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OBJECTIVES: This pilot study evaluates the effectiveness of a community based childhood injury prevention program on the reduction of home hazards. METHODS: High risk pregnant women, who were enrolled in a home visiting program that augments existing health and human services, received initial home safety assessments. Clients received education about injury prevention practices, in addition to receiving selected home safety supplies. Fourteen questions from the initial assessment tool were repeated upon discharge from the program. Matched analyses were conducted to evaluate differences from initial assessment to discharge. RESULTS: A significantly larger proportion of homes were assessed as safe at discharge, compared with the initial assessment, for the following hazards: children riding unbuckled in all auto travel, Massachusetts Poison Center sticker on the telephone, outlet plugs in all unused electrical outlets, safety latches on cabinets and drawers, and syrup of ipecac in the home. CONCLUSIONS: A community based childhood injury prevention program providing education and safety supplies to clients significantly reduced four home hazards for which safety supplies were provided. Education and promotion of the proper use of child restraint systems in automobiles significantly reduced a fifth hazard, children riding unbuckled in auto travel. This program appears to reduce the prevalence of home hazards and, therefore, to increase home safety.
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These are perfect for graduation and recital gifts for kids, teens, and young adults. They're adorable & affordable.
Two pairs of these brightly colored earrings will give you an opportunity to expand your summer wardrobe.
Each earring is made with two buttons that have been glued together before being attached to a nickel free 8mm flat back stud.
As these are made to order, button earrings that use adhesive will take 1-3 days to ship to give glue time to harden.

subset: commoncrawl


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Everything you need to know as a catmom, from cat health to cat care and cat behaviour. The best lifestyle blog for catmoms including the best lifestyle, travel and budget tips related to cats.
Tips to keep your cat hydrated
It's important that your cat drinks enough water. The best tips to let your cat drink enough water.
Change the diet of your cat
Step by step tutorial to change your cat to diffrent pet food. Without any trouble.
Watching cat movies makes you really happy
Watch cat movies without any feeling of guilt! Scientific proof that watching cat movies is good for your healt.


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ULTIMATE BAR 10 RANCH ADVENTURES (2-3 nights)
There is no experience in the world that equals the grandeur and history of the Grand Canyon and Arizona Strip. From towering vistas and majestic canyons, you will descend back in time as you traverse the heart of the Grand Canyon. You will learn the colorful history of Indians, ranchers, homesteaders, and outlaws who inhabited and hid out in this primitive land. Witness the amazing array of color as the evening sun sets on the walls of the Grand Canyon. This package is all-inclusive including meals, lodging, and cowboy guided activities such as ATV tours, extended horseback rides, hiking, ranch demonstrations, living history, and free time activities. Add an additional day and night to your adventure and book our Three Night Adventure package.
Package Pricing:
Two Night Adventure……………………………………….Starting at $699.00/person – Call to Book!
Three Night Adventure……………………………………..Starting at $965.00/person – Call to Book!


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Company denies it acted illegally
PARIS (Reuters) — France Telecom was placed under investigation on Friday over the company's alleged role in a wave of staff suicides, two days after its former chief executive was similarly targeted.
The telecommunications company, ex-CEO Didier Lombard and two senior executives all now face an investigation into tough management practices amounting to psychological harassment.
Besides alleged harassment, the management style at France Telecom is also being investigated for possibly hindering the functioning of the company and violating workers' hygiene and safety standards, a legal source said.
France Telecom was hit by a wave of employee suicides beginning in 2008 that took the lives of more than 30 workers in two years, including a man who stabbed himself in the stomach during a staff meeting and a woman who threw herself out of a window.
Blamed on workplace stress, the suicides continued in 2010, taking the lives of five workers in 10 days in one particularly difficult period.
The company, in which the French government holds a minority stake, denied it had acted illegally.
"France Telecom again denies having put into place a deliberate strategy aimed at causing suffering at work to create conditions that would lead to the departure of employees," it said in a statement.
It added that the company's acts "could have been interpreted badly" and acknowledged that in certain situations it had identified a link between the working environment and suicide.
Such investigations in France usually lead to trial and the crime of "moral harassment" can be punished with one year in prison and €15,000 (C$18,821) in fines.
Lombard, who stepped down amid criticism in 2010, was head of France Telecom when it was engulfed in controversy linked to the suicides of more than 30 employees in 2008 and 2009, a decade after its privatization.
Investigating magistrates have widened the case to include 80 cases, which include suicide attempts and nervous breakdowns.
Unions have said forced moves and impossible performance targets were partly behind the rash of suicides, but the company has said that rate was no higher than in the general population.
A February 2010 report written by government labour inspectors and viewed by Reuters said France Telecom had ignored warnings from doctors about the mental health of some employees.
It pointed to a restructuring plan — that sought to reduce headcount by 22,000 and put 10,000 other workers in new positions — as having a "pathological effect" on staff morale.
On Wednesday, Lombard's attorney, Jean Veil, called the accusation against his client "stunning," saying the former CEO was being accused of harassment against people he had never met.
Two other former senior executives at France Telecom have been summoned by investigating magistrates.


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In what could be British Columbia's biggest real estate deal, Vancouver's Bentall Centre has been sold to Chinese investors.
Beijing-based Anbang Insurance Group Co. Ltd. purchased the land lease of Toronto's HSBC Building at 70 York St. just last year.
The price has not been disclosed to the public, but reports say the deal is worth $1 billion for a 66 per cent stake in towers one to four.
"I would suggest it is the largest commercial real estate transaction in the history of Vancouver," said Kirk Kuester with Colliers International.
The towers contain 1.5 million square feet of office space.
"Now that [Aubang] had I think their biggest transaction in Canada… we want to encourage them to set up their management operations, [and] their head office functions for North America right here in Vancouver," said Yuen Pay Woo, President of HQ Vancouver.
But some experts say this deal should serve as a warning to Vancouver residents.
"Vancouver's tax code punishes work, rewards investment in property with low property taxes, but high income taxes," said Tom Davidoff with UBC Sauder School of Business. "As long as you combine that with this flood of demand for parking cash from other countries into Canada, we're going to see people who live and work here get displaced by people who are primarily buying to invest."
"We are getting close to Manhattan prices, but with Vancouver salaries. And that just isn't workable for a lot of people."


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Noodling my way around Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand, Winter 2016.
Location: Southeast Asia/Date: 2016
Copyright © 2013 Troy Litten. All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce this image without the expressed written consent of Troy Litten.
Image available for licensing. For information contact email@example.com.
You're welcome to share this image but please credit the source and provide a link back to troyland.com.


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Practically speaking, we have lots of avenues to communicate and a lot of things to communicate. This form allows us to have a central place where we can store promotional information. That means you as the organizer do not have to duplicate information when you want to partner with us to promote an event.
Spiritually, our purpose as the church is to worship God by SHARING the GRACE of Jesus Christ. With this in mind, we have certain convictions about the way we communicate.
1. We desire that the Gospel is the number one thing we communicate to everyone.
2. We give priority promotion to our church's outreach events & discipleship programs over community events in order to keep the priority of SHARING the Gospel first.
3. We believe that in order to communicate clearly we must not "over communicate." We all recognize it is easier to remember a list of 3 things versus a list of 10 things. Therefore we want to make sure that when we need to communicate many things to many people we are organized and purposeful in doing so.
DEADLINE: To ensure that there is room in the bulletin for your announcement, we would encourage you to submit your request as far in advance of your event as possible.
INCLUSION: All requests are reviewed before publication. We reserve the right to edit your announcement for length and content, if necessary. Due to a large number of events advertised throughout the year, it may sometimes be necessary for us to shorten the duration of your announcement or not promote your event.
It is strongly requested that all announcement requests have Ministry Area approval before submission. This will cut down on any conflicting announcements.
Please make sure that your event is booked on the church calendar BEFORE this request is submitted. If an event is not on the church calendar – the announcement WILL NOT run.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Announcements should be directed to the entire congregation (or large subsets of the congregation). Information for small target groups can be disseminated by letters or phone calls – rather than church-wide.
CONTACT INFO: Your announcement MUST include contact information. Please do not instruct people to call the church office for more information about your event. Please double-check phone numbers and e-mail addresses for accuracy.
BULLETIN INSERTS, FLYERS, & POSTERS: As a rule – we will only include bulletin inserts or posters for church-wide special emphasis events. (Example: Season of Sharing)
DURATION OF ANNOUNCEMENTS: Announcements will generally run for no longer than two weeks. (The week before and the week of an event).
OUTSIDE EVENTS: We generally do not advertise events sponsored by outside organizations.
SIZE LIMIT: If your event has a limit on registration/attendance, please include this information up front. Events that have limited open space will not be publicized as they can best be filled by individual communication.
FUNDRAISERS - All fundraisers must be approved by the stewardship committee before they can be promoted within our church building.
WHERE WILL EVENT INFO BE AVAILABLE: When approved your information will be displayed on community bulletin boards, our church website, and by our NEXT STEP Volunteers. (Events that clearly aid in our mission & strategy may also be placed in the bulletin and announced from stage).
We hope the above information will help you as you plan the advertising for your scheduled event. If you have any further questions about these guidelines – please call the church office at 336-476-6258.
Please email email@example.com with any questions.


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We saw lots of speed, strength and power at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis as prospects for the 2019 NFL draft jockey for first-round status. And with it, there's some more movement in my projection of the opening 32 picks.
Players now have one more shot to show what they've got on the field at their schools' pro days, which will take place over the next few weeks. Then teams will have to figure out how they grade those players and how they'd fit within their systems as we race toward April 25, when names will be called in Nashville, Tennessee.
Let's take another turn through all 32 first-round picks for 2019. And for a deeper look into each selection, tune into ESPN2 and the ESPN App at 5 p.m. ET Wednesday for a SportsCenter special going through my picks.
Scouts Inc. draft rankings | Combine risers
Kiper's Mock 2.0 | Draft order | Biggest draft questions
1. Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
We can't deny the rumblings here, and we know new coach Kliff Kingsbury recruited Murray in college. I'm not all-in on Arizona taking him just yet, though -- the Cards could be trying generate trade interest among the QB-needy teams. Still, the just-tall-enough Murray is a perfect fit to help Kingsbury transition the Air Raid offense to the NFL, and this pick makes sense from a scheme standpoint with all of Murray's athleticism. Now, what could the Cardinals get for Josh Rosen?
2. San Francisco 49ers
Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
The Niners will be hunting for pass-rushers this offseason, and getting the best overall player in the class at No. 2 would be a fantastic start. Bosa has length, speed and power from the edge, and it's fathomable that the Buckeye paces San Francisco's defensive line in sacks as a rookie. He's that good.


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Saint Euthymius the Great came from the city of Melitene in Armenia, near the River Euphrates. His parents, Paul and Dionysia, were pious Christians of noble birth. After many years of marriage they remained childless, and in their sorrow they entreated God to give them offspring. Finally, they had a vision and heard a voice saying, "Be of good cheer! God will grant you a son, who will bring joy to the churches." The child that was born was named Euthymius ("good cheer").
Euthymius' father died soon after this, and his mother, fulfilling her vow to dedicate her son to God, gave him to her brother, the priest Eudoxius, to be educated. He presented the child to Bishop Eutroius of Melitene, who accepted him with love. Seeing his good conduct, the bishop soon made him a Reader.
Euthymius later became a monk and was ordained to the holy priesthood. At the same time, he was entrusted with the supervision of all the city monasteries. Euthymius often visited the monastery of Saint Polyeuctus, and during Great Lent he withdrew into the wilderness. His responsibility for the monasteries weighed heavily upon the ascetic, and conflicted with his desire for stillness, so he secretly left the city and headed to Jerusalem. After venerating the holy shrines, he visited the Fathers in the desert.
Since there was a solitary cell in the Tharan lavra, he settled into it, earning his living by weaving baskets. Nearby, his neighbor Saint Theoctistus also lived in asceticism. They shared the same zeal for God and for spiritual struggles, and each strove to attain what the other desired.
Every year, after the Feast of Theophany, they withdrew into the desert of Coutila (not far from Jericho). One day, they entered a steep and terrifying gorge with a stream running through it. They saw a cave upon a cliff, and settled there. The Lord, however, soon revealed their solitary place for the benefit of many people. Shepherds driving their flocks came upon the cave and saw the monks. They went back to the village and told people about the ascetics living there.
People seeking spiritual benefit began to visit the hermits and brought them food. Gradually, a monastic community grew up around them. Several monks came from the Tharan monastery, among them Marinus and Luke. Euthymius entrusted the supervision of the growing monastery to his friend Theoctistus.
Euthymius exhorted the brethren to guard their thoughts. "Whoever desires to lead the monastic life should not follow his own will. He should be obedient and humble, and be mindful of the hour of death. He should fear the judgment and eternal fire, and seek the heavenly Kingdom."
The saint taught young monks to fix their thoughts on God while engaging in physical labor. "If laymen work in order to feed themselves and their families, and to give alms and offer sacrifice to God, then are not we as monks obliged to work to sustain ourselves and to avoid idleness? We should not depend on strangers."
The saint demanded that the monks keep silence in church during services and at meals. When he saw young monks fasting more than others, he told them to cut off their own will, and to follow the appointed rule and times for fasting. He urged them not to attract attention to their fasting, but to eat in moderation.
In these years Euthymius converted and baptized many Arabs. Among them were the Saracen leaders Aspebet and his son Terebon, both of whom Euthymius healed of sickness. Aspebet received the name Peter in Baptism and afterwards he was a bishop among the Arabs.
Word of the miracles performed by Euthymius spread quickly. People came from everywhere to be healed of their ailments, and he cured them. Unable to bear human fame and glory, the monk secretly left the monastery, taking only his closest disciple Dometian with him. He withdrew into the Rouba desert and settled on Mount Marda, near the Dead Sea.
In his quest for solitude, the saint explored the wilderness of Ziph and settled in the cave where David once hid from King Saul. Euthymius founded a monastery beside David's cave, and built a church. During this time Euthymius converted many monks from the Manichean heresy, he also healed the sick and cast out devils.
Visitors disturbed the tranquillity of the wilderness. Since he loved silence, the saint decided to return to the monastery of Saint Theoctistus. Along the way they found a quiet level place on a hill, and he remained there. This would become the site of Euthymius' lavra, and a little cave served as his cell, and then as his grave.
Saint Theoctistus went with his brethren to Euthymius and requested him to return to the monastery, but the monk did not agree to this. However, he did promise to attend Sunday services at the monastery.
Euthymius did not wish to have anyone nearby, nor to organize a cenobium or a lavra. The Lord commanded him in a vision not to drive away those who came to him for the salvation of their souls. After some time brethren again gathered around him, and he organized a lavra, on the pattern of the Tharan Lavra. In the year 429, when Euthymius was fifty-two years old, Patriarch Juvenal of Jerusalem consecrated the lavra church and supplied it with presbyters and deacons.
The lavra was poor at first, but the saint believed that God would provide for His servants. Once, about 400 Armenians on their way to the Jordan came to the lavra. Seeing this, Euthymius called the steward and ordered him to feed the pilgrims. The steward said that there was not enough food in the monastery. Euthymius, however, insisted. Going to the storeroom where the bread was kept, the steward found a large quantity of bread, and the wine casks and oil jars were also filled. The pilgrims ate their fill, and for three months afterwards the door of the storeroom could not be shut because of the abundace of bread. The food remained undiminished, just like the widow of Zarephath's barrel of meal and cruse of oil (3 Kings 17:8-16).
Because of his ascetic life and firm confession of the Orthodox Faith, Saint Euthymius is called "the Great." Wearied by contact with the world, the holy abba went for a time into the inner desert. After his return to the lavra some of the brethren saw that when he celebrated the Divine Liturgy, fire descended from Heaven and encircled the saint. Saint Euthymius himself revealed to several of the monks that often he saw an angel celebrating the Holy Liturgy with him.
When the saint was ninety years of age, his companion and fellow monk Theoctistus became grievously ill. Saint Euthymius went to visit his friend and remained at the monastery for several days. He took leave of him and was present at his end. After burying his body in a grave, he returned to the lavra.
God revealed to Saint Euthymius the time of his death. On the eve of the Feast of Saint Anthony the Great, Saint Euthymius gave the blessing to serve the all-night Vigil. When the service ended, he took the priests aside and told them that he would never serve another Vigil with them, because the Lord was calling him from this earthly life.
All were filled with great sadness, but the saint asked the brethren to meet him in church in the morning. He began to instruct them, "If you love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15). Love is the highest virtue, and the bond of perfectness (Colossians 3:14). Every virtue is made secure by love and humility. The Lord humbled Himself because of His love for us and became man. Therefore, we ought to praise Him unceasingly, especially since we monks have escaped worldly distractions and concerns."
"Look to yourselves, and preserve your souls and bodies in purity. Do not fail to attend the church services, and keep the traditions and rules of our community. If one of the brethren struggles with unclean thoughts, correct, console, and instruct him, so that he does not fall into the devil's snares. Never refuse hospitality to visitors. Offer shelter to every stranger. Give whatever you can to help the poor in their misfortune."
Afterwards, having given instructions for the guidance of the brethren, the saint promised always to remain in spirit with them and with those who followed them in his monastery. Saint Euthymius then dismissed everyone but his disciple Dometian. He remained in the altar for three days, then died on January 20, 473 at the age of ninety-seven.
A multitude of monks from all the monasteries and from the desert came to the lavra for the holy abba's burial, among whom was Saint Gerasimus. The Patriarch Anastasius also came with his clergy, as well as the Nitrian monks Martyrius and Elias, who later became Patriarchs of Jerusalem, as Saint Euthymius had foretold.
Rejoice, O barren wilderness.
And be glad, sterile desert, that has never known the travail of birth.
The man of desires has multiplied your sons,
he has planted them in faith and piety.
He has watered them with the Holy Spirit:
They grow in self-denial and perfect virtue.
Through his intercessions, O Christ God, preserve Your people in peace.
The wilderness rejoiced at your birth, O holy father Euthymius.
In your memory, it brings a harvest of joy through your many miracles.
Pour these wonders on our souls as well and cleanse us from our sins,
that we may sing: Alleluia.
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January 2023
January 2023


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Engels Paint also has economical private label paint
Besides many top brands like Flexa, Sikkens and Sigma, we also sell our own brand of paint at our shops. Whatever surface area you want to paint, our private label brand keeps it affordable. We offer Engels Paint at very competitive prices. Drop by for (colour) advice from one of our specialists.
Exclusive white tones
Our paint shop's range includes an exclusive series of white tones. This series is not available anywhere else and is suitable for various surfaces. These tones are available in various price classes and can be mixed. You can request the A3 and A4 samples and view them in the shop.
Engels private label brand
Our own brand of paint includes the following types of paint:
- undercoat
- floor paint
- high gloss and satin paint
- wall paint
- concrete paint
A solution for every budget
Even with a lower budget, painting doesn't have to cost you a fortune. Our paint is competitively priced.
The following are examples of our price classes:
- wall paint from €3 to €32 per litre
- stain from €19.95 to €52 per litre
- primer from €12.95 to €42.45 per litre
- enamel paint from €19.95 to €62.50 per litre
Opening hours
Engels verfspeciaalzaken West
Van Hallstraat 294
Monday to Friday: 08:00 - 17:00 uur
Saturday: 09:00 - 17:00
free on-site parking.
Engels verfspeciaalzaken Centrum
Elandsgracht 93-97
Monday to Friday: 09:00 - 18:00 uur
Saturday: 09:00 - 17:00
Paint and Ride (we pay your parking fee for the Q-park parking garage)
Engels verfspeciaalzaken Noord
Slijperweg 16
Monday to Friday: 08:00 - 18:00 uur
Saturday: 09:00 - 17:00
Free loading and unloading at the door. (Please pay 1.30 p/h per 1 July paid parking)


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Bogart GABICCI VINTAGE 60s Mod Argyle Knit Polo N
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Gabicci Vintage 'Bogart' men's 1960s mod Diamond Argyle knitted polo shirt in classic navy. Featuring 3 button placket, fold down polo collar and fine gauge knit construction. The refreshing pink and glass retro diamond pattern is accentuated by the cool cross hatch dash detailing, typical of the traditional Argyle pattern. The polo shirt is finished with the iconic Gabicci Vinatge 'G' emblem to the chest. A classic mod knit polo shirt that will add a smart and stylish edge to your retro attire.
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The proliferation of electronic medical records has, in many ways, benefited the health care industry. In theory, these sophisticated systems provide a centralized location for medical professionals to access and update patient information, instantaneously making data available to all of the patient's providers. These systems can lower costs and reduce opportunities for error.
But are these systems safe?
Truth be told, the advent of new records systems has challenged many health care facilities and led to devastating complications, such as:
• Decreased efficiency. As professionals attempt to learn complex new medical records programs, they can lose valuable time with their patients. Red tape can slow down critical patient care processes.
• Medication errors. Typos and other similar discrepancies can cause deadly mistakes in the types and amounts of medications dispensed to patients.
• Incompatibilities. Facilities that use different types of electronic medical records can have compatibility issues when sending patient information back and forth with partner hospitals and doctors officers.
• Fraudulent billing. Computers generate an increasing number of medical bills; providers can more easily add confusing line items on purpose that increase insurance payments.
• Downtime. When electronic records systems crash, health care facilities must scramble to use alternate databases – or paper records – until they come back online. The time spent reconciling these two methods can be considerable.
Clearly, electronic medical records systems can benefit patients, doctors and hospitals. But we cannot ignore the possible adverse effects of these systems. Health care facilities and providers must work together to improve their functionality, reliability, and compatibility to keep patients safe.
Have You Suffered As a Result of Medical Records Error?
When medical offices fail to coordinate patients' medical records, the quality and continuity of care can suffer dramatically. If a medical records error harmed you or a loved one, call a DC medical malpractice attorney to discuss your legal options.
How do you find and track such errors? Read "DECODING MEDICAL RECORDS IN MALPRACTICE CASES" to learn more.


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Major JCB order from A-Plant
By Euan Youdale07 November 2016
JCB has signed one of its biggest deals of the year with an order for 1,200 machines worth £35 million ($43.4 million) from the UK rental company A-Plant.
The contract from A-Plant, which follows its purchase of 1,500 machines from JCB last year worth £50 million ($62 million), includes a fleet of 13 tonne JS130 tracked excavators produced at JCB Heavy Products in Uttoxeter, UK.
Mini excavators, Loadall telescopic handlers and rough terrain fork lift trucks have also been ordered. A-Plant is also buying a fleet of site dumpers. All the machines are being supplied by JCB dealer Greenshields JCB.
For the first time A-Plant is also investing in a range of UK-produced generators for the rental market from JCB Power Products. The range, produced by the former Broadcrown business acquired by JCB last year, is fitted with the JCB LiveLink for Power feature. Almost 40 sets have been purchased, providing enough power to keep two hospitals or 1,000 homes running.
The latest order marks a milestone for A-Plant and means the company has bought more than 11,000 machines from JCB since the first one purchased more than 25 years ago.
JCB UK & Ireland sales director Dan Thompstone said, "JCB has a long-standing relationship with A-Plant and we are delighted to cement that with this huge order."
A-Plant, which is part of Ashtead Group plc, is the UK's largest equipment rental company with over 150 service centres in Britain, more than 3,000 employees nationwide.


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Professor Luttwak is a famous defense policy expert, with publications on the Roman Empire, nuclear strategy, coups d'état and globalization, among others. He is not a specialist in counterinsurgency, but his opinions carry much weight and we should all welcome his recent foray into the field. I hope he will forgive this précis, but in essence he argues that "insurgents do not always win, actually they usually lose. But their defeats can rarely be attributed to counterinsurgency warfare, as we shall see". The means he argues are most effective (but does not himself advocate, of course) are wholesale reprisals and "out-terrorizing" the insurgents.
The first part of the article is a critique of the new counter-insurgency manual, FM 3-24. As Dr Luttwak acknowledges, he is actually critiquing the so-called "straw-man" draft (leaked onto the internet in early 2006) not the final version published last December (about three months before his Harper's piece appeared). This is a pity, because the official version differs substantially from the straw-man he critiques.
For example, Dr Luttwak criticizes the draft's focus on legitimacy as a means to popular consent, suggesting that coercion makes up for lack of consent: "government needs no popular support when it has obedience". If he had seen the final version he may have been more comfortable with these words (from Chapter 1):
All governments rule through a combination of consent and coercion...Legitimacy makes it easier for a state to carry out its key functions.... "police states" typically cannot regulate society or can do so only by applying overwhelming coercion. Legitimate governance is inherently stable; the societal support it engenders allows it to adequately manage the internal problems, change, and conflict that affect individual and collective well-being. Conversely, governance that is not legitimate is inherently unstable; as soon as the state's coercive power is disrupted, the populace ceases to obey it.
Some other comments seem based on incomplete information. Dr Luttwak observes that "better government...is certainly wanted in France, Norway and the United States but obviously not in Afghanistan or Iraq, where many people prefer indigenous and religious oppression". This differs markedly from my field experience in both countries. One night last summer, a member of a tribe that sits astride the Afghan-Pakistan border told me: "you want to bring us 'democracy' at the national level, but we already have democracy within the khel. What we want from the government is security, honor, justice and prosperity. If anyone offers us those things, we will fight for him to the death. If democracy only brings elections, what use is it?" In my experience, this is a fairly widespread view in both Afghanistan and Iraq. It reflects cultural differences in the way social groups conceive of the state, and varying notions of democracy and legitimacy. But ordinary Iraqis and Afghans have told me repeatedly that they want effective government that is responsive to people's needs. This is legitimate government, defined through their (emic) terms of justice, honor and responsiveness, not our (etic) categories of parliamentary elections and English common law.
Dr Luttwak argues that "the vast majority of Afghans and Iraqis, assiduous mosque-goers, illiterates or at best semi-illiterate, naturally believe their religious leaders" (who, Dr Luttwak suggests, incite violence with claims that America seeks to destroy Islam and control oil resources). Again, this is at variance with field observation. In fact, neither Iraqis nor Afghans are particularly assiduous mosque-goers. And religious figures are prominent on all sides of both conflicts, in moderate and extreme political groups; there is an extremely wide range of clerical opinion, ranging from quietism through support for democratic government, to extremism. More fundamentally, in these societies, religious faith is not a function of ignorance and credulity, as Dr Luttwak implies, but a widespread cultural norm that infuses all social classes, political orientations and education levels. Indeed, this is one criticism of FM 3-24 that others (including Ralph Peters) have raised, arguing that it minimizes the role of religion. Again, this is a valid criticism of the leaked straw-man, but was addressed in the final version.
In his discussion of intelligence work, Dr Luttwak draws a sharp distinction between intelligence problems and political problems, criticizing the manual for insufficiently addressing political issues. In my view, this is a fair point (though, again, the final version includes much more discussion of political factors than the unofficial draft). The U.S. government is currently preparing a whole-of-government counterinsurgency handbook, which will address political issues more fully.
Dr Luttwak's point about sectarian tendencies in security forces is useful. I am unsure when Dr Luttwak was last in Afghanistan, so he may have more recent information than me. But my impression of the Iraqis I work with now, and the Afghans I worked with last year, is that though such tendencies are real, the presence of U.S. forces, joint operations, and partnership of police with soldiers, provide "checks and balances" that mitigate them. And the growing professionalism of security forces is reducing these tendencies, particularly in Afghanistan. That is, in fact, the point of the Joint Security Stations, which resulted in a large drop in sectarian violence in areas of Iraq where they have been applied. So we may end up making some progress on this issue.
We have also had some success addressing Dr Luttwak's concerns about language proficiency. He writes of the "astonishing linguistic incapacity" of the U.S. military, comparing unfavorably the number of Arabic students at defense language institutes with historical training efforts in Chinese and Japanese. Again, he may not have the latest information on this. According to the Defense Language Institute, by 2005 there were over 300 Arabic instructors and more than 1000 Arabic students in training—a ten-fold increase since before 9/11. Language skills are still too rare in the field, but I have seen steady improvement in the past few years. The new manual pays a great deal of attention to developing and improving cultural and language capabilities.
More importantly, Dr Luttwak implies that only indigenous forces can do counterinsurgency, because only they have the local knowledge, cultural understanding and language ability to work effectively. I could not agree more: imagine how Californians would react if the Iraqi military tried to police the streets of Los Angeles. Commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan also agree, and have made major efforts all along to train local forces to do the job themselves. In addition, the partnership of Iraqi or Afghan forces with U.S. units in the field today gives commanders immediate access to cultural and linguistic understanding from local partners, while U.S. forces reinforce them (Iraqis use the term thabit) and help them ensure that their behavior accords with legal and human rights standards. Local forces are crucial, which is why the manual emphasizes partnership so heavily.
Another benefit of working alongside locals, right in the heart of an operating area, is that it encourages the population to report on the insurgents. Dr Luttwak argues that "many of the local inhabitants certainly know who the insurgents are...but they are not telling". Actually, they now are. Every U.S. unit that has applied the new manual's approach, living among the people and focusing on their security, has reported a flood of unsolicited tips from the population and volunteering of information about insurgents.
Having knocked the stuffing out of the straw-man, Dr Luttwak suggests an "easy and reliable way of defeating all insurgencies everywhere": essentially, to "out-terrorize" insurgents through reprisals, mass executions, and collective punishments. He cites German forces in the Second World War, claiming this approach was standard, "and very effective it was too in containing resistance movements with very few troops". Again, I beg to differ. One German officer on the Eastern Front remarked: "the German Army in Russia was like an elephant attacking a nest of ants. The elephant will kill millions. But in the end the ants will eat him to the bone". German methods in Yugoslavia, Greece and Russia proved extremely counterproductive. And as Barbara Tuchman argued in The Guns of August, earlier German brutality against civilians in Belgium and France in 1914 helped provoke worldwide revulsion, contributing to eventual American intervention and German defeat in the First World War. (These are historical observations, of course, and do not in any way impugn modern Germany or today's Bundeswehr).
The methods Dr. Luttwak mentions are thus not a prescription for success, but a recipe for disaster. As he quickly admits, U.S. and Coalition forces would never consider such methods for a moment. And this is just as well, since this approach does not work. The best method we know of, despite its imperfections, has worked in numerous campaigns over several decades, and is the one we are now using: counterinsurgency. I admit (and have argued elsewhere) that classical counterinsurgency needs updating for current conditions. But the Nazis, Syrians, Taliban, Iranians, Saddam Hussein and others all tried brutalizing the population, and the evidence is that this simply does not work in the long term.
Dr. Luttwak's final point is one of his strongest. He argues that there is ambivalence in the United States approach, that America is "—to start wars because of future projected threats...—to conquer territory or even entire countries, and yet is un—to govern what it conquers, even for a few years". What he calls "the critical ambivalence of occupiers who refuse to govern" is indeed worth discussing, though it is properly an issue of political will, strategic culture and national character, rather than counterinsurgency technique. As a colleague said to me in Iraq last year, "we need to either make a serious effort to govern these people, or get the hell out". But Iraq and Afghanistan now have sovereign governments; and we (with many other countries) are helping these governments to do exactly that—make a serious effort to govern their people effectively. And we have no plans for permanent presence: as the President said, we will stay as long as we are needed, and not a day longer.
Overall, I found Professor Luttwak's viewpoint fascinating, and a thought-provoking addition to our ongoing professional discussion, but ultimately not quite convincing. Perhaps that's just me—things do tend to look different, and more complicated, from here in the field. But I would encourage people to read both the Harper's piece, and the actual final version of FM 3-24, and make up their own minds. On-the-ground facts (like language improvements, partnering with Iraqi forces, the drop in sectarian violence, joint operations, and improved governance) are also worth taking into account.
None of this means we will automatically win in Iraq and Afghanistan; unlike some pundits, most of us with a professional background in counterinsurgency always expected this to be a forbiddingly difficult undertaking. Our approach remains fundamentally field-oriented and evidence-based, and clearly there are still many things that could go wrong, dark days ahead, and extremely demanding and complex challenges to be faced, as in every war. Admittedly, also, we waited a long time before adopting our current approach, which inevitably makes things harder. And as John Nagl so convincingly demonstrated, our counterinsurgency doctrine will undoubtedly need ongoing and agile adaptation as things develop. But to suggest that counterinsurgency is intrinsically flawed, that it is "malpractice", or that wholesale slaughter and oppression are the only viable solution (albeit one that we will never apply) is an argument that the facts simply do not support.
Dr. David Kilcullen is Senior Counter-Insurgency Advisor to the Commanding General, Multi-National Force Iraq. Though authorized to post at SWJ Blog, these are his personal views, do not reflect those of any government or organization, and have not been screened or vetted.
SWJ Editors Note: Small Wars Council discussion: Edward Luttwak - Counterinsurgency as Military Malpractice
Wow, this was a blast from the past. Four summers ago almost to the day. Lots of water under the bridge since then, lots of good discussion on SWJ too (some of it heated, some of it angry, but in it all much to learn from)
For whatever it is worth, this response by me to Kilcullen's post was probably one of my first on SWJ. Some of it as a re-read it i still stand by and think is correct, some of it not, and after four years would modify or state that it was wrong.
I still think I had it right about Kilcullen's lack of objectivity and that he was obviously an early proponent and constructionist of the Surge Triumph Narrative as he claims the Surge (and his purported key role in it as he eventually tried to show in his book) to be the primary causative factor for lowering violence.
But I think that I over-stated too early the argument about dogmatism especially with this post in how it prevented creative action on the ground during the Surge. Doug Ollivant in his recent interview with Octavian on SWJ seems to me to have it right when he says that the actions taken during the Surge at the tactical level reinforced the more important conditions that were driving violence down and may have sped up that process. I still stand by my arguments about continuity rather than discontinuity operationally within pre surge and surge armies, but to argue that FM 3-24 had taken away creativity at the tactical level as I did in this post now reads to me to be wrong.
I also dont think that Coin became the matrix-like box that completely controlled the army as I started to suggest here and developed as an argument more fully in other places. To be sure Coin became dominant in the army, but that dominance may turn (or is turning out now) to be quite fragile. It is one thing to argue that Coin has dominated the Army's intellectual climate (which I think it has), but an Army is more than just its intellectual climate and consists of many other things that are mitigating against the intellectual dominance of coin.
Just some thoughts and reflection after four years...
I question Dr. Kilkullens current objectivity and detachment as a scholar and analyst since it apparently conflicts with his current position as senior advisor to the commander of Multi-national forces Iraq, General David Patreaus; unfortunately for the sake of objectivity and detached analysis this position appears to have turned him into an advocate of the surge.
Some comments in Dr. Kilkullens response to Edward Luttwaks article are indicative of his loss of objectivity and detachment concerning the war in Iraq and the surge. Specifically, his hyper-optimistic appraisal of sectarian tendencies in the Iraqi Security Forces reads like an "official" report from and MNF-I spokesperson. He uses the reduced numbers of dead bodies on Baghdad streets as an indicator that the tactical use of joint security stations in neighborhoods along with combined operations with Iraqi Security Forces is working to reduce sectarian killings. An alternative explanation, however, exists. It is that most of the mixed areas in Baghdad have already been taken over by shia and the number of sunnis in these areas left to be killed has also been reduced thus explaining the reduced number of dead bodies on the streets. A number of comments made recently by lower enlisted soldiers and NCOs who patrol the streets to embedded reporters suggest this possibility. An objective and detached analysis of this problem would have recognized that possibility.
I commanded an Armored Reconnaissance Squadron in West-Baghdad in 2006. I worked closely with National Police, Iraqi Police, and the Iraqi Army. I dealt first hand with the ongoing civil war that is occurring in Iraq. In Ameriyah in 2006, I tried this surge plan in microcosm by concentrating my entire Squadron in Ameriyah: the result, it did not work because the underlying political conditions that have produced civil war had not changed.
What is really going on here is that the American Army has been placed into a dogmatic box that is defined by our current counterinsurgency doctrine. Our approach in Iraq now with this surge is not at all creative and innovative as pundits, parts of the media, and advisors like Dr. Kilkullen are portraying it. Instead the surge is dogmatic and archaic and does not demonstrate an operational and tactical approach that realistically takes into account actual conditions on the ground.
We have sadly turned our army into a counterinsurgency-only force with a current doctrine that is wrongly and mechanically built on "lessons" from past counterinsurgency operations. Want Proof? Go read David Galulas "Counterinsurgency Warfare" and tell me if it does not read just like the Armys new Coin manual. Further proof is a hypothetical that could be turned easily into fact: If I had a smart cavalry or infantry Sergeant First Class and First Lieutenant who just returned from Iraq and gave them a copy of Galulas lengthy essay with specific temporal references to time and place removed and asked them what they had just read they would say it is a summary of the Armys new Coin doctrine as they just got done practicing in Iraq.
The worthiness of Edward Luttwaks article is that it fundamentally questions the theory that our counterinsurgency wars are based on. Others who have been seduced to the point of dogmatism by our new doctrine should think hard about what Luttwak has to say.
In Defense of Luttwaks Argument
There is purpose in plain language. Yes, Luttwaks use of the draft version of FM 3-24 is curious, but nothing in the later version changes Luttwaks basic point. Its a misreading to focus a critique of him around the idea that he is attacking a straw-man argument. His point is that the idea of there being a kind of specialized war called counterinsurgency is mistaken. Dr. Kilcullens response misses the larger point of the article. Luttwaks argument is that the idea of a special kind of war called counterinsurgency is beside the point. Why is this search for the elusive key to counterinsurgency a dead end? Because what the long standing history (Roman, Ottoman, German, Spanish, French, American, etc.) of conventionally trained and organized armies successfully defeating insurgencies tells us is, to use the words of both the draft and final versions of FM-3-24, that the key to war in general is generating "enough violence to achieve political consequences." That is, in Luttwaks plain language, they out-terrorized the terrorists, they made a "wasteland and call[ed] it peace."
Hes saying that the idea counterinsurgency, whether from the spring 2006 manual or its present version, is the real straw-man, whatever the details. This is not because military violence is not capable of achieving political consequences, it most certainly is. But the kind and amount of violence which is required to quell an insurgency are of such a type as to be beyond the capacity of "the armed forces of the United States or of any other democratic country" to generate. [See Gen. Rupert Smiths The Utility of Force, or Gil Meroms How Democracies Lose Small Wars for more in-depth examinations of this point].
This is not an indictment of the U.S. military. It is a recognition that the chief success of Western militaries in creating the modern international environment has been to create an order wherein the use of violence to affect political change has been so de-legitimated that the very strategies used in the past to defeat insurgencies cannot be used today.
The first Gulf War was predicated on the idea that Saddams use of force to overthrow the existing Kuwaiti government was so illegitimate that it required the "international community" to step in and reverse the conquest. The Spanish government maintains the same line in justifying its use of force on the Basque insurgents. Its the same for the Russians in Chechnya, the Georgians in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, or the British in northern Ireland.
The premise of the counterinsurgency school is that it can somehow escape this double-bind. Luttwaks point is that no amount of on-the-ground experience can be collated, edited, and analyzed to produce a strategy for using military force which is both successful in defeating insurgents and consistent to the idea that the contemporary world, or at least the democratic one, rests on a foundation of politics which explicitly rejects the idea that violence is a legitimate tool of politics. There is either pure Hobbesian military-political effect, or moral consistency. There cannot be both.
Hence his use of hyperbole to highlight the absurdity (to the modern, democratic mind) of the ancient tactics used to defeat insurgents. Luttwak knows full well that the punitive approach of the ancients will not and cannot be effectively adopted in the world we live in today. Even if soldiers from democratic powers could somehow be taught to override the basic principles of their upbringing, the military effectiveness of their brutality would almost instantly make any political outcome in the conquered territory illegitimate. This is the genius of insurgency. It uses the international political system set up by the states of the militarily dominant states as a means to defend its political rights even as it is impotent militarily. Kilcullens cite from FM 3-24 makes this clear.
All governments rule through a combination of consent and coercion... Legitimacy makes it easier for a state to carry out its key functions... . "police states" typically cannot regulate society or can do so only by applying overwhelming coercion. Legitimate governance is inherently stable; the societal support it engenders allows it to adequately manage the internal problems, change, and conflict that affect individual and collective well-being. Conversely, governance that is not legitimate is inherently unstable; as soon as the states coercive power is disrupted, the populace ceases to obey it.
Coercion is expensive. It is of only limited effect, and then only in extreme conditions. The solution for governments is to rest their claim to govern on an ideology which is legitimate to enough of the population so as to make the use of the states coercive power a limited occurrence, and to rely instead on citizens to follow the law because they are internally so compelled, not externally forced. The illusion of counterinsurgency is that somehow a foreign-constituted force will be able to make its governance legitimate internally. But the idea of the national-state and the tropes of nationalism which sustain it make this a virtual impossibility. So the reality is a double-bind - admit that the philosophical claims of nationalism are as arbitrary, and that the current international order which is predicated upon them is too. Or else hold the line in favor of the insolubility of current national borders under the idea of the absolute right of sovereignty of existing governments no matter how odious their origins.
If illegitimate governments lose control "as soon as the states coercive power is disrupted," then it would seem that the only route to establishing a stable government would be to find a way to make foreign occupation legitimate (something Kilcullen admits with his California example is a near impossibility), or else to make sure the coercive power of the government is not disrupted. How do you do that? You engage in the kind of punitive raids Luttwak lists in his historic examples. The current occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan have been exercises in the disruption of the occupying powers coercive force. Luttwaks argument is that no amount of strategic or tactical innovation can enforce the writ of an occupying power in the contemporary world because the ideology of the democratic states forsook the legitimizing logic of force.
Hence his use of hyperbolic examples. The hyperbole of the examples he gives serves to highlight the absurdity of the double-bind the U.S. finds itself in. The argument of the counterinsurgency school misunderstands the militarys role in shaping political institutions and it overemphasizes the universality of Western political logic. Hence the idea that counterinsurgency is a kind of military malpractice. It is malpractice because it conflates the use of force with the achieving of political goals which are inconsistent with the tool of war making, at least in the modern world. It is, then, a dead end because it asks of the American military something that it cannot give. Not because it is not a capable force, but because what is asked of it is impossible to achieve through a force of arms that is anything less than brutal.
What he leaves unsaid in this piece is that the reasons for the wars were so feeble that the American democracy could not sustain a righteous anger capable of unleashing the necessary brutality. And its just as so because the wars themselves are not worth the cost of such an anger. That the American military has implicitly acknowledged as much in its insistence on finding a workable counterinsurgency is to its credit, even if such a search is a dead end.
I think another problem with Luttwak's thesis is his disregard for historical facts in order to support his central thesis that insurgencies are only put down through brutal means.
One of his points referred to the Romans and their use of "sticks and carrots". In order to support his innaccurate thesis, he totally skipped what those "carrots" were and focused completely on brutal examples of punishment.
A large part of the Roman empire did not require constant military action because those nations who were member states had distinct economic advantages trading with Rome and throughout the empire. For many, Roman legions represented security and Roman law represented the most equitablle system they had been subjected to. Under what other nation could a merchant sue for recompense on a broken contract?
Further, private citizens saw the advantage in joining the legions and gaining citizenshi, ability to travel in relative security and in the trickle down effects of the economic system.
To disregard those realities and focus solely on Roman brutality as the indicator by which insurgencies are destroyed or kept from occuring is completely disingenuous.
The question has always been about what benefits the individuals. More importantly, what benefits the middle class and the upper glass merchants or land owners since it is these groups who historically bankroll insurgencies and employ the masses?
A second, rather disingenuous point, was the reference to Joseph Bonaparte and the constitution he tried to install. Mr. Luttwak paints Napoleon Bonaparte as a kind of "liberator" in a backhanded attempt to equate his conquests with the activities of the United States.
Again, he loses points for disregarding historic facts in order to make his central thesis fit into the dialogue.
While it may be true that Catholicism may have been an over all uniter of people in Spain as well as Joseph Bonaparte not being "Spanish", the main problem is that no one was fooled into thinking that Bonaparte and his army were "liberators". He was well on his way to conquering half of Europe. Informatin might have moved a little slower in those days, but we are not talking about complete ignorance of current events.
Secondly, when Bonaparte's army entered Spain, they were an army living off of foraging and paying their soldiers with gold coin of whatever realm they happened to have conquered and raided the banks, treasury, the wealthy and the middle class. No peasant living along its path would have imagined the army that took his pigs, chickens, cows, wheat or daughters or sons as "liberating". There were certainly no clerks following in the army's path compensating these folks for their losses.
Luttwak was trying to make similar comparisons to the reaction of Iraqis to our own occupation. Yet, he used the incorrect anaology of ideology being the focal point and binder of the insurgency, causing the peasants to fight against their own interests. As if that ideology was the strongest motivator.
When, as both the roman and bonaparte conquests clearly show, the biggest interest of the citizens are benefits and security. If it does not look beneficial or act beneficial, no piece of paper is going to change their mind, neither a religious ideology.
Third, Luttwak leaves out a very important piece of French/spanish history: the British arrived in Spain to support the "insurgency" and fight bonaparte directly.
Fourth, for a closer analogy, had the Spanish Priests and Landowners instituted the second inquisition against the peasants and other commanders in the middle of their rebellion against Bonaparte, the entire affair might have had a different outcome.
Just ask al Qaeda in al Anbar.
In closing, Luttwak's points were historically incomplete, thus underminding his primary thesis that only brutality and terror can put down brutality and terror.
I appreciate your words. Like you I found Dr Luttwak's take challenging and interesting. You have chosen to focus your response on his dissection of FM 3-24 as well as his and many others, I believe unfounded, issues with the inherent violence of Islam.(To me this has more to with tribal culture than Islam because I have encountered such behaviour elsewhere in circumstance unrelated to Islam). I found your reply compelling and I also don't agree with what seems to be his 'well it all seems a bit hard so dont try approach. Maybe thats just my military upbringing. However, the issue that resonated most with me and where I do believe he has a most important point is on the need to allow systems to dissipate energy.
All systems have inherent energy and this energy is a product of the elements, relationships, issues and forces in play inside the system. If a system is in a high state of turmoil the energy flows inside the system are likely to be enormous. Containing such a system and bringing it back to close to equilibrium requires a number of steps not least working out how to bleed the excess and harmful energy out of the system. Sometimes this means letting things run their course rather than truncating them with equal or greater force or walls for that matter! Unlike chemical systems biological or societal energies cannot be contained for long, eventually they adapt and erupt often in unpredictable ways and directions. Dr Luttwaks thesis is that we may have to let some of the forces created from years of cultural development, repression, starvation under sanctions, ignited by poorly crafted war and sectarian conflict, run until the uncontrollable hatred and enmity starts to dissipate in revulsion and exhaustion.
Is this moral? Is this just? No it is not but neither is the sacrifice of countless lives in a doomed attempt to control the uncontrollable so that flawed policy can be sustained. Also in a purely strategic sense how much blood and treasure can the West bleed trying to maintain a status quo that was always unsustainable. The forces you are grappling with are inevitably leading to a new strategic construct in the Middle East and possibly the World, thinking that after all that has gone before, the US and its Allies are in control of this looks like hubris. I am becoming very pessimistic that despite our operational and tactical abilities our chances of success are not improving due to strategic imbalances. I have a niggling and deeply worrying feeling that in the 'Global Insurgency their strategists maybe better than ours.
Good luck mate. Come home safe.


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American Marten
The American marten lives in the cold northern pine forests of Canada, ranging from Newfoundland in the east to the US state of Alaska in the west. Martens also live in the high-altitude mountain areas of the continental United States, where conditions are similar to the cold north. The fur of the American marten is highly valued, and although the species is not endangered, hunting and the destruction of its conifer-forest habitat have caused a severe decline in numbers in many parts of its range.
The American marten has a long, slender body, and large eyes and ears. The fur on the head is light brown or grey, while the legs, tail and upper surface of the body are dark brown or black. The underside is pale yellow or cream.
American martens spend the day in nooks and crannies in the forest, and move through the trees and along the ground in search of food at night. To compensate for the low light levels, martens have large eyes, and large ears (for a mustelid) that resemble those of a cat. They kill their prey with their long, curved claws and sharp teeth. Their diet includes small mammals, carrion, fruits and insects.
Young martens are born in spring. Animals of breeding age locate each other by scent, releasing a strong odour from their anal glands. They live alone for the rest of the year.
Distribution: Canada to northern California and Colorado.
Habitat: Pine forests.
Food: Small mammals, carrion, fruits and insects.
Size: 32 - 45 cm (12.5 - 18 in); 0.3 - 1.3 kg (0.75 - 2.75 lb).
Maturity: 2 years.
Breeding: Up to 5 kits produced in March or April.
Life span: 10 years.
Status: Lower risk.


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Creating a Legacy After Your Child has Died
Creating a Legacy for Your Child Losing a child is every parent's worst nightmare. It's why when someone learns you've lost a child, their first response is typically "I can't even imagine what you're going through." Truly, they can't because our brains aren't wired that way. Sigmund Freud once said that people run towards pleasure … [Read more…]


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Some of the description for the Tower Spread was cut off in the booklet. Here are complete instructions for the Tower Spread
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Saturday, June 22, 2019 – Cleveland, OH After a year and a half absence from the vending scene… we made our comeback at the Coventry Village Sidewalk… Read more "Coventry Market Vending Success!"
Author: SteamAdmin
We are saddened to announce: that due to high overhead costs… CLE Steampunk Shop will be closing its storefront permanently at the end of April. We may… Read more "STORE CLOSING"
Aug. 17-19 – Key City Steampunk Festival
CLE Steampunk is proud to be a sponsor of Key City Steampunk Festival this year! "Some of the best-known makers in the steampunk world will converge in… Read more "Aug. 17-19 – Key City Steampunk Festival"
Handmade by Marc
Using hand tools, lathes and other power tools Marc makes unique writing instruments, vintage inspired toys, letter openers, one-of-a-kind pieces used in duck calls, and more! Follow Marc on Facebook for more information.
Marc found his love of wood turning in 2017. He started by buying a Dremel tool to make custom tobacco pipes after watching an episode of "How it's Made." Since then his passion has grown to include a full wood shop dedicated to making a multitude of hand turned and crafted items.
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Industrial Shelf made with metal pipes, gears, gauges and repurposed solid oak top -Created by Rich Hrobat. Rich is a Cleveland area resident and owner of his own independent contracting business. Sometimes he finds inspiration in pieces and parts found on job sites and in old houses… creating industrial art is what he finds most enjoyable in his spare time.
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Vintage time pieces and jewelry re-imagined into wearable works of art, each item is a one of a kind "timeless" treasure to call your own. Follow Victorian Magpie on Facebook at facebook.com/VictorianMagpie
The Art Box
Over the years, the dedicated crew has been researching and experimenting with less expensive ways to present and display artwork without the cost associated with traditional custom framing. Featured are Cleveland themed art as well as other more "Geeky" themed art… many pieces are original one-of-a-kind designs.
RENwear Creations
Steampunk jewelry created by Renee Taylor of RENwear Creations. Renee formed her own jewelry and fashion accessories brand over 3 years ago, and got her start by vending in the Cleveland area before opening CLE Steampunk Shop in 2017. RENwear Creations is a wonderful whimsical world of steampunk, vintage and Victorian romance. Each handmade piece is a unique work of art, many created using up-cycled materials.
Handmade Leather Items
Genuine leather goods handcrafted by Renee Taylor from RENwear Creations using genuine leather and eco-friendly dye.


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367 F.2d 913
Russell MOSLEY, Appellant,
A. L. DUTTON, Warden, Georgia State Prison, Appellee.
No. 23310.
United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit.
Oct. 12, 1966, Rehearing Denied Nov. 4, 1966.
Barnee Baxter, Augusta, Ga. (Court appointed), for appellant.
Arthur K. Bolton, Atty. Gen., Joel M. Feldman, Atty., Atlanta, Ga., for appellee.
Before RIVES, BELL and THORNBERRY, Circuit Judges.
RIVES, Circuit Judge:
This appeal is from the district court's denial of a writ of habeas corpus to a prisoner of the State of Georgia. The application alleged and the answer admitted exhaustion of available State remedies.1 The applicant is serving a term of life imprisonment imposed upon his conviction of murder by castration. the district court denied the writ after a hearing in which the applicant was represented by appointed counsel. The applicant and the respondent testified orally, and the other evidence was taken by deposition and by affidavit.2 The district court found the facts against the applicant as to most of the grounds specifically alleged in his pro se application.3 There was no more particular findings of facts as to other grounds, either alleged in the application or tried by consent of the parties and, hence, treated as if raised in the pleadings.4
The only evidence in the record as to the events which occurred prior to April 9, 1962, when counsel was appointed to defend the applicant, comes from the sworn pro se application and from the testimony of the applicant himself. According to the application and the applicant's testimony, he was arrested on December 6, 1961 on a warrant charging murder and was placed in the Emanuel County Jail at Swainsboro, Georgia. He was held incommunicado in that jail from December 6, 1961 until either the 24th or 25th day of December, 1961, when his brother was permitted to visit him for a period of thirty minutes. On or about January 1, 1962, he was transferred to the Jefferson County Jail at Louisville, Georgia, and, on or about February 1, 1962, he was transferred to the Effingham County Jail, Springfield, Georgia. During the period from January 1, 1962 to April 4, 1962, the applicant was held incommunicado. On April 8, 1962, the applicant was returned to the Emanuel County Jail, Swainsboro, Georgia, and on April 9, 1962, Mr. Sidney B. Shepherd was appointed to represent the applicant. At no time prior to the appointment of Mr. Shepherd was the applicant advised of his right to be represented by counsel. Three days after that appointment, the applicant was tried and convicted of murder and sentenced to imprisonment for life. From the time of the appointment of Mr. Shepherd, the applicant's testimony is controverted by that of Mr. Shepherd with the possible exception of the claimed frustration of the applicant's right of appeal from his judgment of conviction.
No appeal was prosecuted. The application alleged:
'On, or about, the 17th day of April 1962, petitioner was transferred to the Georgia State Prison, Reidsville, Georgia. On, or about, the 27th day of April, 1962, petitioner wrote the Emanuel Superior Court, giving notice of intent to appeal, pro se. On, or about, the 11th day of May, 1962, petitioner filed a Motion for New Trial with the Emanuel Superior Court. Said letter of intent to appeal, and, said Motion for New Trial, have never been acknowledged by the court, nor, has this court ever afforded petitioner any judicial review of State v. Mosley, supra (Emanuel Superior Court, Middle Judicial Circuit of Georgia, April 12, 1962).'
The applicant testified orally that after the jury had been out forty-five minutes to an hour, it returned to ask the Judge 'could they recommend mercy in the case?', and at that point, 'I turned to my lawyer, Mr. Sheppard, and I told him, I said: 'Mr. Sheppard, don't you think all the people down on the front here in the court know what I am going to get? I am going to receive a life sentence. I want the case appealed.' He said: 'I will see you at the jail tomorrow and arrange for an appeal.' I have never seen Mr. Sheppard since, and it was about a year and a half before I ever heard of him until I certified the letter to him.'
On the matter of appeal, Mr. Shepherd testified by deposition prior to the hearing, and, hence, there was no occasion for him to deny the applicant's testimony. Mr. Shepherd's testimony as to appeal was confined to the following:
'Immediately after the trial, I discussed the case with several members of the Bar who had heard the evidence, and it was a consensus of opinion that there had been no errors committed in the admission of evidence or in the judge's charge. It is my considered opinion, based on my conversation with the other lawyers, that an appeal or motion for a new trial would have been futile.'5
Mr. Shepherd had graduated from the Law School of Emory University in June of 1957, after which he had passed the Georgia State Bar examination. He had then been a Deputy Legislative Counsel for the State of Georgia until November of 1961, at which time he had entered the practice of law in Swainsboro, Georgia.
Mr. Shepherd testified by deposition that:
'* * * upon my appointment as such, I proceeded with the preliminary investigation in the discussion of the case with law enforcement officers and any other witnesses or persons who knew, either directly or indirectly, of the circumstances surrounding this case.
'* * * as soon as I was appointed, I proceeded with the investigation of the case, talked with all of the witnesses whose names the Defendant, Russell Mosley had furnished me, together with all of the witnesses for the State. I went to the scene and made an investigation and discussed the case with the Defendant on two or three occasions.
'Q. Were any witnesses summoned on behalf of the defense? If not, was it your best judgment in handling the case that no witnesses be summoned?
'A. Yes, there were witnesses summoned on behalf of the Defendant, namely: Jack Armstrong, Garnette Lindsey, Wilson Morris, H. R. Mosley, Horrace Strange, Peyton Youmans, Sonny Mills, Bobby Horne, Carl Moore, Carry Morris, Maurice Jackson, B. L. Williamson and Avis Williamson.
'Q. What were your trial tactics as far as using certain witnesses were concerned?
'A. As stated previously, I had talked to each of these witnesses relative to the circumstances and events about which they had knowledge surrounding this offense for which Russell Mosley was accused. After talking with them and after the State had presented its case and put its witnesses on the stand, and after conferring with my law partner, Mr. George L. Smith, II, who assisted me in the trial of this case, it was our considered opinion that the use of the witnesses which we had summoned on behalf of the Defendant would not be beneficial in the trial of his case.
'* * * after hearing the evidence presented by the State, and particularly the confession of M. F. Mosley, a Co-defendant, it was mine, together with my partner's opinion, that the Defendant's unsworn statement would be of more benefit to him than to use the witnesses which had been summoned in his behalf.'6
It was, course, the duty of the Georgia state court to assign counsel for the applicant as a necessary requisite of due process of law, 'and that duty is not discharged by an assignment at such a time or under such circumstances as to preclude the giving of effective aid in the preparation and trial of the case.' Powell v. State of Alabama, 1932, 287 U.S. 45, 71, 53 S.Ct. 55, 65, 77 L.Ed. 158. Whether the applicant has been denied the benefit of assistance of counsel guaranteed to him by the Fourteenth Amendment depends upon 'the particular circumstances' appearing in the record. Avery v. State of Alabama, 1940, 308 U.S. 444, 448, 60 S.Ct. 321, 84 L.Ed. 377; Underwood v. Bomar, 6 Cir. 1964, 335 F.2d 783, 786, n. 2.
'The particular circumstances,' according to the present record, include the following: Applicant was held incommunicado in several jails for the four months following his arrest; then he was furnished counsel; three days later he was tried, convicted of murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment; apparently no witness was offered in his defense; apparently one of the strongest items of evidence was the 'confession' of a codefendant, and how that became admissible against the applicant does not appear; the applicant requested an appeal but no appeal was prosecuted from his judgment of conviction.
Those circumstances, without more, were, in our opinion, sufficient to shift the burden to the respondent to introduce countervailing evidence. We fully agree with the appellee in his reliance upon Bishop v. United States, 1955, 96 U.S.App.D.C. 117, 223 F.2d 582, 584, to the effect that, 'the competence of counsel is demonstrated by action rather than by inference.' Unfortunately, however, we cannot observe that action because we are not furnished with the record and transcript of testimony of the State criminal trial. The applicant's proof was sufficient, at least, to shift to the respondent the burden of introducing that record and transcript or its reasonable equivalent.
Finally, at the conclusion of the testimony in the district court, the respondent's counsel consented to the introduction in evidence by the applicant of two affidavits, one of William J. Pierce, Jr., and the other of Albert Mills. Those affidavits, unless rebutted, would prove that the State knowingly introduced perjured testimony of Pierce against the applicant, and, by promises of reward and threats, prevented Mills from giving material testimony in favor of the applicant. Since those issues were injected by the consent of the parties, they must be treated as if they had been raised in the pleadings.7 It may be, as is so often the case, that such extreme charges can be refuted but they cannot be simply ignored. The respondent bore the burden of going forward with the evidence to refute the testimony of these two witnesses.
The judgment is therefore reversed and the cause remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.
Reversed and remanded.
See 28 U.S.C.A. 2254
As permitted by 28 U.S.C.A. 2246
Stated in the order of the district court as follows:
'The Petitioner alleges that he was never afforded a preliminary hearing; denial of effective assistance of counsel; denial of compulsory process for obtaining witnesses; adjudged guilty by traverse jury which was illegally impaneled and a general denial of his constitutional rights.'
See Rule 15(b), Fed.R.Civ.P
As to the remedy for frustration of the defendant's right of appeal, see Pate v. Holman, Warden, 5 Cir. 1965, 341 F.2d 764, modified on rehearing, 343 F.2d 546; compare Lyles v. United States, 5 Cir. 1965, 341 F.2d 917; Camp v. United States, 5 Cir. 1965, 352 F.2d 800
We are not informed as to how the 'confession' of M. F. Mosley, a co-defendant, became admissible against the defendant Russell Mosley notwithstanding his Sixth Amendment right to be confronted with the witnesses against him. Perhaps M. F. Mosley turned state's evidence, and testified to his 'confession,' but without more than the record shows that is uncertain
Rule 15(b), FedR.Civ.P


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Glow pens can be used to add glow-in-the-dark highlights to art and craft projects. Ideal to cross-sell as refills for the Glow and Draw Projector. Supplied on a 225 x 90mm backer.
Create your own glow in the dark features on drawings, stickers, posters and books with these easy to use glow in the dark pens by The Original Glowstars Company. Adds a great touch to party and Halloween decorations as well. In the pack you will receive two 10ml glow in the dark pens. Simply gently squeeze the pen as you write or draw pictures for your bedroom walls, charge them up in the light and then watch them glow at bedtime. The Glow in the dark pens give an embossed finish when applied and is an off-white colour so during the day your designs will be disguised, your creations should be left to dry over night. Also we recommend that you wear some old clothing whilst using them as it does not wash out of clothing and any spillages should be wiped up straight away with a damp cloth.


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Villa Rent StatiaDutch Caribbean
Nestled in the wild tropical habitat that covers the higher slopes of Statia's famous, long-dormant Quill volcano, Knippenga Estate provides the ultimate Caribbean getaway. With its stunning ocean views, views on St.Barths and St.Kitts, unspoilt surroundings and ingenious architecture, a stay at Knippenga estate will bring you naturally in tune with the rising and setting of the sun. Each of Knippenga's five uniquely designed, luxurious Caribbean villas offers true comfort and complete privacy in a stunning setting where the pace of daily life is set by nature.
15 minutes from Roosevelt airport and historical Oranjestad, down a couple of miles of steep track lined with black volcano stone and lush vegetation, Knippenga Estate will offer any guest a rewarding escape from the crowded tourist haunts.
At Knippenga Estate the restaurant Whale Tails Restaurant is situated. Whale Tails welcomes guests on Wednesday thru Sunday for dinner starting at 18h00 (6:00pm) and weekends for lunch from 12h00 till 15h00, (noon-3pm).
Transportation services are available with reservations.
An impression of Statia and Knippenga is shown in the television program LXRY TV on nov-27 2016:
(Dutch spoken) The video shows guests flying from St. Maarten to Statia with Knippenga Estates private jet, and dine and dive on Statia. Also a brief interview with the architect of Knippenga villas mr. Rob Proper.
A drone view of Knippenga


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Captain America: The First Avenger – Film Review
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The latest addition from Marvel Studios and the last film before the hugely anticipated The Avengers is Captain America – the all American hero and, most importantly, The First Avenger.
Set in 1941 as World War II is in full swing, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is desperately trying to join the army and fight for his country. Sadly he is rejected from every state he applies in due to a few shortcomings. Despite not being a conventional soldier, Steve has heart, courage and more guts than others. It's this that attracts the attention of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) and a project he has been working on with none other than Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) – father of Iron Man. It involves a secret serum which can increase a man's strength, essentially making him a super soldier produced to be America's defence against the Nazis.
Steve is chosen for the experiment and soon becomes everything he hoped he would be; strong, manly and noticed. Initially used for inspirational propaganda he tours the country and its troops before finally getting to prove his stuff and show people that he could truly be Captain America. Throw in an evil villain in the shape of Hugo Weaving as Red Skull and you have yourself a film.
Despite being The First Avenger, Captain America is the last film in the lead-up to The Avengers and, despite being more than a worthy effort, you seem to feel like you're wanting it to end so that the next big one will come, the one everyone is waiting for in super hero history.
The look of the film is great, director Joe Johnston has really captured the essence of the 1940's by giving the cinematography a golden glow that harks back to that old Hollywood style of film. This works really well and is a great contrast to other moments within the film. The special effects are slick and smooth with nothing looking like a cheap or rushed effort. The effects used on Evans to create his look prior to becoming Captain America is truly intriguing.
A lot of pressure was on the shoulders of Evans for taking on such an iconic role, but this has stood him in good stead as he has raised his game in this film. In the scenes where he is small and visibly weak he really convinces the audience that it is him, as if no effects were used. His vulnerability, mixed with his will to succeed without any arrogance, is endearing and it'll be great to see this character in the same room as Thor and Tony Stark.
Marvel has done a justifiable job of piecing together the various characters, having the clues in places that link to the other films and, while hard core fans of all the comics will naturally spot flaws, Captain America is another flag to the pole of the popular Marvel empire.
Best line: 'I don't want to kill anybody. I don't like bullies; I don't care where they're from'.


text: Shop +3 BOOK - How to Prepare a Historic Racing Mini 9781785003813 £25.00 Out of stock Quantity: 1 Add to Bag Product Details Ever since its launch in 1959 the original Mini has been a stalwart of the motor racing scene. Even today, there is a bewildering array of formulae that it can compete in. This book explains how to prepare a historic mini to the original pre-1966 Appendix K standard, which provides the racer with the largest choice of national and international events to compete in. The contents include: Regulations and safety Sourcing a suitable car Every aspect of preparation including, body, engine, transmission, electrics and ancillaries Setting up and race preparation Testing and racing Save this product for later Favorite My Account Track Orders Shopping Bag Display prices in: GBP