishment. "You can have a humane lethal injection execution if you do it right," she said. But the quickest and surest method, though considered by many to be the most barbaric, is death by firing squad. The police and military executioners are trained to do it, she said, and there is never a botched attempt.
The fourth and final lecture in the CJI series is scheduled for April 7 when Wayne A. Logan, professor of law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Florida State University College of Law, discusses Knowledge as Power: Criminal Registration and Community Notification Laws in America.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Case Study
This project involved the design and supply of over 100 TY and Y beams to form a cut and cover tunnel at the Hermitage Quarry Maidstone Kent.
Gallagher Group have owned and operated the Quarry for 25 years and the Tunnel provides a link from their existing Quarry and processing plant to a new quarry which will allow for a further 25years of production.
The tunnel has a clear span of 16m is over 100m long. It was a requirement to have the entrance of the tunnel matching the existing skewed Rock Face.Detailed Design by Banagher Precast solved this issue by changing the bridge construction from solid Deck TY beams to Beam and slab Y Beams. This allowed the beams to fan out to match the span which grew to over 24m at the skewed rock face.Google+
ClientGallagher Group
ContractorGallagher Civil
Our RoleDesign and supply of Prestressed Bridge beams


text:
LANSING — Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton, (center) and Rep. Margaret O'Brien, R-Portage, (right) pose with Linda Valentino Walker of Oshtemo Township. Walker was chosen to represent Western Michigan University with her painting, "Beach Party," for a yearlong exhibit in the Anderson House Office Building in Lansing.
Editor's note: For a print-quality version of this and other Schuitmaker photos, click the image or visit www.SenatorTonyaSchuitmaker.com and click the Photowire link.


text:
Boyoboy Volume 1, Issue 1 - D-Man, editor
Boyoboy Volume 1, Issue 2 - D-Man, editor
Boyoboy Volume 1, Issue 3 - D-Man, editor
Give Me Back #3 - Spoonboy
Let's See What Else is On! - Jason Hall
Razorcake #31-34
The Wandering Artoholic #3 - Pat Lackenbauer
Sunday, February 17, 2008
New additions for February 17, 2008
Posted by stagflation at 6:07 PM
Labels: acquisitions, news, zines
Sunday, February 3, 2008
More hours!
The Toronto Zine Library is extending its staffed hours. Somebody will now be in the library from 5-7 on Wednesday nights. So, pop in, read a zine, get a library card, and take something out.
Posted by stagflation at 7:54 PM
Labels: news
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Accommodations in Matata, New Zealand
Search 0 Accommodations in Matata
Save more with Secret Prices
Get instant savings with Secret Prices
Where to stay in Matata
Where to stay in MatataA welcoming city, Matata has a variety of hotels to choose from. There are Matata accommodations with discounts of up to 20%. Our room prices start at 17 USD per night and here you'll find a breakdown of hotels by star rating in Matata as well as in the surrounding area:
- • 8 5-star hotels from 77 USD per night
- • 12 4-star hotels from 63 USD per night
- • 3 3-star hotels from 40 USD per night
How to get to MatataFly into Whakatane (WHK), 9.5 mi (15.3 km) from central Matata. Rotorua (ROT-Rotorua Regional) is the next closest major airport, 27.1 mi (43.6 km) away.
When to visit MatataDo you want to know the ideal time of year to visit? Here's a list of the seasonal weather norms to help with trip planning:
Seasonal temperature averages
- • January-March: 77°F day, 52°F night
- • April-June: 70°F day, 41°F night
- • July-September: 64°F day, 40°F night
- • October-December: 75°F day, 46°F night
- • January-March: 9.37 inches
- • April-June: 12.72 inches
- • July-September: 12.24 inches
- • October-December: 7.99 inches


text:
PMI-RMP Training
Risk is the exposure to consequences of uncertainty. In project, a risk can be almost any undesirable event associated with the work. It is the chance of something happening that will have an impact upon objectives. It includes possibility of loss or gain, or variation from a desired or planned outcome, as a consequence of the uncertainty associated with following a particular course of action.
This course will train participants on project risk management; that is the development of the culture, processes and structures toward the effective management of potential opportunities and adverse effects. The participants will learn setting priorities, allocating resources, and responding with different strategies and processes in order to reduce the risk of the project not achieving its objectives. Hence providing project insight, knowledge and confidence for better decision-making, therefore better business and project outcomes, through capturing of opportunities and the reduction in risk exposure.
- The course will provide you with the tools, techniques, and practices that you can use to effectively managing project risk through planning, identifying, analyzing risk and setting priorities, allocating resources, and monitoring and controlling while responding to the risk in en efficient and effective method.
- You will learn the information you need to diagnose your team's situation and deliver an effective assessment with outstanding efficient results.
- You will learn all terms, definitions, principles, concepts, tools and techniques involved in the overall risk management process.
- You will understand the fundamentals of the (PMI-RMP)SM, Fourth Edition, by learning Risk Communications, Risk Analysis, Risk response planning, and risk governance risk framework.
- a. Explain importance of project risk management within the project life cycle
- b. Understand the project risk management best practice
- c. Develop Risk Management Plan
- d. Undertake Project Risk Analysis (Qualitative and Quantitative)
- e. Develop Project Risk Plan
- f. Monitor and Control Project Risk
- g. Prepare for the PMI-RMP Exam to become a PMI Project Risk Management Professional.
Participants will be able to complete this Project Risk Management Professional Exam Preparation with the following three major achievements:
- Mastering the Knowledge of Project Risk Management, by learning the overall terms, principles, methodology and concepts.
- Having a hands-on how the application of Project Risk Management in real projects
- Preparing for the Project Risk Management Professional Exam with the PMI to become a (PMI-RMP) professional.
The PMI-RMP demonstrates skill and competence in the specialized area of project risk management. If you're looking to fill the risk management specialist role on your project team, hone your basic project management skills and showcase your specialized expertise to employers, the PMI-RMP credential is for you.
To apply for the PMI-RMP, you need to have either:
a. A four-year degree (bachelor's or the global equivalent), with at least 3,000 hours of project risk management experience and 30 hours of project risk management education.
b. A secondary diploma (high school or the global equivalent) with at least 4,500 hours of project risk management experience and 40 hours of project risk management education


text:
kat at the compound, kat at the compound salon, kat at chrome, kat at chrome salon, kat hairstylist culver city, bumble and bumble, bb, bumble and bumble network educator, katpop, katpophair, hair painting kat at the compound, haircut kat at the compound, balayage, culver city, kat culver city, wella color culver city, color specialist culver city, hair color specialist, culver city hair salon, master colorist, Schwarzkopf hair color
co-owner + stylist
Kat made the best decision of her life to follow her dreams at 16 when she began cosmetology school while still in high school. She started working as a stylist at 18 and has continued training from Wella Professionals, Schwarzkopf and Vidal Sassoon, along with advanced courses from Bumble and bumble whom she is an in house educator for. Kat has an affinity when it comes to coloring hair and she will push your limits encouraging you to try that daring look you've always wanted, while making sure it still represents you! Kat's inspirations come from all over, but live music, fashion, desert and ocean scapes and their beautiful natural hues, textures, and lines are what help bring that magic come to life.
keep up with kat on instagram @thekatpop


text: Like GrabCAD (http://grabcad.com/), This site allows you to download STLs from a large selection of user-made files. Unlike GrabCAD, you do not need to make an account to download the 'thing's. There seems to be quite a large selection of mathematical type of objects contained within the site. Beyond that, one is able to find a large assortment of 3D objects from jewelry to gadgets. One of the things interesting I found on here was the ability to edit some of the projects and the capabilities these projects had. For example, there was a project I found that was able to take any image you wanted to make 3D and place it within a 100x100 mm square frame. (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:74322). Altogether, this site is a good go-to for quickly finding a variety of 3D printable objects.


text:
Get the Plumbing Repair You Need Right Away
From Chatsworth to your Los Angeles, CA area location
Plumbing problems tend to happen at the most inconvenient times. But don't stress out – a qualified plumber can be at your doorstep in no time at all. If you live in the greater Los Angeles area, choose Bryco Plumbing for exceptional service. We complete plumbing repairs for residential and commercial customers. Count on our certified plumber for assistance with:
- Hot water heater installation
- Tankless hot water heater services
- Faucet repair and replacement
- Toilet repair and installation
- Gas and water line service
- Sewer line repair and replacement
- Leak detection
- Drain cleaning
Providing drain cleaning solutions for your toughest clogs
Bryco Plumbing services residential and commercial clients in LA with effective and prompt drain cleaning services
Contact Us
Choose a professional plumber for the job, and you'll save time and money in the long run. It's as simple as that. Bryco Plumbing serves the entire Los Angeles area, including the San Fernando Valley, Calabasas, Encino, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Tarzana and Burbank. Trust Bryco Plumbing for all your needs and get reliable assistance right away.


text:
5 Expert Tips for Caring for Your Wardrobe
At Remodelista, we first came across Antonio Centeno (author of Real Men Real Style and founder of A Tailored Suit) on The Art of Manliness, where he dispenses advice on dress and grooming.
Centeno's mission is to change the mindset of men on how they present themselves to the world. As he points out: "We all recall Steve Jobs' uniform of black turtleneck, New Balance running shoes, and jeans. He had a uniform." Centeno, who is partial to a suit, encourages men to "find their own uniform, control and know what message to send, then do it with confidence." (Zuckerberg, he notes, is short on message.)
Part of Centeno's male mindset change includes the maintenance of a well kept wardrobe. He points out, "It's not just part of good grooming, it also saves money in the long term."
Here are 5 tips for maintaining the male wardrobe. Women take note, these rules apply to you, too.
Above: A clothing rack via Pinterest.
Above: The Pocket Clothes Brush; £5 from Objects of Use. Amazon offers the Kent Handcrafted Clothes Brush for $49.90.
1. Brushes. Invest in some good clothes brushes. Every day, particles of food and dirt get lodged in our clothing; over time, they build up and start degrading the fabric. Brush a suit or jacket after wearing to dislodge anything that may have caught in the fine particles of fabric. Every day maintenance is key to helping clothes last longer.
2. Spot dry stains. Americans tend to over wash their clothes. Notice a mark on your jacket? Spot clean at home as opposed to sending it to the dry cleaners. Each garment has a set lifespan and dry cleaning unnecessarily shortens the life of a suit. The less you subject clothing to dry cleaning, the longer your garments will last.
Above: Cedar Shoe Trees; $25 from Kaufmann Mercantile.
3. Shoe Trees. These should be mandatory with every shoe purchase. When you remove a pair of shoes, the shoe trees serve to absorb the moisture from the leather and soles and maintain the shape of the shoe that typically will be lost over years of wear without proper maintenance.
Above: The Luxury Wooden Sweater and Polo Hanger. Set of five for $75 or single hanger for $15 from the Hanger Project.
4. Hangers. Good thick wooden hangers are a great investment as they maintain the shape of shoulder. If you don't have the funds, use three or four cheap hangers bunched together. Alternatively, attach foam on the edges of the hangers.
5. Hanging clothes. Keep an inch between each piece of clothing hanging in a closet to let your garments breathe. Clothing that has been worn all day should be hung and aired out before being returned to the wardrobe.
For more of Centeno's tips, visit Remodelista.


text: Sometimes I have not heard SO-50 on late night passes. Then I key up my transmitter with a 74.4 hz tone. After that, I key my transmitter on and off with a 67hz tone while tuning the receiver set in cw mode until I find a carrier that goes on and off with my keying somewhere near where I expect the downlink to be. I then give my station ID and change the receive mode to fm. I know that SO-50 is alive and well. I don't know if it is well understood, but SO-50's downlink will only be on as long as there is a signal in the uplink with the 67hz tone on. You let up on the mike and the downlink ceases until someone else transmits. AO27 and AO51 have continuous carriers when turned on so they are easier to locate when there is little activity. (Little activity doesn't happen often here in North America on AO27 and AO51). 73, Dave W8IJ


text:
Modern architecture is truly fantastic and obviously wants to bring the man to the stars.
These weird under construction buildings – a sign that the future is near, and it will be very high and covered with glass. Do not believe me? See for yourself!
1. The Royal Tower
© www.smithgill.com
Royal Tower, exceeding the highest building in the world Burj Dubai in the United Arab Emirates at 167 meters, is being built in Saudi Arabia and will be the first building on the planet, whose height is nearing kilometers. In the project for $ 1.2 billion, which is located in Jeddah, will house luxury condominiums, office space observatory, the hotel «Four Seasons» and the world's highest terrace on the first floor of 157 (still rather far-away from the top of the building, by the way). Erection of a skyscraper was officially launched last year, and the building should be completed in 2019, the year.
© www.smithgill.com
2. Shanghai Tower
© www.qrznow.com
Construction of the 121-story Shanghai Tower in China, worth $ 4.2 billion, which began in 1993, the year ended with the beginning of this year, and now are finishing work. Now it is the second tallest building in the world, but the official opening will be in 2015, the year. Nevertheless, millions of people have seen the picture opens from the top, thanks to the dizzying pictures and videos of the two Russian daredevils illegally climb to the summit last year, and became viral on the Internet. Multifunctional skyscraper consists of nine different vertical zones and is surrounded by a layer of transparent glass cover to protect against weather conditions and natural ventilation.
3. Dubai Pearl
4. Agora Garden
5. World One
6. Center for the Study and Research of oil King Abdullah (KARSARC)
Who is closest of all this list to the ground, but no less magnificent KARSARC in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is more like a villain lair of stories about James Bond than a multinational non-profit center. Crystal-futuristic design – the brainchild of the iconic architect of Iraqi origin Zaha Hadid, who took as a basis for design of interlocking hexagonal cells. Construction on the project began in 2009, the year, and at the moment was completed only a steel frame, so it is unclear when the object is open.


text:
You have until Feb 01, 2019 to return or exchange items bought after Nov 01, 2018. All other standard return policy conditions apply.
Now Viewing:
This item is noncancelable and nonreturnable.
The RB Continental Stick Sling from Reunion Blues is designed to carry and protect your sticks. It features a Ballistic Quadraweave exterior and a quilted "double helix" velvet interior. This sling has high-strength corded edges and seams, is double-stitched with high-tensile thread, and is reinforced at tested stress points. This stick sling has an expandable interior pocket with elastic X-band for better security of sticks during transport, and adjustable bungee cords to attach to a drum. It has an adjustable padded "sling" strap for ease of transportation. The case is reinforced at tested stress points and double-stitched with extra-strength high-tensile thread, and is finished with custom-plated hardware, including industrial-strength zippers, for increased longevity.
|External Dimensions
|21.0 x 8.5 x 3.25" (53.3 x 21.6 x 8.3 cm)
|2 lb (0.9 kg)
|Packaging Info
|Package Weight
|2.0 lb
|Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
|21.5 x 9.0 x 3.3"


text:
I believe it's important to be able to manage more than 3 decks in Clash Royale at a time. Furthermore you should be able to share those decks with the community. You should be able to have your deck audited by your peers as well as
programatically. Here at Clash Royale Deck Builder we keep adding on new things that allow you to review, manage and create new Clash Royale Decks that will help you to do just that.
The main goal is to make you a better player. By creating a deck we hope that you can refine it and make it more effective. The more effective your deck gets the more the community can use it and become better together. Add comments, videos and a
good detailed guide to improve your chances at becoming one of the most reknown decks on Clash Royale Deck Builder!


text:
|Home | About | Contact | Vitamins for Schizophrenia
I did take my meds early intending to sleep. Instead I must complete my math homework as I will not have time to complete it tomorrow evening after work. Also it is due before my work ends Friday. I also am too excited to sleep. I did lie down with my wife and we rested and then I got up and started working on the computers. My wife helped me meditate for about an hour rest.
I ate a large bowl of suc de le creme my wife made. This relaxed me but is bad for my teeth. I just made a pot of coffee. I will have an instant black bean soup some time overnight and I might make some kraft dinner too.Posted by petert at April 11, 2007 11:59 PM


text:
Li Chao
|Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
Yifan Hou vs Li Chao, 2011 0-1
Li Chao vs Wang Hao, 2016 1-0
Li Chao vs Wang Hao, 2006 1-0
M Santos Ruiz vs Li Chao, 2016 0-1
Li Chao vs Jakovenko, 2017 1/2-1/2
G Sargissian vs Li Chao, 2009 0-1
B Munguntuul vs Li Chao, 2014 0-1
Li Chao vs R Bellin, 2016 1-0
Li Chao vs L Lenic, 2016 1-0
Eljanov vs Li Chao, 2016 0-1
NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
Corus Group C (2010)
Scandinavian Chess Tournament (2007)
Reykjavik Open (2014)
2nd Indonesia Open Chess Championship (2012)
Chinese League (2011)
Queenstown Chess Classic (2012)
Tradewise Gibraltar (2014)
World Cup (2009)
Tradewise Gibraltar (2016)
Bundesliga 2014/15 (2014)
World Junior Championship (2006)
World Junior Championship (Boys) (2005)
World Junior Championship (2008)
Chess Olympiad (2012)
Pro Chess League (2018)
GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
Gr�nfeld by Karaokcu
🏆 Chess Olympiad Li Chao vs S Shankland (Oct-05-18) 1/2-1/2
K Dragun vs Li Chao (Oct-04-18) 0-1
J van Foreest vs Li Chao (Oct-02-18) 1/2-1/2
Li Chao vs A Korobov (Oct-01-18) 1/2-1/2
Li Chao vs A Firouzja (Sep-30-18) 1/2-1/2
Search Sacrifice Explorer for Li Chao
Search Google for Li Chao
FIDE player card for Li Chao
NOTE: You need to pick a username and password to post a reply.
Getting your account takes less than a minute, totally anonymous,
and 100% free--plus, it
entitles you to features otherwise unavailable.
Pick your username now and join the chessgames community!
If you already have an account, you should login now.
Please observe our posting guidelines:
NOTE: Keep all discussion on the topic of this page. This forum is for this specific player and nothing else. If you want to discuss chess in general, or this site, you might try the Kibitzer's Café.
|Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.


text:
Marketing & Advertising
"Discounts or free sessions within a timescale, or as part of a seasonal offer, give your potential client a reason to book with your therapy business as soon as possible."
On March 1st 2011, online advertising will be under closer scrutiny. Find out how this will affect health practitioners, businesses and training courses.
We get asked all the time how do people find GoToSee? Well the important point to make is we don't market ourselves or our brand.
GoToSee run one of the largest CPC campaigns in the UK for the health and therapy sector and can provide you with an affordable service that works.
What is an email signature and why is it important to have one? This article explains how to go about creating a signature for all your outgoing emails
Therapists need to know where their business is coming from to ensure any advertising and marketing investment is cost-effective
A successful therapist marketing campaign needs powerful online advertising. GoToSee can help with the marketing of your practice, business or college.
"GoToSee is the leading UK directory for complementary therapy and alternative medicine practitioners. Join us and start seeing the benefits."
"To successfully market your therapy practice online you should utilise reciprocal linking with other quality websites in your sector such as GoToSee."
"The first impression of your therapy practice can be the difference between attracting new clients or missing out on potential business."
How to brand your business. Brand marketing advice for complementary therapists.
When looking at creating a brand for marketing your complementary therapy practice you need to pin down exactly what your 'brand' will be and what you will offer.
Taking your brand forwards, you need to put the time and effort in to develop it and you should consider a broad variety of links ups.
Business advice from GoToSee
GoToSee do not work with any other third parties. Read this article to learn how you can ensure you're dealing with a reputable company.
If you're practising as a therapist in the private healthcare sector you'll require a range of insurances to cover you against potential claims or loss.
Writing an article for GoToSee can help increase exposure of your practice leading to more enquiries and potential clients.
"Avoid being scammed over the phone or via email with this advice from GoToSee – the UK's leading alternative medicine and complementary therapy directory."
"Once you've set up your GoToSee listing, how do you go about writing content for your profile page? In this article, we'll explain how."
"Once you've signed up with GoToSee, how do you make your profile page a powerful and effective tool for attracting potential clients? This article will show you how."
Learn how to make your GoToSee profile page a powerful and effective tool for attracting potential clients
Learn how to write effective content for your GoToSee profile page
Having a website for your therapy business is essential for attracting new clients.
GoToSee can deliver a low cost professional website including hosting & support.
For more information click here
Once you've read about therapist marketing, take a look at the rest of our health articles. Why not write one yourself?


text:
2,500th Think City – Click above for high-res image
Things are going well for Think right now. The 2,500th City electric vehicle has rolled off the production line in Valmet, Finland making the car, in Think CEO Barry Engle's words, "the best-selling electric car in the world today." What's more exciting, though, is that the company's U.S. production plans are looking to be moving up. Instead of a possible 2013 opening, Think's Elkhart, IN plant should be making the third-generation City should by 2011. The plant will start operations by doing "final assembly" of 500 City vehicles later this year. These vehicles will be shipped from Finland as gliders (i.e., without parts of the powertrain) and be given their EnerDel batteries and other U.S.-sourced components in Indiana. Think had originally planned to ship the batteries to Finland and then ship the completed cars to "select customers" in the U.S., but changed its plans.
A Think spokesperson told AutoblogGreen that:
The U.S.-bound Think City models will use a new Enerdel lithium ion battery in place of the old Zebra battery. The American-made battery has a capacity of 25 kilowatt-hours, which gives the Think a nominal 100-mile range on a charge.Think is readying the Elkhart plant to complete assembly work on largely built-up vehicles that are arriving from the Valmet Plant in Finland. Sales to U.S. customers will begin in December, with most of the first cars to be sold to fleets.
Note that the comments that follow the [ETruth] story for some reason include the wildly inaccurate claim that THINK is seeking a $25 billion loan from the government. While the company has never dimensioned the dollar amount of the loan it is seeking from the Department of Energy, it is safe to say that it is nowhere near that amount!
Think is apparently using 95 percent of the battery's capacity, which could have some negative consequences on the lifespan of the battery pack. The new battery does provide higher power and a faster charging rate than the zebra battery. The performance of the Think is still pretty limited – a top speed of just 68 miles per hour – but a Green Car Advisor crew did manage to get 43.5 miles of fairly aggressive driving with 38 percent of the battery charge left. That works out to a range of 75 miles in similar conditions. No U.S. pricing or official launch date has been announced yet, but Think obviously wants to get here as quickly as its little wheels can roll.
[Source: ETruth, Green Car Advisor]
Electric Vehicle Maker THINK Builds 2,500th World's Best-Selling City Model
Company Gears Up for December Sales Launch of the Famed Car in U.S.
OSLO, Norway (October 11, 2010) – THINK, the world's leading dedicated electric vehicle manufacturer, announces the production of the 2,500th unit of the THINK City pure electric vehicle, designed for urban use.
"This milestone event further solidifies the THINK City as the best-selling electric car in the world today," commented THINK CEO Barry Engle.
The 2,500th City came off the assembly line today at Oslo-based THINK's production facility in Europe, where the vehicle has been fully highway safety certified since 1999. THINK engineers estimate that the City has accumulated 35 million zero-emissions road miles to date. The company has begun preparations to build the sturdy and reliable two-seat commuter at a plant in the American heartland in Elkhart, Indiana and plans to launch fleet and retail sales in December.
"Bringing this well-established electric nameplate to America for the first time is a landmark event in THINK's long history," added Engle. "As electric transportation goes mainstream, the U.S. stands to become the largest electric car market in the world. We expect the tried-and-tested City to be among the most visible EVs on America's streets and highways in the very near future."
THINK has been a unique innovator in pure electric vehicle and power-train technology for nearly twenty years, positioning the company as a world-leader in producing cars on a dedicated electric platform. The City can maintain speeds of 70 miles per hour and travel up to 100 miles on a single charge.
The THINK City model is currently in its second production version. A third version is scheduled to be produced in the U.S. and come on the market in late 2012. European production of the City takes place in Finland at the renowned contract manufacturer Valmet Automotive, which also assembles the Cayman model for Porsche AG.
Photo Caption: Staff at Valmet celebrates production of the milestone 2,500th THINK City – the world's best-selling electric car.
About THINK:
THINK is a pioneer in electric vehicles and a leader in electric vehicle technology, developed and proven over 20 years. This heritage gives THINK a head start with nearly 10,000 electric vehicles on the road and more than 56 million kilometres (35 million miles) of customer experience. The THINK City, the first EV to be granted pan–European regulatory safety approval, is sold across Europe, with sales and production about to start in the US and operations being developed in Asia.
THINK is also a leader in electric drive-system technology, and was the first to offer a modular and flexible EV drive-train solution in the business-to-business sector. With its Scandinavian origins and sustainability mindset, THINK is one of the most carbon-efficient car companies in the world.


text:
2017 Adelaide Yearling Sale
Pedigree SummaryType: Yearling
Bonus Schemes: Super VOBIS Nominated
Buyer: Psd $12,000 Res $20,000
Price: $12,000
Vendor: Kelly Thoroughbreds, Cobains, Vic
Colour: Bay
Significant Pedigree UpdatesSister to Carlingford (2013.c. by Magnus-Fanza, by Bellotto-Canned Music).
1st Seymour RC Parker Bros Earthmoving H.
1st Yarra Valley RC Greensborough RSL Maiden P.
Half-Sister to Lord Sundowner (2014.c. by Hard Spun-Fanza, by Bellotto-Canned Music).
2nd Seymour RC JBL Catering Maiden 2YO P.
From the same family as Hellbent (2012.c. by I Am Invincible-Volkaspray, by Volksraad-Spraypaint).
3rd VRC (Flemington) Kensington S. L
4th MRC (Caulfield) Oakleigh P. Gr.1
4th MRC (Caulfield) Rubiton S. Gr.2


text:
Wow!! I can't believe my baby will be 8 weeks old tomorrow!! Time flies & I don't seem to find time to update my blog near as often as I should. We have had a rough 8 weeks, but we're getting into a routine now.
Avery had severe reflux for the first 5 weeks of her life. We tried 3 different formulas, but nothing seemed to work. For the past few weeks she has been throwing up about every other time she ate. This really concerned Ben & I, but the Dr. didn't seem all that concerned saying that some babies have problems with reflux, so on and so forth. She went to the Dr. before we left for the beach & she was just now back up to her birth weight, so we decided to increase her calories so she'll put on some weight. Well what he suggested didn't work b/c it was more formula (which her stomach couldn't handle & would throw up). So, then we tried putting a little rice cereal in her bottle to make it thicker thinking maybe it would stay down easier. Things got a little better, but she was still throwing up often. (Side note: She wasn't just spitting up...it was like vomiting her whole bottle back up) So, I called the Dr. back while we were in Florida & made it clear that things were still not working. So, now we're trying her on Zantac for reflux. She's been on the meds for two weeks & she has made a complete 360. Today marks a week that she has not spit up!!!! She's on Infamil A.R. which is for babies who spit up frequently, rice cereal & the Zantac. I read where some babies have reflux b/c their esophagus muscles aren't strong enough to keep down food. Hopefully this medicine will help build those muscles & she'll start putting on some weight & growing like she's suppose to. I stepped on the scale with her the other day & it said she weighs 9 lbs. I'm not sure how accurate that is. She goes back to the doctor for her shots & check up on Oct. 16th.
We went to Natchitoches to take some family pictures on Sunday!! Here are a few. Hope you enjoy.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Time flies...
Wow!! I can't believe my baby will be 8 weeks old tomorrow!! Time flies & I don't seem to find time to update my blog near as often as I should. We have had a rough 8 weeks, but we're getting into a routine now.
at 8:54 AM
1 comments:
- Vaughn Family Blog said...
hey Rachel,
glad you found time to blog in your new crazy life!! don't be too concerned with the spitting up (my second did the same thing...tried several formulas, ended up on meds, still on soymilk now at 2 1/2) and try not to do much research on the internet because you can't beleive anything you read (I am a certified pediatric RN in a critical care setting). If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to help and avoid the medical jargon :)
She is beautiful!!! Hope you and Dad are getting a little rest!!
- October 9, 2008 at 7:17 PM


text:
This post is a summary of the most common support cases that we have been hearing so far in the area of DPM Protection Agent installation on a target server. We capture the following here in the excel sheet attached – common issues, why they fail, and the quick resolution steps to get past these issues. Hope this is useful, and let us know your feedback to make this better in future.
– Mukul Shekhawat, Balaji Hariharan


text:
Greeting message - H.E. Prof. Dr. Srđan Darmanović
Dear participants and guests of the Forum,
In this historic year which will be remembered as a year when Montenegro achieved one of its main foreign policy goals, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the 7th To Be Secure Forum, which serves as a platform for exchanging opinions on complex regional, but also global security and integration issues. I am happy that the Forum has gained its place in the calendar of prestigious security conferences in South East Europe and I am confident that this year's topics, as well as the repute and expertise of the participants will give significant contribution to finding ways to respond to modern challenges.
By joining NATO, which is expected at the beginning of next month, Montenegro will reach the end of the decade long process of Euro-Atlantic integration. After the Protocol on Montenegro's Accession to NATO was signed by member states in Brussels on May 19th 2016, I am extremely pleased to point out that the Protocol ratification process in member states will terminate in less than a year, which is another confirmation of how highly allies appreciate the reforms implemented in Montenegro, as well as a confirmation of trust. This dynamics gains significantly in importance when we take into consideration that this was accomplished in extremely complicated international conditions and in the time of important elections and referendums within the Euro-Atlantic community. Following that dynamics, at the very end of the process, at a session held on April 28th in Cetinje, the Parliament of Montenegro decided for Montenegro to enter the Euro-Atlantic family and adopted the Draft Law on the Ratification of the North Atlantic Treaty. This will allow Montenegro to participate at the NATO Summit on May 25th as a full-fledged member, which will mark the beginning of cooperation on new, more responsible bases, with, now officially, its allies.
There is no doubt that the full-fledged membership of Montenegro in the Alliance will represent a significant encouragement to the process of its European Integration as well. While marking five years after opening the accession negotiations with the EU, with 26 open Chapters and great expectations to open two more in June, Montenegro is slowly entering the final but a more demanding stage of integration. I believe that a successful continuation of the Berlin process will add value, but also content, to the existing mechanisms in the process of European Integration of the Western Balkans, thus contributing to better economic and infrastructural relations between these countries.
In the period ahead of us, as a NATO member state and a forefront in the process of European Integration, Montenegro will continue, even more responsibly, to contribute to further enhancing cooperation in the region, by numerous regional incentives, among which the US-Adriatic Charter has an important role. Members of the Army of Montenegro in the mission "Resolute Support" in Afghanistan give individual, as well as collective contribution. We are confident that the new initiative Trilateral will result in projects of interest to the Adriatic.
I wish you a successful work and a pleasant stay in Budva and in Montenegro.
Prof. Dr. Srđan Darmanović
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro


text:
I walk very warm, even in cool weather. I find it easy to get too hot when heading off up a hill. I spend most of my time walking on the hill with just a long sleeved base layer for a top. Other than that, I only usually where a waterproof and a wind shirt if the weather demands. But as Autumn and then Winter sets in, these layers aren't enough.
Most of the softshells I look at are quite heavy and make me feel warm just to look at them. They would be okay for me in the depths of Winter, but what about Autumn and the normal winter days. I came across the Rab Vapour-Rise Lite Alpine jacket and thought it seemed worth a try. It's a lot lighter than most softshells. It's a little lighter than my Montane Dyno, at around 360g compared to the Dyno's 400g,which I assume from Rab will be for the size Large. But even though it's lighter, the Tricot lining should add to both the thermal and wicking capabilities of the jacket.
First Impressions
The jacket does seem a little flimsy when you try it on for the first time. It's outer material is Pertex Equilibrium in a much lighter form than the Pertex Equilibrium Eco that makes up the Montane Dyno. The fit is slim, but seems to fit me fine. I like how light the jacket is, you hardly notice you are wearing it. The fit and finish of the jacket seems like a very high quality.
I've recently been into a popular outdoor retailers and witnessed some absolutely shocking stitching on some trousers from a well known maker. A company that probably sells vast amounts of these trousers. Trousers that I once bought a pair of and there was no button on them to fasten them up. There was no sign that one had EVER been attached. So the Vapour-Rise gets the thumbs up on first impressions.
Working from the top down. The hood, designed to go under helmets is roomy with a wired peak to help keep out the elements.
|Hood wired peak.
There is an adjustable draw cord at the back of the hood for volume. Either side of the hood has draw cords to allow the hood to be closed down. The hood can be stowed away using a buckled strap.
|Rear hood volume adjuster.
|Double hood adjusters.
|Hood retention strap.
There are two YKK zipped Napoleon type chest pockets on the outside with quite a lot of room in them, big enough to hold a map or guide book. There is also a small YKK zipped pocket inside the jacket on the left which would take a phone, energy bar, or similarly sized pieces of kit.
|Double Napoleon YKK Zippered pockets.
|Inside YKK Zippered pocket.
The arms have plenty of room in them so as to permit reaching for holds etc when scrambling so as not to lift the jacket. The sleeves are adjustable using Velcro straps with a narrow section that is elasticated to make them more comfortable and give more flexibility.
|Sleeve adjuster and elasticated section.
The hem of the jacket has draw cord adjusters on both the left and right sides allowing for easy cinching down to keep out the wind and cold.
|One of the two hem adjusters.
The main zip is a YKK system with double zipper pulls to allow venting at the bottom of the jacket.
|Double YKK Main Zipper.
In Use
|Me on the Summit of Blencathra wearing the Vapour Rise Lite.
As far as wearing the jacket goes, it's down to when and where. I find that anything below around 12 degrees centigrade (about 53.6 degrees Fahrenheit), with an active base layer top, is the point at which I can start to wear the Vapour Rise in an active role. Above that and it gets way too warm. The Tricot lining does an excellent job of helping to keep me warm and dry. And working with the Pertex Equilibrium outer, keep the wind out.
The hood is very good, but, and there is a but, when considering the next jacket I will be reviewing, also by Rab. The hood, I think, could have been made more articulated, to turn with the head. I have bought a Rab waterproof to compliment the Vapour Rise that I feel has a far superior hood as far as articulation is concerned. I think the Vapour Rise would have benefited greatly from a hood that matched. I'm not saying it's bad, I just don't think it is as good as it could have been.
The pockets on the jacket have been more than useful. They are of a good size and hold maps, gloves and other items without a problem. The left hand pocket also has a small webbing strap in it around 2 inches long which would be useful for securing keys etc. The inside pocket will take my android mobile phone and possibly the new generation of larger screened phones.
The arms have plenty of room and have been up to the job when scrambling. The sleeves with their straps and elastic have been good at keeping an adequate level of tension around the wrist to keep out the wind and keep in warm air.
I find the hem adjustment easy to make, both in and out, again helping to keep out the elements and control, to some extent, body temperature. This task has been helped even further by the double zipper, allowing for venting at the bottom of the jacket.
As far as wear and tear goes, the jacket has, up till now, coped well. It's had to deal with a couple of tumbles in really wet weather, the riggers of scrambling in the Lake District and mud a bogs in the Peak District. So at this moment in time, as of writing this article, it has sustained no visible damage. The shoulder and waist material also seems to be coping with the weight of a 22 litre and a 44 litre rucksack with average load outs.
The jacket, for me, is of about the right weight (thermally) for use in the Autumn and Winter months in the UK. Or higher altitude walking in the warmer months where the temperature is cooler and there is a little more airflow from wind. Low altitude in Spring and Summer, the Vapour Rise Lite is a no go. But then, logically, this would probably be about right, as Rab seem to aim it as a Summer Alpine Softshell.
Would I recommend it, that depends on your own particular system. If you tend to be on the cold side then a heavier jacket may be more suitable for winter, with the Vapour Rise Lite as a jacket for the warmer months. What I definitely know is that the heavier weight Softshells tend to be far too warm for me to use in the UK. The Vapour Rise, similarly to the Montane Dyno, just about hits the spot. Just a shame about that hood.


text:
My Country versus Me (Book)
My Country versus Me
In "My Country Versus Me", Dr. Lee had repeatedly admitted to the security infraction that he committed, and he was even man enough to say that he deserved some kind of punishment for the mishandling of data. But the whole point of the book, and the most important lesson one could learn from the entire affair, was the cruel and unusual torture he suffered as a result of rampant anti-Chinese racism, fed by paranoia as well as ingrained prejudices in those who persecuted him and aided in his persecution.
From the whole book only one thing has been made clear: former Director of the CIA John Deutch should probably have gone to prison for engaging in pretty much the same illegal activity as Wen Ho Lee. Does that strike you as a non sequitir? Well, unfortunately this book does not have an index, and I failed to keep track, but I would estimate that Mr. Deutch is mentioned at least 40 times in these pages, as Mr. Lee constructs a defense that is apparently based in large part on the theory which I've been told since I was four years old that no responsible human being is allowed to fall back on that: "everybody else did it, so why punish me?"
What Mr. Lee did, and he admits as much in the book, was to make backup tapes of his work on nuclear weapons at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. He claims that he did so solely for the purposes of protecting his work in case of computer failure, which he says had previously caused him to lose work. But even he acknowledges that:
Many well-meaning people, including my friends and former colleagues, think that I downloaded the tapes to have work product in case I needed to find a new job... (Wen Ho Lee, 2002)
He further admits that: "I didn't want people to know I had the files or the tapes, because I knew they were not proper and would probably be a security infraction." (Wen Ho Lee, 2002)
None of this self-admitted guilt would necessarily have mattered though assuming that his assertion that this was a common practice is correct had not Mr. Lee already been under suspicion by federal authorities.
He had first appeared on investigators' radar screens in the early 1980s when contacted a fellow scientist who was suspected of spying for China. Accounts differ as to how forthcoming Mr. Lee was in initial interviews surrounding that episode, but he eventually co-operated with authorities in their investigation. A book that has been published almost simultaneously with this one, A Convenient Spy: Wen Ho Lee and the Politics Of Nuclear Espionage By Dan Stober and Ian Hoffman, states that Mrs. Lee worked as an informant for the CIA and FBI in the mid-80s, while employed at the lab, and that she too breached security by copying files and, at one point, intentionally destroyed classified files during a dispute with her boss. He says that he had significant memory loss for almost two years afterwards (Rhoda Barkan, 2003). Further adding to the cloud of suspicion around Mr. Lee were meetings he had here and in China with the scientists developing China's nuclear weaponry; a consultancy position he held with a Taiwanese company; several bank accounts he opened in Taiwan; his attempt to access his Los Alamos files from Taiwan; and one assumes we can concede Mr. Lee's point that his ethnicity combined with the fact that China had stolen American nuclear secrets led to him being racially profiled.
As a result of all of these factors, Mr. Lee was investigated, interrogated, and even polygraphed by the FBI and unfortunately managed to cast even greater suspicion on himself by how he handled this turn of events. In one of the most bizarre moments in a crime melodrama that does not lack for oddities, Mr. Lee seems to have gone to his computer on the night of the initial polygraph interrogation (December 23, 1998) in order to delete classified files. As if this was not sufficiently dubious, he also attempted to enter the lab at 3:30 in the morning on Christmas Eve, even though his clearance had been revoked subsequent to the prior day's interrogation. (Wen Ho Lee with Helen Zia, 2001)
Now, it is obviously the case that none of this shows that Mr. Lee was in fact a spy for anybody, nor that he ever shared with anyone the materials that he had improperly copied. But it is Mr. Lee's repulsive position that despite this series of rather sketchy behaviors he was singled out for suspicion of spying solely because of his Chinese background (he was born in Taiwan) and that nearly the entire government case against him was the product of racial animus. This is a patent absurdity. Even conceding that suspicion of him was exacerbated by his race, any reasonable person looking at the facts as Mr. Lee himself lays them out would be forced to say that he was a logical target of the investigation. (The Scientific Research Society, 2005)
Instead of conceding the seemingly obvious point that someone who has at least mishandled sensitive nuclear data and has met with the head of our enemy's nuclear program, on their soil, is an automatic suspect Mr. Lee treats us to repeated assertions that it was unjust for anyone to suspect him, that the unfairness of the way he was treated is amply demonstrated by the different treatment that John Deutsch received, and that the whole sorry case shows that Americans still seethe with a hatred of Chinese Americans. It is perhaps unfortunate that he chose Helen Zia as his coauthor, as this last is one of her themes, and may not reflect his own feelings. Nonetheless, the book descends into a wallow of self pity and reverses racism that grows tiresome quickly.
There's also a bizarre quality to certain portions of his argument that seem to take a "so what if I did do it" approach. When explaining why he thought it was important to make backups, he alludes to the importance of his work to America and the nuclear program. But when the prosecution charges him with copying important data, he says it was really junk. Presumably, we are to believe that although he did do something technically wrong, it really didn't matter because the information was useless anyway. Likewise, when the government changed its theory of the case to reflect the possibility that he had been spying for Taiwan instead of China, he seems to believe that the fact that Taiwan is an ally would mitigate against a prosecution. Tell it to Jonathan Pollard.
Unfortunately, no one comes out of this tale with any glory. The FBI and the Justice Department made a complete hash of the case against Wen Ho Lee. At least one FBI agent actually lied to the federal judge overseeing the case and he should certainly be prosecuted for abusing his power. Meanwhile, government officials used what has become an accepted practice, though it remains repellent, of leaking stories to the press about the theory and progress of the case, which tended to portray Mr. Lee in a worse light than he necessarily deserved. Lee a spy before anything had been proven, indeed before he'd even been officially charged with such things which he never was. In all these areas, the institutions we depend on served Mr. Lee, us, and the truth poorly.
Two specific complaints of Mr. Lee seem to me to be without much merit though. Firstly, he is particularly exercised over an interrogation where an FBI agent dwelt on the fact that the Rosenbergs were executed because they were atomic spies (Stephen I. Schwartz, 2002). The government later said that this had been inappropriate but one wonders why. If you had a murder suspect in custody and were trying to get information from him you'd be inclined to mention the severity of the troubles he faced, right? It is hard to see what was so heinous about telling a suspected spy that his future was potentially quite bleak unless he cooperated.
Secondly, Mr. Lee resents having been sent to prison and the measures, including solitary confinement and limited communication with the outside world that was used against him. In all, he spent 278 days in custody. As a threshold matter, this seems like a reasonable, perhaps even lenient, sentence for someone who endangered national security and who did something (we may never know what) with nuclear data that he downloaded improperly. His repeated refusal to account for all the tapes that he had made certainly gave the government grounds to worry that he might still intend to turn them over to someone. (Stephen I. Schwartz, 2002)
Beyond these specific complaints against the government, Mr. Lee has a bone to pick with America itself, hence the book title. As mentioned above, he feels that his treatment at the hands of the government and the press makes a larger statement about the status of Chinese Americans, which is, in his opinion, a decidedly second class status. Though he says he was never political prior to this whole fiasco, he now appreciates the importance of Asian Americans banding together to assert their solidarity and nascent political clout. In one appalling example from the book, he cites with approval a call by the Association of Asian American Studies for Asian American scientists to boycott federal laboratories to protest his case. He seems oblivious to the fact that this leaves him in the untenable position of denouncing the American people for suspecting that Chinese Americans may be inclined to have some residual loyalty to China, while he's applauding the decision of a group of Asian Americans to place ethnic solidarity in front of American national security. How can one be anything but contemptuous of such a naked appeal to race by someone who is simultaneously complaining of racism?
Ultimately, the case was disposed of when Mr. Lee pled guilty to one charge and time served. Then began the ugly round of firings, recriminations, hearings, press exposes, and general blame-shifting, as government functionaries who once thought they had hold of a career making case discovered that instead they had only a low level perp and a massive political disaster. For all Mr. Lee's anger, the system would seem to have worked, however imperfectly. He was convicted and served time for the crime he says he committed, but beat the rap on the stuff he says he didn't do. It may not be a process that was much fun to watch, but in the end it made the sausage.
In conclusion, in the rest book, that will be followed apparently, presumably hagiographic, movie effectively refuting the old adage that "Crime does not pay", has not been infuriating enough, Mr. Lee closes with a statement that is truly shocking: "I do not regret making the tapes" If Mr. Lee was in any way willing to take responsibility for the wrong that he had done, it might be possible to muster some sympathy for the ordeal that he went through. But here he practically throws his misbehavior back in our faces. What response is left to us in light of this lack of basic contrition but to say: we do not regret sending him to prison.
No comments yet.