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Gratitude is such an important word. In November here in the U.S., many people ponder what they're grateful for ~ it's Thanksgiving time after all. Dan and I like to remind ourselves daily of the things we're grateful for. When you're feeling down and out, one way to make you feel better is take a deep breath, and think of the happy and good things in your life.
We are fortunate enough to say we can care for our alpacas. I know not all people can, usually through circumstances beyond their control. The stories are many and they are all sad. These stories will continue, I'm afraid to say. Yes I realize it's not limited to the alpaca world.
Every time I hear of another alpaca farm in need of assistance, my heart sinks for the animals. But my spirits are lifted when I remind myself of the kind souls out there who work so tirelessly to aid these animals, which in turn helps their human caretakers.
Let us not forget the people who do this necessary work ~ taking in these alpacas, assess them for medical issues, keeping them warm and fed, until they may possibly be re-homed. These people, made up of individual farms and large organizations, are truly angels on earth in my eyes.
One such individual is Linda Lachanski, home of Pic-A-Paca Dreams Farm and Alpaca911 rescue, located in upstate New York. She has started up and coordinates a coast to coast network of alpaca farms willing to help out. And how can you help? You can sign up in the database! List your name and location, and how you can help. Any type of help is appreciated. Perhaps you can offer to trailer alpacas a short distance, or provide gas money for those trailering, or donate a few bales of hay or a bag of pellets. Perhaps you can take in a few alpacas or know of someone who can, even if for only a short time. If you are listed on the database, Linda will know whom to contact for assistance. What is needed the most are foster homes and permanent homes. Monetary donations are always graciously accepted if one cannot donate time or already has a full barn. Our country is large, the need is great and continuous, and certainly just one person cannot do it all.
Linda needs your help everyone! Let's pass along good karma! Please visit the Alpaca911 group:
My heart both aches and yet rejoices. I have heard that by the end of today, all of the remaining llamas at the Montana Large Animal Sanctuary will have been evacuated. (In fact, all of the animals will have been evacuated.) Today was the deadline given for the rescue workers on site to leave the property. The llamas are en route to, or have arrived at, their foster home destinations for proper care and feeding, rehabilitation and training, and eventual re-homing to forever homes. There is even a group leaving in a critical care trailer with one of the workers, Gayle, who has so eloquently described this very sad journey of an animal sanctuary that was everything but sanctuary.
I have been there in spirit and prayer, hearing the screams of the llamas in my head for a few months now. I am not strong enough a person to be there in person, to witness this scene of unimaginable tragedy. I cannot express my gratitude enough for those people involved in rescue, this rescue in particular, this, the largest animal rescue in our country's history.
The really hard part begins now. The wonderful people who have taken in the llamas for foster care are working so hard to restore these animals to health, and to give back to them a sense of trust for their human caretakers.
Once again, I list a few websites if you are able to donate to the care of these llamas. Please note on your paypal donation or check 'Montana Rescue.'
Thank you all for reading. ~ Mona
The situation regarding the llamas in Montana is dire. Llamas are dying daily. There are 2 rescue groups working together, Northeast Llama Rescue and Southeast Llama rescue, to get a group of 70 - 90 llamas out and into facilities in Indiana, Missouri, and New York, for assessment, re-hab, and re-homing. Funds are needed immediately to pay the cost of transportation to these facilities.
Please visit the rescue groups' websites and make a donation via paypal to help the Montana Llama rescue emergency.
Or if sending a check via snail mail:
167 Llama Lane
Middleburgh, NY 12122
678 Mill Creek Rd
Luray, Virginia 22835
Please keep these animals and the rescue workers in your prayers.
Thank you for reading.
Hi Everyone ~ What follows is an update on the Llama rescue emergency, with contact information of the folks 'on the ground.' The immediate need is to be sure the llamas are fed, and a fund for this is being set up. I will post that as soon as I know. Thank you again for reading. ~ Mona
I am assuming that most folks are by now aware of the current situation at the Montana Sanctuary. They have lost major funding, are deeply in debt and are struggling to support over 1,000 animals. As of Friday, they had about 4 days of hay left. An organization called Animeals is collecting feed/hay and sending a one time transport to them. That will give them another TWO DAYS.
They housed Peruvian cavies, bison, cattle and a number of other smaller animals including goats and sheep. Most all those have been placed as of tomorrow but if you have an interest, please confirm with the appropriate Team captain. There are also 2 camels and I think placement for those is under motion but again you should check.
Right now the short term initiative is on getting food for the animals and of course that includes how to fund that initiative. There is one full time and two part time staff on the property. The llamas are ranging over 700 acres and the majority of these animals can probably be considered as feral. Equines are housed on a separate property and I really have no info regarding how accessible they are.
Right now (as I understand it) there is no physical infrastructure in place which can be utilized to get the llamas into pens or a series of ever smaller pens like you would do elk and whatnot so they can even be sorted by sex, age or whatever. In order to move them out of state they would need to pass whatever state regulations are in place. The thought is that if we could reduce the herd we obviously reduce the expense of feeding them BUT if you could catch up even 100 this is still a huge manpower issue not to mention expense. Also this place is miles from just about anywhere so getting folks on the ground there is a logistical challenge.
The following teams are now in place and communications should be directed to them. Right now there is a funding mechanism being set up so that any funds collected by other entities can be funneled to a central account which will be used to disperse and account for all funds moving in/out. More will be forthcoming in regards to how to access that channel when it becomes available (probably tomorrow) and I am sure that other organizations which plan to organize fundraising initiatives will make that known. Many are waiting for this central fund to be established so they can get an infrastructure in place.
Here is more detailed info on the infrastructure currently in place regarding support for this endeavor:
Team captains are:
Jerry Finch, Habitat for Horses has final say on placements, but only interacts with the team captains. Otherwise he will be overwhelmed with emails.
Phyllis Ruana- Llamas
Montana Animal Care Association (M.A.C.A.)
Corvallis, MT 59828
501 C-3 non-profit organization
Dave Pauli –wildlife
Senior Director for Wildlife Response
Humane Society of the United States
HSUS Animal Care Centers
Billings, MT 406-255-7161
Susie Coston- Farm
National Shelter Director
Farm Sanctuary
PO Box 150
Watkins Glen, NY 14891
PH: 607-583-2225 x262
Jane Heath- Horses
Jane Heath
Executive Director
Montana Horse Sanctuary
Simms, MT
Patty Finch-Funding and solutions beyond the critical placements of as many animals as possible.
GFAS (Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries)
Short term and long term funding
Coordination with Community Foundation, authorization of expenditures in cooperation with Jerry Finch (no relation)
Hello All ~ I have just heard of a large animal rescue that has to close down and is in need of immediate re-homing of 800, yes that is correct ~ 800 ~ llamas, and some other animals. Linda Lachanski of Alpaca 911 rescue in New York is coordinating this unimaginable event. Here is the information that I am aware of with contact information for Linda. She asks to please email as she has been swamped with phone calls. Thank you for reading and any assistance you can provide, if even in prayer.
This is being passed along for ANYONE looking to adopt or may know of someone looking to adopt other types of animals:
The Montana Large Animal Sanctuary is closing and needs to find homes for the following animals as soon as possible!:
Bison 2
Cattle 35
Goats 25
Sheep 15
PB pigs 7
Llamas 800
Horses at 2 locations total 110
Cavies 15
Emus 12
Camels 2
Please contact me ASAP if you know of anyone interested in helping with this situation.
Linda Lachanski
Pic A Paca Dreams Alpaca Farm
14 Courtney Drive
Delanson, NY
Home of Alpaca911 Rescue


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I wanted to let y'all know that we're (My Husband and I) about to start another game. We will be meeting every week on Friday, at 6pm, though this may move to Saturday depending. Richard and I will be hosting and he is the DM of the group. If you are interested in joining, we're taking 1-2 players more as we already have 3. Should you be interested, please let me know (email can be found in my profile or respond here as I check fairly often) and we'll all get together for dinner and see how well we mesh, talk character concepts, and the likes.
The game will be straight up DnD, so no Gurps, or Shadowrun, or any of that. Supplemental books will be allowed at the DM's discretion. We have a web forum setup, so you guys can check out some info on us.
You won't be able to register, but can see all the relevant bits of info as a guest. If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know. Likely the game will start with everyone coming in at level 2 or 3. Another note is Richard stutters. It isn't anything that will affect the game, other than having to need a little more patience, so if this isn't something you're comfortable with then please take a pass.
A little bit about us: I'm Cree, 24, semi-student working towards going to Law school. I'm a new player, with only 4 months or so of experience under my belt. I thoroughly enjoy it though. Richard is 23, works Full-time at Sears Logistics, while pursuing a BS in Computer Science at UGA. He's been playing for a little over a year now, with 4 months of DM experience. We're both creative individuals who love to read, watch movies, go to the theater, and do geeky things (like programming, DnD, Magic: The Gathering, etc.). We enjoy good food, and good conversation. We're both smokers, so that will be something you're exposed to if you decide to play with us. Also, we're kinda teetotalers but don't mind if others want to drink responsibly.
DnD 3.5 Weekly Game Looking for Players
The classic pen and paper RPG
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5 posts • Page 1 of 1
That sounds great Steve. Feel free to spread the word.Steve wrote:I'd love to play in your group but I'm already in 2 groups at the moment and I'm running one of them so i think I have all the DnD I can take
If something happens and I get more time I will look you up
I want to join
I want to join in your group if space is available. Please call me at 912-655-4416 or email me at email@example.com
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subset: commoncrawl


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Village/town house for sale in Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Baleares
Ref: 276400
5 Bedrooms
House under construction with views of the countryside and mountains. 5 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | central heating and air conditioning | lounge/dining
4,350,000 €
Townhouse for sale in Sierra Blanca, Marbella, Málaga
Ref: 719836
4 Bedrooms
Contemporary home carefully designed with emphasis on luxury and comfort. The finest selection of materials is used throughout combining wood, stone and
2,800,000 €
Townhouse for sale in Golden Mile, Marbella, Málaga
Ref: 702161
7 Bedrooms
Fantastic house with sea view, located near the beach in the Golden Mile in Marbella in walking distance from the beach, restaurants and shops. It was
2,550,000 €
Townhouse for sale in Golden Mile, Marbella, Málaga
Ref: 738925
5 Bedrooms
Exclusive modern townhouse for sale on the Marbella Golden Mile. Located in a prime position and boasting spectacular views over the Mediterranean Coast
2,500,000 €
Townhouse for sale in Sierra Blanca, Marbella, Málaga
Ref: 742637
4 Bedrooms
Townhouse, Unfurnished, Fitted Kitchen, Parking: Double Garage, Pool: Communal and Private, Garden: Private and Community, Facing: Southwest
2,500,000 €
Townhouse for sale in Nova Santa Ponsa, Calvià, Mallorca, Baleares
Ref: 584858
5 Bedrooms
Pretty villa with large well-kept garden in sought after location in Santa Ponsa distributed over one floor with the possibility to construct another floor
2,000,000 €


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Chapter 18: Return to Buczacz Summary and Analysis
Alicia's much improved return to Buczacz was detailed in Chapter 18. First, she found Bella, a woman whom she had known from the original ghetto, whose only remaining relative was her young son. Bella was managing a restaurant and she put Alicia in touch with a Jewish man who could assist her in finding her mother's grave. It was Alicia's desire to give her mother a proper burial in the Jewish cemetery of the village. This was accomplished. Alicia's next goal was to locate Wujciu, and to reward him with nice clothing she had confiscated from a vacant house on her travels home. During market day, she recognized a couple for whom she worked, who lived in the village next to Wujciu's cottage, and convinced them to bring him to town the following week, paying them...
(read more from the Chapter 18: Return to Buczacz Summary)
This section contains 480 words
(approx. 2 pages at 400 words per page)


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When I saw Lori's painting of Madonna, which she did for the 'World on Fire' exhibit curated by Black Eyed Peas' Will. I. Am, Kris Lewis and Justin Giarla from The Shooting Gallery in San Francisco, I was, once again, impressed by her skills. She managed to exemplify Madonna's essence, blending that 'I dare you to challenge me' look in her eyes with her need-to-please vulnerability. Not only did she nail Madonna's likeness, but Lori managed to capture Madonna's attitude while maintaining her artistic vision.
Madonna by Lori Earley, 2009
Compare Lori's painting with this recent Louis Vuitton ad:
Madonna by Marc Jacobs and Steven Meisel
Look at the attitude in Lori's painting. Look at her subject's eyes and gesture. Then look at Madonna in this LV ad. Same look in the eyes. The gesture may be different, but there is still that attitude that is unique to Madonna.
And then there's that Da Vinci factor. Her paintings remind me of the old master, especially stylistically. She seems to be painting variations on Da Vinci's Mona Lisa; the atmospheric perspective in the background, with a woman mysteriously communicating 'something' in the foreground. The flawless brush strokes, the cultivated use of color and composition, the refined artistic taste (ie. no blood, spikes, excessive tattoos - I like tattoos, just not everywhere).
Here is Lori's latest piece, which she was kind enough to post on her website, creating some buzz for her first European show in London, England at The Opera Gallery.
Ms. V by Lori Earley, 2009
And here is Mona Lisa. The influence is obvious.
Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1503-1506


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Cattle producers maintain grazing land, which can include open space, woodlands, grass, trees, forests, plains, mountains, valleys and lowlands. Grazing cattle can minimize the invasion of non-native plant species and minimize the risk of wildfires by decreasing the amount of flammable material on the land.
Approximately 85 percent of U.S. grazing lands are unsuitable for producing crops. Grazing animals on this land more than doubles the area that can be used to produce food. Cattle serve a valuable role in the ecosystem by converting the forages humans cannot consume into a nutrient-dense food.
The industry provides support for effective grazing management. The "Grazing Lands Management Plan," for example, helps beef producers consider the rate of growth and consumption of plants in a given area when deciding how to rotate cattle to new pastures.
A combination of livestock and wildlife management on grazing lands has resulted in better species survival than when these activities are practiced separately.
Good environmental practices not only conserve and improve natural resources, they also enhance land productivity. Many beef cattle producers practice natural resource management activities including soil tests, brush and weed control programs, grazing management plans, minimum or no-till systems and range quality and grass utilization monitoring.
Beef producers ensure proper practices are used to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Water Act, established in 1972. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program regulates the discharge of pollutants from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) (http://cfpub1.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=7). A final rule enacted in 2003 ensures that CAFOs take appropriate actions to manage manure in order to protect the nation's water quality. All large CAFOs (more than 1,000 animals) are required to apply for a permit, submit an annual report and develop and follow a plan for handling manure and wastewater.
U.S. beef producers are responsible stewards of the air and atmosphere. Their livelihood is closely connected to preserving a healthy, safe and clean environment for food production. Therefore, controlling dust has been a priority land-management practice in America for generations. Beef producers are experienced in using Best Management Practices (BMP) to maintain air quality surrounding their operations.
In addition, animal agriculture contributes minimally to the production of total greenhouse gasses.
For more information please visit www.ExploreBeef.org.


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When nations misdiagnose the causes of a particular problem, the proposed solutions often lead to negative unintended consequences. The most famous example of this is the Great Depression, when a series of government programs aimed at stimulating aggregate demand turned a sharp market correction into a 17-year downturn. One can fast forward 70 years to find the same trend presenting itself once again. Overregulation of the mortgage industry starting in 1992, implementation of Basel II reserve ratio requirements in 2004, and expansionary monetary policy from the Federal Reserve starting in 2001 all joined to produce a housing bubble sized at $10 trillion that popped in 2008, causing a contraction in US GDP by 4.3%.
A pragmatic policy maker views these causes and seeks to mitigate them in the future. The Consumer Protection and Regulatory Enhancement Act, introduced by Spencer Bachus III and sponsored by many Republicans, sought to change the role of the Federal Reserve to focus on price stability and revoke the federal charters of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, government-sponsored enterprises which underwrote many subprime mortgages to enforce the aforementioned federal regulations. The proposal rectified two of the three major issues that caused the housing bubble in the first place. Unfortunately, the bill did not pass, as left-wing politicians saw the crisis as an opportunity to consolidate power in government. They blamed the crisis on "reckless deregulation", when the opposite actually occurred.
Two prominent Senators, Chris Dodd and Barney Frank, introduced the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act on 2 December 2009, which currently serves as the largest government intervention in the financial industry since the Banking Act of 1933. The law radically changed the regulations for financial institutions and derivatives trading. While Dodd-Frank was implemented to increase market stability and minimise systemic risk, the result has been the opposite.
The most noticeable rule in the juggernaut among consumers is known as the Durbin amendment, which places price controls on the fee that retailers pay when customers utilise a debit card. This has triggered a shift in the cost to maintain payment card systems from retailers to consumers. Before the law was passed, 76% of all banking accounts were eligible for complimentary checking. Due to the rule, only 38% qualified in 2014. The Durbin amendment has contributed to a growing crisis of unbanked populations in the United States, with an estimated 10 million households resorting to costly checking cashing and payday loan facilities.
One agency created by the law is the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), which claims to implement regulation to decrease systemic risk in the market. In the FSOC's 2015 Annual Report, the majority of the major risks outlined are the result of either Dodd-Frank itself or misinformed government policy. The most prominent delineation is the lack of "housing finance reform". In a case of disturbing cognitive dissonance, the FSOC praises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for again providing affordable housing, however it also harshly criticises an increased level of mortgage industry risk. At the very least, the report does finally admit that the liquidity support programs dispersed in the Emergency Economic Stabilisation Act of 2008 has led to a rise in moral hazard. Other than that isolated statement, however, the FSOC has only created another burden in the finance industry without providing any actual benefit.
Another mess is the regulatory environment governing systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs). If a firm is found to be integral to the function of the US financial system ("too-big-to-fail"), then the FSOC will implement capital, leverage, and liquidity requirements. While originally intended for banks, the scope of the regulations has already expanded to include AIG, GE Capital, and Prudential Financial. To make matters even worse, the Council is also considering the inclusion of mutual fund firms such as BlackRock, Fidelity and PIMCO. These burdens have greatly increased inefficiency to the point that MetLife, another firm awaiting SIFI designation, has filed several lawsuits and GE Capital is in the process of a spinoff to decrease inhibiting levels of overhead.
The most important rule, and perhaps the most infamous, is the Volcker rule, which places a ban on proprietary trading by financial institutions. The rule is not just misguided. It will serve as a catalyst for the next financial crisis. Bank analysts and even some regulators have become increasingly concerned with a lack of liquidity in fixed-income asset markets, particularly that of corporate bonds. This has already resulted in a surge in market volatility, demonstrated by the upward trend of the the VIX over the past several months. This instability can quickly place global markets in a quagmire when the current US equity bubble bursts.
As stated in previous posts, the next financial crisis should be an opportunity for sound regulatory reform, not a window of cheap political gain. When it hits, regulators will first blame financial markets and demand more control over them. Based on this current set of laws, the United States will need to learn its lesson, as it clearly failed to do so after the 2000s housing bubble. The push for government consolidation of markets must be resisted and replaced with a policy that promotes long-term economic stability.


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By Karen Freifeld
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stanley Chesley, a renowned class action attorney, was disbarred on Thursday by the Kentucky Supreme Court, which found him guilty of ethical violations in connection with a $200 million settlement over the diet drug fen-phen.
The court said Chesley, 76, of Cincinnati, Ohio, took an excessive $20 million fee and helped cover up misconduct by other lawyers in the case to protect the improper payments he accepted.
The ruling is a blow against an attorney once described as the "master of disaster" for his success in representing families of victims. He's been involved in settlements with tobacco companies, breast implant manufacturers and Libya over the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
"While the good reputation he has enjoyed and his generosity serves to exacerbate the tragedy of his fall, they cannot atone for the serious misconduct he has committed in connection with this matter," the court said in a written decision.
Chesley's lawyer, Sheryl Snyder, did not immediately return a call for comment.
The Kentucky high court took away Chesley's law license but declined to make him pay more than $7 million in restitution recommended by the board of the Kentucky Bar Association.
Two other once-prominent lawyers in the 2001 settlement over the diet drug fen-phen with American Home Products, now Pfizer, were convicted of bilking clients out of millions.
The lawyers were supposed to receive a third of any settlement amount. Instead, the clients received less than 37 percent of the settlement while the lawyers pocketed the rest, according to a federal appeals court that upheld their convictions in May.


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Legislation could help wrongly convicted Oklahomans
OKLAHOMA CITY—Legislation that could help Oklahomans wrongly convicted of a crime was unanimously approved by the state House of Representatives Monday.
House Bill 1068 would allow an individual who is convicted of a crime to file a motion to request forensic DNA testing of any biological material associated with the crime.
Officials say the bill would set up criteria for who would be eligible and provides for a hearing to determine if testing should occur.
"Oklahoma is currently the only state that does not have a postconviction DNA process in place," said state Rep. Lee Denney, the bill's author. "This legislation creates that process and thus makes it even more difficult for mistakes to fall through the cracks."
The legislation requires the court to hold a hearing if the DNA testing results are favorable to the offender.
The bill now heads to the Senate to await a committee hearing.
For more information on the bill, visit the Okla. House of Representative's website.


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|Finance Bill
Mr. Iain Luke (Dundee, East): My hon. Friend the Paymaster General gave examples of English redevelopment. Will she accept from me that in Scotland changes in areas such as Dundee and Glasgow, which was mentioned earlier, have made a significant difference to the most deprived areas? In both the inner cities and on the periphery, areas have been created in which people are happy and proud to live. That new step will take those areas of redevelopment further. Places such as Ardler in Dundee, West and Whitfield in Dundee, East are deprived areas that have seen significant changes. Whitfield is still changing, and some time ago it received a United Nations award for urban settlement as part of that policy. Hopefully my hon. Friend will acknowledge the changes both north and south of the border.
Dawn Primarolo: Indeed. I hope that my hon. Friend will forgive me because the two examples that I read from the top of the pile came from England. Because we are using a deprivation index that provides a national comparison between Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, all those communities are benefiting. My hon. Friend made another important point that measuring economic regeneration in disadvantaged areas concerns more than whether or not houses have been purchased. Each purchaser at the time of purchase will have another Ł1,500 to assist with their family's budget at a time at which it will be stretched, and they will spend that money in the local area. The policy will not only help people on to the housing ladder, but improve quality of life and have a knock-on effect.
That leads me to the next point made by Opposition Members—that the measure will displace economic activity. With respect, it is just as likely that the exemption will have a beneficial effect across neighbouring and non-qualifying areas as areas are improved and investment continues. As I have said, we have used the national index of deprivation. Of course, such measures are never perfect because a line must be drawn somewhere, but it is the most accurate and up-to-date information that we have.
Chris Grayling: Will the Paymaster General give way?
Dawn Primarolo: I was just about to answer one of the hon. Gentleman's points, but I shall gave way first in case there is another one.
Column Number: 439
Chris Grayling: The Paymaster General keeps referring to the national index of deprivation and has made several references to Hither Green hospital. I doubt that there is a single polluted brownfield site in the whole of Greater London for which there would be a shortage of willing developers. Does the hon. Lady accept that in many parts of the country there are real problems in the housing market that simply will not be touched by the measure?
Dawn Primarolo: No, I do not accept the hon. Gentleman's central proposition. For instance, if we look at the activity in Liverpool, Manchester and other areas that equally need investment, we see the same levels of activity. The problem with the hon. Gentleman's approach is that instead of looking at the breadth of Government support and intervention in areas of deprivation, he tries to look at each initiative on its own and then undermine the general principle. That goes back to the point that I made to the hon. Member for Fareham about the difficulty in but, none the less, importance of trying to measure the effectiveness of the policy in the economic regeneration of those areas and in narrowing the gap. Of course, several policies are already in place.
12.45 pm
A further argument made by the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell was that the poorest areas would not be helped, because house prices in those areas were below Ł60,000. I do not know what poorest areas in the United Kingdom the hon. Gentleman has recently visited, but I assure him that all parts of the country contain a broad range of residential and commercial property types and prices. Any extra incentive to invest in a disadvantaged area to encourage and help regeneration seems to draw wide agreement, except from Conservative Members.
Chris Grayling: As the hon. Lady does not know what areas of deprivation I visited with the Select Committee, I may tell her that we visited a number in Burnley, Manchester and Liverpool. The areas that we visited would in no way fall within the ambit of the measure. I commend the report to her.
Dawn Primarolo: I live in Bristol, a city that has a wide range of property prices. Several areas—some in my constituency—are in wards that meet the deprivation indices used for absolute poverty. I am sure that if the hon. Gentleman had visited Bristol on his varied trip, he would have understood my point about properties ranging dramatically in price, particularly in inner-city areas where people would prefer to live, given the proximity to other regeneration projects that are in place in cities, but cannot because of shortage of accommodation. The hon. Gentleman and I will simply have to disagree on whether the mechanism is suitable but, being generous to him, I presume that he is not suggesting for a minute that there should be no action to deal with regeneration of the housing stock and commercial activities in such areas.
I was also asked about state aid approval. We are progressing matters with the Commission and confidently expect a satisfactory outcome. We believe that careful targeting of the measure on the most
Column Number: 440disadvantaged areas of the country will not adversely affect trading conditions to the extent that they are contrary to the common interest. When Conservative Members ask why we allowed the situation, I reply that it was for the same reason that the Conservative Government did: the state aid rules are in the treaty—a treaty agreed by the Conservative Government—and Commission agreements contain long-standing considerations.
The hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs also asked why we do not use the VAT definition. We had a debate on the previous amendment concerning how complex it is to resolve the dividing line between residential and non-residential property. We are trying to do slightly different things in the two arrangements. Our intention is to afford more favourable treatment to the purchase of non-residential property, whereas for VAT purposes it is the residential property that is viewed as receiving the more beneficial treatment. That is why we cannot take one from the other. We aim to be consistent while applying underlying principles.
The final thrust of the contributions of the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs settled on the wider issue of what the correct rate of stamp duty should be for commercial and residential property. He put that in isolation without considering the wider question of whether it was time to examine the structure of stamp duty. I agree that there are wider economic interests to consider, such as issues of fairness. Recognition of the current levels of avoidance of stamp duty and the overwhelming need to modernise and reform the tax is the way forward. We do not believe that it is the right time to consider decoupling the rates. We want to look at structure and consider the rates.
There are further reasons for rejecting new clause 16. It cuts the top rate of stamp duty to 2 per cent. on purchases of commercial property. It would cost Ł740 million in a full year. The hon. Gentleman has not suggested how the Government would make up the shortfall, or what they should not invest in. His party continues to argue that public services should be extended, but it has not suggested which should be cut. It is widely acknowledged that some purchasers—I put this delicately, I do not know why—of commercial property are actively avoiding stamp duty. Estimates of value vary tremendously, but we believe that about Ł10 billion of property value is currently escaping the charge due to such activity. It seems the right approach to look first at the structure and then consider the rates, not throw away the revenue and be left with a system underpinning it that is not working. Against that background, are the Opposition seriously suggesting that we should sanction a tax cut of Ł740 million to commercial properties? Surely that is not the right way to reform stamp duty and stop avoidance.
The Government have announced the intention to fundamentally reform and modernise stamp duty on UK land and buildings from late 2003–04, and we are now consulting on stamp duty modernisation. We are currently consulting the industry and various Departments, taking forward discussion on how the regime can best be introduced and implemented. To table proposals at this stage to dramatically reduce the
Column Number: 441income from stamp duty without dealing with what has been clearly said by all those concerned—the need for underlying reform—would be folly, to put it mildly.
I hope that the hon. Gentlemen feel that they have had a good debate on why they do not agree with the Government's proposals to invest in disadvantaged areas to encourage that regeneration, even though the Government do not accept their points, and that they have had a good debate on the question of rates of stamp duty but will not press the matter to a vote. Perhaps they will return to it when the review and the reform have been completed. If they do, I shall ask my hon. Friends to oppose it on the basis that it is nothing more than a tax cut for those who do not need one, paid for by disadvantaged areas that desperately need the investment.
Ann McKechin: I rise to support the Government on the measure. Following some 18 years' experience in the property market in Scotland as a solicitor, the old adage ''Location, location, location'' springs to mind for today's debate. It is ironic that we have been speaking today about Glasgow house prices but that Thorntonhall, just outside Glasgow, has now been declared the wealthiest suburb in the United Kingdom. Average house prices there are in the region of Ł500,000.
That information shows the vast range of land values in the United Kingdom and, in particular, the range in rates of increase in land value on a year-by-year basis. In certain parts of the city that I represent, residential and commercial property prices are increasing by only 2 per cent. per annum and in many cases the increase is below the rate of inflation. In other parts of the country—in the south-east of England, as we well know, but also in hotspots such as Edinburgh, as was pointed out earlier—house and commercial property price increases can run at 20 per cent. plus per annum.
The measure is a modest one that must be seen as part of a package of ways in which we are trying to regenerate our urban communities. Its aim is to achieve a better mix of social and private housing in many areas and to encourage a better quality of private housing in certain areas that suffer from a severe lack of it.
The problems mentioned today about overheating in the London market are perfectly understandable but any decrease in stamp duty simply fuels price increases in areas already undergoing a rapid rate of
Column Number: 442increase. I recall that the previous Administration, the Conservative Government, actually increased exemption from stamp duty, over a period of time, to try to alleviate the problems that occurred because of the collapse of prices in the south-east of England. However, that problem was unique to that part of the country and was not occurring in other areas. We could perhaps argue that the exemption should have been targeted at one area only, rather than applied to every postcode in the United Kingdom.
The lack of affordable housing must also be related to the quality and availability of social and rented housing. The problems raised must be seen in that context. If there is poor quality private property, the question is raised of whether improvement and repair grants should be made available to deal with that, rather than using the blunt instrument of stamp duty.
The measure is useful but, as my hon. Friend the Paymaster General correctly pointed out, we require a longer time scale to discover the real benefits. Property turnover is not exactly rapid in areas of slower growth. It will take a little time for the measure to get going, but it is very welcome. As I have said before, I am seeing in parts of Glasgow where I would never have anticipated it—in areas of multiple deprivation—private housing now being built at prices of more than Ł60,000, and selling quickly. As a result, those areas are being regenerated much more quickly than previously.
Mr. Flight: First, I feel that the Paymaster General slightly misrepresented what I was seeking to say. We all support and want to see the regeneration of deprived urban areas. Leeds, Bristol and parts of London have been a marked success. I made the point that almost every MP has a deprived area in their constituency, so there is widespread support for that. I was just saying that using very focused engineering measures such as this can present problems. The Government must think about what those problems might be.
I specifically raised an issue to which the Minister did not reply—that in the list in clause 108 that chooses to define certain categories as not residential, I could find other equally deserving categories in the inner cities that should be given exemptions. Once we start trying to fine tune, issues and problems are created that need to be solved.
It being One o'clock, The Chairman adjourned the Committee without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.
Adjourned till this day at half-past Four o'clock.
Column Number: 443
The following Members attended the Committee:
Column Number: 444
Luff, Mr.
Luke, Mr.
McKechin, Ann
Pond, Mr.
Primarolo, Dawn
Pugh, Dr.
Ryan, Joan
Smith, Angela
Southworth, Helen
Sutcliffe, Mr.
Wright, David
|©Parliamentary copyright 2002
|Prepared 18 June 2002


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To Infinity and Beyond
Boise State undergraduate and graduate students have access to exciting opportunities through academic awards, ongoing partnerships, and relationships. These experiences were first brought to campus by former astronaut Barbara Morgan, distinguished educator in residence at Boise State, among others.
Students have gathered data in zero-gravity environments, tested robots, researched Greenland's ice sheets and participated in hands-on STEM learning programs – proving that whatever your interest, the opportunities are within reach at Boise State. These experiences open doors, inspire creative minds and build relationships for the future, which have helped Boise State alumni transition to working with NASA and in the aerospace industry professionally.
Team Micro-g NExT
Undergraduate students were asked to design, build and test a tool or device that addresses an authentic, current space exploration problem for NASA's Micro-g NExT challenge. The overall experience included hands-on engineering design, test operations and educational/public outreach.
A team of nine Boise State students from across disciplines formed the first-ever Micro-G NExT team. Their goal was to design a tool to help astronauts collect soil samples in future asteroid missions.
They call the device a Zero Operable Interplanetary Delivery Based Ergonomics Grabber (ZOIDBERG) named after a character in the TV show "Futurama." The tool was tested June, 2015 at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL), a 6.2-million-gallon indoor pool that mimics the microgravity space environment at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Boise State was one of only 19 university teams selected nationwide. The Idaho Statesman shared their story across the state as it was happening, and NASA featured the team in their newsletter.
Exceeding Expectations
Students directed the movements of divers in the NBL pool and took the tool through its paces. Each team was given 30 minutes to complete their tasks – collecting and containing three uncontaminated samples of loosely adhered surface rocks (float samples). ZOIDBERG completed everything in less than 7 minutes, a win for the Boise State team.
Video of Boise State NASA Underwater Test
June 3, 2015: Boise State's Micro-G NExT Team test their asteroid float sample device at Johnson's Space Center Neutral Buoyancy Lab.
The 2015 team included Camille Eddy, Eli Andersen, John Cashin, Colton Colbert, Jacob Davlin, Scott Warren, Marina Autina, Zachary Chastaine and Christopher Ruby. Faculty advisors were John Gardner, Lynn Catlin and Gus Engstrom, in the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, and Barbara Morgan, former NASA astronaut and a distinguished educator in residence at Boise State.
From prestigious NASA student internships to faculty being awarded NASA research grants and student teams being selected for the prestigious Microgravity University, Boise State has honed its growing connections with NASA. Those efforts have paid off for several recent graduates who have landed jobs with NASA and its contractors, and are now working in fields such as spaceflight and aviation.
Mo Nguyen (B.S., mechanical engineering, 2011) is a design and project engineer at Lockheed Martin in Houston, Texas, in the Landing and Recovery Systems group. She is working on NASA's Orion project, on the Crew Module Uprighting System that aids in the recovery of astronauts after they return to Earth. Orion is a spacecraft designed for human exploration of Mars.
"Every day and every project is different than the previous. It feels incredible to be able to contribute to space exploration, as it has always been a dream of mine."
"I enjoy working with spaceflight systems as a software engineer because I'm often removed from the abstract world of programming. I get to see my work come to life during functional hardware tests as we work toward launch — twice from the summit of Mauna Kea."
Read the MicroNExT team's blog
Get Involved with the Space Broncos Facebook Page
Other Boise State Alumni
Dan Isla (B.S., electrical and computer engineering with a minor in computer science, 2009) works at NASA as an electrical and software systems engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California
T.J. Anderson (B.S., materials science and engineering, 2009) is a pressure vessel engineer at Jacobs Technology, contractor to NASA Stennis Space Center, in St. Louis, Missouri
Haley (Adams) Anderson (B.S., mechanical engineering with a minor in theatre arts, 2009) works as a project manager for Jacobs Technology in support of NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana
Rebecca (Becca Ahern) Ludwig (B.S., materials science and engineering with an emphasis in mechanical engineering, 2009) is a materials protection and performance engineer at Boeing in Seattle, Washington
Ellen Rabenberg (M.S., materials science and engineering, 2012) works in the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in the Failure Analysis and Metallurgy Branch, a support group that is mainly focused on analyzing the chemical structure of a wide array of materials.
James Carrillo (B.S., mechanical engineering with an emphasis in materials science, 2012) is employed at Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Renton, Washington as a design engineer.
"Our alums are doing wonderfully in their fascinating new careers. They are bright, highly motivated people, and all the experience they gained as students doing real-world research. Boise State University prepared them well."
— Barbara Morgan, former astronaut and distinguished educator in residence at Boise State
Photo of Barbara Morgan at Albertsons Stadium provided by The National School Board Association.
Other photos on this page provided by participants. Boise State thanks NASA for the use of their test video and insignia.


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Today, Event Marketer (www.eventmarketer.com) announced the finalists for the Event Technology Awards.
We are happy to announce that DoubleDutch is a finalist! We are listed in the "Best Use of a Custom App" category for our Cisco Events apps. Event Marketer is hosting the "Event Tech" event December 5-6 at CUNY Graduate Center in NYC. Find more info on the event here.
Winners for the Event Technology Awards will be announced live Dec. 5 in New York City — stay tuned!
About DoubleDutch
DoubleDutch's products have been used by customers like TED, Cisco, Adobe, Amdocs, HP, Sales 2.0, RightNow Technologies, Chicago Ideas Week, ITEXPO, and more. We offer mobile, social event apps on Android, iOS, HTML5, WP7, and Blackberry. The DoubleDutch app can be branded to your show or conference. To learn more, contact email@example.com.


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Error messageWarning: array_key_exists() expects parameter 2 to be array, null given in theme_image_formatter() (line 605 of /home/mmupper123/public_html/modules/image/image.field.inc).
The key persons of Myanmar Upper Land | culture & travel (MUL) involved in setting up two theatres in Myanmar called Mandalay Marionettes Theater (established in 1986) and Dance from Dynasties (founded in 2003).
Besides the tourism activities based in Mandalay, MUL's primary interests were (and still are) in promoting and preserving a long-standing tradition in Myanmar performing arts.Gradually these local cultural activities were further developed, culminating from 2000 onwards in activities such as workshops and performances, nationally as well as internationally.
According to the needs of the cultural community in Myanmar especially in Mandalay, MUL started both tangible and intangible cultural activities with the aim to contribute to the conservation and safeguarding of traditional performing arts and cultural heritage in Myanmar since last 2009. With those aspirations above, MUL has successfully finished with several restoration projects which were mostly related to the tangible culture heritage of the disaster area in Myanmar.
In the field of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
2008 Nargis Cyclone in Irrawaddy delta, 2010 Giri Cyclone in Rakhine state, 2012 Flash flood in Pakokku township and 2013-14 Earthquake in Sint-Gu and Thapaikkyin townships, MUL organized the culture related projects which were mostly related to the tangible culture heritage of the disaster area in Myanmar and supported the relevant communities. Those projects are funded by Cultural Emergency Response (CER) program under the Prince Claus Fund, the Netherlands.
In the area of Performing Arts
2015 until 2016 MUL coordinated of a large project called "Safeguarding the Traditional Myanmar Marionettes Performing Arts." The project was funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) with collaboration from the "Goethe Institut" Myanmar. As part of this project a book and a Myanmar marionette DVD-Rom on all aspects of Myanmar puppetry were developed meant for teaching purposes and the sustainability of this art.
Concerning in this affected of the flash flood of Oct 2011 in Pakokku District, Myanmar, the Prince Claus Fund, in the context of Cultural Emergency Response Program, supported the Reconstruction of the Retaining Wall of Shin Pin A Lo DawPaukPhaYaGyi (Pagoda)with the collaboration of Myanmar Upper Land | culture & travel.
Concerning in this affected of the flash flood of Oct 2011 in Pakokku District, Myanmar, the Prince Claus Fund, in the context of Cultural Emergency Response Program, supported the Reconstruction of the Monastery, of its Ordination Hall, the restoration of the Stupas, Pagodas and the safeguarding of the ancient religious tangible memorials objects with the collaboration of Myanmar Upper Land | culture & travel.
Cyclone Giri, a category four cyclonic storm, made landfall in Rakhine State on 22nd October 2010, close to the town of Kyaukpyu. The Townships of Kyaukpyu, Myebon, Minbya and Pauktaw were the most severely affected by the storm, which caused severe damage to houses and infrastructure including roads and bridges in coastal areas.
Cyclone Nargis, devastated the Irrawaddy delta on 2 and 3 May 2008, killing tens of thousands of people and ruined Myanmar infrastructure, many survivors remained vulnerable and traumatized. To be able to continue theatrical and religious activities in the affected region of Moulmeingyun Township and Bogalay Township, Myanmar, the following activities were funded by Prince Claus Fund / CER and coordinated by KyawMyoKo, Director of Myanmar Upper Land | culture & travel.


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According to Italy's Correrie di Bologna, the Volkswagen Group has made a €750 million bid on Ducati Motor Holdings. Just shy of Investindustrial's reported €832 million asking price on the Italian motorcycle manufacturer. Reports are also saying that Volkswagen's due diligence process has uncovered that Ducati has less debt on its books than previously thought (previously rumored to be in the €200 million range), and that the €750 million offer would nearly double Investindustrial's initial purchase price of the Italian company.
Said to have until the middle of April to make an offer, the Volkswagen Group's current proposal is lower than the €850 million originally rumored earlier this month. Despite it being less than Investindustrial's initial valuation of €1 billion, the deal is said to be close to finalization, with Italian politicians and union members weighing in on the prospect of German involvement with the Italian brand.


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Woodward Park Insurance Agency is located at 7650 N Palm Ave Ste 101, Fresno, CA. This business specializes in Insurance.
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Nobody likes to be rejected, especially when it comes to applying for a car loan. Most people have credit scores that are less than perfect. However, if your credit is a problem, it could prevent you from owning the car … Continue reading
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2BHK in Green Park for 47K negotiable (New Delhi)
Hi guys,
we are moving out faster than expected of our beautiful 2BHK flat in Green Park (closer to our office that is). Having an excellent relationship with our landlords, it would make us all the more happy to find nice new tenants for the cute place (also, this offer is private, thus no broker fees apply!)
- Both beautiful and cute 2BHK flat in Green Park with 2 very large bedrooms Protected content attached, 3rd floor,
- hall-kitchen-dining in one,
- extra pantry,
- excellent lighting and cross ventilation,
- 3 ACs installed (2 split, <2years),
- balcony,
- access to rooftop and parking,
- to be vacated till July 5th latest
- rented out unfurnished except for kitchen storage elements since we originally bought most of the interior ourself - though happy to discuss options on several pieces like the bed and office table
- super nice landlords - only leaving because of changing personal circumstances.
Rent: asking 47,000 negotiable
Also: prime location with market in 2min walking distance, metro 5min, Hauz Khas Village 15min and Deer Park 5min. Health clubs and massage facilities equally close
— in th' port o' Green Park - main, F Block, New Delhi.
Interested parties please get in touch with me under Protected content Protected content
Warm regards,


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Summary of site:
Minnis North is important for two main reasons: first, it is the best example of a mudflow on the Antrim coast; and second, the muds yield not only the richest variety of early Jurassic fossils to be found anywhere in Northern Ireland, but also a Cretaceous fauna outstandingly rich in fish teeth.
The rock succession in Co. Antrim places great thicknesses of Cretaceous, largely Ulster White Limestone and Tertiary basalt lavas, on top of the Jurassic strata. The Jurassic rocks are predominantly clays and mudstones that deform plastically under this load and, where they are exposed in the cliffs around the coast, they are extruded on to the slopes. The displacement of these Jurassic sediments leaves the overlying rocks unsupported and unstable, permitting rainwater to penetrate open fractures. This causes further instability because the clays and mudstones expand as they absorb the water and act as lubricants, easing the down slope movement of mud and loose blocks under gravity. In extremely wet conditions, excess water further lubricates the clays, causing phases of visible movement. At present, there are three principal flow paths (or chutes) feeding Minnis North, the two westerly ones merging so that only two directly feed the flow on to the coast road.
The flow is artificially controlled by a wall on the landward side of the road and periodically, as the muds bank against it, they are removed and tipped on to the shore. Rain-wash and the constant combing of the sea releases the fossils.
There are no continuous outcrops on the slopes feeding the chutes, so the age ranges present in the area can only be established from loose fossils. Ammonites, nautiloids, belemnites, bivalves, gastropods and crinoids are commonly found in the Jurassic clays, with sea urchins, brittle stars and corals present, but rarer. There are also remains of vertebrates, particularly ichthyosaurs and, less commonly, plesiosaurs. Both are large marine reptiles. The ammonites indicate that all three zones of the Hettangian stage, the first of the Jurassic period, are present.
Cretaceous fossils are harder to extract, particularly from the Ulster White Limestone Formation, and generally are fewer in number than in the Jurassic rocks. However, sponges, belemnites, sea urchins and marine worms occur here, while the sandstones of the Hibernian Greensand Formation contain the teeth of at least seventeen species of fish (mostly sharks). This fish fauna is unique in Northern Ireland and, surprisingly, shows closer affinities with faunas in Belgium and Kent than with those in the much closer Yorkshire Cretaceous.


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f150 cold air intake
Introducing 2015+ ROUSH F-150 Cold Air Intake Kits
Published on November 20, 2015ROUSH Performance is pleased to announce that ROUSH Cold Air Intake Kits for all 2015 and newer Ford F-150s are now available for order and shipping. ROUSH is offering a kit for each of the 2015+ F-150 engines – the 5.0L V8, the 2.7L and 3.5L EcoBoost engines, and the naturally-aspirated 3.5L V6. The filter included in each kit is built and proven to retain its shape under high airflow and is composed of an inner and outer layer of... continue reading
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WC-19 Santa ornament
Made of Mountain Mahogany
Product Description:
A product description is coming soon...
Products will vary in wood grain, pattern, size, and shape depending on the specific piece of wood they are made from.
Width: appx. 3.0 inches
Height: appx. 6.0 inches
Depth: appx. 0.5 inches
Product Code: WC-19


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We went on a field trip with our homeschool co-op this past Monday, to the Physics Circus, put on by the University of Minnesota Physics professors. The intention behind the event is to dispel the commonly held belief that physics is boring and that all physics profs or students are nerds. Though I hate to admit it, I will...I had a wobbly belief that physics is boring and that so are the physics profs! AND I was kinda scared of physics too - all of which explains why I never actually TOOK physics in high school or college!
But I am now a convert...and I think I missed out on some major physics fun in my early days! I think I will have to live vicariously through my kids' learning!
So how do a bunch of college professors make physics fun and interesting for a 4 year old, 10 year old and 12 year old (not to mention a physics-dumb 35 year old mama)?
CLICK HERE and watch several of the videos of the various experiments...SO FUN!
My faves are: Hoot Tubes, Boiling Flask, Barrel Crush (super duper cool...made me jump in my seat!), "Monkey & the Hunter" (anything involving shooting a cannon whilst dropping a person several feet HAS to be cool!), and the Giant Puffer (my son is currently working to figure out how we can do a "home sized" version of this one)!


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What is your opinion about aliens?
RE: What is your opinion about aliens?
I like them gently braised and served as a side dish to roast baby.
Skepticism is not a position; it is an approach to claims.
Science is not a subject, but a method.
RE: What is your opinion about aliens?
Speaking mathematically, I guess, aliens are practically confirmed to exist somewhere out there. As for whether or not they've ever visited to Earth, are anywhere even relatively near Earth, or will be seen within my lifetime...I highly doubt it. Even Europa's pretty damn far away.
RE: What is your opinion about aliens?
(07-11-2011 02:43 AM)bemore Wrote: In WW2 the germans seemed to make progress with rocket technology (V2 rockets) and I believe after the war that many of the prominent scientists in the work of rockets were "captured" and given new means to further there work.
Are you implying that ETs helped the Germans? The development of rocket technology is well-document and it follows an entirely human arc of development.
After the war, the Soviets and the Western Allies raced to capture as many of the German rocket and nuclear scientists as possible. All well-documented.
Quote:A lot of art throughout time.......from beautifull works to basic caveman drawings seem to have objects that resemble UFOs in the sky.
People didn't try to debunk him by calling his ideas fallacious; they did debunk his ideas by demonstrating that they were fallacious.
Quote:When you look at quantum physics there is so much we dont yet understand about everything the universe is made up of...........how electrons are nowhere and everywhere until you observe them........CERN are smashing particles together and learning so much about how reality is structured......they are looking for the "god" particle.....a hypothesis that would explain kind of fit a lot of things together.....I dont think they will find it TBH as all the other experiemental results up to now are still baffling them.
I don't think you have a very clear understanding of these ideas, e.g. electrons are not "nowhere and everywhere until you observe them". The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle has a very precise physical and mathematical formulation stating that the act of observation involves hitting the electron with a photon of light so as to determine its position, thereby changing its position and velocity. The higher the energy of the photon (i.e. the shorter the wavelength) the more accurately you can determine its position, but the more you will affect its velocity - that is, the more uncertain your knowledge of its previous velocity will be.
Quote:That doesnt mean to say though that Alien Entitys havent worked out quantum physics LONG before us.......which makes me think that if there are Aliens floating round Earth watching us and studying us like some David Attenborough documentary then our actions (suffering, war, etc etc) would make them think "yeah these peeps are not ready for the things we have to show them"
Ants aren't of sufficient intelligence to make this a valid simile.
Quote:Also we exist in the "third dimension" and can only see a very small part of the spectrum.......maybe aliens exist in the fourth....fifth and further dimension but have the Tech to look backwards like we understand that 2D objects are flat.
We exist in four dimensions.
Quote:I think ive added enough for now but I shall end on another very interesting video where Richard Dolan talks about the implications on goverment and society of the revealing of ETS.
I will try to watch the video soon. The effects on humanity if ETs do show up should be remarkable.
Skepticism is not a position; it is an approach to claims.
Science is not a subject, but a method.
RE: What is your opinion about aliens?
I have personally seen something very odd indeed to the point which the closest explanation I could give to what I saw was ''A torpedo like object in the sky that had both rounded edges but a long cylinder middle tube'' that was static in the sky, but slightly rotating from left to right.
Was it an alien? I would have to say no, apart from saying it as an absolute, definately not
RE: What is your opinion about aliens?
(11-01-2012 03:35 AM)Phenakist Wrote: I have personally seen something very odd indeed to the point which the closest explanation I could give to what I saw was ''A torpedo like object in the sky that had both rounded edges but a long cylinder middle tube'' that was static in the sky, but slightly rotating from left to right.
If you seen something that is unexplained then we can only speculate. That still leads to be unexplained.
As much as I believe that the sighting that the "locals" talk about in some states that they've seen upright walking creatures with no photographic evidence claiming it may or may not have been bigfoot.
That said...
Do aliens exist? Perhaps. Do we know? Not with certainty..... yet.
However. On a cosmic roll of the dice level, it's possible. With Keplar 22b - maybe? Depends too on your definition of aliens. Simply organisms on another planet that exist? Or does it have to be a race of intelligent life?
I think if we did find life on other planets (intelligent life or not) that it very well may end up entirely changing the perspective of many within organized religion.
16-01-2012, 05:25 PM (This post was last modified: 16-01-2012 05:28 PM by Luminon.)
RE: What is your opinion about aliens?
My opinion on aliens is in some aspects original. I too think that life must be out there on any other habitable planet. And I am quite fascinated by some Sumerian and Biblical references that totally look like alien technology and ancient astronauts. (though there is no sign of their arrival or departure or why they ignored neolithic humanity)
But my actual opinion is based on the world of dark matter or etheric matter. (see my extremely long posts, conversations, arguments and links) The etheric biosphere must be much larger and friendly to life, than our thin atmospheric layer.
We are life forms composed of biologic and etheric body. Our etheric body is more like a solar-powered/pneumatic appliance, connected to nerve and endocrine system. It doesn't survive for long without the biology. However, this should be no obstacle for fully etheric life to exist.
It would be absolutely fascinating to study the etheric biota. I suspect that due to plentiful solar and cosmic energy such life probably would not evolve many predatory habits, which is just as well for us. Still, a direct interaction might be dangerous, if only because of the concentrated energy they gather and consume. And for the most part, as unaware ground dwellers running mostly on scarce chemical energy, we should be beyond their attention.
Many esotericists think that the unexplained and unexplainable occurences of UFO (and many of the "explained" ones) are vehicles of etheric beings that evolved sentience and achieved technology. Given right technology, etheric matter can be (usually temporarily) "densified" or converted to our matter. There should be no great difference between the two, only in the size and configuration and overlap of their respective atoms and electron orbitals. (that are responsible for tangibility of the matter) No fancy inter-dimensional transitions or anything like that. But from our point of view it is a very characteristic materialization and dematerialization.
This gives us some interesting possibilities. Many skeptics complain, why are photographs and footages of UFO so blurry. It may be just that photographing a half-materialized object that sometimes glows and has no definite outer shape is something our camera manufacturers didn't think of.
Except maybe that they did.
The film by Joe Escamilla, UFO - The Greatest Story Ever Denied (based on the Disclosure Project) shows how frequent and clear UFO footages you can get if you use infra-red (or night vision) camera and hi-speed recording. Anyway, recording in the infrared and near-ultraviolet spectra is bound to show something interesting. The NASA footages of astronaut missions look more like divers on National Geographic recording plankton at night. Except that this "space plankton" is about 4 goddamn kilometers in diameter
Please take a look at this if you can and comment, I'd really like to know your opinion. Not the "rods", they're probably just insects. If you notice the grooves on top and bottom side of the "rod", they don't move along as the "rod" moves. They make a pattern like one pair of flapping insect wings under over-exposure. Unless of couse I'm wrong and the "rods" are measured too large and fast to be insects. Maybe etheric insects
My opinion is, that the public opinion on UFO observations and records comes from a less innocent time, when political superpowers were hell-bent on total domination over their air space and secrecy. Acknowledging something that treats your air territory (defended for a price of billions and billions of dollars) like a pigeon loft is very bad for public relations. And every information that the Commies didn't know of was more valuable for that very reason. After Cold war the relations might be more friendly, but lies are like a running train full of manure. You can't just suddenly stop lying to the public, or shit would hit the fan. There would be retrospective blaming for lying or not stopping the lies earlier and a general mass extinction of political careers. Plus, everyone knows UFOs are harmless and ignoring them is safe. So why not do it a while longer, as long as my military/political career lasts. When I retire, I'll just go relieve my conscience publically on the Disclosure Project.
RE: What is your opinion about aliens?
Well, now you've combined this etheric woo with conspiracy theory. Congratulations, you just broke the weirdness meter.
Skepticism is not a position; it is an approach to claims.
Science is not a subject, but a method.
RE: What is your opinion about aliens?
(16-01-2012 05:31 PM)Chas Wrote: Well, now you've combined this etheric woo with conspiracy theory. Congratulations, you just broke the weirdness meter.Does it have to be a conspiracy every time anyone acts in their self-interest?
It's not an idea invented by me, many other esotericists thought of it earlier. But it would solve many problems that make the idea of alien presence unlikely.
Where do they come from, crawling at light speed between stars for centuries? Nope, they were here all along, on the etheric counterparts of planets and bigger moons of our solar system.
Why aren't we already raided by superior force, what do they want or need from us? Nothing. Nothing government-related, certainly. Just a neighbourly visit and perhaps saving our asses a little, to rewind ecologic clock a little and give us time in global crisis.
Anyway, if UFO can appear, disappear or change speeds and directions rapidly in thousands of km/h, then there is something weird about its mass, inertia, solidity and other material aspects.
RE: What is your opinion about aliens?
(17-01-2012 12:40 AM)Luminon Wrote:(16-01-2012 05:31 PM)Chas Wrote: Well, now you've combined this etheric woo with conspiracy theory. Congratulations, you just broke the weirdness meter.Does it have to be a conspiracy every time anyone acts in their self-interest?
OK, now it's two woo and a conspiracy. You are making the assumption that there really are aliens among us, as well as etheric stuff; and your conspiracy is that governments have been keeping the knowledge of aliens a secret.
There is no evidence for anything you are saying. It's just make-believe.
You seem to be a True Believer, especially with the Sumerian and Biblical alien tie-in; very von Daniken. You seem to have replaced religion with this other made-up crap.
Skepticism is not a position; it is an approach to claims.
Science is not a subject, but a method.
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Vosur (27-10-2012)
17-01-2012, 12:50 PM (This post was last modified: 17-01-2012 02:04 PM by Luminon.)
RE: What is your opinion about aliens?
(17-01-2012 08:17 AM)Chas Wrote: OK, now it's two woo and a conspiracy. You are making the assumption that there really are aliens among us, as well as etheric stuff; and your conspiracy is that governments have been keeping the knowledge of aliens a secret.I feel like I must study your psychology to get the point across. Or just make you know that there is no intended point.
Looks like every time I say something you assume that I 100% believe it and expect everyone to get 100% convinced. I don't think like that, I hold many ideas simultaneously in my mind and let them grow high or wither down, branch their treetops into many possibilities or support each other as one, or fall down as superfluous to hold the idea. My jungle of ideas grows in the life-giving rain of new information and experience or gets devoured by atta ants of internal consistency, external non-contradiction and other critters of thought.
To me it looks like you don't perceive anything else but bare forest ground and trees of 100 meters and above, nothing in between. And there is hell a lot in between. I don't know what you mean by evidence. But there are photographs, videos, all sorts of witnesses (from soldiers to presidents), written records and personal observations of mine truly. I don't expect anyone to be convinced, but I believe there is such a thing as half-convinced, quarter-convinced or three-quarters convinced. None of this evidence (or however you call it) is tall enough on its own, but stacked together it's more than tall enough. Conscience would gnaw at me like a bullet ant, because I'd feel really really intellectually dishonest if I'd ignore the everything in between.
Excuse my sudden artistic inspiration, but if there is poetry of science, then why not poetry of pseudoscience?
My poetic gut Wrote:In the land of ideas, there was a country called Sparta, ruled by the mighty warrior Chassius. The Spartan custom was to test all the baby ideas. Each newborn baby idea was taken from its mother and was placed in a plain space, where there was nothing but nothing and the idea. And the mighty Chassius. No other idea to help it. The baby idea alone was judged by Chassius if it's strong enough to stand on its own. Most of them weren't. Hell, almost none were. When the baby idea wasn't strong enough to stand alone, Chassius took it and threw it from a tall cliff. A couple hundred kilometers away, in the city-state of Lumenes, local philosophers wondered at this spartan Spartan custom and pondered. "How many of these ideas would be able to stand and grow, given a little support, more time and a loving, nurturing mother?" bearded men asked. "For Fuckeus' sake, why are even the baby ideas required each to stand on their own? Don't we all depend on each other?" others murmured quietly, for Spartans not to overhear. "Weren't many of the mightiest ideas supported in their infancy by dozens, hundreds like them?" the bravest yelled from shadows.
(17-01-2012 08:17 AM)Chas Wrote: You seem to be a True Believer, especially with the Sumerian and Biblical alien tie-in; very von Daniken. You seem to have replaced religion with this other made-up crap.Seriously, I don't know what to think about the ancient astronauts. They seem like a superfluous chapter in history of humanity. They didn't have anything to do with neolithic and earlier history and they're obviously nowehere in the modern history. All we have left are just several really weird myths that give a technologic impression.
For example, if some desert folks would get their hands on a capacitor device charged through radioactive materials inside, powering a radio with arc loudspeaker on the top (the two cherubs) the resulting description would be pretty much like the Ark of Covenant. Including how lots of them (Philistines) died on tumors, probably from all the radiation leaking from the inside.
I don't think I 100% believe this story, but when the topic is right I might share it around for the fun of it. This is how it looks like when I suspend my judgement on something. I think of it as a lonely middle-sized tree in a clearing of my jungle of ideas that didn't grow an inch for many years and probably won't. The only thing I am sure of is, that the Stargate series was inspired by such legends, but the authors didn't have the Baalls to include Yahweh as one of the Goauld
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My rating for this film: 8.0
In the last couple of weeks or so, I finally checked out two early 1990s hit Hong Kong comedies that spawned a few sequels and imitators, and continue to have their share of fans. Although Her Fatal Ways may have had more political resonance to those who (first) viewed it before the 1997 Handover, the 1990 offering that had Carol Dodo Cheng in the lead role as a highly patriotic and largely no-nonsense Mainland Chinese policewoman still managed to majorly endear itself to me. Alternatively, despite it being a film that looks to be devoid of elements that would date it (and/or are all that singularly culturally specific), the 1991 Wong Jing production that had Stephen Chows cop character -- who is named as Star Chow in the English subtitles but is clearly being referred to as Chow Sing Sing in the Cantonese dubbed version of the work -- going on an undercover mission in a top flight high school actually turned out to be much less of a laugh riot than I had expected that it would be.
My rating for this film: 6.5


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- Fund Performance
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Second album Russian technogenic catastrophe 7 H.TARGET!
Cybernetic brutal noise - a blend of groovy slam, psychedelic riffs and mechanic power, multiplied by conceptual lyrics and awesome design.
To miss this album means to miss your life! 'PSY SLAM DAMAGE' hits the world 16th May 2013 on Coyote Records. Change your perception of reality! Become a whole new level of freak!


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Haruki Murakami Quotes About PerfectionQuotes about: Perfection
That's why I like listening to Schubert while I'm driving. Like I said, it's because all his performances are imperfect. A dense, artistic kind of imperfection stimulates your consciousness, keeps you alert. If I listen to some utterly perfect performance of an utterly perfect piece while I'm driving, I might want to close my eyes and die right then and there. But listening to the D major, I can feel the limits of what humans are capable of - that a certain type of perfection can only be realized through a limitless accumulation of the imperfect. And personally I find that encouraging.
"I guess I've been waiting so long I'm looking for perfection. That makes it tough."
"Waiting for perfect love?"
"No, even I know better than that. I'm looking for selfishness. Like, say I tell you I want to eat strawberry shortcake. And you stop everything you're doing and run out and buy it for me. And you come back out of breath and get down on your knees and hold this strawberry shortcake out to me. And I say I don't want it anymore and throw it out the window. That's what I'm looking for."
Haruki Murakami
- Born: January 12, 1949
- Occupation: Writer
- Cite this Page: Citation


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Abbie Mackenzie Deal
This character, the story's protagonist, is an eight year old with big dreams when the novel begins.
Will Deal
This character is the child of the farmer with the largest crop in Blackhawk County, Iowa.
Grandpa and Grandma Deal
These characters invite their newlywed son to live in their home.
Mackenzie 'Mack' Deal and Emma Lutz Deal
This character moves to Omaha at age seventeen.
John Deal and Eloise Wentworth Deal
These characters return to Cedartown to open a law practice.
Margaret, Isabelle and Grace Deal
These character are daughters of the story's protagonist.
Laura and Katherine Deal
These characters are the protagonist's grandchildren.
Dr. Ed Matthews
This character pays a man to go to war.
Christine Reinmueller
This character is described as unpleasant and dirty.
Henry and Sarah Lutz
These characters open a general store.
(read more Character Descriptions)
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Dear Prospective Student,
Thank you for taking the time to check out the UK College of Social Work's PhD program. The doctorate represents the highest level of academic aspiration and achievement. Our rigorous curriculum prepares graduates for exciting careers in research and university-level teaching. Students who choose to accept the challenge of doctoral education will embark on an academic experience like no other. Through classroom instruction and close collaboration with nationally and internationally recognized faculty, our PhD students immerse themselves in the crucial work of advancing the profession's knowledge base.
The PhD program will prepare you to critically examine society's most vexing problems, to delve deeply into theoretical models that direct practice behaviors, and to develop skills to become a producer of social work knowledge. You will have the opportunity to shape the future of social work!
The doctoral curriculum will provide you with the skills to critically analyze the state of the art in social work knowledge, to develop theory-informed research questions, and to design and implement scientific procedures to find answers to advance the knowledge base. You will also hone your skills as an educator through a mentored teaching experience across your course of study.
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Cooper - Britt
WAKE FOREST — Niki Leigh Britt of Wake Forest and Thomas Collins Cooper III of Goldsboro were united in marriage June 19 at 6:30 p.m. at The Sutherland, with the Rev. John B. Ledford officiating.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Keith Britt of Wake Forest and the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Sherron of Wake Forest and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Britt of Manson.
The bride is a 2004 honor graduate of Wakefield high school in Raleigh and a graduate of East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Masters of Education degree in elementary education. She is pursuing academically gifted licensure. She was employed as an intervention teacher in Cary.
The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Collins Cooper Jr. of Goldsboro and the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph E. Jinnette of Goldsboro and the late Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Cooper Sr. of Windsor.
He is a 2001 honor graduate of Southern Wayne High School and East Carolina University as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Masters of Education degree in middle grades education. He is employed as a middle school English language arts teacher in Pitt County.
The bride was escorted by her father and presented in marriage by her parents.
Paula Rendleman of Greensboro, sister of the groom, was matron of honor.
Bridesmaids were Katie Eakes of Willow Springs and Lindsay Ingram of Richmond, Va., friends of the bride.
Collins Cooper was his son's best man.
Groomsmen were Russell Jinnette of Windsor, cousin of the groom, Timothy Powell of Greenville and Bryan Ingram of Richmond, friends of the groom.
Jessica Rendleman, niece of the groom, was the junior bridesmaid.
Madison Stockdale, friend of the bride, was flower girl. Luke Stockdale, friend of the bride, was ringbearer.
Following the ceremony, the bride's parents hosted a reception at The Sutherland.
After their wedding trip, the couple will reside in Japan for a year as participants in the Japan Exchange Teaching Programme teaching English in Kobe.
The groom's parents hosted a rehearsal dinner June 19 at Shuckers in Wake Forest.
By News-Argus Staff
Published in Weddings on June 20, 2010 9:56 AM


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Vaishali mob lynching incident: Chargesheet filed against 21, including 11 victimsNovember 15th, 2007 - 6:21 pm ICT by admin
Patna, Nov 15 (ANI): Police has filed chargesheet against 21 persons, including the 11 victims, in the mob lynching incident that took place at Dhelpura village in Vaishali district on September 13.
Among the 11 victims, only one person, Ranjit Kureri, had survived the mob attack.
While the chargesheet names the victims for theft, cases have been filed against ten villagers under different sections that include, rioting, unlawful assembly, murder and causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means.
The ten villagers, who are absconding, have also been chargesheeted under Section 3 (2) V of Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes Atrocities (Prevention) Act since the victims belonged to the nomadic 'Nat' community.
On Monday Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced a compensation package for the families of the victims that included awarding lands and houses. (ANI)
Tags: absconding, atrocities, castes, chief minister, compensation package, dangerous weapons, lands and houses, lynching, mob attack, nitish kumar, nomadic, one person, patna, prevention act, ranjit, section 3, september 13, unlawful assembly, vaishali


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NEW FACE. Directors of Mary Kay Cosmetics Inc. this week approved an agreement that
would take the company private. Leading the campaign: Mary Kay Ash, founder of the Dallas-based company; her son, Richard Rogers; and a group of company executives. The deal: Mary Kay stockholders will receive $11 a share in cash and $8.25 in principal of 15-year debentures -- an increase over a previous offer of $10 a share and $8.15 in principal of debentures. The merger: Subject to a stockholder vote and banks' approval.


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The attendees, after the end of the session. via @alajmi01
Saudi Activist: "This is an inquisition, prosecuting us for our opinions"
Written byOsama Khalid
The seventh hearing session of the ongoing trial of the two prominent human rights activists Mohammad Al-Qahtani and Abdullah Al-Hamid was held today [Dec 1, 2012] at the Riyadh Criminal Court. In the last hearing session, the defendants responded to the charges, and today, the public prosecutor provided more 'clarifications.' Seventy-nine supporters attended the session, including three women. Moreover, correspondents from Al Jazeera, Sky News and AFP were present.
The public prosecutor started by explaining that the two activists were not actually accused of "impeding the country's development", but rather "trying to impede the country's development." He said that "the difference between the two is very obvious to those with brains." He cited their demands of peaceful demonstrations and political parties are strong evidence. He also said that: "anyone that follows what the two are writing, finds no mention of any positive aspect. This proves that they are only looking for flaws".
The public prosecutor added new evidence to prove Dr. al-Hamid's disrespect to state clergy: misspelling the last name of Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen, who is a very respected ultraconservative cleric. In one of his tweets, al-Hamid was accused of spelling Uthaymeen's last name in a way that makes it sound like "Muhammad, the son of the sterile." One Saudi Twitter user showed that iPhone's 'autocorrected' the Arabic spelling of 'Uthaymeen' to make it read like 'sterile'. Saudi activist Sultan al-Fifi sarcastically expressed his surprise:
لم أكن أعلم أن ملاحقة مرتكبي الأخطاء المطبعية من صلاحيات هيئة التحقيق والادعاء العام :) #محاكمة_حسم
@SultanAlfifi: I did not know that tracking misspellers was one of the tasks of the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution :)


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Sen. Joe Lieberman, former Democrat and now independent from Connecticut, made headlines recently when he said he would join Republicans in a filibuster against a health care bill with a public option.
Keith Olbermann brought it up on his Oct. 27, 2009, episode of Countdown .
Olbermann said Lieberman was being hypocritical because, "he will side with the Republicans, denying Americans an up-or-down vote on any health care plan that includes the public option, even though his home state has a public option which covers about 10,000 of its citizens that was introduced by its Republican governor."
Lieberman is crucial for the Democrats because he usually votes with them and in effect is the important 60th vote so they can overcome a Republican filibuster.
Lieberman has said that he will side with the Democrats on a procedural motion to start debate on the health care bill (in theory, with Lieberman's support, Republicans could block bringing the bill to the Senate floor). But because he opposes the public option that's included in the bill, he has said he will side with Republicans on the ultimate vote to end the debate, which also requires 60 votes. And that means Senate consideration of the health care bill could stall.
We contacted Olbermann's staff and found out that the Connecticut health plan he was referring to is the 1-year-old Charter Oak Health Plan, the state-run program that is designed to compete in the market for individual insurance policies. That means people who are buying individual health care plans — the unemployed, young college graduates, early retirees — can get coverage under Charter Oak. The state has contracted with three insurers to offer a variety of coverage options. Premiums and deductibles depend on household income.
According to David Dearborn, a spokesman for Republican Gov. Jodi Rell, while the plan is "a state-sponsored, state-subsidized and state-administered health coverage program, we contract with private insurers ... as managed care organizations to coordinate the benefits, enroll and set rates with providers, and pay for the services."
The insurance companies bear the risk for actual medical costs, not the state, Dearborn said. But the government is involved in the sense that people can get a government subsidy to help them buy private insurance.
So is that a "public option" similar to the one offered in the Democrats' health care bills?
We contacted Jacob Hacker, a health care expert at Yale University who is widely credited with coming up with the concept of a public option, for a definition.
Generally speaking, a public option should look a lot like Medicare, Hacker said. It should be run by the government, and the government should bear the insurance risk.
On the last point, Hacker said Connecticut's public option "falls into a gray area. It is not public in the same ways that the public health insurance option under consideration in Congress is. But it seems more public than, say, the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan, which is often cited as a model for the so-called insurance exchanges."
So it seems that the Connecticut plan is a hybrid of a public option and an insurance exchange. It allows consumers to choose from a limited number of health insurance options offered by private insurers, but it is sponsored, subsidized and administered by the state.
Olbermann is correct on his second and third points. At the one-year anniversary of the program's existence, Rell, the Republican governor who introduced the program in 2007, estimated that about 10,000 had joined the plan. Rell's name and photograph have featured prominently on information about the program, and she's gone to bat to defend the plan several times since it was enacted in the summer of 2008.
So, back to Olbermann's claim. The Charter Oak plan does not meet a strict definition of a public option. In fact, it bears some marks of a health insurance exchange, where private plans compete. But ultimately, it is sponsored and subsidized by the state of Connecticut and is open to the public, so Olbermann is mostly on the mark with his characterization of the program. On his other two points — that 10,000 people are enrolled and that it was introduced by a Republican governor — Olbermann is correct. All in all, we give him a Mostly True.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, former Democrat and now independent from Connecticut, made headlines recently when he said he would join Republicans in a filibuster against a health care bill with a public option.


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The Center offers Forensic Interviews, medical exams, specialized interviews, psycho-social assessments and other services through our Child Protection Team (CPT). We have two Board Certified Pediatricians and two ARNPs on staff to provide medical exams on a 24/7 basis.
We also serve as expert court witnesses and collaborate with Law Enforcement and other agencies through multidisciplinary team staffings.
In April of 2010, the Florida Department of Health awarded the Child Protection Team (CPT) contract for Lake and Sumter Counties to the CAC. Prior to this, the University of Florida Child Protection Team, based in Gainesville, provided these services for this area.
CPT Statistics
Between April 1, 2010 and June 30, 2013, our CPT has performed the following services:
- 760 medical exams
- more than 1000 specialized interviews (related to non-criminal cases)
- more than 1300 forensic interviews (where the case has a criminal aspect)
Our CPT handles 2% of Florida's abuse reports, yet we are 5th in the state in the number of psycho-social assessments performed. These are in-depth whole-family assessments to determine which services are needed for effective and appropriate parenting.
CPT Staff
Our CPT staff includes:
- On-staff ARNP, Edith D'Aquilla-Lloyd, who have completed specialized training in child abuse
- Medical Director, Dr. Oludapo Soremi, Board Certified Pediatrician and Hospitalist with the Central Florida Health Alliance
- Medical Provider, Dr. Rafael Cheas, Board Certified Pediatrician
- Senior Case Coordinator and Intake Specialist, Holly Sharlow
- Data Entry, Roberta Mingolla
Training Provided by CPT
Our CPT team has provided training sessions for Law Enforcement and the Department of Children and Families and medical training to the Emergency Room staff at LRMC. We have also provided training to First Responders (Law Enforcement and DCF), local pediatricians and elementary and middle school guidance counselors on how to initially respond to a child abuse case.


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Dwayne Boudreaux began working at Circle Food Store in 1987 and bought the store in 1995. Earlier this year, he reopened Circle Food Store, which had been shuttered since Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures in 2005.
"We definitely have less business activity than we had before Katrina. There were a lot of little businesses in Treme, and a lot of those businesses were operating through the Circle Food Store. There were little restaurants that purchased a lot of their groceries here, and there were businesses where, because of the lack of traffic around the store, weren't able to reopen their businesses in this area. Now that we've come back, those companies are gone. They weren't able to survive the length of time it took Circle Food Store to reopen.
"I've noticed now that since we've opened, there's been a new generation of businesses and business owners and people are taking care of their property a little more.
"The biggest thing I've noticed is the transition of people. The neighborhood has changed. Before the hurricane, we might have had 1 percent Latino population in this area. I would estimate that we have maybe 10 to 15 percent now. Also, there's a lot more people coming in from around the country and from different areas of the world. I just talked to a lady this morning that's from Belize. We have customers from Canada, Seattle, Trinidad and Russia.
"What has happened is, we've had to adjust to the type of customers we have. I opened up with the belief that my customer base would be similar to what it was prior to Katrina, but it's really changed. We now have an imported cheese section that I couldn't really sell before Katrina. We have a Latino section now that's doing pretty well because of the increase in our neighborhood's Latino population." — As told to Nia Porter
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And if you'd like to tell your story, contact us at email@example.com. We'll definitely do a Part 3.