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Lets say its your goal to deport as many people as you can get your hands on. You believe that most asylum seekers are fraudsters and you hope to make America great again by cutting programs like TPS and DACA in order to remove as many foreigners as possible. In other words, lets say you are a member of the Trump Administration. In that case, will case completion quotas in Immigration Court help you achieve your goal?
Maybe if IJs were less lazy, they would complete more cases.
Superficially, it seems that they might. If Immigration Judges (IJs) are required to complete more cases, it makes sense that more people will be deported. Presumably with that goal in mind, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)--the office that oversees the nations Immigration Courts--has recently created performance metrics to evaluate IJs based, in part, on the number of cases completed.
In order to achieve a satisfactory level of performance, IJs must now complete at least 700 cases per year, with less than a 15% remand rate (the remand rate is the percentage of decisions overturned by a higher court). IJs who complete between 560 and 700 cases need improvement, and IJs who complete less than 560 cases per year are deemed unsatisfactory.
For what its worth (a lot, in my opinion), the National Association of Immigration Judges (the IJs union) opposes the new plan because they fear quotas will infringe on the IJs independence. For its part, EOIR contends that using metrics to evaluate performance is neither novel nor unique and that it will encourage efficient and effective case management while preserving immigration judge discretion and due process.
I recently had the opportunity to speak to an IJ and a few court personnel about the new quotas, and they seemed nonplussed. In Baltimore, for example, I'm told that IJs with regular (as opposed to juvenile) dockets already complete well over 700 cases per year. The one IJ I spoke to said he completed 1,100 cases last year. Those number are well above average, according to the statistics I could find.
Five months into FY 2018, the nation's IJs completed a total of 83,643 cases. Divide that by 330 judges, and you get an average completion rate for the U.S. of about 51 cases per month, or about 608 cases per year. Based on the statistics for Baltimore and my calculations (which are always suspect), the average IJ in that court will complete 855 cases this year. So why are Baltimore IJs so much more efficient than the national average?
As usual, I do not know. But looking at the case completion rates for other courts perhaps gives us a clue. In Miami-Krome, a detention center, the completion rate is about 739 cases per year per IJ. I would have expected a higher completion rate in a detention facility, as detained cases tend to move faster than non-detained (indeed, if you see a detained case file at EOIR, it will be labeled with a bold sign indicating "Rush--Detained at Government Expense"). Other detention facilities have even lower case completion rates: Eloy, AZ completes 658 cases per IJ per year, Harlingen, TX completes 516, and Elizabeth, NJ completes 457.
I suspect what's going on with these variable rates has more to do with cases being venued to other courts than with IJ efficiency. In other words, many aliens in detention facilities are there because they were detained while trying to enter the U.S. Some percentage of these people are released, and then move to another part of the United States, where they pursue their cases. Thus, IJs near the border and at certain detention facilities (near airports or the border) tend to complete fewer cases because their cases are transferred to other courts. In my Baltimore example, there is no major detention facility nearby, and most people do not transfer their cases elsewhere. Hence, IJs in Baltimore tend to complete the cases that come before them.
The completion rate at other courts is more of a mystery. New York completes 540 cases per IJ per year, for example. LA completes only 477 cases per year (LA is near the border, so maybe some aliens are moving their cases to other jurisdictions).
In short, without better data, it is difficult to know what is going on. One thing does seem clear though: Grant rates vary significantly by court. Thus, for some IJs, the new quotas will be a non-issue. They already complete more than enough cases to earn the distinguished title of "satisfactory." For other IJs, completing 700 cases, or even 560 cases, might be impossible. If so, the new quotas may force those judges to circumvent due process in order to fulfill EOIR's mandate.
The new quotas raises other questions as well. The biggest one for me involves the anticipated influx of TPS and DACA recipients whose status has been terminated. Its widely believed (including by yours truly) that many of these people will file for asylum rather than depart the United States. In an effort (probably futile) to dissuade such people from seeking asylum, USCIS has already re-ordered how cases will be processed, so that newly-filed cases will be interviewed first. If those cases are denied, they will be sent to court, where--according to one official I spoke to--they are supposed to be heard on an expedited basis. But how can that happen unless the court dockets are re-ordered? This "aimless docket reshuffling" (a termed coined by the inimitable Judge Schmidt) will pretty clearly interfere with the IJs' ability to meet EOIR's quotas.
So in the end, it seems that the new quotas will have no affect on some IJs, and dramatic affects on others. Whether overall completion rates will be improved, I have my doubts, especially if dockets are reshuffled to accommodate an influx of TPS and DACA recipients. I also have doubts about whether IJs who are forced to drastically increase their completion rates will be able to continue making decisions in accordance with due process of law. Sadly, the Trump Administration seems far more concerned about quantity than quality, and I fear that asylum applicants, immigrants, and our nation's IJs will all suffer because of it.
Originally posted on the Asylumist: www.Asylumist.com.
In a little noted, but quite extraordinary move, the National Association of Immigration Judges ("NAIJ") has asked Congress to protect its members (Immigration Judges) from the Trump Administration (their employer). The reason? The Trump Administration is seeking to "evaluate judges performance based on numerical measures or production quotas." According to NAIJ, "If EOIR is successful in tying case completion quotas to judge performance evaluations, it could be the death knell for judicial independence in the Immigration Courts." "Judges can face potential termination for good faith legal decisions of which their supervisors do not approve."
EOIR is developing a more efficient way to adjudicate cases (and it comes with a free drink!).
Let's start with a bit of background. NAIJ is a voluntary organization of United States Immigration Judges. It also is the recognized representative of Immigration Judges for collective bargaining purposes(in other words, the IJs' union): "Our mission is to promote the independence of Immigration Judges and enhance the professionalism, dignity, and efficiency of the Immigration Courts, which are the trial-level tribunals where removal proceedings initiated by the Department of Homeland Security are conducted."
According to NAIJ, the most important regulation governing IJ decision-making is 8 C.F.R. § 1003.10(b). This regulation requires that immigration judges exercise judicial independence. Specifically, in deciding the individual cases before them, and subject to the applicable governing standards, immigration judges shall exercise their independent judgment and discretion and may take any action consistent with their authorities under the Act and regulations that is appropriate and necessary for the disposition of such cases. 8 C.F.R. §1 003.10(b).
Up until now, IJs were exempted from quantitative performance evaluations. According to NAIJ, "The basis for this exemption was rooted in the notion that ratings created an inherent risk of actual or perceived influence by supervisors on the work of judges, with the potential of improperly affecting the outcome of cases."
The Trump Administration is now moving to change the way it evaluates IJs. The main reason for the change is the Administration's goal of reducing the very-large backlog of cases in Immigration Court (currently, there are about 640,000 pending cases). The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR - the office that administers the nation's Immigration Courts) recently announced a plan to "transform[] its institutional culture to emphasize the importance of completing cases." In other words, EOIR will judge its judges based--at least in part--on the number of cases completed.
NAIJ has called this development "alarming" and a threat to judicial independence. Why? Because when judges are forced to complete a certain number of cases, they may be unable to devote the necessary time to each case. As a result, the ability to make proper, well-thought-out decisions will suffer.
This is already a problem in Immigration Court. One IJ famously quipped that his job involved adjudicating death penalty cases in a traffic court setting. And so pushing judges to do more cases in less time will potentially impact the alien's due process rights, and the integrity of our Immigration Courts.
NAIJ has long believed that the system needs a "structural overhaul" and has advocated for converting the Immigration Courts into Article I courts. Article I refers to the first article in the U.S. Constitution, the section on legislative (i.e., Congressional) powers. The idea is that Congress would establish an independent immigration court, much like it created a tax court and a court of veterans appeal. Such a court would be independent of the Executive Branch--the branch of government tasked with enforcing immigration law (currently, IJs are employees of the Department of Justice, a part of the Executive Branch).
NAIJ recognizes that creating Article I immigration courts "may not be feasible right now," but it nevertheless urges Congress to protect the nation's IJs from the new Trump Administration policy:
Congress can... easily and swiftly resolve this problem through a simple amendment to the civil service statute on performance reviews. Recognizing that performance evaluations are antithetical to judicial independence, Congress exempted Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) from performance appraisals and ratings by including them in the list of occupations exempt from performance reviews in 5 U.S.C. § 4301(2)(D). This provision lists ALJs as one of eight categories (A through H) of employees who are excluded from the requirement of performance appraisals and ratings. To provide that same exemption to Immigration Judges, all that would be needed is an amendment to 5 U.S.C. § 4301(2), which would add a new paragraph (I) listing Immigration Judges in that list of exempt employees.
The fact that IJs themselves are concerned about the Administration's move is worrying. The Immigration Judges I know are conscientious and take their jobs very seriously (in contrast to the Trump Administration, which seems utterly lacking in seriousness). If EOIR is making it more difficult for IJs to do their duty, as they understand it, then something is clearly wrong.
Perhaps the IJs' concerns are overblown. Maybe EOIR will implement the new case completion standards in a way that does not damage judicial independence or due process. But given the Administration's track record in general, and the inexperienced acting director appointed to head EOIR, it's difficult to have much confidence in the new policy. Since Congress is unlikely to act on NAIJ's request for protection, I suppose we will see soon enough how these changes affect the Immigration Courts.
Finally, in my opinion, EOIR has largely misdiagnosed the problem. While some delay may be caused by IJs kicking the can down the road, or by aliens "playing" the system, most delay is systematic--it is caused by reshuffling Administration priorities, which affect how DHS and DOJ schedule cases. I doubt that imposing numerical quotas on IJs will do much to improve the situation. Other solutions--facilitating pre-trial conferences, reforming the Master Calendar system, better use of technology, imposition of costs, premium processing for certain applicants--might be more effective. Everyone agrees that reducing the backlog is a worthy goal, but case completion requirements are probably not the best way to achieve that end.
Originally posted on the Asylumist: www.Asylumist.com.
In a speech last week to the Executive Office for Immigration Review (the office that administers the nation's immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals), Attorney General and living Confederate Civil War monument, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, set out his views on the asylum system, asylum seekers, and immigration attorneys.
Jeff Sessions speaks to an audience at the Executive Office for Immigration Review.
Sad to say, Mr. Sessions described the asylum system in largely negative terms, and said not a word about the benefits that our country derives from offering asylum.
While he views our asylum policy as "generous," and designed to "protect those who, through no fault of their own, cannot co-exist in their home country no matter where they go because of persecution based on fundamental things like their religion or nationality," Mr. Sessions feels that our generosity is being "abused" and that "smart attorneys have exploited loopholes in the law, court rulings, and lack of resources to substantially undermine the intent of Congress."
Mr. Sessions also lambasts "dirty immigration lawyers who are encouraging their otherwise unlawfully present clients to make false claims of asylum providing them with the magic words needed to trigger the credible fear process."
Indeed, Mr. Sessions believes that our asylum system is "subject to rampant abuse and fraud." Because the system is "overloaded with fake claims, it cannot deal effectively with just claims."
First, it's quite sad that our nation's chief law enforcement officer would have such a jaundiced view of asylum. The idea that asylum is merely a generous benefit we offer to refugees, and that we receive nothing in return, is simply false. I've written about this point before, but it bears repeating. Asylum was created during the Cold War as a tool against the Soviet Union. We offered refuge to people fleeing Communism, and each person who defected to the West served as a testament to our system's superiority over our adversary.
Now that the Cold War has ended, asylum still serves our strategic interests. It demonstrates our commitment to those who support and work for the values we believe in. It is tangible evidence that America stands with our friends. It gives our allies confidence that we will not let them down when times become tough. It shows that our foundational principles--free speech, religious liberty, equality, rule of law--are not empty words, but are ideals we actually stand behind.
And of course, there are the asylees themselves, who contribute to our country with their energy, enthusiasm, and patriotism, often born of their experience living in places that are not safe, and that are not free.
None of this came up during Mr. Sessions's talk. Perhaps he does not know how our nation has benefited from the asylum system. Or maybe he doesn't care. Or--what I suspect--he views asylum seekers as a threat to our security and a challenge to our country's (Christian and Caucasian) culture.
The shame of it is that Mr. Sessions is demonstrably wrong on several points, and so possibly he reached his conclusions about asylum based on incorrect information.
The most obvious error is his claims that "dirty immigration lawyers... are encouraging their otherwise unlawfully present clients to make false claims of asylum providing them with the magic words needed to trigger the credible fear process." Aliens who are "unlawfully present" in the U.S. are not subject to the credible fear process. That process is generally reserved for aliens arriving at the border who ask for asylum. Such applicants undergo a credible fear interview, which is an initial evaluation of eligibility for asylum. While this may be a technical point, Mr. Sessions raised the issue in a talk to EOIR, and so his audience presumably understands how the system works. That Mr. Sessions would make such a basic mistake in a speech to people who know better, demonstrates his ignorance of the subject matter (or at least the ignorance of his speech writers), and casts doubt on his over-all understanding of the asylum system.
Mr. Sessions also says that our asylum system is "overloaded with fake claims." But how does he know this? And what exactly is a fake claim? In recent years, something like 40 to 50% of asylum cases have been granted. Are all those adjudicators being fooled? And what about denied cases? Are they all worthy of denial? There is, of course, anecdotal evidence of fraudand in his talk, Mr. Sessions cites a few examples of dirty attorneys and applicants. But a few anecdotes does not compel a conclusion that the entire system is subject to rampant abuse and fraud." I can point to anecdotes as well. Ive seen cases granted that I suspected were false, but Ive also seen cases denied that were pretty clearly grant-worthy. While I do think we need to remain vigilant for fraud, I have not seen evidence to support the type of wide-spread fraud referenced by the Attorney General.
Finally, Mr. Sessions opines that "smart attorneys have exploited loopholes in the law, court rulings, and lack of resources to substantially undermine the intent of Congress." So court rulings undermine the intent of Congress? Any attorney who makes such a statement casts doubt on that lawyers competence and devotion to the rule of law, but when the Attorney General says it, we have real cause for concern. Thousands of federal court rulingsincluding from the U.S. Supreme Courthave interpreted our nations immigration laws (and all our other laws too). That is what courts do, and that is how the intent of Congress is interpreted and implemented in real-world situations. Attorneys who rely on court decisions are not exploit[ing] loopholes in the law, we are following the law.
These are all pretty basic points, and it strikes me that when it comes to asylum, Mr. Sessions doesnt get it. He seems not to understand the role of Congress, the courts, and lawyers in the asylum process. And he certainly doesn't understand the benefits our country receives from the asylum system.
Ive often said that President Trumps maliciousness is tempered by his incompetence. With Attorney General Sessions, it is the opposite: His maliciousness is exacerbated by his incompetence. And I fear that asylum seekers--and our countrys devotion to the rule of law--will suffer because of it.
Originally posted on the Asylumist: www.Asylumist.com.
In 2014, Immigration Judge John F. Gossart, Jr. retired after more than 30 years on the bench. Judge Gossart sat in Baltimore, where he was well-known and well-liked by attorneys on both side of the aisle (I myself had many cases with him), and his absence is still felt in his Court. Aside from his judicial work, Judge Gossart was (and is) an adjunct professor of law and a legal educator in the wider community. The Asylumist caught up with Judge Gossart to ask about his career, some memorable moments, and his opinions on the issues of the day in Immigration Court:
A photo of the official photo of Judge John F. Gossart, Jr. (it's the best we could do!).
Asylumist: How did you get to be an IJ? And why was this position interesting for you?
John F. Gossart: I came to immigration law totally by accident. I wanted to work for the Department of Justice, in public sector law, and I applied for a position there. While I was waiting, I hung my own shingle and practiced law out of my house. When DOJ hired me to work at INS (the Immigration and Naturalization Service), I couldnt even spell immigration.
My first position there was as a Naturalization Attorney. At the time, applicants for naturalization had to file their petitions in U.S. District Court and present two character witnesses. I would interview the petitioner and the witnesses, and make recommendations about whether the applicant should be permitted to naturalize. I remember one Judge in the Eastern District of VirginiaRoarin Orin Lewiswho roared at all the attorneys. In those days, homosexuals were ineligible to naturalize because they were considered sexual deviants. I argued for a grant of naturalization for an admitted homosexual because he abstained from sexual activities. The petition was denied by Judge Lewis. In another case involving two Russian swingers who had admitted to adultery, Judge Lewis called me into his chambers and read me the riot act. The two were consenting adults, but that didnt matter to Judge Lewis. He denied the case. At the time, the statute held that persons who committed adultery lacked good moral character.
Then, after a stint as Deputy Commissioner of Naturalization, I became a trial attorney for INS. Eight years later, I had the opportunity to become an Immigration Judge. On October 30, 1982, I was appointed an IJ by Attorney General William French Smith.
As an IJ, I rode circuit and heard cases in many locations: Baltimore, DC, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Buffalo, Hartford. I loved the job. I enjoyed the challenge and I loved dealing with people. One concern for me was that the private bar might view me as a prosecutor in a judges robe. On the other hand, sometimes when I ruled in favor of the respondent, people at INS complained that I had crossed over. In fact, I dont think I played favorites; I just tried to follow the law. My mantra was to be Fair, Firm, Decisive.
Asylumist: Are there any cases that you worked on that were particularly memorable?
JFG: I was the IJ in two Nazi war criminal cases. In the case of George Theodorovich, the trial lasted 3½ weeks. He was a Ukrainian police officer who came to the U.S. under an executive order. He denied all charges and claimed that the case against him was a Russian plot. I went to the Russian embassy to review documents, and at trial, several Survivors testified. I entered a 154-page decision (my longest decision) where he was found deportable. He appealed to the BIA. While the case was on appeal, Theodorovich fled the U.S. and went to Paraguay.
Asylumist: As an IJ, what are some common problems that you see when lawyers present cases?
JFG: Dr. Stanley Sinkford, a renowned doctor and professor at Howard Medical School, always told his medical students, Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance, meaning it is usually a lack of preparation that leads to problems. Some lawyers become too comfortable with their role; they think they can come into court and wing it. Also, proper vetting of clients andmore importantlywitnesses is very important. You cannot meet the witnesses 30 minutes before the hearing and hope everything goes well. Ive also seen instances where the lawyer did not know the applicable law. This was a particular problem among lawyers who dabble in immigration law. A number of attorneys came before me who thought that the IJ has equity powers. They would ask the court to allow the respondent to stay in the U.S. even where there was no basis to allow him to stay. I fear that such lawyers portray this idea to their clientthat the IJ can let you stay, even without a legal basis for relief.
Asylumist: How do you handle cases where you feel that the applicant may have relief, but lawyer errors and/or ineffective assistance of counsel might cause the alien to lose?
JFG: As an IJ, you almost never want to admonish an attorney in public; it is better not to be on the record or in the presence of the client. I have talked to lawyers in chambers, however. Ive told them, If you are not familiar with law, you need to become familiar. You have a duty to do your best for your client. Also, if I am aware that the client appears eligible for another form of relief, I will ask why the attorney is not pursuing it. Attorneys appreciate that a Judge is willing to talk to them in private.
Asylumist: Have you had cases where your gut tells you to rule one way, but the evidence requires that you rule the opposite way? How do you deal with that?
JFG: That is when a judge feels stressed, alone, and badly about the decision he must render. Such decisions are difficult; I suppose thats why were paid the big bucks. But we are judicial officers, and we are required to follow the law. Its been said by the Supreme Court in Knauf v Shaughnessy, Judicially we must tolerate what personally we regard as a legislative mistake, but that is our role as an administrative judge. Your gut may tell you one thing, and you may have sympathy for the person in front of you, but unless that person satisfies the requirements for relief under the law, you cannot get to discretion, and you cannot provide equitable relief. As a Judge, we have to make these kinds of difficult decisions. It is what the law requires. Ultimately, to do justice, you have to read, know, and follow the law.
Asylumist: Over the past couple years, weve heard reports about the problem of IJ burnout. Was that a factor for you? How did you protect yourself?
JFG: I was constantly assessing myself, and I remained on-guard for burnout. Whenever necessary, I took a recess from court, or I took a day off. My colleagues were very supportive in this regard; it was helpful to have someone to vent to.
EOIR recently held a conference in Washington, DCthe first live conference in five years. Such events are very important. Judges are able to bond with colleagues. They brought a psychologist to discuss stress.
Asylumist: What do you think EOIR could do differently to better support IJs and make the system more efficient?
JFG: First, we need more judges and this should be done promptly. Preferably, we need candidates with a strong immigration or judicial background. More than 50% of the IJ bench is currently eligible for retirement. So we need regulations for phased retirement and we need to implement the Moving Ahead for Progress Act. This Act would permit IJs to work part time, which is something many IJs are interested in.
Also, we should institute senior status for IJs, so retired IJs could return to the bench to help with the workload. I had proposed this idea several years ago, but personnel felt it would be difficult to do. However, in the last year, EOIR has instituted a recall program, which allows Department of Justice attorneys with sufficient experience to fill temporary judgeships. This program seemingly targets BIA staff attorneys and OIL attorneys; it has not been extended to retired IJs. The Immigration Judges Association has been advocating for senior status as well, so retired IJs could return to help address the backlog or cover for a Judge who is absent. Imagine how efficient it would be for someone like me to step in and work for a week or a month while another IJ was on detail or leave. We have a number of IJs who are retired. They have decades of experience and are willing and able to do this.
In addition, we need to provide courts with adequate support staff, and IJs need more administrative time to keep up with motions, read case law, and stay on top of the profession. Judges also need more trainingone live conference in five years is not adequate.
I would also like to see implementation of the sanction recommendation that was part of the 1996 statutes. This would give IJs more authority to sanction attorneys for misconduct. They could impose fines. Some lawyers need this type of lesson as a wakeup call. If we are to implement a sanction process, it should apply equally to private attorneys and government counsel. DHS had wanted sanctions only against the private bar, but IJs generally oppose that ideayou have to treat both sides the same.
Asylumist: The definition of a particular social group (PSG) has expanded pretty significantly in the last 20 years, mostly through litigation. What is your opinion of this? How do flood gate arguments influence IJ thinking regarding PSGs?
JFG: Since the 1980 Act came into effect, it has been litigated and litigated. I think this is healthy. PSG is the most difficult provision of the statute; other protected categories are more self-explanatory.
As to the flood gate argument, as an IJ, we cannot have that as a factor for consideration.
One area I struggled with was PSG cases involving domestic violence. We are still waiting for the government to issue regulations to help guide us. Maybe domestic violence cases would be better addressed through legislation instead of trying to fit them into a PSG, especially when we have such little guidance. Such cases are difficult because they are often very sympathetic. Perhaps it might be better to pass legislation to benefit the abused, rather than to try to figure out how to craft this group of abused individuals into a particular social group.
Asylumist: It seems fairly common for cases referred from the Asylum Office to the Court to be granted by IJs. Do you think this is a systematic problem? Might there be some sort of "fix" that could take place between EOIR and the Asylum Offices?
JFG: To do that, you would have to change the administrative asylum process, and this is a question of resources. When an asylum case is presented to the Asylum Office, there are no witnesses, there are time constraints, the applicants must bring their own interpreters (who may be goodor not). It is an imperfect system.
When the case is referred to Court, many applicants get a lawyerand that makes a big difference. Attorneys know what evidence to include, they present witnesses, they can get a psychological evaluation. This evidence is often not presented at the Asylum Office. The system we have in Court is a more perfect system. But of course, we like the Asylum Office. Every case they grant is one less case on the Courts docket.
If you dont want applicants to get two bites at the apple, you can require asylum applicants who are out of status to go directly to Court.
Asylumist: Do you have any thoughts on how to reduce the backlog?
JFG: DHS could better prioritize which cases are prosecuted. We could have more pre-trial hearings. Why have a lengthy hearing if DHS wont oppose the case in the end? There could also be more stipulations and more administrative closures. Of course, there is always the issue of Monday-morning quarterbacking. What if a person whose case is admin closed commits a crime? The government does not have the resources to prosecute all cases, but how do we know which cases to pursue? I do think if DHS had more time for stipulations, it would ultimately save time for everyone.
Originally posted on the Asylumist: www.Asylumist.com.
I've written quite a bit in these pages about the backlog at the Asylum Offices, but today I want to focus on another backlog--in the Immigration Courts--and what can be done to improve the situation. The Court backlog has been a bit off my radar; I suppose because the Immigration Courts have always been slow, and so delay in that realm was the norm. But the fact is, the delays in Court have gotten worse. My furthest case is currently set for March 2019. I expect to travel to the Court in my hovercraft.
Maybe aliens can hire Doc Brown to get them to their Individual Hearings more quickly.
The basic problem for the Courts, and across the government, is money. Resources are limited and now, with a Congressional leadership hostile to immigration, it seems less likely that the budget for EOIR--the Executive Office for Immigration Review; the agency that oversees the Courts--will be expanded (though a new, anti-immigration bill pending in the House would create 50 new Immigration Judge positions). However, there are some reforms that could be implemented that would not require additional money from the government.
Below are a few suggestions. Some might require Congressional action; others would not. Given the current situation, something needs to be done. Perhaps some of these ideas would help alleviate the Court backlog:
- Impose Costs: Criminal and civil courts routinely impose costs and fines on people in the system, so why shouldn't Immigration Courts do the same? There generally is only one reason that a person would have a case before an Immigration Judge--he violated the immigration law. Maybe the violation wasn't his fault (think referred asylum seekers), and so a fine or payment of costs is not warranted, but the IJ can make this determination. The Immigration Court system is expensive, and it seems fair that people who are in the system because they violated the law should help pay for it. And of course, this money could be used to help improve the system.
- Premium Processing: Certain application before USCIS allow for premium processing. The applicant pays additional money and receives a faster decision (though not necessarily a better decision). Maybe the Immigration Courts could create some type of premium processing so that an alien could pay additional money to speed up her case. I have written about this idea in the context of the Asylum Office. The people who pay the premium processing fee would benefit the most from this plan, but the infusion of money into the system should benefit everyone.
With regard to the imposition of costs and premium processing, it seems a reasonable question to ask: Is this fair to people who cannot afford to pay? I suppose it is not, but America is not really a fair place. We are a liaise faire capitalist democracy. Every man for himself, and all that. We routinely fine the poor for being poor, and while I don't like imposing costs in the immigration context, it is a way to improve the system for everyone--even those who cannot pay.
One last point here. Maybe one way to ease the burden would be to spread out the cost. If an alien is fined or forced to pay costs (to pay for the court, DHS, his own detention, etc.), those costs could be paid over time. Instead of receiving a green card, for example, the alien could receive a conditional green card that must be renewed every two years. As long as he continues to pay his debt, the card will be renewed.
- Empower DHS: DHS attorneys are overworked and lack the resources necessary to properly do their jobs. Adding additional staff to the various Trial Attorneys offices would allow DHS to review cases in advance. This would allow attorneys like me to file applications for relief in advance. DHS could then review the applications and--where appropriate--agree to the relief. Of course, DHS would not agree to relief in all cases, but in many cases, relief is not contested. If we could agree on relief in advance, we could remove the case from the Court's docket, thus freeing space for other cases. Indeed, perhaps this could be combined with premium processing, so that the alien can pay a fee to DHS to review her case (and DHS could use this money to hire more staff). Maybe DHS could even meet with the alien to further explore whether relief is appropriate. If, after examining the case, DHS determines that relief is appropriate, it could inform the Court, which would then grant the relief without a hearing.
There has been some (tepid) movement in this direction, with prosecutorial discretion, but that does not go far enough. Aliens who are eligible for substantive relief do not want prosecutorial discretion; they want their cases granted. If DHS had the resources to review and decide cases in advance, it would help alleviate the backlog before the Immigration Courts.
- Pre-Master Calendar Hearings: Let's face it, Master Calendar Hearings ("MCH") are a huge waste of time. Why not require any alien who enters the system to attend a pre-MCH with a member of the Court staff (not an IJ). The pre-MCHs could be arranged by language group, so that everyone attending speaks the same language and the Court staff member could be fluent in that language (or have an appropriate interpreter). At the pre-MCH, the aliens would watch a video--in their own language--explaining the system and their rights (basically what the IJ repeats to pro se aliens 31 times each MCH). The staff member could answer basic questions and encourage the pro se aliens to find lawyers (basically what the IJ does 31 times each MCH). Aliens who will not use a lawyer can be scheduled for an in-person MCH, like what we have now. Aliens who say they will hire a lawyer will be given a deadline for the lawyer to enter her appearance (see the next suggestion for more on lawyers and MCHs). If the deadline passes, the alien will need to attend an in-person MCH.
- e-Master Calendar Hearings: EOIR now requires all attorneys to register and obtain an EOIR ID Number. As far as I can tell, EOIR does nothing with these ID numbers. However, it (supposedly) is a first step towards electronic filing. Federal courts across the United States require electronic filing, and I see no reason that the Immigration Courts should not do the same. Once an attorney enters her appearance, she should be able to go on-line and plead to the allegations and charges in the Notice to Appear (the charging document in Immigration Court). She should also indicate the relief sought. If there is some reason that the lawyer needs to see the IJ, she can request to appear at a regular MCH. But for the large majority of cases, all the pleadings and requests for relief could be done on-line. How, you ask, would this be an improvement over the current system, where lawyers can file written pleadings? At least in my experience, written pleadings are a huge pain in the tuchus. IJs often ignore them until the last minute, and we have to repeatedly call the Court to see whether the IJ will rule on them. So they really are not worth the trouble. If there was an easy electronic system that actually worked, and we could avoid MCHs, attorneys would be much inclined to use that system. It would save Court and DHS time, and it would also save attorney time and perhaps reduce costs for the alien.
OK, I suppose that is more than enough for now. If anyone at EOIR wants to hire me to implement these changes, you know where to reach me...
Originally posted on the Asylumist: www.Asylumist.com.


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- This event has passed.
Black History Month Programs
February 6 @ 10:30 am - 3:30 pm
An event every week that begins at 10:30am on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, repeating until February 27, 2018
Event Navigation
Mini-Musical – 11:00 AM & 12:00 PM
Peach State Flyer written by Jerry G. White – From depot to depot hop on board the Peach State Flyer steam train and learn about the wonderful contributions of great African Americans through story and song!
Super Spectacular Science Show – 1:00 PM
Every afternoon, Professor Labcoat shares a fascinating science demonstration with the whole museum! Join her to see what kind of fun she and her assistants have cooked up! Questions are encouraged at the end of the show.
Music & Movement – 2:00 PM
Head to the CMA stage to celebrate Black History Month through music and movement! For centuries, African Americans have contributed to the sounds and rhythms of the most popular American musical trends. Our CMA Imaginators will honor these contributions by taking guests back in time to the roaring 1920s' Harlem Renaissance, when African American jazz musicians in the New York borough of Harlem started a revolution of music and dance! Come learn the Charleston!
Storytime – 3:00 PM
Black History Month is a special opportunity to recognize and celebrate the contributions of African Americans in Science, Literature, Music, and Sports! Join us for a special Black History Month storytime featuring the book, Look What Brown Can Do! By T. Marie Harris, Illustrated by Neda Ivanova.
Science Bar – open 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Visit the mezzanine level of the museum to explore the important discoveries of sometimes unknown African American scientists whose work has impacted modern knowledge in the areas of botany, mathematics, chemistry, and even space exploration! Staffed by a STEM educator with a whole menu full of fun activities and a whole head full of knowledge, the Science Bar is where questions turn into answers!
Art Studio – open 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM
The projects in the Art Studio connect and are inspired by the traveling exhibits in the museum as well as cultural holidays. Children discover colors and explore artists from around the world. In February, children who visit the art studio will engage with the works and art mediums of prominent African American artists including Carrie Mae Weems and Kara Walker.
Build It Lab – open 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Children will enjoy this supervised space where they have access to real tools and materials needed to spark creativity, nurture curious minds, and ignite the next wave of innovators. Woodworking and other popular maker skills encourage visitors to be curious, creative and innovative. As part of CMA's celebration of Black History Month, guests who visit the Build It Lab will learn about the legacy of Garrett Augustus Morgan, the inventor of the traffic signal. Using wood and paper, children will create their own traffic light to take home, while exploring the circuitry used to light up traffic lights in Atlanta and cities around the world!
Ready for some fun?
Become a Member and Save!Purchase Membership

subset: commoncrawl


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Eating inside the House of Spices ©House of Spices
Taking in Italian-Tanzanian fusion cuisine in Zanzibar
Take your tastebuds to heavenly heights with a touch of Italian-Tanzanian fusion cuisine in Zanzibar at House of Spices. Around one of the many indiscernible turns of Stone Town lies a rooftop restaurant with a twist – a mouth-watering medley of Mediterranean meals, combined with all the flavours and fragrances that lend the Spice Island its name. In this 18th century trader's house, patrons can sip on lemongrass tea before tucking into dishes such as freshly caught kingfish in tamarind sauce. The delicate combinations will be sure to tickle your fancy, as will the Zanzibari decor.
For Europeans, it's the perfect bridge by which to enter the culturally vibrant world of Stone Town. A wood oven will fire your pizza to perfection, and gourmands can wash down their dishes with a spicy liqueur digestif while gazing over the maze of alleys below.
Drinkers and diners can even opt to tumble straight into bed in one of the four hotel rooms on the first floor, in order to wake up perfectly positioned to explore the marvels of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.


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Fan Gallery
These are some of our favourite photos selected from amongst those submitted by our friends and fans. Every month we select an image to be awarded with a Daiwa Prize Pack.
If you would like to submit an image then click the button to the right, fill in the form, attach your image and you too could win a Daiwa prize pack. Good luck!


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A new supercomputer simulation released by NASA showcases two neutron stars colliding and merging to produce a black hole, in what is one of the most violent events in the universe.
The simulation, which covers an event only 20 milliseconds in length, begins with two neutron stars – one bigger than the other – spiraling toward each other.
Neutron stars are remnants of supernova explosions and contain about 1.5 times the mass of the sun -- equivalent to about half a million Earths – inside a ball 12 miles across, according to NASA.
As the super-dense stars near each other, tidal forces from the larger star rip the smaller star apart. The smaller star's contents then curl a spiral arm of hot material around the larger star.
"At 13 milliseconds, the more massive star has accumulated too much mass to support it against gravity and collapses, and a new black hole is born," NASA said in a statement. "The black hole's event horizon -- its point of no return -- is shown by the gray sphere. While most of the matter from both neutron stars will fall into the black hole, some of the less dense, faster moving matter manages to orbit around it, quickly forming a large and rapidly rotating torus."
Scientists think mergers like this one product short gamma-ray bursts that last less than two seconds, yet emit as much energy as all the stars in our galaxy create in one year, according to NASA.
The video was produced by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.


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Deichtorhallen Hamburg - Europe's largest exhibition center for contemporary art and photography. All the exhibitions that viewers see and experience at Deichtorhallen invariably put their finger on the pulse of art and the world today. It is exactly this that year in year out makes Deichtorhallen such a unique magnet, attracting a whole host of visitors.
The patrons are members of a dynamic group of art enthusiasts who wish to accompany and strongly support the exhibition center's future progress. After all, only thanks to private donations can the Deichtorhallen realize its international program and thus continue to familiarize the broader general public with contemporary art.
Why not play an active part shaping the Deichtorhallen's future face and help move new exhibitions forwards? Proactively expand contemporary art to include areas that for many years were not or still are not to be found in museums. And benefit in the process from the countless advantages of being a member of »Patrons of Deichtorhallen«.
With your contribution you are supporting one of Europe's most beautiful exhibition centers and also guaranteeing that the City of Hamburg enjoys a great art-infused future. "Patrons of Deichtorhallen" is currently being established as an association in its own right. We will gladly send you the details on request.
Förderkreis Deichtorhallen Hamburg e.V.
Julia von Jenisch
Deichtorstrasse 1-2
20095 Hamburg
Friends of Haus der Photographie
Freundeskreis des Hauses Photographie e.V. , the non-profit association of friends, was founded in 2009. Its objective: to promote the medium of photography in dialogue with the other genres in contemporary art. For the details, please visit the Association's Homepage.


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Preparing for a HORROR WEDDING Photoshoot
Prices are at the bottom of the page
With this ring I'll be dead...
Our version of "wedding photography" is designed to give you nightmares! We pile on the horror and gore, transforming the bride and groom into figures of terror. This is the most fun you will ever have in a wedding dress!
• If you're recently married, or have an anniversary coming up, or just fancy doing this for the sheer hell of it - then you are about to embark on the most fun you can ever have in a photoshoot!
• Our horrific wedding shoots are the best way to celebrate a loving union, in which you will both be covered in gore and blood, you'll be able to kill each other, and of course you get to trash your beautiful wedding dress in the greatest way imaginable!
• Your Bride and Groom can be themed however you like, so if you fancy being a vampire couple, zombies, or even demons straight from hell, then we can make your most cherished nightmares come true.
• You will be directed by the photographer into a series of poses to create the most memorable shoot.
• You can do this photoshoot as a couple, or solo. Bridal dresses make amazing costumes for haunting horror shoots.
• Maximum x2 people.
Happy Couple
So it isn't a real wedding day. There are no guests and no cake, but we can still start the shoot with some lovely bride and groom shots just to kick things off in pleasant style.
Bride and Doom
You can do shots of the bride and groom murdering each other, just for fun.
Zombie Couple
There's no better way to trash that wedding dress than with an awesome zombie wedding couple! You can also be vampires or demons.
Ghostly Brides
Bridal dresses are perfect for ghostly or demonic themes.
Vampire Brides
Fangs and blood can really turn your big day into a deadly encounter.
• Clothing. Bride will need a wedding dress. If you feel brave enough then you can bring your real wedding dress and we'll trash it in style. However if you don't fancy doing this then we suggest you buy a cheap wedding dress from Ebay. Groom needs suitable clothing too.
• We don't offer beauty makeovers so you will need to bring your own beauty makeup. However if you would like a professional makeup artist to do your makeup then please let us know and we may be able to appoint one for you for an additional fee (subject to availability).
• Feel free to bring any appropriate props if you have any that you would like to use.
• Please bring a towel for clean-up at the end.
• Horrify Me will supply all the horror makeup and fake blood, so you will not need to bring any of this.
• Strictly age 18 and over.
Proof of age may be required.
Person =
including x5 prints
People =
including x6 prints
• Click here to view our full Photo Galleries
• Click here to book a shoot with Horrify Me
Terms and conditions of service
Horrify Me - the UK's premier horror portrait photography studio


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Yerba Maté
Photo: Anonymous
Yerba maté is a popular drink in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uraguay and southern Brazil. The plant itself is a species of holly native to South America.
Yerba maté is traditionally brewed in a hollowed gourd called a maté (also known as guampa, cabaça or cuia) and is drunk through a straining straw known as a bombilla (also known as bomba or canudo).
When preparing yerba maté, use hot but not boiling water. Traditionally, once yerba maté is made, you drink it with friends by passing the maté around and everyone taking a sip. You can continue to add hot water to the maté until the yerba maté loses its taste. There are various varieties of yerba maté and the flavor is strongly vegetal, herbal and grassy, reminiscent of some varieties of green tea.
Some choose to sweeten the beverage with honey.


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Boy I'm way late on getting today's shot out!
Been an incredibly busy day today and I think it's going to continue trending this way until next week. All good things though, all good things.
I have to eat now cause I can't remember when I did last!
See you tomorrow,
Please download the DISQUS plugin from Wordpress Repository and install it.


text:
Spain 1980 SG 2611 Edifil 2565 Used Stamp
Listing Ended. This listing from tony41 [+5116] ended on Wed 20 Jun 2018 12:20:11 (EDT). If you were involved in this then you can click here to login and view it within My eBid. To see more items from this seller click here. Public bidding/purchase history can be seen below.
Notice from Seller : There is only one postage charge irrespective of the number of stamps bought if paid for in one payment.
- Condition : Used
- Dispatch : Next Day
- Barcode : None
- Brand : None
- Quantity : 1 items
- Views : 1
- Location : United Kingdom
- Seller : tony41 (+5116)
- Start : Wed 13 Jun 2018 12:20:11 (EDT)
- Close : Wed 20 Jun 2018 12:20:11 (EDT)
- Remain : Listing Closed
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Seller's Description
The picture shows the actual stamp for sale.
Stamps will be packed in a glassine envelope and posted in a stiffened envelope.
I always combine lots (unless you tell me not to) and there is only one postage charge per invoice no matter how many stamps you buy.
I accept payment by Paypal and Skrill.
For UK buyers I also accept payment by bank transfer.
For Eurozone buyers I also accept payment by IBAN bank transfer (Shared charges)
Listing Information
|Listing Type
|Gallery Listing
|Listing ID#
|Start Time
|Wed 13 Jun 2018 12:20:11 (EDT)
|Close Time
|Wed 20 Jun 2018 12:20:11 (EDT)
|Starting Bid
|£0.02 ($0.03)
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|This is a single item listing. If an auction is running, the winning bidder will be the highest bidder.


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SOURCE: Russell Investments
January 31, 2013 09:15 ET
Strong Performance of Russell Midcap Index Has Helped Drive Russell 1000® Index Closer to Milestones
Strong Performance of Russell Midcap Index Has Helped Drive Russell 1000® Index Closer to Milestones
SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - Jan 31, 2013) - The U.S. large cap Russell 1000® Index has gained 6.01% YTD through January 29, and the January month-to-date return for the index is approaching a record, as only 1989 (6.92%) has seen a stronger January start for the Russell 1000 Index. As stocks have surged so far in 2013, the Russell 1000 Index has steadily approached its all-time high of 852.32 last hit on October 9, 2007, however has yet to reach this milestone in part due to its market breakdown between mega cap and midcap stocks.
As part of its objective to provide a comprehensive representation of the full U.S. large cap opportunity set, the Russell 1000 Index is composed of 70% mega cap stocks and 30% midcap stocks, a level of midcap representation not typically seen in other "top heavy" large-cap indexes. The greater midcap representation within the Russell 1000 Index has helped drive long-term performance for the index; however this composition may have helped create a higher summit to reach for an all-time high.
"It is important for investors to build a portfolio that offers accurate and consistent exposure to their targeted asset classes. If an investor wants pure cap-tier exposure, their index needs to be modular, so they can be sure that they're getting the right exposure," said David Koenig, CFA, FRM, investment strategist for Russell Indexes. "Due to their objective and transparent methodology, the Russell Indexes very precisely reflect the markets and help investors pinpoint the exact cap-tiers that are performing well."
Source: Russell Investments
Disclaimer: http://www.russell.com/indexes/about/index_alerts.asp#disclaimer
See all RSS Newsfeeds


text:
Online Voodoo Games
Don't miss chance to add exclusive Slots Finder toolbar created by SlotsDoc.com to search for online slot games directly in Firefox browser. Now the players don't have to visit the website, casino Internet page or lobby to look for games they wish to play. They just need to download Slots Finder...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Freeware
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Play free 3D online billiard games - pool and snooker at www.8BallClub.com! The most realistic 3D Billiards simulator lets you play pool and snooker even when you are away from your favorite billiards hall! You can play all of the world's most popular billiard games: 8-ball pool, snooker, 9-ball...
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Physics games bring a lot of fun to us, and our mission is to gather the best of them in one place to help you find them. Here at phyfun.com, online flash games are mostly for free and they can be a lot of fun, not to mention totally captivating and addictive. Play online physics games at...
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Many people enjoy roulett because it is one of the easiest casino games to play online. Visit the site for free roulett tips and strategies
Platforms: Windows, Palm OS 1.0, Palm OS 2.0, Palm OS 2.1, Palm OS 3.0, Palm OS 3.1, Palm OS 3.2, Palm OS 4.0, Palm OS 5.0, Palm OS 6.0
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The free Online Games Toolbar lets you play many free online games directly from your browser with easy access to an endless stream of flash games and other popular online web games. Automatically updated daily so you can discover tons of new web browser games for playing directly from your...
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Card Counter PRO is an AUTOMATIC card counter for use on online cards games like Spades, Hearts, Pinochle and Bridge.
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Platforms: OS/2, Windows, Mac, *nix, Palm OS, Windows CE, Pocket PC, Other,Android,BlackBerry,iPhone,iPod,iTouch,Palm,Palm OS 6.0,Not Applicable,Handheld/Mobile Other,Java
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Online mac games are of different category suiting each and every age group; also all of them include different levels to be chosen from. Not only they refresh our mind with fun and excitement but also gives the chance to acquire knowledge especially with educational and puzzle games. Games such...
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OpenKore is an automation tool for Ragnarok Online-compatible games, authorized to be used on KoreRO.
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Collection of Sonic the Hedgehog & Super Mario online flash games. There are 4 great Sonic games & 5 Super Mario games. Also on this web page, because I am a big fan of Sega's "Sonic the Hedgehog" and Nintendo's "Super Mario Brothers" computer games, here are all the animated GIFs / sprites from...
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This page is now CLOSED, we no longer accept listings for Casinos or any type of online gambling games. This is not a censorship decision it is simply that there are too many of them! All of them now offer affiliate linking so that we can earn a little from our links but, if we listed them all,...
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Play online spades games and tournaments 24 hours a day 7 days a week for fun or for a chance to win real money. Make new friends and compete in the most lively spades community on the net.
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BIG575 brings you the full package of online gambling games, the exciting world of betting and gaming in one place, using a single account.
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Cooking bright free game for kids from Online-Girl-Games.com Do you wish to cook Palatable Pizza? Then follow the recipe using hints and start to make dough then bake and bon appetite.
Platforms: Windows
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New free memory children game from Online-Girl-Games.com. You are working at the bar on the beach, your task is to look at the recipe and cook the delicious fruit cocktail using the appropriate ingredients and glass. The time is limited. So be quick and have a lot of fun! Absolutely free game.
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OpenKore is an automation tool for Ragnarok Online-compatible games, authorized to be used on KoreRO.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, BSD, Linux
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text:
October 10, 2007
Twitter Updates for 2007-10-10
- Good morning fellow twitterers. Nice to see you haven't migrated to Jaiku. #
- @darrindickey: Question 10 was a strange one for sure. #
- @danyork: you can request how you know the new "friend" on Facebook. When the request comes in…instead of Confirming straight away. #
- @cspenn: good luck with that. sounds like it's going to be insane there! wish I could make it. #
- @danyork: good point. it would be much easier. #
- just read @wickedgood's tweet. get back to work @jmoonah! #
- Does this girl look like she had a good birthday party? http://urltea.com/1pps #
- @mDave : unless they get an invite right? #
- @darrindickey: thanks. it was fun. cool that it showed up in Twitku too. #
- @sschablow: Thanks man! She had a blast. #
- Were you at the Marketing Profs Live conference in Chicago? #
- @cspenn: dugg #
- Please vote for your favorite Microblogging platform: http://urltea.com/1pt4 #
- http://urltea.com/1pt4 #
- @lexia: Thanks for your two cents. I'm very interested to gauge my friends to see what their plan is. Cheers. #
- Twitter Vote: http://urltea.com/1pt4 tally. Twitter: 19, Jaiku: 1, Powne: 1, Other: 0. Have you voted yet? #
- How was the BarCamp Nashville Crew meet up last night? #
- @mDave: looking forward to hearing about it. Cool. #
- @kroosh: ok ok…here I am. It was me right? #
- @kroosh: ok ok…here I am. It was me right? #
Powered by Twitter Tools.


text:
February 18, 2015
Research on GM crops too slow
Genetically modified crops may be a solution to Africa's food security problem. However, they may also bring side effects that harm environment and human health. "The crucial question is if Africa can wait for research to give a definite answer about the risks while the demand for food increases on the continent", former NAI researcher Tommy Arvidsson says.
Read brand new Policy Note on GM crops by Tommy Arvidsson.


text:
Thank you all so much for providing feedback through our recent survey, reaching out to us directly, or speaking with us at events.
We're going to take a step back and use this feedback to make our services even better, and more in line with how you are wanting to preserve history for your family.
I encourage you all to continue to reach out to us on Facebook and Twitter and continue to help us mold our company to best suit your needs and wants!
I look forward to the challenge of creating an amazing new offering, and helping you all preserve the stories and memories that each of your families hold so dear.
Thank you all so much for your support,
John Ross


text:
May 9, 2014
SuperSike Games has released their game Go Kane to Google Play. This trading game was inspired by Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars's drug-dealing elements, where this game is entirely based around making deals to rescue the protagonist's girlfriend before the ransome expires. Due to the game's subject matter, the game was rejected by Apple, so it's only on the more-lax Google Play, even though Chinatown Wars can be had on iOS devices. Hmm. The game is available for free from Google Play.


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The air is definitely much colder this week. I can't get away with a big cardigan and a scarf anymore, I've had to go the whole hog and get out the thermals, winter boots and long gloves. The one part of your body that seems to get a battering with the wind is your legs; I for one get exceptionally dry pins as soon as it gets a bit colder because the only thing 'protecting' them is a pair of 40 denier tights. Moisturising before bed becomes an absolute ritual in the colder months, even more so than normal. Those clever people at Dove have realised that the harsh winter weather puts even more stress on our skin, so have developed a special 'winter care' nourishing body lotion and cream that contains even more goodness to help moisturise and protect the skin. It includes their 'Deep Care Complex' which apparently does something extra helpful to skin, although what that is I can't tell you. (I've asked, I've researched and I can't help but think it's a bit of marketing-speil and a pretty design to be honest!) However, this limited edition version of their bestselling range does smell very nice and, as always, feels deeply moisturising on the skin. I'm a big fan of Dove body care, purely because it does what it says while costing the earth. The 'winter care' is available in a body lotion or cream, so you can use the lighter or thicker formula as you need (the cream is great for elbows and knees, while the lotion is perfect for legs before putting on tights.) This is another product I'll be using until I'm squidging the end in a desperate attempt to get out the last blob... Here's hoping it'll be back next year. (Maybe with a better explanation of ingredients!)
Available now from Boots priced £3.99 for the lotion and £3.99 for the cream.


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Macy's, a department store at Marley Station Mall in Glen Burnie, was expected to open for business today despite a deliberately set fire that caused extensive damage to a second-floor storeroom last night, an Anne Arundel County fire official said.
Damage caused by last night's two-alarm blaze was estimated at $100,000 by Capt. Michael Schaall, a county fire department arson investigator. He said evidence indicated that the fire, which was confined to a storeroom, was deliberately set and that it remained under investigation.
It was the third fire at the store this year. In January, someone set fire to a trash bin in the rear of the store, in the 7900 block of Marley Station Road. In February, a three-alarm fire struck a part of the store not frequented by customers.


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Connecting the old fashion values of reliability & customer gratification with the newest technical advances offered by today's research favor's our customers to get the best of both worlds! Toronto & GTA area homeowners trust Cosmopolitan Mechanical's Heating & Colling Services
We services, Install, Repair all makes & models of air conditioning and heating in whole GTA Area.
We will help you make the most cost-effective & responsible decision, whether you want replacement or Installation
Our Professional & Certified technicians can evaluate and repair any make or model of heating and cooling equipment.
Our yearly & monthly base maintenance packages offer you with more than expert evaluations and detailed inspections
Cosmopolitan Mechanical offers top quality HVAC brands & products to meet your needs and your budget.
"This is to tell you how happy I was to have my furnace & ac serviced by Athar. He absolutely is an asset to your company."
"We really appreciate your speedy service which I received in the installation of my new 'Lennox Furnace.' The Installers were prompt, expert in their job & friendly."
"We thank your prompt service to replace my furnace in a single day. It's greatly appreciated."


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We understand, Tom. We really do. We all thought that Hartley field goal was good. But now we're forced to revel in your improperly expended joy (animated gif goodness below).
While we're at it, many of us would love to be 13-2. So don't expect much sympathy here.
(Gif courtesy the indispensable folks at 30fps)
That's all for me today, and for the week. I'll be trekking down to DC to watch my Temple Owls in the granddaddy of them all, the EagleBank Bowl. Be nice to whoever takes the night shift.


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Save and Track Your Favourite Properties
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On Thursday February 18th, the Century 21 Millennium team headed to the Toronto Congress Centre for this year's CENTURY 21 Kick Off! This event always delivers a positive and wonderful learning experience year after year. The first part of the morning was all about Social Networking. Heather Angus-Lee, a former journalist, now blogger on Talk21 shared her knowledge about blogging, Facebook, ...
Century 21 Millennium was pleased to take part In Wasaga Beach's Snowmania event this weekend Feb.12-14th hosted at the Stonebridge Town Centre this Family Day Holiday weekend! This was our first event that we took part in at our future" New Office Location " which is quickly becoming the new town centre in Wasaga Beach . We are excited to be moving our office there in May to serve our community ...
A Channel News out of Barrie Ontario conducted an interview with one of our agents in Wasagag Beach. to see it please click http://connectpro91775482.acrobat.com/wasagabeachc21/
February 10, 2010, Vancouver
CENTURY 21 Canada launches Chinese language platform on Century21.ca
– Century21.ca is the first nationally-branded real estate website in Canada to enable property searches and listings in Chinese, in addition to English and French. Please click here
Resale housing forecast extended to 2011
OTTAWA – February 8, 2010 – The Canadian Real Estate Association has revised its forecast for home sales via the MLS® Systems of Canadian real estate boards in 2010, and extended the forecast to 2011. Please see here for full article
Sales Start Off Strong in 2010 February 3, 2010 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,986 transactions through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) in January 2010. This result represented a large increase over the 2,670 sales in January 2009 when the home sales were in a recessionary trough. See details.
Click here for complete Market Watch. pdf


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NYX Professional Makeup Wicked Lashes - Malevolent
Free gift when you buy 2 or more selected NYX Professional Makeup
In order to buy non-prescription medicines you must be a registered user of our site as we are obliged to record your transaction history. We also ask that you complete our questionnaire so our pharmacy team can check that this product is suitable for you to buy.
Disabled or chronically sick people can claim VAT relief on purchases for personal or domestic use that are applicable to their disability or sickness.
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Collect 8 Boots Advantage Card points with this purchase
Product details
Because we believe well-behaved women rarely make history we created a line of faux lashes for the truly wicked and adventurous. Our 12-natural hair lashes transform your look from every day to glamorous in a matter of seconds.


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SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI -- I don't even know where to start with this dealership. They lost the second set of keys to our pre-owned car when we bought it, so we are without a spare set now. The tires that were on our car when we bought it were the original tires on the vehicle, although UnReliable lied and told us they were brand new. The "new" tires were completely bald after 3 months. They also lied about a warranty package and tied it in with the purchase of the vehicle. It took 3 months for me to clear up that mess because UnReliable lost my paperwork.
When I called about it, the salesman was conveniently never in and never returned my phone calls. They also failed to do routine maintenance work on the vehicle prior to point-of-sale (like recalled parts that are free of charge to the owner) and tried to charge me for labor when I took the car in for maintenance.
These guys are scam artists. If you are looking to get burned, then this is definitely the dealership for you. Goes to show you should always have a pre-owned vehicle independently inspected, a lesson learned too late. We would have probably been better off at one of those "no credit? no problem!" joints than at Reliable Imports. Do yourself a favor and never set foot on a Reliable lot!
SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI -- I would never recommend purchasing an automobile from this company. I purchased a brand new Subaru Outback from Reliable Subaru in Springfield, Missouri in March of '05. Without my consent the company added an extended warranty policy as well as a "gap coverage" policy to the sale. When asked to remedy the situation I basically got the run around. Avoid this dealership at all costs unless you like being charged $3,000 for something you did not sign up for!!!


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Obituary of Bruce Fronek
Bruce W. Fronek
Age 58. Saturday, September 15, 2007 at his late residence following a courageous battle with cancer with his family and friends by his side. Born in Joliet, and a resident of Joliet the majority of his life. Employed at Cosco Warehouse in Morris. Formerly employed by Texaco Refinery as the Plant Manager for many years. An avid fisherman and St. Louis Cardinals fan.
A very special thank you to Laurie Senisais for her care during these most difficult months.
Preceded by his wife, Linda (nee Wilson) Fronek (2007); his son, Mathew Fronek (1971); his mother, Marie (nee Fracaro) Fronek; and his father, Fred "Roy" (Delores nee McMillin) Fronek; and one infant brother, David.
Surviving are two sons, Wayne Fronek of Joliet, and Mark (Rebecca) Fronek of Albeuquerque, NM; one daughter, Laurie (Roman) Lemeshkov of Seattle, WA; three grandchildren, Malachi, Shay, and Maggie Fronek; two sisters, Susan Fronek of Joliet, and Sandi (Leonard) Rochnowski of Morris; three brothers, Roger (Judi) Fronek of Channahon, Roy "Al" Fronek, and Fred (Brenda) Fronek, both of Joliet; and his mother-in-law, Margaret (the late Donald) Wilson. Numerous Aunts, Uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins also survive.
Funeral services for Bruce W. Fronek will be Wednesday, september 19, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home chapel., Deacon Marco Lovero, officiating. Interment Woodlawn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Joliet Area Community Hospice in his name would be appreciated. Visitation Tuesday, 4-8 p.m. at:
3200 Black at Essington Rds., Joliet
For information: (815) 741-5500


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Workshop Details
Intro to Traditional Fine Art Skills & Portfolio Development, 'Certificate Program'!
Intro to Traditional Fine Art Skills & Portfolio Development Certificate Program offer classes with top professionals, including figurative drawing, perspective, still life drawing, basic design & composition, colour theory and intro to painting !
With successful completion of this program, you will have fulfilled the general portfolio requirements for Max the Mutt diploma programs.
Figurative Life Drawing: 60 hours of instruction
Perspective & Structural Drawing: 30 hours of instruction
Principles of Drawing: 60 hours of instruction
Design & Composition, Colour Theory & Intro to Painting: 30 hours of instruction
Total program: 180 hours of instruction
Personal review meetings with each instructor a final full review of all the student's best work, assistance in making portfolio choices. All students who get a PASS in all parts of the program will receive a certificate. To get a PASS grade, professional behaviour is required. This includes ability to take direction, respect for everyone in the group, and focus.
Successful completion of this Certificate Program fulfills the "general"portfolio requirements for application to Max the Mutt Diploma Programs.
The certificate program classes as well as our workshops, are designed for people who want to develop basic skills either in the hope of applying to colleges or universities for art based programs, or for personal interest.
NOTE: International students are allowed to take workshops for up to 6 months with a visitors visa.
Closed Monday August 6 for Civic Holiday. Make up class is on Saturday, August 11, 2018.
(Please note that on check out, HST will be added.)


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Our Jam Jar Army winners for 2014 have stepped up a gear as they have confirmed that they have applied to become an official charity.
The Stephen Carey Fund, which supplies defibrillators, life-saving equipment and emergency first-aid training to communities, has confirmed that its application for full charity status is now being considered by the Charity Commission.
David Wilson, communications manager for the fund, said: "We have looked at this over the last few months and approached the matter with caution, we are dubious of red tape and often prefer to just 'get the job done', but having considered the options the committee were unanimous that the benefits of full charity status simply could not be ignored."
The committee hopes that its registration will be confirmed before the end of July and believe a successful application will allow them to appeal to access new funding streams.
Plus it will give added confidence to potential donors that this is a cause which isn't thinking short-term, but is here to make a real long-term difference to the region.


text: July 16, 2008 - 07.45 GMTSamsung unveils the14.7 Megapixel NV100 HD digital camera to shoot images with a maximum resolution of 4384 x 3288 pixels. Furthermore the new NV100 features a 28 mm wide-angle 3.6x optical zoom Schneider-Kreuznach lens, and on the back of the camera you'll find a 3-inch 460.000 pixel LCD touch screen. The camera can record in Stereo and 720p HDTV Video (1280x720) at 30 frames per second. Movie playback in 1.2 NTSC or PAL requires the optional SCC-NV5HD HDMI docking station...More


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Individualized message content is the most ideal form of email personalization. A personalized message will contain content that is specifically tailored to each recipient. The easiest way to accomplish this is to collect data about your subscriber's activity on your website. Make sure to capture what articles or products they've viewed, what items they have in their cart, and what email content they've engaged the most with. Use this data to understand exactly what products or content each of your subscribers are the most interested in. Once you have an understanding of what each of your subscribers interact with, you can create messages with dynamic content based around each recipient's interests.
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Major: International Relations
Minor: Politics
Concentration: Human Resource Management
Hometown: Egglkofen, Germany
My experiences as a Drake student include: Internship with the World Food Prize Foundation; Research Assistant for Prof. McCarthy in the Politics Department; Captain of the Rowing Team; Executive Council member of International Student Association (ISA); Academic Affairs Senator for Student Senate
Favorite Drake Memory: One of my favorite memories here is the first time I really felt at home at Drake. It was pretty early on during the first semester and some girls and I on my floor decided to have a chick-flick marathon. We still didn't know each other too well, but we all wanted to do something Friday night. To have a perfect movie night, we ordered the unhealthiest food we could find: a large triple cheese pizza with cheese-stuffed crust. Sharing that greasy pizza and watching some of our favorite movies all night long definitely brought us all closer and, now, two years later as a Junior, I call these girls my best friends here at Drake.
Advice for students during the college search: When you are visiting Drake, ask students lots of questions and when you ask questions, ask something that you can't look up online. Yes, I can tell you all the stats and facts about Drake, but what I think really determines what kind of school you want to attend is to hear personal stories and experiences. Ultimately my college experience – and yours – is not dictated by numbers, but by unique moments.
If you go on tour with me, you'll see one of my favorite spots on campus: the Reading Room in the library. I think it is one of the prettiest and best study spaces on campus.


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Redipe for Unmittigated rubbish. Take several game lines you stopped supporting properly and rush them out the back door as quickly as possible. Answer none of the Question raised over the lifespan of those games and make good use of deus ex Machina in almost every case. Sprinkle with a lack of understanding of the games themselves and your own personal house rules and resist the urge to spell check.
Viola, ToJ!
The other ToJ books were bad enough but if you can find anything useful in this book you're a better man than I Gunga din!


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Theme4Press › Forums › evolve › Layout not boxed › Reply To: Layout not boxed
August 10, 2015 at 5:28 pm
Post count: 403
#19868 |
Hi Kim,
Firstly, we don't encourage to apply the direct modification into theme files. Though, if you still wish to get some customization services then I'd refer you to our services page where you can get theme customization services. Meanwhile, theme has changed the layout design along with the new update and surely there is no bug regarding boxed layout design. You can avail the desired layout customization, if you wish to get the boxed layout style as your previous version.


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a little while ago, when working on a small DIY favour for a pen pal I realized I ran out of photo corners but the project I was working on definitely required some. It was a Sunday and as shops are closed on Sundays in good ol' Germany taking the tram downtown and buying some at the local Idee shop was out of question. So I decided to craft some. And truth to be told, photo corners are darn simple to make!
Check out the video below for instructions:
Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!


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Sheep Breed Studies - August 2013 Breed Box from Namaste Farms
My continuing exploration of sheep's wool from various breeds around the world following along with the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook.
I've been trying to continue my sheep breed studies with more unusual fleece that is rare or hard to find. I purchased the August breed box from Namaste Farms and finally got to wash the fleece and take a closer look at it. Listening to the Blog Talk Radio segment was a big help and interesting to hear (and confirm) my assessment of the fiber. I have to admit that my favorite (without knowing which was which first) was the sample of Lincoln lamb that was a bonus she threw in. It feels amazing! What a gorgeous fleece:
Namaste Farm August Breed Box E fleece sample - Lincoln lamb
Here are the other fiber samples from the breed box:
A) Vlaams Kuddeschaap
Namaste Farm August Breed Box // A - Vlaams Kuddeschaap
As Martin noted this had some yolk staining. Not bad - I'd say an average fleece.
B) Ile de France
Namaste Farm August Breed Box // B - Ile de France
I liked this one better. Nice medium fleece.
C) North Country Cheviot
Namaste Farm August Breed Box // C - North Country Cheviot
A good solid fleece. Lovely gray color and nice handle.
D) Valais Blacknose
Namaste Farm August Breed Box // D - Valais Blacknose
I was really excited about this because, well, this:
Valais Blacknose sheep (via thefabweb.com)
OMG, how adorable, huh? I had done some research ahead of time and knew it was a fleece not know for it's softness being a coarse, carpet wool type breed. I had to have some anyway. I think Natalie said it took two years to get a sample of this fleece. Unfortunately for me it was a bit of a let down. It was coarse and pretty dirty. I think this would in fact make great mattress stuffing. I guess all the sheep's energy goes into being cute rather than soft and fine. Bummer. I'm glad I tried it though! Now I can check that off my fleece bucket list.


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|18 Nov 2012
Problem converting GPT parition to MBR on Windows 7 Setup
Hello everybody,
Today I wanted to reformat my computer with Windows 7 because he was very slow. So I took an official Windows 7 DVD Rom and I started my installation. When I was in the window "Where do you want to install Windows ?" I choosed my partition with 441 GB and I pressed on "reformat" and I had the error "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style".
So I searched on the Internet, and I went to a topic on your website (Convert GPT Disk to MBR Disk) and I did all the steps. The problem is that when I do the command "convert mbr" it says me "The specified disk is not convertible. CD-ROM and DVD are examples of non convertible disks".
Maybe I have this error because I don't removed the volume "System" and "Recovery" but I don't think it's a good idea to remove them.
I let some screenshots:
Thank you if you can reply and sorry for my bad english,
|My System Specs
|18 Nov 2012
I would go will GPT.
You need to use a GPT setup.
You need to do a clean install,
As the new MOBO's now have a uEFI BIOS.
How to install Windows 64 bit on a uEFI BIOS:
UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with
Make the OS HD DRive first in Drive Options
To boot your DVD, use boot menu
press enter on the UEFI DVD drive
|My System Specs
|18 Nov 2012
Are booting from the UEFI DVD Drive ?
|My System Specs
|Thread Tools
|Similar help and support threads
Need help converting my customized setup into a Windows 7 Theme.
When I customized my pc I used programs such as "Windows 7 Start Orb Changer" and programs that would overwrite the icons somewhere in Windows, and my back and forward buttons, etc. I want to convert all of this into a theme, as the main reason I want to do this is because when I change themes...
How to setup windows boot parition to load from dynamic stripe array?
I'd like to have the OS on a Striped Raid Array, because I care very much for peak I/O performance. The system does not have a hardware raid controller. I'm using IDE drives 3 x 80gb to be exact. I know I can't install windows on a dynamic disk. Can we over-ride this and get it to work...
|Installation & Setup
Problem converting song
Hi guys, I'm experiencing a very strange problem. I dunno if it is associated only with audio files, so feel free to move it if you think this is the case. But let's get straight to the point. When I try to convert a file using Foobar it gives me an error saying it can't load the file, even if it...
|Sound & Audio
Problem converting 1080p
When i convert a 1080p, and only convert 5 min of it to test it, it plays fine on my LED tv through USB, but when I convert the whole movie the EXACT same way, it doesnt play. And iv tried at least 5 converters. What am I doing wrong, or do you know a converter?
|Music, Pictures & Video
Parition Problem
Hi! I'm trying to install Windows 7 on my desktop PC. It is currently running Fedora Core 9. When I get to the partition selecting menu of the installation process, it does not allow me to go to the next step, because my system is not NTFS partitioned. Is there a way I can fix that?
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2010-09-17 44 -79
Fri 17 Sep 2010 in 44,-79:
The geohash appeared on Google maps to be on a golf course, in a giant sandtrap, not far from the entrance of a golf course in the Muskoka region.
Whilst driving from Parry Sound to Toronto, we would detour along a scenic route near Gravenhurst, among the picturesque lakes that rich Torontonians call "cottage country." The plan was to find the golf course, then if it was unfenced and public we would walk onto the course for a photo session in the sandtrap. If it was private we would ask permission to do that, and consider renting clubs for a Golf Achievement.
Wade's GPS (a.k.a. "the spontaneous adventure generator") brought us almost unerringly to the golf course (it made one attempt to take us there by someone's driveway, but to its credit the driveway did have a street name on it, and was quite close to the geohash). We pulled into the golf course parking lot and stopped the car. Before we even had a chance to discuss strategy, a young man appeared beside the car to welcome us to the Taboo Golf Resort and Spa. Robyn told him that we did not play golf, but that we would like to take some pictures of the course to show our friends. He said that he would be happy to give us a tour. Robyn explained that there were some particular coordinates she would like to visit, in what appeared to be the largest sand trap on the course. He remained enthusiastic about his ability to help us with that and ushered us into an enormous golf cart.
Now where did we want to go? Being on holiday we didn't have a printer, and the giant sandtrap had looked pretty close to the entrance. We told him the bearing and distance to the point and he started driving to where it might be. The golf course was spectacular. It was kind of a mini version of the Muskoka area, with the natural rock, vegetation and undulating terrain used to terrific effect. It's difficult to describe how ritzy the golf course and the golf cart ride were.
Riding in the golf cart we went up and down hills, around miniature mountains and over miniature rivers. This was a golf course that made me understand why people would play golf--at least why they would play on days that the geohash was not accessible. We got to where our guide estimated the big sandtrap to be, but we were further from our goal than before. We repeated this several times, each time not being anywhere near the target, until finally he realized it was probably on the driving range. A driving range sounded like some place we wouldn't be allowed to go, but that was no trouble either, and we were soon trundling up behind the driving range where there was not an enormous sandtrap, but an enormous rock. Brendon drove right up to the edge of the rock, and we took our first steps on the expedition.
We walked up the rock and as Robyn neared a puddle in its surface several frogs all leaped from the rock into the puddle, too quickly to be photographed. Meanwhile Wade had zeroed out his GPS and was laughing. Why? Because there was a golf ball sitting right on the geohash. Now it's not too surprising that there would be a golf ball on a golf course, but it was the only one we noticed on that rock. After a brief photo session we got back in the golf cart and were chauffeured right back to our car.
It was an unexpectedly unusual experience, as every geohash should be.
Do you get the golf achievement ribbon if there is a golf ball already at the geohash without your intervention? We could be said to have caused its presence by the act of observation, right?


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SPECIAL HOURS: Our Adoption Center will be open this Sunday, August 19 from 1-6pm!
Adoption Center Hours: Tues. 10am-7pm, Wed.-Sat. 10am-6pm (Animal rooms closed from 1-2pm for naptime)
. . . . .
Asheville Humane Society is committed to financial transparency and responsibility with your donations. We have received the highest rating, Platinum, with GuideStar and we are proud to be a FOUR STAR rated charity (highest level) with Charity Navigator for five years running, placing us in the top 8% of charities nationwide!
Please donate to make an impact on the lives of local, Buncombe County animals in need! Asheville Humane Society is proud to be a FOUR STAR rated charity with Charity Navigator for four years running, placing us in the top 9% of charities nationwide. >>Donate
We rely on animal lovers like you to help us with our lifesaving programs. Enrich the lives of the animals in our care by volunteering your time and your talents. From cleaning to playing, we have an important role just for you! >>Volunteer
Have you lost a pet or found a stray? View found pets, file a lost or found report and get tips about what to do when a pet goes missing. Asheville Humane Society reunites over 1,000 animals with their families each year! >>Lost & Found
Our Safety Net Program provides support to those who need help caring for their pet. Pet food assistance, pet-friendly housing, behavior training and help with low-cost vaccines are just a few of the resources available. >>Pet Resources
Help us save lives by providing a temporary, loving and restful retreat for animals in need. We provide all of the supplies, food and medical attention, so there is no cost to you as a foster parent... all you provide is love! >>Foster
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text: To get from Montecchio Maggiore a Latina by train you can catch one of the 37 trains that everyday travel between Padova and Roma Tiburtina, the closest station to the city. For your trip from Padova to Roma Tiburtina by train you can choose to leave from one of Padova main stations: Padova, Altavilla-Tavernelle If travelling with ItaloTreno, you need to know the Padova to Roma Tiburtina train schedule: the first train leaves at 07:03, while the last ride is at 18:23. A Padova to Roma Tiburtina train cost about 61.75 €. But how long is the train ride from Padova to Roma Tiburtina? Your journey takes about 3 hours on average. ItaloTreno offers 5 direct trains between these two cities. There are also Trenitalia trains from Padova to Roma Tiburtina; you can compare ItaloTreno and Trenitalia with Wanderio, so that you find the best fare in a quick and simple way. A Padova to Roma Tiburtina train ticket with Trenitalia costs 26.90 € on average and you can find rides from 07:25 to 21:17. If you need to travel this week, prices start from 59.90€ to a maximum price of 81.00€. When booking your train ticket a few weeks in advance though, you can find low cost trains from Padova to Roma Tiburtina with fares starting from 26.90€, saving up to 59%.


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Sacha Baron Cohen Pranks the Britannia Awards
My wife … is going to need immediate medical assistance.
Sacha Baron Cohen was up to his old tricks again, if you can call shoving an elderly woman in a wheelchair off a stage an "old trick." Cohen pulled the stunt while receiving the Charlie Chaplin Britannia for Excellence in Comedy at the BAFTA Britannia Awards in L.A. this weekend, accidentally tripping and sending "Charlie Chaplin costar Grace Cullington" hurtling into the audience. If anyone deserves an award, it's that stuntwoman for her excellent fall work. Top notch plummeting, that.