text:
Guinea ministerial reshuffle: a civilian government and a commitment to human rights
|International Federation for Human Rights
|Publication Date
|12 October 2012
|Cite as
|International Federation for Human Rights, Guinea ministerial reshuffle: a civilian government and a commitment to human rights, 12 October 2012, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/50879ec1c.html [accessed 19 January 2018]
|This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Last Update 12 October 2012
Back from an international mission to Guinea, FIDH and its member organisation, OGDH, welcome the annoucement of a ministerial reshuffle which removes actors allegedly responsible for impunity and creates a ministry of human rights and civil liberties.
On Friday, October 5, 2012, Mr. Sekou Kissi CAMARA, spokesperson of the governement, announced a partial ministerial reshuffle with three military officers holding governemental positions leaving: General Mamadouba Toto CAMARA, Minister of security and civilian protection, General Mathurin BANGOURA, Minister of urban planning and habitat and finally General Mamadou Korka Diallo, Minister of livestock.
For reference, these three generals were members of the National Council for development and democracy (CNDD), political organ of the junta led by Captain Moussa Dadis CAMARA from 2008 to 2009. General Mamadouba Toto Camara was the first Vice-President of the CNDD and already minister of security at the time. He was also minister of security whenthe massacre of 28 September 2009 was committed at Conakry stadium and during the following days. As a matter of fact, he is identified by the report of the United Nations International commission of inquiry, regarding the involvement of the police in these events.
Numerous victims' testimonies collected by FIDH and OGDH and different victims' associations outline the important role played by the police in the bloody repression of the demonstration which resulted in at least 157 deaths, the sexual violence, including rape, towards a hundred women and left very many wounded.
"The formation of a civilian government, which dismisses actors that held high responsibilities during serious human rights violations and particularly in 2009 is an encouraging signal of Guinean authorities' political will to strenghtening the rule of law in the country", said Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH President. "Other persons holding senior positions, notably in the security sector, allegedly responsible for severe human rights violations must also be dismissed until their actions and responsibilities in the violations perpetrated in Guinea are clarified", she added.
Furthermore, FIDH and OGDH take note of the creation of a ministry of human rights and civil liberties, assigned to Mr. Kalifa Gassama DIABY. "It is the first time in Guinea that human rights hold such a significant space in government. It is to be saluted and OGDH, with FIDH and victims' associations, are looking forward to working with this new interlocutor, and hoping that financial and human ressources will be made available", declared Thierno Maadjou Sow, OGDH President.
Our organisations also underline the reinforcement of the ministry of Justice, as it becomes a state ministry and now holds the second place in government. These decisions are part of the commitments made by the Head of State during an audience granted to a mission of the FIDH on September 27, 2012, during which the President reaffirmed his willingness to do everything necessary to have a well functioning justice system and put an end oto impunity. "The road map of the new government is clear: organise free, fair and inclusive elections as soon as possible; ensure a functional justice system, in particular in the procedures concerning serious human rights violations; and engage in the implementation of the national reconciliation process by supporting the provisional commission in charge of reconciliation (CPCRN) in the setting up of national consultations", said Souhayr Belhassen.


text:
At the center of grass roots efforts to keep Nigeria's notorious election process clean is a small, indistinguishable man armed with a cell phone…Amara, wearing a t-shirt with the phrase "Light Up Nigeria" and with his mobile phone always close by, is perhaps Nigeria's best-known Twitter activist….But as Amara tours polling stations across Lagos, he is leaving nothing to chance. He uses the internet as a platform to encourage as many people to get involved in the voting process as possible….Nigeria has 43 million Internet users — the largest in Africa — and they are increasingly using Twitter, Facebook and blogs, such as Nigeria's Saharareporters.com, to access information and make their views heard.
Read more at CNN.comTweet

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Star Wars Weekends, Weekend 1
Posted 30 June 2008 - 08:46 PM
Wednesday, JUNE 4, 2008
The Phantom Tourist
It is a period of travel. The Sith Family has downloaded the latest layout for Disney Hollywood Studios SWW and packed their bags. Having worked a full day, they are more than ready to abandon the reality that is their lives and once again assume the role of visitor to the great parks of Walt Disney World. Armed with the questions for the trivia games, the Sith races back to Disney World on Southwest Airlines....
Ok, day 1 was strictly a travel day for the three of us, Sith, Mrs. Sith and the young female Padawan. Our Flight was remarkable only in how quickly and smoothly everything went. No traffic to the airport, no hold ups at check in, a smooth quick boarding and flight. Even at baggage claim, the three bags we checked were among the first five to come out at baggage claim. Then a straight shot to the rental car section and within two minutes we were on our way to the Carribean Beach Resort. We were checked in to our room by 10:30 pm, without any holdups whatsover. The only problem with this day was that we had to plan it as a travel day (after work) so while we were glad to get down that evening, there really wasn't anything else we could do. Still we felt better about being at Walt Disney World then if we were still at home. So for all intensive purposes we were the PHANTOM TOURISTS on this day, with no one really knowing that once again the Sith were among them. (Sure it's over the top, but I chose to go in this direction and I'm going to stick with this no matter how bad it gets!)
STAR WARS WEEKENDS Episode II
Thursday, June 5th
Attack of the Clone Loving Sith Wife & Family
It is the day before Star Wars Weekends. The Sith Family, huge fans of Disney's Hollywood Studios, also has found itself repeatedly drawn to the Magic Kingdom. The basic plan for SWW already laid out, this is the day to experience everything NOT Star Wars. It is a day of rides, shopping and a date with CHAOS....
Our first real day to enjoy the WDW was spent at the Magic Kingdom. Now we didn't show up early. No we opted for a more reserved approach since we had just arrived the night before and would be getting up early for SWW on Friday. Of course we knew that one of our favorite rides, Pirates of the Carribean was closed (it closed that day!) for refurbishment, but there was still pleanty to do.
We started with something sweet at the Main Street Bakery :twisted: . This is a great way to start any day. Then it was on to rides. My daughter loves Big Thunder Mountain, so we made sure to head straight out for that. a turn on Haunted Mansion (another FAV) and a sitting with Philharmagic to get things started. The park was pretty busy, but not terrible. We hit the Tea Cups, the Motor Speedway, and just about anything that didn't have a long wait. My daughter nervously looked at Space Mountain, which she had never been on before, but the wait was too long so the 9 year old would have to wait. We kept a leisurely pace because we knew what Friday would be like.
When the heat started to get bad, we decided to go back to the resort and play in the pool (but not before grabbing a Mickey Bar ). We thought it better to relax and besides, we had dinner reservations that night at Ohana.
We were fortunate enough to be joined by Orlando's newest resident, StudiosCentral's own, Glenn for dinner on this night. Sure, he moved to Orlando and we made him go to dinner at a Hawaiian style place. Only a Sith could be this evil. :twisted: Anyhow we had a great time catching up with Glenn and hearing about the big move east. The Padawan questioned him about Hawaiian entertainment and came away from the evening thinking Glenn had suffered a coconut injury during one of the regularly held neighborhood coconut races. For the record, while I admit to helping purpetuate this falsehood, Glenn did little to distance himself from this story. As a matter of fact, I just recounted this tale to my daughter as I put her to bed tonight and she wanted me to tell Glenn she wasn't very happy to find out that he was pulling her leg. Ahhh, my Padawan, allow me to introduce you to Glenn, aka CHAOS.
Anyway, the evening was great. I was even recruited to dance with the Padawan. Despite the deception, my daughter had a great time, and we very much enjoyed Glenn's company.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and it was SWW eve, so it was back to the resort and off to bed for the Sith Family. We knew we would see Glenn on and off throughout weekends because he had (despite my reluctance) talked me into scheduling a lunch for StudiosCentral members on Saturday and that he would also be in attendance for Matt's special Dinner on Sunday. So there was a lot to do in the coming days, and everyone was ready to get SWW going!
.....NEXT, Return of the Sith
The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be ...unnatural.
POFQ May 16-19
Posted 01 July 2008 - 11:09 AM
Posted 02 July 2008 - 07:57 PM
QuickGold said:
No doubt, but the quick pull off the baggage claim didn't hurt any. It was a full flight on the way down, so it was nice to feel that things were going my way... for a change.
The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be ...unnatural.
POFQ May 16-19
Posted 04 July 2008 - 01:06 PM
Friday, June 6th
Return of the Sith
It is a period of waiting in line. The Sith family has arrived at the park early, but not wildly early so as to be amongst the "campers" who are at the head of the lines. The divide and conquer plan is in full swing with the Dark Lord of the Sith and his Padawan in line for Jeremy Bulloch, while Mrs. Sith has taken her annual position in the Merchandise line. Both struggle to find shade in the MUSTAFAR heat that is rapidly building, hoping that the knowledge accumulated in the past will be enough to help them now.....
Finally, Star Wars Weekends, and the heat does not dissapoint. Right out of the gate you could tell it was going to be a hot day. My daughter was dressed in her Padme, MUSTAFAR outfit which I couldn't help but feel was appropriate in the heat. One of the neat things in the lines after having done this for a few years is seeing familiar faces. It isn't that everyone knows each other, but you just recognize some of the people. We found Glenn to be about 25 people ahead of my wife in the merchandies line, but otherwise can't say that I saw anyone I knew right off the bat. So as always we made new aquaintences with the people around us in line. The only dissapointment on this first day for me was that right off the bat they brought the lines into the park and periodically kept bringing them forward to the point where once the Storm Troopers came out for their morning routine, we were too far away and around the corner to even know about it. :x
With the lack of entertainment, my daughter took the opportunity to explore the smaller wildlife near the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular while we waited for our fast pass.
She was quite pleased with the tiny snail she found.
After getting our fast passes and finding where Mrs. Sith was in the merchandise we moved on to see where things stood for the Parade and Jedi Training Academy. The CM's that I talked to were suggesting getting into the Parade was like a Year of a Million Dreams type of thing (althought that isn't really how it is presented). Basically we struck out on the Parade for this fist day, but I did finally speak to someone who gave me a better idea of how things would be working, so Saturday looked like a better opportunity.
We did try for the first Jedi Training Academy. There is no real science here other then just trying to be noticed among the multitude of waiving and yelling kids.
Basically it is put the child on your shoulders, wait, make some noise and hope for the best. This failed to work the first time, but we did manage to come back later that day and get in. I guess the only dissapointment was that by that time, the Padawan had gotten hot and been taken out of costume.
So after our failed attempt, we made tracks for Star Tours (needed a quick ride after all that waiting), looked around at the available merchandise at Tattoine Traders and then met back up with Mrs. Sith. From there it was on to characters including Prince Caspian. We found the line for Darth Goofy, Princess Leia Minnie and Storm Trooper Donald, but it was incredibly long and we weren't up to more waiting.
The only dissapointment here was that we would later find out that this was the best and only opportunity to get all three of them together unless you were there at the time of their change over. By Saturday, Goofy and Donald would work 20 minutes, Leia Minnie would take the next 20 Minutes and contrary to reports Jedi Mickey returned and he would take 20 minutes. The rotation would remain like this for the rest of the weekend.
Of course it's fun anytime the characters are around. I just love Goofy's boxers!!!
Donald looks great as a Storm Trooper. I think he needs to be given an honorary membership to the 501st, but then I'm not a member, so what do I know.
After the Great Movie Ride we went through the merchandise area so I could get a peak. While getting in there I used the information Glenn and my wife had found and ordered three of the four Big FIGs for this year. I just won't buy Jar Jar at that price, even if he is the ONLY ONE I don't have. Then we got some more water went back to JTA and get the Padawan in.
This year was fun because it was the first time she had gotten to fight Darth Maul The only dissapointment was that we did not get a good shot of her during the epic battle. Too many people moving around, but she had a good time.
As soon as she was done turning the Sith away at JTA it was time for our fast pass with Jeremy Bulloch. The heat was starting to get to us so we decided this would be the last thing for SWW on this day.
It wasn't until after our meeting with Jeremy that we discovered he was also selling his book "Flying Solo". We missed this completely since it was on the other side of him from the line waiting to meet with him. So we left mildly happy with how things had gone on that first day, but struggling a little with the new layout of things. The event characters were now much more spread out, which was helping with traffic flow, but made it difficult to time meeting any charcaters much less find them.
After a small, AIR CONDITIONED nap, we set out for the Magic Kingdom (Extra Magic Hours that night) and dinner at Crystal Palace with Pooh and Friends.
Then it was off to as many rides as we could cram in. Big Thunder Mountain is fun at night, Haunted Mansion, walked all over the Swiss Family Robinson area and did our best to canvass the park. Then after several attempts where the line was just too long, very late, I did get the little one onto Space Mountain! She loved it, so now there is yet another milestone reached. All in all, a very good day, but there is much unfinished business at SWW including lunch and the big dinner.
The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be ...unnatural.
POFQ May 16-19
Posted 04 July 2008 - 09:15 PM
Posted 05 July 2008 - 09:36 AM
QuickGold said:
Paitience my friend.... that was Saturday, which I hope to write about sooner than later (yes I'm dragging this out painfully).
The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be ...unnatural.
POFQ May 16-19
Posted 05 July 2008 - 03:25 PM
Matt, maybe by SWW 2009 he'll be finished with it
Posted 05 July 2008 - 06:11 PM
Figaro said:
I forgot which day we were at, my mistake.
Posted 05 July 2008 - 06:18 PM
The Dark Lord of the Sith said:
Oh no...Saturday? *sigh* I have a feeling the word "CHAOS" will be used more than a few times. :?
The reigning Star Wars Trivia Champion - 2008 and 2009
"Upon entering the theater, please move as far to the end of the row as possible. Stopping in the middle is distinctly unpatriotic."
Posted 07 July 2008 - 10:30 PM
Saturday, June 7th
A New ADR
It is a day of New Hope. The Sith Family returns to Disney's Hollywood Studios to correct the mistakes of the previous day. There are events to sign up for, people to meet up with and a lunch event that had been the idea of one Glenn Sonoda . With all the pieces in place, it was merely a question of setting everything in motion. It all depended on each piece doing its part. One misstep and there was no telling what might happen next. It was our only Hope....
I'd like to tell you that this is what I was looking at on that Saturday morning. I'd like to tell you that I took this picture. Alas, not so. Mrs. Sith did take this, but as for myself I was no where near here. Nope, you see the Sith Lord himself left the Carribean Beach Resort to bring the family in on this day, only to realize in his sleepy state that he had left the park passes at the Resort :spear: . At this point I had already recieved one message from StudioCentral's own Matt asking me if I was there yet, :king: and flustered by my foolish mistake I dropped the family off at the gate and ran back to the car. (Yes I know I could have done this differently, but I was not AWAKE yet! :sleep: ) I then drove back to the resort, got the passes and raced back to DHS.
NOTE: It is worth pointing out that the Carribean Beach Resort is very conveniently located near the DHS. This Sith gives it three thumbs up
Of course I remembered that I could have just gotten new Annual Passes made up at the Park Entrance... just about the time I pulled out my resort key to get into CBR. Of course by now that info was just too late. So by the time I raced back, and I did make very good time, the gates were being opened and people were being waived in just as I arrived. :x Thankfully Mrs. Sith video taped the Storm Trooper routine for me. But I can now admit, I never saw it myself.
Of course through all of this Matt caught the gist of what was going on and informed me that I could get the passes done there at the ticket booth. To quote Mr. Solo, "I've got a bad feeling about this!"
Immediately I was off to see if I could sign the little one up for the trivia and the Parade. Mrs. Sith went to get a fast pass for Daniel Logan. At the events table "we ran into some old friends" (Leia, Ep IV).
It had been a few years since we had last seen Figaro's family, the last time being at a Star Wars Weekends #1 meet set up by Matt for the Website. With two young ones roughly the same age, it doesn't take long for everyone to quickly get comfortable again, much to everyone's amusement. Still this Sith is watching this carefully! It is mentioned that we have some openings for the lunch and Kim takes a reluctant wait and see approach. Ah a vet who understands that the future is tough to predict.
I've managed to sign my daughter up for the trivia only to then get her in the parade, which needs to meet about the same time as the trivia starts. At this point we make the exectuive decision that the Parade would be the best choice since I knew by talking to Matt that there might be trivia for the children at the Dinner on Sunday. At this point we went off with Mr. Hochberg towards Star Tours where we met up with some new friends who braved the heat and went with the full costume. They looked impressive and made me once again wish that I would just go ahead and ignore the heat. But I am weak in the MUSTAFAR like conditions. Anyway, P8nsVAgrl's family looked great and it was fun meeting them.
After this, my Padawan, Matt and myself took a ride on Star Tours just to get things going a bit. We then all agreed that we wanted to see the new meet and greet area for Darth Goofy, Minnie Leia and S.T. Donald. We really wanted to get a picture with them. Upon arriving there we found that Jedi Mickey was now in fact part of the regular rotation.
Knowing that the line was going to be long no matter when we tried, we jumped in and waited for our opportunity... and waited... and waited. Matt put a Jedi Mind trick on the beverage stand and got some Free Water for the Sith Family. Ahh, the tricks of the pros. Then right before our opportunity to have pictures with Darth Goofy and S.T. Donald, the switch was on... POOF, they left and we had a solo (no pun intended) meet and greet with Leia Minnie. This is OK, but not what we were hoping for. I personally was feeling as though there was a repeating theme to this day. Anyway, Mrs. Sith opted to take the picture and we talked Matt into getting in on one of the shots. There was some confussion however as Minnie scolded Matt and I over our water cups. Apparently even in a Galaxy Far, Far Away, they are afraid of staining the whites. (Note: Laundry will not improve in the future) Minnie litterally made us go put our cups down before she would let us near her, so in the end we were a little dissorganized for our photo. I'll blame the pressure of the people waiting behind us.
Ok... I'm picking up the pace...
Next Mrs. Sith and the Padawan had to go to get ready for the Parade. Matt and I left for Wicket's Warehouse, where we knew Glenn was already in line for a meet with Star Wars author Troy Denning. At this time we also met up with Kathyj0. The lines alway present a great opportunity to talk about different things. The only problem was that time was getting away from me. The line wasn't moving very fast. :shock: --Ok no big suprise, but I wanted this autograph of my book and we had another copy that we wanted signed for someone else. I needed to get out for the Parade (which I got better on video then I did with the camera). Matt & Kathyj0 were kind enough to help me out by getting the autographs for me. I would have liked to have met Mr. Denning, but I can't thank those two enough for bailing me out.
The Parade went by quick, although the small spot of shade that I had found with a few other strangers moved even faster yet. The heat was ON! Immediately following the Parade it was time to meet up with my family, get back with Matt, Kathyj0, Glenn and his father. Then it was time to find the other participants in the Saturday LUNCH. This as you might guess would prove to be somewhat CHAOTIC (ding).
Yes, this plan for lunch went just as one might suspect it would if they put Glenn in the lead. Maybe it was the laid back Hawaiin approach. Maybe it was out of everyone's control.... no... it was left in the hands of CHAOS. What we had was a lunch start time, but no definative meeting place. A few of the participants it appeared would not be making it.... (ahem Blixit and Marrissa), so we had some holes in the reservation. Then we needed a head count. Matt volunteered to get this started. We took his head count and gave it to the hostess. Shortly there after the women in the group (Mrs. Sith, Kathy... and one other... ah yes Pittising- great girl!) pointed out that the head count was wrong. I asked Glenn if he knew what it should be (note: don't ask CHAOS). At this point we knew we had room for more people and were able to drag Figaro's family into the mix. This required another head count which apparently I couldn't do right either... as pointed out by the women. After giving the Hostess four different head counts in a ten minute time period, we opted to just keep our mouths shut and get seated... we'd figure it out later.
Lunch was a lot of fun. There were 15 of us I think (Glenn was in charge of the head count after we decided Matt was too distracted to do an adequate job). This was a blast except that one end of the table was too far away from the other to communicate. Seems like just the type of thing that Glenn might plan. Then my daughter, who at this point was sitting with Figaro's DS points out to the entire table that the lighting in Mamma Melrose's is "romantic". ------CHECK PLEASE-------- Everyone got a good chuckle out of her comment... except me. I was looking for a drink.
At the end of the meal we realized that everyone was on one check to that point. So our waiter had to break up the entire check by guests. Another oversight by the oversite committee. As I pointed out then to everyone, Glenn scheduled this meal. Chaos insued.
Despite the chaos, I did enjoy the company of Pitti-sing, Figaro's family (as long as the boy is at a safe distance from my padawan), Kathyj0, Glenn & his father during the meal. (The rest of you were too far away! Blame Chaos!) It was a great group of Disney fans!
After lunch it was back to work.
Daniel Logan is a FAV of my little one. She has now met him 3 times and her reaction hasn't changed. She gets very embarrassed when I point out to him what a fan she is. :oops:
After this I ran back to see Jeremy Bulloch and try and purchase his book. I was able to get one of the last two copies he had and meet his lovely wife. We had a very nice conversation about the event in general, then I asked her about the book. She told me that yes she could get me one of them and then dropped the price on me. The book was $60 cash. Partially because of who I was talking to and how long I had efforted this (your getting the condensed version) I agreed to pay the Bounty on this book. At that point I realized I might not have that much cash on me. Fortunately I found a crumpled $5 in my back pocket which gave me $61. I had it covered.
At this point it was 2:30 in the afternoon. We made plans to meet Matt and Marrissa later for the Behind the Force show @5pm, then went to the CBR to crash for a while.
Upon returning to DHS we finally met Ashoka.
Then met up with Matt and Marrissa. My daughter thinks Marrissa is just so sweet and pretty. She pointed out that she is very happy for you Matt!
We caught the Behind the Force program, which was interesting to me, because of the animation, but also was designed to whip up some enthusiasm for going to see the film in August.
Then it was off for photos with Storm Troopers and Darth Vader
At this point we were torturing Matt, Marrissa and Newell with our line waiting and photo ops.
Then it was finally time for the Hoopla. Now the Hoopla is corny fun. A good chance to see the SW characters in funny situations and such. This years was no exception with the dance off. Overall, I didn't go crazy for it, but the Darth Vader/Storm Troopers dance was hysterical in my opinion. Very well done. Overall this would grade out to be a "B".
With that our Saturday had ended. It was a day marred by problems that continued to produce great moments and fun. One big day remained. One more chance to experience SWW. Still that disturbance in the Force wasn't just that my daughter was looking forward to seeing Figaro's son at the dinner again... no that was troubling enough but there was still the sense that there was still something out of our control. Something ellusive. Even on Sunday, at Matt's big event you had to wonder what sort of chaos might be in store for everyone!
---Yes I know this is WAY TOO LONG.... It's almost over now.
The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be ...unnatural.
POFQ May 16-19
Posted 08 July 2008 - 06:56 AM
I'm sure it was great.
Posted 08 July 2008 - 11:15 AM
Saturday was a really fun day and I got to meet for the first time many folks from this site, which was a lot of fun. I wish you all could have been at Mama Melrose for the "romantic" comment that Colin's daughter made because it was the funniest (and cutest) thing I've heard in a long time. Once my wedding is over with, I'll have Marissa share notes with Ally
Posted 08 July 2008 - 04:53 PM
Posted 08 July 2008 - 06:44 PM
Jeanine said:
Posted 08 July 2008 - 09:10 PM
QuickGold said:
Um - yea - I think maybe you did. :joker:
Posted 09 July 2008 - 09:53 AM
Lunch was wonderful. Thanks so much for letting me tag along. And agree with Jeanine, I hadn't eaten there for years. It was much better than I remembered.
Now I just need to figure out how not to need two weeks to recover from my vacation. :mrgreen:
Posted 09 July 2008 - 11:16 AM
Posted 14 July 2008 - 09:32 PM
Now... Disneyland.
The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be ...unnatural.
POFQ May 16-19
Posted 29 July 2008 - 10:23 PM
Sunday, June 8th
StudiosCentral Strikes Back
For the past two years something has been missing from Star Wars Weekends. While it was obvious that the Force was strong with this event, there was room for more, and the Sith always want MORE. With the final day of Star Wars Weekends, weekend #1, the Webmaster from StudiosCentral.com has planned the ultimate fun. The sinister plan to flush out Star Wars and StudiosCentral.com fans/geeks/webheads would add something to this weekend that Disney could not have anticipated.... the one event that could possibly make up for the loss of the events from years gone bye. Armed with questions, the Sith Lord anxiously awaits this opportunity to go back stage and enjoy the magical world in this new Empire...
The early part of Sunday was really about relaxing and catching our breath. We went to Downtown Disney to go through the shops, pick up a gift or two, but otherwise slow our pace. We did stop at the Ghiredeli (sp) store where my wife talked me into purchasing some high dollar coffee, something I've stayed away from to this point. Let me just say that while in principle I can't stand the idea of the cost involved, if you ever get the chance, a Cafe Mocha from this little establishment is now what I consider a major element in the true power of the Darkside! As of today I have tried this several other places and can say that I still haven't had it as good as I tasted on that day.
We waited until later to go back to the park and look over the merchandise one last time. Some of the items I knew I couldn't purchase at this time, but wanted to look over one last time. I really wish I had taken the time to go with Matt to meet the artist involved with the watches this year. I did like to work there as well as the coin set.
I had to stay away from these items because I had already ordered three of the Big Figs from this year, although I knew they would not be available for several months. (I'm still waiting on them as of this writing and don't expect them anytime soon.)
Shortly following all of this was the main event, the StudiosCentral.com Star Wars Dinner. Matt did a great job with setting this up and getting it to come to reality. The dinner was in the backlot area over by Wickets Warehouse in a place called the Prop room. This contained all sorts of things from ABC tv shows, Disney shows as well as park events such as Parades and Star Wars Weekends. There was something everywhere you looked. In the center tables were set up throughout the room and a large Buffet was set up to start things off. Just as everyone was getting settled, three Storm Troopers entered the room and briefly interogated Matt to the amusement of everyone gathered. It was a fun, unexpected exchange that gave everyone a laugh. Then after a brief speech from our Webmaster, it was time to eat. At my table I had Mrs. Sith, my daughter, Pitti-sing (Hope), Glenn (aka CHAOS), Glenn's Father, Kathy whom we were glad we could force her to join us, ACP (Andrew) and one other young Man who for the life of me I can't remember his name, Jordan? (Please forgive me for not remembering, names are my weakness!) Andrew had literally just gotten in from England so we had some fun discussing his arrival and where his internal clock was currently set at. Later we were joined by Marissa who my family was glad to see again. I really enjoyed everyone at this table. What a great group of Disney Fans, and since Glenn and I had nothing to do with planning this event, CHAOS was held in check.
Really a big part of the success of this evening was the wonderful people who came out for it. The total enjoyment of sitting down and exploring the common interests everyone has in Star Wars (OK, Kathy was trying hard here), Disney and the parks just made it a very easy way to have a great time. That was the true mark of the success for this event. Hearing the stories of Hope getting picked up in the early morning hours to get in line for autographs, the latest on Toy Story Mania and what sort of problems they were encountering, not to mention the LONG wait times. It was a lot of fun! But there was still more to come.
Matt had quietly decided that one of the things we would do at this event was a Trivia Contest, one each for the children and the adults. Matt wanted to keep this quiet to be a suprise. To help, I volunteered to put together the questions for this which in turn (by my own doing) took me out of participation. We started with the kids trivia, which I had worried about making too difficult in the case of there being some children that were not ...well.... that strong in the Force. Quickly the audience found out that I was wrong about this as we went from question to question with all of the children getting them right. Matt kept looking over at me in a -these are going to get harder soon right?- kind of way, and with things starting to get chaotic, I think we finally skipped ahead some. Finally we started to get some of the children to miss a few, including my Padawan, who looked at me when she messed up and let me know I shouldn't have had a question like that on the list. :spear: Ahhhh, good little Sith. In the end, the winner was the son of StudiosCentrals own Figaro (Kim)! It was fun to see him win and go over the prizes. He was very kind to my daughter and shared one of the prizes with her that he was sure wouldn't survive at this home, an inflatable chair. (I'm watching that boy!!! ) Each of the children were given a goody bag of prizes for participating and all went away having a good time.
Next was the adult Trivia. This amusingly enough started out like the childrens trivia with the adults standing tall in the line of questioning. I guess I was just being too easy on everyone. Finally we kicked up the level of difficulty and started weeding people out only in the end to find out that in fact CHAOS would reign supreme. The winner turned out to be StudiosCentral's own Glenn Sonoda. :shock: Unbelieveable! Matt gave away several great prizes to the top three contestants and really did a great job. Still, Chaos the winner!?! I couldn't have been happier for him, but I have vowed that if such an opportunity every presents itself again, I'm playing.... It's game on!!! Sith vs. Chaos! (I didn't know the prizes were going to be that cool. I've been kicking myself ever since!)
After the trivia we mingled for a short while more. I met several more members of the posting community, some that we talked into going on the trip during a chat (OK there were at least three of you there) and others who didn't need as much convincing like our own .el_strategista. I know one from the former group who should have participated in the trivia contest, but she shall remain nameless. (You know who you are ahem....-cough- Kara-!) :mrgreen:
The event was a big success in my minds eye. It was a little bit of everything. Not all Star Wars (there's always room for more Star Wars!) and not all Disney. I'd love to think this might happen again, but 2009 is a ways off. Great job Matt!
As we were getting ready to leave Figaro's son and my daughter sought out Kim and I to BEG for a trip to the Magic Kingdom. We had already planned to close out our last evening with the Extra Magic Hours offered there and apparently the little ones were going to take full advantage of the opportunity. Matt as usual found this very ammusing as did Kim, Marissa and my wife. I found this somewhat less amusing than the others :? , but hey, what could a Sith do? Anyway, at this point the two children are on their knees begging at my feet, (this works well for me) and with Kim's husband offering to take the youngest child back to the resort, the remaining five of us agreed that we could make this work and piled into our rental car, heading out for a night at the Magic Kindom! There was no telling what might come of this.
To be continued.....
The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be ...unnatural.
POFQ May 16-19
Posted 30 July 2008 - 11:12 AM


text:
I'm Christian, and I'm born again,
By which I mean, I'm not.
My faith is not the simple faith
A True Believer's got,
But something more ephemeral
Which cannot be defined;
I'd tell you all about it, but
I'm rather disinclined.
But yes, I am a Christian–though
I mostly don't believe;
To treat me as a strawman, why,
It's really quite naive.
I've simply re-defined the words
As what they mean to me;
I've decked my church in camouflage,
It's your fault you can't see!
Inspired by a bit of conversation, starting more or less here, in which a real-life example of Humpty Dumpty expects readers to understand that by "Christian", he means atheist, and by "God", he means "the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom". Really, how could people be so dense as not to understand when he uses those terms?
`When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, `it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'
`The question is,' said Alice, `whether you can make words mean so many different things.'


text:
this is the Lowry I want
he has had 3 ast to Amir ... 2 Amir passed to Acy and the missed dunk over tele-tubby
and of course two real ast
damn wish that was a 4 pt play
Ross didn't have an amazing game but man is he something special hope Lowry gets the start tomorrow
did not see a foul there, unless he hit his head.. couldnt tell on that angle
Why does Lowry always hit a bunch of ridiculous 3s when we're just out of reach of winning games?
Oh dear god what a call. Shouldn't be mad since the game is over. Gotta love the fire Lowry is playing with!! another 3!
19 pts in half the quarter
Save these threes for another game
1 more basket and lowry breaks the franchise record for pts in a quarter
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text:
By Edwin C. Darden
A punch in the eye seems so passé. Bullies these days are traveling in packs and using cyberspace to their humiliating messages online. Like the toughies of old, they are both boys and girls and they demand nothing less than total submission as the price of peace.
It's a jungle out there.
For school districts, patrolling the hallways and adjacent grounds is just a start. In the 21st century, a new kind of vigilance is necessary—an expanded jurisdiction that serves to both stave off legal actions and ensure a safe and productive learning environment.
Today's principals rely on district policy and practice to extend the presumed long arm of the law to off-campus incidents. Potentially, that could mean plunging headlong into the electronic frontier to rescue student victims and thwart cyberbullying classmates who thrive as faceless computer culprits.
Last month we looked at cybersullying, the phenomenon in which teachers or other school employees misuse technology to the point where it affects their job. This month we focus on the student side of the equation, and how the Internet, phones, and other devices become 21st Century bullying tools.
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Copyright © 2018, National School Boards Association. American School Board Journal is an editorially independent publication of the National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed by this magazine or any of its authors do not necessarily reflect positions of the National School Boards Association. Within the parameters of fair use, this article may be printed out and photocopied for individual use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise, linked, transmitted, or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6739.
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text:
Beaufort County football scrimmage canceled, Cribb says Bluffton 'ready' for season
The Bluffton High football team lost its final chance to hold a preseason dress rehearsal when last Friday's Beaufort County School District scrimmage was canceled because of inclement weather.
But fourth-year coach Ken Cribb said that wasn't going to affect the Bobcats' preparedness for their season opener Friday at Whale Branch.
"We're ready," Cribb said. "It's going to be fun Friday. (The players) are going to go hard, there's no doubt about that."
As evening thunderstorms rolled in, and with no scrimmage to play, Cribb and his staff ran his players through a workout inside the gymnasium.
Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, Whale Branch, Battery Creek and Ridgeland-Hardeeville had been scheduled to visit Bobcat Stadium for the scrimmage. School district spokesman Jim Foster said Friday afternoon the field was saturated and more storms were expected, so officials decided to cancel.
Cribb said his biggest regret about the cancellation was he wouldn't get a chance to scout the other teams. Bluffton had been set to scrimmage Battery Creek for a half. The Bobcats will play Beaufort, Hilton Head, Whale Branch and Ridgeland-Hardeeville in the regular season.
The Bobcats were already on schedule with their preseason preparations after hosting scrimmages against Bamberg-Ehrhardt and Bishop England in the previous seven days, Cribb said.
Though he lamented a high number of penalties immediately following the Bishop England scrimmage Tuesday, Cribb said a look at the game film made him feel better. Bluffton played well on both sides of the ball in the 38-6 victory and the penalties are correctable, he said.
Oftentimes, coaches notice laundry lists of mistakes on film they don't see from the sideline, but Cribb said he had the opposite experience with Tuesday's scrimmage.
"Usually watching film you get more flustered, but I got more excited. I thought we hit on all cylinders. We just kept shooting ourselves in the foot," Cribb said.
"You can tell they learned between the first scrimmage and the second one."
Senior Michael Meyerink said he noticed similar improvement between the two scrimmages. Bluffton spent more time game-planning for Bishop England, he said, which made the defense more prepared.
Meyerink is one of nine new starters on the Bobcats' defense, though he has gotten his share of experience with the varsity as a reserve linebacker. The unit will try Friday night to match last year's stellar performance against Whale Branch, which Bluffton won 50-0 with two defensive touchdowns.
Through preseason camp, Meyerink said, the defense has been more aggressive than last season. The new starters just need to carry that over into a regular-season game.
"I believe if we have the practices (this week) we have been having, I think we'll do just fine," Meyerink said.
What: Bluffton High football opener at Whale Branch
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Whale Branch High School


text:
American Samoa Gov't v. Person,
AMERICAN SAMOA GOVERNMENT, Plaintiff,
MANAIA PEARSON, Defendant.
High Court ofAmerican Samoa
Trial Division
CR No. 48-97
CR No. 23-99
January 25, 2000
[1] The burden is on an accused to show both that his counsel acted incompetently and that without such incompetence, the case would likely have resulted in a different outcome.
[2] Criminal defense attorneys are presumed to be effective.
[3] An attorney's legal advice is unconstitutionally deficient if it fails to meet the standard of "a reasonably competent attorney" in a criminal case.
[4] Advising a client to plead guilty can meet the standard for effective assistance of counsel if that advice falls within the range of competent representation under the circumstances. [4ASR3d57]
[5] A defendant cannot successfully claim coercion simply because he pled guilty after relying on counsel's recommendation.
[6] The fear of receiving a greater sentence does not negate the voluntariness of a plea.
[7] The number and length of meetings between a defendant and his counsel do not alone determine whether counsel rendered adequate advice.
[8] One meeting between a defendant and counsel may be sufficient to afford the defendant an adequate opportunity to understand a plea agreement.
[9] A guilty plea is valid only if it is voluntarily and intelligently made.
[10] A guilty plea is voluntarily and intelligently made if it is done with sufficient awareness of the relevant circumstances and likely consequences.
[11] For a plea agreement to be valid, the government must honor its plea bargain with the defendant.
[12] In determining the scope of a plea agreement, the Court looks to the reasonable understanding of the parties.
[13] Where government had promised not to recommend any specific sentence beyond what was recommended by the probation officer, and then, when probation officer made no recommendation, advocated the maximum sentence for two counts, to run consecutively, prosecutor breached promise that was part of plea agreement.
[14] It is irrelevant whether a breach of the plea agreement is intentional or not, it is a breach nonetheless.
[15] Even where Court is uninfluenced by the prosecutor's sentencing recommendation, due process requires that the sentence be vacated.
[16] There is no such thing as harmless error in sentencing when a prosecutor has breached a plea agreement.
[17] The proper remedy for breach of a promise to refrain from making a sentencing recommendation is resentencing before judges different than those who imposed the sentence.
[18] Where defendant's sentence had been vacated and he had received new date for sentencing by different judges, he nonetheless was not [4ASR3d58] entitled reasonable bail prior to the new sentencing hearing based on his guilty pleas and previous attempt to escape the territory.
Before RICHMOND, Associate Justice, and ATIULAGI, Associate Judge.
Counsel: For Plaintiff, Frederick J. O'Brien, Assistant Attorney General
For Defendant, Stephen R. Ford
On August 9, 1999, Defendant Manaia Pearson ("Pearson") moved to withdraw his guilty pleas. During his sentencing on August 2, 1999, Pearson orally made the same motion, arguing ineffective assistance of counsel. He made the present motion on this ground for reconsideration of the Court's denial of the oral motion on August 2. Pearson also sought our reconsideration of the judgment and sentence to the same end, arguing breach of the plea agreement during sentencing by Plaintiff American Samoa Government ("ASG").
The plea agreement filed in these consolidated actions on June 11, 1999 was signed by Pearson, Assistant Public Defender Patricia Penn ("Penn"), Pearson's counsel at that time, and ASG's counsel. The agreement provided for Pearson's proposed pleas of guilty in CR No. 48-97 to the crimes of attempted burglary in the second degree, Count 1 of the Information as amended, and unlawful use of a weapon, Count 3 of the Information; and in CR No. 23-99 to the crime of attempted flight to avoid prosecution, Count 1 of the Information as amended. Upon the Court's acceptance of these pleas, ASG agreed to move for dismissal of the remaining counts in the Information in CR No. 48-97.
The plea agreement further stated that ASG would limit its sentencing recommendation in CR No. 48-97 to support of the probation officer's recommendation set forth in the presentence report, but that each side would be free to make its own sentencing recommendation in CR No. 23-99. The agreement expressly recognized that sentencing recommendations were not binding on the Court, and that the Court retained complete discretion to impose any punishment authorized by law.
In addition, the plea agreement provided that during the Court's inquiry into the facts of the offenses for the basis of the guilty pleas, Pearson would testify completely and truthfully about his knowledge of the removal of ASG's file in CR No. 48-97 from the Attorney General's [4ASR3d59] Office. Pearson was also to so testify, if necessary, at the preliminary examination and trial of any criminal prosecution for the file removal.[1] The agreement stipulated that ASG would not prosecute Pearson for any crime he may have committed in connection with the file removal.
On June 22, 1999, the plea agreement was presented to the Court. The Court ascertained that Pearson knew the nature of and maximum punishments for the offenses to which he agreed to enter pleas of guilty, admonished him of his constitutional rights in criminal prosecutions, and determined that he was not induced to enter the proposed pleas as a result of the use or threat of force against his person or of improper promises. We advised him that sentencing was in the Court's sole discretion and he would not be allowed to withdraw his guilty pleas if the Court did not accept counsel's sentencing recommendations. Pearson entered pleas of guilty and testified as proposed by the agreement. We found that his pleas were entered knowingly and voluntarily, with an attorney's advice, and upon a factual basis. We also granted ASG's motion to dismiss the remaining counts in CR No. 48-97.
On July 19, 1999, the initial date scheduled for sentencing, Pearson orally requested that he wanted counsel Penn replaced. We rescheduled sentencing to July 29, 1999 and directed Penn to file a proper motion to substitute counsel. That motion was filed on July 27, 1999, with Pearson's handwritten request attached. Sentencing was postponed to August 2, 1999. On August 2, Pearson separately filed another handwritten motion to substitute counsel. We denied both motions. Pearson then orally moved to withdraw his guilty pleas, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. We denied that motion. The Probation Officer left the sentence up to the Court without any specific recommendation in the presentence report or at the sentencing. ASG recommended maximum, consecutive sentences of five years imprisonment each for the three offenses. Although ASG's recommendation was only incidental to our sentencing decision, we did [4ASR3d60] sentence Pearson to the maximum of five years' imprisonment on each of the three offenses, to run consecutively.
On August 9, 1999, Penn timely moved to reconsider the judgment and sentence and the motions to substitute counsel and to withdraw the guilty pleas. She also separately moved to be replaced as counsel. On August 11, 1999, we granted the motion to substitute counsel and scheduled due dates for filing briefs on the remaining two issues for reconsideration, Pearson on August 30, 1999, and ASG on September 8, 1999. Pearson's option to file a reply brief was left open. On August 13, 1999, Pearson's present counsel was appointed. Pearson also filed another handwritten motion to vacate the judgment and sentence. Pearson asked to withdraw his guilty pleas, again on grounds of ineffective assistance of counsel and added breach of the plea agreement by ASG's counsel. Pearson's present counsel filed a brief on August 30, 1999 that addresses these grounds.[2] Our discussion of the various pending motions will deal with these issues. Arguments were heard in due course on December 9, 1999, with Pearson and both counsel present.[3]
A. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
Pearson argues that Penn, his prior counsel, rendered ineffective assistance as his attorney in several particulars urged in his handwritten brief filed on August 13, 1999, and his present counsel's brief filed on August 30, 1999. He asserts that he wished to proceed to trial. However, Pearson claims that he was never able to thoroughly discuss the case with Penn and was thus deprived of adequate opportunity to develop possible defenses to the charges against him. Instead, he states that Penn merely advised him that any judge would find him guilty and that this advice instilled in him fear of greater punishment. The situation led to the plea agreement. Pearson further asserts that Penn still did not fully advise him on the nature of all the charges against him, especially those to which he plead guilty, or the plea taking process, to enable him to make an informed decision about entering guilty pleas. He claims that [4ASR3d61] Penn only urged him to plead guilty to lower possible penalties and gain dismissal of some charges. He also states that Penn met with him only once after he entered the guilty pleas and did not give him a copy of the plea agreement until the night before the sentencing. In sum, Pearson claims that he received such ineffective assistance of counsel that his guilty pleas were effectively coerced and were not freely and voluntarily made. He therefore argues that he should be allowed to withdraw his guilty pleas.
[1-3] The burden is on Pearson to show both that his counsel acted incompetently and that counsel's error would likely have resulted in a different outcome. Saucily v. Tu`ufuli, 6 A.S.R.2d 15, 20 (Trial Div. 1987). In order to overcome the strong presumption of effectiveness, a defendant attacking counsel's effectiveness must show specific unreasonable errors and a reasonable likelihood that absence of those errors would have changed the result of the case. Id. An attorney's legal advice is unconstitutionally deficient if it fails to meet the standard of "a reasonably competent attorney" in a criminal case. McMann v. Richardson, 397 U.S. 759, 770 (1970).
[4-6] Counsel can meet the constitutional standard for effective assistance by advising a client to plead guilty if that advice falls within the range of competent representation under the circumstances. Saucily, 6 A.S.R.2d at 20 (quoting United States v. Cronic, 466 U.S. 648, 656 n.19 (1984)). A defendant cannot successfully claim he was coerced simply because he pled guilty after relying on counsel's recommendation. United States v. Lagrone, 727 F.2d 1037, 1038 (11th Cir. 1984). The fear of receiving a greater sentence does not negate the voluntariness of a plea. Pearson does not allege, nor do we see any evidence to indicate, that his counsel used poor judgment in encouraging him to plead guilty.
[7-8] The number and length of meetings between a defendant and his counsel do not alone determine whether counsel rendered adequate advice. One meeting between a defendant and counsel may be sufficient to afford the defendant an adequate opportunity to understand the plea. Pearson is an educated college graduate, and the plea agreement in this case was not complex. He has not indicated anything his counsel failed to explain that would have made him change his pleas. Counsel could not have informed Pearson that one possible outcome of pleading guilty would be a maximum sentence recommendation by the prosecutor, because as discussed below, ASG made this recommendation at the sentencing only upon learning of the Probation Officer's total deference to the Court to fashion the sentence. In fact, counsel's failure to tell Pearson of this possibility was not a failure by counsel at all.
[9-10] A guilty plea is valid only if it is voluntarily and intelligently [4ASR3d62] made. Brady v. United States, 397 U.S. 742, 748 (1970). A plea meets this standard if it is done "with sufficient awareness of the relevant circumstances and likely consequences." Id. Pearson's ineffective assistance argument cannot form the basis of an involuntariness finding, because we have found that Pearson's counsel did not render ineffective assistance.
Furthermore, other evidence indicates that Pearson entered his plea voluntarily. We fully explained to him the terms of the plea agreement, the nature of the crimes to which he was pleading guilty, and the maximum punishment for those crimes. In addition, Pearson was fully advised of his constitutional rights in criminal prosecutions and that sentencing was in the sole discretion of the Court. Pearson was asked about the use or threat of force, and about any inducements other than the plea agreement to make him plead guilty. Pearson intelligently answered the Court's questions and gave every indication that he understood both our questions and other statements during the plea taking proceedings.
We find no evidence that Penn rendered ineffective legal assistance. Thus, we will deny Pearson's motion to reconsider the denial of his earlier motion to withdraw his guilty pleas on this ground. Once again, we find that Pearson knowingly and voluntarily entered his guilty pleas, with a competent attorney's advice, and upon a factual basis.
B. Violation of the Plea Agreement
In his handwritten brief filed on August 13, 1999, Pearson argued generally that ASG's counsel violated the plea agreement by failing to limit its sentencing recommendation to the probation officer's recommendation set forth the presentence report. In his counsel's brief filed on August 30, 1999, Pearson amplified that argument by stating that the specific violation occurred when ASG's counsel recommended consecutive terms of imprisonment. At the hearing on December 9, 1999, Pearson added that violation by ASG's counsel specifically encompassed his recommendation for the maximum sentence on all counts as well. Pearson asserts that ASG should not have made these specific recommendations because ASG agreed in the plea agreement to limit its recommendation to supporting the probation officer's recommendation in CR 48-97, and on that basis, he is entitled to withdraw his guilty pleas.
ASG filed no opposing brief, but in oral argument at hearing on December 9, 1999, ASG counsel argued that ASG had no duty to refrain from making a sentencing recommendation because the probation officer did not make any recommendation. According to ASG, the agreement not to make a recommendation was based on a condition that never came [4ASR3d63] to pass, the condition being that the probation officer make a sentencing recommendation.
[11-12] In the landmark case of Santobello v. New York, 404 U.S. 257, 262 (1971), the Supreme Court found that when a plea "rests in any significant degree on a promise or agreement of the prosecutor, so that it can be said to be part of the inducement or consideration, such promise must be fulfilled." For a plea agreement to be valid, the government must honor its plea bargain with a defendant. Id. In determining the scope of a plea agreement, we look to the reasonable understanding of the parties. United States v. Carbone, 739 F.2d 45, 46 (2d Cir. 1984).
In Santobello, the Court held that a sentence could not stand when a prosecutor promised to make no sentencing recommendation, but another prosecutor recommended the maximum sentence. 404 U.S. at 262. Similarly, in United States v. Hayes, 946 F.2d 230, 236 (3d Cir. 1991), the Court found that the defendant was prejudiced when the government advocated a sentence within the standard range in the guidelines when it had promised to make no recommendation as to the specific sentence. Cf. United States v. Brummett, 786 F.2d 720, 723 (6th Cir. 1986) (government admonished, but no violation found, when the agreement stated that there would be no recommendation as to the specific sentence and the prosecutor recommended "a lengthy period of incarceration").
[13] By recommending the maximum sentences for the two offenses in CR No. 48-97, ASG directly contravened the agreement in this case. ASG may not agree to make no sentencing recommendation beyond supporting the probation officer's recommendation for the two offenses in CR No. 48-97 and then, when the probation officer opted to make no particular recommendation, recommend a sentence, much less the maximum imprisonment for these two offenses. ASG could not go beyond recommending the maximum or some lesser term of imprisonment for the offense in CR No. 23-99. Despite ASG's contention, an agreement to limit a sentencing recommendation to what was stated in the presentencing report is a promise, not a condition. To allow ASG's interpretation would violate the unambiguous language of the plea agreement.
ASG also violated the plea agreement by recommending consecutive sentences for the three offenses. A recommendation for consecutive sentences, in practical terms, is a request that determines the length of imprisonment. See Carbone, 739 F.2d at 47 (violation when prosecutor agreed to make no sentencing recommendation on two counts, but then argued for a split sentence on those counts). To recommend consecutive sentences, other than to run the sentence for the offense in CR No. 23-99, is a request that also violates the plea agreement. [4ASR3d64]
[14] ASG's counsel probably committed the error inadvertently, in likely frustration over Pearson's relatively uninformative testimony when the guilty pleas were taken on June 22, 1999, and the Probation Officer's unexpected silence in recommending a sentence. Nonetheless, it is irrelevant whether the breach was intentional or not. United States v. Grandinetti, 564 F.2d 723, 727 (5th Cir.1977). A defendant is entitled to have the prosecutor live up to the negotiated bargain and a plea that was gained even in part on a prosecutor's unfulfilled promise violates the defendant's rights. Santobello, 404 U.S. at 262.
[15-16] Even when the Court is uninfluenced by the prosecutor's sentencing recommendation, the interests of justice require that the defendant be entitled to relief. Santobello, 404 U.S. at 262. As the Third Circuit stated, "[t]he doctrine that the government must adhere to its bargain in the plea agreement is so fundamental that even though the government's breach is inadvertent and the breach probably did not influence the judge in the sentence imposed, due process and equity require that the sentence be vacated." Hayes, 946 F.2d at 233 (internal quotes and cites omitted). There is therefore no such thing as harmless error in sentencing when a prosecutor has breached a plea agreement.
[17] The Court in Santobello indicated two possible remedies when a plea bargain is violated by the government: specific performance of the agreement by resentencing the defendant or withdrawal of the guilty plea. 404 U.S. at 263. The proper remedy for breach of a promise to refrain from making a sentencing recommendation is resentencing before judges different than those who imposed the sentence. St. James v. People, 948 P.2d 1028, 1033 (Colo. 1997). Pearson is therefore entitled to resentencing by judges who were not on the sentencing panel on August 2, 1999, which was comprised of Associate Justice Richmond, Associate Judge Atiulagi, and Associate Judge Sagapolutele. Pearson's sentence will be vacated for this purpose. Because the Chief Justice has recused himself from this case, Pearson shall be resentenced by Acting Associate Justice Ward and one or two different associate judges.
[18] Pearson's bail was revoked due to his flight from American Samoa, which is the basis of the prosecution in CR No. 23-99. He is still a flight risk. Moreover, his right to reasonable bail terminated upon the entry of his guilty pleas. Therefore, we will require Pearson to remain in custody without bail pending resentencing.
Pearson's present counsel has permanently departed American Samoa. Counsel consulted with other attorneys in his law firm during the course of the plea withdrawal proceedings. Because of his familiarity with this case, we will therefore appoint Barry I. Rose as Pearson's new counsel to conclude these proceedings. [4ASR3d65]
1. Pearson's motions to withdraw his guilty pleas are denied. However, because of the breach of the plea agreement by ASG's counsel, Pearson's sentence is vacated, and these actions are transferred to Acting Associate Justice John L. Ward II for resentencing. Since he is still a flight risk, and no longer has any right to bail, Pearson shall remain in custody pending his resentencing.
2. Barry I. Rose is appointed as Pearson's counsel for further proceedings in these actions.
It is so ordered.
[1] Contemporaneously with the burglary of the Attorney General's Office, a burglary of the courthouse resulted in the removal of the court's file in CR No. 48-97. This action was then pending before Chief Justice Michael Kruse, who requested the assistance of the Public Defender to reconstruct the court's file. Unfortunately, the Public Defender provided the Clerk of the Court with the entire file of his office. The Public Defender's file may have included confidential attorney-client communications and attorney work product. Although the Chief Justice did not see the Public Defender's file and the Clerk made copies only of documents in that file that would normally be part of the court's file, the Chief Justice was concerned about any appearances of any inappropriate judicial conduct and recused himself from further proceedings in these actions. The case was then transferred to this court.
[3] Proceedings after August 13, 1999 became intertwined with various considerations and other proceedings, including: Pearson's handwritten request for leave to do legal research, which was scheduled for hearing on September 13, 1999 and later taken off-calendar; requests by Pearson's present counsel for a transcript of the sentencing; unavailability of ASG's counsel for a time; and the filing of Pearson's petition for a writ of habeas corpus, which was consolidated with similar writs filed by other inmates in CA No. 116-99, CA No. 117-99, and CA 118-99.


text:
Shots probe after teenagers injured
Police are investigating whether shots were fired during a city centre disturbance which left two teenagers in hospital.
One man was arrested following the disorder in the Lichfield Street area of Wolverhampton, which was briefly "locked down" by armed officers last night.
A small area of the city centre was cordoned off for forensic examination after the incident, in which a man and a woman aged in their teens were hurt.
Witnesses or anyone with information which could assist the police inquiry should call West Midlands Police on 101 or the Crimestoppers service on 0800 555 111.


text:
Correa eases back into action at Lancaster
By Brian McTaggart / MLB.com
HOUSTON -- Shortstop Carlos Correa, the Astros' top prospect and No. 1 pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, returned to the lineup Friday night at Class A Advanced Lancaster at designated hitter after missing the previous seven games with tightness in his right shoulder.
"We wanted to give his arm a complete rest and make sure his swing wasn't going to be affecting his arm," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "Right now, the only he can't do without any discomfort are just those deep throws from the hole. That will still probably cause him a little bit of discomfort. We just want to be a bit cautious."
Carlos Perdomo has been starting at shortstop in Correa's place and entered Friday hitting .375 (9-for-24) with a home run and triple and three RBIs. He slugged a home run earlier this week off the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw during his rehab outing.
Meanwhile, center fielder Delino DeShields Jr., who's been out since he fractured his cheekbone when he was struck by a pitch in the face on April 19 while playing for Double-A Corpus Christi, is playing the outfield in extended spring training in Florida. He is expected to return to the Hooks soon, perhaps as early as Saturday when they return home to face San Antonio.
Trembley, Porter, Nolan watch top prep Kolek
HOUSTON -- Astros bench coach Dave Trembley was taken aback by his experience Thursday night watching a high school baseball playoff game between Shepherd High School and Silsbee High School in Jasper, Texas.
Trembley joined manager Bo Porter and executive advisor Nolan Ryan in driving to the piney woods of East Texas to see hard-throwing high school right-hander Tyler Kolek of Shepherd, who the Astros are considering with the No. 1 overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft.
"It was a lot of fun," Trembley said. "It takes you back to high school. I tell you what, people in that town, they had a good time. It was like 'Friday Night Lights.'"
Of course, having a Hall of Fame pitcher and a Texas legend in Ryan coming to your town is a big deal, but Trembley was impressed with how all the players and fans handled themselves when the spotlight was on their community.
"I went back to my room last night and felt so reassured that there's such a large part of this country that's in good hands with young people after what I saw last night and the way we were treated," Trembley said. "It was small-town America, probably with the nicest young people I've ever been around -- the parents, the teachers, the people.
"I saw more young kids in baseball uniforms with gloves and balls and fingers up against the fence and watching the game, watching a high school playoff game like it was Game 7 of the World Series. So many people came up to us after and said, 'You don't know how much this means to us, that Nolan, Bo Porter and you guys would come here.' It will make you cry how nice people are."
Fields out of Astros' closer mix for now
HOUSTON -- Astros manager Bo Porter said Friday that struggling reliever Josh Fields, who's 0-3 in his last three outings, wouldn't pitch in "high-leverage" innings until he gets comfortable on the mound. Fields had been sharing the closing duties with Chad Qualls and Matt Albers.
"I think we'll try to find some different spots in which we feel like he can gain his confidence back and get back to really attacking the strike zone," Porter said. "Whenever players go through ups and downs, from a managerial standpoint, you try to make decisions on the player and try to put him in position to gain that confidence back."
Porter has yet to settle on one closer, and he maintained that stance Friday, saying, "We don't have a closer."
But with Fields out of the picture for now and Albers on the disabled list, Porter said Qualls and Anthony Bass are likely to handle any closing duties in the near future.
Another pitcher on the roster who could close at some point is hard-throwing right-hander Jose Ciserno, who was recalled from Triple-A a week ago. He spent more than three months in the Majors last year, going 2-2 with a 4.12 ERA in 28 games, including a 10-game stretch when he didn't allow a run in 19 1/3 innings.
"He has the capability, he has the stuff," Porter said. "He has plus velocity. For about a two-week stretch last year, he was probably our best reliever. He hit a bump in the road when he couldn't command it, and we had to send him back to the Minor Leagues to work on his mechanics, work on his command.
"He's come back and he's been good the few times we've given him the ball. We're going to continue to give him opportunities. He does have the stuff where he can pitch in high-leverage situation in late in games."
Astros hope to get Crain on a mound May 29
HOUSTON -- The Astros are targeting May 29 -- the date he would be eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list -- as the day for injured right-handed pitcher Jesse Crain to be added to a roster, whether at a Minor League affiliate or with the Astros.
Crain, who hasn't pitched since the middle of last season, was moved from the 15-day disabled list Friday to make room on the 40-man roster for reliever Tony Sipp, who was signed. Crain began spring rehabbing from biceps tendinitis surgery and is now dealing with mostly bursitis in the shoulder, general manager Jeff Luhnow said.
"We're setting his date as a goal that he's out with us or one of our Minor League affiliates in games," said Luhnow, who talked to Crain via phone Friday from Florida, where the pitcher been rehabbing. "He's been making progress. He's feeling better."
Crain is still only throwing off flat ground, but he's scheduled to get on the mound in the next few weeks. His throwing program has been mapped out for the month.
Crain was an All-Star during a 2013 season in which he posted a 0.74 ERA in 38 games with the White Sox, striking out 46 and walking only 11 batters in 36 2/3 innings, including a 29-innings scoreless streak. He didn't pitch after being traded to the Rays on July 29 because of biceps tendinitis that eventually required surgery.
In 10 Major League seasons with the Twins (2004-10) and White Sox ('11-13), Crain has posted a 45-30 record with four saves in 532 appearances (all in relief), with a 3.05 ERA and a .229 opponents' average.
Worth noting
• Astros pitchers worked on fielding and throwing to the bases prior to batting practice Friday. It's the kind of stuff they do daily in Spring Training, and they practice basic skills at different points during the season.
"A lot of times, from a pitching standpoint, you never know. You can go through five or six games as a starter or 10 games as a reliever and never get a comeback or get in position where you're fielding your position," manager Bo Porter said. "Every once in a while, we must make sure we get them out there and go through all those situations."
• Right-hander Scott Feldman is expected to rejoin the rotation at some point late next week. He's scheduled to throw a simulated game Sunday at Minute Maid Park, and if all goes well he could return as early as Friday in Baltimore.
Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Tag's Lines. Follow @brianmctaggart on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Check it out! Brides Magazine has a new look, and as you can see, its gorgeous! Take a sneak peek at the story below…I love how its shot kinda paparazzi style!
To celebrate the new look, Brides is letting me give away 10 1-year long subscriptions! Want one? Leave a comment below and we'll pick a couple of winners for Friday!
[images from Brides]


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E3 2014: Pre-show conference highlights
Microsoft avoids talk of gestures and television to refocus to games
- Sony juggles artisan indie titles and big-budget blockbusters
While the Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, does not officially kick off until midday Tuesday, Los Angeles time, Monday is press conference day.
Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Sony have provided a surprise-filled warm-up to the show proper with lavish press events and, as always, a few big unveilings.
Here are some of the day's biggest announcements.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
As is traditional, the Xbox conference opened with the live gameplay debut of the latest Call of Duty.
Advanced Warfare is the first entry in the series made by Sledgehammer, a studio that has helped with previous games but has never been given the chance to make their own.
It takes place in a brutal near-future of robotic exoskeletons, swarms of flying drones, holographic imaging, and auto-targeting grenades. Of course, the proof will be in how it plays, which will be at the end of the year.
Forza Horizon 2
Turn 10 scored a hit last year with their excellent Xbox One launch title, Forza Motorsport 5. This year they will be breaking out of the closed tracks and speeding out into an open world with Forza Horizon 2.
Boasting more than 200 cars and instant jump-in multiplayer in a sprawling, free-roaming world, this Xbox One exclusive launches in September.
Halo Master Chief Collection
Halo fans will have to wait until 2015 to play Halo 5: Guardians, but to ride them over, Microsoft and 343 Industries are releasing the Master Chief Collection. A single game disc will include Halo 1, 2, 3, and 4, with the first two given the "Anniversary" high-def remake treatment. These add up to over 100 multiplayer maps.
Two bonuses round out the package: a live action Halo video serial titled Nightfall, and guaranteed access to the Halo 5 closed beta in September. It even sports a staggering 4,000 gamerscore points, which will keep the achievement-hounds happy.
This surprise Xbox 360 hit received a misguided sequel a couple of years ago, but fans of the original will be celebrating the announcement that a reboot is coming. Microsoft has put together a fresh development team, but put the creative lead of the original game in charge. There are no details to speak of yet, but it is an excellent start.
Star Wars Battlefront
One of the best Star Wars-based games, made by the now closed Aussie studio Pandemic, was Battlefront. It's been so long since we had a new game in the series that the last entry was on PS2.
Development duties have now passed on to DICE, most famous these days for Battlefield. Details are still sketchy, but they revealed that they have had access to original Star Wars sets and props and travelled to original filming locations to get th details right.
Untitled Criterion game
Criterion is best known for car racing games with a twist, as shown in their Burnout and Need for Speed games. Today they gave a sneak peek at their next title, and it is both wholly original and very Criterion.
No title has been revealed, but the new game features a wide range of vehicles, sea vessels, and aircraft. The player remains in first person view, and can jump or run from vehicle to vehicle in th middle of the action.
The lengthy demo showed pilots jumping out of gyrocopters, zipping along in a wing suit, then pulling their chute and landing in the cockpit of a dune buggy. Whatever it is, it looks like a huge amount of fun.
The MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) genre was created by Defence of the Ancients and is now popular in DOTA 2, League of Legends, and many others. It is such a lucrative genre that many companies are trying to get into it, including EA.
Dawngate is their entry into the field, a MOBA made by a team of MOBA players and honed through constant in-studio gameplay. This will be a difficult market to crack, but they seem to be approaching it the right way.
Mirror's Edge
After a brief tease last year, EA has given the world a much deeper look into their revival of the cult favourite Mirror's Edge.
The "parkour and punching" formula appears intact, with a focus on greater flexibility, multiple paths through levels, and smoother, faster combat.
Battlefield: Hardline
While not revealed today (details were leaked online ahead of the event) Hardline's official reveal was today.
This is an interesting departure for the series. Instead of mainstay DICE, it is being made by Visceral, best known for Dead Space. Also, instead of a military setting, this new title is an action-packed cops-and-robbers shootout game.
One game mode was shown, in which bandits tried to make off with the loot from an armoured car, with the police players understandably reluctant to let them get away. The vast map, set in modern day Los Angeles, allowed car chases, helicopter battles, and more.
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Ubisoft unveiled two brand new titles at their conference. The first is a beautiful and haunting game about World War I, made with the same Ubi Art software as Rayman and Child of Light.
Gameplay appears to be story-driven, based on true tales sent home by soldiers in the so called "war to end all wars". The hand-drawn art and beautiful music made for a stunning debut.
Valiant Hearts will be out on 25 June.
Rainbow Six: Siege
Ubisoft's other major reveal marks the return of a long absent fan favourite series, Rainbow Six.
Subtitled Siege, the new entry in the tactical team-based franchise sends special hostage extraction police officers into siege situations, with teams of human players controlling both police and criminals.
LittleBigPlanet 3
The popular PlayStation exclusive is coming back. This new edition of the make-your-own-game toybox features a variety of new characters, and will be compatible with all existing user-made levels.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
It was only a brief glimpse, but the next Uncharted has been confirmed and named, and will be a PS4 exclusive.
Grand Theft Auto V PS4 Edition
GTAV, one of the most popular games ever made, is coming to PS4. The big news is that all PS3 and Xbox 360 online multiplayer progress will be carried over into the PS4 edition.
Follow our continuing E3 coverage this week on our games page.
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A grand jury indicted four people in connection with a possible methamphetamine lab discovered in February.
Two men and two women have been charged. Three remain in Gaston County Jail.
According to Gaston County Police, the two couples, and two children, were living illegally in a house on Lewis Farm Road � a home on a rural street between Kings Mountain and Cherryville.
Power was run illegally to the home, police said.
Officers went to the brick home to investigate possible stolen property. When investigators pulled into the driveway, they saw some of the stolen property in the front yard along with packaging for medicines often used in the production of methamphetamine, according to police.
Search warrants were issued and the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation was contacted � common practice when a suspected meth lab is discovered.
Four people were arrested on Feb. 12.
The following people were included in indictments handed down Monday:
Kevin Cline, 38, on counts of trafficking methamphetamine. He�s being held on a $850,500 secured bond.
Brandy Cline, 37, on charges of possession of meth and child abuse. She�s been released on an unsecured bond.
Barry Collins, 40, on child abuse, trafficking opium and trafficking meth. He�s being held on a $1,160,500 secured bond.
Neda Collins, 38, on trafficking opium and meth charges. She�s been assigned a $600,000 secured bond.
Both men still have charges pending regarding stolen property, specifically stolen license plates and an ATV, according to arrest warrants.
Police say the couples ran a methamphetamine lab for personal use.
Investigators recovered about three ounces of liquid from the house, according to Captain Curtis Rosselle with Gaston County police.
While that amount may seem small, it can produce a larger amount of meth, according to Rosselle.
Two children, between the ages of 8 and 13, were taken into custody by the Gaston County Department of Investigation, according to police on the scene.
Having children in an environment with toxic chemicals can affect their physical and mental growth, according Roselle.
�It�s very dangerous because you�re dealing with an unseen threat � the fumes, the toxicity of that,� he said.
You can reach reporter Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.


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KMeleonWiki > Documentation > Tutorials > GREUpdate
-English- -Español?-
Over recent months the Mozilla Foundation has been focusing on bringing out newer versions of its GRE(Gecko Runtime Environment) and thusly newer versions of their browser products which fix newly found security holes. As K-Meleon v1.x is based on the older v1.8.1 GRE and does not get updated often, the following tutorial will explain two methods of updating K-Meleon v1.x to a new GRE for those who seek better security.
Brian Bruns has provided those users who are less experienced, less inclined to experiment, or who are time-limited, a downloadable package which contains only the bare essential files needed to update K-Meleon v1.x to use the latest Gecko. Using his package apparently eliminates some visual glitches with K-Meleon which may arise from using the manual updating method, and also eliminates the need to delete the extra *.dat files from the components folder for History to work (the installer takes care of it all for you).
To install just download the latest package to 1.1.x versions from here. To install just download the latest package to 1.0.2 version from here.
This method assumes the user is familiar with the copying of files and folders and is willing to experiment a little to make things work.
1. Download the zip version of the latest stable Seamonkey (Zipfile in Official Builds) here, or alternatively download a win32 zip version of the latest Seamonkey nightly build.
2. Unzip the zip file, usually right-clicking on the file and selecting "Extract" should create a folder with the contents of the zip file.
3. With K-Meleon closed, copy the following files and folders from the Seamonkey directory you have just created into your existing K-Meleon directory (usually c:\program files\k-meleon) and, when prompted have existing files overwritten:
Once you have copied the folders and files across, go to the k-meleon\components folder, and delete (or backup) compreg.dat and xpti.dat. You need to do this in order for the History function to work correctly. Otherwise if you don't use the History function leave the files as is.
4. It may also be a good idea to get rid of (i.e. delete) chrome.rdf in c:\program files\K-Meleon\Profiles\...\chrome\ so that K-Meleon will be able to pick up changes correctly. Sometimes it may also be necessary to delete overlayinfo.* in the same Profile folder.
5. Start K-Meleon. Help --> About K-Meleon should now report a newer Seamonkey Gecko version.


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I woulda set up the camera on the laptop I'm on when I watched it, but I was feeling angry at the time and didn't bother. Plus I really didn't react to seeing it so the video woulda been like three minutes of me looking boredly at the screen.
I thought it was far superior then the stuff Summit did for EC, and slightly better then NM but at this point it's still not enough to make me wanna see it in theaters. It does, however, make my decision to buy it on DVD a little bit easier.


text: Flowers come in many shapes and sizes. Even though everyone has a flower preference, most would agree on their beauty. When creating an arrangement you are greeted with something unexpected; a sophisticated rose may look great next to a playful sunflower or an adorable daffodil. Likewise these odd pairings work well in fashion. Often taking a risk and combining two unique prints will create something better than you had anticipated. The following floral editorials prove that floral prints are no longer restricted to feminine detailing.


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If Arkansas Tech isn't careful tonight, the proverbial football trap could be waiting at the end of the Wonder Boys' longest road trip of the season.
Tech will take its unbeaten record, its No. 21 national ranking in the NCAA Division II national poll and the No. 7 spot in the NCAA South Region poll into Carrolton, Ga., where the Wonder Boys will face West Georgia in a Gulf South Conference showdown.
Though the season is reaching the midway point for both teams, winless West Georgia is finally playing at home for the first time this season. The Braves (0-3, 0-2) had a home game scheduled against Ouachita Baptist on Sept. 18, but it was cancelled because of a hurricane.
"I wish that hadn't happened," Tech coach Steve Mullins said. "But we don't have a lot of choice in the matter, and it's something we can't fret about. We go into Carrolton and play a team that is hungry and that is finally playing at home. Plus, we're making our second straight long road trip, and that's always a concern."
The reason for the possible trap is simple: Looming ahead is Tech's homecoming a game against nationally ranked Delta State. With West Georgia on an eight-game losing streak, it could be easy for a team to look past the Braves.
Not so fast, Mullins warns.
"We're ignoring that fact right now," he said. "Nothing can be further from the truth. We're not talking about anything like that right now. The only thing important to us at the moment is this trip to Carrolton. If we don't win that game, then the Delta State game is not near as big."
West Georgia has been close in both of its GSC games this season, including last week's 31-27 loss at Arkansas-Monticello. The Braves scored 13 unanswered points and claimed a 27-24 lead, but UAM answered with a late touchdown midway in the final period.
"West Georgia has played in some tight games this year and had opportunities to win both of them," Mullins said. "The game against Harding was extremely close, and West Georgia had chances at the end to beat UAM."
Tech (4-0) is coming off a game against West Alabama where it allowed West Alabama tailback Marcus Ross to become the Tigers' first 200-yard rusher. Now the Wonder Boys must contend with West Georgia's Michael Alexis, who leads the GSC and is sixth nationally in rushing, averaging almost 130 yards per carry. Alexis also ranks first in the GSC and fourth nationally in all-purpose yardage with 205 yards per contest.
"West Georgia is a lot like us in the fact we like a tailback oriented offense," Mullins said. "While we've been seeing a lot of the option and power game the past three weeks, we now face a quarterback that won't run the ball and a fullback that won't run it much. But that tailback is an outstanding player.
"He reminds people a lot like (Tech freshman tailback) R.J. Vanhook, only a lot faster. While we were worried about West Alabama's backs running over us, we'll have to be worried about him running around us. That sucker is fast, and West Georgia has a big offensive line, so he can hide behind those linemen and pick out his blocks."
Tech has its share of weapons on an offense that ranks third in total offense (412.8 yards per game), third in pass offense (255.8) and second in scoring offense. Wonder Boys quarterback Jason Campbell is ranked 10th nationally in passing efficiency (171.2 rating) and 31st in total offense (242.0 yards per game), while tight end Josh Rogers averages 10 points per game and ranks tied for 21st in nationwide standings.
However, West Georgia's defense - particularly on the line - will provide Tech with a huge test, in more ways than one.
"The defense over there is much improved from last year," Mullins said. "On the interior are two of the biggest defensive tackles we'll see all year. One of them weighs 315 pounds, and he looks small because the other one weighs 390. And he looks every bit of it on the tape. That's something you can't similate in practice."
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CDT in Carrolton. In other GSC action today, No. 11 Delta State is at No. 12 Valdosta State, West Alabama is at Ouachita Baptist, Central Arkansas is at North Alabama, Henderson State is at Harding and Arkansas-Monticello is at Southern Arkansas.


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ELLE Styling Tip: Subtle detailing adds a unique and alluring touch to any classic piece, especially this white dress.
Playfully sexy with a hint of edge, this sweater dress flawlessly transitions from a.m. to p.m. The gold-tone chain cutout reveals a hint of skin while the fit-and-flare silhouette never fails to flatter.
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IRVINE – In a brightly lit pet store last week, puppies scampered about in open cages, nibbling and licking the eager hands that scratched their bellies and ears.
After today, they'll be gone as the lease expires on the last store in Irvine that sells pets.
At the Irvine Spectrum for nine years, Russo's Spectrum Pets is a casualty of a City Council ordinance passed last year banning the retail sale of cats and dogs. In compliance with the law, the Irvine Company said last year that it would no longer lease new space to retailers that sell cats and dogs nor would it renew Russo's lease.
The store's Newport Beach location will stay open until the lease expires in a few years. Family owned and operated since 1978, it's the last remaining original store at Fashion Island.
On weekends, the store is so packed you can barely walk through, said owner Dan DiGiacomo, who claims his stores are the main reason the Irvine Spectrum and Fashion Island are so dog-friendly today. The store lets visitors take dogs out on walks, they bring puppies to convalescent homes to cheer up seniors, and they hosted one of the first Halloween pet costume contests back in 1981.
"Someone once said to me, 'If Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, you're a close second,'" DiGiacomo said.
After Irvine passed the ban on pet stores last year, Dana Point, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach followed suit with similar ordinances. Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance last week banning the sale of commercially bred pets in stores.
Animal rights activists have long criticized pet stores for buying cats and dogs from puppy mills, where the living conditions are often condemned as inhumane. Malnourished, stressed and cramped, animals growing up in such conditions can later suffer from birth defects and behavioral problems, making them unsuitable as pets.
"We should be thinking of ourselves as guardians of these beings," said Tina Locklear, president of Orange County People for Animals, a Yorba Linda-based nonprofit that has staged protests at pet stores throughout Orange County, including Russo's.
But DiGiacomo said his store has never bought puppies from mills and has a good reputation for selling healthy pets from licensed breeders, many of whom are local.
"Because we're in shopping centers, everybody thinks we're all the same – we're not," said DiGiacomo, who sat on an advisory committee to get the California Pet Animal Protection Act passed and on the founding committee of America's Family Pet Expo.
But in August 2011, the Irvine Co. decided to phase out pet stores anyway.
"The decision came after hearing input from interested parties as part of the city of Irvine's consideration and ultimate adoption of (the) ordinance," said Mike Lyster, Irvine Co.'s vice president of corporate communications, in an emailed statement.
Locklear said an investigation last year by the nonprofit In Defense of Animals found evidence linking Russo's to puppy mills, but she had not provided any evidence as of press time. IDA frequently conducts investigations into potential cases of animal abuse and exploitation.
Bill Dyer, director of IDA's Southern California branch, said he was not aware of any case involving Russo's.
In accordance with California law, each pet is examined by a California-certified veterinarian before it's sold, and customers receive a copy of the animal's medical history, DiGiacomo said. If a pet comes down with health problems other than parasites, the store is liable for veterinarian fees up to 150 percent of the pet's purchase price, he added.
"We're regulated," he said. "If you want to regulate us some more, let's talk, but why put us out of business?"
Councilman Jeffrey Lalloway, the sole dissenting vote last year, said he wasn't convinced that the ban would put puppy mills out of business and was reluctant to put people out of business in the current economic climate.
"It was a misguided attempt to correct an unfortunate situation," he said.
DiGiacomo said he and his family will continue to run the Fashion Island store using their savings. But about 15 people will lose their jobs at the Irvine location, and he said his family will lose half its income.
A letter from the City Council is posted on the Irvine storefront with a note from DiGiacomo signed by all the employees. Customers have come by to thank DiGiacomo for the good times and express their disappointment – many of them hadn't heard the news last year.
And the pets? They'll move to the Newport Beach store, and as long as the doors are still open, they'll have new friends drop by to play with them.
Contact the writer: firstname.lastname@example.com