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Shumlin touts Vermont's improving transparency
MONTPELIER -- Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin said Wednesday he didn't get many top grades in school, so he was glad to receive an A from a national group grading states on government transparency.
Shumlin, a Democrat, then had to correct himself, learning during his news conference that Vermont actually had received an A-minus from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group for online reporting of its financial data. That was up from an F in 2010, the year before Shumlin took office. Vermont tied seven other states for the best grade; none got an A.
Shumlin praised the work of the state Agency of Administration and Department of Finance and Management in making the improvements.
"We've made great strides over the past few years to increase transparency and I'm thankful for their efforts," the governor said.
But Shumlin also made clear that he believes transparency has its limits. He said he would not release a full weekly schedule of his activities, including whom he has met with during his travels as chairman of the Democratic Governors' Association. His office makes public a weekly schedule that lists public events in Vermont and broad information about what city he's traveling to and for how long during his out-of-state travels.
And Shumlin defended his administration's recent denial of a lawmaker's public records request for documents connected with the development of Green Mountain Care, the universal, publicly funded health care system expected to launch in 2017. A 2011 law setting a path to universal health care called for the administration to release a proposed financing plan by January of 2013. Fifteen months later, it has yet to do so.
Shumlin said he would not make public any documents related to development of the financing plan until a completed proposal is ready for public release.
"It's hard to be transparent about things that you're not ready to do because you haven't figured it out," he said.
The U.S. PIRG report praised Vermont for development of the website www.spotlight.vermont.gov . The site contains budget documents, information on state contracts and grants and a range of other financial data.
Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Service Interest Research Group, praised the state for its efforts.
"Governor Shumlin and his team have made a real commitment to improving public access to information about government spending," he said.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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Fraley: Lance Berkman eats his words, admits he was wrong by calling Rangers 'an average team'
Editor's note, this story originally ran Oct. 18, 2011
ST. LOUIS — Lance Berkman would like to make an announcement in advance of the public flogging.
He could not have been more wrong about the Rangers and their chances of returning to the World Series.
"Turns out I didn't know what I was talking about," Berkman said late Sunday night as the St. Louis Cardinals toasted their third National League pennant in the last eight years.
Berkman and the Rangers will come together Wednesday night in the Series opener at sea-of-red Busch Stadium. Berkman will be in right field and batting in the middle of the Cardinals' lineup. He will be a lightning-rod figure.
The Rangers were among several clubs that pursued Berkman, a free agent, last winter. After signing a one-year deal with St. Louis, Berkman dismissed the Rangers while explaining his decision to a Houston radio station.
Berkman said the Rangers would turn into "an average team," without left-hander Cliff Lee, who jumped to Philadelphia. Berkman added he considered the Rangers' run to the World Series last season "one of those special years when you kind of catch lightning in a bottle, and they got hot."
To Berkman's credit, he did not hide behind the traditional dodge of claiming he was misquoted.
"I don't mind eating crow," said Berkman, a five-time All-Star during 12 seasons with Houston. "I was definitely wrong. I was asked an opinion, and I offered one that was not correct. Sometimes, it can come back to bite you."
Berkman spurned the Rangers twice in less than a year.
When right fielder Nelson Cruz came up lame in late August because of a strained hamstring, the Rangers looked at Berkman as a possible late replacement. The Cardinals were done, or at least that's what the baseball universe thought.
Berkman told the Cardinals that if they dealt him, he would not return as a free agent after the season.
He went through the "rental player" experience in 2010, when Houston sent him to the New York Yankees, and disliked it.
Berkman also believed the Cardinals had a shot at the playoffs even though they were 101/2 games behind Atlanta in the wild-card race with 32 games to play.
"That's no disrespect to the Rangers," Berkman said. "That's the one team I would have agreed to [have] been traded to, but it didn't work out. This is where I wanted to be. I'm glad it worked out."
At age 35, Berkman revived his career this season.
The Cardinals made what seemed like an odd move by asking Berkman to play the outfield on a regular basis for the first time since 2004. To handle the demands, Berkman improved his conditioning, and that brought the life back to his bat.
He hit .301 with 31 homers and 94 RBIs during the regular season. When opponents pitched around Albert Pujols, they created chances for cleanup hitter Matt Holliday and Berkman. The Cardinals led the NL in runs during the regular season with 4.7 per game.
"That's the strength of our team: the depth of the lineup," Berkman said. "The Rangers have the one lineup in baseball that compares to ours."
One item about Berkman has not changed. A switch-hitter, he continues to be more effective from the left side of the plate. He had a .571 slugging percentage against right-handers and a .455 slugging percentage against left-handers this season.
That split could cause problems. As Berkman ruefully noted, the Rangers will start three left-handers: C.J. Wilson, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison.
"They have three lefties that are as good as there are in terms of stuff," Berkman said. "And their bullpen is air-tight.
"I wish we didn't have to play them. They have a great team."
The Rangers could have been Berkman's team, but he was not left out in the cold. Berkman was wrong on the Rangers, but he was right on the Cardinals.
Age: 35
Ht./Wt.: 6-1, 229
Bats/Throws: S/L
Born: Waco
High School: New Braunfels Canyon
College: Rice
Home: Houston
Notable: Six-time All-Star. … 358 career home runs ranks 76th all-time. … Named 2011 NL Comeback Player of the Year. …. Tied for first in RBIs in NL with 128 in 2002. … Career .296 hitter with 1,822 base hits. … Nickname is 'The Big Puma.'

subset: commoncrawl


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eagerly praying to see a Lin 2 JR alleyoop tonight that brings the house down!!!
check out the Birdman at 1:24 with no tats all lanky LOL!!!
desde la cuna del chango
big game from Melo tonight, not big scoring but very efficient and within the flow
^ Im sure he'll have a better game then Atari
Nice sig by the way
Atari's one of my favorites...those systems are mad old, collecting all kinds of dust and not workin right. Thats what Safari reminds me of
Nahhhh i dont think Safari's gonna work. If Amare was an animal in the safari, what type of animal would he be?
The answer is whatever Lion's eat
Amerie is good too, STATue, Amarknee, Stouderetire, etc.
Ill work on some new ones but i cant forget about negative Stats
Cant forget Quiggles name, the Renaissance man
Baron Davis makes his Knick debut tonight!
and be prepared for alot of JR Smith; Shumperts out with a sore left knee, says after yesterdays game "he couldnt touch it"
I cant wait to see the Baron...
The Knicks are about to Burn the Nets like AJ
They have no honor, just there for the payday
Another sick game thread by Crazy8's
Will we finally see the Baron tonight?????????
Look about 3 posts up
I'd kill for one of these today, I miss this man, hopefully he comes back one day
So many players are getting injured this season. It is nuts. The league really should have thought twice before making this hyper schedule.


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Alec Mulcahy drove in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Bristol-Plymouth a non-league league win over Westport.
Alec Mulcahy drove in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Bristol-Plymouth a non-league league win over Westport.
Pitcher Nick Smith picked up the win in relief of Matt Cassese, who went seven innings and struck out eight.
Ben Kafalis had two hits and one RBI.
The Craftsmen play Southeastern next.
Taunton 2
Stoughton 1
Senior captain Matt Nunes knocked in the eventual game-winning run and also recorded the victory on the mound as the Taunton High baseball team edged Stoughton, 2-1, in a Hockomock League game on Monday afternoon.
The Tigers scored a pair of first-inning runs and Nunes made it hold up with a little help. The right-hander went 6 1/3 innings, surrendering one run and five hits, while striking out nine batters and walking one. Senior captain Connor Johnson got the final two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to register the save.
Taunton scored both of its runs in the top of the first inning. Junior captain Brad Alconada walked and then stole second base. He came home following an error on the Black Knight catcher to make it 1-0. Nunes later chased home senior captain Matt MacLean with the second run on a single. Earlier in the inning, MacLean had walked.
Stoughton scored in the bottom of the fifth to draw within one at 2-1, but Nunes and Johnson combined to hold off the Black Knights from there.
Taunton, 2-2 overall and 2-1 in the league, will host North Attleboro on Wednesday.
Dighton-Rehoboth 25
Wareham 2
The Falcons defeated the host Vikings in a South Coast Conference game halted after five innings because of the mercy rule. Andrew Harris and Ryan Murphy each had three hits, while Trevor Brown got the win on the mound. Dighton-Rehoboth, 2-0 overall and in the SCC, will host Old Rochester in a conference game on Wednesday afternoon.
Medfield 3
Norton 2
The Warriors scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth and held off the Lancers for the TVL win in Medfield. Norton took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Anthony Hallgren led off with a double and was later brought home on a fielder's choice grounder by Russell Boudreau. Brad Wry brought home the second run with a single. Brian DiOrio started and pitched well for Norton, going the first 5 1/3 innings and allowing two earned runs. Medfield scored once in the second to cut the Lancer lead to 2-1 and then scored twice in the sixth. Norton had runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh. The game ended when Mike Travers hit a line drive to left field that was caught. The Lancers, 1-1 overall and in the TVL, will host Dover-Sherborn in a league game on Wednesday.
Dighton-Rehoboth 10
Wareham 0
Kelly Madigan tossed a complete-game, three-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts and just two walks as the Falcons knocked off the Vikings in a South Coast Conference game in North Dighton. Nicole Lundstrom went 2-for-3 with a single, two-run home run, walk and three runs scored. Kelsey Wood was 2-for-2 with two singles and two RBI, while Catie Noons was 2-for-4 with a single, double and one RBI. The Falcons, 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the SCC, will travel to Old Rochester for a conference game on Wednesday afternoon.
Taunton 12
Stoughton 1
The battery of Jesse Aleixo and Alicia Pavadore starred as the Tigers knocked off the Black Knights in a Hockomock League game. Aleixo improved her record to 3-1 by going the first four innings on the mound for Taunton, allowing no runs and one hit, while striking out six and walking none. Kelsey Kistner pitched the last three and allowed one run and six hits. She struck out four batters and walked one.
Pavadore, the team's catcher, went 3-for-3 with a double and one RBI. Meagan Navarro was 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBI, while Jordan Wade was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Taunton, 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the league, will travel to North Attleboro for a league game on Wednesday.
Coyle-Cassidy 15
Brockton 1
Kelsey Boarman pitched a complete-game five-hitter with seven strikeouts as the Warriors (2-0) remained undefeated with the non-league win in Brockton. Brittany Perdigao, Korie McDonald and Brooke Gubala each had three hits for Coyle-Cassidy, who will host Martha's Vineyard in an Eastern Athletic Conference game on Wednesday afternoon.
Taunton 5
Stoughton 0
The Tigers improved to 3-1 with the Hockomock League victory in Stoughton. Matt Beaulieu won his match at first singles, 6-1, 6-1, while Pat McAndrews won at second singles, 4-6, 6-1 and 6-4. Luke Beaulieu captured his match at third singles, 6-0, 6-0. Taunton won both doubles matches with Bob Ambrose and Jon Garcia winning at first doubles, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, and the duo of Sam Tully and Marshall Tate winning at second doubles, 6-0, 6-1. The Tigers will host North Attleboro in a league match on Wednesday.
Medfield 4
Norton 0
Matt Sugar won four games at first singles and Brandon Jenkins won four games at third singles as the Lancers dropped a Tri-Valley League match to the Warriors at home.
Medfield 5
Norton 0
The Lancers dropped to 1-2 on the season with a Tri-Valley League loss to the Warriors in Medfield.
Bridgewater-Raynham 96
Durfee 40
Bridgewater-Raynham 83
Martha's Vineyard 53
The Trojans began the season 2-0 with wins over Durfee (96-40) and Martha's Vineyard (83-53). Mark Hamalian won three events on the day for Bridgewater-Raynham, the triple jump, the high jump and the 110 hurdles. Also getting wins for the Trojans were Tom Yung (long jump), Joey MacInnis (discus), Brendan Sullivan (400 hurdles), Lukas Hanson (400), Matt Petty (200) and Ed Hall (two mile). The team also captured the 4x100 relay (Kyle Frisco, Tim Mabry, Rashad Bell and Ryan Martin) and the 4x400 relay (Tomas Prgomet, Abu Ceesay, Lukas Hanson and Matt Petty).
Hopkinton 74
Norton 62
The Lancers (1-1) fell to the perennial Tri-Valley League powers in the Hillers in Hopkinton. Kevin O'Leary captured the javelin at 172 feet and was second in the 100 in 11.4 seconds. Stephen Hudson won the shot put at 44-2.5 and was second in the discus at 106 feet. Danny Lenihan won the 400 in 52.6 seconds and anchored the victorious 4x400 relay team (3:37.2). Norton will host Millis in a TVL meet today at 3:30 p.m.
Dighton-Rehoboth 70
Apponequet 56
Samantha Rodriguez was part of three winning events as the Falcons knocked off the Lakers in a South Coast Conference meet. She won the long jump (16-9.5), 200 (27.8 seconds) and was a member of the victorious 4x100 relay team (56.7 seconds). Jordan Reed also won both the shot put (31-4) and the discus (78-8) for Dighton-Rehoboth. The Falcons (2-0) will travel to archrival Seekonk for a conference meet on Thursday.
Hopkinton 93
Norton 43
The Lancers (1-2) fell to the Hillers during a TVL dual meet in Hopkinton. Kassidy Campbell won the 400 hurdles in 72.7 seconds, while placing second in both the 100 hurdles (17.3 seconds) and the long jump (13-6.5). Amy Pereira finished second in both the 100 meters (12.6 seconds) and the shot put (30-10.5). Norton will host Millis in a league dual meet today at 3:30 p.m.
— Correspondent Kevin LaBounty


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TROY, Mich. - The principal of Troy's Hamilton Elementary School was closing in on the finish line at the Boston Marathon when the explosions happened on Monday.
Dr. Pamela Mathers said she was about 1/2 mile from completing the race and did not know what was going on. However, she quickly learned how horrible the scene was.
"It's really hard to describe 20 million emotions going on in my mind, you know," Mathers said. " First, thanking my lucky stars that my friends and I are OK. I'm kind of glad that the hills slowed me down."
Because Mathers did not finish the marathon, her children will have a special finish line for her to cross when she gets home to Michgian.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Username: hermione_granger4life
Name: Emma
Age: 21
Graphics program of choice: I'm a GIMPer (:
How long you have been designing: Since around 2006. Seriously? Maybe two years. It's kicked in recently more though.
Specialties: I like simple things. I love taking pictures from a photoshoot where they look somewhat similar and rearranging them and placing them together. I also really LOVE colorization.
Favourite FanFic Category: Dark angsty romance!
OTP: Draco/OC and Dramione (:
Form it up:
TOP NEW AS OF: 5 SEPTEMBERTitle of your Story:
Author Name: (If you'd like it on the banner)
Catch phrase: (Only if you'd like one, of course)
Overall look of the banner: (i.e. colors, images)
Fonts: (i.e. specific name of font or a general idea)
Characters: (Specific Characters in the banner? If so, would you like movie characters or images of your choosing or my choosing)
Story Summary: (So we can get a feel of your story, a link would be peachy as well)
Banner size: (So it fits in with the rest of your signature; may not exceed 300x500px)
Have You Requested This Banner Before?:
Anything else?
Deathly Hallows
Ginny Weasley Blend
Dramione-We'll be Together Again (500x550)
Severus Snape (800x476)
Harry/Hermione (483x763)
Draco and Hermione-Love you forever (600x400)
Tutorial Attempts:
These are going to be my attemps at recreating tutorials from this BA thread. (I hope no one minds, it's just me practicing.) I added my own spin to things but tried to keep the main parts the same.
Original version by Sainyn Swiftfoot
My horrible attempt at remaking it my way
Basically I just kept the color instead of washing everything out with the white. I kept the people in the same position, but changed the text on it. I used about ten-twelve different gradients. I went back in with some brushes to add some more texture and a little more of the purple color Sainyn Swiftfoot.
I may update this with a few more later. Most recent ones listed at the top. Like I said, I need lots of help on some blending and on using textures!! Any help would be appreciated so request away (:


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(Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
By Hayden Wright
Taylor Swift's contribution to the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack is "I Don't Wanna Live Forever," a collaboration with Zayn Malik. On Instagram, the star teased a first look at the song's music video, sporting 50 shades of red.
Related: Watch a Seven Year Old Filipina Nail Taylor Swift Impersonation
Swift simply captioned the photo "Coming soon…" so we may see a video for the track by week's end. The 1989 hitmaker is a canny promoter of music videos — her "Bad Blood" teasers dropped over weeks and introduced various characters and cameos in drips. For "I Don't Wanna Live Forever," Taylor's apparently taking a more minimalist approach.
And there's still no sign of Zayn! Take your first look at Swift's next video here:


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Oso Grande Elementary PTA and the Busy Bee Learning Hive
Oso Grande Elementary PTA and the Busy Bee Learning Hive hosted an arts Family Fun Night Monday. Children made craft at six different art stations – from painting to wreath-making. Oso Grande teachers were there to help.
Also on display were the student's Reflections entries. The PTA Reflections art contest is a national arts recognition and achievement program for students. Since 1969, more than 10 million students across the country have participated in the program. This year's theme was "The Magic of the Moment." Children created art entries in the categories of literature, visual arts, photography, dance choreography, and musical composition.


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Research, Charts & Company Announcements
Research Tree provides access to ongoing research coverage, media content and regulatory news on CALIFORNIA FIRST NATL BANCOR. We currently have 0 research reports from 0 professional analysts.
Research Tree provides access to ongoing research coverage, media content and regulatory news on CALIFORNIA FIRST NATL BANCOR. We currently have 0 research reports from 0 professional analysts.
In July 2017, we highlighted the progress that AIM made in the first half of the year. We are now reviewing the performance over H2 2017. The latest AIM Statistics published yesterday show that there are currently 960 companies, with 80 new issues in 2017, raising £1.58bn and secondary issues raising a further £4.7bn. However, with 102 companies cancelling their listing there was a net 22 fall in 2017 as a whole. It appears that both the trends of new issue momentum and de-listings are set to continue in 2018. In Share News & Views, we comment on APC Technology*, ECSC Group* and IG Design.
Companies: APC BMS CRPR ECSC EUSP FDM GETB PCF SNX SPRP TCN W7L
e il futuro
Companies: ABBY BDEV BWY BKG BVS CRN CSP CRST GLE INL MCS PSN RDW SPR TW/ TEF WJG
14% rise in Group Funds under Management to US$5,329m (£3.9 billion) as Emerging Markets FUM rose 11% to £4,660m (MXEF T/R Index up 16%), Developed Market FUM rose 88% to £337m (World T/R Index up 11%), GTAA Funds rose 26% to £139m (ACWI/Barclays Global Agg Index up 7%) & Frontier Funds rose 12% to £193m (MSCI Frontier index up 12%). Developed Market, GTAA and Frontier funds are now 13% of Group FUM (June 2017: 10%). While CLIG's Emerging Market strategies suffered £89m net outflow caused by underweight China, widening discounts, and rebalancing, CLIG's Developed, GTAA and Frontier strategies enjoyed strong investment performance and a focused marketing which generated £151m of net inflows. >$400m pipeline of potential fund inflows is spread across all strategies with $110m of net inflows expected to be funded in the next quarter. 1H18 pre-tax profit rose 14% to £6.6m (1H17: £5.8m). The Board has declared an interim DPS of 9p (13% higher than 1H17: 8p).
Companies: City Of London Investment Group
CLIG has reported 6% FuM growth in Q2 which we believe has been driven by benchmark performance with no material net flows. Flows were positive overall in H1, but there were modest net outflows in the core EM strategy. Indication has been given that H1 PBT is expected to be in line with consensus and a 9p interim dividend is expected to be declared. We are reviewing our forecast model but do not anticipate changing our neutral HOLD stance given absence of material flow momentum. The attractive dividend yield (c.7%) provides compensation for exposure to more volatile EM assets and limited FuM growth.
Companies: City Of London Investment Group
Allied Minds hosted an upbeat Capital Markets Day in London yesterday, where the Allied Minds team, and the CEOs of their 6 key subsidiaries presented their businesses. The 6 key subsidiaries are STT, Federated Wireless, SciFLour, BridgeSat, Precision Biopsy and Hawkeye360. Clearly within a Venture model, the winners drive the returns of the portfolio, with most of the value in VC backed business coming from about 1/3 of the portfolio, and the top 10% accounting for most of that. As an indication of CEO Jill Smith, and her teams, confidence they are now actively looking for new investments again. We retain our Buy and 210p price target.
Companies: Allied Minds
The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey, 'Ownership of UK quoted shares: 2016', shows that retail investors are more important than most company managements realise or most capital markets professionals admit. When it is also appreciated that the data shows that retail investors set the share price for most quoted companies, most days, it becomes clear that engaging with such an audience enhances a company's standing, whilst ignoring them courts disaster.
Companies: OPM ABZA AVO AGY APH ARBB AVCT BUR CMH CLIG COS DNL EVG GDR INL MCL MUR NSF OBT ODX OXB PPH NIPT RE/ REDX SCLP SCE SIXH TRX TON VAL
A look back at our 2017 ideas In aggregate our analyst picks outperformed the FTSE All Share last year by 9% and the cumulative performance of our portfolio over 6 years would have given a total return of 300% (almost double the return on the FTSE All Share). In addition, many of our top-down themes played out very well such as our focus on secular growth in Tech, Life Sciences, Healthcare and Financials, an increase in M&A, our cautious stance on the Consumer and especially our bet on continued strength in the Industrials last year and solid growth in the global economy. What does 2018 have in store? We continue to play ongoing secular growth themes in Tech, Life Sciences, Healthcare and Financials. In addition, we tap into domestic areas of cyclical strength such as regional construction and house building, plus self-help initiatives and potential market share gains. We maintain a favourable view of Industrials given the global economic backdrop but think this could moderate during the year. Other changes of nuance include the potential for a better H2 in the Consumer sectors, which remain under pressure for now, and a better outlook in Media from a mini-quadrennial year in 2018.
Companies: AMO AVG CBP CVSG DNLM EKF FENR IOM SAA GLE RLM SFR PGIT RLM SFR SOG VRP
Topic of the quarter: It's alive! Infrastructure and assets in general have traditionally been built to provide a fixed service and are maintained and renovated to a fixed schedule – dead and dumb. Technology will completely change this. Sensors and wireless networks have the potential to allow assets to 'talk' to us. These living, smart assets will be able to tell us when they need maintenance, how efficient they are being and provide the data that will directly influence their construction, availability and use. The implications for construction costs through to operating costs and the ability to service changing user needs are very significant. The Support Services, Construction and Technology sectors need to work together to maximise this potential, recognise and harness the power of data, and invest in and embrace change. These are daunting challenges in highly competitive markets where politics play a role, different skill sets (that are currently in short supply) are needed and shareholders are looking over management's shoulders. However, the prize for those companies who get it right is significant, and the risk from not changing much greater. There are positive early signs with Crossrail providing tangible examples of Smart Infrastructure using innovative sensors.
Companies: FOUR DSCV BOOT CLL CNCT FCRM LOK PPH RNWH STAF UTW WATR VANL WYG
H&T has issued a positive FY trading update. This follows the key Christmas trading period, but also an unscheduled positive update (3/11). Trading was better than expected in pawnbroking and retail over the Q4/Christmas period. H2 has benefited from a stable sterling gold price which preserved margins in gold purchasing and scrappage. The pledge book saw some modest growth and the unsecured loan book is growing strongly from a low base. We expect a c.5-10% increase in consensus PBT estimates.
Companies: H&T Group
We anticipate earnings growth will accelerate in FY18 & FY19 as Park Group progressively benefits from product initiatives that have generated a strong pipeline within the Corporate division. The Consumer business continues to deliver reliable organic growth and the order book was up c.4% for 2017 with an encouraging start to 2018. A highly reliable savings product earnings stream, new product developments driving superior corporate growth and the inherent natural interest hedge all contribute to a strong investment case.
Companies: Park Group
This morning's pre-close trading update confirms that MAB has achieved good growth in 2017 and that 2018 has started well. Specifically: 14% yoy rise in average adviser numbers to 1,008 (31 Dec 17: 1,078); 17% rise in revenue to £109m (1H17: £50m; 2H17E: £59m); 3% increase in average revenue per adviser (i.e. productivity) Group PBT for the year 2017 is "in line with the Board's expectations" Cash over £22m (including over £13m of unrestricted balances) The number of Appointed Representatives (ARs) which use MAB continues to grow. Peter Brodnicki, CEO comments "[MAB has] a strong pipeline of new ARs and we remain confident about delivering our growth plans, both organically and from new ARs.". Full year results are due on Tuesday 20 March 2018.
Companies: Mortgage Advice Bureau
Since April, our growth style screen has performed very strongly, outperforming the main small-cap index by 20pp and 24pp on an unweighted and weighted basis respectively, also comfortably outpacing microcap. In this note we provide more detail on the constituent and basket performance in the period and present the new screen constituents. As usual we focus on 10 of the current constituents, providing brief summaries and financials for clients to consider. We will refresh again in 5-6 months time and report back on performance.
Companies: SUN DOTD ERGO TEF AVG SOG IDE FEN LOOP YU/
In our third edition of Trend spotting we stick with our suggestion at the end of March to up European exposure and we review the recent market moves and macro trends. We comment on the recent strong performance of our growth, quality and momentum styles which we expect to continue and we examine what happened to sectors around the last general election period in 2015, adding some new colour.
Companies: AUG GNS IQE NTG SDL SPH SDY TRI VEC XAR GHT BOY CRW EMIS VCT ECK GLE GHH DATA AVON CHH DPH HILS SDM ZYT MUR RPS LWB EKF SUN UDG SYNT CINE DOTD MPM FUM CLIN RENE ATQT SERV ERGO BCA BUR DRV SCS JUP FDP GBG GTLY HW/ EAH SFR PHD CXENSE KNOS NETD G4M GFIN ULS RHL RAT FEN LOOP MYSL FUTR
Henderson Far East Income's (HFEL) lead fund manager, Mike Kerley, welcomes the resumption of earnings growth in the region after five years of stagnation. He says that attractive opportunities still abound in his favoured areas of cash-generative companies offering high dividend growth potential or high yields, with the recent rise in P/E ratios across the region only partially addressing the longstanding undervaluation versus the rest of the world. The portfolio currently has a cyclical tilt, with more in financials and consumer stocks and less in utilities and telecoms, yet HFEL still pays a high yield (currently 5.4%), fully covered by income. The fund has tended to trade at a small premium to NAV and issues shares to meet demand. The recent introduction of a tiered management fee above £400m will reduce total expenses for investors as HFEL grows.
Companies: Henderson Far East Income
The franchised estate and lettings agent has signalled PBT for FY 17 will be "slightly ahead of expectations" and indicated that the net cash position will beat our estimate despite a "challenging background" in its markets of London and the South East. However, the company has seen improved levels of sales activity in prime Central London (PCL) as well as lettings wider afield. We have nudged up our FY 17 PBT estimate by 5% but maintain our FY 18 assumptions for the time being. We maintain our Buy recommendation and 144p TP.
Companies: M Winkworth


text: I'm trying to maximize the security for our Pre-Employment Background Screening business, which must handle very sensitive client information. I want to be sure that I've selected best fit for the items in the Alert Events list, but have absolutely no understanding of their meanings - i.e. Tools>Logs>Alert Events. Can someone please tell me where I can find definitive descriptions/definitions of these items?


text:
As the title says
Best bassy speakers
As the title says
Best bassy speakers
Well that's obvious I mean normal free speakers that aren't sub's because most subwoofers are coonected via pre outs etc
I'm taking the mickey. You ask such a general open question and give no details, so that is the best answer for you.
OK, I found that these
have excellent bass.
Or how about you tell us your budget and what amp you plan to pair them with so that people can suggest something suitable. (you weren't expecting other forum members to find all of your threads so far and deduce your thoughts from them, were you?).
To be honest I'm looking for a good set up. I know hardly anything about amps speakers CD changers mini disc etc so my budget isn't here as I have no idea how much a set up will cost that isn't shit. The reason for such an open question is cause I don't know sub categories for each part of equipment I'd need so far I'm starting from stracth and need the advice of someone who knows a good system setup and can tell me how much to spend
if budget is of no contraints.....i reckon the bang olufsen beolab 9 have awesome bass!!!!
Huge sealed boxes with very large bass cone area through multiple 12" or 15" cones or single 18" to 30" cones. Likely to be 3 way or 4 or 5 way. Bass cones must be good quality: light weight but rigid. Variable density cones are good too.
Needs to be combined with good to great midrange and treble drivers. It's no good if the bass is great if the midrange and treble doesn't inspire you to listen to them.
Solid state amplification for the bass tends to be better than valved. The reverse applies to the midrange. A source with good bass is needed too - which can be a weak point of some vinyl sources. Digital sources should be fine for bass.
And the room and speaker positioning within the room should avoid excessive echoes for cleanest bass.
To be honest I'm looking for a good set up. I know hardly anything about amps speakers CD changers mini disc etc so my budget isn't here as I have no idea how much a set up will cost that isn't shit. The reason for such an open question is cause I don't know sub categories for each part of equipment I'd need so far I'm starting from scratch and need the advice of someone who knows a good system setup and can tell me how much to spend
You need to set the spending limit, as you can spend the same on hifi, as cars, or even a house.
To answer your initial question - Dynaudio and Kef R Series.......though you need to consider the amp at the same time, as the partnership between the two is crucial.
You can get excellent bass from small speakers, not just larger ones. You need to have a budget in mind, whether you want to buy just new or would consider secondhand, what your room is like if it can accommodate bigger speakers, what you need your stereo to do, play LPs, CDs, stream radio / movies / Spotify, if you have any Apple gear so you might want to use Airplay, or DLNA instead....etc, etc, etc!
Pmc speakers, with their transmission line design, best bass i ever heard from a smaller/normal sized speaker, including floorstanders. Never heard really big expensive floorstanders though, but the bass created by the transmission line of pmc speakers is very punchy, similar to a sub. Maybe not as deep as a seperate sub, but certainly very punchy and dynamic.
and pmc makes transmission line standmount speakers aswell as floorstanders
The Behringer iNuke Boom.
The biggest, baddest docking system in the world, problem solved.
Wilson Benesch Arcs have astonishingly good bass for a small stand mounter. Far from cheap though, and need a powerful amp.
The best speakers I have heard, at anything close to sensible money, with the ability to deliver 'club' like power and bass are the Mackie HR824s.
Recent price rises have pushed then up to about £1400 but they remain outstanding value. The in room response will get down below 40hz but it is their power and punch in the two octaves above this that is really impressive.
For me the HR824s are too much for use at home, the smaller, cheaper HR624s will do me fine, but if you really want bass that can be heard from space, the HR824s are the way to go.
Bear in mind these are active speakers with 150 + 100 watts of power onboard so you could drive them from a computer soundcard or even a docked iPod.
Guru Junior's are great small stand mounts and can be placed close to a wall. They have very good bass considering their size.
I suspect most of these suggestions are going to be a little wide of the mark given that one of the OP's other threads was wanting (& I paraphrase) an "everything louder than everything else" system for an overall budget of £100-200.
OP, can I suggest that you stop opening numerous threads & just concentrate on one? Just add posts to the others diverting to that one.
Then perhaps we can get to the bottom of exactly what it is you want & how much you're prepared to spend to achieve it.
You've previously said you want it louder than normal domestic. For what purpose, occasional parties, constant high volume, filling a large space?
You seem pre-occupied with bass & subs. Why? That says to me that you're not really interested in hifi but rather something akin to the thump thump thump of the passing Corsa with an exhaust the diameter of a dustbin. Not a problem if that is what you want but you won't get it from hifi. You may need to look more towards a small DJ type setup.
What are you proposing to use as a souce? CD, iPod, PC, other?
Now please don't take this the wrong way. I'm not trying to be offensive nor sniffy about your requirements but if you're to receive meaningful responses, the forum really needs to understand your requirements.
For a budget of £100 to £200, the best bassy speakers would be something like Goodmans Magisters. Combined with a decent classic amp, such as an A&R A60 and he'd have decent bass, with good enough midrange and treble and the ability to play very loud when he wanted. Such a set-up would be frimly in hi-fi territory too. Not the best sounding system ever, but the sort of system that would leave you thinking "Why pay more when you get this sort of sound for so little?"


text:
Firefighters saved several kittens while battling a fire at a two-story home in Fontana on Thursday.
San Bernardino County firefighters came to the boarded-up home in the 7600 block of Catawba Court at 9:47 a.m.
They saw fire and heavy smoke coming from the back of the attached garage, fire officials said.
They rescued four to five kittens that were inside of the garage, including one whose fur was smoking, said fire spokeswoman Kellie Hoverman.
It is unknown whether the kittens were left in the garage or if they accessed it on their own. They were given to a neighbor until they could be handed over to animal control officers.
Firefighters gained control of the fire in 15 to 20 minutes. Damage to the home is estimated at $80,000 to $90,000.
Reach Melissa via email or call her at 909-386-3878.
Get the latest crime and public safety news on Twitter @IECrime.


text:
Dollar hovers at three-week highs
The Australian dollar held near three-week highs against its US counterpart on Monday and scaled seven-month peaks versus the yen with investors focusing on a eurozone finance ministers meeting later in the day.
The Aussie marked time at $US1.0460, having rallied more than 1 per cent last week. It was a whisker away from a two-month high of $US1.0480 hit in November, and a break above would see it aim for the September peak of $US1.0625.
Market sentiment sharply improved on Friday on hopes Greece will finally secure more emergency loans to keep it afloat.
Eurozone finance ministers meet on Monday for a third time in as many weeks to hammer out a deal for cash-strapped Greece before its debt repayments come due mid-December.
"The risk is if Europe doesn't (give aid to Greece), the disappointment factor is going to be high," said a trader at a foreign bank in Sydney.
Should eurozone officials hammer out a deal for Athens, as it is widely expected, he said the Aussie would be well supported, but wouldn't hit the roof either.
"A lot of positive sentiment has already been priced in," he said.
Key data for Australia this week is Q3 business investments due Thursday. Forecasts are for a 2 per cent gain, following a solid rise of 3.4 per cent the previous quarter, but a weak report could raise the chances of an interest rate cut.
Markets put around 50-50 chance of a 25 basis-point cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia to 3 per cent when it meets next week.
Investors continued to make short shrift of the yen on expectations of bolder stimulus to spur Japan's economy, sending the dollar to fresh seven-month highs.
The Aussie powered up to 86.42 yen, and last change hands at 86.00. It has made a lofty 4.3 per cent gain so far this month and could take a crack at this year's peak of 88.62 set in March.
Improved risk sentiment sent Australian government bond futures reeling with the three-year contract skidding to its lowest in more than two months at 97.240. It last traded at 97.270, flat on the day.
The 10-year contract plumbed one-month lows around 96.765, before recovering to 96.805, up 0.025 points.
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text: Francis W. Winn ran a woolen textile mill and general store in Dexter, New York, after the Civil War. The ledger, which is the sole volume in this collection, records weaving done by women from 1851 to 1856, as well as one instance in which a woman was paid for being a night watchman. Women weavers were paid by the piece in cash and in provisions from the store.


text:
Portland State University has closed a $15 million budget gap this year but faces more shortfalls if the budget forecast does not improve in the next few years, Vice President for Finance and Administration Monica Rimai said May 27 at a campus town hall.
"There's very good news here — good news in an environment where we are still spending more money than we are bringing in on a regular basis, " she told faculty, staff and students in Smith Ballroom.
Declining state revenues, rising health insurance and pension costs and flat student enrollment contributed to this year's $15 million shortfall, which is about 5 percent of the university's $276 million education and general fund budget.
The University took steps to balance the budget by making strategic cuts to athletics, administration and academics and increasing revenue.
Academic leaders tried to protect student support services and instruction, invest in programs with a potential to increase enrollment and avoid reductions that would result in a loss of enrollment, said Sona Andrews, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
"We felt as though we couldn't cut our way out of this budget deficit and we couldn't grow our way, solely, out of this deficit, so we needed some combination of growth and reduction," Andrews said.
Despite this year's budget rebalancing, the University is dipping into its fund balance to pay expenses this year and the shortfall is expected to grow to $12 million in the next two years, unless enrollment and state funding projections improve. PSU has requested $22.9 million more in state funding for PSU to maintain its current service level and pay for classroom and study space upgrades in the next biennium.
"What we're really talking about is the cost of operating the university, a cost which has not been supported by the state for many years," Rimai said.
In an open question and answer period, faculty and students asked about executive salaries, fundraising, summer session, athletics and the University Place hotel. Rimai encouraged ongoing discussions about those campus issues as future budgets are developed.
Go to the Finance & Administration website for more budget details.


text:
I had no idea that the one true reason women get abortions is to avoid stretch marks. At least that's how little Scotty on facebook explains the problem.
That's an interesting exchange, too: so both sexes have to make sacrifices, with us men giving up porn, and women giving up 9 months of their life and the pristine smoothness of their abdominal connective tissue. Oh, and he probably expects the women to give up their careers and stay at home tending to the babies afterwards, as well. Those are perfectly comparable compromises.
I also really like the tortured reasoning in there to excuse his god from the crime of murder. He never murdered anyone, he only ordered "some slaying" (like, all but 8 people on the planet), and those were like totally justified because they were wicked.
Sometimes people accuse atheists of wanting to convert people. I have a deal: we won't try to convert people like Scotty ever, not that rational arguments would matter to him. Nasty little maggots like that, we'd rather not have in the atheist camp, and they can all stay Christian.


text: Green Tea & Kidney Stones Steven Popec (0) Loose leaf green tea is truly marvelous. It will help purify your body, give you health benefits galore, and beyond all that, it's an incredibly tasty beverage. In this world of processed, sugar and corn syrup packed products, it's hard to find a sweet, delectable treat that is pure and natural. Compared with other drinks, green tea truly seems to be the closest thing to what would be the nectar of the gods. It's wonderfully aromatic, and the delicious scent of this drink treat gives you a hint of what's to come.Health benefits And now let's move on and start talking about its countless health benefits. There are simply too many to discuss them all in depth. Loose leaf green tea can appear to some to be a miracle drink for your health. This type of tea is packed full of nutrients and compounds that all promote tons of health benefits, and is almost like a miracle elixir. It can do all sorts of wonderful things for your health, including improving memory, improving the health of your teeth, fighting off cancer, boosting your metabolism, boosting your immune system, improve your heart health, help alleviate allergy symptoms, help regulate blood sugar, along with a multitude of other health benefits. It almost makes one wonder if there's anything green tea can't do for your health.Preventing kidney stones New studies now show that drinking loose leaf green tea on a regular basis may have even another healthful effect on your body; it may help to prevent kidney stones from forming. How does this work? Compounds in green tea may help to prevent this painful condition by making it more difficult for certain types of kidney stones to form. They may even prevent the compounds from forming before they form crystals.What are kidney stones? Kidney stones can cause pain in the abdomen, rib area, and it can be a drawn out painful experience. If you have ever suffered from kidney stones, then you now how excruciatingly painful they can be. This condition affects around five percent of the population, and is caused by a high concentration of minerals which cling together and form crystals that can cause a great deal of pain. The most common type of kidney stone is formed when a high concentration of calcium clumps together to form these crystals. This type of kidney stone is called calcium oxalate.The research Studies have shown that green tea compounds can combat these types of kidney stones from forming. The compounds from the green tea will bond to the crystal, making it lose its shape and become less likely to form a kidney stone. Drinking green tea may help prevent this painful condition. When you regularly consume this tasty beverage, you're doing your body a favor. By drinking just a few cups of green tea every day you can help to prevent kidney stones from forming and save yourself from being in a great deal of pain. In addition to that, regularly drinking tea on a daily basis, you will be improving your overall health on the long term. facebook twitter google+ email


text:
Well folks, I've really done it now!
In an earlier thread, I put forward a conjecture that generalized Fermat's Little Theorem. Using a related concept, I can now make a statement that generalizes *all* prime numbers!
Here it is:
For all N > 2, IFF ((s(N, N - 1) mod s(N, 1)) + 1) mod N = 0 then N is definitely prime, where s(N, E) is the sum of powers (eg: 1^E + 2^E ... + N^E).
AFAIK, the only other theorem that achieves a similar level of concision is Wilson's Theorem, so the implications of this equation may be quite significant (eg: may lead to much better primality tests).


text:
Thanks for helping us sort this video!
Thanks for helping us associate the correct Pornstars to this video!
Help Us: Do these Pornstars appear in this video?
Pornstar Name:
asia deville is her name
esta poca madre nme la jale dos vecess
nice foky
mehr von der geilen asiatin!!! wie heisst sie??
love group sex, cud just fk all these girls! make me rock solid!!!!!
oohhh...i fucking lovr group sex
After such a "lunch" one definitely needs a shower....
lovely fucking by lovely people
OMG it must be my lunch time... !!!!!
I what to join this club
this makes me so horny
film is called Tochter reicher Eltern (2005)
Absolute deutsche Starbesetzung... P.S. The Asian Girl kommt in Wirklichkeit aus der Schweiz. Kenne nur leider den Namen nicht. But look @ this!! http://www.youporn.com/watch/321702/sauna-sweetie/?from=search_full&pos=1
Holy shit.
I want a sexy party like that :(
Question? What happened to the waitress?
Made me so horny
A very nice and good lunchroom, where is it?
geile Fickerei, die Teenyfotzen werden ordentlich durchgefickt und besamt
very nice
Firdt class orgy . Very exciting
Stramme Schwaenze mit viel Saft treffen auf supergeile girls mit herrlichen Fotzen, eine gut gelungene Fickorgie, keine Spalte bleibt trocken
one of the best orgys i have seen.
I jerked off twice to this at the same moment
Deliciously hot, all those moanings, aaaaaggghhh....
V nice video
Die pornoblonde jonge
Would like to fuck the asian bitch, shame she did'nt get a load up her cunt.
wer will meine banane? amliebsten eine ab 35 Jahren, die auf jüngere steht und zeigt was wirklicher sex ist
bella orgia..
There's another video of the asian girl hot sauna sweetie
what a fuck. Of rating
One of the Best vids EVER
girls come to cyprus .... 23cm for you
Chick with the pierced pussy made me cum....
@saif ill have sex with you!!!;)
suzy i would want u 2 suck my nice hard cock while im eating ur hot wet pussy, b4 i enter u for a damm good ball banging fuck,this vid is awsome and so turns me on, iv plenty of hot cum to give.
Does anyone know the name of the girl at 0:18?
putain de touze trop bon ces 1 bon dejeuner elle sont trop bonne ces salope
veronica- I've got a good 7 inches, but if a find a 9 inch friend, we will still average out, right?
had group at uni 2 years ago me 2 girlfriends and 5 guys.it was the bomb want it again only 8inches plus any offers guys ?
o_O Where is this lunchroom !!! ;) Maybe I will go to this place to savour a good meal... ;) no, seriously this vid is hot !! directly in my favorites !
my god i cum all over my computer,and is not my ofise
Really like it when they suck a cock that has cummed !!
Good video//I wanna try this expirence)
ohhhh . i want to take cock so deep in my pussy I really want someguyto fuck me like that my pussy is wet ...
Bei welchen Film gab es den diesen Clip und wie sind die Namen der Schauspieler?
GermanGirl91 is not lying I am a BLACK American Soldier that live in Germany for 9 year on and off due to deployments. I had so much German pussy I needed a vacation to rest from fucking so much. I must say I do miss Germany. Not just the great sex but all the nice German people I met over in Germany,
omfg i mean rlly? ure having sex on table where are u eating.. not good @ all :) btw i like the movie!
Does anyone know the girl in the black shirt name?
Can't wait for supper.
Gostei da loira dentucA
I could just suck and fuck a hockey team after this movie.
it's funny how the entire room goes from innocent to dirty in under 30 seconds
ilov you and you
that was sexy as fuck i cummed in the first 8 minutes then cummed again;)
carfeul dude, the way you were chompin on that banana you coulda lost it in that pussy
Peepee is better
i live in jordan i need a sex please
that is awesome
That is, believe it or not, how Germans start their day!
dose that hurt girls
pmark- I've got a hard 7 incher that is twitching and ready to cum. Wrap your lips around my cock head!
Have your ready Bryan because I want some of what you have. Hopefuly a big load. I am ready
must of been aphrodisiac in the food
interestingly using a bannana as a dildo and then eating it..... it's also a food orgy
sex is nice
I wanna get fucked now...any dicks wanna enter this wet juicy pussy?
my wife and i have gone to our third orgy and now we agree i give better blowjobs then her i want to hook up with a cock without her now.
pmark- get in line- i'll go down on you too!
I am right there with you Bryan.
That looks more like breakfast
i fucking want to go to a sex party!!!
Not that I'm complaining, but I've noticed that all of the good recent orgy scenes are either in German or dubbed in German. Weird, huh?
i want that group women in another films
9.01 Das ist Gleitmittel
German Sex -> Best Sex ;) Just come to Germany to get Sex like this :)
mmm I wanna eat lunch .. n pussy there!!!
i love them so much
hot! would love to go down on all of them...the guys too.
loved this video
Diese geile Asiatin will ich ficken.
Can anyone identify the stars, director or studio for this film?
mmmm Im cumming so much bb
I've had group sex like this before, and I loved it. You should try it. Would love to do these women or some just like them.
I very like sexy, i want fuck her
i wonder if their parents are proud
was für ein frühstück
Usual question: what movie is this clip from?
Really love those groups sex makes me SOlid Steal
always love to watch orgy... slurp!
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text:
Greetings from the 50th state! "Beemer" has 73K miles and pampered for the most part. For the Bimmerheads among you, Mike Miller's recommendations are correlated for m/c maintenance. I'm curious to hear input and/or suggestions/recommendations or observations. I have a Clymer manual and do the majority of the wrenching and regular maintenance. The magazine has been a good read and thanks in advance for the replies.
"Good judgment comes from experience; experience comes from bad judgment" -- Jim Shepard


text: A large, packed house in downtown San Francisco. A bunch of Command and Academy bigwigs must have come straight from the office, because there were uniforms everywhere, and one guy with an impressive amount of Borg costuming. Big laughs at Wesley's foibles, the "heat" between Rikes and Shelby, and, breaking the tension, towards the end: Picard says "sleeeep", and Crusher exclaims "he's exhausted!" Oh, and the yellow-shirt toss in that scene got a laugh, too. The ep itself was pretty darn good, if a tad claustrophobic when taken in all at once on such a large screen. But hey, didn't the cube blow up right on top of Earth? Could definitely have used a bit more denouement to address that and Picard's recovery instead of Guinan's out-of-nowhere Ready Room pep talk. Anyhow, tons of fun, and definitely worth the price at least this one time. Would love to see AGT at the same spot.


text:
Discussion in 'Pro Match Results and Discussion' started by Agassifan, Nov 5, 2011.
0-6 is a lot of butt hurt. Anyone has stats dating back a few years? What about Lendl / Mac ?
Federer/ Roddick, presumably.
Mac-Lendl was 6-1 in 84, but then the one win for lendl was the huge one at the FO
Better question would be has any #2 beat some #1 five consecutive times?
Nadal beat Federer four times in row when he was #2.
So Nole holds the record? :lol:
No, never like this.
Actually, It's more number 2 owning number 1 Nadal. Djoker owned him before Wimbledon, when Novak finally became number one.
#1 McEnroe lost 7 consecutive matches to Lendl (ranked 2-3) in 1981-1982. McEnroe won 1 set in in those 7 matches.
lol, that's some ownage.
Navratilova Owned Evert For A Period Of Time In The Mid 80´s...
Nadal beat Federer five times in a row twice - 2009 AO, 2008 W, 2008 FO, 2008 Hamburg, 2008 MC and 2006 FO, 2006 Rome, 2006 MC, 2006 Dubai, 2005 FO.
Rafa beat Djokovic five times in a row too - 2009 Madrid, 2009 Rome, 2009 MC, 2009 DC, 2008 Olympics.
1. Was number 1.
2. Was number 5.
Talking about calendar year - fed was 1-4 at worst
Sampras owned Agassi for a few years.
Nah. The most wins Sampras got over Agassi in a row was 4, 3 of which in 1996 where Agassi was very poor, that's over a 2 season span btw. As far as h2h in 1 season that's 3-0 for Sampras in 1996. Agassi had his fair share of wins over Sampras and was never "owned" by pete by any means.
May be not in regular tournaments but, as far as GS are concerned, Pete owned Agassi
Well, I think as pointed out, this year, the number one only beat the number two once, and that was the US Open final. The number two beat the number one five times this year though. Nadal beat Federer 4 times in 08 as the number two beating the number one.
pete never beat agassi at the AO/FO ....lost a total of 3 times
He beat him 4x at the USO and 2x at wimbledon.
6-3 to pete ....
Anyways that is OT . Talk was about for an year, not about career rivalries ....
in 1981-82 Lendl beat Mac many times on a row.In 83-84 it was the other way around.Amazing.
The Lendl-McEnroe head to head went back and forth pretty radically a few times.
1980 McEnroe 2-0
1981-82 Lendl 7-0
1983-84 McEnroe 10-2
1985-1992 Lendl 12-3
Which makes it funny that some fans consider Agassi better than Sampras just because of the Career Slam. Yes, some people think like that.
That's why he never beat Andre in either the Australian or the French Open?
At the US Open only once beat Andre easily in 1990 and Andre could've well beaten him in 1995,2001 or 2002 cause he had his chances. In fact, if they actually played a 5th set in any of the slams after 1996, Sampras would get breadsticked as he was in 2000 AO.
Also, didn't Agassi push Sampras to the brink at Wimbledon in 1993 playing with an injured wrist which affected his serve?
And then Lendl won 11 of 12 meetings in 1985-1992.
No. It was 12 out of 16 in that period.
That is totally nuts!
Amazing stats.
Actually, starting from the 1985 US Open it was in fact 11 out of 12.
Then it would be 10 out of 12. McEnroe won their meetings in Stratton Mountain in 87 and Dallas WCT in 89.
that match was never completed.
So the answer to my question is "Almost : Lendl/Mac 6-1". Rafa could still beat the Djoker in London in his current form
Ah, ok. Then it would be 10 out of 11 starting with the 85 USO.
I've just realized there were a couple of mistakes. The numbers are:
1980 McEnroe 2-0
1981-82 Lendl 7-0
1983-84 McEnroe 10-2
1985-1992 Lendl 12-3
Who cares? Grow up.
What is the GS record between Agassi and Sampras?
When I saw the 1990 USO final, I had seen quite of Agassi but never even heard of Sampras.But that final proved I was seeing one of the greatest players ever...he fooled around with Agassi, who was considered the terror of courts...
And that proves it was just a menthal thing... whoever got into his foe´s head would win...just as simple as that.Even in exos (I saw many of them between both and, believe me, it was just a menthal tihing)
This is just a troll thread,designed to simply stir the sh*t,and trash on Nadal. Nothing more nothing less.
Has any number 1 player ever been so obviously doping before?
That's still crazy. Insane swings there. Djokodal have had that kind of rivalry too though. Rafa got Novak 5 times in a row if I remember right.
That's a whole lot of shoulda, woulda, coulda.
Rafa has beaten Roger five times in a row - twice
Rafa has beaten Andy five times in a row
Rafa has beaten Novak five times in a row
Considering they are his biggest rivals, that is not bad at all.
Separate names with a comma.


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, July 5, 2013, 12:00 AM
Town Square
Task force plan can make sure Pleasanton meets state housing numbers
Original post made on Jul 7, 2013
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, July 5, 2013, 12:00 AM
Comments (15)
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jul 7, 2013 at 7:15 am
Please help me block this great area that was supposed to be Pleasanton's chain of lakes, from turning into a high density multistory dumping ground. I don't want to see this east Pleasanton region look even worst than east Dublin. Thier homes are mostly condos and town houses that are bought and sold by owners, which would be better than what this group is suggesting.
This proposed east Pleasanton discussion is about 50% high rise apartments! Even worst yet.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jul 7, 2013 at 1:05 pm
What's wrong with East Dublin? It looks pretty nice to me. Pleasanton is looking kind of drab these days. I don't have any problem with encouraging new development like this in Pleasanton.
a resident of Livermore
on Jul 7, 2013 at 2:03 pm
(Post removed by Pleasanton Weekly Online staff as irrelevant to this thread.)
a resident of Downtown
on Jul 8, 2013 at 9:19 am
Agenda 21 anyone???
a resident of Downtown
on Jul 8, 2013 at 10:58 am
Nobody cares what the people of Pleasanton think. If we stay in ABAG, we will get One Bay Area, the bureaucrats' solution to imaginary problems. It is just absolutely critical that all of us peasants live in high rise condos next to Bart or global warming will decimate the planet. Then, when Bart goes on strike, and we can't get to the grocery store, we will be more amenable to pay higher rates to use the train, and higher taxes so the bureaucrats can afford homes in the hills. Have you noticed where Al Gore lives?
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jul 9, 2013 at 8:39 am
Not sure I understand this comment:
"those units would not have to be built in existing Pleasanton
There are existing Pleasanton neighborhoods next to these 400 acres. Why do people mention there will be no impact to existing neighborhoods in East Pleasanton?
Another question Eastern Pleasanton residents need to ask the City is why are the not going through a housing element 2 phase before allocating units to this area? During Housing Element phase 1, one of top items discussed was balance of RHNA numbers across Pleasanton, now we hearing this is an "opportunity" in this area to put a majority of the high density units (which includes Section 8) in Eastern Pleasanton. It's interesting that a majority of the people pushing their agenda and making decisions for this area do not live in 'possibly-impacted' area of East Pleasanton.
Finally, regarding schools, all that is being discussed is Elementary, our Middle and High Schools are already over-packed, how
are we going to accommodate for all these new students?
There is a big difference between allocating a fair share and unfairly putting a majority of new housing in east Pleasanton. For starters traffic will be a nightmare.
a resident of Birdland
on Jul 9, 2013 at 9:01 am
Since there will not be enough money coming from the development to pay for the necessary infrastructure (especially schools) we should put that east side planning area in an assessment district. We need to figure out the real cost of that housing on our infrastructure and ensure that area pays its fair share; like existing housing had to with high school fees. It would be best if the city collected the assessment fees and then distributed to the school district for new schools once the school district is serious about adding the school. If the money went directly to the school district, they would squander it like they have been doing.
A good thing about an assessment district is if it turns out the impacts are not as great as expected, the assessment can go down. Right now the developer community says "trust me" there will be no impacts. I would rather have a funding mechanism that can be controlled.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jul 9, 2013 at 9:15 am
Screw the loons in the state government and screw Moonbeam Brown. What a clown convention. They are destroying California and Pleasanton.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jul 10, 2013 at 8:23 am
Unfortunately one of the 'rules' from ABAG and meeting the RHNA numbers, is that impact on schools 'cannot' be a consideration. In other words the city must satisfy the RHNA numbers regardless of impact on schools. The local city council and school district can attempt to plan for all this housing, but if they came back and said we cannot accommodate all the new students, ABAG will say that's too bad, but you still need to meet our RHNA numbers (and if not, look for another lawsuit)
Does anyone know which apartment complexes in Pleasanton currently accept Section-8? Moving forward in Pleasanton, the current theme (for our City) is all new developments must accept Section-8. I'm not sure if following is valid, but here is a chart of Dublin:
Web Link
How do we compare, and how will we compare after all the RHNA developments are complete?
Dublin is a nice place to live, and Pleasanton is dangerously close to losing any ability to claim a 'premium' over it's surrounding cities.
a resident of Birdland
on Jul 10, 2013 at 12:14 pm
Making an assessment district should not violate ABAG. If you cannot do a school assessment district, you can do a park assessment district (and that park happens to have educational buildings in it).
However, the goal from the governor is that no city in California can be any better than the worst so until Pleasanton looks like Oakland or Richmond, the governor will not be satisfied.
Maybe having Stoneridge extensions and Boulder extensions are not a good idea. Might be better to have an island of ABAG housing where the people there need to get on the freeway or through Dublin to get into Pleasanton.
a resident of Vintage Hills
on Jul 11, 2013 at 11:03 pm
I wonder if traffic issue has been addressed by committee member, please note we only have one lane after turning from Sunol to Bernal, right now the traffic is really bad during commute hour, Please let me know how to solve this issue if a lot more units will be built on Eastern side?
Building Code Consultant
a resident of Ironwood
on Nov 10, 2013 at 7:10 pm
I am very frustrated by our elected officials that keep supporting large numbers of houses charted for the East Side. Where is their spunk? Why are they fighting for us? They just roll over and accept a "preferred plan" of 1759 houses. Why not 200 houses, why not 400 houses (although that is crazy too. No one in Pleasanton voted for door mats. Call up ABAG and the others and say NO!
I want our Mayor to be leader in the fight, not a door mat. What are you going to fight or just wave in parades Mayor Thorne?
a resident of Livermore
on Nov 11, 2013 at 4:50 pm
Don't count on Cholo helping you Fred M. If the land is developed, what better way to spend money than to build affordable housing for fellow Americans in need of adequate housing for their families?
What is it with so many Americans? Do you believe that the world is not growing and that there is no need for others to live in a safe and comfy abode?
the more the merrier...
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Nov 12, 2013 at 3:48 pm
Cholo - take you "the more the merrier" back to Livermore. Take your Livermore gangs, sprawl, lower school scores and lower priced housing with it.
In Pleasanton we march to a different drummer.
a resident of Livermore
on Nov 12, 2013 at 4:18 pm
The world is rapidly changing. Presently, the face of Plutonia is changing. It may bear no resemblance to what you refer to as the Plutonia that marches to a "different drummer"...whatever that means?
Sprawl is not going away. Gangs will remain in Plutonia and in the schools.
More residents and their children of various racial/ethnic backgrounds will inter-marry. I'm not too aware of what lower scores you're referring to?
Fred M., are you of the belief that fellow American citizens, especially those who have fought to protect American values/way of life in wars, are not a welcome addition to the city that you know and love?
How exactly do you march to a different drummer? hmmmmmmmmmm...?
Salami, Salami … Baloney
By Tom Cushing | 24 comments | 721 views
Time for new collaboration between city and school district
By Tim Hunt | 2 comments | 510 views
Holiday Fund raises $70,000 for 12 Tri-Valley nonprofits
By Jeb Bing | 0 comments | 116 views


text: What good things can I say about Mass Effect 3... Hmm... Well, the destruction of player agency in the beginning section was on a far smaller scale than in the beginning section of Mass Effect 2. Spoiler: Sur'kesh They finally made Mordin a sympathetic character. And that's about it. At least in terms of specific points. I think 3 is probably still a better game than Mass Effect 2, asides from the music. But the first game is by far my favorite, and I'm still waiting for a sale on it (or on the entire Trilogy set) for PS3 so I can replay for trophies.


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The claws are out in Lifetime's new psychological thriller "Dangerous Intuition," as successful working mom Kate Aldrich (Tricia Helfer) is forced to share custody of her daughter, Izzy, with stay-at-home-mom Laura (Estella Warren), the woman that Kate's husband, Dan (David Cubitt), left her for. Kate grows erratic as she increasingly has premonitions that her daughter is in danger and that Laura's the threat. Even worse: No one believes Kate, and even her close friend and attorney Hugh (Dylan Neal) is questioning her sanity.
[Related: See Who's Playing Johnny Cash in Lifetime's 'Ring of Fire']
In this exclusive sneak peek, Kate and Laura have a run-in at Izzy's school, and words are exchanged. "Izzy told me a strange man was watching her when she was horseback riding. Where were you?" Kate asks Laura with a death stare. Laura insists that she knows nothing about it and says, "I would never let anything happen to Izzy. I love her as if she were my own child." Clearly, that doesn't sit well with Kate, who shoots back, "But she's not yours, and she never will be. Are we clear?"
Laura's got the lowest of blows on hand, and she goes there: "I'm sorry that you weren't good enough for Dan, but he's happy now and so is Izzy. ... You really don't want to make an enemy out of me, Kate."
[Related: Nicole Eggert on Her 'Splash' Accident Photo: 'I Probably Shouldn't Have Posted It']
Looks like things are going to get ugly (and scary) as Laura surely puts the "psycho" in psychological thriller. And what better time for this TV movie event to make its worldwide debut than on Mother's Day weekend, right?
"Dangerous Intuition" premieres on Saturday, 5/11 at 8 PM on Lifetime.


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Back in 2006 you guys helped me pick the components for my first build and it is still going strong! Thank you very much! I always recommend this site when people are looking for hardware advice.
This new build is for my friend who has always dreamed of playing a game on high settings without lag as he has always had to settle for the lowest settings with lag. So after doing some research here is the build I came up with:
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What is the general opinion of the system? I saw in other first timer posts that the ram might be overkill?
Should I look into getting a better heatsink for the cpu?
I should also mention, that I am an AMD fanboy so I'm worried my bais towards them may have influenced my decision. From what I read, that processor is great for it's price range.
Thank you for the advice!


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Another legal victory for Cristian Fernandez' defense team came down Tuesday.
The state attorney's office has decided not to appeal the ruling by Judge Mallory Cooper that threw out the statements Fernandez gave to Jacksonville police in both his murder and sexual assault cases.
The judge ruled the 13-year-old did not understand his Miranda rights and did not understand the consequences when he waived them.
This notice the state attorney's office filed with the 1st District Court of Appeals reads: "After a thorough review of the thirteen volume record on appeal, researching the issues involved, and discussion between the State Attorney's Office and Attorney General's Office, both the State Attorney's Office and the Attorney General's Office have concluded that this appeal should be dismissed."
The next court hearing for Fernandez is Sept. 28, when new trial dates could be set.
Fernandez is accusing in the beating death of his 2-year-old half brother, David Galarriago, and of sexually abusing a 5-year-old half brother.
Copyright 2012 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Romane Orlando Robb is a serial entrepreneur. He has founded/co-founded over eight (8) companies in various industries. Industries such as; finance and investments; media and entertainment; advertising; management consulting; technology; food and beverage among many others. He's also a series 65 holder and a licensed New York State real estate agent/salesperson.


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Land - a key issue for humanitarian agencies during armed conflicts
03-07-2008 Feature by Marion Harroff-Tavel
Access to land, its use, its management, its ownership and its transfer are key political issues in many armed conflicts, in particular when forced displacement is a wartime strategy. Land is also at the heart of humanitarian activities as farming it can be a way for communities affected by the fighting to recover long-term economic security.
The author of this text is political adviser to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The text does not necessarily reflect the views of the ICRC but rather those of the author. This is a translation of the original version in French.
The aim of this document is to present the specific practical challenges of land disputes for humanitarian agencies, as experienced by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in armed conflicts.
It is worthwhile examining those challenges in depth in order to find out how to meet them. However, this document does not set out to provide solutions, our more modest aim being merely to establish the terms of the debate.
Why decide to share some thoughts on the key issues for humanitarian agencies in land-related conflicts?[1]
- First, this problem is central to a number of current conflicts. To give just one example, conflicts cause displacement. The land is abandoned and occupied by others. Difficulties arise when hostilities give way to volatile peace and refugees or internally displaced persons want to go back to their home regions. Who is entitled to farm the land, to earn a living from it? The practical aspects of the return of people who left willingly or unwillingly can be discussed at the village or district level. Sometimes those matters are controversial or the indigenous people refuse to allow the displaced persons to return, which leads to violence. The situation is even more critical when the land contains natural resources.
- Second, current disputes about access to the land and its use, ownership, management and transfer are likely to intensify in the coming years, with serious consequences from a humanitarian perspective. The impact of global warming (periods of drought, desertification and an increasing number of natural disasters) is forcing people to migrate or to take other routes than those normally used. That often leads to tension among sedentary peoples and nomadic or semi-nomadic newcomers, who have been forced to change their way of life and therefore need land to provide food for themselves or their animals. These tensions disrupt traditional balances between the different population groups. Furthermore, there is good cause to fear that the global food crisis and demographic growth in some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa will also increase competition for fertile land and lead to the exodus of impoverished peoples without any means of survival.
- Finally, land disputes may have humanitarian consequences that are multiplied by different factors: the availability of weapons which make the conflicts more bloodthirsty and difficult to resolve; the weakening of mechanisms to resolve or regulate conflicts (for example, loss of credibility of wise members of the community – village elders – and the traditions which they represent and uphold) and the instrumentalization by armed groups or public authorities of the tensions related to land.
Land is not merely a source of food, it often has a symbolic value. Land includes the soil and the physical area, as well as all the natural resources associated with it, such as water, trees and minerals. It is a source of food (natural and agricultural produce). It provides the resources needed for people to live in a manner befitting human beings (trading the produce of the land and extracting and trading its mineral and other wealth). It is focal point of life, the setting for family and social relations (for example, in order to be able to marry, a person has to be able to feed a family and must therefore have land to be farmed). Finally, it may have a symbolic value derived from religious, historical, cultural or other factors (emotional identification with the land).
The humanitarian organizations have close connections with land and those connections are not always straightforward. Take the example of assistance being given to a nomadic or semi-nomadic group in difficulty. The needs of that community may require more sophisticated forms of action than distributing food, water or household articles, as is necessary in periods of severe crisis. The tasks which need to be carried out may include giving the community access to regions where food grows naturally (gathering), allowing safe passage to markets or urban centres, opening up migratory routes that are cut across by lines of inter-ethnic tension, restoring sources of water, improving the productivity of the cattle, and even constructing barns in which to store the harvest or the produce of animal breeding in order to stabilize the terms of trade. The aim of all those initiatives is to ensure economic security for people in difficulty, to enable them to cover their long-term economic needs and their essential expenses (especially food, housing, access to health care and education). Those initiatives imply taking steps which require knowledge. Who is entitled to move across the land, to cultivate it, to plant trees on it and to build a dyke? Does the land belong to individuals? To a community? To the State? Is it accessible to everyone? The answers are not easy to find as they may differ from one village to another.
Having established the basis for the review, let us now turn to the challenges which land-related problems present for humanitarian organizations. The experience of ICRC operational managers, which they shared, in particular, at a workshop organized by the ICRC Economic Security Unit in Nairobi in October 2007, suggests that the main questions are as follows:
What information is needed before launching an assistance project involving land use, who can be called upon to provide it and how can we be sure that the information is managed proactively in unstable environments?
If the economic security of the different groups concerned is to be ensured, their needs and interests, the law that is applicable and the mechanisms for settling differences have to be understood. But is that enough? There is also the question of knowing who to ask for this information. Sometimes, our contacts say that they are authorized to give access to the land and when we start to dig a well, another group turns up with informal authority and contests the permits that we have been given. Finally, in a delegation comprising general delegates, lawyers, engineers, agronomists, logisticians and other specialists, how can one ensure that everyone can listen to local people on matters related to land in order to carry out impartial humanitarian activities which respect the law as well as various traditions and sensitivities?
How can humanitarian activities be prevented from aggravating the land-related disputes and tensions?
First, what precautions need to be taken so as not give approval to the appropriation of land which belongs to other people? Isn't there a risk of the assistance programmes settling communities on land whose traditional occupiers have fled the fighting? How will the latter react if, in the camps for displaced persons where they are accommodated temporarily, they find out that others are settling on their land, in their home region, with the assistance of humanitarian agencies? This calls for caution. Some initiatives therefore have to be abandoned at times – avoid distributing ploughing tools, seed and irrigation pumps or take care not to become involved in agroforestery (i.e. in planting bushes or trees which improve soil fertility) if planting trees is considered to be appropriating the land.
Next, how can one make sure that the infrastructures established will not become additional sources of conflict? To illustrate the point, engineers set up water sources which provide arable farmers with drinking water and water to irrigate their crops and cattle-farmers with water for their livestock.
Finally, how can a balance be struck between the need to uphold the principle of impartiality and the need for a degree of pragmatism so that the assistance given does not become a source of tension between opposing communities? Impartiality implies giving to everyone according to their needs, without discrimination on the basis of nationality, political affiliation, religion, ideology or gender. However, humanitarian agencies sometimes find themselves faced with moral dilemmas, as the following example illustrates.
Within the context of an armed conflict, farmers who were being assisted by the ICRC informed it of their fear of being attacked. They feared being pillaged by nomads who had settled on the land adjacent to theirs. They wanted assistance to be given to the newcomers whom they considered as potential enemies – but not assistance which would help them to settle permanently on the disputed land. They agreed to share the land – but not the most fertile land. Impartiality, stricto sensu, implied focusing ICRC assistance on the farmers in greatest need. Having said that, some of their neighbours were apparently in difficulty. So what could be done? Conduct vaccination campaigns or provide support for primary health care rather than distribute seed? Creativity is needed in contexts in which the safety of the humanitarian workers may be at risk, but it has its limits. Should attention be shifted elsewhere?
When and to what extent is it appropriate to take steps (which are defined by humanitarian players as "protection") so that people who cannot meet their basic economic needs during an armed conflict have access to land and can farm it, and even retain the rights that they have to it – for example, if not farming the land for a few years means that they lose those rights?
Humanitarian organizations are often criticized for merely responding to needs, whereas rights should be defended. That is to ignore the fact that responding to needs is not purely material (distribution of family parcels, for example). The organizations sometimes have to apply for the authorizations needed to enable the people affected by an armed conflict to be given access to means of production and to meet their basic long-term economic needs. This gives rise to specific challenges. For example, what is blocking a migratory route so that livestock cannot move to seasonal pastures? Is it physical (no sources of water), related to security or political? Which authorities, groups and/or NGOs need to be approached to discuss the matter? How do the various local parties involved see the future of those routes?
A degree of caution is needed. Many steps taken with a view to defending rights would involve intervening in informal systems which are unfamiliar to the humanitarian agencies and where power relations fluctuate and the legal basis is not clear. Moreover, what types of rights fall within – or are excluded from – the remit of the different organizations? Is it appropriate for a humanitarian organization to take action, for example, if women affected by an armed conflict find themselves deprived of their rights to the land when customary law is applied? Finally, what adverse effects may certain initiatives have on the perception of the ICRC as a neutral, independent humanitarian organization?
In the context of an armed conflict or its consequences, how far can humanitarian agencies go in protecting communities affected by land-related issues without endangering their neutrality?
Can they, for example, provide a neutral meeting place to discuss and resolve disputes over land rights when those disputes affect the economic security of the poorest people? Would it be appropriate to make the parties negotiating a peace agreement aware of the humanitarian problems caused by land-related conflicts? Must such decisions be taken on a case-by-case basis or globally? If it is not appropriate, should the humanitarian organizations mobilize other players? If it is, what kind of institutional skills should the humanitarian organizations have (themselves or by drawing on external consultants) before carrying out such activities – for example, mediation skills or an understanding of post-conflict mechanisms?
When opinions differ with regard to the rules applicable in a land-related dispute which is jeopardizing the economic security of people affected by a conflict, should the humanitarian agencies refrain in certain cases (which?) from launching an assistance project or should they decide to consider the law recognized as legitimate by the people in a given place at a precise moment as imposing obligations on them?
The question is very complex and there is no shortage of documents on legal pluralism. In short, there may be several concurrent legal systems governing management rights, usage rights, access and ownership of land (international public law, national law, customary/traditional law, religious law). Each legal system has its own institutions, its arbitration systems (local administration, courts, local leaders, religious representatives and village committees) and different degrees of power and legitimacy. Those systems are interlinked in a dynamic and complex manner. They may apply in small localities – one system will apply in one area and another ten kilometres further away. How can we know in what legal framework to operate, in particular when it is a subject of local or national controversy?
Does the humanitarian agency risk being accused of failing to maintain neutrality if it chooses to submit its humanitarian project to one set of rules rather than another? Does it risk being seen as favouring an ethnic group or nomads who depend on their cattle and transhumance for their livelihood to the detriment of small farmers or vice versa? In choosing to respect customary/traditional law, can it – in some countries – expect to be criticized for undermining State efforts to restore a standard rule of law across the entire national territory, particularly in rural areas? However, it might be replied that the legality and legitimacy of the established power are very often called into question and the legal systems applied at the level of the village or region have people's confidence. Moreover, despite its complexity, legal pluralism can be accepted by the State. How, therefore, can the best use be made, for humanitarian purposes, of rules which may operate concurrently but which may prove contradictory – which some people will not fail to exploit to deny the rights of another group and take over the land?
There is another difficulty: how to operate in such a way as to respect the local law and cultures when the political, legislative and/or judicial institutions have been destroyed or contested or are without the means to act (insecurity in the territory, lack of will or financial resources, predatory wishes, land shared out among their supporters)?
Who is to refer to the customary international rule [2] according to which property rights of displaced persons must be respected (Rule 133 of the ICRC study on customary international humanitarian law) when referring to that rule has considerable political repercussions? What role do the humanitarian organizations play in that respect?
In a system governed by the rule of law, that rule must be respected by the authorities and, in case of legal disputes, the courts have to enforce it. Is it the responsibility of the humanitarian agencies to promote it among the authorities and the judiciary, or even to make specific requests of the de jure or de facto authorities when that law is violated during an active conflict? On the one hand, its lack of respect has serious consequences for displaced people and to fail to refer to a legal ruling tends to weaken it, which is regrettable. On the other hand, referring to a principle legalistically is not devoid of risk for humanitarian agencies if that takes them to the heart of the political stakes in the conflict. Being aware of the extent to which displacement is a wartime strategy in current conflicts, there may also be security risks for the displaced persons as well as risks for their property – not to mention the dangers that being caught up in controversial issues can be incurred by humanitarian agencies. Moreover, what are the priorities of the humanitarian organizations?
Each humanitarian organization tends to weigh up the interests while taking account of its mandate, the specific features of the context and what is done by other players in order to chose the strategies that are best suited to helping people in need.
How should the interventions of the humanitarian agencies be coordinated when those interventions imply access to as well as use of and changes in management of the land?
That question becomes more important as clashes over land become more severe – as global warming, demographic change and the food crisis show.
When selecting their projects, do the humanitarian agencies take sufficient account of the requirements of sustainable development in their agricultural support programmes for people affected by armed conflicts?
One should avoid, for example, providing support for economic security programmes which would enable the communities to cultivate valuable species of trees if that were to have a devastating effect in ecological terms. That seems obvious, but is that environmental aspect always part of the assistance projects carried out by humanitarian agencies?
All in all, the issues related to land are complex, multifaceted, changing and frequently underrated. It is a good thing that they are being taken up by fora which bring together academic circles and humanitarian practitioners such as the Humanitarian Policy Group [3] at the Overseas Development Institute in London. There is no shortage of topics for deeper analysis – for example:
- the question of land rights (agriculture, cattle-raising and housing) in towns in conflict or with marked demographic growth because of the influx of displaced persons;
- the problem of camps for displaced persons or refugees, from the land-rights perspective (for example, the cost to the environment of such structures, but also the land-rights and ecological challenges presented by the unrestrained establishment of people on the move on land which does not belong to them);
- the humanitarian problems of individuals or communities which occupied the land during a conflict and which are forced to leave it once the hostilities have ended.
Our hope is that the exchange of academic knowledge and practical experience will help to make humanitarian work more effective and allow it to earn the respect of the communities for which the land is their source of livelihood but also a source of violence.
1. See also the brochure : Farming Through Conflict
2. See also the Summary of the ICRC study on customary international humanitarian law
3. See also on the Humanitarian Policy Groupwebsite :Uncharted territory: Land, conflict and humanitarian action


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Cowshed Lazy Cow Soothing Bath & Shower Gel, 300ml
Product information
Clean up and calm down with this soothing bath and shower gel from Cowshed. It's an oriental blend of essential oils of jasmine to help you relax, chamomile to calm, and sandalwood to aid contemplation. Lather over your body and rinse off or, for ultimate relaxation, pour liberally into your bath for a therapeutic soak. Leaves you feeling warm and peaceful.
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- Bath & Shower Type
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- Brand
- Eligible for International Delivery
- Size
- 300ml
Brand Story
Cowshed was founded by Nick Jones, taking its name from the formerly working cow shed of his Somerset estate. While sourcing natural products for the estate's rooms and spa, he was inspired to create a custom range of bath and body products.
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Click & collect
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- £2.00
- Collect + from a local shop from tomorrow, postcode exclusions apply
- £3.50
UK delivery
- Standard delivery within 5 working days
- £3.50
- Next or named day delivery
- £6.95
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- £9.95
International delivery not available
If you've changed your mind about keeping your purchase, please return it in its original condition with proof of purchase and we'll exchange or refund it. Unless faulty, this should be within 35 days of receiving your order. By original condition, we'd expect this to mean that you've kept packaging and labels, and that the item is undamaged and unused.
You can return for free in the UK via John Lewis shops, Royal Mail, Collect+ or MyHermes. If you need to arrange collection of large or heavy items, call us on 03456 049 049. For international returns queries, call us on +44 1698 545 454
You'll find returns information on your delivery note. Exceptions apply to certain products - find out more about our refund policy
Q & As
UK delivery£3.50
Standard delivery within 5 working days
Click & collect£2.00
Click & collect from John Lewis and Waitrose shops tomorrow from 2pm
Collect+ from a local shop from tomorrow