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War Crimes & the Bombing of Libya
War Crimes & the Bombing of Libya
Dispatches From The Edge
Conn Hallinan May 16, 2011
According to the New York Times (5/16/11), Gen. Sir David Richards, "Britain's top military commander," is proposing that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) target Libyan "infrastructure," including electrical power grids and fuel dumps, in government
held areas.
Frustrated by the two-month old stalemate, Gen. Richards told the Times that "The vice is closing on [Muammar el-] Qaddadi, but we need to increase the pressure further through more intense military activity." The British are playing a major role in the bombing campaign, and Gen. Richards was in Naples, the command center for the war in Libya, when he talked with the Times.
The Times went on to write, "The General suggested that NATO should be freed from restraints that precluded attacking infrastructure targets."
Let us be clear what "infrastructure" means: "The fundamental facilities and systems serving a country, city or area, as transportation and communication systems, power plants and schools"(Random House Dictionary, Second Edition).
Now let's see what the 1977 Protocol Addition to Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 say on the business of attacking "infrastructure."
"In order to ensure respect for and protection of the civilian population and civilian objects, the Parties to the conflict shall at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives and accordingly shall direct their operations only against military objectives."
Part IV, Section I, Article. 48
"It is prohibited to attack, destroy, remove or render useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as foodstuff, agricultural areas for the production of foodstuffs, crops, livestock, drinking water installations and supplies and irrigation works…"
Article 54
"It is prohibited for the Parties to the conflict to attack, by any means whatsoever, non-defended localities…"
Article 59
In short, you can't bomb power plants, electrical grids, water pumping plants, or transport systems that service the civilian population, even if the military also benefits from them. As Article 50 states: "The presence within the civilian population of individuals that do not come within the definition of civilians does not deprive the population of its civilian
The pressure to step up the bombing and widen the delineation of targets reflects the fact that the war has turned into a stalemate. "We need to do more," Gen. Richards told the Times, "If we do not up the ante now there is a risk that the conflict could result in Qaddafi clinging to power."
That last statement appears to be a violation of United Nations Resolution 1973, which called for "protection of civilians," a "no-fly zone," "sanctions," a "freeze of assets" and an "arms embargo." Nowhere does 1973 mention regime change and getting rid of Qaddafi.
So are we being dragged into a war whose goals violate UN Resolution 1973, and whose means violate the Geneva Conventions for the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts? It is hard not to answer that question in anything but the affirmative.


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- that what I am providing is NOT meant in any way to replace the conversation between you, your doctor, or your pharmacist
- please do not self-diagnose or make medical decisions about this drug without talking with qualified professionals
- the information provided here is the reference sheet you would find at WebMD. During my journey I found this site to be helpful in providing support. All credit for this information belongs to them. I copied it right from their website and I have removed the hyper-links. Please visit their site if you would like to read further.
For this installment, I have chosen Adderall Oral
**Please read this information carefully** If you have any questions about what is provided here....talk with your doctor or pharmacist please.
This combination medication is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as part of a total treatment plan, including psychological, social, and other treatments. It may help to increase the ability to pay attention, concentrate, stay focused, and stop fidgeting.
This product is a combination of stimulants (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine). It is thought to work by restoring the balance of certain natural substances (neurotransmitters) in the brain.
This drug may also be used to treat a certain sleeping disorder (narcolepsy) to help you stay awake during the day. It should not be used to treat tiredness or to hold off sleep in people who do not have a sleep disorder.
How to use Adderall
Read the Medication Guide provided by your pharmacist before you start taking amphetamine/dextroamphetamine and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Take this medication by mouth with or without food as directed by your doctor, usually 1 to 3 times a day. The first dose is usually taken when you wake up in the morning. If more doses are prescribed, take them as directed by your doctor, usually 4-6 hours apart. Taking this medication late in the day may cause trouble sleeping (insomnia).
The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment. Your doctor may adjust your dose to find the dose that is best for you. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully.
Use this medication regularly to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, take it at the same time(s) each day.
During treatment, your doctor may occasionally recommend stopping the medication for a short time to see whether there are any changes in your behavior and whether the medication is still needed.
This medication may cause withdrawal reactions, especially if it has been used regularly for a long time or in high doses. In such cases, withdrawal symptoms (including severe tiredness, sleep problems, mental/mood changes such as depression) may occur if you suddenly stop using this medication. To prevent withdrawal reactions, your doctor may reduce your dose gradually. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details, and report any withdrawal reactions immediately.
Along with its benefits, this medication may rarely cause abnormal drug-seeking behavior (addiction). This risk may be increased if you have abused alcohol or drugs in the past. Take this medication exactly as prescribed to lessen the risk of addiction. Do not increase your dose or use this drug more often or for longer than prescribed. Properly stop this medication when so directed.
When this medication is used for a long time, it may not work as well. Talk with your doctor if this medication stops working well.
Tell your doctor if your condition does not improve or if it worsens.
Side Effects
Loss of appetite, weight loss, dry mouth, stomach upset/pain, nausea/vomiting, dizziness, headache, diarrhea, fever, nervousness, and trouble sleeping may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor promptly.
Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.
This medication may raise your blood pressure. Check your blood pressure regularly and tell your doctor of any high results.
Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: numbness/pain/skin color change/sensitivity to temperature in the fingers or toes, mental/mood/behavior changes (such as agitation, aggression, mood swings, depression, abnormal thoughts), uncontrolled movements, continuous chewing movements/teeth grinding, outbursts of words/sounds, change in sexual ability/desire, frequent/prolonged erections (in males).
Get medical help right away if you have any very serious side effects, including: shortness of breath, chest/jaw/left arm pain, fainting, severe headache, fast/pounding/irregular heartbeat, seizures, swelling of the ankles/feet, extreme tiredness, blurred vision, weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech, confusion.
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.
This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
In the US -
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to sympathomimetic drugs (such as epinephrine,pseudoephedrine); or to lisdexamfetamine; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: blood circulation problems (such as Raynaud's disease), certain mental/mood conditions (such as severe agitation, psychosis), personal/family history of mental/mood disorders (such as bipolar disorder, depression, psychotic disorder, suicidal thoughts), heart problems (including irregular heartbeat/rhythm, coronary artery disease, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, problems with the heart structure such as valve problems), family history of heart problems (such as sudden death/irregular heartbeat/rhythm), history of stroke, high blood pressure, overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), a certain eye problem (glaucoma), seizures, personal or family history of regular use/abuse of drugs/alcohol, personal or family history of uncontrolled muscle movements (such as Tourette's syndrome), kidney disease, liver disease.
This drug may make you dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely. Limit alcoholic beverages.
Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).
Children may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially weight loss. This medication may slow down a child's growth. The doctor may recommend temporarily stopping the medication from time to time to reduce this risk. Monitor your child's weight and height. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially chest pain, trouble sleeping, or weight loss.
During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. Infants born to mothers who are dependent on this medication may be born too soon (premature) and have low birth weight. They may also have withdrawal symptoms. Tell your doctor immediately if you notice possible mood changes, agitation, or unusual tiredness in your newborn.
This medication passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. Therefore, breast-feeding is not recommended while using this drug. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.
Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor's approval.
Taking MAO inhibitors with this medication may cause a serious (possibly fatal) drug interaction. Avoid taking MAO inhibitors (isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine) during treatment with this medication. Most MAO inhibitors should also not be taken for two weeks before treatment with this medication. Ask your doctor when to start or stop taking this medication.
Check the labels on all your medicines (such as cough-and-cold products, diet aids) because they may contain ingredients that could increase your heart rate or blood pressure. Ask your pharmacist about using these products safely.
Avoid drinking large amounts of beverages containing caffeine (coffee, tea, colas), eating large amounts of chocolate, or taking over-the-counter products that contain caffeine. Caffeine can increase the side effects of this medication.
Dextroamphetamine is very similar to lisdexamfetamine. Do not use medications containing lisdexamfetamine while using dextroamphetamine.
This medication may interfere with certain medical/laboratory tests (including blood and urine steroid levels, brain scan for Parkinson's disease), possibly causing false test results. Make sure laboratory personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug.
If overdose is suspected, contact a poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include: severe mental/mood changes, seizures, severe/persistent headache, severe restlessness, fast breathing.
Do not share this medication with others. It is against the law.
Laboratory and/or medical tests (such as blood pressure, heart rate, growth monitoring in children) may be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember in the morning hours. If it is late in the afternoon or near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.
Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medications away from children and pets.
Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company.
Information last revised April 2014. Copyright(c) 2014 First Databank, Inc.

subset: commoncrawl


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The recent FDA approval of Veinwave means that patients with unsightly spider veins (telangiectasia) are able to experience the wonderful results that people in Europe have been enjoying for years. This revolutionary technique has been perfected by vascular surgeons for the treatment of these troublesome veins and is a great improvement from traditional treatments like sclerotherapy and laser treatment.
Veinwave uses thermocoagulation, or high frequency energy to heat the veins, causing them to disappear instantly. A one-time use, thin, insulated needle is used to deliver these waves. The ultra-fine needle allows for the extremely accurate application of the treatment, protecting the skin and tissue, for help in preventing ugly scarring. Veinwave is effective in treating areas, such as the ankle or knees, that cannot be treated through alternative methods. Patients are able to see results immediately. While Veinwave does not cause bruising, patients may experience some redness or small marks that look like scratches that will disappear within a few days.
The patient will have an initial consultation with a doctor to determine the most effective treatment regimen.
Then, the course of treatments is delivered through a series of three to five 15-minute sessions where 40 to 50 centimeters of veins can be treated. Veinwave is an excellent alternative to sclerotherapy or laser treatments which may cause permanent scarring through skin pigmentation. There are no risks of allergic reactions like those associated with the injected solution in sclerotherapy and there is no recovery period. Unlike other treatments, the patient experiences minimal pain and does not require bandages, so they are able to resume normal activity immediately following treatment.
The cost of Veinwave will vary by your location and facility, but can cost from $400 to $800.
About California Vein Specialists
California Vein Specialists is dedicated to providing state of the art, ethical, and cosmetically appealing non-surgical solutions for the treatment of unsightly and painful varicose and spider veins of the legs, face, hands, and body.
Featured Specialist for Veinwave in Newport Beach, CA
Call Now: (949) 793-7230 180 Newport Center Dr. Suite 120 Newport Beach, CA 92660
Request Appointment
More Services from California Vein Specialists


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Our custom printed promotional pedometers are fantastic products for your customers to keep them running and tracking their stats. It is perfect for events that are specific for health related businesses and doctors as well as fitness clubs. These pedometers come in many shapes and sizes. You may order customized pedometers that feature energy saving auto shut-off and idle mode or a jewel pedometer that comes with a stylish clear casing and top-view LCD display.
Also purchase a promotional earth pedometer that shows a unique visual of the earth and looks great with a white pad print imprint. Show off your style with the running man pedometer that comes in a fun attractive casing. Personalize any of our various styles with your company name and logo, and soon your marketing campaign will be off and running!


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Baby Safety Tips
Persenger Safety for Babies
Your baby is going places. Help get him or her there safely with the following tips.
Top Safety Tips
- Seventy-three percent of car seats are not used or installed correctly, so before you hit the road, check your car seat. Here's a quick car seat checklist to help you out. It takes only 15 minutes. If you are having even the slightest trouble, questions or concerns, certified child passenger safety technicians are able to help or even double check your work.
- Learn how to install your car seat for free. Safe Kids hosts car seat inspection events across the country where certified technicians can help make sure your car seat is properly installed. They will teach you so that you can always be sure your car seat is used correctly. Find a Safe Kids car seat checkup event near you.
- Inch Test. Once your car seat is installed, give it a good tug at the base where the seat belt goes through it. Can you move it more than an inch side to side or front to back? A properly installed seat will not move more than an inch.
- Pinch Test. Make sure the harness is tightly buckled and coming from the correct slots (check your car seat manual). With the chest clip placed at armpit level, pinch the strap at your child's shoulder. If you are unable to pinch any excess webbing, you're good to go.
- For both rear- and forward-facing child safety seats, use either the car's seat belt or LATCH system to lock the car seat in place. Don't use both at the same time.
- Toys can injure your child in a crash, so be extra careful to choose the ones that are soft and will not hurt your baby. A small, loose toy can be dangerous and injure your baby in a crash. Secure loose objects and toys to protect everyone in the car.
- Look at the label on your car seat to make sure it's appropriate for your child's age, weight and height. Your car seat has an expiration date - usually around six years. Find and double check the label to make sure it's still safe.
- Buy a used car seat only if you know its full crash history. That means you must buy it from someone you know, not from a thrift store or over the Internet. Once a car seat has been in a crash, it needs to be replaced.
What You Need to Know


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Before I get into our seating solution for the playroom, let's take a second to remember what we started with.
If you have been following the blog for a while, you have probably noticed that we play musical chairs with those white slipcovered chairs. They really haven't ever found a permanent place to call home, they are typically room fillers and always land in a place that needs seating until something better comes along. I was going to Craigslist them, but I really love their versatility and the fact that they have washable slipcovers, so they may just hang out in storage for a bit. What I do know is that they are not ideal for a playroom. First, they are white. Surprisingly, they don't get all that dirty, and when they do, they are washable. However, they still require maintenance more frequently because they are in a playroom that belongs to three boys. Second, there are only two chairs and we have three boys... that's never a good equation. Third, I can't snuggle up and read a book or watch a movie with the boys in those chairs. That is a must.
So, I have known for a while that the chairs were going to be temporary in the playroom, it was now a matter of making a decision on the best solution for the space.
I thought up a couple of options:
- Daybed: Too deep for the space, wouldn't leave enough room for play and would cause an awkward layout
- Settee: Perfect size but too fancy pants for a playroom
- Sofa: Most expensive option. Takes up much of the room as well. Would need to find something that could be slip-covered and would need to be washed frequently.
- Bench: They are typically a good size and could give the playroom layout flexibility.
So the last I left you the room was freshly painted and stenciled with a fun birch tree wall treatment:
Now, before you say it, I will. I could write a book, 1,001 ways to hack an Expedit bookcase from IKEA... You know where I am going with this right?
I couldn't help it. We used an Expedit as storage in our last playroom {which now lives in the laundry room}, so I already knew how much one Expedit can hold in terms of toys {or anything really}. And now that I am an IKEA family member, I scored two Expedits for a total of $100.
Oh yeah, we cheated and snagged a new light fixture too. The kids picked it. I decided since I was already the last on the birch tree train, I may as well be the last on the IKEA Maskros light train as well...
Anywho, do you see all that seating/storage we are gaining with those two Expedits? Boatloads!!
Not the softest yet, but absolutely space saving and storage adding. To make them nice and cozy, we ran to Home Depot and had them cut down two pieces of MDF board; one the length of one Expedit, and one the length of one Expedit plus the distance from the end of the Expedit to the wall. Then, we went to JoAnn Fabric & Craft Store and purchased 2" foam:
In the photo above, you can see the depth of each item.
The foam came cut the right length by the fabulous Joann employees, however, it was a bit too wide for the bench. To cut the foam, we started by placing the MDF board on top of the foam and marking the exact size with a black Sharpie marker:
And then cutting the foam down to size with our Thanksgiving turkey carving knife. Like butta!
Because I don't have the sewing skills to sew a slipcover for the foam cushions, we made the choice to upholster it instead. I found some pretty green indoor/outdoor fabric here. I always go with indoor/outdoor fabric when possible since it's great for durability with kidlets. If you are planning on re-creating this project, I recommend you measure and order accordingly. Some fabric selections will allow you to get two seat widths and others will not. It all depends on the shape, size and fabric you personally select for your space.
After measuring, cutting and ironing the fabric, we laid it out on the floor face down. Then, placed down the foam and the MDF board on top.
We used the pattern as a guide to keep the fabric straight as we pulled and stapled all the way around the board.
We actually folded the fabric over before stapling it, just to be sure the staple had two layers to grab through and to be sure it was not going to easily tear or fall apart.
Not the prettiest, but nice and straight and tight.
Next step was to place the upholstered cushions back on to the Expedits and breath a giant sigh of relief when all fits and looks amazing!
And that is as far as we got this weekend making this post part one of a two part project. Next steps are to add support in the corner where the bench overhangs the Expedit and affix the cushions to the Expedit and the Expedit to the wall. Then, we can add a part three post of adding baskets and lots of pillows and cozy things to break up all that busy {but playroom fun} pattern on pattern going on.
Who else is feeling accomplished after this weekend? Anyone else been hacking IKEA pieces lately?


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The Charlestown Digital Story Project teams UMBC students with residents of Charlestown Retirement Community to create digital stories. Drawn from the life experiences of the residents, the stories combine narration, animation, photos and music in short movies to be shared with others. Residents work closely with student partners, acting as author and creative director of their individual story. Each student brings their own style and talents to the project, helping to create some unique examples of intergenerational storytelling.
Over fifty stories have been produced to date. In 2007, the project was recognized with a Telly Award.
The project is organized by the New Media Studio with funding from Retirement Living TV.


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Food Trucks Seek 'That Mystical Spot'
The Rickshaw Dumpling Truck is a retired postal van, painted red and filled with Chinese dumplings. I'm riding shotgun with Kenny Lao, the van's co-owner. It's a weekday morning, and we're driving into Manhattan looking for a killer spot to set up shop for the day.
"I think there is that mystical spot in midtown that every truck owner dreams of," Lao says. "Easy parking. It's a wide sidewalk. There's no restaurant but there's lots of offices."
There are 3,000 year-round food trucks and carts competing for that mystical spot. And no one has an official place to park.
The stakes are high. A good spot on a corner can mean thousands of dollars in business. If you're stuck on a side street, it can ruin your day.
This is a classic economic problem. There is a scare resource worth a lot of money: Parking spaces. How do you keep the competition for that resource from turning into chaos? New York City could auction the best spots to the highest bidder. Economists love auctions!
Instead, the city sets lots of rules about where food trucks are not allowed — then lets the truck owners duke it out over the scraps.
You have to be 20 feet away from subway stations and building entrances. Two hundred feet from schools (call it the ice-cream truck provision). And the NYPD just started giving out tickets for selling food from metered parking spots.
"Following all the regulatory constraints that are currently enforced at this moment, there really is not any place for a food truck to park," says David Weber. He's the other owner of the Rickshaw Dumpling, and he just wrote the Food Truck Handbook.
Food vendors avert a full out war through an informal code of conduct. You respect the guy who got there first. If you're a jerk, the other guy can make your day miserable. A hot dog cart, say, can block your truck window and keep you from doing any business at all.
"We've gone to spots before," Lao says, "where the falafel guys and the shish kebab guys will come up and say, 'What's your menu? Do you sell chicken? ... You can't sell chicken on this block. I'm the chicken guy on 52nd St.'"


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In 1998, when Pope John Paul II made his historic visit to Cuba, few Cuban-Americans made the pilgrimage across the Florida straits.
But when Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Cuba on Monday, hundreds of Cuban-Americans will be on hand in Santiago de Cuba when he celebrates Mass.
Carlos Saladrigas is well-known in Miami's Cuban-American community. He's a prominent businessman and co-chairman of the Cuba Study Group, an organization working to make Cuba a free and open society. He'll be in Antonio Maceo Revolution Square for Mass.
Fourteen years ago, it was a different story. Saladrigas helped lead a protest that caused Miami's archdiocese to cancel a pilgrimage planned for John Paul's visit. Like many in the Cuban-American community, Saladrigas felt that the papal visit gave legitimacy to a repressive regime. But watching it on TV in Miami, he says, he had a change of heart.
"It made me realize that I had made a huge mistake in opposing the visit, that the visit was good," he says. "It did a lot of good for Cuba and for Cubans. It rekindled hope, although a lot things haven't materialized, but hope is nevertheless important. And I think this pope is going to do the same thing; he's going to stress the importance of hope."
Pope John Paul II's visit led to improved relations between Cuba's Catholic Church and the Castro regime that allowed the church to grow in Cuba. The improved dialogue between the church and the government also was a factor in winning the release of jailed political dissidents.
All of that helped convince Saladrigas and others in South Florida's Cuban-American community that the Catholic Church may present some of the best hope for change in Cuba.
After all, says Saladrigas, aside from the government, the church is the only institution Cubans can look to.
"The church is an ally of the Cuban people. The more the church strengthens in Cuba, the weaker the government becomes," he says. "And what the church is doing, it is trying very strongly to increase the space and opportunities for other elements of Cuban civil society to fill in."
But in Miami, there are still outspoken Cuban-Americans who oppose the visit.
"I don't think it's the Church's role to organize pilgrimages where the Cuban regime will decide who gets in and who doesn't," says Ninoska Perez, a radio talk show host in Miami and a director of the hard-line Cuban Liberty Council.
She points out that in recent weeks, in advance of the pope's visit, there was a crackdown on dissidents. Cuban authorities arrested more than 50 women, members of the Ladies in White, female relatives of men who are held as political prisoners.
Perez says the pope's visit draws attention away from those government activities.
"When then, all of a sudden, the pope goes and everything is fine, and you're organizing a pilgrimage from Miami, it's like, 'OK, this is fine.' And I think what the Catholic Church should be addressing both inside and outside Cuba is the fact that there is violence and repression," Perez says.
The recent crackdown on dissidents is a concern also to Cuban-Americans who support the pilgrimage — people like Andy Gomez.
Gomez is a senior fellow at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of Miami. He notes that 14 years ago when Pope John Paul II was in Cuba, he raised the issue of human rights. Gomez hopes Benedict will take the cause further.
"I think the pope, given the actions that just took place, needs to reach out to the Ladies in White, invite them to one of the Masses if not both," he says. "He needs to recognize, acknowledge the dissident movement in Cuba."
At the same time, Gomez is critical of some within Cuba's Catholic Church — particularly Havana Archbishop Cardinal Jaime Ortega. Ortega recently asked the government to clear a group of dissidents from a Havana church they occupied in advance of the pope's visit.
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski, who organized this week's pilgrimage, concedes that the Catholic Church is trying to walk a very fine and difficult line in Cuba — between an open dialogue with the government and actions that accommodate a repressive regime.
"The church has been an advocate," Wenski says, "but at the same time, it doesn't want to be co-opted into anybody's political agenda. Because if it's co-opted into somebody's political agenda, then it cannot play the role of mediator."
Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.


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Omaha Tattoo Gallery
This section will be for the display of Indigenous tattoos done by Indigenous Tattoo artists and tattoos that depict Indigneous imagery. These images are intended to act as reference material for Omaha people who wish to get tattoos modeled after their ancestors tattoos. If you are not Omaha please respect the cultural Intellectual property of the Indigenous peoples these tribal tattoo designs come from.
As I am not an Omaha person I apologize for any mis-categorization of reference materials, if you notice something is in the wrong place please let me know.
If you are using these images as references for tattoos please respect yourself and your family enough to get a professional to apply your tattoo, you can contract such dieses as hepatitis or HIV from improper tattooing. Also please research your tattooing tradition so as to make the right choice when getting your tattoo, know why you are getting what you are getting and possibly even the ceremonies that might go along with it.
All of the photos on this site are for educational purposes


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Feminists are often (oh-so-condescendingly) called bra-burners as a result of a certain women's lib event in 1968, but did you know that this famed bra-burning never actually happened? In reality, protesters at the Miss America pagaent theatrically dumped symbolic items of women's oppression into a bin they called the "Freedom Trash Can." (Which actually shows quite a sense of humor, don't you think?) There was at least one bra among the items, as well as girdles, high heels, and pornographic magazines. But not a single thing was lit aflame - nor was it ever intended to be.
According to the women who were there, the fact that what lives on from this day is an insulting, nonfactual term for a very real movement is the most maddening thing of all. This article posits that the legend of bra-burning is a media-driven myth, and a mocking one at that. Bras were actually never meant to be a universal symbol of the women's movement (thank goodness).
Today's topic is a result of the comments on my last retro lingerie post, in which a few insightful readers asked how I consider myself a feminist and still wear constricting foundation garments. Excellent question!
I bring up the mythical bra-burning, because like the feminists who were there and saw what really happened, I get a little weary of certain items somehow becoming universal symbols of women's oppression. A girdle is a girdle, and yes, you can imbue it with characteristics of subjugation, or you can choose to just think of it as a piece of material with a certain sartorial purpose. However, the real answer is probably somewhere in the middle ground between those two extremes.
But the sticking point for me is trying to think of an undergarment as either feminist or not. What is feminism, after all? The movement for women's equality. And yes, an uncomfortable girdle can certainly keep one from feeling liberated (believe me, I've been there). But a girdle cannot work for women's freedom or detract from it on its own. Here in the U.S., a group in Utah was recently trying to pass legislation that would make miscarriage a punishable crime on par with homicide. Now THAT is anti-feminist.
I think the mythical bra-burning has sunk into our collective conscience more than we can really know. Hence the reason things like Spanx become major points of conversation in the feminist arena. But isn't this all a sort of sideshow that distracts from the major issues?
In terms of body image issues, I think the question is a trickier one and its connection to feminism is tenuous. But it boils down to this: Can women truly love and accept our bodies if we're trying to Spanx them into an oppressive ideal? I think it depends on the person and the motive. If you're a size 10 and you desperately want to believe that you're a size 8 so you squeeze into a too-tight foundation garment to look like you think you should look, then yeah. You're probably not feeling the body-acceptance love. But if you have a dress that could benefit from a smoothing or shaping garment and you don't have crazy expectations of what it's going to do for you and your self-image, I think that seems like a healthier approach. What doesn't seem healthy is feeling like a bad feminist if you want to experiment with different foundation garments.
As for how this all relates to sewing? Well, in the making of my last two pencil skirts, I've found that the fit is so good that there's no reason I would need a bodyshaper. Yet another point for sewing as a body-positive activity!
What do you all think? I know you'll have some opinions on this one!


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NEW YORK (AP) ' A senior al-Qaida leader and son-in-law of Osama bin Laden, captured in Jordan a week ago, pleaded not guilty Friday in a heavily secured New York courtroom to plotting against Americans before and immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks in his role as the terror network's top spokesman.
Bearded and balding, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith was escorted into the largest courtroom at the federal courthouse in Manhattan, where he entered the plea through a lawyer to one count of conspiracy to kill Americans in a case that marks a legal victory for President Barack Obama's administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Cronan revealed that Abu Ghaith gave an "extensive post-arrest statement" that totaled 22 pages after he was arrested overseas the night of Feb. 28 and arrived in the U.S. March 1. The prosecutor said nothing about the contents of Abu Ghaith's statement.
A law enforcement official with knowledge of the case said Abu Ghaith initially agreed to be interviewed without an attorney at the FBI office in lower Manhattan immediately after his arrival. Later in the day, he requested an attorney and was interviewed with an attorney present. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about the case.
Nearly a dozen deputy U.S. marshals guarded the ceremonial courtroom as about 80 spectators, mostly journalists, lawyers and court employees, watched the 15-minute proceeding before U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, a no-nonsense judge who promised to set a trial date when Abu Ghaith returns to court on April 8.
Black cuffs that bound his hands behind him were taken off Abu Ghaith after he sat next to his court-appointed federal defender, Philip Weinstein. His prison blue uniform covered a brown shirt. The judge told him he could remain seated.
Kaplan read him the charges he faced, including passages describing how Abu Ghaith appeared with bin Laden and current al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri the day after the Sept. 11 attacks and said a "great army is gathering against you" as he called on the "nation of Islam" to battle against Jews, Christians and Americans.
Then, the judge said, Abu Ghaith shortly afterward warned in a speech that "the storms shall not stop ' especially the airplanes storm" and advised Muslims, children and al-Qaida allies to stay out of planes and high-rise buildings.
Kaplan advised Abu Ghaith: "This is not a trial." He then read him his rights.
Through an interpreter, Kaplan asked whether Abu Ghaith understood his rights. Abu Ghaith nodded and said, "Yes, I do." Asked whether he had money to hire an attorney, Abu Ghaith shook his head and said no. He nodded and said yes when asked whether he had signed an affidavit describing his financial situation.
Bail was not requested, and none was set. Prosecutors said a trial would last about three weeks. After the proceeding, Abu Ghaith's lawyer declined comment.
The Obama administration has long sought to charge senior al-Qaida suspects in American federal courts instead of military tribunals at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But it runs counter to demands by Republicans in Congress who do not want high-threat terror suspects brought into the United States.
Abu Ghaith was born in Kuwait and was bin Laden's son-in-law. The Department of Justice said he was the spokesman for al-Qaida, working alongside bin Laden and al-Zawahri, since at least May 2001. Abu Ghaith is a former mosque preacher and teacher.
In one video, he was sitting with bin Laden in front of a rock face in Afghanistan. Kuwait stripped him of his citizenship after Sept. 11.
In 2002, under pressure as the U.S. military and CIA searched for bin Laden, Abu Ghaith was smuggled into Iran from Afghanistan, prosecutors said.
Abu Ghaith's trial will mark one of the first prosecutions of senior al-Qaida leaders on U.S. soil. Charging foreign terror suspects in American federal courts was a top pledge by Obama shortly after he took office in 2009, aimed, in part, to close Guantanamo Bay.
Republicans have fought the White House to keep Guantanamo open. Several GOP lawmakers on Thursday said Abu Ghaith should be considered an enemy combatant and sent to Guantanamo.
Generally, Guantanamo detainees have fewer legal rights and due process than they would have in a court in America but could potentially yield more information to prevent future threats.


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Privacy Policy
SP Plus Corporation Privacy Policy
Last revised – December 12, 2016
This Privacy Policy only applies to use of, transactions made, personal information and data gathered on certain websites that are owned and/or operated by, or by authorized third parties on behalf of, SP Plus Corporation (each a "Site", and collectively the "Sites"), or by any of the other means described in this Privacy Policy. If you have arrived at this Privacy Policy by "clicking" on an authorized link from the Site, then this Privacy Policy applies to such Site.
This Privacy Policy does not apply to any website owned and/or operated by or on behalf of any third party even if we provide a link to such website on one of our Sites.
When we refer to "we," "us," or "our," we mean SP Plus Corporation, a Delaware corporation, or the specific division, subsidiary, or affiliate that operates the Site, provides its content, or processes information received through it, each as appropriate and applicable.
When we refer to "you" or "your," we mean the person accessing the Site. If the person accessing the Site acts on behalf of, or for the purposes of, another person, including a business or other organization, "you" or "your" also means that other person, including a business organization.
We created this Privacy Policy to help you understand how we collect personal information, what information we collect, how we use it, the steps we take to safeguard it, and the choices you have regarding how it may be used and disclosed. This Privacy Policy addresses some types of information, means of collecting information, and uses of information that may not presently apply to one or more of the Sites. We tell you about these types of information, means of collecting information, and uses of information anyway because we want to maintain flexibility in offering additional features without having to revisit our terms and conditions or this Privacy Policy every time we revise the Site or offer new functions. No description of any type of information, means of collecting information, or use of information will require us to collect any particular information, make any particular use of any information, or offer any particular functionality.
This Privacy Policy does not apply to any other website or offline point of contact between us and you. This Privacy Policy does not cover information we collect by means other than the Site. If you have any questions about how we use information collected by means other than the Site, you should inquire at or before the time you give such information to us.
Please review this Privacy Policy periodically as we may update it from time to time. Each time you visit the Site or provide us with information, by doing so you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy at that time.
Note that this Privacy Policy contains several important exceptions, most notably the exception involving use of information to identify and/or pursue persons who are under criminal investigation or who damage, or may damage, our information or other resources. Please read the entire Privacy Policy to be sure that you understand these exceptions.
Information Ownership
We are the sole owner of the information collected through the Sites. We may collect information from users at several different points on the Site. Based upon your usage of our Site, we may collect the following information: personal information, service information, financial information and demographic information.
Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Compliance and Related Information
The Child Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) regulates online collection of information from persons under the age of 13. It is our policy to refrain from knowingly collecting or maintaining personally identifiable information relating to any person under the age of 18. If you are under the age of 18, please do not supply any personally identifiable information through the Site. If you are under the age of 18 and have already provided personally identifiable information through the Site, please have your parent or guardian contact us immediately using the information below so that we can remove such information from our files.
Information We Collect From You
In order to operate the Site and provide you with information, products and services that may be requested by or of interest to you, we may collect and retain personal information (e.g., information that could be used to contact you such as full name, company name, postal address, phone number, email address, license plate number(s)); financial information, when provided (e.g., passwords, credit and debit card numbers, bank and other financial institution account numbers and billing address); and demographic information (e.g., zip code, hometown, gender, purchase history information and age) from you. Please note that nowhere on the Sites do we knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13.
Your IP Address
Like most e-commerce websites, each time you visit the Site, we automatically collect your IP address and the web page from which you came. In order to administer and optimize the Sites for you and to diagnose problems with our Site, we use your IP address to help identify you and to gather broad demographic information about you. We may also supplement the information listed above with anonymous Site traffic information that's collected automatically when you visit our Site, plus with information acquired from our joint marketing partners, from third parties, and from our affiliated companies.
We may use "cookies" in connection with operation of this Site. A cookie is a piece of data stored on the computer that runs an Internet browser and is commonly used to store information about a consumer's online activities, including information such as the content or advertisements that a consumer views or the pages a consumer visits within a particular website. It can contain information about you, your computer, your browser, your session, the websites you visit, and other information about you or others who use, or have used, the computer or browser you use to access the Internet. Cookies are used for record-keeping purposes: the stored information can be retrieved by our website server when you return to the website. This allows us to personalize or regulate the use of this Site, and also permits us to automate the access and data-entry functions of this Site (e.g., login information), to store online ordering information for purchases you may make while visiting this Site, and to tailor the appearance or presentation of this Site to your preferences or interests. The cookies we use, if any, are not linked to any personally identifiable information while using this Site unless you have given us permission to link personally identifiable information to one or more cookies. You give us that permission any time you register on this Site, place an order through this Site, or identify yourself or the computer you are using through this Site.
We use cookies as a convenience feature to save you time, to understand how our Site is used, and to improve the content and offerings on our Site. For example, we may use cookies to personalize your experience at our web pages or recall your specific information on subsequent visits (e.g. to recognize you by name when you return to our Site). We also may use cookies to offer you products, programs or services and targeted advertising. You can opt to have your browser reject cookies. Most or all browsers permit you to disable or reject cookies. You can do this by setting the preferences in the browser. Use the "help" feature of your browser to obtain more information about refusing cookies. If you set the browser you use to reject cookies, you may not be able to access the Site, use the full functionality of the Site or it may take additional time to utilize such functionality. If you opt to reject cookies, you may need to re-register with us every time you visit our Site.
You should also know that companies that advertise on our Site (and their agents), one or more of the organizations with which we do business, or to which we provide links from the Site, might use their own cookies. We have no control over such organizations' uses of cookies and users should review the privacy policies of such organizations to determine the uses such organizations make of cookies. This Privacy Policy does not cover how these companies use their cookies.
Log Files
We or our hosting provider may collect traffic information from visitors for statistical analysis and Site improvement. When you access the Site, we or our hosting provider may collect information about your visit in a log file on a server. Log file information may include, but is not limited to, internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, platform type, date/time stamp, and number of clicks. We or our hosting provider use this information to analyze trends, administer sites, track users' movements in the aggregate, and gather demographic information for aggregate use. Our hosting provider and we may review this information to understand overall trends and to determine what kinds of content are popular and useful to users.
Information Other Websites Collect From You
Our Site may contain links to other websites operated by other parties whose practices may be different than ours. When you click on these links and visit these other websites, you need to be aware that we do not control these other websites or these other websites' business practices, and that this Privacy Policy does not apply to these other websites. Consequently, the operators of these other websites may collect different kinds of information about you, and may use and disclose that information in different ways than we would if it were collected on the Site. You should check the other sites' privacy notices since we have no control over information that is submitted to or collected by them. We encourage you to review their privacy policies and remind you that we will not be responsible for their actions.
How We Use Personal Information
We use your personal information to help us perform transactions or on the Site, to deliver the services you have requested, to contact you when necessary in connection with events for which you purchased a parking permit(s) on the Site (including event confirmations, changes, cancellations, and updates in general), to provide you with account login credentials, and to send you information, offers and other promotional materials from us and selected third parties. We may additionally use your personal information to aggregate, perform analysis, determine consumer trends, data-mine or otherwise use your personal information to improve the services that we provide.
We may use your e-mail address to notify you about the status of your order (if you have placed one), provide customer service information, or answer your questions and requests. We may also occasionally send you our e-mail updates, notifications, or other promotional information about our products and services or about the products and services of our affiliated companies or trusted third party partners. We may share your e-mail address with our affiliated companies to enable them to send you emails directly regarding their products and services, sales and other promotions. We include information in each commercial email that allows you to stop receiving future communications.
Telephone Contact
If you provide us with your phone number, you may receive telephone contact from us for customer service communications, such as to ask you about your order, if you have placed one. If you call our customer service toll-free number, we may ask you for personal identification information, depending on the nature of your request, to assist us in responding to your requests and questions. We may retain this information for business and marketing purposes and to help us with future orders and requests from you.
We may occasionally use your phone number to contact you with updates, sales notifications, or other promotional information about our products and services or those of our affiliated companies or trusted third party partners in which you may be interested. We may also make your personal information available to our affiliated companies and our other trusted third party partners to enable them to contact you directly with their promotional information, such as information about their products and services, sales and other promotions.
Contests, Promotions, or Surveys
If you participate in a contest, promotion, or survey (whether online, over the phone, or by mail), we may use your personal information to manage your entry in such promotion, to notify you if you are a winner, or to fulfill promotional obligations.
We select the information we send to you and may send you offers that may be of value to you, such as discounts, exclusive offers or special event information. The Site provides you with the option of declining to receive offers from us by "opting-out" of receiving this type of communication.
To process transactions on the Site, we may share your personal information with our agents, representatives, contractors, service providers and other third parties so they can provide us with support services such as authorization of credit card transactions, order fulfillment, and contests and promotional fulfillment, as well as to your credit card issuer for their purposes. By purchasing a parking permit, or completing a registration form so that you are able to access a purchase page for a parking permit, to a concert, game or other event on the Site, you consent (i.e., you opt-in) to us sharing your personal information with the venues, promoters, artists, teams, leagues and other third parties associated with that concert, game or other event ("Event Partners") and other third parties. We do not offer you a separate opportunity to opt-out, or not to consent, to our sharing of your personal information with them. Event Partners and other third parties may use your personal information in accordance with their own privacy policies, and may consequently use your personal information to contact you and may share your personal information with others. You will need to contact those Event Partners and other third parties who contact you to instruct them directly regarding your preferences for the use of your personal information by them.
By purchasing, or making reservations for, products or services, electing to receive communications (such as emails) or electing to participate in, or register for, contests, promotions, or other programs (such as discount or rewards programs), offered or sponsored by third parties on the Site, you consent to our providing your personal information to those third parties. Those third parties may use your personal information in accordance with their own privacy policies, and may consequently use your personal information to contact you and may share your personal information with others. You will need to contact those third parties to instruct them directly regarding your preferences for the use of your personal information by them. We have no control over the personal information practices of Event Partners and other third parties. You agree that we are not responsible or liable for any of their actions or omissions. Additionally, you agree that we will have the right to use and disclose all such information submitted by you for such third party offers in the same manner in which we use and disclose all other information submitted by you for offers we sponsor.
How We Use Service Information
We may collect Service Information regarding the services that you use or purchase on the Site. Service Information may include information such as the type of parking permit you purchase, the location of the facility, the type of vehicle, the destination or venue, or other non-personal information related to your use of the Site. We may retain Service Information that you provide and analyze, aggregate, determine consumer trends, data-mine or otherwise manipulate the Service Information and share this information with third-parties. We may share anonymous, aggregated (grouped) Service Information with advertisers and other third parties
How We Use Financial Information
We use your financial information to process your order, check your qualifications, to bill you for products and services and to enable you to participate in discount, automated billing, and similar programs in which you may elect to participate. By making a purchase, or engaging in any other kind of activity that uses financial information, on the Site, you consent to our providing your financial information to our service providers and to such third parties as we determine is necessary to process your transactions, as well as to your credit card issuer for their purposes. These third parties may include the credit card companies and banking institutions used to process the transaction. Also, depending on the circumstances of our arrangements, we may share your financial information with applicable Event Partners, primarily for facilitating dispute resolution and customer service at the event venue on or about the date of the event. By purchasing, or making reservations for, products or services of third parties offered on the Site, or by participating in programs offered on the Site that are administered by third parties and that require you to submit financial information in order to use them, you also consent to our providing your financial information to those third parties. Any of these various third parties are authorized to use your financial information in accordance with our contractual arrangements with such third parties and in accordance with their own privacy policies, over which we have no control. When we provide financial information pertaining to a transaction, we may also provide payment information pertaining to that transaction, such as amount of money paid or types of payment methods used.
How We Use Demographic Information
We use demographic information to tailor the Site and communications to the interests of our users. We may share your personal and demographic information with our Event Partners. We may share anonymous, aggregated (grouped) demographic information with advertisers and other third parties so that they can tailor their advertisements and communications to the appropriate audience. If you consent to have us share, or we are otherwise allowed to share, your personal information, as described above, then the demographic information that we provide to third parties may be linked to your personal information so that they will be able to know about your demographic information on a non-anonymous basis.
Authorized Third Parties
We may contract with some third parties to monitor certain pages of our website for the purpose of reporting website traffic, as well as to serve offers and advertisements that may be of interest to you. Where authorized by us, these third parties may use cookies and/or other monitoring technologies to compile information about our website visitors.
Transfer of Business Assets
We consider the information that you provide to us to be a business asset. Consequently, your information may be shared with a third party and may be included among transferred assets if we, any or all of our subsidiaries or affiliates, or any of their assets is ever acquired by a third party.
Disclosure of Information for Legal and Other Purposes
We may also disclose personal, financial and other information that you have provided when we determine that such disclosure is necessary to comply with law, required in connection with a legal proceeding, to cooperate with law enforcement or to protect the interests or safety of our company or other visitors to the Site or users of services or products provided by us. We may also disclose personal, financial and other information that you have provided to our subsidiary and parent companies and businesses, and other affiliated legal entities and businesses with whom we are under common corporate control.
Clickstream Data
As you use the Internet, a trail of electronic information is left at each website you visit. This information, which is sometimes referred to as "clickstream data," can be collected and stored by a website's server. Clickstream data can tell us the type of computer and browsing software you use and the address of the website from which you linked to our Site. We may use clickstream data as a form of non-personally identifiable information to anonymously determine how much time visitors spend on each page of the Site, how visitors navigate throughout the Site and how we may tailor our web pages to better meet the needs of visitors.
Supplementation of Information
We may supplement the information we receive from you with other information we receive from third party sources or clearinghouses. Thus, information we obtain through the Site may be intermingled with and used in conjunction with information obtained through sources other than our Site, including both offline and online sources.
Our Security Precautions; Geographic Location of Information
No website is 100% secure. You can usually tell whether encryption is being used by noting the "locked" or other status indicator on the browser you are using. If the browser you are using does not indicate that the session is secure (e.g. by displaying a lock, a key or similar icon), you should assume that the connection is not secure and that third parties will receive the information shared by you and us during that part of the session.
Your information may be transferred to and maintained on computer networks which may be located outside of the state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction in which you reside, and the country or jurisdiction in which these computer networks are located may not have privacy laws as protective as the laws in your country or jurisdiction.
International Users
If you are visiting the Site from outside of the United States, your connection may be through and to servers located in the United States, your registration, entries and orders placed through the Site may be fully processed in and from the United States and all information you provide may be processed and maintained in our web servers and internal systems located within the United States. By using the Site, you authorize the export of personal information to the United States and its storage and use as specified above when you provide such information to us. This Privacy Policy and our legal obligations are subject to the laws of the State of Illinois and the United States, regardless of the location of any user. Any claims or complaints must be filed in the United States in the State of Illinois, City of Chicago.
Misappropriation of Personal Information
For the purposes of any applicable law regarding notification of persons whose personal information was, or is reasonably believed to have been, acquired by an unauthorized person, any required notification may, where permitted by law, be made by the use of e-mail, telephone, fax, mail (including a notice printed in an available area of a bill or statement) or posting a notice on the Site. The specific means used is up to us and we will use our judgment based on the circumstances. Where any notice is to be sent to a specific address or number (such as e-mail address, physical address, telephone number, etc.), we will use the latest available address in our records. YOU AGREE TO THIS MEANS OF NOTIFICATION.
Site and Service Updates
We may also send to you updates and service announcements about our Site. You may not un-subscribe or opt not to receive such announcements because such announcements contain important information about the services offered through the relevant Site(s).
Response Times
We will use commercially reasonable efforts to make any changes you request. Many such changes may be accomplished using batch processing (i.e. collecting a number of similar change requests and making all such changes at once), so the changes may not be immediately effective. If you require an immediate change to your personally identifiable information and are unable to make such a change using the available Site resources, please contact us.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to change, modify, or update this Privacy Policy at any time without notice. We indicate the date of the current Privacy Policy above, so you know when it was last updated. Continued use of this Site after any such revision or modification constitutes your acceptance of this Privacy Policy as so revised or modified.
If we decide to change this Privacy Policy, we will post the changes on one or more sites and/or other places we deem appropriate.
Correcting or Updating Personal Information
If your personal information changes or you have reason to believe that your personal information as we maintain it is incorrect and you are unable to change your personal information by logging into your account, you may contact us through the "Contact Us" form click here, and we shall attempt to accommodate all reasonable requests for such changes. Note that some information may only be changed by contacting the administrator of the Site.
We recommend that users who no longer wish to receive promotional materials or have their information provided to third parties log into their accounts and modify their account settings, as users may have chosen to receive promotional materials in the account registration process. If you are still receiving promotional materials 30 days after modifying your account settings, you may contact us directly using the information below to opt out of receiving such communications or having information shared. Our compliance with such requests may involve batch processing and other processes that take 30 days or longer. If you opt not to receive such communications or allow us to share your information and then give your personal information to us again using the Site or under other circumstances that permit us to use your information, we will regard your opt-out as rescinded. Also, please note that users may not necessarily opt out of receiving all communications from us or opt out of sharing certain information with third parties, as specified as being necessary in various potions of this Privacy Policy.
You may additionally opt-out of receiving email communications by using the opt-out instructions included in an email you may receive from us.
Please note that changing or deleting your information through the Site, or otherwise opting-out of receipt of email communications from us and third parties (other than Event Partners) will only change or delete the data in our database for purposes of transacting future business on the Site and for managing future communications from us and third parties. These changes and deletions will not change or delete:
A) Information already collected as part of a particular permit purchase in our transactions database which may be shared with our Event Partners regardless of your email preferences; or
B) Information that we may have already forwarded to Event Partners, credit card companies or any other third parties, all as provided above in this Privacy Policy.
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, the practices of the Site, or your dealings with the Site, you can contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com. You can also send us mail to:
Privacy Officer
SP Plus Corporation
Attn: Legal Department
200 East Randolph Street, Suite 7700
Chicago, IL 60601


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As I mentioned in my last post,this one is going to be a special.Easycooking turned One,Two and now Three.I am excited and happy and full of joy.Something which was started on a whim is alive and kicking even today only because of YOU.Thank you all of you,my regular readers and my friends and my silent readers and every one in between.A BIG thank you to all of you who made this space come alive!!
It only seems like yesterday when I announced the BIG Chocolate Cake event to celebrate my 2nd Bloggiversary.I was out of ideas this time and I almost skipped on the event part.But the only way I can reach out to you by giving you a month long treat is through an event,and as expected by me of you-a full fledged baking event,this time a Brownie!
Bake Brownies/Blondies/Bars of any kind-With eggs/without eggs,with chocolate/with cocoa,with nuts/without nuts,in short anything brownie and it is acceptable.I am a self confessed Brownie freak and would love to have a folder full of brownie recipes when the craving strikes.So would you join me on a month long Brownie event as I celebrate my joy??[March 1-April 5th]
All you have to do is bake a Brownie,link it to this post and add the link to the comment box of this post.Yes,it is as simple as that!!Non-bloggers can mail me the photo along with the recipe.If you have baked some lip-smacking brownies in the past and would like to send that too,do not hesitate-just add the link!!
And what would you get in return,well a round-up full of brownies for sure and a Brownie book to continue your brownie baking.
So to kick start the brownie fest,I have baked a batch of Dulce De Leche Brownies.No celebration is complete without a sweet and I couldn't let this mile stone pass without baking these wonders.I used Homemade Dulce de Leche which I had such a trouble saving without eating up the whole can myself.
I chose the very popular recipe by David Lebovitz.The recipe is quite simple and I could get everything done in less than 10 minutes.One thing did went wrong though,after about five minutes into baking,we had a power shutdown for about half an hour.I did not open the oven and let the brownies rest inside and started baking immediately after the power resumed.No worries,they still came out perfect!!
Dulce De Leche Brownies
Recipe source - David Lebovitz
Salted/Unsalted butter - 115 gms / 8 tbsp
Bittersweet/Semisweet Chocolate - 170 gms / 6oz
Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup
Eggs - 3,large
Sugar - 1 cup
Flour - 1 cup
Dulce de Leche - 1 cup
Preheat oven to 175C.Grease and line an 8' square baking tin.
- My brownies were baked in 35 minutes[excluding the first five minutes before the power shutdown].Do check after 30 minutes as the brownies continue to cook after they are out of the oven.Overcooking would result in hard brownies,you do not want that!!
- Let the brownies cool completely before you slice them to get neat slices.I let it cool on the counter top and refrigerated it overnight.Slice it and before serving,just warm it in the microwave for a couple of seconds..absolutely divine!!
- You could also add some walnuts or chocolate chips in the batter,though they taste just as good without them!


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Enforcer Cut Out Dress - Cobalt
Product Details
• Halter Neckline
• Some Stretch
• Not Lined
• True to Size
• Polyester
Care Instructions: Cold hand wash only.
Model is wearing size 2 US / 6 AUS / 6 UK / 32 EU
Model's height is 170cm/5'7
Shipping & Returns
We can ship to virtually any address in the world.
Once you place an order, it will be dispatched ASAP.
All orders placed before 7pm Sun-Thu PST will be dispatched the same day.
All orders placed outside of these times will be dispatched the next dispatch day.
Depending on the shipping option you choose, all delivery date estimates can be found on our Shipping page.
Most Express options are next business day or 2-3 business days depending on your location. Metro areas mostly.
Most Standard options are 3-5 business days from dispatch.
Returns Policy
You may return most new, unopened, unworn, unwashed items within 21 days of delivery. All returns for change of mind will be issued as a credit note valid for 6 months.
Final clearance sale items (which are marked down to $25 USD and under) are not eligible for a return due to change of mind. If returned to online a $4 USD restocking fee will be charged per clearance item.
Earrings are also not eligible for change of mind returns due to hygiene reasons.
If you need to return an item or would like more information on our Returns Policy, simply follow the steps relevant for your country on our Returns page.


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Learn more for less - up to 25% off!
Click here to view all courses
Learn more for less - up to 25% off!
Click here to view all courses
"The ILX Group solution are much better equipped to manage projects in a more cost effective and timely way." NATO |
"The design of the course material makes it easy for students to navigate through the course and optimise their learning." Brian Bear, Anglo American, South Africa |
"The ILX Group courses form an important part of our Project training framework." Royal London Insurance |
"With ILX we can cost effectively deliver a comprehensive training programme." West Middlesex University Hospital |
"We have used the PRINCE2 Foundation course from ILX Group with excellent results." Salford City Council |
"We took the PRINCE2 exam brimming in confidence and all passed." Programme Manager, Police IT Organisation (PITO) |
"I will certainly recommend to anybody who wishes to take PRINCE2 courses in the future." Head of IT Projects, Stanley Leisure PLC |
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Venezuela's elections commission announced Saturday that voters will go to the polls on April 14 to choose a successor to President Hugo Chavez, who died this week after a battle with cancer.
The nation's constitution mandated that an election be called within 30 days of Chavez's death on March 5, but the scheduled date falls outside of that window. Nicolas Maduro, Chavez's vice president, was sworn in as interim leader on Friday.
Opposition coalition leader and state governor Henrique Capriles, who ran against Chavez in the October election, has disputed Maduro's right to be interim leader. Capriles is expected to be the opposition candidate against Maduro in the special election, though many in his party are concerned about the vote's fairness.
In the days leading up to Chavez's funeral on Friday, mourners paid tribute to the former leader known for his boisterous leadership and outsized personality. Following in the footsteps of other leaders like Vladimir Lenin, Josef Stalin and more recently North Korea's Kim Jong Il, Chavez's body will be embalmed and put permanently on display, Maduro said Thursday.
Chavez has been compared to other Latin American revolutionary figures like Simon Bolivar and Fidel Castro, but Argentine journalist Andres Oppenheimer told weekends on All Things Considered host Jacki Lyden that there are also parallels between Chavez and Juan Peron, Argentina's former president, who was first elected in 1946.
"Like Chavez, [Peron] was a military man; like Chavez, he was a coup plotter," Oppenheimer says. "He [also] was elected president and benefited from a huge commodity boom and started giving away money to the poor."
Chavez is credited with using Venezuela's vast oil reserves to bolster other Latin America countries and bring in billions to his nation's economy. Many supporters referred to him as "the president of the poor," another trait he shared with Peron.
Chavez believed himself to be the successor of Simon Bolivar, the 19th century political leader who helped Latin America obtain its independence from Spain. He dreamt of uniting all Latin America countries, something Eduardo Gamarra, who teaches politics and international relations at Florida International University, says Chavez came pretty close to achieving.
"One might say that his legacy is going to be measured by whether or not that attempt to integrate Latin America will survive," Gamarra tells NPR's Lyden.
One thing that is likely to survive is the idea of Chavismo, or the "cult of Chavez." Oppenheimer says you are likely to see Chavismo on the right, left and center of Venezuelan politics in the future.
"[Chavez] gave endless speeches almost every day for hours at a time," he says, "and there are enough quotes by Chavez to justify almost anything. A lot of people who were anti-Chavez ... [now] proclaim themselves to be Chavistas."
One of those Chavistas is Maduro, who hopes to succeed Chavez by winning the upcoming election. While crying at the funeral Friday, Maduro said, however, he has big shoes to fill.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Information related to Liuzhou
If you wish to travel to Liuzhou, Rumbo offers you the best last minute offers so that you can flight taking advantage of every discount and special promotion at all times. Your economic flights from Venice Marco Polo to Liuzhou are in Rumbo.
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We have genealogists whose specialty is learning about Napoleonic War genealogy. They will find and analyze the best records available to further your family history research.
Our professional researchers can do research projects of many sizes and for many budgets. We customize the amount of research provided according to your needs.


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The City Mini 2 Pram offers your newborn a soft and comfortable spot to rest. The City Mini 2 Pram has a luxurious quilted interior, a large UV50 canopy, and foot cover to protect baby from the elements. The plush mattress pad is machine washable and includes the adapters needed to attach to the stroller. Includes the adapters needed to attach to the stroller.
- Stroll from birth with the City Mini 2 Pram.
- Foot cover protects your baby from sun and cold weather with included wind guard.
- The City Mini 2 Pram collapses down for easy storage.
- Integrated carry handle for easy, one-hand transportation.
- Zippered Mesh Canopy for increased airflow to keep your little one cool.
- Machine washable mattress cover for ultimate convenience.
- For newborns up to 6 months, max weight capacity is 20 lbs.
- Includes the adapters needed to attach to stroller.
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Welcome to Dragon Cave! Dragon Cave is an online adoptables game. Collect eggs, raise them to adulthood, and then breed them to create interesting lineages. New dragons are added regularly!
Nebula Dragons are nocturnal creatures. With the best eyesight to be found, they are often seen staring into space. Each dragon tends to observe a particular nebula and will eventually change their colors and patterns to match it. As the nebula changes over time, the dragon changes with it. The more intricate the design of the nebula, the better chance an individual has of attracting a mate. It is said that the markings on no two Nebula Dragons will be exactly the same.
Dragons are highly-intelligent reptilian creatures that—from a human perspective, at least—appear to live forever. Many different varieties of dragon exist, each with their own unique qualities, habitats, and behavior. Adolescence in dragons is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling's wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. In Galsreim, dragons and humans coexist peacefully.


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Childhood Glaucoma
What is childhood glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a condition in which the normal fluid pressure inside the eyes (intraocular pressure, or IOP) slowly rises as a result of the fluid aqueous humor - which normally flows in and out of the eye - not being able to drain properly. Instead, the fluid collects and causes pressure damage to the optic nerve (a bundle of more than 1 million nerve fibers that connects the retina with the brain) and loss of vision. Glaucoma is classified according to the age of onset. Glaucoma that begins before the child is 3 years old is called infantile or congenital (present at birth) glaucoma. Glaucoma that occurs in a child is called childhood glaucoma.
What causes childhood glaucoma?
Glaucoma occurs when the fluid drainage from the eye is blocked by abnormal development or injury to the drainage tissues, thus, resulting in an increase in the intraocular pressure, damage to the optic nerve, and loss of vision.
There are many causes of childhood glaucoma. It can be hereditary or it can be associated with other eye disorders. If glaucoma cannot be attributed to any other cause, it is classified as primary. If glaucoma is a result of another eye disorder, eye injury, or other disease, it is classified as secondary.
How is childhood glaucoma diagnosed?
In addition to a complete medical history and eye examination of your child, diagnostic procedures for childhood glaucoma may include:
visual acuity test - the common eye chart test (with letters and images), which measures vision ability at various distances.
pupil dilation - the pupil is widened with eyedrops to allow a close-up examination of the eye's retina and optic nerve.
visual field - a test to measure a child's side (peripheral) vision. Lost peripheral vision may be an indication of glaucoma.
tonometry - a standard test to determine the fluid pressure inside the eye.
Younger children may be examined with hand-held instruments, whereas older children are often examined with standard equipment that is used with adults. An eye examination can be difficult for a child. It is important that parents encourage cooperation. At times, the child may have to be examined under anesthesia, especially young children, in order to examine the eye and the fluid drainage system, and to determine the appropriate treatment.
What are the symptoms of childhood glaucoma?
Glaucoma is rare in children, as compared to the adult. However, when it does occur, the symptoms may not be as obvious in children. Many children are diagnosed before they are 6 months old. Glaucoma can affect one eye or both.
The following are the most common symptoms of childhood glaucoma. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
excessive tearing
light sensitivity (photophobia)
closure of one or both eyes in the light
cloudy, enlarged cornea (large eye)
one eye may be larger than the other
vision loss
If the eye pressure increases rapidly, there may be pain and discomfort. Parents may notice that the child becomes irritable, fussy, and develops a poor appetite. Early detection and diagnosis is very important to prevent loss of vision. The symptoms of glaucoma may resemble other eye problems or medical conditions. Always consult your child's physician for a diagnosis.
Treatment for glaucoma
Specific treatment for glaucoma will be determined by your child's physician based on:
your child's age, overall health, and medical history
extent of the disease
your child's tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
expectations for the course of the disease
your opinion or preference
It is important for treatment of childhood glaucoma to start as early as possible. Treatment may include:
Some medications cause the eye to produce less fluid, while others lower pressure by helping fluid drain from the eye. -
conventional surgery
The purpose of conventional surgery is to create a new opening for fluid to leave the eye. -
Surgical procedures are performed by using microsurgery or lasers. The purpose of surgery is to create an opening for fluid to leave the eye. Surgical procedures used to treat glaucoma in children include the following:-
trabeculotomy and goniotomy
A surgical opening is made into the drainage area of the eye (known as the trabecular meshwork drainage system), therefore establishing a more normal anterior chamber angle that allows the fluid to drain more freely, lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP). A goniotomy is an internal trabeculotomy procedure that is used in congenital glaucoma. -
A surgical procedure that involves the removal of part of the trabecular meshwork drainage system, allowing the fluid to drain from the eye. -
In this procedure, a small hole is made through the iris - the colored part of the eye - to allow fluid to flow more freely in the eye. The surgeon may use a laser to create this hole (laser iridotomy). -
A procedure that uses a laser beam to freeze selected areas of the ciliary body - the part of the eye that produces aqueous humor - to reduce the production of fluid. This type of surgery may be performed with severe cases of childhood glaucoma.
Both medications and surgery have been successfully used to treat childhood glaucoma.


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SIDI® was founded in 1960 by Dino Signori whose love for cycling steered the company away from mountaineering footwear to bike shoes. In Maser, Italy, SIDI was a pioneer, creating many features that either improved on the first bike shoe models or were the first.
The very first SIDI bike shoe was made with adjustable screws. Because of this, cyclists stopped nailing cleats into the bottoms of their bike shoes. Another innovation that SIDI started was creating a SIDI bike shoe that had a Nylon sole for durable stiffness. SIDI also created the first modern bike shoe that used Velcro® in place of laces. They were even the first to make mountain bike shoes with lugged rubber soles for improved stability and durability. They also innovated style when they were the first to have multicolored bike shoes on the outside and the inside with a 2-colored sole.
They are still improving on their SIDI bike shoes by continuously testing and studying research. This led to the birth of SIDI Aeronet Light, an aerospace material that allows some of the SIDI bike shoes to be 60 grams lighter without losing their shape or toughness. When you are cycling to get to the Kona Ironman® you know how every grams counts. Also, their SIDI High Security Velcro® piece was the first no-slip bike shoe strap ever made. SIDI has respect for the past, they are the last company that designs and makes their bike shoes in Europe, with their sights set on the future.


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Read the AP story about David Ayres's jury verdict in USA Today.
By Amanda Lee, Associated Press
CINCINNATI — An Ohio man who was exonerated after spending 13 years in prison for murder cried as a federal jury found that two Cleveland police detectives violated his civil rights by coercing and falsifying testimony and withholding evidence that pointed to his innocence. The jury's verdict on Friday, which included awarding $13.2 million to David Ayers of Cleveland for his pain and suffering, brings an end to the legal battle he's been fighting since his arrest in the 1999 killing of 76-year-old Dorothy Brown.
Ayers, 56, was released from prison in 2011 after the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati reversed his conviction and the state decided not to seek another trial.
Ayers, who was a security guard for the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, had been found guilty of killing Brown at her CMHA apartment in Cleveland. She was found bludgeoned to death, covered in defensive wounds and naked from the waist down; she also had been robbed. DNA testing later proved that a pubic hair found in her mouth did not come from Ayers.
"This should have been stopped a long time ago," Ayers told the Cleveland Plain Dealer after the jury's verdict Friday. "My goal is that it never happens to anyone else ever again."
A phone number listed for Ayers did not accept messages Saturday.
Ayers filed his civil rights lawsuit in March 2012 against six Cleveland police officers, the city and the county housing authority. Allegations against three of the officers, the city and the housing authority were dismissed by a judge who found that their roles did not violate Ayers' rights.
One of the remaining officers settled out of court with Ayers for an undisclosed amount. The Friday verdict was against Michael Cipo and Denise Kovach, who were the lead investigators in the case.
Kovach and Cipo could not be reached for comment. They have denied misconduct.
Phone and email requests for comment with Cleveland police and the three city attorneys who represent Cipo and Kovach were not immediately answered Saturday. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that attorney Rachel Steinback of Chicago, who represented Ayers, said the city is self-insured so the award will come from taxpayer money, not an insurance company.
Among the most serious allegations by Ayers against Kovach and Cipo were that the two detectives conspired with each other to fabricate a confession that he never made, coerced a friend of Ayers to lie by saying that Ayers had told him of the murder before Brown's body was discovered, and gave key information about the crime to Ayers' prison cellmate so he could later testify against Ayers about an admission he didn't make.
In an August filing, Cipo and Kovach argued to have the lawsuit dismissed, saying that they acted in good faith and with probable cause, and that Ayers was responsible for any alleged injuries that he incurred.
Federal Judge James Gwin denied their request late last month shortly before the trial, ruling that Ayers had produced sufficient evidence that the detectives had violated his rights.