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Schmid Malone LLC | Serving Veneta, OR (Bend, OR) Rising StarsVeneta, Oregon lawyers in related practice areas
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Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Spiced and Pickled Shrimp
The weather outside is frightful. Come inside and join us by the fire for one of our favorite finger foods - spiced and pickled shrimp.
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love to serve these shrimp to friends at informal gatherings. This dish is one I wish I could claim as my own. I can't. I found the recipe, developed by Peggy Towbridge, at About.com Home Cooking and it's been a favorite of mine ever since. Don't be put off by the ingredient list. Chances are you have everything needed to make these shrimp in your refrigerator or pantry. I've made two slight changes to the original recipe. I think balsamic vinegar muddies the glorious color of this dish, so I've opted to use white wine or white balsamic vinegar instead. I've also added small amounts of red and yellow bell pepper to provide more eye candy in the final presentation. While I've served these shrimp as a first course for an informal dinner, I am more likely to set out bowls of them to entertain a large number of people for cocktails or an open house. When I serve these as finger food, I remove all trace of shell from the shrimp. I know that runs contrary to conventional wisdom, but I hate to see folks trying to balance drinks and plates of discarded shells or toothpicks. Shrimp, once a luxury item, is relatively inexpensive these days. So, you'll be happy to know the recipe can be doubled or tripled for those occasions when you're feeling particularly generous or are feeding the immediate world. I let the shrimp marinate for 24 hours before serving them. Discard uneaten, unrefrigerated shrimp at the end of the evening. The brine used to pickle the shrimp is not strong enough to kill organisms that might developed after the shrimp has been sitting unrefrigerated for several hours. Here's the recipe for a terrific party appetizer.
Spiced and Pickled Shrimp...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
Juice of 1 lemon, rinds reserved
2 pounds large or jumbo raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup white balsamic or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh dill weed, finely chopped OR 2 teaspoons dried
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or hot sauce to taste
1 small sweet onion, finely sliced
1 small red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 small yellow pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 small green bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1) Combine garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, paprika, and celery seed until mixed.
2) Sprinkle lemon juice over the shrimp, top with the spice mixture, and toss to coat.
3) Place sliced reserved lemon rinds in about 1 inch of water. Cover with a steamer basket. Place spiced shrimp in the basket, cover pot, and gently steam until shrimp is just barely done and opaque, about 2 minutes. Do not overcook or the shrimp will become rubbery. Remove from heat, uncover, and place shrimp in a large bowl of ice to stop cooking.
4) For the marinade, place olive oil, cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, dill weed, garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper flakes or hot sauce in a large heavy bag with a zip top. Squish to thoroughly combine.
5) Add drained shrimp, sweet onion, and bell pepper to the marinade in bag. Seal with air in bag and toss to coat. Open bag, squeeze out air, and re-seal. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve cold. Yield: 12 to 16 appetizer
This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer
30 comments :
- surfingtheworldcuisine said...
Shrimps always catch everyone's eyes in any gathering! I love the colours and it looks very tasty!
Happy New Year to you and your family! - December 30, 2009 at 1:58 AM
- sherri@lavenderfields said...
Oh my husband will love this! He is the big seafood lover in our family! What a beautiful picture of the snow too! I wish we had some for the holidays! I have really enjoyed coming to your sight the past few months since I started blogging! You have really posted some wonderful recipes and I appreciate it! All the best to you and your family in 2010! Happy New Year! Sherri : )
- December 30, 2009 at 2:02 AM
- Light and Voices said...
Happy New Year from our house to your house. My husband dearly loves seafood period. Thanks for the recipe.
Joyce M - December 30, 2009 at 2:49 AM
- Barbara said...
Wow, Shrimp is my favorite....fixed in any way, I can't wait to try this, Thanks for always having such wonderful recipes and sharing your great talent with us.
Barbara - December 30, 2009 at 2:53 AM
- eileeninmd said...
Lovely wintry scene. I love shrimp and your recipe sounds delicious!
I wish you and yours all the best in 2010. Happy New Years! - December 30, 2009 at 5:54 AM
- Jamie said...
Happy Happy Holidays to you and yours, Mary! It was an enormous pleasure getting to know you and your stunning blog!
These shrimp look divine! I adore shrimp and this dish is calling me! - December 30, 2009 at 6:32 AM
- Donna-FFW said...
These sound most delicious and they look wonderful. I love the wintry scene you posted. Its beautiful!
- December 30, 2009 at 7:04 AM
- Martha said...
On the prairie, shrimp is always the first to go! Looks lovely!
- December 30, 2009 at 7:22 AM
- Dawn said...
Fabulous photo and accompanying recipe. I totally agree about putting out a pile of shrimp. I am lucky enough to live in Florida so when the local seafood market is having a shrimp sale, I can purchase it in bulk for much less than any beef on sale in the store. Makes for happy party guests!
- December 30, 2009 at 7:59 AM
- Patricia @ ButterYum said...
Lovely recipe and lovely platter. I think I'll put these on tomorrow night's menu. Thanks for sharing!
Happy New Year!
PS - so refreshing to see that there are others willing to eliminate shrimp tails in advance. There's a time and a place, but people seem to forget that.
;) - December 30, 2009 at 8:38 AM
Great photo of the snow.....there will be no snow here just rain. The shrimp looks like a perfect dish to share with friends. I hope you and your family have a safe and Happy New Year! Denise
- December 30, 2009 at 8:54 AM
- Shellbelle said...
When our weather is hot and humid (most of the year) I love to keep food in the fridge that is already prepared and ready for knoshing — this looks like it will be added to the list!
Happy New Year Mary, can't wait to see what you will delight us with in 2010.
btw, my niece made the Mushroom Puff and said it was a huge hit! - December 30, 2009 at 8:58 AM
- Sonia said...
Oh what a pretty dish! I have company coming this weekend and will definitely try this! Happy New Year! Sonia/Miss Bloomers
- December 30, 2009 at 9:07 AM
- Lea Ann said...
Wow, that photo screams winter - beautiful. Love this recipe. I'll be giving it a try. I have saved more of your recipes and I've got to start testing some of them.
- December 30, 2009 at 9:41 AM
- George Gaston said...
Mary, Old Man winter is coming early to the Nutmeg State, but you have the right idea to bring a delicious light appertizer made of shrimp to change the focus to a sunny warm day by the shore.
This is a wonderful recipe, many thanks... - December 30, 2009 at 9:53 AM
- ellen b said...
Whoa! That's a beautiful cold scene outside and a yummy scene on that plate!!
Happy New Year to you and yours Mary! - December 30, 2009 at 10:50 AM
- LV said...
Beautiful snow scene, but I would like a big helping of your shrimp. Looks so good. Keep on cooking and have a wonderful New Year.
- December 30, 2009 at 11:03 AM
- Claudia said...
Perfect shrimp, gorgeous photo - best way to start 2010. Love it all. Happy New Year to you and yours!
- December 30, 2009 at 11:14 AM
- cherry said...
yummy, yummy, yummy .. My 2010 be filled with beauty and blessings for you and yours. hugs, Cherry
- December 30, 2009 at 1:01 PM
- La Bella Cooks said...
I think I might just include this in our New Years feast. It sounds divine! Wishing you a wonderful New Year, Mary.
- December 30, 2009 at 2:06 PM
- Katy ~ said...
I was just wishing for a shrimp recipe as I'm the only one here who eats it. This would be perfect, I think. Since it's pickled, can I assume it can be tastefully refrigerated for a couple of days?
- December 30, 2009 at 3:31 PM
- Mary Bergfeld said...
Katy, the answer to your question is yes. I've kept it for 72 hours in the fridge.
- December 30, 2009 at 4:28 PM
- Unknown said...
Fantastic recipe. I will be making this some time soon.
- December 30, 2009 at 4:53 PM
- Helena said...
I love your outdoor photo, and the shrimp looks absolutely delicious. I'll definitely be adding this recipe to my growing collection. :)
- December 30, 2009 at 10:14 PM
- My Little Space said...
I'm speechless! This is absolutely a colourful yummilicious dish... Love it!
- December 30, 2009 at 11:06 PM
- Deb in Hawaii said...
I am never so happy as when I see a plate of shrimp at a party--looks delicious!
- December 31, 2009 at 3:33 AM
- Bonnie said...
Love that winter photo and your blog.
- December 31, 2009 at 10:09 AM
- Kim, USA said...
That is really good..I love seafood and this one is the best.
Homemade Salsa and Tomato sauce - December 31, 2009 at 1:17 PM
- Patricia @ ButterYum said...
Hi Mary - I made, I ate, and I fell in love. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. I just blogged about it.
ButterYum - January 2, 2010 at 5:41 PM
- xinex said...
Hi Mary, I just saw this at Butteryum's and it looks so divine. Mmmm, I love shrimp....Christine
- January 3, 2010 at 11:35 PM

subset: commoncrawl


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Personal: Born in Moscow, Russia in 1974
Education: Surikov Art Institute, Moscow, Diploma. Member of Moscow Union of Artists.
Profile: a graduate, Member of "Societe National des Beaux-Arts" (2001). Member of Moscow Union of Artists (1998). Member of International Federation of Artists (1999).
Participation in programme of cultural exchange between Moscow Surikov Art Institute and French Academy of Fine Art (1999). Grant from Charity Foundation "Russian Arts Help"(1998). First Prize (young category) from Russian Academy of Fine Art and "Tetterode Graphic" in Competition "Window to the Netherlands"(1997).
2000 Solo Exhibition "Yasnaya Polyana", Cultural French Centre "Pangloss", Moscow .
2000 Solo Exhibition "Venetian Carnaval", Cultural French Centre "Pangloss", Moscow.
2000 Painting, Graphics. Moscow, Venue-World Bank.
1999 State Country-House Museum "Yasnaya Polyana" (dedicated to the Anniversary of Leo Tolstoys Birth), Moscow.
1999 Solo Exhibition "Poetry of Paintings", Institute of Renovation, Moscow.
1999 Cromwell Hospital, London, England.
1998 Hotel Baltschug Kempinski, Moscow.
1998 Moscow, Central House of Artists, painting
1998 Moscow, Hall of Union Artists, book exhibition, 18 watercolours
1998 England, Hall of Russian / British Help House, lino cuts
1997 The Netherlands, Hague, "Window to the Netherlands", lino cuts. First prize in the youth category.
1997 Moscow, Central House of Artists, Group Exhibition
1997 Moscow, Hall of Russian Academy of Fine Art competition
1997 Moscow, Hotel Bultshug Kempinski, painting and graphics
1997 Denmark, Odense Gallery, Solvognen, Russian Art Exhibition
1996 Denmark, Odense Gallery, Solvognen
1995 Moscow, Hall of Union Artists, Kuznetskiy Most
1993 Paris, Drouot Richelieu
The artists works are in the Museum Collection of State Country-House "Yasnaya Polyana" and in Private Collections (Rene Guerra, Vladimir Tolstoy, Claude Roulet, Paule La Chanaie, Manuel Quirogua Clerigo, Alex Hamelton).
Artwork name: Shrove Tuesday


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6 Easy Outdoor Fitness Activities You Can Start Right Now
With the weather getting better and the days getting longer, it's the perfect time to get outside. Even if you don't have a huge budget or tons of time, you can enjoy the outdoors while you work out. Nature-based activities tend to make people happier, so get outside and get fit. Here are a few ways to start today:
If you're just getting on the fitness bandwagon, walking is a simple way to begin. You don't have to commit to a rigorous routine. You can start by just taking 20 minutes to walk in your neighborhood. You should make sure you have a good pair of shoes to avoid injuries, but you don't need to spend a fortune. Try an app like Map My Run to plan and keep track of distances and pacing. Start exploring close to home.
Even if you have a regular fitness routine, adding running can be a great way to get some fresh air and sun, while changing up your cardio and seeing parts of your world you don't get to see on your commute. If you aren't a runner, it's important to make sure you have proper shoes or you could risk an injury. Stay motivated with a fast-paced playlist on your mobile device, as well as apps like RunKeeper. It'll track your progress and allow you to be social and get support from your friends.
Yoga is definitely a portable exercise. When the weather is nice, there's no reason to be stuck indoors trying to get your Zen on. Grab your yoga mat and find your center while getting some vitamin D. Download some yoga podcasts and follow along in the sun. What could be more Zen than outdoor yoga? You could also do a search and see if anyone in your city teaches tai chi classes outside.
Cycling is another perfect outdoor fitness activity for exploring your city or neighborhood. It's a great way to get off the beaten path while getting some efficient, low-impact exercise. You do have to purchase equipment before you can start bicycling, but many cities now have bicycle collectives where you can purchase, rent or borrow used bicycles that have been refurbished.
Growing a garden can be relaxing, fulfilling and improve your nutrition. It can also be good exercise and give you a healthy dose of vitamin D from exposure to the sun. You can choose to garden vegetables or flowers, just pick a spot and start experimenting. You'll spend a little money on seeds or seedlings, and you'll need some soil to help you get started, but the initial investment isn't too big. It's definitely less expensive than new workout equipment, and you might get some tasty produce out of the deal.
Hiking is the outdoor exercise for you if you don't want the exertion of running but do want the adventure of getting away from home. Hiking doesn't have to be grueling. It can be easy as finding a national park or scenic area and spending an hour exploring the trails. As always, the right shoes will make all the difference, but if you aren't climbing mountains or covering many miles, you can start with an affordable pair. If you want some treasure hunting adventure that will make you look at the world in a new way, spend a little extra on a GPS unit and try geocaching. It's a great way to the kids outside and once you start, you'll be hooked.


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As a garage and auto body & repair shop owner, you require a specific insurance program that can effectively address the unique risks your business faces on a daily basis. At William G Mechling Insurance Agency we understand how important securing the best possible coverage is – that's why we are proud to offer a comprehensive insurance program through one of our many carriers.
Here at William G Mechling Insurance Agency we match you up with a specially trained agent who is educated to pinpoint your garage's potential risk exposures. We then work with you directly to custom-build the perfect garage insurance or auto repair shop insurance policy that meets your distinct needs.
Common coverages that you can expect from your garage insurance or auto repair shop insurance program may include:
Let William G Mechling Insurance Agency help you choose a policy that will fit your individual needs. Protecting your assets, whether personal, business, or both, is our goal. A well-chosen policy can lessen the impact of some of life's most common, yet unforeseen perils. We're here to help when you are considering Auto Repair Shop coverage.


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Updated with excellent photos my wife took
Summary: Excellent team race, 4th (me), 14th (Mike), and a great leadout (Stuart). Good practice for a variety of situations that can come up in a race.
The Details: Stuart, Mike and I lined up in a small field – three riders from Hincapie Development (AJ Meyer, Ben Gabardi?, and Steve Carpenter), two riders from Team Type One masters (orange and white kits), one rider from Team Type One (Phil Southerland), two riders from Myogenesis (Eric Murphy and Cleve Blackwell), John Murphy (Healthnet), and about 10 other riders to make a total field size of 22. They combined the P/1/2 and the Cat 3 fields so they shortened our race from 60 minutes to 40 minutes.
I got the hole shot into the first corner and wound up leading the field for the first couple laps at about 20-22mph waiting for an attack. It wasn't coming so I attacked before turn 1 at the beginning of lap 3 when they called a prime for the next lap. Stuart countered my move to move into position for the prime, but John Murphy attached himself to his wheel. I was feeling really good and thought that I could sneak onto Murphy's wheel and take the prime, but he was too fast and that left the three of us just off the front with Murphy a little ahead of Stuart and I. It looked like Murphy was going to sit up so Stuart and I sat up and let the front of the group catch up to us for someone to take up the chase. There was a strong attack from a Hincapie Development rider who quickly bridged to Murphy. It looked dangerous so I attacked and made a short bridge onto them before the end of Lap 4.
By this time, there was a split in the group that left seven of us up front in the break – me, John Murphy, Cleve from Myogenesis, Steve Carpenter and AJ from Hincapie Development, David McNeal, and Steve from Team Type One development. Our break was not a happy family with several attacks from Hincapie, from Murphy, from Myogenesis. When we were getting close to lapping the field, Murphy attacked and got away by himself being the first to make the bridge. I waited until the rest of us made it up to the field and then attacked to go off the front of the field. But at this point, there was enough fresh legs to keep everything together (including pulling back Murphy) to the end. That's what happened – a field sprint, but there was some excellent teamwork leading up to it.
Mike and Stuart both moved to the front of the field once we all came back together. Mike put in a few attacks which was great, because some of the people who were in the break with me ended up chasing them down causing them to get tired. Perfect. Stuart also got to the front and drilled the pace for several laps to discourage any attacks, which gave me a chance to rest at the front of the group without worrying if any of my breakaway companions were going to attack. Then at the very end, Stuart ramped the pace way up to discourage any last lap attacks. I slotted into the top 5 going into the last two turns, but I chose the wrong wheel and the rider I was on sat up coming out of the last corner and I had to chase around but I couldn't catch the top 3 and I ended up 4th. Mike sprinted well to finish 14th and Stuart had already set up the perfect leadout but I got a little bit unlucky sitting on the wrong wheel for the sprint. Ok, so that was it. Good result, EXCELLENT practice for next week.
Here is my heart rate and power data:


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GM Names Solso Chairman
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe former chief executive officer of Columbus-based Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) will be the new chairman of one of the world's largest automakers. General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) says Tim Solso will move into the position once Dan Akerson retires next month as chairman and CEO. Longtime GM executive Mary Barra will become the first woman to serve as the automaker's chief executive. December 10, 2013
News Release
DETROIT, Mich. – General Motors today announced that Dan Akerson, who guided today's GM to record profits and dramatic improvement in vehicle quality while closing the chapter on government ownership in the company, will step down as chairman and CEO on Jan. 15, 2014.
Mary Barra, 51, executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, was elected by the Board of Directors to become the next CEO of the company. Barra will also join the GM Board.
Akerson, 65, pulled ahead his succession plan by several months after his wife was recently diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer.
The Board also named Theodore (Tim) Solso to succeed Akerson as Chairman. Solso, 66, is the former chairman and CEO of Cummins, Inc., and has been a member of the GM Board since June 2012.
"I will leave with great satisfaction in what we have accomplished, great optimism over what is ahead and great pride that we are restoring General Motors as America's standard bearer in the global auto industry," Akerson said in a message to employees.
With 33 years of experience at GM, Barra has risen through a series of manufacturing, engineering, and senior staff positions. She is a leader in the company's ongoing turnaround, revitalizing GM's product development process resulting in the launch of critically acclaimed new products while delivering record product quality ratings and higher customer satisfaction.
"With an amazing portfolio of cars and trucks and the strongest financial performance in our recent history, this is an exciting time at today's GM," said Barra. "I'm honored to lead the best team in the business and to keep our momentum at full speed."
Dan Ammann, 41, executive vice president and chief financial officer, was named company president and will assume responsibility for managing the company's regional operations around the world. The global Chevrolet and Cadillac brand organizations and GM Financial will also report to Ammann.
Ammann joined GM in 2010 where his first assignment was to manage GM's initial public offering. As CFO, he has led a transformation of GM's finance operations into a world-class organization. He also led the strategy to rebuild the company's captive finance capability through the successful establishment and growth of GM Financial.
"We have a significant opportunity to further integrate and optimize our operations to deliver even better results," said Ammann. "While we have made good progress, we still have much work ahead of us to realize GM's full potential."
Ammann will retain CFO responsibilities at least through the release of the company's fourth quarter and full-year 2013 results in early February 2014. His replacement as CFO will be named later.
Mark Reuss, 50, executive vice president and president, North America, will replace Barra as executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. Under Reuss' watch, GM's North America region has produced consistent profits and improved margins during a product renaissance that includes the launch of award-winning cars and trucks such as the Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Corvette, Impala and Silverado pickup.
"The driver's seat of designing and engineering the strongest product line up in GM's history is the best seat to have," said Reuss. "We're going to keep the pedal down on GM's product resurgence and keep winning new customers."
Alan Batey, currently senior vice president, Global Chevrolet and U.S. Sales and Marketing, will replace Reuss and is named Executive Vice President and President, North America. Batey, 50, joined GM's Vauxhall operation in 1979 and held several sales, service and marketing positions around the world. In his current position, he has developed the Chevrolet brand's Find New Roads advertising campaign and has overseen a sweeping upgrade of retail sales and service operations at hundreds of U.S. dealerships.
"North America is the foundation of the GM turnaround story and I'm honored to help continue what Mark started," said Batey. "We remain committed to delivering the world's best retail experience to match the world's best cars and trucks."
The company also announced that Steve Girsky, 51, vice chairman, Corporate Strategy, Business Development and Global Product Planning, will move to a senior advisor role until leaving the company in April 2014. He will remain on the GM Board of Directors.
Girsky led GM's turnaround plan for Europe that has put that region's operations back on a path to profitability. He has also put GM's OnStar unit at the forefront of in-vehicle connectivity and helped create GM Ventures to speed the commercialization of new technologies in GM vehicles.
"I share Dan's pride for what the company has accomplished and his sense of optimism for a bright future," said Girsky. "This team is united in its commitment to building on the foundation that we have established."
Under Akerson's leadership, GM made swift progress as the company transformed from being majority owned by U.S. Treasury to being publicly traded and investment grade rated.
"My goals as CEO were to put the customer at the center of every decision we make, to position GM for long term success and to make GM a company that America can be proud of again," Akerson said. "We are well down that path, and I'm certain that our new team will keep us moving in that direction."
Akerson was named GM Chairman and CEO on September 1, 2010. He joined GM in 2009 as a member of its Board of Directors. Since the company's November 2010 Initial Public Offering, GM has recorded 15 consecutive quarters of profitability, has earned this year the best overall initial vehicle quality scores of any auto manufacturer, and has re-invested nearly $9 billion and created or retained more than 25,000 jobs at its U.S plants.
Source: General Motors Co.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — High-calorie sports drinks and candy bars will be removed from school vending machines and cafeteria lines as soon as next year, replaced with diet drinks, granola bars and other healthier items.
The Agriculture Department said Thursday that for the first time it will make sure that all foods sold in the nation's 100,000 schools are healthier by expanding fat, calorie, sugar and sodium limits to almost everything sold during the school day.
That includes snacks sold around the school and foods on the "a la carte" line in cafeterias, which never have been regulated before. The new rules, proposed in February and made final this week, also would allow states to regulate student bake sales.
The rules, required under a child nutrition law passed by Congress in 2010, are part of the government's effort to combat childhood obesity. The rules have the potential to transform what many children eat at school.
While some schools already have made improvements in their lunch menus and vending machine choices, others still are selling high-fat, high-calorie foods. Standards put into place at the beginning of the 2012 school year already regulate the nutritional content of free and low-cost school breakfasts and lunches that are subsidized by the federal government. However most lunchrooms also have the "a la carte" lines that sell other foods — often greasy foods like mozzarella sticks and nachos. Under the rules, those lines could offer healthier pizzas, low-fat hamburgers, fruit cups or yogurt, among other foods that meet the standards.
One of the biggest changes under the rules will be a near-ban on high-calorie sports drinks, which many beverage companies added to school vending machines to replace high-calorie sodas that they pulled in response to criticism from the public health community.
The rule would only allow sales in high schools of sodas and sports drinks that contain 60 calories or less in a 12-ounce serving, banning the highest-calorie versions of those beverages.
Many companies already have developed low-calorie sports drinks — Gatorade's G2, for example — and many diet teas and diet sodas are also available for sale.
Elementary and middle schools could sell only water, carbonated water, 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice, and low fat and fat-free milk, including nonfat flavored milks.
First lady Michelle Obama, an advocate for healthy eating and efforts to reduce childhood obesity, pointed out that many working parents don't have control over what their kids eat when they're not at home.
"That's why as a mom myself, I am so excited that schools will now be offering healthier choices to students and reinforcing the work we do at home to help our kids stay healthy," Mrs. Obama said in a statement.
At a congressional hearing, a school nutritionist said Thursday that schools have had difficulty adjusting to the 2012 changes, and the new "a la carte" standards could also be a hardship.
Sandra Ford, president of the School Nutrition Association and director of food and nutrition services for a school district in Bradenton, Fla., said in prepared testimony that the healthier foods have been expensive and participation has declined since the standards went into effect. She also predicted that her school district could lose $975,000 a year under the new "a la carte" guidelines because they would have to eliminate many of the foods they currently sell.
"The new meal pattern requirements have significantly increased the expense of preparing school meals, at a time when food costs were already on the rise," she said.
Ford called on the USDA to permanently do away with the limits on grains and proteins, saying they hampered her school district's ability to serve sandwiches and salads with chicken on top that had proved popular with students.
The Government Accountability Office said it visited eight districts around the country and found that in most districts students were having trouble adjusting to some of the new foods, leading to increased food waste and decreased participation in the school lunch program.
However, the agency said in a report that most students spoke positively about eating healthier foods and predicted they will get used to the changes over time.
One principle of the new rules is not just to cut down on unhealthy foods but to increase the number of healthier foods sold. The standards encourage more whole grains, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins.
"It's not enough for it to be low in problem nutrients, it also has to provide positive nutritional benefits," says Margo Wootan, a nutrition lobbyist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest who has lobbied for the new rules. "There has to be some food in the food."
The new rules are the latest in a long list of changes designed to make foods served in schools more healthful and accessible. Nutritional guidelines for the subsidized lunches were revised last year and put in place last fall. The 2010 child nutrition law also provided more money for schools to serve free and reduced-cost lunches and required more meals to be served to hungry kids.
Last year's rules making main lunch fare more nutritious faced criticism from some conservatives, including some Republicans in Congress, who said the government shouldn't be telling kids what to eat. Mindful of that backlash, the Agriculture Department left one of the more controversial parts of the rule, the regulation of in-school fundraisers like bake sales, up to the states.
The new guidelines also would not apply to after-school concessions at school games or theater events, goodies brought from home for classroom celebrations, or anything students bring for their own personal consumption.
The USDA so far has shown a willingness to work with schools to resolve complaints that some new requirements are hard to meet. Last year, for example, the government temporarily relaxed some limits on meats and grains in subsidized lunches after school nutritionists said they weren't working.
The food industry has been onboard with many of the changes, and several companies worked with Congress on the child nutrition law three years ago.


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After a long bumpy ride that started five years ago, the domestic airline industry seems to be pulling up and smoothing out.
The number of passengers planning to fly this summer will tick up 1 percent from 2012, climbing back to the highest level since 2008, an industry group said Thursday.
The airlines' profit outlook is also brighter, as jet fuel prices have settled down a bit. Passenger complaints are quieting down, too.
After years of losses, bankruptcies, mergers and misery, the industry finally "is heading in the right direction," said John Heimlich, chief economist for Airlines for America, which represents major carriers.
At a press briefing Thursday, Heimlich said airlines expect about 209 million passengers to fly between June 1 and Aug. 31. That's the highest level since the summer of 2008, when 210 million flew on U.S. carriers. The record was set before the Great Recession hit — at 217 million passengers — in the summer of 2007.
In March and April of this year, the airlines hit "a soft patch," Heimlich said. That was a period filled with bad weather and worse headlines, about flight delays tied to air-traffic-controller furloughs.
Dan Elwell, Airlines for America's vice president for operations, said that in April, 7,200 flights — involving 600,000 passengers — were delayed directly because of air-traffic-control disruptions caused by the congressional sequester of funds for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The sequestration-related delays cost the industry about $50 million in expenses tied to burning up extra fuel, re-booking passengers, rescheduling crews, etc.
After six days of flight disruptions, Congress and the FAA agreed to make some fixes so that the air-traffic delays would no longer be a threat, Elwell said.
As a result, the spring swoon is likely over. The association does not forecast earnings for the full year, but it says the industry is off to a better start than last year.
In 2013's first three months — always a tough quarter for airlines — 10 publicly traded airlines had a combined loss of $552 million. That was far better than a year ago, when they had a loss of $1.7 billion. For the first quarter, revenues were up 2.5 percent to $34.3 billion.
Heimlich said that this winter's improved performance has set the stage for profits later this year. Once the airlines get a little money in their coffers, they'll be able "to attract new investors, lower their costs of borrowing and reinvest" in new equipment and employees, he said.
U.S. airlines plan to upgrade airport terminals, customer lounges, kiosks, ground equipment and in-flight entertainment, the report said. They've already improved baggage handling with new equipment, better software and more worker training.
The good news for passengers is that fewer bags are being lost. Mishandled bag complaints are down to 3.15 per 1,000 domestic passengers, compared with 7.05 complaints in 2007.
But the improved service and brighter profit forecast have come at a price for passengers. Most airlines now charge extra for checked bags and some are even adding fees for carry-on bags. For example, earlier this month, Frontier Airlines announced it will charge up to $100 for one carry-on bag for any customer who fails to book directly through the carrier's website. That change takes effect this summer.
The added fees led Rick Seaney, who tracks airline fees as CEO of Farecompare.com, to ask in a recent post, "At this point, you may be thinking, have the airlines gone nuts?"
But airlines have lost so much money for so many years that, Seaney concludes, "They may be brazen, but they're not nuts. It has to do with survival."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Web Design Company for Burford Canadian Immigration Lawyers
How Much Does it Cost to Design Website in Burford ?
To effectively design a website, it's crucial to clearly outline the project requirements. Without a thorough understanding of your needs, achieving the desired design can be challenging, and this ambiguity can also impact cost estimation. The overall cost of website design is contingent upon the complexity of requirements and the time required for execution. As a general guideline, in Burford , the cost of designing an informational website typically ranges from USD 300 to 500.
I want to design a website for my business. Which web design technology is the latest and best for me?
There are several technologies available for website development, each with its own strengths and suitability for different purposes. Popular options include WordPress, Shopify, Laravel, React, Next.Js, CodeIgniter, Magento, OpenCart, and more. The best choice for your business depends on factors such as your specific requirements, scalability needs, desired features, and budget. It's recommended to discuss your goals and preferences with your web designer to determine the most suitable technology for your project.
What is the average timeline for an informational website design?
Typically, informational websites are commonly developed using WordPress, a versatile and widely-used platform. The average timeline for designing such websites ranges from 2 to 3 weeks. However, it's essential to note that the actual timeframe can vary depending on the specific requirements of the project. While some projects may be completed within a week, others with more intricate features or customization may take longer than three weeks to finalize.
How do I choose the right web designer for my project in Burford ?
When selecting a web designer in Burford , it's crucial to review their portfolio to assess the quality and diversity of their work. Additionally, consider their expertise in your specific industry or niche, communication skills, project management capabilities, and client testimonials or reviews.
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Top web designers in Burford typically offer a wide range of services, including website design and development, user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, responsive design, e-commerce solutions, branding and logo design, content management system (CMS) integration, and ongoing maintenance and support.
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The cost of hiring a top web designer in Burford can vary depending on factors such as the complexity of the project, the designer's level of experience and expertise, the scope of services required, and the timeline for completion. It's advisable to request quotes from multiple designers and compare them based on quality and value.
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The timeline for web design projects can vary depending on factors such as project complexity, client requirements, and the availability of resources. However, top web designers in Burford typically follow a structured process that includes initial consultation, design mockups, development, testing, and deployment, with timelines ranging from a few weeks to several months, depending on project scope.
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Yes, many top web designers in Burford offer ongoing support and maintenance services to ensure the continued functionality, security, and performance of the website after launch. These services may include software updates, security patches, troubleshooting, and content updates as needed.
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While web designers primarily focus on the visual and functional aspects of a website, many top designers in Burford collaborate with SEO specialists or agencies to ensure that the website is optimized for search engines. They may incorporate SEO best practices into the design and structure of the site, such as responsive design, fast loading times, and clean code, to improve its visibility and ranking in search results.
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The best web designers in Burford stand out due to their combination of exceptional design prowess, extensive experience, and a proven track record of delivering successful projects within budget and timeline constraints. They possess a keen eye for aesthetics, a deep understanding of user behavior, and a commitment to staying updated with the latest design trends and technologies.
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- May Electronics / Broadcast Collective
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BHP 406mm wide x1.016t capacity powered decoiler w...
This item was sold in one of our on-line Auctions / Sales. We may have similar items available in our forthcoming Auctions, or if you have equipment to sell please contact us for free valuations, advice etc - Tel: 01778 590111 / Email: firstname.lastname@example.com or please get in touch with us via our contact page
BHP 406mm wide x1.016t capacity powered decoiler with BHP 250x3.2mm loop feed straightener - lot located at: KingsCliffe, Cambridgeshire
Auction - April Collective Sale
Cincinnati Arrow 500 CNC VMC, 700x520mm table, 20 tool ATC, s/n 7042-COO-RE-0007
Jones & Shipman 1094 CNC grinder, 5" CH x 20" b.c., NUM control, Renishaw M15 machine interface, Marposs in process gauging, coolant / filtration, s/n BO13007 (rebuilt 2000)
Jones & Shipman 1096 CNC cylindrical grinder, 5" CH x 24" b.c., Allen Bradley 8200 Series CNC control, Marposs E5 gauging
Bronx 80/30-CNC/VDU CNC pressbrake, 80ton x 3000 x 3.0mm capacity, Bronx Dial a bend control, mkIII infrared curtain, s/n 100186
Machine Tools / Small Tooling
Asquith – Archdale Power Thrust 2PT 14-72 radial arm drill, 72" arm, 80x20" table, 40-2040rpm (1971)
Herke 1/4 mc drilling / tapping machine, 8x8" RF table, 315-950rpm
WMW SU200 cylindrical grinder, 200mm max diameter, 1160x200mm table, s/n 2913
Newall 'L' plan cyclindrical grinder with 16" dia wheel - Modified camshaft grinder with Mastercam including Ferrari, BRM, Autounion, Lotus, Maserati etc
Churchill planetary grinder, 80x16" table, belt drive
11x Zipper ZI-HB204 planer & thicknesser, 1250W, 240v, 204mm wide blade (boxed & unused)
Universal grinder with swivel head, internal, 6" CH x 30" b.c.,
Herbert drill grinder, 32mm cap. RJH Grython d/e grinder / drill grinder. 2x Wolf 8" d/e grinder. Aldell 150mm d/e grinder. Marwin 150mm d/e lapper. Samand 7" dia d/e lapper. Herbert powered 5" 3 jaw chuck on base
Herbert 9C/30 capstan lathe, 6 tool turret, 7-600rpm, Anilam Wizard Lathe Series DRO
XYZ 1500v turret mill, 1060x230mm table, powerfeed, 60-4200rpm
Reed Prentice 14" heavy duty lathe, 7" CH x 32" b.c., 22-536rpm with equipment
Startrite H250M horizontal bandsaw, 250mm clamp
Addison CB250A horizontal automatic bandsaw, 250mm cut, 200mm vice, 400mm wide conveyor
8x Zipper ZI-TKS250H table saw, 1.5kW, 240v, 250mm dia blade (boxed & unused)
Messma Kelch tool pre-setter with scope & equipment on Polstore cabinet base
Record No12 bench vice on table. 36x26x24" 'T' slotted CI box table. 32x29x27" CI angle plate
PEG RV550 bench type drill sharpener, 170mm dia wheel, 2800rpm
Qty small tooling inc: drills, taps, dies, end mills, slot drills, collets, vices, chucks, reamers, tool holders, side & face milling cutters, involute gear cutters, rotary tables, CI cubes, steadies, face plates, chucks, collets, mag chucks etc
Qty gear tooling inc: shaper cutters, serration cutters, gear hobs, change wheels, gear testers etc
Pressing / Sheet Metal / Welding / Deburring
Cincinnati Milacron G-75 mechanical press, inclinable, adjustable stoke, 35" slide adjustment, 900x500mm bed, s/n 17751
Muller EXP200REK eccentric mechanical press, 2000kN capacity, 20-140mm stroke adjustment, 900x600mm bed, mechanical guards
Benelli decoiler & straightener, manual / automatic modes, 500mm wide capacity with control panel (1995)
Schuler double arm powered decoiler, 400mm wide capacity with Schuler RM-EL-400 straightener
Atkin double arm powered decoiler, 300mm wide x 910kg capacity with Atkin type 44 straightener, 300mm x 1.6mm capacity
BHP double arm powered decoiler & straightener, 400mm wide capacity, 910kg SWL
Atkin powered decoiler with BHP 250mm x 4.8mm loop feed straightener
BHP powered decoiler, 406mm wide x 1.016 ton capacity with BHP 250mm x 3.2mm loop feed straightener
Dimeco 2350/BM powered decoiler, 350mm wide capacity (1989) with Dimeco straightener (1991)
Atkin type 16 powered decoiler, 0.75kW, 2000kg x 305mm capacity
Atkin type 16 powered decoiler, 0.75kW, 2250kg x 450mm capacity
Atkin MV500 powered decoiler, 200mm wide x 10CWT capacity. Rapid Air RX3A154E powered decoiler
Edwards Pearson 1250mm wide manual guillotine
Rentweld C/5524 oil cooled electric arc welder, 220-400A, 7.5kva.
Macfarlane Thrisk Autopointer, Bosch GGS27L electric deburrer tool
Laboratory / Inspection / NDT
IHE Esab Magnatox 167/1 crack detection unit in enclosure (overhaul 2012)
Lakeshore 1830x1220mm anti vibration table. Photon Control 3000x1220mm anti vibration table
1530x1530mm steel surface plate. Crown Windley grade A 900x600mm granite surface table
1200x1000mm CI surface table. 600x450mm & 600x600mm CI surface plates on stand.
Fel Electric D106 demagnetiser, s/n 1294. Avery 6402 hardness tester.
Johansson Cordimet 700 CMM, 800x500mm table, (last calibrated 03/12 to 03/13) (no controls)
Taylor Hobson Talyrond 3 roundness measuring machine, 800x550mm table (no controls)
Taylor Hobson Talyrond 200 spindle. OMT microscope wooden storage cupboard. 2x Dr Storage X2E-157 dehumidify cabinet
Qty inspection equipment inc: height gauges, micrometers, Vee blocks, slip gauges, surface testers, bore gauges, CI angle plates, CI cubes
7x Trumpf 2020 CNC punch loading pallets.
CAM Radstock A1MK3S cleaning tank, 1000x800mm working area
Turbex AC-13LD front loading parts washer, 850x850mm basket, s/n 4003986
2x Leybold Heareus SogeVac SV180 vacuum pump units, 7.5HP motor
Qty Atlas Copco AirNet 2810 compressed air piping system, 59mm ID, AirNet connectors etc
Moovin Cool 15SFE portable air cooler, 4.4kW cooling capacity (1998)
Gema Volstatic paint spray system with 6x praint spray guns & paint pot
Qty Dexion Speedlock, Link 51 etc heavy duty boltless racking, multishelf to 2700x900mm wide.
Qty pallet racking boards to fit 900mm & 1100mm wide. Qty 2700mm pallet racking cross beams.
Richard Simon automatic bagging machine, 25kg cap, Richard Simon Computapak II controller, s/n 20373
2x Silverson high speed dispersion mixers, 7.5kW with mounting frames, shared hydraulic raise / lower system.
Electro-Tech single bag dust extraction system.
BT Rolatruck electric reach truck, 1600kg capacity, 5.2-6.3m lift height, 2.7m mast height with charger
Hydrovane 23PU air compressor, s/n 17HV207863 with floor type air receiver.
2x container lids, 1450mm diameter. Exide 2100TP battery charger, 48v / 70A output
Flottmann-Werke SDA50A rotary packaged compressor, 7.5 bar, 37kW
UltraFilter UltraTroc SD0375 type 414 air dryer, 16 bar, 0.96kW (1998)
UltraFilter UltraTroc SD0126 type 409 air dryer, 16 bar, 0.40kW (1998)
Portastor mobile tool storage unit, 1400x900x1250mm
3x Polstore type 8 drawer storage cabinets. CAM Radstock floor type engine lift, 152kg SWL.
Qty Bosch, Makita, etc 110v / 240v drills, angle grinders, saws etc
Qty various size Hardigg etc green mobile flight storage cases.
2x Sealey LF145 gas fired space heaters, 26.6 – 43.5kW output
Qty steel round bars to 140mm dia x 3000mm long. Qty metal tote bins to 450x300x200mm
Autonumis JF-842 chilled display cabinet (2005). Mobile s/s chip serving tray, 490x440x150mm ID.
Profi Ice 330 ice maker with Purity 600 water filter. S/s freestanding sink, 1350x500x500mm
Electric double bay pizza oven & Lincat electric stainless steel hot plate, 600mm wide
Chatsworth-Milner Duplextra mk2 safe, 400x400x550mm ID
Office Furniture
Qty Office Perry, Paragon, Albion, Thonet, Senator, OrangeBox, Antocks Lairn, Arper etc upholstered swivel chairs, stackable chairs, meeting chairs etc (to 2008)
Qty Bene 1800x800mm maple office tables (2003)
Qty Wisner Hager etc 1000mm, 1200mm dia meeting tables with Qty Vitra Orange / grey plastic back chairs
Qty 1800x1000mm white top metal frame meeting tables with Qty Albion black upholstered / plastic back chairs
Qty Bisley, Silverline etc various size 2 door storage cupboards, single & twin sliding door storage cupboards etc


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To put on a live pyrotechnic show at a music festival, [Chris] built the FireHero 3. The result is remotely controlled flames shooting up to 100 feet in the air.
The system is controlled by a Raspberry Pi and an Arduino. A server runs on the Pi and allows a remote computer to control the system. The Pi sends commands over serial to the Arduino, which switches solid state relays that actuate the valves.
There's also some built in safety features: the system won't boot unless you have the right key and RFID tag, and there are pressure transducers and temperature sensors to ensure the system is operating safely. A CO2 actuated valve can quickly stop fuel flow in an emergency.
Vaporized propane creates the fireballs. The vapor is created by heating the supply tank in a hot water bath. An accumulation tank stores the vapor and custom built manifolds distribute it to the various flame cannons. At each cannon, a silicon nitride hot surface igniter (HSI) is used to ignite the flames once the valve is opened.
After the break, watch a video the the FireHero making some flames.


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This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. This afternoon, the Senate Intelligence Committee takes up the nomination of John Brennan to be the next director of the CIA, a hearing that will feature a festival of euphemisms. One man's targeted killing is another man's assassination.
In particular, questions are expected about how the U.S. justifies drone strikes in countries where we're not engaged in warfare, places like Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. Estimates of the numbers killed vary, but at least 1,000, an unknown number of them innocent, and at least four of them America citizens, which raises any number of questions about due process, judicial review and congressional oversight.
Drone strikes started during the Bush administration, accelerated under President Obama. No one has had a bigger role in choosing targets and recommending attacks than John Brennan, who served as the president's counterterrorism chief.
Proponents say they've reduced al-Qaida to a shadow of its former self and helped prevent terrorist attacks in the U.S. Critics argue it's neither legal nor moral and could create more terrorists than it kills. It also sets a precedent that other countries may follow.
For many these questions are not easy. How do you fight a transnational organization that plots to attack the United States from remote areas of failed states? Our phone number, 800-989-8255. Email us, email@example.com. You can also join the conversation on our website. That's at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION.
Later in the program, a penguin colony in Antarctica previously unknown to humans. But first we turn to the John Brennan hearing, and we begin here in Studio 3A with Julian Barnes, Wall Street Journal's Pentagon reporter. Thanks very much for coming back on the program with us.
JULIAN BARNES: Thanks for having me.
CONAN: And I have to begin, just this past weekend we saw the publication of the leak of a memo to NBC that published for the first time a justification for the death of an American, targeting an America.
BARNES: That's right. I mean, we have seen some of this before in speeches by Attorney General Eric Holder and John Brennan himself, outlined some of this in a speech as well. But there were some more, new details in this memo. It's not the real memo that senators wanted; that's the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel memo that they're going to be shown in secret this week.
But this memo did provide some new details of how the administration sees or defines an imminent threat and who they can target.
CONAN: Including American citizens, and imminent threat, well, imminent seemed to be an elastic term in this memo.
BARNES: That's right. Critics said this is exactly what they feared, that imminent threat didn't mean a ticking time bomb, it just meant somebody who was opposed to the United States, had actively plotted in the past, and that there was no evidence that they had given up that plotting. That certainly applied to Anwar al-Awlaki, who they - was the main target of the September 2011 strike.
But critics say that, you know, that could apply to a whole host of people and not just folks who are having a plot against the homeland in a matter of hours, days or weeks.
CONAN: And who, according to this memo, gets to make the decision that Mr. Awlaki or anybody else is on the kill list?
BARNES: Well, you know, we need to know more about exactly how this - who is making the decisions. Clearly the counterterrorism advisor has a big hand in it. The president has a big role in it. But, you know, we don't know still who's presenting the evidence for and against a strike. And they've - John Brennan, Eric Holder have said there is due process in this, in weighing a drone strike, but we don't know exactly what that due process is.
CONAN: And due process is something that we consider something of a judicial function.
BARNES: That's right. I mean, we don't - traditionally when you say due process, you think of a court review. In this case they've said executive due process is good enough to allow a drone strike to come forward.
CONAN: And executive due process - Congress, this memo says, also has no role here.
BARNES: That's right. And, you know, the Intelligence Committee has been briefed on some of these strikes, but they're certainly not briefed before they happen. There's a lot of critics throughout Congress who want to see more oversight and more made public about this drone campaign.
CONAN: Well, there was a letter signed by, I think, 11 senators, including some members of the Intelligence Committee, saying we need to know more, the American public needs to know more, and this after what, well, four years under President Obama and a couple of years before that under President Bush.
BARNES: That's right. I mean this is a really important part of American national security policy. It's been a very important weapon in the war on terror. It's an open secret, everyone knows about it. Officials will talk privately about it. But unlike military operations, because many of these strikes are CIA strikes, we just don't know very much about how targets are selected, how the campaign is conducted.
Even afterwards we get only a few details, if that.
CONAN: And there are independent organizations that go back and say from what we can figure out, it looks like, yes, this strike got six militants and may have gotten two noncombatants. Nobody knows.
BARNES: That's right, and you know, privately U.S. officials sometimes push back very hard against the outside groups' accounting, saying, you know, there weren't any civilians hurt in this strike. But, you know, it is very hard to tell objectively, you know, what the results are.
I mean, these are - tend to happen in remote places of Yemen, in remote places of Pakistan. It's very hard to get good, strong, independent information. And that's why they're so controversial overseas.
CONAN: And that is the other point that a lot of people make, that they're counterproductive, that in fact when you are killing people who are not combatants, you're creating more terrorists than you're killing.
BARNES: That's right, and you know, within the Obama administration over the last year or so, there's been increasing voices to say we need to move more of these drone strikes from the CIA to the military.
CONAN: Now, just to clarify, as I understand it, inside the borders of Afghanistan, these strikes are conducted, such as they are, by the military. If it's across the border into Pakistan, well, that's the CIA's territory.
BARNES: That's exactly right, and in Yemen it's a dual program. Some strikes are done by the military, some strikes by the CIA.
CONAN: And the military strikes would have been launched from our base in Djibouti, perhaps, and we just found out this week about a secret base in Saudi Arabia that - where the CIA may be operating.
BARNES: That's right, and so we've - that has been a kind of open secret about the Saudi base, but until recently U.S. officials have been pushing back very hard on revealing that, in that any U.S. military presence or U.S. national security presence is controversial within Saudi Arabia.
CONAN: Within Saudi Arabia. And as you look at these questions, there is also the question of precedent. The United States is not the only country that uses drones, and it is the first to use them on this scale.
BARNES: That's right. I mean within the legal community, there's a lot of worry that the U.S., by its actions, is creating rules of the road, and it's creating rules of the road that might not be so restrictive, so that China may start using drone strikes, say, against internal dissidents, say the Uyghurs.
Now, they haven't done that, but they could in the future, and that's why laying out what constrains the use of this power is so important, people say.
CONAN: And what does international law say? The reviews, such as they have been, by the United Nations special rapporteurs and others have been, well, highly critical.
BARNES: They have been very critical, and the U.S. has - that has prompted more disclosure. I mean Brennan has given several speeches; Jay Johnson, the former defense general counsel has given speeches; Eric Holder - trying to say, look, there are constraints to how the U.S. does this. But yet none of those speeches has been completely forthright, none of those speeches have given us a real for example, this is how we weighed the pros and cons, this is how we were sure we weren't going to hit civilian casualties, this is what the check on executive power is.
CONAN: We're talking with Julian Barnes, a Pentagon reporter for the Wall Street Journal. In just a couple of minutes we're also going to be talking with Steve Vladeck, a law professor at American University. We want to hear from you as well. How do you conduct a conflict against an organization that operates in remote areas of failed states? Well, the rules of war are being determined even as we speak.
We're also going to read from some editorials on the subject, and this one is by - excuse me, this one by Ned Resnikoff at MSNBC.com reminds us that we should not focus just on drone strikes. Drones are not the only tool available for carrying out extrajudicial killings, he writes. For example, the al-Majalah strike in Yemen, which Amnesty International claims killed 41 civilians, including 21 children, was conducted with Tomahawk cruise missiles and cluster bombs, not drones.
And as Adam Serwer writes in Mother Jones, the DoJ white paper's legal justifications apply to any method of targeted killing, meaning that government officials could theoretically send assassins to hunt down suspected terrorists.
That's not to say that the drone's capacity for remote targeting does not lead us into unexplored ethical territory. Similarly, he continues, an argument about the ethics of killing American citizens can only be viewed as a distraction. The vast majority of those killed by extrajudicial government policies are Pakistani or Yemeni, not American. The disproportionate attention paid to American deaths makes sense only if killing Americans is particularly immoral or illegal.
What makes the targeted killing program so repellent is not the technology being used or the nationality of the dead; it's the fact that the American executive branch is signing death warrants with impunity, based on an opaque bureaucratic procedure which has little to do with anything we'd recognize as due process. That again from Ned Resnikoff in MSNBC.com.
This is an argument on the other side from the - Saikrishna Prakash in the New York Times Room for Debate: One problem with this view is that American soldiers have targeted Americans before. The best example is the bloodiest war in U.S. history, the Civil War.
Under the North's theory of the conflict, soldiers of the Confederacy were Americans. Nonetheless, thousands of American boys from Dixie were killed by Union forces with no thought that these killings inevitably violated the Fourth or Fifth Amendments. It's a simple point that Americans who join the enemy are not immune from attack merely because they are American.
Another problem with the critics is they envision not just the legalization of warfare but its complete judicialization. I very much doubt we will ever get to the point where judges review targeting decisions. Judges used to deliberation are incapable of second-guessing the real-time and often hasty decisions that military commanders must inevitably make.
Well, we want to hear from you as well, 800-989-8255. Email us, email@example.com. Stay with us. We'll be back after a short break. I'm Neal Conan. It's the TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News.
CONAN: This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. This hour, members of the Senate Intelligence Committee are gathering in Room 216 of the Hart Building on Capitol Hill to question John Brennan, the president's nominee to direct the Central Intelligence Agency. Almost certainly he'll be asked to address U.S. policies on targeting suspects with drone strikes.
Brennan has responded in writing to a set of questions from the Intelligence Committee ahead of the hearing. On the subject of how suspects are selected, he replied it's, quote, a case-by-case basis through a coordinated interagency process and defended drone strikes as a more humane way to conduct war.
Of course humane and war are tough words to reconcile. So what's the best way to fight an organization like al-Qaeda? Our phone number is 800-989-8255. Email email@example.com. You can also join the conversation on our website. That's at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION.
Our guest, Julian Barnes, Pentagon reporter, Wall Street Journal. Also here with us in Studio 3A is Steve Vladeck, a law professor and associate dean for scholarship at American University's Washington College of Law. Thanks very much for being with us.
STEVE VLADECK: Thanks for having me, Neal.
CONAN: And what authority do we learn from this memo? Where does the president get the power to conduct these strikes?
VLADECK: Well, the memo sets out arguments that, as Julian suggested, we've heard before from Attorney General Holder, from John Brennan himself. And the basic argument is that when Congress authorized the use of military force shortly after September 11, Congress authorized the use of military force against groups like al-Qaeda, al-Qaeda and those other organizations responsible for 9/11, affiliates of those organizations. And so in the process...
CONAN: Wherever they may be.
VLADECK: Well, there's - in the AUMF, there's no geographic constraint whatsoever. So of course one of the questions is does it apply here in the United States. And, you know, the government's position has been that the AUMF triggered the international laws of war, and it triggered the government's ability to use the laws of war against those whom we are fighting.
CONAN: AUMF, Authorization for the Use of Military Force.
VLADECK: That's right, the September 2001 statute. And so the government's position is that the AUMF, the statute from 2001, authorizes the government to use military force against anyone who is a member of al-Qaeda or who is substantially supporting al-Qaeda wherever they are found.
That was the theory under which we detained noncitizens at Guantanamo, and it's the theory behind the drone strikes, as well.
CONAN: And how does the rationale change when there are American citizens involved?
VLADECK: Well, that's the really hard questions. So we'd only had two cases where U.S. citizens were detained since September 11, Yaser Hamdi and Jose Padilla. And both of those cases basically went away. The real change in the rationale is the relevance of the Due Process Clause. The Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment guarantees every American the right not to be deprived ofr life, liberty or property without due process.
So as Julian already alluded to, the million-dollar question is: What process is due to an American citizen who takes up arms with al-Qaeda against the United States? The government doesn't say that it's nothing; the government just says it's process wholly within the executive branch without further judicial or legislative scrutiny.
CONAN: Interagency process, that presumably means you've got people there from different departments but all from the executive departments, they all work for the same guy, the president.
VLADECK: That's right, Neal, and you said presumably, right. We actually don't know. So I think part of what's frustrating about the white paper that came out this week is that it really contains virtually no description of how individuals are selected for these operations, of whether anyone in the room is arguing for alternatives, of just how thoroughly we are considering whether...
CONAN: Is anybody effectively assigned as the defense attorney?
VLADECK: That's right, and whether - and also, I mean, another key part here is the memo talks about the inability to capture or otherwise incapacitate this individual through other means. But who's actually making that case? Who's actually saying yes, we don't actually have the capability of capturing this guy, of arresting him, of having the local authorities in the country where he's found take care of it.
That's the real question, and there's nothing, really, in the white paper that illuminates that.
CONAN: Let's see if we can get some callers in on the conversation. We'll start with L.T.(ph), L.T. with us from Zachary in Louisiana.
L.T.: Afternoon, how are you all?
CONAN: Good, thanks.
L.T.: Listen, my first reaction was does this actually allow for a foreign country to assassinate its own citizens on U.S. soil if those citizens are found to be, by their own government, enemies of the state? I mean, it really just - I mean, I understand the due process argument and concern, but, I mean, the international law question is really kind of more intriguing for me that we can have, we can have foreign assassins on our soil, apparently, and U.S. law would recognize their right to do that?
CONAN: Well, I'm - let me ask the lawyer here. We've had instances where agents of the old Libyan government were hunting down stray dogs, as they would have called them, certainly Cuba might be interested in some anti-Cuban activists, Croatia, long history.
VLADECK: So I think there are two important constraints on the ability of another country, China, whomever, to engage in such an operation. The first is unlike what's true, we think, in the case of Awlaki and these other targets, we actually are in a position to arrest people inside the United States. And so if a foreign government files a proper extradition request with the United States, we're going to actually support that request. We are going to assist them in incapacitating this person through less restrictive means.
CONAN: And give them due process along the way.
VLADECK: And give them due process. I mean, we can quibble about how much due process you get in an extradition hearing, but it's certainly more than we hear in the targeted killing context.
Second, and I think this is a really important point, it's not just the U.S. position that we're in a non-international armed conflict with al-Qaeda. It's actually - you know, there's fairly deep consensus that that's true at least in some spots of the world, that we are in this non-international armed conflict.
It's not the case that China, for example, is in a non-international armed conflict with the Uyghurs as Julian alluded to before. You know, and so I think you need both of those things to be true. You need there to be an actual armed conflict between the state and the dissident group, and you also need it to be the case that the country in which the person is found is not in a position to arrest that individual.
And I think that's - those are two important constraints. They may not be sufficient.
CONAN: Julian Barnes?
BARNES: The other thing that is important for - to note, an administration official would say the other thing to remember is that the drone strikes are, in the case of Yemen and in Pakistan, there is at least nominal consent by the government of those countries for the U.S. to do those operations.
CONAN: Well, that's - nominal consent, Pakistan has said this is a violation of our sovereignty, you should stop it, and wink, wink, nod, nod.
BARNES: Right, exactly, and so the U.S. is relying on that wink and that nod. There's, you know, the U.S. notifies, the CIA sends a fax to the ISI when - before a strike.
CONAN: Interservices Intelligence Agency, yes.
VLADECK: But, you know, Julian mentioned before the underlying memo by the Office of Legal Counsel that is still not public, that is apparently finally being disclosed to members of the intelligence committees. There's a fairly broadly accepted theory that the reason why that memo has not been published is not because of any of the legal analysis but is because it has details about exactly what we have agreed to with Yemen and exactly what the Yemeni government will and will not support unofficially because it would be very problematic if all of a sudden officially they were accepting.
CONAN: If it was WikiLeaked, yeah.
VLADECK: Exactly.
CONAN: Thanks very much for the call, L.T. I'm not sure that's an answer, but thank you. This is an excerpt from an editorial by Mary Ellen O'Connell that was published in the New York Times today. She's a professor of law at the University of Notre Dame.
The paper's sweeping claims of executive power are audacious, she concludes. And then at the end, she writes: Putting aside the question whether targeted killings are even effective, the law must take precedence. Outside of armed conflict zones, the killing of innocent bystanders cannot be tolerated. The Justice Department has concocted an elastic definition of necessity, attempting to justify force in the absence of an immediate lethal threat, without citing any treaty or decision by an international court.
Secret law, she writes, is an oxymoron. The rule of law is the basis of our democracy, the foundation of international relations. Facts like operational details may properly be kept confidential but not the law itself.
And, well, some people who say, Steve Vladeck, that she's got a point.
VLADECK: I think she definitely has a point. But I think the tricky question is just how far can the government be expected to go in revealing the details of the analysis. It's one thing for the government to say that in these general circumstances and under these general conditions we believe we have the power to launch a drone strike even against a U.S. citizen. It's something else entirely to say in the case of Awlaki, for example, here were the 13 facts, you know, all of which are classified, here were the five conversations we had with Yemeni security officials, all of which are classified.
VLADECK: And so I think that's the trap the government has been placed in, which is on the one hand it really wants to have a public conversation about the legal authority because it believes it has the authority. On the other hand, it really feels like it cannot disclose any of the operational details.
VLADECK: And so what we're left with, Neal, is we're left with a white paper that is so vague that if anything it only fuels conspiracy theories that this is actually not a nuanced, very carefully applied set of arguments.
CONAN: Here's an email from Jerry(ph): Even if the senators on the Defense - he means Intelligence - Committee see details, how are citizens to know whether we are comfortable with the decisions being made? Without knowing, how can we do a good job holding leaders accountable at election time? Are we expected to vote for senators, congresspeople and the president without being able to know what they are really approving?
It's all very undemocratic to just say trust them. The reason we vote is because we want to have a say in policy-making, but our officials will not tell us what defense policy really is in many cases. And, Julian Barnes, one of the odd parts of this is that the president is - among his defenders, most Republicans, who are often amongst his critics on this. And Democrats have been unwilling to be too critical of their president.
BARNES: Right. And it's only - you know, it's the threat of a filibuster from a Democrat that led to the shift on the Justice Department memo to allow at least some senators to view that. And this administration has been criticized from human rights groups, from some in the legal community. But they haven't had a broad, political attack on the drone program because Republicans support it. And Democrats who are skeptical have not wanted to undermine the president.
Now, that so, the push by outside groups has led to some - to these speeches, and to some more material being released. And we'll have to see if more comes out in the weeks and months to come.
CONAN: Let's go to Matthew, Matthew with us from Murray, Kentucky.
MATTHEW: Yes. Thank you for taking my call.
CONAN: Go ahead, please.
MATTHEW: One of the things that has sort of bothered me about the program is that the lack of human asset on the ground really, I think, decreases the ability of folks to respond in real-time to the presence of civilians. I understand that these operations take place in areas that are outside of the reach, very frequently, of governmental entities. But at the same time, having someone on the ground might improve our ability to limit or remove a possibility of civilian casualty...
CONAN: To be able to put eyes on a building to say, yes, we know that three women and five children went into that building yesterday, and they have not come out, that sort of thing. But, Julian Barnes, these opportunities are often fleeting.
BARNES: Right. And these are places that it's politically not possible. It may not be safe enough to put CIA agents or the military on the ground. And so, you know, you mentioned earlier some of these tomahawk or cruise missile strikes that have taken out large numbers of people. You know, supporters of the drone strikes will say, like, because these are armed platforms that have both cameras and armaments on them, you know, we are able to see what we're striking in real-time. And that has reduced civilian casualties. Critics say just because you can listen and see doesn't mean you really know who's on the ground.
CONAN: Tomahawks typically have a 2,000-pound warhead, also. Hellfire missiles are much smaller, and 500-pound bombs are about as big as those drones can carry.
BARNES: That's right, and they can put much smaller bombs on them, as well.
CONAN: All right. Matthew, though, thank you very much for the call. Appreciate it.
MATTHEW: Thank you.
CONAN: We're talking with Julian Barnes, the Pentagon reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Also with us, Steve Vladeck, law professor at American University's Washington College of Law. Drones and the Brennan confirmation hearings. You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR News.
And, Julian, back to these targeted killings in just a moment, but there will be other subjects to come up at Mr. Brennan's confirmation hearings, among them his - he was a longtime Central Intelligence Agency officer, and in the Bush administration, participated in some meetings where - again, we're back to euphemisms - enhanced interrogation, i.e. waterboarding, or some would have it torture, was condoned.
BARNES: That's right. That's what derailed John Brennan as the nominee to head the CIA during Mr. Obama's first term, questions about whether he didn't speak up against this enough. He says that he personally opposed it, and wasn't directly involved. But senators have said that they want to get more answers from him on exactly what his involvement was during the Bush administration for the approval and use of these, as you said, waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques.
CONAN: And there will be some Republicans certainly who haven't gotten some answers from Secretary Panetta today on Benghazi, will be asking Mr. Brennan what the White House knew about what was going on there.
BARNES: That's right. Benghazi has not gone away. We saw some pretty serious questioning of General Martin Dempsey and Mr. Panetta this morning. And John Brennan was as - was at least involved on the edges of this, and so we're going to see some questions about that. Now, we don't expect him to illuminate a lot about Benghazi that we haven't already heard from Morrell, the acting director of the CIA, or Hillary Clinton. But it's likely to come up.
CONAN: All right. Let's see if we can go to Nikki, and Nikki on the line with us from Nashville.
NIKKI: Hi. How are you guys?
CONAN: Good. Thanks.
NIKKI: I know that drones have held a lot of controversy over the past couple of years, about taking the human element out of war. It reduces casualties, some people say. But, at the same time, it puts less people on the ground to work, you know, work with local communities, tribes that may not have access to, you know, big cities and stuff, where maybe the Taliban or al-Qaida or any places like that they're hiding, you know. It's difficult to fight a transnational organization simply because there's so many people.
And I would like to see the international community focus more on pumping money into, you know, weaponry and the military and more on diplomacy and economic sanctions in those areas. I think that's one of the best ways we can get communities on our side to not endorse the Taliban or al-Qaida, or to not turn to extreme measures to gain their livelihood back. Because a lot of these people are very deprived and...
CONAN: And I don't mean to cut you off, Nikki, but we're running out of time. Steve Vladeck, I think probably a good case could be made that what Nikki's definition would fit Yemen, a place that is impoverished, a huge population, youth population, and where al-Qaida is active.
VLADECK: And I think that's a very question for this administration - and, really, for the administration that comes after it - about just what position we're going to take, vis-a-vis, Yemen, how much resources we're going to invest in Yemen from an infrastructure perspective, from a support perspective. You know, part of the problem that led to the Awlaki attack is that we really don't have a sufficiently strong relationship with the Yemeni government, where we can say we have this guy. We need you to help us get him.
CONAN: Nor does the Yemeni government have a sufficiently strong infrastructure to control much outside of the capital city.
VLADECK: Well, that's exactly the problem, is that in Sana'a, there's actually a decent amount of control, but not in the north and not where - not in the parts of Yemen where these strikes were taking place. You know, I mean, not to sort of tie two things together, but, Neal, this is also a part of why it's been so hard for the administration to close Guantanamo. There are some 35 Yemeni detainees there who have been cleared for release and who can't be sent back because we just don't have a full handle on and don't trust the situation on the ground there. So I think that's going to be a huge foreign policy priority and problem for this administration, and for several to come.
CONAN: Nikki, thanks very much. We'll let a couple of emailers get the last word. From Richard: I would argue that a U.S. citizen who joins with an organization against the U.S. has effectively renounced their citizenship, no longer protected by the Constitution. Who gets to decide that?
And Roger emails: I'm an anti-war activist back in the '60s, but I do not object to a police force using deadly fire if necessary against armed criminals with intent to kill.
So, anyway, gentlemen, thank you very much for your time today. We appreciate it. Julian Barnes of The Wall Street Journal, and Steve Vladeck of the American University's Washington College of Law. Penguins coming up next. It's the TALK OF THE NATION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.