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The nation's eyes turn to Iowa Tuesday as Republicans trek to caucuses to select their preferences for a presidential candidate.
Whether the caucuses will actually winnow the field, though, is anyone's guess.
The nation's eyes turn to Iowa Tuesday as Republicans trek to caucuses to select their preferences for a presidential candidate. Whether the caucuses will actually winnow the field, though, is anyone's guess.
The nation's eyes turn to Iowa Tuesday as Republicans trek to caucuses to select their preferences for a presidential candidate.
Whether the caucuses will actually winnow the field, though, is anyone's guess.
Several polls indicate a tight race among three candidates -- U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, with former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum creeping up on the outside. But the rest of the field is so close that one slip could create an opening wide enough for Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota or Texas Gov. Perry to slip through.
A Public Policy Polling survey last week indicated Paul ahead of Romney and Gingrich, with Bachmann, Perry and Santorum nipping at Gingrich's heels, turning Iowa into a likely two-person race between Paul and Romney.
If Paul can get young people and independents who don't usually vote in Republican caucuses to turn out Tuesday, he'll win, PPP said. If turnout has a more traditional look, Romney likely will prevail. But with this year being anything but normal, Santorum could be the sleeper, despite Bachmann devoting endless time in her home state. (For his part, Santorum said he would drop out of the race if he makes a poor showing in Iowa.)
The New York Times projected Paul would capture 25.6 percent of the vote, with a 60 percent chance of winning the caucuses. Romney was second with 21.5 percent of the vote and a 31 percent likelihood of winning. With a projected 13.7 percent of the vote, Gingrich was third with a 4 percent chance of winning.
The Times said its forecasts were developed from an average of recent surveys, adjusted for a polling firm's accuracy, the freshness of a poll and each candidate's momentum.
RealClearPolitics.com's polling average indicates Paul will wear the winner's mantle on Tuesday, albeit by a slim margin.
And less than a week before the caucuses, Rasmussen Reports said its survey indicated an unnamed Republican would best Obama in November by a statistically insignificant 1 percentage point, 45 percent to 44 percent, indicating Republicans still aren't excited about any of the candidates yet.
This year's campaign is unusual because the GOP race -- with its ever-changing front-runners and surges -- has given all candidates some degree of hope of remaining in the race after Tuesday.
But here's another credible scenario: With more scrutiny being paid to Paul's record on race, Gingrich's surge fading, and Bachmann, Perry and Santorum splitting the evangelical vote, Romney could win.
As nearly all major candidates -- former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is banking on success in New Hampshire's primary over Iowa's caucuses -- crisscrossed the Hawkeye State in the run-up to the caucuses, the real focus was on Romney, Gingrich and Paul, The Washington Post reported.
The prospect of a Romney victory in Iowa has sounded the alarm for almost every other candidate in the Republican field, observers say. Iowa is considered a difficult state for Romney because of the heavily conservative bent of many activists. Should he win Tuesday, and clean house next week as expected in New Hampshire, Romney would have a tremendous edge to win the GOP nod.
Romney sounded confident about his overall prospects, telling the Post recently, "I think I'm going to get the nomination if we do our job right."
One political analyst told The Hill Romney could sew up the GOP nomination quickly because he's seen as all-but unbeatable in New Hampshire's Jan. 10 primary.
"If he comes in first or second in Iowa and wins New Hampshire, he will be the prohibitive favorite. It's very difficult to see a scenario where he's not our nominee," said Al Cardenas, head of the American Conservative Union, who is officially neutral in the 2012 contest but worked on Romney's 2008 campaign.
Gingrich hoped to regain some of the momentum he had before his star began to fade amid negative ads aimed at him in recent weeks. His campaign also hoped to counter the growing impression Romney was positioned to win in Iowa.
Even as Romney and Gingrich watch out for the other, both must keep an eye on Paul, the libertarian conservative whose organizational skill and enthusiastic base put him in the thick of the battle.
Still, state party officials say they're amazed at how unsettled the field remained with less than a week to go.
"It's completely unprecedented to have a field and a cycle that has been this unpredictable, this turbulent late in the process," Iowa Republican Party Chairman Matt Strawn told CNN.
Tim Albrecht, spokesman for Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, also expressed surprised.
"I have never seen this level of undecided voters this late in the process," Albrecht said. "It's a crazy year in that regard."
Iowa's Republican Party apparently decided to move the counting of returns in Tuesday's caucuses from the state party headquarters in Des Moines to a secret location because of security concerns, several media outlets reported.
State party officials have refused to confirm the decision that was prompted by threats from some Occupy the Caucuses protesters to disrupt campaign events, CNN said. So far, Occupy organizers said they weren't planning on any disruptions, but GOP officials said they were preparing just in case.
In a statement, Strawn didn't comment specifically on steps he is taking, saying only considered actions are being implemented to safeguard security.
"The Iowa GOP is taking additional safeguards to ensure the caucus results are tabulated and reported to the public in an accurate and timely manner," Strawn said.


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Tag: tsunami
Hurricane Sandy could be the biggest storm to ever hit the United States. It could cover 800 miles and 50 to 60 million people.
A Tsunami has hit Hawaii. Evacuations are underway.
[Update 4:50 a.m.] Gerard Fryer, senior geophysicist at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to reporters:
– "The tsunami is arriving right now. I can't say how big it is because it's coming in as we speak."
"Typically the first wave is not the largest. Having inconvenienced everybody by making them evacuate in the middle of the night, I was hoping it would be bigger. The following waves I am sure will be bigger."
To all our friends on the east coast, and those in in Hawaii please be safe, and let us know how you are doing.
(25 comments) Permalink :: Comments
1 am MT: The Kyodo News Agency reports more than 2,000 people have died or are unaccounted for. In Minamisanriku, a town in Miyagi with 10,000 people, more than 5,000 people are unaccounted for. The police chief thinks the toll in Miyagi could exceed 10,000. Hundreds of bodies have been found under rubble. In one town hit by the Tsunami, the town hall and a nursing home were swept out to sea. Neither the mayor nor the elderly patients have been heard from.
20,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed and more than 300,000 in six perfectures have been evacuated. The power outages may last weeks. The LA Times has some descriptive photos of the destruction here. For this family, it's like watching a scene from that new show Waking Dead. What an awful shock. One day life is fine, the next day it's gone. These picture pretty well capture the extent of the property damage in that area.
At least 160 people have been tested for radiation exposure from the nuclear reactors. Six reactors have now failed or are in danger of failing.[More...]
(59 comments, 509 words in story) There's More :: Permalink :: Comments
Update: 2:45 a.m. MT: Evacuations ordered in Hawaii, see Donald's comments below. Here's a live news stream for night owls. The "hit time" is set for about 3:00 am Hawaii time. Coastal inundation zones are most at risk. If you are in one, it's time to evacuate now. The Mayor of Honolulu is on now and he sounds like everything is under control, all the agencies are working with each other -- including police, fireman planning, hospitals, hotels. "Don't believe the worst is going to happen, but prepare for the worst that could happen." He's very calm. They've prepared for the homeless, the animals at the zoo, etc.
The water system will be shut down on Maui around when the tsunami hits so everyone needs to get water. But things should get back to normal quickly.
A huge earthquake, 8.9 in magnitude, has hit Japan, triggering a massive tsunami.[More...]
(39 comments, 253 words in story) There's More :: Permalink :: Comments

subset: commoncrawl


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That is awesome!
Here in Minneapolis we have a Goodwill Outlet store that charges $1/pound for clothing and has a similar giant dumpster system. I think a lot of the shoppers are resellers - when we were starving 20somethings, I would go with my most fashionable friend. She often would pull out enough clothes that when we got home she would keep the 2-3 items that fit her well, take the others to a nicer resale shop and get $20-30 back, so a trip to "Diggers" usually cost me $3 and netted her around $20.


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Download SP Flash Tool for Windows – New Version
– Make sure that Device battery is charged more than 30%.
– Extract the firmware file with the latest version of winrar or 7zip.
– Always check Device model before downloading the firmware file.
– Also install a latest version of USB Driver before installing firmware file.


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That is all for today! Come back tomorrow for another introduction!
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A delicious chewable orange flavoured tablet containing 100mg of vitamin C that helps to support immune health. It also helps to promote wound healing and healthy gums.
Children (6-12 years): Take 1 to 2 tablets a day, with food
Each tablet contains Orange C 100mg
Packing: available in 60/120 tablets


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Foxconn's days as Apple's primary manufacturing partner may be numbered. Rival Pegatron is said to be offering more competitive pricing to tempt Apple, who is trying to increase its margins.
According to Business Insider, Foxconn gets 60-70% of its revenue from Apple contracts.
Pegatron is thought to be gearing up to be the sole assembler of the rumoured budget iPhone. Last week the company announced that it was planning to increase the number of workers in its factory by 40%.
Pegatron is able to offer aggressive pricing "because as it catches up on margins by supplying more components," Daiwa Capital analyst Birdy Lu told Business Insider.
Speaking at the recent conference call with analysts at which Apple announced its second quarter financial results, Apple CEO Tim Cook said: "We acknowledge that our growth rate has slowed and our margins have decreased from the exceptionally high level we experienced in 2012."
One of the concerns about launching a low-cost iPhone – which many claim Apple needs to do if it is to take on the emerging markets of China and India – is that it will mean that Apple's profit margins decline. The company has already seen margins reduce since it launched the iPad mini.
In addition, component costs have risen in 2013 compared to 2012, making it much more difficult for Apple to achieve the profit levels that it used to.
Follow Karen Haslam on Twitter / Follow MacworldUK on Twitter
Another Apple partner ramps up staff, fuelling rumours of budget iPhone
Allegedly leaked photos, price and launch date of Apple's budget iPhone emerge


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Scalable Logic and Open Grid Scheduler/Grid Engine
With over a decade of dedication & contribution to the open source Grid Engine project, many of our enhancements can be found in every implementation of Grid Engine. In fact, half of the open source enhancements for Sun Grid Engine were contributed by us!
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Founded in 2010, the Open Grid Scheduler project is the official maintainer of the open-source Grid Engine, opensourced by Sun Microsystems in 2001. Scalable Logic is the company offering commercial support and consulting services to Open Grid Scheduler/Grid Engine users.
Visit our opensource Grid Engine site for more information.
2012-11-21: A 10,000-node Grid Engine cluster was provisioned on Amazon EC2 (in 2005, we broke the 1,000-node scalability limit in Grid Engine).
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2012-06-19: Visit booth 560 at ISC'12 and take a look at the latest Open Grid Scheduler/Grid Engine version 2011.11 update 1 - with much better job control and lower CPU overhead usage of Grid Engine daemons.
2011-11-09: Open Grid Scheduler/Grid Engine version 2011.11 released. The commercial Scalable Grid Engine Support Program is offered by Scalable Logic. (Release Notes)


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SPOKANE, WA – A woman hiker stumbled across Bigfoot – and shot him for YouTube.
A woman hiker got the scare of her life after she went walking with a friend in Spokane, Washington, and stumbled across what she claims is Bigfoot.
Samantha, who has not revealed her surname, caught the footage in Downriver Park with her iPhone camera and posted the video on YouTube.
After capturing the mysterious creature, also known as a Sasquatch, on film, her YouTube video has become a hit and has already been viewed almost 8,000 times within four days.
And Professor of Theatre and Film Arts, Adam Sharp, said he has seen Bigfoot around their school grounds from time to time.
He said laughing: 'We do get messages from him, from the faculty and staff. But he's pretty elusive, he doesn't like the spotlight a whole lot.'
Bigfoot is an ape-like cryptid that is said to inhabit forests mainly in the
Northwest regions of North America, but his existence has not been scientifically proven.
Watch the video of the alleged Bigfoot below:


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Ahmad Zahari Abdul Hamid
- Gender
- Male
- Birthdate
- Unknown
- Nationalities
- Malaysia
Ahmad Zahari Abdul Hamid is a Malaysian Sessions judge
Membership and Posts
No known memberships
Family Relationships<! -- Spouse -->
Business and other Relationships
Infrastructure Projects
Cited on IssuesSubject has been cited for issues for the following known sources.
These are sources, and not weighted on strength to make a case for this subject. Please refer to editorial or enforcement guidelines.


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- This event has passed.
Chair Yoga with Nicky or Michelle
August 17, 2022 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am EDT
Life is full of challenges, and it is important to keep moving so that we can keep ourselves healthy as we age. This class is also great for pre-or post-surgery.
Class Intention: Is to have you re-gain, maintain or exceed your current activity level. This class is designed by Nicky Poulin, Yoga Instructor/Therapist/Teacher Trainer for EVERYbody. Specifically created to increase your mobility, range of motion, strength, balance, flexibility, coordination, and more. This class also includes mindfulness practices, breath work, brain body work and stress management techniques. Working towards the decreasing falls or fall prevention, promote healthy aging or for those that just have not been active in a while! All levels are welcome, and the class really promoted DOING & Completing more than worrying about perfection! Go where you can, do what you can, and have fun while you're doing it!
Things you will need: Sturdy chair (without arms – kitchen chair or card table chair works well), small hand towel, yoga mat (for non-skid if you have one), rubber yoga strap, rope or bathrobe tie, a soft squishy ball if you have one, 1 inch dowel cut in a 2 ft length, wedge, 2 yoga blocks.
Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86797231904 Meeting ID: 867 9723 1904


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I don't get it, I don't get it. I mean, she's making movies and dating Ryan Seacrest so...this can't be about access now, can it? It can't be about access. Cobie Smulders arrived at this event in YSL and she's not the star of this movie so it can't be about access.
And if it's not about access it has to be about Julianne Hough. And her own personal style. Because I have not once, never, liked what she's worn at an event. In fact, I've hated almost everything. I hate this too – a nightgown. What Joan Collins wears to bed. See? Exactly.
Julianne Hough is 24. Would you ever know looking at her clothes?


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Are Some Workers Better Off With Fewer Benefits Under Health Reform?
Much of the conversation about employer-sponsored coverage under the Affordable Care Act has focused on its impact on businesses and the costs associated with the mandate, but a new survey shows that employees might be better off without certain benefits.
Results from a survey from consumer analysis site ValuePenguin shows that some individuals may be better off if their employer does not offer them benefits because of the reform's hotly-debated subsidies and the financial incentives behind them.
Instead of considering the cost of employer-sponsored insurance for an entire family, the ACA considers the value of just an individual's insurance. In some cases, this may disqualify workers for subsidies, Value Penguin concludes.
The law offers subsidies to people who are not offered affordable coverage though an employer-sponsored plan. The Department of Health and Human Services defines the "affordable threshold" if an employee's share of the plan is less or equal to 9.5% of their annual income. This is in stark contrast to the threshold for families to be eligible for subsidies for coverage on state and federal exchanges, where those families with an income of up to 400% of the federal poverty line for a family of four would qualify. This is 9.5% of the cost of ensuring the entire household, rather than the individual.
Jonathan Wu, chief analyst at Value Penguin, says with this math, those who have employer-sponsored coverage just for themselves, could wind up paying double for their health-care due to this stipulation.
"A lot of families would be eligible for subsidies [with employer-sponsored coverage] if insuring your entire family costs more than 9.5% of your total household income," he says. "This will change the way you get health care. Under one standard, you get thousands of dollars, but if you have employer-sponsored care, you are not eligible."
The subsidy scenario here is just one way the law will restructure the labor market, says Devon Herrick, senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis.
"The exchanges have created perverse incentives that will change the labor market," Herrick claims. "If you are a moderate or low-income household, you will get a much bigger subsidy from the exchange than you ever would [from] work."
Value Penguin gives the following example: For a monthly premium under the MVPHP-HMO in New York, the total cost is $1,138 per month with $399 for self-only coverage. Annually, this breaks down to $4,788 for self-only coverage and $13,646 for the entire family. For this study, Value Penguin considered a household family of four with an annual income of $50,000.
If an employer offers coverage but the employee must pay 100% of the premium, this would exceed the 9.5% test, and the family would receive subsidies in the individual marketplace. If the employer offered insurance and paid 50% of the premium for the employee but 0% for the rest of the family, the entire family would be disqualified for federal subsidies because they would be under the 9.5% of annual income threshold.
A third scenario involves the employer covering half of the insurance premiums for both the employee and his/her family, which would also disqualify the worker from receiving subsidies. These scenarios highlight just how some workers may benefits from having less coverage offered to them from employers.
Whether employers with 50 or more workers will opt out of offering coverage in order to benefit employees is unclear, says Herrick. Under the ACA every business with 50 or employees has to offer approved coverage to employees or face a penalty of $2,000 per worker, per year for not adhering.
"I can't imagine why any small firms would even offer coverage—it doesn't make [monetary] sense. For larger firms, it depends: They may drop coverage all together, or raise employee wages to make up for not offering benefits," he says.
To find out which scenario is most beneficial to both parties, Wu says employers and workers need to be more educated about the law and communicate.
"It's a scenario where an employer may not offer coverage, but you are getting coverage and saving thousands of dollars," Wu says. "It's important for people to understand the math, and both parties need to come together and talk about it."


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The Cash Flow Management Implementation Toolkit includes a set of best-practice templates, step-by-step workplans, and maturity diagnostics for any Cash Flow Management related project. Please note the above partial preview is ONLY of the Self Assessment Excel Dashboard, referenced in steps 1 and 2 (see below for more details).
Through a 3-step process, this toolkit will guide you from idea to implementation. Please find a below a summary of the 3 steps.
STEP 1: Get your bearings
Start with the latest quick edition of the Cash Flow Management Self Assessment book in PDF containing 49 requirements to perform a quickscan, get an overview and share with stakeholders.
Organized in a data driven improvement cycle RDMAICS (Recognize, Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control and Sustain), check the example pre-filled Self-Assessment Excel Dashboard to get familiar with results generation.
STEP 2: Set concrete goals, tasks, dates and numbers you can track
Featuring 991 new and updated case-based questions, organized into seven core areas of process design, this Self-Assessment will help you identify areas in which Cash Flow Management improvements can be made.
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STEP 3: Implement, Track, follow up and revise strategy
The outcomes of STEP 2, the self assessment, are the inputs for STEP 3; Start and manage Cash Flow Management projects with the 62 implementation resources. There are 62 step-by-step Cash Flow Management Project Management Form Templates covering over 1500 Cash Flow Management project requirements and success criteria.
Got a question about the product? Email us at email@example.com or ask the author directly by using the "Ask the Author a Question" form. If you cannot view the preview above this document description, go here to view the large preview instead.
Source: Best Practices in Cash Flow Management Excel: Cash Flow Management - Implementation Toolkit Excel (XLSX) Spreadsheet, Gerard Blokdijk
Additional documents from author: 315
Gerard is the CEO at The Art of Service. He has been providing information technology insights, talks, tools and products to organizations in a wide range of industries for over 25 years. Gerard is a widely recognized and respected information expert. Gerard founded The Art of Service consulting business in 2000. Gerard has authored numerous published books to date.
Ask the Author a Question
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The whole fast changing world has now a perfect ambiance with the speed of your thought.
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Home Decor
When it comes to easy home decorating it cannot get any easier than using different color schemes
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So are we talking about organic gardening here or what. Well in a way yes
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know how it was grown and what kind of exposure it has had
to pesticides or even diseases.
Are you movie crazy? I mean, are you crazy for movies period?
I must admit I'm a cracker for movies. So, all those who consider themselves movie crazy
raise your hands. Yup, that's almost everybody. Why are we movie crazy? Why do we live in
a movie crazed society? Hey, what are
movies anyway?
Pet's supplies
Having a pet could be a lot of fun as they are always a source of happiness and
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The toddler years of a child are very important years for development.
It is during this time that your child will experience everything
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The skills develop during these years affects future development
therefore it is best to start early. The only way that toddlers
will learn is through play. Therefore, as parents, you have to
provide your toddler with appropriate toddler toys for his
optimum development.
If you are new to photography and have just picked up that full-featured new "toy" which you have always wanted,
you will come to the realization that the new camera also comes with a number of new jargon.
A digital camera is a sophisticated piece of equipment. Different from its analog cousins,
there is much more that is packed into it
that is packed into it.
It can never be stated enough how the home is really the place where one's heart is.
One can take a beating from the different pressures of work but a well-decorated home
is enough assurance of a safe haven for rest and relaxation. Thus, it is important to
put the stamp of your personality in all parts of your home. Be hands-on with
your choice of home decors.
Diamond jewelry is an accessory which many individuals desire.
Whether it be for the sparkle which the diamond produces or the overall
complimentary look which one experiences when wearing this precious gemstone,
this type of jewelry is highly sought after. When one acquires such an item,
they will undoubtedly want to know how to keep it
looking clean and new.
Travel Accessories
Sometimes looking for the right bag can be very difficult especially if
you are a frequent flyer or a road warrior who needs to have a
dependable bag from time to time. Travel accessories bag can be
quite expensive. That is why before buying see to it that the luggage bag of your choice
will be worth
your every penny.
Women love to shop shoes. At least a dozen pairs of shoes is considered
a must for every woman. Why not when there are a lot of choices available
in women's shoes? Get diversity and variety on buying shoes online that not
only look fashionable but look different
as well.
Beauty care
Every person is born faultless and is perfect in him/her. Inferiority is considered to be a
fault of the mind and is regarded as a cloud covering the light. One should thus dissolve
the clouds by examining a balanced life along with good habits. One should nourish his/her
mind and body. One should try to get connected with his/her own inner self. One should
celebrate his/her own brilliance and one's beauty will forever
shine through.
With any using link to ShopHat.com strongly required.
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text:
The Secret Beyond Matter
Excerpt from Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Conversation on A9 TV dated January 20th, 2012
ADNAN OKTAR: To whom was I going to be connecting to? Was it a foreign lady that I was going to be taking to?
MS. DAMLA: Yes Master. Her name is Stephanie Saldana, she is a Christian, a Catholic author. After taking her doctorate in Harvard University Divinity School, she has been sent to Syria awarded with a scholarship by Harvard University in 2004. She started taking lessons on the Qur'an in Arabic from a sheikh in Syria. She defines the her getting to know the Qur'an as the most inspiration experience of her life. She was very much impressed when she saw the importance given to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and Hazrat Maryam and focused her studies in that respect. In her book named The Bread of Angels which was listed in New York Times Best Sellers list, she discussed these studies extensively. At the moment, along with various Catholic newspapers and periodicals, her articles are being published in New York Times as well Master.
ADNAN OKTAR: Welcome Ms. Saldana, how are you?
STEPHANIE SALDANA: Thank you very much, I am fine, how are you?
ADNAN OKTAR: Thanks be to Allah, Alhamdulillah I am very well. It is very nice to meet you.
STEPHANIE SALDANA: And you too
ADNAN OKTAR: Masha'Allah. Here you go, I am listening to you.
STEPHANIE SALDANA: Sure.. My first question is; the quote from the Qur'an is well known regarding Christians; "And nearest among them in love to the believers, you will find those who say;'We are Christians'." So it is clear from the Qur'an that Muslims should have a deep respect for Christians. But I want to take this a step further; in the last ten years, half of the Christians in Iraq have left. Now in Egypt they are feeling endangered. And in Syria also they are feeling endangered. And so I am wondering what do Muslim leaders.. what can they do to help the situation? What can Muslim leaders in particular say in order to make local Christians feel safe and feel that they have a place in the region?
ADNAN OKTAR: Yes.. We are in the End Times. We are in the times of the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh). The descent of the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh) to the world is a fact. The Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh) has come back to the Earth in about the year 2002, Allahualem [Allah knows the truth] let me say. He is conducting his work together with his students. The solution to this abnormality, this cruelty, this bigoted attitude is the system of the Mahdi and the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh) and Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) acting together. Apart from this, there is no solution to this system of the dajjal (anti-Messiah).
STEPHANIE SALDANA: But don't you think that to say such a thing is to release us from religious obligations which are in our daily life to do what we can to help the situation? Do you not think that in the meantime both Muslims and Christians have an obligation to try to help the situation now, everyday?
ADNAN OKTAR: Those who love the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh), those who love Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), becoming their students, would anyway lay the ground for them even before they come. Consequently those supporters of the Messiah would engage in actions like those of the Messiah (pbuh), I mean they will engage in activities like the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Also the followers of the Mahdi (pbuh) would engage in activities like those of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). For instance you are among the pioneer students of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and we are the pioneer students of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh); both you and we are fighting together against this spirit of the dajjal (anti-messiah), against this cruel, sadistic spirit, against this spirit of terror, against this exclusionary spirit of violence that is far removed from love for humanity.
STEPHANIE SALDANA: So when he says "we are fighting" he has millions of people listening to him everyday. What are small concrete steps that can be taken between Muslims and Christians and people of all faiths in order to help the situation , in order to bring love in a moment when there is so much mistrust between people?
ADNAN OKTAR: Christians and Muslims should definitely be in an alliance, they should act together, they need to watch over each other, they need to feel compassion for each other. They need to give a shoulder to shoulder, sincere and candid struggle against the system of the dajjal (anti-messiah). For instance this contact we have with you, is a contact in the way of the system of the Messiah. I mean it is a reflection of the spirit of the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh), a reflection of the spirit of the system of the Mahdi. If we also make alliances with the Protestants and Orthodox people in the same manner -but of course with those who are religious- this cruelty in the world would be go away within a very short period of time. This alliance would definitely be formed. His Highness Bediuzzaman Said Nursi mentions this. I mean Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) has already come and one of the main duties of the Mahdi is to make an alliance with the Christians anyway, I mean it[his duty] is to give a struggle together with them against the system of the dajjal (anti-messiah). Yet this is an intellectual strugle, it is not done through shedding blood and hurting people.
STEPHANIE SALDANA: In speaking of this, I wonder if he could talk about the story in the Qur'an in which Abraham welcomes the angels of God. And does he feel this has any relevance for the people of different faiths welcome one another?
ADNAN OKTAR: Of course. Those who came to him were people the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) did not know at all, they were people he did not know. Yet the moment he saw them, he had invited them in, he had a fleshy kid [calf] slaughtered instantly, he had ordered his servant and had the most beautiful table laid for them and then invited them in. But of course, because they are angels they have abstained from eating. At that point, the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) understood that there is something extra-ordinary. Because even though they came from very far away, the fact that those beautiful people did not eat anything -their abstaining from eating- is a proof that they are angels, he had felt a humanly excitement. But t hat is a characteristic of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), in fact in Turkey we have a saying "the table of Halil Ibrahim [Abraham]". I mean he had opened his table to all the guests he saw, to everyone there without asking about their belief, without asking about their personalities he had shown love and compassion to all of them.
STEPHANIE SALDANA: I wonder, in line with that, you've spoken a little bit about the role of Jesus, but could you talk about the role Mary. Of course Mary, she has such an important role in the Qur'an. Do you think that she can play a role in bringing particularly Muslims and Christians together in a deeper understanding of one another?
ADNAN OKTAR: Allah says that Hazrat Maryam is superior to all the women of the world. He tells them to take her as a role model. Consequently, all the Christians, all Muslims and all the women in the world should take Hazrat Maryam as a role model.
STEPHANIE SALDANA: I was wondering in this dialogue between Muslims and Christians, in your opinion, do you feel that we should be focusing on what we have in common, or is it important for us to be talking with one another about our differences?
ADNAN OKTAR: [We should be focusing on] Our common points, of course.. I mean it is the Oneness of Allah, it is the existence of Allah, belief in Heaven and hell, belief in the justice of Allah, belief in love, peace and brotherhood, and to have an alliance on these common points, of course. The Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh) will solve the other remaining details anyway. If we handle these details, the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh) will solve the other remaining details. But the Christians should believe in my words; the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh) is really in the world. What I say is true.
STEPHANIE SALDANA: Can you talk about that a little bit more?
ADNAN OKTAR: His Highness Bediuzzaman Said Nursi is the greatest mujaddid (renevator) of the last centuries, the last thousand years; he is the greatest religious scholar. He genuinely, with a crisp language, says the following very self-assuredly basing on concrete evidence; "When the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh) comes, when he first comes, even he would not know about himself. His close students, his prominent students will recognize him through the light of faith." The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) has been left among a Christian community in a sleeping state; among a community resembling to Islam, he has been left in a state of sleep. They have woken him up from his sleep. When he first wakes up he speaks Aramaic but now he is learning about English, German, French and many foreign languages. He is gaining very detailed information about the Qur'an, about the Torah and about the Gospels and teaching these to his students as well. I mean the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh) is active at the moment. Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is active as well; they are both active in two separate branches. It is just that the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh) have an impact on the world politics. I mean he has an activity targetting important politicians, important soldiers and important people.
STEPHANIE SALDANA: Okay.. So for example if you and I have different beliefs on the role of Jesus in the End Time, as Muslim and as a Christian. I often think about the relationship between Muslims and Christians as the relation of a man and a woman who are married. Right? Do we just live together, do I just listen to you speak and I agree with what you say? Or is it important for us to challenge eachother to ask questions to one another?
ADNAN OKTAR: In any case we need to stress on the common points, that is the most important issue. I mean I have said this before as well; [these are] believing in the Oneness of Allah, believing in heaven and hell, believing in the Justice of Allah and especially love. The first thing the system of the dajjal [anti-messiah] takes away from the world is love. For people loving eachother, for their feeling compassion for on another and for the wars, bloodshed, terror and anarchy to find a definitive end, for arms to be wiped out from the face of this Earth, we should, in alliance, conduct activities on these matters. But if we get into the other matters, if we get into the details and get in discussions then we would be decieved, we would be deceived by the satan. I mean we need to avoid disputes. Allah says in the Qur'an; " Only argue with the People of the Book [Christians] in the kindest." In the verses, He tells us just to call on them to the Oneness of Allah. So Allah tells us in the verses to strictly avoid such offensive disputes and hard language and to make alliance with them about the Oneness of Allah.
STEPHANIE SALDANA: Great.. I want to add to that; many people when they speak of Muslims and Christians living together, they speak of them just as living together, that we should learn to live together. But there is very little talk about loving, or even about needing the other. And do you believe that Muslims and Christians need one another, that Muslims need to be with people of other faiths, as Christians and Jews and all people need to be with other people or we should just learn to live with one another?
ADNAN OKTAR: If we do not ally and teach the world of love for Allah, compassion, peace and brotherhood, we would be defeated. The dajjal (anti-messiah) would then be victorious. I mean the world would then turn into hell. We are obliged to ally and to talk about love, brotherhood and about the Oneness of Allah. That is not a luxury, an obligation. I mean this is how it is according to the Torah, according to the Gospels and according to the Qur'an. Consequently in any other way, the dissasters will be at the door. We should definitely ally, we must certainly act together, especially until the system of the dajjal (anti-messiah) is wiped of from the face of this world. That is because the dajjal taught people fight, hatred and rage, dajjal had made people forget love; people are stripped of natural affection. The Gospels draws attention to this as well; the stripping of the natural affection. Dajjal (anti-messiah) had demolished natural love and taught people affected love; that is outrageous. That is why, without any hesitation, without feeling any kind of doubt or suspicion Christians should definitely unite with Muslims who are pro Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), who are the supporters of the system of the Mahdi, who love the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh) and who want to be his students and should perform this important duty day and night. Anything on the contrary would be very very wrong.
STEPHANIE SALDANA: But to take this, this further for the thousands of people who are listening, who are Muslims; Is your message to them is that their lives would be richer if they came to know people of different faith?
ADNAN OKTAR: Their [life in the]Hereafter would be very beautiful, their life in this world would be very beautiful. Of course the beauty of the life on this world is not our goal. We essentially strive to gain the good pleasure of Allah for the Hereafter, to gain the love of Allah. Yet in parallel with that, this world would turn into Heaven of course. There will be goldenage, all the weapons will be destroyed, there will not be bloodshed anymore in the world, lambs and lions will live together. This is something that is menitoned both in the Torah and in the hadith of our Prophet (saas). The Last Day is near anyway. In approximately about 70 years neither Christianity, nor Judaism, nor Islam will remain. Within the next ten years'time ahead of us we will see both the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh) and Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). Let us all strive to this end with all our might. We also need to tell people that we do not have the goal to make the world prosperous, that is because the world will be depraved 70 years later anyway. The Last Day will break in about 2120 anyway. So we do not act only with the aim to prosper the world. I repeat what our goal is; it is to gain the approval of Allah, it is to gain the love of Allah. But in connection with that Allah will of course turn the world into a place like Heaven. You will see this, you will altogether see this. Record this speech as a band and when you watch it again in 10 years you will see that my words are correct.
STEPHANIE SALDANA: Unless he has any questions for me or anything else that you would like to discuss, I don't have anymore questions.
ADNAN OKTAR: I would like to have a request from her; let us strengthen our alliance with the Christians, let her help us more about this point; let us be more close to each other, let us act in concurrence even more; let us ally especially to wipe out Darwinism-Materialism from the face of this world, and to tell people about this deception and to show them the truth of the matter, to prove that Allah has created. Let us educate people in the Oneness of Allah and about the love for Allah, let us carry out these activities altogether. I would like to ask her to help me in widespreading this.
STEPHANIE SALDANA: I can add to that; that I've written a book, I don't know if he knows this, it is called the Bread of Angels. And it is about a year I've spent in Syria and I speak about my teacher, who is a Muslim woman who taught me the Qur'an, even though I was a Christian every week she sat with me and she taught me the Qur'an. And eventually she asked me to teach English in her Masjeed. And so I myself have ben a witness to the incredible friendship and love that can come between two people of two different faiths. And I thought I would share that with him.
ADNAN OKTAR: Masha'Allah, that is great. Let us increase the number of such interactions altogether. I am presenting you my love, my regards and my greetings. Insha'Allah we will be seeing you, we would also love to welcome you here in Turkey.
STEPHANIE SALDANA: Insha'Allah.


text:
By Gordon Platt
Bahrain's Salman Industrial City is now open for business
Gas-rich Qatar and ExxonMobil signed an agreement in January to build the world's largest polyethylene plant as part of a $6 billion petrochemical complex in Ras Laffan Industrial City. The output of the plant, to be completed by the end of 2015, is destined mainly for fast-growing Asian markets. It will use gas from Qatar's North Field.
The combination of a young population, sizable hydrocarbon reserves and a relatively undeveloped infrastructure puts the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region among the most attractive destinations in the world for investments in the medium term, according to Cairo-based Beltone Financial. Sectors slated to receive big investments include power generation, desalination plants and real estate developments.
Salman Industrial City, an ambitious economic development project in Bahrain, was officially opened by prime minister Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa in January at a ceremony attended by 1,000 guests. The project already has attracted $3.5 billion of investments and is expected to eventually double that total.
Saudi Arabia, the largest economy in the region, has a backlog of $400 billion worth of projects through 2013. The kingdom is willing to incur small budget deficits to maintain its fiscal stimulus program. In December it unveiled its largest budget in history, envisioning spending of $144 billion.
Meanwhile, debt-laden Dubai is undertaking a major restructuring of state-controlled entities in order to cut costs. Nasdaq Dubai, which was created as the Dubai International Financial Exchange in 2005 as a regional hub for foreign investors, has been sold to the local Dubai Financial Market. Nasdaq Dubai had been handling only about $3.8 million a day in stock trades, according to regional investment bank EFG-Hermes. New York-based Nasdaq OMX will swap its 33.3% stake in Nasdaq Dubai for a 1% stake in the Dubai Financial Market.


text:
They call him Hollywood's "Mayor of Comedy," the stand-up wannabe and writer of acclaimed-but-cancelled TV series who finally failed his way to the top. His 2005 hit The 40-Year-Old Virgin begat this year's Knocked Upand now Apatow is building an assembly line of low-budget, large-laugh films. Luckily, his raw material, the social and sexual foibles of under-achieving men, is one of nature's ultimate renewable resources.
Next Eduardo Arias


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New Series: "Changing Planet" Town Hall #2
On Tuesday, July 26th at 9 PM/ET, the Weather Channel will air another "Changing Planet" town hall produced by NBC Learn and moderated by NBC News Chief Environmental Affairs Correspondent Anne Thompson. Changing Planet: Clean Energy, Green Jobs, and Global Competition was filmed at George Washington University. It's the second in a three-part series produced with the National Science Foundation and Discover magazine. The town hall will also be available after the broadcasts on nbclearn.com/changingplanet.
From an email NBC learn July Newsletter, 7/18/11


text:
You probably saw this coming, but some are calling William Moore the best free agent safety on the market.
Our top free agent option among safeties, Moore ranked 18th overall at the position, a year after ranking 11th overall. He did not excel in any particular area but showed a well-rounded game in coverage (+2.6), run defense (+3.2), and as a pass rusher (+2.1). His Run Stop Percentage of 3.7 ranked 22nd in the league and he made an impact with nine pressures on just 29 blitzes. If there's a concern, Moore was an average tackler as he missed 10 of his 64 attempts. Still, coming off a season where he proved to be the best all-around player in the Falcons' secondary, he should command quite a haul on the open market this offseason.
He's good, but he's not perfect. I'd imagine that is the angle Thomas Dimitroff and his merry band of football gurus will take. It's a solid angle, one that should give them some bargaining power. His imperfections aren't glaring. Durability is undoubtedly the foremost concern.
Moore is fond of Atlanta, and we hung with him notwithstanding the injuries. Maybe we've earned a discount of some sort. But even if we haven't, I'd expect the Falcons brass to open their red and black checkbook. It'd be downright foolish to let a player of this caliber walk in free agency.
Foolish shenanigans aside, don't forget that Moore is a pretty great fit in Mike Nolan's big nickel scheme. Bottom line: all signs point to us re-signing him. Moore will probably use free agency to assess his value (he's gotta eat and fund his rap career and stuff), but he's not going anywhere.


text: Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada is a great place to visit. Around every corner and every bend the desert landscape has been shaped by wind water and time. Valley of Fire is 55 miles from Las Vegas and well worth a visit with or without a camera. I became aware of this park after seeing images of the Fire Wave. On my journey to the Fire Wave there were many other spectacular features to photograph. My best guess is the rock formation in this photo is a Igneous Intrusion similar to the Devils Tower in Wyoming. I've done a bit of searching to see if I can find any information on this specific feature in the park with no luck. Let me know if you have any details.


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Modify event processing
You can change the event processing settings and save the improved settings as a new source type.
- View the event data, as described in the "Set Sourcetype" page.
- Modify the event processing settings.
- Review the effect of your changes and iterate until you are satisfied.
- Save the modified settings as a new source type.
- Apply the new source type to any of your inputs.
Modify the event processing settings
To create the new source type, use the event-breaking and timestamp parameters, then save the source type.
On the left side of the "Set Sourcetypes" page, there are collapsible tabs and links for the three types of adjustments that you can perform:
- Event Breaks. Adjust the way that breaks the data into events.
- Timestamps. Adjust the way determines event timestamps.
- Advanced mode. If you have Splunk Enterprise, edit
Event breaks
To modify event break parameters, click Event Breaks. The bar opens to display the following buttons:
- Auto. Break events based on the location of timestamps in the data.
- Every line. Consider every line a single event.
- Regex... Use specified regular expression to break data into events.
For information on line breaking, See Configure event linebreaking. For a primer on regular expression syntax and usage, see Regular-Expressions.info. You can test your regular expression by using it in a search with the rex search command. The Splunk software also maintains a list of useful third-party tools for writing and testing regular expressions.
To modify timestamp recognition parameters click the Timestamps tab to expand it. The tab opens to reveal these options:
For Extraction, you can choose one of these options:
- Auto. Locate the timestamp automatically.
- Current Time. Uses the current system time.
- Advanced. Specify additional advanced parameters to adjust the timestamp.
The "Advanced" parameters are:
- Timezone. The time zone that you want to use for the events.
- Timestamp format. A string that represents the timestamp format for to use when searching for timestamps in the data.
- Timestamp prefix. A regular expression that represents the characters that appear before a timestamp.
- Lookahead. The number of characters that should look into the event (or, for the regular expression that you specified in "Timestamp prefix") for the timestamp.
Note: If you specify a timestamp format in the "Timestamp format" field and the timestamp is not located at the very start of each event, you must also specify a prefix in the Timestamp prefix field. Otherwise, cannot process the formatting instructions, and every event will contain a warning about the inability to use
strptime. (It's possible that you still end up with a valid timestamp, based on how attempts to recover from the problem.)
For information on configuring timestamps, see "Configure timestamps".
To modify advanced parameters, click the Advanced tab. The tab shows options that let you specify source type properties by editing the underlying
props.conf file.
You can add or change source type properties by specifying attribute/value pairs. See props.conf for details on how to set these properties.
The "Advanced" box shows the current, complete set of properties for the selected source type:
- Settings generated by changes made in the Event Breaks or Timestamps tabs (after you click Apply).
- Pre-existing settings for a source type that was either auto-detected or manually selected when you first previewed the file.
- Settings you apply from the Additional settings text box (after you click Apply settings).
For information on how to set source type properties, see "props.conf" in the Configuration file reference. See also "How timestamp assignment works" and "event linebreaking."
How combines settings
The settings changes you make in Advanced mode take precedence. For example, if you alter a timestamp setting using the Timestamps tab and also make a conflicting timestamp change in Advanced mode, the Advanced mode change takes precedence over the modification that you made in the "Timestamps" tab.
Starting with highest precedence, here is how combines any adjustments with the underlying default settings:
- Advanced mode changes
- Event Breaks/Timestamps changes
- Settings for the underlying source type, if any
- Default system settings for all source types
Also, if you return to the Event Breaks or Timestamps tabs after making changes in Advanced mode, the changes will not be visible from those tabs.
Review your changes
When you are ready to view the effect of your changes, select Apply settings. Splunk Web refreshes the screen, so you can review the effect of your changes on the data.
To make further changes using any of the three adjustment methods available again, select Apply changes to view the effect of the changes on your data.
Save modifications as a new source type
- Click "Save As" next to the "Sourcetype" button. Splunk Web displays a dialog box where you can name your new source type, choose the category in which it should be shown in the "Sourcetype" button dialog, and the application context it should use.
- Enter the Name of the new source type.
- Enter the Description of the source type.
- Select the Category in which the source type should appear when you click "Sourcetype".
- Select the App for which the new source type should be used.
- Click Save to save the source type and return to the Set Sourcetypes page.
Next steps
You have several options after you save the source type:
- (Optional) Click Next to apply the source type to your data and proceed to the Input settings page.
- (Optional) Click "<" to go back and choose a new file to upload or monitor.
- (Optional) Click Add data to return to the beginning of the Add Data wizard.
Prepare your data for preview
Modify input settings
This documentation applies to the following versions of Splunk® Enterprise: 7.0.0, 7.0.1, 7.0.2, 7.0.3, 7.0.4, 7.0.5, 7.0.6, 7.0.7, 7.0.8, 7.0.9, 7.0.10, 7.0.11, 7.0.13


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Several senators are expressing outrage at a decision by an Air Force general to overturn a jury's guilty verdict against a military pilot accused of rape, calling it a "travesty of justice."
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said in a hearing Tuesday with the heads of Central Command and Special Operations Command that while she spoke, her heart was racing over the decision, which was announced Monday.
McCaskill said she believed the move would send a chill throughout the Air Force that would force women to stay silent if they are sexually assaulted.
"The military needs to understand that this could be a tipping point," said McCaskill, a former Jackson County prosecutor and a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "I question whether, after this incident, there's any chance a woman assaulted in that unit would ever say a word. There's a culture issue that's going to have to be addressed here. And what this decision did — all it did was underline and put an exclamation point behind the notion that if you are sexually assaulted in the military — good luck."
At question is the power of the so-called convening authority under the U.S. Military Code of Justice. The term "convening authority" is used in United States military law to refer to a commander's job, which includes appointing officers to play a role in a court-martial or similar military tribunal or military commission.
McCaskill's concerns were echoed in a Monday letter from Sens. Barbara Boxer., D-Calif., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-Mo., to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
"Lieutenant General Craig Franklin dismissed a case against Lieutenant Colonel James Wilkerson, despite the fact that the fighter pilot had been found guilty of aggravated sexual assault, sentenced to a year in prison and dismissed from the Air Force," they wrote. "As we understand, General Franklin has not adequately explained why he chose to overturn a guilty verdict by a jury of high-ranking military officers, allowing Lt Col Wilkerson to be reinstated in the Air Force."
Air Force News reported that the former Aviano Air Base, Italy, inspector general convicted in November of sexual assault will return to active duty and could pin on his next rank of colonel after an unusual Feb. 26 decision to throw out the case by the commander of the 3rd Air Force.
Over the past three years, the Air Force has identified 62 Air Force recruits at Lackland Air Force Base who have been assaulted by 32 drill instructors. The cases touched off new scrutiny of military culture and an apparently permissive command structure that may have created an environment in which women were hesitant to or coerced not to come forward and report the crimes.
"I think there is a culture issue," McCaskill said. "I don't think one general should be able to overturn a jury. … I have a high degree of frustration."
Boxer and Shaheen wrote that the decision was unacceptable and "raises serious concerns about the military justice system as a whole.
"It is clear that despite sweeping reforms by the Department of Defense to improve prevention, investigation and prosecution of military sexual assaults — including adding specially trained legal personnel and Victim Advocates — these efforts become irrelevant when a case of this magnitude can be thrown out at the discretion of a Convening Authority."
Indeed, the decision comes at a time when the military has found itself dealing with more and more women reporting they have been assaulted while in the military. Military officers have stressed the need for more training in the ranks and among commanders, and stressed that the military has a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual assault. But the unexplained decision by Franklin appears to undercut that policy, according to Boxer, Shaheen and McCaskill.
"In addition, we urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to take immediate steps to restrict Convening Authorities from unilaterally dismissing military court decisions," Boxer and Shaheen wrote to Hagel. "We also ask that you work with us as we consider additional legislative options."
In the House, Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., plans to introduce a bill this week that would prevent commanders from being able to lessen sentences or overturn convictions after a court martial. A House Armed Services Committee member, Speier will also try to attach her bill to the panel's annual defense authorization measure.
"There is no justice in a military system that allows a general to overturn the decision of a judge or jury in a court martial. Generals are not above the law," Speier said in an emailed statement. "The reason why rape victims in the military do not report the crimes is precisely for this reason — they think the system is rigged to protect the accused."
Under senators' questioning, Gen. James N. Mattis, the head of U.S. Central Command, said that while he was unfamiliar with the case, he supported the current structure of the U.S. Military Code of Justice, which he pointed out the Supreme Court has upheld several times over the years.
Mattis said that the convening-authority powers were important to avoid the appearance of "kangaroo courts" convened by commanders involving their troops in which the commander is supposed to provide for the prosecution and defense.
Mattis said he has convened numerous military courts in his 41-year career, and that he has with dry eyes locked away Marines who have committed crimes. But he defended the need for absolute authority being granted to the unit commander in military law.
"I can assure you that we take this seriously; we took it seriously a long time ago," Mattis said. "We have the authority to deal with people who act like a jerk or" behave illegally.
Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said his panel will hold a hearing on sexual assault March 13, in which he intends to make the Pentagon's legal office aware that it will need to answer questions about convening authority.
Megan Scully contributed to this report.


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The Daily Donkey 73: The Donkettes Standing at Attention
Tuesday, April 19
Tuesday Dose of Cute: No Need to Call the Fire Dept.
The Daily Donkey 73: The Donkettes Standing at Attention
8 comments:
very cute-just hanging out!ReplyDelete
Kittys do such funny things. Got to love themReplyDelete
- Kathy4/20/2011 10:36 AM
It looks as though she is very happy up there!!! I love it that she knows how to use the ladder.ReplyDelete
Cats are unique! I love my cat. She is a member of our family!
- Anonymous4/20/2011 11:09 AM
Hi SusanReplyDelete
Thanks for the great pic of Smudge Gotta love those kitties.
I have one named Smudge. And a Splash, Baby Splash and a Splotch.ReplyDelete
Running out of names.
Awwwww...Smudge is adorable, and I enjoyed all the pictures of him! :) He sure does like that rooftop doesn't he!! :)ReplyDelete
Smudge is adorable and obviously very smart!!ReplyDelete
All the lambs are just too precious (I'm sorry to hear that one died) and why did you choose to sell one and the mama? I know you have A LOT of lambs this year - just curious!
Thanks so much for sharing all of these wonderful photos with us - I'm sure keeping up this blog is a lot of work and you have plenty of other stuff to keep you busy. Your readers really appreciate and love all of your efforts.
Thank you!
- Sandy4/20/2011 4:21 PM
This is too funny...I also have a tabby named "Smudge" who happens to have a sister tabby named "Smidge". They were rescued after being sucked into a leaf catcher. They celebrated their 8th birthday this month!ReplyDelete
December 2015 update: Hi! For some reason I can't figure out, Blogger hasn't been letting me leave comments on my own blog (!) for the last several months, so I've been unable to respond to your comments and questions. My apologies for any inconvenience! You're always welcome to email me: farmgirlfare AT gmail DOT com.
Hi! Thanks for visiting Farmgirl Fare and taking the time to write. While I'm not always able to reply to every comment, I receive and enjoy reading them all.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and I especially love hearing about your experiences with my recipes. Comments on older posts are always welcome!
Please note that I moderate comments, so if I'm away from the computer it may be a while before yours appears.
I try my best to answer all questions, though sometimes it takes me a few days. And sometimes, I'm sorry to say, they fall through the cracks, and for that I sincerely apologize.
I look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy your e-visits to our farm!


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The specifications used for hosts and targets in the
script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short predefined
aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes three pieces
of information in the following pattern:
For example, you can use the alias
sun4 as a host argument,
or as the value for target in a
option. The equivalent full name is `sparc-sun-sunos4'.
configure script accompanying GDB does not provide
any query facility to list all supported host and target names or
configure calls the Bourne shell script
config.sub to map abbreviations to full names; you can read the
script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your guesses on
abbreviations--for example:
% sh config.sub i386-linux i386-pc-linux-gnu % sh config.sub alpha-linux alpha-unknown-linux-gnu % sh config.sub hp9k700 hppa1.1-hp-hpux % sh config.sub sun4 sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1 % sh config.sub sun3 m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1 % sh config.sub i986v Invalid configuration `i986v': machine `i986v' not recognized
config.sub is also distributed in the GDB source
directory (`gdb-5.1.1', for version 5.1.1).
Go to the first, previous, next, last section, table of contents.


text:
You can also ask questions directly to our community!
How to deal with full memory issues on Huawei Y6 (2017)
Sorry you were having trouble with storage space on your Huawei Y6 (2017). We can understand your frustration about this because the use of your phone may be currently limited. We will show you through this article how to resolve full memory issues on Huawei Y6 (2017).
Full memory problems on Huawei Y6 (2017) due to applications
Enter the settings, then click on the application manager, then click on all applications and scroll a little and "clear the cache" on all applications, all the features you use on your phone accumulate at over time and all are cached and use all applications on Huawei Y6 (2017).
Other problems filling the memory on your Huawei Y6 (2017)
Please note that you can free up space on your Huawei Y6 (2017) device by removing old messages, contacts, apps, and media. You can also move some applications to your memory card to free up more internal memory.
First, if you get a "storage space" on your Huawei Y6 (2017) dial # 9900 # on the tablet and select option 2 "Delete / Clear".
Because your Huawei Y6 (2017) has a limited amount of internal storage, you need to manage the available storage space on your device to work properly. You can use the "My Files" application to transfer files to and from your external memory card. This will allow you to free more internal memory on your handset.
You can manage application storage by going to Settings>Applications>Application Management. Tap Menu>Sort by size to see which apps have the most storage space on your Huawei Y6 (2017).
If you select an individual application, you will see options to uninstall, erase data, or clear the cache, which may increase storage space on your device.
Please note that we recommend that you delete the cache first, because former data could delete custom settings or achievements that you have saved for this application on your Huawei Y6 (2017).
If you no longer want to use the application, we recommend that you select the uninstall option.
Please note that some applications on Huawei Y6 (2017) may not be uninstalled from your device because they are part of the operating system.
In addition, if the application can be transferred to the external memory card, it will give you the option to do so in this screen on your Huawei Y6 (2017). Note that not all applications are supported in the memory card. In addition, devices with the version of Android installed on your Huawei Y6 (2017) may not support applications that are moved to the memory card.
To conclude on the full memory on Huawei Y6 (2017)
If there is anything else, we can help you on your Huawei Y6 (2017) via our contact form. We hope this short article has helped you resolve full memory issues on Huawei Y6 (2017).
For more information, experts are here for you via our forum.


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D23 Press Release – D23 Expo Arena Schedule Released
Hi everyone!
I received a press release for the upcoming D23 Expo, which lists the Arena schedule for this 3 day event. We really enjoyed the D23 Expo two years ago, I hope to see everyone out there!
ANAHEIM, Calif. – July 7, 2011 – The D23 Expo 2011 is proud to announce
the Arena schedule for The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. From August 19 –
21, Expo guests will have exclusive access to presentations from The
Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, Disney Channel and
Marvel Comics – plus they will be able to experience the 2011 Disney
Legends Ceremony. In addition to the spotlight arena presentations, this
year's Expo will feature screenings, celebrity panels and autograph
signings, eye-popping pavilions, exclusive insights into TV shows, theme
parks, animation, Disney history and more, to be announced in the coming
weeks. Arena presentations will include:
Friday, August 19, 2011
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 2011 Disney Legends Ceremony – Hosted
by Tom Bergeron. Honorees Regis Philbin; Jim Henson; Disney Princesses
Jodi Benson, Paige O'Hara, Lea Salonga, Linda Larkin and Anika Noni
Rose; Bo Boyd; Jack and Bonita Wrather; Guy Williams and Ray Watson will
be inducted as Disney Legends for their contribution to the creative
legacy of The Walt Disney Company in a special presentation exclusively
for D23 Expo guests.
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts – Join
Tom Staggs, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, as he gives D23
guests a special behind-the-scenes glimpse into some of the exciting
projects currently underway at Disney's parks and resorts around the
Saturday, August 20, 2011
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The Walt Disney Studios – A fascinating
behind-the-scenes glimpse at the exciting roster of projects on the
horizon at The Walt Disney Studios. From exclusive video clips and live
performances to filmmaker discussions and star appearances, this session
will be hosted by Rich Ross, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios; Sean
Bailey, President of Production, The Walt Disney Studios; John Lasseter,
Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar
Animation Studios; and Kevin Feige, President of Production, Marvel
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. The Lion King 3D Exclusive D23 Screening
– Disney fans will have access to an exclusive advance screening of The
Lion King in Disney Digital 3D(tm), ahead of the film's highly
anticipated theatrical and home entertainment releases. "The Circle of
Life" takes on a new dimension as Simba, Mufasa, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa
grace the screen once again, this time in breathtaking 3D.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Marvel Comics – An exclusive and
unprecedented experience that will take you through the evolution of
Marvel from its first comic book in 1939 to its current position as one
of the most important creative forces in the world. During this
presentation, which will include interactive Q&A segments, you will not
only get an inside glimpse of the history of Marvel and its iconic Super
Heroes but also discover why Marvel truly is the House of Ideas. This
session will be hosted by Joe Quesada, Marvel's Chief Creative Officer
and one of the most respected and sought after writers and artists in
the entertainment industry.
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Disney Channel – Fans are invited to
experience the excitement of a spectacular live performance, featuring
stars of Disney Channel's hit series Shake It Up. From meeting the cast
of television's first dance-driven sitcom and learning moves from a
Disney Channel dance master to a special panel, autograph session and
more, this unforgettable experience awaits Disney fans of all ages.
These presentations add to the already robust schedule of experiences,
presentations and pavilions that will make up the D23 Expo 2011,
including the Ultimate Disney Trivia Tournament presented by Hasbro's
Trivial Pursuit, the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit –
including the Fan Art Gallery, the D23 Expo Live Auction and the D23
Expo Dream Store. Additional schedule, pavilion and talent announcements
will be made in the coming weeks.
Tickets to the D23 EXPO are available at http://www.D23Expo.com.
Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 EXPO, including the Disney
Legends Ceremony, and can be purchased for single days or for the full
three days of festivities. Admission is $47 for a one-day adult ticket
and $37 for children 3-12. Three-day passes are $136 for adults and $106
for children. Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will receive
a discount for up to four admissions, as well as early entry to each day
of the D23 EXPO for themselves and their guests.
About D23 Expo 2011
The D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Event for Fans and Families brings the
entire world of Disney under one roof, providing guests with
unprecedented access to Disney films, television and theme parks.
About D23
The name "D23" pays homage to the wonder and excitement that began in
1923 when Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is
the first official community for fans in Disney's 88-year history. D23
gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by
placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly
publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at www.Disney.com/D23
<http://www.disney.com/D23> ; a collectibles line, The Walt Disney
Archives Collection; and special events for D23 Members throughout the
year, highlighted by the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, August 19-21,
Fans can join D23 at www.Disney.com/D23,
select shops at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort and
www.DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up
with all the latest D23 news and events, follow us "DisneyD23" on
Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.


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21 Nov 2017
Digital Transformation: Talking the same language
Subscribe to our newsletter. Enter your details below.
Digital transformation is the ultimate test of a company's culture. What does it take to create a fruitful strategic dialogue for everyone to speak the language of long-term, fundamental business change?
Fundamental digital transformation can be difficult in financial services, but it needn't be. Tim Harrison has seen it from the inside, with over 30+ years in the industry. As an experienced CIO, he has valuable insights on the good, the better and the best way to go about leading change.
One step beyond
Tim recognises that, even to the most enlightened concerns, tech changes that go to the very heart of the business can seem, at first, like a step too far. Yet, they are essential.
"The change in mindset is radical. Far from fighting the battles of yesterday or today, we need to focus on the kind of battles we will be fighting in five to ten years' time. FinTech innovations that will blow away the status quo are looming closer all the time, so you have to make bold choices today to be properly positioned for that future world.
"This visionary approach asks 'what does tech really mean for my business in a five-year strategy sense? What are our business strengths and weaknesses against that view, and what tech should we be building to give the business a chance to survive in a world of wrenching change?'"
Space to explore
Creating space for that kind of thinking can sometimes mean getting people away from their day-to-day environment. This is one way to free them up to create a vision of the future. Likewise, individuals need permission to think and act very differently.
"People have to raise their heads above the noise of everyday business, so to speak, and pay attention to something that is not on their urgent to-do-list. It's also important to recognise that their world is not necessarily your world."
"It's hard, of course. Many people are emotionally invested in the processes and tech of today, happy to add more and more layers of bright and shiny new technology, rather than having a fundamental rethink powered by future tech's possibilities.
"Day to day, I tend to seek out the leaders with a strong sense of entrepreneurship who can understand the future vision and instinctively know what needs to happen. Call it the 'insurgency' approach, a band of like-minded, change-makers who can drive things right through the corporate culture, gathering allies along the way."
Dialogue and debate
Tim Harrison will be talking about the challenges of creating a strategic dialogue between business and tech, and other lessons from the real world of digital transformation, at an Odgers Berndtson Hong Kong event.
'Digital Transformation: Embracing the Change' takes place on 4th December at the Bankers' Club HK.
Tim will be joined by Paul Rush, Partner of the Sydney Office of Odgers Berndtson, where he leads the CIO/CTO/CDO practice for Asia Pacific and Japan.
Paul has a clear view of the new breed of CIO: comfortable with thinking beyond technology, someone who thrives as a leader, not just as a functional head. And his views on how organisations can create the right environments for such individuals to do their job are equally forthright.
Way ahead
The final word must go to Nick Green, Partner at Odgers Berndtson Hong Kong, and host for the event: "According to PwC, Asia is now the global leader in research and development across all industries. In FinTech, the market is second only to the US in attracting investment. In this ultra-competitive arena, a successful digital transformation will separate corporate winners from losers. The journey is not an easy one, but as our event will illustrate, far from impossible."
If you are interested in attending this event, please contact:
Brenda Leung
+852 2215 8698


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Larry Crowne Should Have Been Better
- Christian Hamaker Contributing Film and Culture Writer
- 2011 1 Jul
DVD Release Date: November 15, 2011
Theatrical Release Date: July 1, 2011
Rating: PG-13 (for brief strong language and some sexual content)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Run Time: 99 min.
Director: Tom Hanks
Actors: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wilmer Valderrama, George Takei, Bryan Cranston, Rami Malek, Rita Wilson
In case you hadn't noticed, movies have long catered to the teen audience. Especially during the summer months, when kids are out of school, major studio films emphasize spectacle, minimize dialogue and maximize special effects.
Studios have attempted to buck this trend by releasing films that appeal to older audiences. However, the trouble is that these films tend to not be inexpensive to produce and thus often struggle to break even, much less make a profit. Contributing the lion's share of the problem is the stars, who command large salaries but don't deliver the big audiences they once did. Thus, the box-office grosses haven't justified the money paid to the talent.
A good example of this conundrum is Julia Roberts, who was put under the box-office microscope in 2009 when she starred with Clive Owen in Duplicity, a romantic comedy that was considered an underperformer in terms of ticket sales. The film was released around the same time as State of Play (a Russell Crowe vehicle) and The Soloist (Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx). These films were all aimed at adult audiences—and all proved disappointing. Were adults no longer interested in going to the movies? Perhaps they were leading an exodus away from theaters, tired of the hassles of dealing with unruly patrons. Maybe they'd rather stay home and watch videos.
Then something changed. Adult audiences have returned to the cinema. During the first half of 2011, older viewers helped drive ticket sales of Oscar nominees like True Grit, The King's Speech, Black Swan and The Fighter. This trend is expected to only grow stronger with retirement of 78 million Baby Boomers—a generation that grew up going to the movies and that still values the experience of seeing films at the theater.
Larry Crowne is tailor made for this growing audience segment. Co-starring Roberts and Tom Hanks, two of the biggest stars of the last twenty years, the film feels like a throwback to an era before 3D glasses became standard equipment at the multiplex. Hanks directs the film (he directed the 1996 feature That Thing You Do!, as well as installments of the TV miniseries Band of Brothers and From the Earth to the Moon), and he also co-wrote the script with Nia Vardalos (My Life in Ruins).
While Hanks' star still burns bright, he hasn't exactly been critic-proof in recent years. Back in 2004, his star turns in Steven Spielberg's The Terminal and the Coen brothers' remake of The Ladykillers were received coolly, at best, by both critics and audiences. Hanks and Roberts have recent success with literary adaptations (Hanks as Robert Langdon in The Da Vinci Code films, Roberts in Eat Pray Love), but nothing to match their earlier blockbusters. Could a film with both of them on-screen bring back some of the old magic?
Not with Larry Crowne, a fitfully effective romantic comedy that should have been better than it is. Hanks stars as Larry, a longtime worker at retail chain UMart who, lacking a college degree, is let go after being told he has nowhere to go in the organization. Mercedes Tainot (Roberts) is in the midst of her own midlife crisis. Not only does the community-college teacher complain bitterly about having to teach an 8 a.m. class (the horror!), but her marriage has been irreparably ruptured by a husband (Bryan Cranston) who spends his days blogging and looking at pictures of big-breasted women on his computer.
Larry, facing financial problems that include the potential loss of his home, decides to enroll in community college, where he ends up in Mercedes' speech class. His fellow students include a cadre of different character types who provide comic relief and who slowly come out of their shells. Larry also enrolls in an economics class overseen by a cackling, cell-phone-seizing teacher (George Takei). He's befriended by Talia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), a young woman intent on bringing out a wilder side to the buttoned-down Larry. She invites him to join a scooter gang led by her jealous boyfriend, Dell Gordo (Wilmer Valderrama). What comes of these new relationships? A few chances for the boyfriend to glare suspiciously at Larry whenever Larry innocently looks in Talia's direction.
Like everything and everyone else in Larry Crowne, Dell Gordo is never a serious threat to Larry. We know Larry will find his way through his thicket of problems. We know he'll be OK even if he loses his home. We know he'll end up with Mercedes because—well, because Mercedes is played by Julia Roberts. So it's little surprise when the film brings the two characters together after a night when Mercedes' drinking leaves her feeling more uninhibited than usual. The problem is that the romance is unconvincing. Sure, Mercedes is in a bad marriage, but what does she see in Larry? And what does he see in her? Although Mercedes is physically attractive, she's unremittingly unpleasant toward everyone in her life, including her students. Why is Larry so intent on winning her? Why would Larry kiss the drunken Mercedes, then reject a chance to sleep with her after telling her they need to "do the right thing" morally, only to do a happy dance outside Mercedes' door because he'd kissed the still-married teacher?
And what, exactly, does the film want to say about the economic crisis? While a movie like Up in the Air tried to show the pain of downsizing and the personal and psychological toll it takes on the people involved, Larry Crowne never seriously invests in the financial impact of downsizing on Larry. Larry's neighbor (Cedric the Entertainer) comes closest to providing wisdom to Larry, telling him that Larry's divorce has only complicated his life, and that he should have stayed married. But that character, too, is in the film primarily as comic relief, living off of earlier game-show winnings and the hard bargains he drives as part of an endless yard sale. The character is more about cutting up than he is about doling out life lessons.
Larry Crowne wants Larry to move past the things associated with his earlier marriage, and those things apparently include his home. It wants Larry to feel liberated, so it has him firmly confront a loan officer (Rita Wilson, Hanks' real-life wife) who may be trying to get him to keep his house at all costs. He tells her he's prepared for foreclosure. This supposed signal of financial prudence is a head-scratcher. Are we, the audience, supposed to cheer Larry's behavior?
Everything Must Go, a film from earlier this year, did a better job of showing a character's similar struggles with life's disappointments, but that film was much more narrowly focused (to its benefit) than is Larry Crowne, which wants to be a socially-relevant romantic comedy. The problem is that the social relevance is poorly executed, the romance has no spark and the comedy—the best thing Larry Crowne has going for it—too sporadic, with punch lines that become increasingly predictable.
On the positive side, Hanks' film is rather gentle and both he and Roberts still have great screen presence. What the film needed was a bit more edge, a little less sap and a much sharper focus. As it is, Larry Crowne spreads itself too thin in trying to appeal to too many audience segments. A more disciplined script and director would have served the film well, but with Hanks serving as director, co-writer and star, Larry Crowne stands as an example of how star-driven vehicles can suffer from bloat. It's not a terrible film, but it should have been much better than it is.
- Language/Profanity: Lord's name taken in vain; the "f" word; "tukus"; "buttocks"; a cell phone ring plays the song "Stroke Me"; "kiss my a-s"; "hell"; crude term for a man's penis.
- Alcohol/Smoking/Drugs: A few scenes of pipe smoking; Mercedes drinks often and is called "Booze-zilla" by her husband; speaking about the high point of her day, Mercedes says, "I'm drinking it"; a student makes a couple of veiled references to drug use; a verbal reference to "demon rum."
- Sex/Nudity: Mercedes' husband looks at scantily-clad women on his computer; his wife accuses him of looking at pornography, and the husband says it's "barely porn"; he says he has a thing for large-breasted women; passionate kissing, sometimes under the influence of alcohol; we see Larry's rear end, covered by underwear, while he tries on some pants; encouragement to Larry to "cop a feel"; Larry kisses an inebriated Mercedes but refuses to come into her home, saying it's time for both of them "to do the right thing"; a tattoo shown on a woman's lower back.
- Violence/Crime: None.
Religion/Morals: A co-worker of Larry's says he and the other men are "getting our clocks cleaned by our ex-wives"; a friend asks Mercedes what sin she committed that caused her to have to teach an 8 a.m. class; Lamar tells Larry that the best way to avoid divorce problems is to stay married; Mercedes proceeds to divorce her husband and pursues a relationship with Larry.
Questions? Comments? Contact the writer at email@example.com.