text:
Something Amazing
by M. Clarke
Meet Rachel and Jackson in this amazing addition to the Something Great Series!
**Can be read as stand-alone -
to get the full story start from Something Great, book 1.**
to get the full story start from Something Great, book 1.**
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1wkU9HL Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1ycpjlr
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1tw1o9N Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1vC6s0R
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/15NSgID iTunes: http://bit.ly/1rSzM3P
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1wozal4 Google Play: http://bit.ly/1DnKeoQ
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1tAg2gb
RELEASE DATE: January 11th
Some nights have passion, some waves leave you wet, but everything is sexy at Knight Fashion Magazine...
From the International Bestselling, Reader's Favorite Award winning author of My Clarity; M. Clarke has readers plunge into the depths of romance and desire with Rachel and Jackson's story.
No one said breaking up was easy, but escaping to Kauai only adds to Rachel Miller's confusion when fate collides her with Jackson Clark. He's everything Rachel wants—confident, charismatic, and in charge—but his past catches up to them, creating rough waves that seems impossible to calm. Will their love for each other be strong enough or will it crash against the shore?
View the Something Amazing Book Trailer HERE: http://vimeo.com/112017360
"It's raining," Stacey said out loud all of sudden.
Rain splashed on us, only it wasn't rain.
"Did you see me, Hendrix?" a deep, manly voice asked, causing all sorts of tingles in me just from the sound of his voice.
"Ugh." Hendrix wiped his face and gave each of us a towel. "Must you flip your hair and shake like a dog? No, I didn't see you." He sounded annoyed, then softened his tone when he turned to us. "I was too busy staring at these two beautiful ladies in front of me. One that is off limits and the other one that needs a lot of hands on."
Stacey blushed and giggled like a schoolgirl. Since my back was to this stranger, my face didn't get as wet as theirs, but when I peered up after I wiped myself off … holy shit! It was the guy from the swimming pool.
Our eyes locked for the first time, but neither of us looked away. In fact, his dark chocolate eyes grew, and small dimples appeared on both of his cheeks when his lips curled wider. His stare was so strong and intense that he might as well have fucked me with it. All sorts of butterflies fluttered in my stomach and spread to every nerve in my body, sending electrifying tingles everywhere. And seeing stubble along his strong jawline produced another shudder within me.
"Hi there." His grin got wider and hotter. "Sorry about that." He sounded sincere. When he leaned closer to my ear, my heart drummed faster, and I lost my breath. Heat infused through me, and I was trying really hard to compose myself. Before I could move away, he whispered slowly and sensually, "Did I make you wet? I can fix that for you." His words came out hot and playful, intended only for me to hear, each word accentuated with warm puffs in my ear.
SOMETHING GREAT (Book One)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/15bS6FY
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/mzo67sv
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1BM9DW2
iTunes: http://bit.ly/1oihReb
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/VIgkaC
View a Beautiful Book Trailer HERE
SOMETHING WONDERFUL (Book Two)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1eHcAxE
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/MDbbfh
iTunes: http://bit.ly/1oihReb
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1l1V3nU
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1mwMSLR
SOMETHING FOREVER (Book Three)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1l13EY1
B & N: http://bit.ly/YIWoWS
iTunes: http://bit.ly/1saMntTT
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1t0J5O3
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1rfVucD
About the author
Mary Ting resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book-No Bullies Allowed
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaryTing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crossroadsbook
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryTing
Website: http://www.authormaryting
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mting888/boards/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/authormaryting
Never miss an update. Join M. Clarke's mailing list Here
$25 Gift Card
Signed Set of Something Great Series
a Rafflecopter giveaway
SHARE LINK: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MDk5NjRmMDM5ZDM4YTBjYWM0YzAyYzM0NGI2ODRhOjU2Nw==/?


text:
Today, a teenage boy asked Sports Illustrated model Kate Upton to prom via YouTube. Of course he did.
Whether it's Mila Kunis or Betty White or Justin Timberlake or Upton, asking A-listers to dances via the internet has become as much of an irritating web meme as, say, "Harlem Shake" or "Gangnam Style." Just like those two viral crazes, what was once charming and cute and easy to gush about and silly fun is now tiresome and expired. Oppa enough already.
That's not to say that this boy's proposal isn't adorable. In fact, if we're talking modern crazes, you may even call it "adorkable." A high school senior in Los Angeles, Jake Davidson is, as he describes in his high-register, nasally voice, "Jewish, 5'9" on a really good day, and I can't dance. At all." Upton, he points out, is "Christian, 5'10," and the star of a "Cat Daddy" dance video so captivating it "should've won an Oscar for best short film." Wryly self-deprecating, he deadpans (while shaving his already baby-smooth face, "You could say this is destiny."
Other scenes meant to impress the supermodel find Davidson listing the things they have in common—she's on the cover of Sports Illustrated, he reads it—while doing push-ups and showing off his body in the shower, presumably to impress Upton. "We can ride along all night long—'til 11. That's my curfew," he says, before getting on bended knee while holding a dozen roses to invite her to his prom.
Upton already tweeted that she's game, "How could I turn down that video! I'll check my schedule." Typically, such a good-natured display of support for her fans and willingness to be categorically non-diva-ish—what could be less glamorous for a millionaire supermodel than a high school prom?—would inspire all kinds of internet geeking out over how cool that celebrity is for being willing to grant this charmingly optimistic boy his wish. The thing is, however, we're tired of geeking out about it. Now, it's just annoying.
In 2011, the world swooned when Justin Timberlake accepted U.S. Marine Cpl. Kelsey DeSantis's YouTube invitation to attend the Marine Corps Birthday Ball with her in Richmond, Virginia. Mila Kunis scored just as many cool points when she attended the Marine Corp Ball in Greenville, North Carolina with a fan. Then the floodgates opened.
Sure, each request was a genuine display of affection towards the star being asked, and some were even heartwarming. But there were just. So. Many. Betty White was asked out to a Marine Ball. Taylor Swift was invited to prom by a high schooler with leukemia, but instead asked him to accompany her to the Academy of Country Music Awards because she couldn't attend. (His illness prevented him from going.) A 17-year-old's "One Less Lonely Prom" video extended a school dance invite to Justin Bieber. Nick Jonas also received a personalized invite set to music.
Once upon a time, "she's (or he's) out of my league" was a resigned notion. Now it's become a dare. The challenge is to create a YouTube invite so charming that it will go viral and catch the celebrity paramour's attention. It's almost genius—so much good will is funneled towards the wide-eyed teen behind the video that the celebrity couldn't possibly say no without risking a damanged reputation. At the very least, he or she is required to muster an easily verifiable "my schedule won't allow it" excuse.
Even Kunis alluded to this when she was asked to attend a wedding by a fish-out-of-water BBC interviewer. Well aware that she's risking the reputation of once-go-to-the-ball, always-go-to-the-ball, she shrugs, "Well, I've gone to a Marine Ball, so what's another. Apparently, I say yes to everything when put on the spot." But then, when informed the wedding is June, that perfect excuse: "I'm actually working."
Her good-natured frustration—but frustration nonetheless—is understandable. The social media/viral age makes people "feel entitled" to ask out celebrities, says Christine Monnier, professor of sociology at College of DuPage. "Social networking platforms have a leveling effect and tend to make hierarchies disappear. They are only one link away from that celebrity."
Why risk the lonely humiliation of being rejected by the head cheerleader at her locker when you could have millions of Twitter users rally around you and the hot date of your dreams—especially if that hot date is a supermodel?
Hopefully, Upton does make time in her schedule to attend this prom, and with all luck Davidson gets to feel like a stud for the day. But once this unlikely couple is done grooving to "Last Dance," can we please call a moratorium on YouTube prom invitations? They're as played out as that song.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
MADISON, Wis. – When No. 25 Wisconsin needs a stop, linebacker Chris Borland is usually there to make the play or rally his teammates.
He's the Badgers' old-school leader on defense. A tough, hard-nosed player who's never far from the ball.
Borland will be Illinois' problem this weekend. The Badgers (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) visit Champaign on Saturday night.
Illini offensive coordinator Bill Cubit says he loves to watch Borland play, but he's going to hate facing him because Borland "plays college football the way it should be played."
Borland is third in the Big Ten in tackles. He's also one forced fumble shy of tying the FBS career record of 14 shared by five players.


text:
Shuttle Computer, an industry-leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance small form factor (SFF) PC solutions and creator of the XPC, today unveiled at CES 2012 its new and upcoming line of small form factor models for gaming and media, plus cost-efficient business solution designs for digital signage, point-of-sale (POS), kiosk and cloud computing, among other applications.
Gaming and Media
Shuttle's new full-fledged XPC product line for gamers and enthusiasts takes high-performance to another level with six-core extreme performance in a pint-sized form factor. From value gaming to mainstream and high-end gaming, Shuttle XPC SA76R4, SZ68R5 and SX79R5 delivers performance and stability in the smallest footprint. For media, the 3-liter Shuttle XH61 is ideal as a media HTPC in an ultra small footprint.
Digital Signage
Shuttle's slim and all-in-one series provides a powerful, flexible digital signage solution, well-suited as a media player or content creator. Current and upcoming Shuttle slim series PC models, XS35GT V2 and its new powerful and ultra-slim addition, XS35GTA V2 and XS36, will be presented as a media player at the show. The current Shuttle X50 V2 Plus will be showcased as an interactive content creator.
POS and Kiosk
Energy-saving Shuttle solutions based on the latest Intel® Atom™ processor and a fanless design ensures a quiet and reliable POS and kiosk hardware solution for small and medium businesses. The new version of Shuttle's 15.6-inch all-in-one PC, X50 V3, and the new 18.5-inch all-in-one PC, X70, will be shown as a basic and performance POS solution, as well as a basic kiosk solution.
Private Cloud
Cloud computing is the new stage in the industry's evolution. With strong R&D experience and proven manufacturing excellence, Shuttle now delivers solutions for private cloud computing solutions for the home and business sectors. Shuttle's new line of cloud computing solutions will be unveiled for the first time at the show.
Last updated: Apr 7, 2020 at 12:06 pm CDT


text:
Adjusting Your Mirrors to Avoid Blind Spots
- August 10, 2015
- Posted by Guy Kobey
- Comments Off on Adjusting Your Mirrors to Avoid Blind Spots
For the past few years, various car makers have been offering blind-spot detection systems for their cars' side mirrors. Often complex, these systems employ cameras or radar to scan the adjoining lanes for vehicles that may have disappeared from view. (CLICK READ MORE TO WATCH THIS VIDEO ON THE NEXT PAGE)
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) published a paper in 1995 suggesting how outside mirrors could be adjusted to eliminate blind spots. The paper advocates adjusting the mirrors so far outward that the viewing angle of the side mirrors just overlaps that of the cabin's rearview mirror. This can be disorienting for drivers used to seeing the flanks of their own car in the side mirrors. But when correctly positioned, the mirrors negate a car's blind spots. This obviates the need to glance over your shoulder to safely change lanes as well as the need for an expensive blind-spot warning system.
The only problem is getting used to the SAE-recommended mirror positions. The cabin's rearview mirror is used to keep an eye on what is coming up from behind, while the outside mirrors reflect the area outside the view of the inside rearview mirror.
Those who have switched to the SAE's approach swear by it, however, some drivers can't adjust to not using the outside mirrors to see directly behind the car and miss being able to see their own car in the side mirrors. To them we say, "Have fun filling out those accident reports."


text:
Unemployment Stories, Vol. Ten: 'It Wouldn't Matter if I Just Disappeared from the Face of the Earth'
Years after the technical end of the recession, America is still mired in an unemployment crisis. Each week, we're bringing you true stories from the unemployed. This is what's happening out there.
Beginning again at 55
"Near-suicidal despair" you say?
That's a very apt term. And welcome to my world.
So many of us — old AND young —who have been thrown away know that we didn't do anything to cause our unemployment and abandonment. We know that. It still doesn't help. We do feel despair - over the unfairness, over the loss, over the lack of even some small control and power over our lives.
So many of us had very ordinary and average lives with ordinary and average incomes, and even those are just GONE.
Some days I feel awful because we have just thrown away so many people, so much (as the economists and MBAs and HR bots say) "human capital" wasted.
And some days, it's more focused on me and my losses and pain. And as much as I might try to push it away, it comes and sits right there. Because it really, really hurts and is awful to be treated like garbage or roadkill which was just simply scraped to the side of the road and left there.
Despite it all, I am trying to begin again at age 55 —after being laid off 3 times in 3 years — to build a PR consultancy. My 20 years at Stanford as a PR manager (before being laid off the first time in 2009) and time before that as a news reporter and editor should be used for something! Yes?
Some days, I get the profound and horrible feeling that the real answer is NO.
And that I am delusional and an egocentric and a giant annoyance in the cosmos and taking up space and air and it wouldn't matter if I just simply disappeared from the face of the earth. Then I wouldn't feel pain and no one would have to be bothered with another application or proposal from another "old person" who will never, ever get another opportunity out there with anyone or any business.
Yes, some days despair is all over the place and in every molecule.
It sucks.
Three majors, no hope
I graduated [recently]. I managed to do it in 4 years and graduate with three majors. I had the quintessential liberal arts-well rounded degree... I was also heavily involved in leadership, clubs, and organizations during college, I worked part-time jobs every semester, was on the dean's list every semester, presented research to a symposium... I learnt all about theory and learning to synthesize views, and all that great bullshit, but nothing about real-world applicability.
So anyways, I graduated and that's when the trouble began. I could have a conversation and debate on theoretical and abstract issues, but I was not prepared with any working skill-set whatsoever. I moved back home (which, among family drama issues, has caused a depression which has not really abated), and applied to any and all entry-level jobs I could find. One month after graduation, the only jobs I could actually find was a telemarketing job and as a companion for an elderly male. The part-time telemarketing job was for an accountant. I sat in a boiler-room with 10 other employees (all over 70), where we had to go through the phone book to ask people if they needed accountant services. It paid minimum wage/no benefits or job security, and the boss would stand over us during every single phone call and critique and make fun of the way we spoke. It was demoralizing and depressing. I began to wonder why I even went to university. The home-companion job was great, and I really liked the man I had to care for, but it was minimum wage, and I wanted something more stable. I found a substitute teaching job which quickly to my luck turned into a full-time position. I taught at a dangerous school (think Dangerous Minds), but I loved my students and really cared about them. The administration was clueless, and I sometimes cried because some students would threaten to lock me in the closet or kidnap me, but I pressed on. At the end of the year, they had to lay off ten teachers, and of course, since I was the newest I got laid off. That began my spiral into chronic unemployment and this black-hole of ambiguity. I remember thinking that I could do better than teaching, and that I was smarter than that job (ha! was I wrong). That was the only job I ever had where I have had a stable paycheck with benefits. I made $30,000 a year (which at the time, I thought I could do better), but would be ECSTATIC to receive a salary like that now.
Anyways, that was in 2008. Since then, I've found work as a hostess (with high school students, making minimum wage and only being guaranteed 10 hours a week). This job was extremely demoralizing because what I made in wages went directly to the gas to get there, the boss watched us like a hawk and had us doing twenty different tasks for minimum wage. I've also worked at a mall kiosk (which I enjoyed because of the customers, but had to quit due to an unsafe work environment)... Then I had another kiosk job (working with high school students) until I came to work one morning and found the kiosk completely gone and out of business! ...
Right now, I've been unemployed since April. Since 2008, I haven't had health insurance, am living at home (which is a very horrible situation for me- because of my emotionally/verbally abusive parents), I have had about 5 or 6 different jobs that have not had benefits, stable hours, have had reduced pay, and have endured horrible abuse and breaking of labor law at work but have had to keep my mouth shut to get my paychecks which were never more than 700 a month. I honesty don't know what to do with myself and feel like life is not worth living sometimes. I just don't see the point. I wish I had never gone to university in the first place and had just gotten a tech degree at a community college. The entire educational system is a joke and all about making money on ignorant and unsuspecting naive students and their parents. I never envisioned my life this way, and would be so happy with just a steady, stable 9-5 where I made at least 25,000 a year. Is that too much to fucking ask!?! I can't live at home past this month before I'm kicked out, and then I'll really be up shit's creek. I don't blame my parents- I wouldn't want my 27 year old daughter living at home either at their age. Although I try to never be home so I don't set them off, I only come home to sleep.... I live off my savings, and since I can't be home all day, I have to eat out. I can't afford to eat anywhere by the dollar menus at fast food restaurants. Due to this, I've developed insulin resistance, polycystic ovarian syndrome, hyperadrenalism, horrible cholesterol, iodine defiency/hypothryoidusm, and I can't afford the medication I need or the types of food I need to reverse it. The doctor I went to said if I don't do something now, I'll have heart disease and diabetes in ten years. What can I do? I just feel numb. Older people just don't get it. They say I should try harder, send more resumes... it's not so hard, they say. But, it is! If they only knew how I send out about 100 resumes a day (I have 3 different ones for different industries), how I network, smile, shake hands, dress but the hiring
managers don't care... One job I applied to, to answer phones for a grocery store for minimum wage and seven hours a week asked me to writing a two-page essay on why I wanted the job. I couldn't believe it, but begrudgingly wrote the essay only to be told, she was going with someone with more experience! More experience than answering fucking phones! WTF? Another job I applied to for an office manager position for ten hours a week, asked for my desired wage per hour. I said I'd like to make at least 11 an hour. I never heard back! Are these people for real? Should we work just for the gas? How about making sure we have a roof over our head?!! I did everything right in college, I hit all the goals I wanted to hit, but it still isn't enough. Jobs today want your blood, sweat and tears for minimum pay and minimum hours and they'll cut you at the slightest peep. It doesn't matter anyways, I don't know the secret code to getting hired. Hiring managers take their sweet fucking time, and don't give a shit about the predicament the potential employees are in waiting on pins and needles for that one job that will change their lives. I can't understand how it's become this way and people still haven't revolted....
The laid-off attorney
My last day of work was July 1, 2011. I had worked as an attorney for a small 6 attorney law firm in Manhattan for 4.5 years. I won trials and appeals and was generally successful despite some pretty bad working conditions. The partners I worked for were unfortunately horrible managers and bullies. They "forgot" to submit payroll multiple times, my health insurance lapsed at the point my job had driven my to therapy because they "forgot" to pay the premium, etc. In May/June 2011, the firm was in danger of losing a big client, and the partners decided they had to lay someone off. As the highest paid associate (and believe me, it wasn't much - this was not BigLaw), the ax landed on me. They told me they were sorry but were sure I'd bounce back soon.
At first, I was a little bit elated. I hated my job and pretty much hated NYC. I knew it wasn't where I wanted to be long term, so I took the job loss as a sign to move back home to Massachusetts (where I am also admitted to practice). I started collecting unemployment, put my student loans into deferment/forbearance, broke my lease (thankfully my landlord was understanding), and moved myself and my cat back home.
In the past year, despite sending out hundreds of resumes, I've interviewed for 8 positions. Some of these required multiple levels of interviews with no word that I never got the job. The lack of respect for job applicants out there is astounding. I'm currently waiting to hear about two positions - they are both "still deciding." But as time passes I know my chances decrease. I'm 31 years old. I have an Ivy League undergraduate degree and a J.D. from a well respected school. Sometimes I wonder whether the partners at my old firm, who promised to give me good references, were just lying and really couldn't care less what happens to me.
I have no life. I was volunteering at an animal shelter for a while, but they have too many people and didn't need me anymore. I haven't applied for customer service jobs because I don't know how to use a cash register. I have zero waitress experience. I am overqualified for the administrative assistant positions I've applied for. I've recoiled from my friends (who don't understand and don't live here anyway) and can't bring myself to join activities because I'm ashamed of who I am right now. I have two weddings to attend in the fall and am dreading every aspect of them. I can't buy gifts or spend money on travel. This sounds trivial, but the thought of seeing an ex boyfriend at one of them is seriously making me sick.
My parents have been fantastic, but my depression is taking its toll on them. I can see it more every day. I spend my weekdays sending out dwindling numbers of applications and my weekends running errands with my mom. I barely watch what's on the TV during the day but I need it for the sound of voices. When people ask "how everything is going" I just want to punch them in the face. I can't help it.
I will receive unemployment benefits through the end of November. While I'm not paying rent, I am paying for my own food, the storage of most of my belongings, health insurance, and my private student loans (they could only be put in forbearance for a year). Once the unemployment checks stop coming, my savings will run out very quickly. Some days I barely speak at all or just cry.
I'm a pretty serious runner, and on top of the job stuff, I've been dealing with a hip injury since February. It basically took me out of commission, and to have the one thing that made me feel better taken away from me has been devastating. I'm getting better and am building up my running again, but it's a slow process, and I wonder if I'll ever be the person I used to be. Both my brain and my body feel out of shape. I was a borderline anorexic teenager, and while I've been healthy for a long time, the lack of control in my life over the past year has led to old thought patterns. If I can't control anything else, I can control what goes in my mouth.
I thought writing this out would make me feel better since that's what other people have said. But it doesn't. I just feel more pathetic. But I do feel less alone, and that's something.
The stay-at-home mom
My story is probably a little different than most, but just as frustrating. I worked steadily up until I had my children, and then decided to stay home and raise them, while my husband worked. My husband and I arrived at this decision after we found out how expensive child care was, and how most of the salary that I earned would go to child care. Also, we both came from homes where our fathers abandoned us, so we were intent on raising our children ourselves. Also, even though the bank qualified us to buy an expensive home, we instead bought a very modest home, so at that time, it was affordable. Fast forward several years later, and while my husband and I have managed to raise happy and successful children, who get good grades in school, I cannot find any work at all, now that my child rearing responsibilities are nearly over. I am college educated, and have never collected unemployment benefits, yet somehow I am viewed as an unemployed "pariah". I remember a time, not too long ago, when women could re-enter the workforce after raising children without penalty, yet now, we are increasingly viewed with suspicion, and treated as if we had committed a crime and were incarcerated! And yet, I have committed no other "crime" than choosing to raise my children. And just in case, you may think that I have been sitting around watching daytime television and eating bon-bons - in between raising our kids, and teaching them to read and write before kindergarten, I also renovated two houses, and sold them myself. While I continue to look for work, I am currently renovating another house, ( I just put in a hardwood floor in the living room last week) tend a large garden, and cook all of our meals. I am CONSTANTLY busy. In fact, I took a brief job as a nanny for a "work at home mother", and was ironically, shocked by her lack of work ethic! What I think is sorely needed in this country, is a new lexicon that replaces the one that we currently have about the unemployed in this country. Instead of buying into the vicious, readymade narratives and false stereotypes regarding the unemployed, I urge all Americans to read the sobering stories of our current recession, a recession that continues to devastate a broadside a large cross-section of your neighbors and countrymen.
The single mom
In January of 2009, I was laid off by my company. We were in construction, but we were also poorly run. To this day I have a deep and unabiding hatred of BMWs. In September, Boss #1 bought an 80k BWM. In November, Boss #2 bought a 90k BMW because she had to outdo him. The car payments for both (I was the admin assistant) were well over 4k a month. In January, I was let go, as well two others. This was after they told us in December not to worry, they wouldn't be laying anyone off. One of their monthly car payments would have covered my monthly salary. So my services were worth less than the hardtop convertible BWM. I cannot stand BMWs to this day. I know it's ridiculous, but it's there.
Plus I was in school for my masters degree. Had they been honest in December, I could have registered for a few more classes and ended early. However, that didn't happen.
So here I am, single mom. Unemployed. In school. What am I going to school for? Education. Brilliant. In my state we've had about a billion dollars in budget cuts, but in 2009, education looked stable here. Until the year I graduated. Anyway, unemployed for about 9 months. Underemployed for about 3 years. I made less than 10k last year. I worked my tail off. I enjoyed the job, but my company wouldn't let us work more than 29 hours a week, because god forbid they would have to offer us healthcare at 30 hours. I never worked more than 20 hours in my time there, but people who worked 30 hours had their time cut and benefits revoked.
Yes, I am grateful to have had that job, but at the same time I freaking hate that people always say "You should be grateful you have any job". But this is how companies get you by the balls - just be grateful. Take the pay cuts. Loose your benefits. Don't negotiate for anything. Don't stay anything and don't stick up for yourself. Just be grateful. And if you start complaining and you aren't careful - well, maybe this job won't be here. So take the crap because there are hundreds of others to take your place. You are completely expendable. And you have to take it, because this job, because even them taking away everything, is better than no job at all. And that's the truth of it.
9 months of unemployment. Almost 3 years of underemployment. I think the hardest part was I thought I was a grown up. I felt like a grown up... then I had to rely on my parents for everything for me and my son. Any sense of accomplishment I had meant nothing after the first year. Finishing my degrees meant nothing. It just meant I had spent a shitload of money and time into something I couldn't find a freaking job in to save my life. I sunk into a huge depression. Didn't want to get out of bed. Yelled at my boy. Couldn't face my parents because I should be able to support myself. And yet. And yet. And yet.... there I was.
I had just a few interviews, but the question "where do you see yourself in five years?" would sink me into a horrible funk for weeks. Because I couldn't stand to think of the future. I thought of my hopes five years ago and looked at where I was and could have died. The thought of being anywhere in five years was so ridiculously remote I couldn't stand to think of anything. I always pulled some BS out for the interview, but it would sit on my mind for days. Would I still be underemployed? Would I still be wearing out my parents, who at this point will never retire because of me and my son? Would I ever find a job that was full time? Full time employment in anything felt like a unicorn. Something beautiful and fabulous and a complete myth or fantasy.
Three and a half years... long years... and I have finally found full time employment. I am digging myself out of a hole. It's not exactly where I thought I would be, but it's full time and it's a great company and it's remotely in my field. And crazy enough, I'm really liking it. It was an ad in the paper, an accident, something I didn't really even think about but threw my resume together. To be honest, i'd never heard of the position, but they called, I interviewed, and then a month later they offered it to me. And I cried my eyes out when I got off the phone. And I finally feel like something has lifted in me. I still can't face the question "where do you see yourself in five years?" but it doesn't instill a soul-crushing numbness in me anymore. Maybe someday I will be able to look at the future and feel something other than panic and fear, but I haven't quite gotten there yet.
An alumni update
As one of the original contributors of the "Unemployment Series", I wanted to weigh in on what the experience has meant to me.
To be honest, when I wrote in as a "divorced mom", I never expected to be published. I wasn't looking for sympathy or pity. I certainly wasn't looking for financial gain. In fact, when I saw my story, I didn't even read the comments for a few days, figuring that the collective negativity of the internet would be heaped upon me. I have read them before.
The one thing that I gained, though, was a voice. I have lost almost everything in my life. I have no home. I have no car. I carry all of my personal belongings in two Target plastic bags. I have felt like the scum of the earth for the situation I have placed my children in. I have felt like nothing.
But I have a voice.
I can't tell you how much that means when there is nothing else. Sometimes it just seems like everything is so pointless. I work non-stop at two minimum wage jobs just to scrape up enough money to pay for our tiny motel room each night, never able to save enough to get ahead. Applying for job after job, and getting down over and over, even with 2 college degrees in education and culinary arts. (Two fast food restaurants turned me away. This actually happened). Watching the clock go from 3am to 4am to 5am, listening to the kids sleep and knowing things have gone so very wrong and not knowing what else to do to fix it.
But I am not a nothing if I have a voice.
Yes, there are those who will always take advantage of others. I don't think it comes as a surprise to anyone that there are scammers and trolls on the internet. Overwhelmingly, though, I think that by giving those like myself a voice, you are giving us hope.
Whether or not the series continues, do not dismiss its impact on those who have been directly affected by it. I, for one, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
"Divorced Mom"
The full archive of our "Unemployment Stories" series can be found here.
[You can send your own unemployment story here. If you'd like to contact anyone you read about here, email me. Image by Jim Cooke.]


text:
Wall Street's in Good Hands with Mary Jo WhiteWritten by Stephen Lendman Subject: Philosophy: Fascism
by Stephen Lendman
On January 24, Obama nominated Mary Jo White as SEC head. "You don't want to mess with Mary Jo," he said. Others have different views. More about her below.
Washington is Wall Street occupied territory. Regulatory oversight is absent. Earlier New Deal reforms are gone.
The Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 followed the Securities Act of 1933. Under the Constitution's interstate commerce clause, it required offers and security sales to be registered. State "blue sky laws" previously governed them.
The 1934 law regulated secondary trading of financial securities. It established the SEC under Section 4 to enforce the new act.
Later came the 1939 Trust Indenture Act, the 1940 Investment Company Act, the same year Investment Advisors Act, Sarbanes-Oxley in 2002, the 2006 Credit Rating Agency Reform Act, and Dodd-Frank in 2010.
SEC regulators long ago abandoned their mandate. The agency was established to enforce federal securities laws, the security industry, the nation's financial and options exchanges, and other electronic securities markets and instruments.
In the 1930s, they were unknown. They include derivatives and other forms of speculation. In principle, SEC is charged with uncovering wrongdoing, assuring investors aren't swindled, and keeping the nation's financial markets free from fraud and other abuses.
For decades, it's been weak-kneed. Under George Bush, it was more facilitator than enforcer. It's a paper tiger. It abandoned the public trust. It operates the same way under Obama. It
• turns a blind eye to fraud and abuse;
• protects Wall Street, not investors;
• neutered its enforcement staff's authority;
• adopted voluntary regulation; and
• lets investment banks hold less reserve capital, as well as freely use leverage speculatively.
Wall Street gets a free hand. Major banks take full advantage. They do what they please. They operate with impunity. They do it the old-fashioned way. They make money by stealing it. Their business model is fraud and grand theft.
They transformed America into an unprecedented money making racket. They function more like a crime family than business.
They manipulate markets. They front-run them. They pump and dump. Doing so artificially inflates security prices.
They profit in up and down markets. They scam investors. They bribe politicians. Their officials infest Washington.
At most, they get occasional wrist slaps. Fines imposed are pocket change. Prosecutions don't follow. Mega-crooks are free to keep stealing. They take full advantage.
Mary Schapiro was SEC head from January 2009 - December 2012. She's a consummate insider. She spent years promoting self-regulation.
She formerly headed the National Association of Securities Dealers' (NASD). She ran the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Her expertise includes quashing fraud investigations.
She took full advantage in subordinate SEC positions under Reagan, Bush I and II. She did the same for Obama as agency head.
The Wall Street Journal noticed. It said her regulatory record showed she "infrequently pursued tough action against big Wall Street firms."
Expect Mary Jo White to operate the same way. She's a consummate insider. She's considered safe. Why else would Obama choose her? He's beholden to Wall Street. Money power owns him.
On January 24, a Wall Street Journal editorial headlined "Political Regulators." It commented on White's appointment.
Media scoundrels call her a tough prosecutor. She "stood up to terrorists and mobsters." Can she "do the same for Wall Street?"
"(W)e remember cases when she wasn't so tough." The 1996 Clinton-Gore campaign-finance scandal was one of many.
She asked Congress to "back off its probe of the AFL-CIO's Rich Trumka." At issue was compromising her own investigation, she said. It was more whitewash than scrutiny of wrongdoing.
White targeted small players. "None of this bodes well" going forward, said the Journal.
"The media's Obama Protection Club may consider us rude for bringing all this up, but then a little scrutiny might make Ms. White more likely to resist Democrat pressure for politicized law enforcement."
White is Wall Street's new enabler-in-chief designee. She's the first former prosecutor to head SEC. As US attorney for the Southern District of New York, she prosecuted alleged terrorists and crime bosses. She got Mafia boss John Gotti convicted of murder and racketeering.
Occasionally she targeted small Wall Street players. She didn't lay a glove on big ones. She's a former Nasdaq director.
She currently heads Debevoise & Plimpton's litigation department. It's a New York-based international law firm. It serves corporate clients. Its Wall Street ones include a rogue's gallery of white collar crooks.
JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, UBS and Bank of America among others are represented.
White defended B of A's former head, Ken Lewis. Until stepping down in September 2009, he was Bank of America chairman, president and CEO. He reflects the worst of Wall Street crooks. He's got lots of company.
White's husband, John White, represents an obvious conflict of interest. He formerly headed SEC's corporate finance section. He's now at Cravath, Swaine & Moore. It's a prominent New York law firm. White lobbies against regulation.
It hardly matters. Getting tough on crime isn't Mary Jo's mandate. Too big to fail means too big to jail.
Expect no change on White's watch. She profiteers from revolving door politics. Her government positions got her high-paying private sector jobs. She's part of the corrupt system.
Expect business as usual at SEC. As top regulatory cop, she'll take full advantage. Her predecessors did the same. Whitewashing crime in the suites pays. Lucrative private sector jobs follow government service.
White will be better than ever rewarded when she leaves. She knows the game and plays it. She did it before. She'll do it again. Career prospects depend on it.
Matt Taibbi addressed what goes on. He headlined his Rolling Stone article "Why Isn't Wall Street in Jail?"
Corporate bosses aren't prosecuted. "Nobody goes to jail." Nobody except occasional minor players. "(F)ederal regulators and prosecutors (let) banks and finance companies" get off easy.
Whitewash is policy. A "mountain of evidence indicates that when it comes to Wall Street, the justice system not only sucks at punishing financial criminals, (it's become) a highly effective mechanism for protecting" them.
Taibbi quoted former SEC chief accountant Lynn Turner saying:
"I think you've got a wrong assumption - that we even have a law enforcement agency when it comes to Wall Street."
Open and shut cases are whitewashed. Others are placed in a "deal with later" file. Later never arrives. The most high-profile cases get "gummed up in the works, and high-ranking executives" get off scot-free.
It's standard practice for Wall Street. The Street's biggest crooks aren't touched. They're free to steal again. Crime pays. Regulators cash in.
"The Revolving Door isn't just a footnote in financial law enforcement," said Taibbi. "Over the past decade, more than a dozen high-ranking SEC officials (took) lucrative jobs at Wall Street banks or white-shoe law firms."
Partnerships are worth millions. Banks pay top executives multiples more. "All of this paints a disturbing picture." It reflects a "closed corrupt system."
Powerful interests get their way. Obama's no different from Bush and earlier presidents. He allocated "massive amounts of federal resources" going after the wrong people.
"So there you have it. (Undocumented) immigrants: 393,000. Lying moms: one. Bankers: zero. The math makes sense because the politics are obvious."
Winning elections and profiteering out of office depend on "bang(ing) on the jailable class." Innocent people fill prisons. Others committed misdemeanors too minor to matter.
Steal "a billion" and stay free to steal more. It's the American way. White's job is seeing nothing changes. Accounting Today warned us, saying:
In February 2012, she addressed a New York University School of Law forum. Prosecutors must not "fail to distinguish what is actually criminal and what is just mistaken behavior, what is even reckless risk-taking, and not bow to the frenzy," she said.
At Debevoise & Plimpton, she represented some of Wall Street's worst. She'll do likewise at SEC. She's part of the system. She's safe. She won't disappoint.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at email@example.com.
His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.


text:
Lend Me Your Ears: US Military Turns to Contractor Linguists
Aug 22/13: SOCOM. World Wide Language Resources (WWLR) of Fayetteville, NC received a 5-year, $257.2 million firm-fixed-price contract for linguist and translation support, in support of US Special Operations Command. This contract will be funded incrementally, with $1 million committed immediately.
The contract has 1 base year and 4 more 12-month options. Work will be conducted in multiple locations in the United States and overseas. This contract was competitively procured via FBO.gov, with 7 proposals received. US SOCOM manages the contract (H92222-13-C-0053).
The US military has come to rely more and more on contractors to provide linguist services to function effectively in non-English speaking regions. The need for these services is particularly acute in the Middle East and Central Asia where US troops are actively engaged. Technically, there are 2 primary types of linguist services: interpreters and translators. Contractors usually offer both services as part of their contracts.
This DID FOCUS free sample covers US military linguist services contracts and key events.
Linguists: What do we Need? What do we Mean?
Terrible Terps Can Leave You Tango Uniform
An indication of what could go wrong with an unskilled or hostile linguist is illustrated in a short documentary video produced by journalist John McHugh of The Guardian newspaper. In the video, a US Army sergeant and an Afghan tribal elder engage in a conversation about Taliban rocket attacks.
The US interpreter incorrectly conveys the tribal leader's response to a question about the security in the area. The elder says that there is no security in the village and that is a problem. The interpreter tells the sergeant that the elder says the security is fine. "We have no problems here."
The elder then tells the sergeant that he would like to cooperate with the Americans, and points to the direction from where the Taliban attacks are coming. But he says the villagers can't cooperate under the current conditions because the Taliban are like "ants," they are everywhere and impossible to stop.
The interpreter translates the elders words by saying, "He is giving many examples, the main point is that if you want to get the ACM [anti-coalition militia] they are behind this road, behind this mountain."
As they walk away, the interpreter says "I hate these people."
This video highlights the necessity for the US and allied forces to have interpreters who are reliable and loyal, understand the dialect of the local people, and can serve as cultural liaisons. The success of the US and allied mission, as well as the lives of soldiers, depends on it.
Interpreters versus Translators
As noted above, there are 2 primary types of linguist services: interpreters and translators. Contractors usually offer both types of services.
Although some people do both, interpretation and translation are different professions, notes the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Interpreters deal with spoken words; translators with written words. Each task requires a distinct set of skills and aptitudes, and most people are better suited for one or the other. While interpreters often work into and from both languages, translators generally work only into their active language.
Interpreters convert one spoken language into another – or, in the case of sign-language interpreters, between spoken communication and sign language. This requires interpreters to pay attention, understand what is communicated in both languages, and express thoughts and ideas clearly. Strong research and analytical skills, mental dexterity, and an exceptional memory also are important.
The interpreter must become familiar with the subject matter that the speakers will discuss, a task that may involve research to create a list of common words and phrases associated with the topic. Next, the interpreter usually travels to the location where his or her services are needed. Physical presence may not be required for some work, such as telephone interpretation. But it is usually important that the interpreter see the communicators in order to hear and observe the person speaking and to relay the message to the other party.
Translators convert written materials from one language into another. They must have excellent writing and analytical ability. Because the documents that they translate must be as flawless as possible, they also need good editing skills.
Assignments may vary in length, writing style, and subject matter. When translators first receive text to convert into another language, they usually read it in its entirety to get an idea of the subject. Next, they identify and look up any unfamiliar words. Multiple additional readings are usually needed before translators begin to actually write and finalize the translation. Translators also might do additional research on the subject matter if they are unclear about anything in the text. They consult with the text's originator or issuing agency to clarify unclear or unfamiliar ideas, words, or acronyms.
US Army Recruitment
The US Army is a big recruiter of interpreters and translators.
According to the Army recruiting site, Army interpreters/translators convert written or spoken foreign languages into English. The types of services they provide include:
- preparing non-technical translations into the target language and performing sight translations from a target language into English;
- performing oral interpretation;
- assisting a military contracting officer with a local purchase;
- providing interpretation support at a military traffic control point;
- assisting security personnel in screening the local population at military checkpoints; and
- providing interpretation assistance for the Public Affairs Office during local media events and translation of local newspapers or pamphlets.
Contractors perform similar services for the US military. They are important parts of US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Congressional Research Service estimates that there were 9,128 translator/interpreter contractors in Iraq as of June 2009, or 8% of the total contractor personnel there.
The US Army estimates [pdf] that it spends $250 million per year on contract linguists. The cost per annum of a single contract linguist varies from $15,000 per year for a locally hired linguist to approximately $200,000 for US citizens. Factors such as clearance and duty location requirements contribute to the total cost.
There are 3 categories [pdf] of contract linguists:
- CAT 1: local national hires with security screening but no clearance;
- CAT 2: US citizen hires with Secret level clearance;
- CAT 3: US citizen hires with TS/SCI clearance.
Only CAT 2 and CAT 3 hires are permitted to work on sensitive intelligence functions.
Key Players and Contract Vehicles Explained
INSCOM: from WLSS to TIMS to DLITE
The US Army's Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) oversees billions of dollars in contracts to provide linguists services.
In 1999, INSCOM's Contracting Office awarded a huge $4.5 billion, 5-year Worldwide Linguist Support Services (WLSS) contract to BTG, which was purchased by Titan Corp. in 2001. Titan was then acquired by L-3 Communications in 2005. New "owner" L-3 assigned management of this contract to its Linguist Operations and Technical Support Division (LOTSD).
In 2005, with the current contract nearing completion, INSCOM re-competed the contract. However, a final award decision was delayed as a result of a series of protests brought to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) by L-3 and other companies. On Dec 15/06, Global Linguist Solutions (GLS) in Falls Church, VA won the $4.65 billion Translation and Interpretation Management Services (TIMS) contract.
More protests followed, but the TIMS award to GLS was ultimately upheld in early 2008, when the final protest was withdrawn after L-3 and GLS reached a subcontracting work-share agreement. "L-3 Out, Dyncorp-McNeil in for $4.65B Iraq Translation Contract?" has more on the controversy surrounding the award.
Under the TIMS contract, GLS provides interpretation and translation services to the US Army and US government agencies supporting US forces in Iraq. GLS uses L-3, Northrop Grumman, and other vendors as subcontractors on the contract. Small business subcontractors on the GLS team included Invizion, KMS Solutions, TigerSwan, Thomas/Wright, and Shee Atika Language.
GLS' management of the TIMS contract came under scrutiny from the US Commission on Wartime Contracting. During an Aug 12/09 hearing, John Isgrigg, Deputy Director for Contracting with INSCOM, said [PDF] that an audit of GLS' linguist services found that the company had only provided approximately 80% of the contract requirement for linguists, but was burning funds at a rate congruent with a 100% fill rate. US Army INSCOM also identified $5 million in overspending that went to the following items in Kuwait:
- Private 3-bedroom apartments for individual GLS personnel;
- A contractor with deployed dependents at government expense;
- Each management personnel having his or her own automobile;
- Delayed transit of linguists into Iraq from Kuwait.
INSCOM's demands for cost cutting measures resulted in more than $5 million in cost savings by GLS. However, continued substandard performance by GLS, according to INSCOM, resulted in the issue of a task order for linguists support in Iraq to an unidentified competitor, instead of using the TIMS vehicle.
In 2009, John Houck, general manager of GLS, testified [PDF] that his company employs over 9,000 linguists in Iraq and other Gulf states with a fill rate near 100% in all categories of contract requirements. He told the commission that GLS pursued cost-minimizing measures with subcontractors through economies of scale and other avenues in order to minimize potential cost overruns. At the same time, the work has taken its toll on linguists working in Iraq. In the first full year of GLS' tenure in Iraq, 12 linguists were killed in action, and 52 were seriously wounded.
In July 2011, INSCOM unveiled a new core contract vehicle called DLITE (Defense Language Interpretation and Transition Enterprise). This 5-year, $9.7 billion contract was "awarded" to a set of 6 contractors, who would compete for specific task orders. GLS was 1 of the 6 eligible firms, but only one among many. If questions arise concerning any contractor's performance, replacements can be moved in much more quickly, and new task orders can go to competitors immediately.
Sending out an SOS: Other Firms
In addition to the DynCorp/McNeil joint venture Global Linguist Solutions LLC in Falls Church, VA, Reston, VA-based SOS International. has been a major supplier of translator/interpreter services in Iraq, Afghanistan, and even the USA. As an example of the services SOS International provides, the company won a contract to supply Arabic linguist and role-playing support to the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) at Fort Dix, NJ to assist in pre-deployment field training exercises in preparation for missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Another major supplier is Northrop Grumman Technical Services, which has for 20 years supported large-scale linguist requirements for the US DoD, including Operations Desert Shield and Storm and operations in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo.
Since December 1995, Northrop Grumman has supported the U.S. Army in and around the Balkans, processing some 15,000 candidates while hiring, deploying, and managing more than 5,000 linguists.
Since 1999, L-3 Linguist Operations & Technical Support [PDF] has provided linguist support services for the US DoD and the US intelligence community. L-3 became a major play in the linguist services market when it acquired Titan Corp in 2005 and inherited the $4.5 billion INSCOM contract (discussed above).
L-3 has deployed over 15,000 linguists speaking more than 35 languages across 15 US states and 20 countries.
In addition to these contractors, a number of other companies that have received translator/interpreter contracts from the US military include:
- Acclaim Technical Services (ATS) in Huntington Beach, CA;
- All World Language Consultants in Rockville, MD;
- The Buffalo Group in Reston, VA;
- Calnet in Reston, VA;
- International Management Services in Rumford, ME;
- Mission Essential Personnel in Columbus, OH;
- MultiLingual Solutions in Rockville, MD;
- Mid Atlantic Professionals in Germantown, MD;
- Shee Atika Languages in Rumford, ME;
- Thomas Computer Solutions in Long Beach, CA;
- TRW Systems and Information, Fairfax, VA;
- World Technical Services (incorporating ASRC Airfield and Range Services) in Greenbelt, MD.
Users of contract linguist services include intelligence agencies within the US military services and US federal agencies, as well as the Defense Intelligence Agency. Also, organizations that interact with locals in-country, such as the US Army Corps of Engineers, and commands that carry out clandestine operations, such as the US Special Operations Command, require contract linguist services.
Contracts and Events
Some especially large contracts will be highlighted.
Major DLITE & SOCOM contracts; Other orders.
Aug 22/13: SOCOM. World Wide Language Resources (WWLR) of Fayetteville, NC received a 5-year, $257.2 million firm-fixed-price contract for linguist and translation support, in support of US Special Operations Command. This contract will be funded incrementally, with $1 million committed immediately.
The contract has 1 base year and 4 more 12-month options. Work will be conducted in multiple locations in the United States and overseas. This contract was competitively procured via FBO.gov, with 7 proposals received. US SOCOM manages the contract (H92222-13-C-0053).
March 11/13: MultiLingual Solutions in Rockville, MD receives an $8 million contract modification for linguist/analyst servcies at Offutt Air Force Base, NB; Fort Meade, MD; Fort Gordon, GA; Hurlburt Field, FL; Kadena Air Base, Japan; Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom; Lackland AFB, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; Fort Bragg, NC; Goodfellow AFB, TX, and Kunia, Hawaii until July 9/13.
The USAF ISR Agency at Lackland AFB, TX manages this contract – see also March 3/10 entry (FA7037-10-D-0002, PO 0006-01).
Sept 26/12: SOCOM. US SOCOM at MacDill AFB, FL awards 4 vendors indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contracts to provide foreign language, regional expertise, and cultural training to students from US Special Operations Command's 4 service components. Each firm will receive a nominal $5,000, then compete for task orders around the world under the maximum $250 million award. The winners, who each receive a 1-year base contract with 2 more 1-year options, are:
- MultiLingual Solutions in Rockville, MD (H92222-12-D-0021)
- Mid Atlantic Professionals in Germantown, MD (H92222-12-D-0027)
- The Buffalo Group in Reston, VA (H92222-12-D-0026)
- Global Technology Solutions in Richmond, VA (H92222-12-D-0028).
A Sept 14/12 announcement mentioned only MultiLingual Solutions.
Feb 13/12: INSCOM – Afghanistan. Mission Essential Personnel in Columbus, OH wins a $330 million cost-plus-award-fee contract modification for linguist and interpretation services in Afghanistan. Work will be performed in Columbus, OH, and Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Sept 6/12.
The original contract was solicited through the Internet, with 6 bids received by U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, in Fort Belvoir, VA (W911W4-07-D-0010). This is not a DLITE contract; see May 10/10 and May 12/10 entries for more background.
July 5/11: DLITE. US Army INSCOM issues a series of 6 indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, multiple-award-task-order contracts for the global DLITE (Defense Language Interpretation and Transition Enterprise) program, which runs to December 2016. Bids were solicited through the Internet, with 11 bids received. Winners included:
- CACI Premier Technology Inc. in Chantilly, VA (W911W4-11-D-0003)
- DynCorp/McNeil JV Global Linguist Solutions LLC in Falls Church, VA (W911W4-11-D-0004)
- L3 Services Inc. in Reston, VA (W911W4-11-D-0005)
- ABM Industries subsidiary Linc Government Services LLC in Hopkinsville, KY (W911W4-11-D-0006)
- Mission Essential Personnel LLC in Columbus, OH (W911W4-11-D-0007)
- Northrop Grumman Technical Services Inc. in Herndon, VA (W911W4-11-D-0008)
As is typical of multiple-award contracts, the winner will bid on task orders as they come up. The overall amount was listed as $9.7 million in Pentagon releases, but discussions with the Army have confirmed that the actual ceiling amount for all task orders is $9.7 billion, making it the service's core translation contract going forward.
DLITE: $9.7 billion
Dec 30/10: EURCOM/ AFRICOM. The Defense Language Institute stands up new detachment in Germany to provide sustainment training for military linguists based in Europe. The detachment located at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart will provide direct support to linguists assigned to both US European Command and US Africa Command. Previously, military linguists assigned to those commands had to rely on distance learning or mobile training teams for sustainment training.
Wide range of agency contracts; AECOM buys McNeil Technologies
Sept 13/10: SOCOM. McNeil Technologies, Inc. in Springfield, VA wins a $50 million initial task order under a $500 million maximum value, 5-year indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity linguist support services contract for U.S. Special Operations Command (US SOCOM). The contractor will provide foreign language interpretation, transcription, reporting, and translation services (H92222-10-D-0007).
Aug 27/10: AECOM announces that it paid $355 million in cash to acquire McNeil Technologies, a Springfield, VA-based defense linguist and IT support services provider, from Veritas Capital. McNeil formed a joint venture with DynCorp called Global Linguist Solutions in 2006 to snag the US Army's Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) multi-billion contract to provide linguists services in Iraq from incumbent L-3 Communications.
AECOM buys McNeil
May 12/10: Who's MEP. WIRED's Danger Room runs an article about MEP, with background and links that question both the quality of its services and its treatment of employees:
"Three years ago, Mission Essential Personnel was a miniscule military contractor, banking less than $6 million annually to find a handful of linguists for the American government. Earlier this week, the U.S. Army handed the Columbus, Ohio, company a one-year, no-bid $679 million extension of its current contract to field a small city's worth of translators to help out American forces in Afghanistan.
Not bad for a company that's been accused of everything from abandoning wounded employees to sending out-of-shape interpreters to the front lines. MEP vigorously rejects the charges…"
May 10/10: INSCOM. Mission Essential Personnel in Columbus, OH receives a $679 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity with cost-plus-award fee contract to continue linguist/translation services with the local populace and with foreign military units, in Afghanistan and beyond. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) in Alexandra, VA (W911W4-07-D-0010).
Work is to be performed in Afghanistan (86.202%); Bahrain (0.926%); Djibouti (0.102%); Germany (2.081%); HOA (1.230%); Italy (0.92%); Kenya (0.174%); Kirgizia (0.042%); Qatar (0.163%). In America, performance locations will include Redstone Arsenal, AL (0.002%); Camp Pendleton, CA (1.235%); Los Angeles, CA (0.002% – we don't understand the natives there, either); Atlanta, GA (0.002%); Fort Gordon, GA (4.743%); Hunter Army Airfield, GA (0.504%); Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (0.401%); Camp Lejeune, NC (0.501%); Fort Bragg, NC (0.127%); Nashville, TN (0.001%); Fort Hood, TX (0.343%); San Antonio, TX (0.0104%); Arlington, VA (0.027%); Fort Belvoir, VA (0.144%); and Quantico, VA (0.017%), with an estimated completion date of April 1/11.
March 11/10: USAREUR. U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) awards a 4-year, $39 million contract to Northrop Grumman Corporation for interpreter and translator services.
Work will primarily be performed in Kosovo, Romania and Bulgaria, and will include translation from the target language into English and vice versa as well as the translations of documents, written material and media reports. Northrop Grumman release.
March 3/10: USAF. MultiLingual Solutions in Rockville, MD received a $62 million contract to provide foreign language linguist personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and other items in support of USAF operations. At this time, $11.3 million has been obligated. The Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Agency in San Antonio, TX manages the contract (FA7037-10-D-0002).
Feb 11/10: SLI Program. The FY 2010 defense spending bill contained $2.88 million in funding for a California State University (CSU) program to train linguists for the Department of Defense and other national security agencies, according to a Los Angeles Times report. The program, called the Strategic Language Initiative, operates on 5 CSU campuses, each focusing on a different language: Cal State Long Beach (Mandarin Chinese), Cal State Fullerton (Persian), Cal State LA (Korean), Cal State Northridge (Russian) and Cal State San Bernardino (Arabic). The new money will help expand the program to San Francisco State (Mandarin Chinese) and San Jose State (Arabic).
Oct 5/09: DIA. SOS International in Reston, VA won a $136.2 million fixed-rate contract for linguist services in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The company will perform the work in Iraq and Afghanistan with an estimated completion date of Sept 25/14. Bids were solicited via the General Services Administration (GSA) with 4 offers received by the US Army Corps of Engineers and Defense Intelligence Agency (WHHM402-09-F-0658).
Aug 12/09: TIMS hearings. Commission on Wartime Contracting held a hearing to examine the performance of Global Linguist Solutions on the $4.65 billion Translation and Interpretation Management Services (TIMS) contract awarded by the US Army's Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) for contract linguists services in Iraq.
April 21/09: GLS leadership. The Global Linguist Solutions' board of managers appointed John Houck as general manager, replacing Spider Marks, who resigned "to pursue other interests."
Aug 21/08: USAREUR. SOS International in Reston, VA won a $10.5 million firm-fixed-price contract for linguist/interpreter services in the US Army Europe (USAREUR) area of responsibility, including Eastern and Western Europe, Africa and Russia. Estimated completion date is Aug 31/12. 15 bids were solicited with 4 received by USAREUR's Wiesbaden Contracting Center in Wiesbaden, Germany (W912CM-08-D-0018).
June 10/08: US Army NSTA. SOS International won a contract to provide media relations and translation services to the US Army Public Affairs Office (PAO) at the Novo-Selo Training Area (NSTA) in Bulgaria. Under the terms of the contract, SOS will provide personnel with expertise in bilingual media relations at NSTA, part of Joint Task Force-East (JTF-E), who will facilitate interviews, accompany PAO personnel to media events, and assist with press release preparation.
April 28/08: GLS – NGC. Northrop Grumman received a subcontract from Global Linguist Solutions to provide management of translation and interpretation services for the US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) in Iraq. The indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity subcontract has a potential value of $135 million over a 5-year period. The GLS team, which includes Northrop Grumman and 11 other subcontractors, employs approximately 7,000 locally hired Iraqi citizens and more than 2,000 US citizens as interpreters.
April 18/08: USAF OSI. SOS International received a contract to provide linguist and role-playing support to the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), an investigative arm of the USAF, at Fort Dix, NJ. The contract calls for SOS to provide Arabic linguists and role players to assist in pre-deployment field training exercises in preparation for AFOSI missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. These training exercises are designed to provide realistic scenarios that might occur during a mission. The training also provides enhanced cultural awareness that will assist AFOSI agents in the field and help them communicate with the host nation population. Under the terms of the contract, SOSi will also assist in providing equipment to facilitate this training.
Dec 12/07: TIMS. Global Linguist Solutions, a joint venture of DynCorp International and McNeil Technologies, in Springfield, VA won a delivery order in the amount of $60 million as part of a $4.65 billion cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for interpreter and translator services. The company will perform the work in Iraq, and expects to complete it by Dec 5/12. This web solicitation was posted on Feb 17/06, and 3 bids were received by the US Army Intelligence and Security Command at Fort Belvoir, VA (W911W4-08-D-0002).
TIMS contract, others.
September 2007: INSCOM. Mission Essential Personnel (MEP) in Columbus, OH won a 5-year, $700 million contract from the US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) to provide translators in Afghanistan.
June 5/07: SOCOM. Shee Atika Languages in Rumford, ME received a requirements contract with an estimated ceiling of $250 million. This contract contains a base year with 4 option years and is for linguist and translation services in support of the US Special Operations Command (H92222-07-D-0021).
Feb 2/07: INSCOM. International Management Services in Rumford, ME received a delivery order amount of $39.5 million as part of a cost-plus-award-fee contract for interpreter and translation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan, and is expected to be complete by Jan 28/12. There were an unknown number of bids solicited via the web, and 5 bids were received by the US Army Intelligence and Security Command in Fort Belvoir, VA (W911W4-07-D-0005).
Jan 11/07: INSCOM. Thomas Computer Solutions in Long Beach, CA won a delivery order in the amount of $73.9 million as part of a $703 million cost-plus-award-fee contract for procurement of interpreter and translation services. The company will perform the work in Afghanistan and any related mission location, and expects to complete it by Dec 7/11. For this delivery order, 5 bids were received via the web by the US Army Intelligence and Security Command at Fort Belvoir, VA (W911W4-07-D-0004).
Jan 11/07: TIMS. Global Linguist Solutions in Springfield, VA won a delivery order in the amount of $49 million as part of a $4.65 billion cost-plus-award-fee contract for procurement of interpreter and translation services. The company will perform in Iraq and any related mission location, and is expected to be completed by Dec 8/11. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an unknown number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on June 29, 2006, and three bids were received. The US Army Intelligence and Security Command in Fort Belvoir, VA (W911W4-07-D-0001).
Dec 18/06: Club Gitmo. The US Army awarded [PDF] a contract to Calnet in Reston, VA, for management of translation and interpretation services in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The 5-year contract, with a maximum value of $66 million, was awarded by Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) as a small business set aside. Calnet's partners in this venture are Acclaim Technical Services (ATS) and Aegis MEP. Under the contract, Calnet will provide foreign language interpretation and translation in Arabic, Pashto, Farsi, Dari, Turkish, Urdu, Uzbek and Uighur.
Dec 15/06: Global Linguist Solutions in Falls Church, VA won the $4.65 billion Translation and Interpretation Management Services (TIMS) contract awarded by the US Army's Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) for contract linguists services in Iraq.
GLS beat out incumbent contractor Titan Corp, a subsidiary of L-3 Communications.
TIMS: $4.65 billion
March 26/04: USAREUR. The US Army Europe awarded Northrop Grumman a contract to provide linguist support services in Europe. The 42-month contract has a total potential value of $97 million. The contract's 6-month base period is valued at $9.5 million with 3 additional 1-year options. Under this contract, referred to as Balkans linguist support, Northrop Grumman recruits, screen and trains translators fluent in Serbo-Croatian, Albanian, Arabic, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian and Slovenian to serve as interpreters for commanding officials, military intelligence units, political advisors, military patrols and police units. The initial Balkans linguist support contract was awarded in December 1995 with a follow-on contract awarded in September 1999.
March 11/04: Iraq North. ASRC Airfield and Range Services in Greenbelt, MD received a $19 million firm-fixed-price contract for management, planning, execution, communication, interpreter/translation, integration, enrollment and training to teach basic security, patrolling and weaponry skills to high- and mid-level officers and facility and patrol guards. Work will be performed in Baghdad, Iraq, and is expected to be complete by March 9/05. This was a sole-source contract. The Northern Region Contracting Center in Fort Eustis, VA manages the contract (W911S0-04-C-0002).
Dec 4/02: US Army Balkans. TRW Systems and Information in Fairfax, VA won a $12.9 million fixed-price requirements contract for translation and linguist support services in the Balkan Region on Dec 3/02. Work will be performed in and around the Balkans Region, and is to be complete by Oct 17/02. There were 22 bids solicited, and 3 bids were received by the US Army Contracting Center in Wiesbaden, Germany (DABN01-03-C-0003).
Jan 19/01: USAF. All World Language Consultants in Rockville, MD won an $18.6 million firm-fixed-price contract to provide for modern standard Arabic interpretation and translation services for Force Protection/Security Forces troops in Southwest Asia. The work will be performed at various locations in Saudi Arabia and other countries. There were 3 proposals received by the 20th Contracting Squadron at Shaw AFB in South Carolina (F38601-01/F-6002).
Additional Reading & Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics – Interpreters and Translators
- Blackfive (May 13/10) – COIN Symposium, Part 1. Explains where interpreters fit into the broader picture of "human terrain intelligence," which is currently an important missing piece from the military's perspective.
- The Columbus Dispatch (Nov 8/09) – The Language of War: Columbus-based company provides translators for U.S. forces in danger zone
- Congressional Research Service (Sep 21/09) – Department of Defense Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan: Background and Analysis
- Commission on Wartime Contracting (Aug 12/09) – Hearing on Linguist Support Services in Theater (transcript)
- Associated Press (Aug 12/09) – Problems cited in Iraq interpreter contract
- GAO (June 2009) – Military Training: DOD Needs a Strategic Plan and Better Inventory and Requirements Data to Guide Development of Language Skills and Regional Proficiency [pdf]
- Christian Science Monitor (Jan 9/09) – Trading a life in Vegas to speak for troops in Afghanistan
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (Sept 2/08) – Mistakes By Afghan Translators Endanger Lives, Hamper Antiterrorism Effort


text:
From Gambit wiki
User Documentation
There is a user manual for Gambit in HTML and PDF formats.
See the Scheme page for documentation on Scheme in general.
Prebuilt Distributions
Some prebuilt distributions are available.
Building Gambit from Source
To build Gambit from source, one must first run the configure script, which has a number of important options.
There are various make targets of which you should be aware.
Packages, modules, libraries and driving systems
See the Packages page.
SRFI support
The Scheme community has accumulated a set of common libraries and conventions called Scheme Requests for Implementation, publicly collected on srfi.schemers.org.
Gambit natively implements a number of SRFIs. Black Hole includes several popular SRFIs not natively supported, while still others may be downloaded from Snow.
Editor/IDE Support
Gambit provides a powerful development environment through Emacs.
For those running MS Windows you can download Emacs here. You may want to read the Emacs FAQ for Windows before customizing Emacs for use with Gambit. In order to use Emacs' inferior scheme mode on Windows, you may need to run gsi/gsc in raw stdin/stdout mode (see section "Emacs interface" in the manual for details).
Editors such as Eclipse with the SchemeWay extension, or just about any text editor with Scheme syntax highlighting, such as VIM or GVIM, may prove valuable as well.
Termite is an Erlang-like distributed programming system written in Scheme.
Distributed computing hot right now, and Termite has been noticed in blogs and elsewhere.
Termite depends on specific features of Gambit, and at one time or another the Termite source code has been distributed with Gambit, so we point to the Termite web site from here.
A Tour of Scheme in Gambit gives a general introduction to Scheme and Gambit to people with experiences of general programming languages. Available in PDF, Open Office and Microsoft Word formats.
Internals Documentation
People who want to contribute to Gambit development will need to learn something about how the Gambit-C runtime and compiler are organized. While we intend that source code documentation be included in the source itself (currently there is very little documentation), we intend that descriptions of program design or algorithms used in the runtime and compiler could be included on the Internal Documentation page.
Working with External Libraries
With Gambit's C FFI (Foreign Function Interface), one can easily use standard C and C++ libraries with your code; this wiki has some examples of and practices on using Gambit with external libraries. See Using Gambit with External Libraries.
See the Debugging page.
The mailing list archive covers many topics at depth. You can make Google search queries limited to the mailing list by clicking "advanced settings" on www.google.com.
Compiling Gambit software for different target environments


text: The U.S. has been a major player in clean energy technologies, but China is now the leader. The top six European countries, together, are spending almost as much as the U.S. The activity "flies in the face of skepticism about the clean energy sector," says Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Given the trend, stepping up U.S. investment could enhance the country's competitiveness; an October 2010 report from research firm Clean Edge concluded that China-based companies "are poised to increasingly dominate as clean tech employers." Greater American effort would also slow climate change and improve energy independence; the biggest solar power plant in the world, it turns out, is being built in Blythe, Calif., by a German firm.


text:
Babies' sleeping pattern differs greatly from that of adults. Our little ones sleep in intervals and wake up to eat between naps. That's normal. For a baby. But not for you! We asked parents to give us their top tips how to get a baby to sleep and we've put together a list.
Facts and helpful advice: A midwife explains newborn sleep
Plenty of closeness and cuddles all day long.
How to get a baby to sleep
- Always stick to the same cosy bedtime routine: a typical routine could consist of bath, pyjamas, bottle, bedtime song/story, followed by kiss and goodnight!
- Clean nappy, full tummy. Check the following before your baby's bedtime: clean nappy, full tummy, low lighting, cool but not too cold in the room, and plenty of closeness and cuddles all day long.
- Some babies like a soother. If your baby uses a soother, keep several spare ones close to their cot so you don't need to look in/under the cot when they wake in the night and cry because their soother is gone. Once your child is a bit older and can put a soother in their own mouth, put several spares in their cot so they can easily find one in the night.
- Some babies like to fall asleep to special sounds. This could be anything from soothing music to whale songs or the sound of the dishwasher (perhaps because they've got used to being surrounded by noises in the womb?). A favourite lullaby can become part of their baby sleep routine. Tips for lullabies
- Gentle rocking will often help a very young baby to fall asleep. So a cradle is a good place for a newborn baby to sleep. If you have a rocking chair or a pilates ball, you can sit in/on it and rock to help your baby settle down and feel drowsy. Carrying your baby in a baby carrier is another good way to calm most babies.
- Make sure your baby isn't overtired or not tired enough when you put them into their cot to sleep. Wind down with soothing activities and low lighting for the last hour or two before bedtime so your baby is sleepy enough when it's time to sleep.
- Help them fall asleep on their own. If you've rocked your baby in your arms until they're drowsy, put them in their cot or cradle before they've fallen asleep (if your baby is happy about this, of course). This can help your baby to fall asleep on their own.


text:
"Wayne has created a routine that fits my needs; a clever method, direct effect and a lasting impact on my audience… I have made '3 Choice' a feature in my full evening stage show." – Jeff McBride
The wonder worker (that would be you) removes a black wallet from his pocket, flips it open and reveals three different items: a credit card, a business card, and a folded banknote. You then hand a spectator a sealed prediction. A second spectator is invited on stage to remove one of the items from the wallet
(free choice here,) and hide it away one of his pockets. Once done, he is asked to take another item and hide it in another pocket. Finally, he removes and hides the last item in another pocket.
Of course, you have turned away throughout so that you have no idea which item is in which pocket. OR DO YOU?Now, the magic begins. You are immediately able to name the whereabouts of each and every item. Not only that, you point out that you actually knew, way in advance, what the outcome of this strange experiment would be. To prove it, ask the first spectator to open the sealed prediction.
They read the prediction aloud. It tells exactly which item would be in which pocket! Wow!
3 CHOICE by Wayne Dobson is an alternative routine for Visa Cabaret by Stephen Tucker and it comes complete with everything needed to perform this audience-baffling effect, including the deluxe, specially constructed leather wallet.


text:
Tag: Mike Rinder
Private Investigators; Crucial In a Scientology Lawsuit
When talking about lawsuits it generally refers to a dispute or rather a claim that is usually brought to a law court for the purpose of adjudication. Private investigators like Gradoni & Associates play a very crucial role when it comes to investigating the details, or lack thereof, of certain aspects of lawsuits. The core role of these private investigators is to obtain information about some specific activities or people so that the information can be used probably in a court of law. In the following discussion we are going to look at a news event that is related to lawsuit and private investors.
There has been rigorous talks in the Internet about lawsuits in Texas. Some news has hit the headlines of most people on claims of lawsuits in relation to the scientology church that spent millions of money over a span of 24 years spying one man. The whole story was initiated by a man by the name David Miscavige. David who was scientology leader allegedly paid some private investigators around $500,000 so that they can keep vigil about one man by the name Pal Broeker. According to the story told to the investigator's attorney general Pal Broeker was Miscavige's rival over the control of a certain church in Texas.
Additionally, payments that were being made of the investigators came to a standstill at the beginning of this year resulting to complains from the two involved investigators. The two were Greg Arnold and Paul Marrick. The two sued David Miscavige for going against their promises of permanently employing them and making the payments. The interesting thing about the whole story is that the scientology fraternity didn't give any response in as much the claims were concerned. This worshipping place is actually located in the city of Los Angeles, it claims to have millions of members. Information from one executive member of the church indicate that specific number of congregants were Forty thousand.
Struggle for Power
Davis Miscavige was born in the 1950's by a fiction writer in the field of science by the name Ron Hubbard. Ron went to seclusion for some time but unfortunately he died in the year 1986. Ron had specified the family- Annie Broeker and Pat- to be his successors but after his death Miscavige instead replaced them in act struggle for power. Moreover, according to lawsuit, David Miscavige was seriously concerned about the named successor Pal Broeker who was a great threat to him in as much as power struggle was concerned since he had been forcefully ousted out of it. For that matter, the scientology church hired a couple of investigators so that they can keep vigil of Broeker within the strictest measures of secrecy.
Other people monitored
According to trusted sources, it is said that there were more people who were being monitored. The two were executives in some pharmaceutical firm and they were Mitch Daniels and Mike Rinder. Mitch Daniels was actually a very senior person who went to be a governor in India according to lawsuit. On the other hand Mike Rinder was chiefs' spokesman who according to lawsuits abandoned the church in the year 2007. The two were part of the largely increasing number of congregants in the church although they seriously opposed Miscavige's leadership.
Furthermore, while disputes related to lawsuits in most cases come to settlements, the south Texas seriously need some two people who are greatly involved in the fight for power case. It was believed that Broeker had gone missing for a long time from the general public and he is one of the most witnesses required to report in the Texas law court. Consequently, this may result to the deposition of Miscavige. The information at hand is that, all the involved victims were professionals who carried themselves in the right manner and even paid taxes on their incomes until the year 2008 when they paid cash to the two investigators resulting to greenbacks in the church accounts. The contracting information is that it was said that the church cannot hire private investigators since they do not work directly for the church but instead the scientology hired private investigators. The conclusion of the matter is that the church scientology David Miscavige had no information about the job done with the investigators.


text:
By Bryan Golden
Your mother tried to teach you some valuable lessons. Moms have a unique ability to impart essential wisdom. Unfortunately, most of us were too young to really appreciate their value. Mother's Day is a great time to review the following advice you got when you were a kid.
You can be whatever you want to be.
You have no limitations. The whole world is open to you. Your future is ahead of you. You can accomplish whatever you set your mind to. It's ok to dream.
Be nice to your friends and they will be nice to you.
People respond to the way you treat them. If you are mean and selfish, no one will want to play with you. Share your toys and don't be a bully. Be considerate of the feelings of others.
Do your homework and you will get good grades.
Success takes work. If you don't put in the effort, you won't reap the rewards. Those who work hard will succeed.
Clean your room now.
Get things done today and you won't have to worry about them. If you let things pile up, it will be difficult to catch up.
You can play once your chores are done.
Get your work done before you take a break. Then you can relax and have a good time.
Stay in school.
If you don't get an education, your opportunities will be limited. Don't drop out of school. The more you learn, the more you benefit.
Sticks and stones will break your bones but names will never hurt you.
It doesn't matter what other people say. Don't allow others to upset you. There will always be mean people. Don't pay attention to them.
Don't waste your time.
Time goes by very fast. Don't wait to pursue your dreams.
Be thankful for what you have.
There are many who are not as fortunate as you. Be grateful for you home and family. It doesn't matter what someone else has.
Don't complain.
Whining is annoying. If you have something to say, say it. If you complain all the time, no one will want to listen to you.