text:
By Muhammad Abdullah Gul
On 25 July 2010, the New York Times carried an explosive story by Mark Mazzetti, Jane Perlez, Eric Schmitt and Andrew W. Lehren about some 92,000 classified Pentagon documents which had passed into the hands of Wikileaks, a Sweden-based whistleblowerwebsite headed by Julian Assange. Ostensibly, the leak sent shock waves through the US Administration – not just for the sheer volume of the leaked material but also because the revelations could significantly affect the course of the war in Afghanistan.
The documents comprised a host of field intelligence reports initiated by covert sources, combat units and the Afghan intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS). Much of the plethora of documents is a compilation of assorted reports known as "collation" in the intelligence craft. Such stuff is not deemed to be intelligence until it is sifted, corroborated and analysed for its value, the authenticity of the source and the plausibility of the information. The documents cover the period from 2004 to 2009. The fact that that such a large array of reports remained unprocessed for this long is a poor reflection on the Pentagon's efficiency.
Dubious veracity
Wikileaks has, thus far, released 77,000 of the documents, of which 180 reports – mostly originating from Afghan intelligence – pertain to the dubious role of Pakistan, its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and, especially, of retired General Hamid Gul who headed the ISI in the crucial years of the Afghan jihad during the Soviet Union's occupation of Afghanistan. Gul earned a reputation as the architect of the Soviet defeat and the ignominious withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.
Once a darling of US strategists and intelligence big-wigs, Gul later became a bitter critic of the post-Reagan policies of the US. He routinely charges America of betraying the Afghan nation and causing an airplane crash in which then-president of Pakistan, General Zia ul-Haq, and dozens of Pakistan's top military brass died. Gul also claimed that the 9/11 events were an inside job and openly supported the Afghan resistance against what he described as the US-led occupation of Afghanistan which was not dissimilar to that of the Soviet Union.
He has repeatedly refuted the charges against him on various international media channels such as Al Jazeera, CNN, and BBC (for example, on the 25, 26, 27 and 28 July 2010), and labelled the reports as "preposterous", "fictional" and deliberate "disinformation" to demonise him and the ISI in an attempt to find a scapegoat for the US military's failures in Afghanistan. In these interviews, Gul also offered to travel to the US to face charges in court or be heard by the US Senate or Congress. In 2008, the US proposed a motion at the United Nations 1267 Committee to have him placed on the UN's international terrorist list. He was saved by China, which blocked the move by applying a technical hold for lack of evidence.
The Pakistani government also strongly rebutted the Wikileaks reports regarding the alleged double role of the ISI in the Afghan war. Interestingly, a Pakistani official revealed that days before the New York Times story, US defence officials had advised their Pakistani counterparts to disregard the Wikileaks documents release.
Human rights and military discipline
Apart from documents relating to Pakistan, the rest of the 77,000 documents cover a vast spectrum of excesses and human rights abuses committed by US and NATO forces, and narrate a harrowing tale of atrocities against innocent civilians. No less than 20,000 fatalities have been documented, painting a heart-rending picture of a callous disregard of Geneva Conventions and US laws. Task Force 373, a secret force, stands out as the most trigger-happy, ruthless bunch of soldiers who seem to have exceeded every limit. It is not clear whether this force was ever authorised by the US Congress. If not, it would cast a negative light on the Pentagon, raising questions as to whether the Pentagon (or a certain element within it) had turned into a "rogue" institution.
Wikileaks is still holding back some 15,000 documents. There are tremendous efforts by the US administration to block the release of these documents or, at least, to expunge the identities of sources and other named figures lest their security be jeopardised.
The whole sordid affair begs many a thorny question, and points to yawning cavities in the US systems of defence and intelligence. The more glaring of these questions, each of which warrants a separate query, are:
a. Is the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) overly dependent on security contractors and largely amateurish Afghan intelligence operatives?
b. Is there an attitudinal conflict among American policy makers on Afghanistan?
That is, is there a conflict between those advocating winning the hearts and minds of Afghan people and those operators on the ground who are bent on the systematic and wilful alienation of the Afghan people?
c. Does a dichotomy really exist between the stated US position of Pakistan as a front-line ally without whose support victory cannot be perceived, and the real perception of its role as a double crosser playing both sides? Or is this dichotomy inspired by extraneous influences which wish to drive a wedge into US-Pakistan relations?
d. How will the leaks impact on US-Pakistan and Pakistan-Karzai government relations?
e. How will they affect the war in Afghanistan and determine its outcome?
f. Were the leaks deliberate and purposeful a la My Lai in Vietnam, which set in motion the public demand for withdrawal?
US intelligence methodology
Over the years, the mammoth US intelligence establishment has shown deficiencies, fissures and failures. If glaring ones such as 9/11, Saddam's weapons of mass destruction, and the failure to capture the world's most wanted terrorists are not enough evidence of its inherent flaws, Wikileaks has exposed it to the core. The human intelligence (humint) aspect of the US is well-known to have suffered from protracted neglect, poor funding, and the absence of a cogent cause to inspire enthusiasm.
As a consequence, the US substituted security contractors for regular and disciplined operatives. Most of these security contractors were former employees of the CIA, FBI and other agencies which thrived on old-buddy cronyism. Their only motivation was money. They are a tired and lacklustre group of people who rely mostly on "paper milling" – intelligence parlance for the production of make-believe reports. The bulk of the reports on Pakistan is the handiwork of Afghan intelligence agencies which are infested by communist die-hards looking to avenge their humiliation at the hands of Pakistan and the ISI. To top it off, the Indian external intelligence agency – the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) – has established a strong field intelligence network in Afghanistan. Its insidious influence on Afghan intelligence agencies in an effort to malign Pakistan is an open secret.
Task Force 373 uses tactics and methods which run counter to the explicit purpose of the military high command. About 100,000 US security contractors have proven to be loose cannons. They disregard operational instructions, and are only in pursuit of quick results to earn more dollars. It was a disaster ab initio to mix mercenaries and burnt-out intelligence veterans with regular troops. The architects of this harebrained idea will realise the consequences of their folly.
Between policy and posture
The US and NATO official position on Pakistan as a front-line state in the war against terrorism is a euphemism. In reality, Pakistan has always been suspected either of doing less than it could, or, worse, of complicity with some Taliban factions fighting US and NATO troops. No wonder, then, that each category and tier of the US leadership – from the Bush to the Obama administrations – continued to press Pakistan to do more.
While analysing the nature and extent of Pakistan's cooperation, one must bear in mind the circumstances under which Pakistan was recruited into this war. It was literally forced on board the American warship. The Pakistan leadership wrongly assumed that the war would be a short, swift retribution which would end in a few months. They failed to fathom the latent and long-term intentions of the Bush administration's war hawks. It was only after the Karzai government was foisted on Afghanistan, as a result of the Bonn dispensation and the induction of India, Pakistan's arch-rival, into the Afghan game that Pakistani authorities realised their mistake in unconditionally giving in to US demands.
They felt cheated but could do little to redress the situation. Then-President Pervez Musharraf's quick surrender to US diktat had left the Pakistani nation and its institutions dazed and bewildered. They were torn between the demands of the US agenda and their national interests. The military and the ISI were hard put to maintain equilibrium. Drone attacks by the CIA in Pakistan's tribal regions, and clandestine deployment of US Special Forces and security contractors inside Pakistan further exacerbated frayed sentiments. To the Pakistani masses, from where most of the soldiers are drawn, it was somebody else's dirty war which Pakistan had to fight under duress. It reflects positively on the army and the ISI that there was no serious breach of discipline. But to expect an enthusiastic and wholesome participation under these conditions would be asking for too much.
Impact on US-Pakistan relations
That the invaders would fail in Afghanistan was axiomatic for even elementary students of Afghan affairs; and no one is better educated on this subject than the ISI. Should the ISI not have maintained liaison with the real soul of the Afghan people, which is manifested in the national resistance symbolised by the Taliban? Let no one be duped into believing otherwise! But material support to the resistance is quite another matter. With US spies all over Pakistan, having logged deep into its systems, such an audacity cannot even be imagined, save by Pentagon stalwarts.
The US policy towards Pakistan was described aptly – though insultingly – by Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton as a "carrot and stick" doctrine that would keep Pakistan on the leash and aligned to US objectives. This policy seems to have worked reasonably well for America. Pakistan has been held to the course by the US promoting a dictator, and then imposing a truncated democracy through an externally-brokered deal called the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). America's whip hand, however, began to test the limits of national tolerance after the Mumbai attacks, when the US started openly to promote India's brow-beating tactics against Pakistan on unsubstantiated charges. Following Obama's 1 December 2009 policy speech, the US attitude began to change. It is now less belligerent, and often placatory, towards Pakistan. There is also a perceptible shift in the policy from dealing with government to addressing the people of Pakistan. This is a healthy change indicative of a possible focus on an exit strategy.
The recent floods in Pakistan have enhanced the need for a fresh approach. Currently, there seem to be two overriding American concerns. Firstly, to create an environment for the graceful exit of the US from Afghanistan, while safeguarding its core interests and making room for India in a post-withdrawal Afghanistan. Secondly, to thwart a populist – inevitably anti-American ground-swell – in the wake of the catastrophic deluge in Pakistan. How these can objectives be achieved with the help of a tottering and largely dysfunctional democracy in Pakistan will be a daunting challenge for American policy makers.
Pakistan and the US need each other for their own good reasons, but India is the obstacle, and it will remain so until the Kashmir issue is dealt with.
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai began to lean towards Pakistan after Obama's 1 December 2009 speech. To show his altered preferences, he fired his Pakistan-hating intelligence czar, Amrullah Saleh. After the Wikileaks affair, however, Karzai revealed his true intentions when he demanded that the US bomb Pakistan. But that simmered down rather quickly. Perhaps the Americans whispered the same gospel in his ears as they did for Pakistan: "Don't take it too seriously."
Outcomes and purposes
It is too early to pass judgement, but there are unerring similarities between My Lai and the Wikileaks affair. Lieutenant William Calley and Captain Ernest L. Medina's misconduct then, and the TF-373's misdemeanour now reflect the same propensity for frustration spawned by failures. How close are the parallels of General Westmoreland's demand for more troops and General Stanley McChrystal's urge for the surge, intelligence failures, and search for scapegoats – Cambodia then and Pakistan now? It's an uncanny match of the scenarios, a rebirth of the tragedy that was Vietnam.
Afghanistan is a wrong war at a wrong place against a wrong enemy. Not a single Afghan has been found involved in terrorism outside the war zone. "Reversing Taliban's momentum" was not the original aim of the NATO war. At this stage, it would be like defeating the Afghan nation; it would be mission impossible. The initial goal was to disperse Al-Qaeda and capture or kill Osama Bin Laden. All western intelligence sources believe Osama Bin Laden is not in Afghanistan, or, at least, not in the southern part of Afghanistan where much of the US and NATO forces are committed. Leon E. Panetta said there were no more than 60 to 100 Al-Qaeda operatives in that part of the world. That many may be present in any European country. The reality is that Al-Qaeda has long since migrated to the Red Sea area to be in closer proximity to its strategic "centre of gravity" – the Middle East.
The hard truth is that the war in Afghanistan is a lost cause for America. The problem is how to convince the Pentagon and the self-indulgent, bigoted neo-cons who would not let reason get the better of their unrealistic ambitions. Obama's heart is in the right place. He knows he came into the Oval Office on the promise of change, and he was aware of the stumbling blocks on his way to change. As a master chess player, he let the Pentagon have its say (two surges since his inauguration) but asked for results. The Pentagon merely reinforced failure and could not deliver.
Operation Moshtarak, in February 2010, was an unmitigated disaster, and the Kandahar operation is a non-starter. One obstacle in Obama's march towards his objective has been removed. If allowed to operate with freedom, Wikileaks will remove the other. Its publication of the remaining 15,000 documents is bound to whip up a public debate reminiscent of the Nixon years. Already, the antiwar opinion has climbed to 62 percent. A "moratorium" – as in the case of Vietnam – may well be in the offing, thanks to Wikileaks. Is Obama playing Nixon? If yes, Wikileaks is a gift to him. Or, did he manage the gift? Whatever the case, the draw-down from Afghanistan is likely to begin as per schedule, if not earlier. Conventional wisdom commands that losses be cut.
Muhammad Abdullah Gul is a researcher whose work focuses on the Indo-Pak subcontinent


text:
National Water Forecast Predicts Limited Water Supply West of the Continental Divide
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2014 – A limited water supply is predicted west of the Continental Divide, according to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) data in its first forecast of 2014. The NWCC also predicts normal water supply east of the Continental Divide and will continue to monitor, forecast and update water supplies for the next six months.
Monitoring snowpack of 13 western states, the center's mission is to help the West prepare for spring and summer snowmelt and streamflow by providing periodic forecasts. It's a tool for farmers, ranchers, water managers, communities and recreational users to make informed, science-based decisions about future water availability.
"Right now the West Coast is all red," NRCS Hydrologist Tom Perkins said. "Early indications are it will be very dry in the western part of the West, but wetter as you travel east. There are some exceptions to this, as New Mexico, Arizona, parts of Utah and southern Colorado are also expected to be dry."
"But that could all change by the end of the season. This early in the season – who knows? It always changes," Perkins said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center's seasonal forecast is calling for a milder and somewhat drier winter for much of the West. According to NRCS Meteorologist Jan Curtis there is a very small chance for normal precipitation on the West Coast.
"The North Cascades in Washington might have a normal year, but Oregon and California are unlikely to have normal precipitation," Curtis said.
NRCS Oregon lead Snow Surveyor Melissa Webb said she isn't alarmed yet.
"Oregon snowpack looks grim right now, but the season is young and storms are on the horizon," Webb said. "While concerned, we're hopeful for some recovery in the next couple of months."
Although NRCS' streamflow forecasts do not predict drought, they provide information about future water supply in states where snowmelt accounts for the majority of seasonal runoff.
In addition to precipitation, streamflow in the West consists largely of accumulated mountain snow that melts and flows into streams as temperatures warm into spring and summer.
NRCS scientists analyze the snowfall, air temperature, soil moisture and other measurements taken from remote sites to develop the water supply forecasts.
"USDA streamflow forecasts play a vital role in the livelihood of many Americans," NRCS Chief Jason Weller said. "With much of this region greatly affected by drought, our experts will continue to monitor snowpack data and ensure that NRCS is ready to help landowners plan and prepare for water supply conditions."
Since 1935, NRCS has conducted snow surveys and issued regular water supply forecasts. Since the late 1970s, NRCS has been installing, operating and maintaining an extensive, high-elevation automated system called SNOTEL, designed to collect snowpack and related climatic data in the western United States and Alaska.
View January's Snow Survey Water Supply Forecasts map or view information by state.
Other resources on drought include the U.S. Drought Monitor and U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook map, which forecast drought conditions through March 31, 2014. For information on USDA's drought efforts, visit www.usda.gov/drought. And to learn more about how NRCS is helping private landowners deal with drought, visit the NRCS site.
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service helps America's farmers and ranchers conserve the Nation's soil, water, air and other natural resources. All programs are voluntary and offer science-based solutions that benefit both the landowner and the environment.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Adapted from content excerpted from the American Express® OPEN Small Business Network
For a growing business, having a manageable level of debt can be an effective way of doing business. While some small business owners are proud of the fact that they've never taken on debt, that's not always a realistic approach. Growth often demands considerable capital, and getting that money may require you to seek a bank loan, a personal loan, a revolving line of credit, trade credit, or some other form of debt financing.
The question for many small business owners is: How much debt is too much? The answer to this question will lie in a careful analysis of your cash flow and the specific needs of your business and your industry. The guidelines below will help you analyze whether taking on debt is a good idea for your company.
Explore your reasons for borrowing
There are a number of scenarios when it may make sense to take on debt. In general, debt can be a good idea if you need to improve or protect your cash flow, or you need to finance growth or expansion. In these cases, the cost of the loan may be less than the cost of financing these moves through ongoing income. Some common reasons for seeking a loan include:
- Working capital – when you're looking to increase your company's work force or boost your inventory.
- Expanding into new markets – when companies enter new markets, they often face a longer collection cycle or must offer more favorable terms to new customers; borrowed funds can help weather this period.
- Making capital purchases – you may need to finance new equipment in order to move your business into a new market or expand your product line.
- Improving cash flow – if you have less than 10 years left on an existing long-term debt, refinancing can improve cash flow.
- Building a credit history or relationship with a lender – if you haven't borrowed before, taking out a loan can help in developing a good repayment history and can help you obtain financing in the future.
Plan effectively
Before taking out a loan or any other kind of debt financing, you should spend time planning your capital needs. The worst time to take on any kind of debt is during a crisis. A sudden loss of trade credit, the inability to meet a payroll, or other emergency could force you to take on debt immediately, and that can result in highly unfavorable terms. A plan will allow you to forecast your cash requirements, allowing you to determine what you will need and when you will need it. This will give you the extra time to explore all possible borrowing sources and negotiate the most favorable terms. A capital plan should consist of a complete review of your balance sheet to help you analyze cash flow, assets and liabilities. You'll also want to construct a pro forma statement, which is a projected balance sheet for the coming 1-3 years.
Examine short-term vs. long-term debt
Just as you need to be certain you're taking out a loan for the right reasons, you also need to make sure you're taking out the right kind of loan. For example, taking out a short-term loan when a longer term loan is required can quickly create financial problems since you may be forced to take unnecessary measures (such as selling a piece of the business) to meet the obligation.
In general, use short-term loans for short-term needs. This will help you avoid higher interest expense and more restrictive conditions of longer-term borrowing. For instance, if you experience a temporary rapid increase in sales — such as that brought on by increased seasonal demand — then you should look at a short-term loan. If the growth will continue over a long time, take a look at longer term options such as an expanding line of credit based on sales, accounts receivables, or inventory ratios The term of your debt will have no impact on your debt-to-equity ratio. However, you will see changes in liquidity indicators such as your current ratio, since current liabilities include only the debt that must be repaid within one year, not debt due at later dates. So longer term loans can positively affect your liquidity ratios.
Base new debt on current needs
When interest rates are low and money is cheap, you may be tempted to take out loans to buy equipment or make other capital purchases. If that's the case with your business, be sure to base your decision solely on your current needs. The possibility of rates increasing is not a rationale for spending money on something you don't need. For example, if your business needs additional computer equipment, you might want to take out a loan to buy it. But buying additional computers now because they'll be more expensive next year is not ample justification. You can end up getting stuck with equipment you don't need and debts that you are still obliged to pay off.
Copyright © 1995-2016, American Express Company. All Rights Reserved.


text:
The sweet Sanctuary Necklace is the perfect piece for everyday wear or as a layered accessory. A 14K gold plated stainless steel heart with a mother of pearl inlay dangles from a simple gold chain.
Clean with a soft cloth and non-abrasive jewelry cleanser that is safe for plated pieces or mild soap and water. Rinse with lukewarm water and allow to dry fully before buffing with a soft cloth. Do not use a polishing cloth as this will remove the plating.
The organization we partner with to create our Storyline Collection helps women overcome exploitation and offers them vital counseling and rehabilitation services, as well as dignified jobs that empower them to support themselves and their families. Wear yours as a reminder that your story matters—and so does hers.
Our East Asian Artisan Partners know that the most wonderful pieces are made with love. Every style features luxurious gold plate and is assembled by women overcoming exploitation.


text:
replacement ⇆>
Warner Home Video Games
Compatible with PlayStation 4™ (PS4™)
No Region Protection / Action Adventure
Batman: Arkham Knight
The Darkest Night for Arkham's Black Knight:
Rocksteady returns to the helm for the conclusion of their famous Arkham series, Batman Arkham Night! In this action-adventure video game, follow a new story of Bruce Wayne as he confronts the greatest threat he has ever encountered as Batman.
Gameplay fit for a Classic Favourite:
Buckle up in an exciting adventure as Bruce Wayne/Batman in his epic battle to protect Gotham city against an impressive roster of super villains including Two-Face, Penguin, Harley Quinn and Riddler accentuated by the return of Scarecrow as their leader. Transverse in a new Gotham City that is five times larger than Arkham's City with impressively delicate details. Signature equipment like the grapple gun, line luncher and batarangs are at the player's disposal to compliment Batman's awesome new suit that simply spells hardcore action in every move.
Gotham City Paves Way for BatMobile:
Batman Arkham Night finally features the highly anticipated BatMobile as a drivable vehicle in the game that can be summoned to the player's location as necessary and has the ability to perform jumps, speed boosts, fire missiles, completely immobilize enemy vehicles and smash things up in aid of Batman. In certain locations Batman can immediately get in and out of this tank-like vehicle and glide into the city allowing him to perform necessary entrances and exits that eliminates more enemies.
Useful Links
Please log in or create account to submit your link recommendations.
customer reviews
|Average rating:
|(4.5 out of 5)
|Total votes:
If you are familiar with Batman: Arkham Knight, why not let others know?
Please note that opinions expressed in any review are those of our customers and do not necessarily match those of the Playasia.com team.
And oh yes the batmobile makes its debut appearance in the arkham game so if you have ever fancied how cool it would be to zip around in this tricked out tank-like vehicle then this is your chance to take this p1mped vehicle for a joy ride :-)
Log in or create account to post your own reviews.


text:
$25 per person
Based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling.
February 8-11, 2024
Book and Lyrics by Anthony Dewey
Music by George Stiles
Based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling."
Performed by Young Company student actors in grades 4-6
Honk! JR. is a heartwarming celebration of being different that is sure to delight audiences of all ages with its sparkling wit, unique charm and memorable score. Witty and hilarious, but also deeply moving, Honk! JR. will treat your audiences to equal amounts of laughter and tears.
Ugly looks quite a bit different from his darling duckling brothers and sisters. The other animals on the farm are quick to notice and point this out, despite his mother's protective flapping. Feeling rather foul about himself, the little fowl finds himself on an adventure of self-discovery, all the while unknowingly outwitting a very hungry Cat. Along the way, Ugly meets a whole flock of unique characters and finds out being different is not a bad thing to be.


text:
Butler County Man Sentenced To 16+ Years
For Methamphetamine Trafficking
Nov. 19, 2012
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Butler County man has been sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today. He also was ordered to forfeit $7,810 in drug proceeds and three handguns.
Thomas E. Church, 54, Augusta, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Grissom commended the Dickinson County Sheriff's Office, the Butler County Sheriff's Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough for their work on the case.


text:
Orwell's Zionist Blue Print for the NWO
Snapshot below the fold.
ONE-EVIL was taken down by Frank O'Collins the site creator – not sure why but it's accessed on WAYBACK Frank is Jesuit educated in Sydney Australia where he lives
The New World Order was founded in 1943 at the first Conference between England, the United States and the Soviet Union by leading Jesuits in Tehran. It was reconfirmed at the end of of World War II following the complete victory of the Roman Cult controlling the Roman Catholic Church in the re-establishment of effective Catholic control of the former Frankish Kingdom principalities now known as Germany, France, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
However, the term first entered the public arena in 1949 through the work of Jesuit co-agitator George Orwell and his book "New World Order" providing a chilling account of the future world under global Catholic socialism (Fascism).
At the heart, the New World Order is a defined membership of global financial, political and industrial consortium based around the underlying massive financial assets of the Catholic Church based from Zürich still in control of the Jesuits and their continued monopoly as the only organization in Catholic history (excluding the Knights Templar) to hold a Papal document granting them exclusive rights to conduct banking and financial activities.
As the New World Order is a consortium of financial, political, military and industrial entities, its precise structure, rules of operation and agenda remains difficult to precisely confirm. For example, a few dozen private banks in Europe and the United States first formed by the Jesuits in the 18th and early 19th Century continue to remain the foundation pillars of the global finance and credit system — the same private banks that have withdrawn hundreds of billions of dollars of credit from the global financial system in 2008 and 2009 causing what was a localized credit squeeze of bad loans into a global depression.
The New World Order also maintains a political military structure through co-operative ties between intelligence agencies and large private and public arms manufacturers such that this apparatus serves to protect the interests of the Catholic Church across the world.
The New World Order also represents a discrete group of global companies, principally involved in industries such as pharmaceuticals as well as substantial media and publishing interests, again which have successfully maintained protection against Catholic interests, with the exception of unavoidable occasional public scandals such as ongoing pedophilia by priests.
The Jesuit Civil War (1942-1945)
In 1941 aged 55, Count Wladimir Ledochowski — Jesuit Superior General –was at the height of his supremacy, a fit and completely driven man. His army of Jesuit influentials had similarly reached great heights in all places held by Catholic Dictators as well as the United States. So why would a civil war between factions of the Jesuits break out at such a time?
One of the great historical anomalies is the behaviour of both Adolf Hitler, Fr Himmler S.J. and Fr Joseph Stalin S.J. in the Nazi Russian Invasion.
Contrary to spin historians, these men had not only shown ruthless pragmatism in managing power until this point, but were actively working together on a number of military and scientific fronts until the invasion.
A frequent excuse given is that fiercly Catholic Hitler had become "drunk" with power and decided to invade Russia because he hated the Russians. But Hitler was a mere soldier, compared to Fr. Himmler S.J. the new Grand Inquisitor of the Roman Catholic Church and his massive army of assassins and torturers.
Instead, it is much more certain that Jesuit Superior General Ledochowski instructed Himmler to push for the assault on the understanding this would complete a clean sweep of Catholic National Socialism over Catholic National Communism.
Similarly, it is clear that Count Ledochowski said something in reverse to Fr Stalin S.J. – that this was the plan that would ultimately destroy Germany as Stalin's behaviour against his own country and people was nothing other than treacherous.
When Hitler invaded in June 1941, Fr Stalin — against every other example of ruthless judgment to protect his own power — seemingly invited for his troops to be slaughtered and defeated by refusing his generals to fully engage, then having the generals executed and then repeating the bizarre process almost up to Moscow. However, by the bleak Russian winter of December 1941, the jaws of the Jesuit Soviet Machine clamped down shut on the legs of the German Army. From this point on, the fate of the Nazi dream and power were sealed.
For such a loyal German Jesuit as Fr Himmler S.J. such deliberate trickery by Ledochowski would have been devastating and unforgivable. The Jesuits had shifted their power away from Germany, France and Italy to America — for the first time in the order's history.
On December 13, 1942 (aged 56) Count Wladimir Ledochowski died suddenly –almost certainly murdered by the very best assassins of Fr. Himmler for his treachery in dooming the German-Swiss –French "Illuminati" Jesuits.
Technically this act immediately plunged the Jesuits into Civil War. Unable to convene a General Congregation until the end of the War –when all Jesuits have permission to elect their leader –Vicar General Norbert de Boyne could not be made Superior General. This left the American Jesuits, led by Fr Edmund Walsh S.J. free to pursue their agenda along with other international factions.
The German-Swiss-Italian-French Jesuits during the war headed by Fr Heinrich Himmler S.J. represented the "Illuminati" – the old guard who had been betrayed by their slain leader Fr Ledochowski S.J.
The other camp representing the new guard, the "New World Order" headed by the American-Canadian Jesuits and allies along with English and even Australian Jesuits.
Midst the two warring camps of Jesuits were "neutral" provinces such as the Netherlands and Spain, still battling for its survival against the popularity of the Vatican sponsored Opus Dei Mary (Mari) Spanish Satanic devotion cult.
It is during this event, in which unprecedented number of Jesuits were killed that the plan for the New World Order was hatched by senior Jesuits such as American Fr Edmund Walsh S.J. The plan was confirmed by the Jesuit officials that accompanied each of the world leaders of Roosevelt, Fr Stalin S.J. and Churchill to the conference at Tehran in December 1943.
It is there we see for the first time the unveiling of the public face of the New World Order – an order of opposing "friends" and ideologies- capitalism vs communism, but all ultimately financed and directed from the same machine.
The New World Order maintains no official head office, other than the existing structure of the Catholic Church. Nor does the New World Order maintain secret archives or attent "secret" meetings in oak panelled rooms. The entire structure, apparatus and relationships of the New World Order is largely in the public eye "hidden in plain sight" and has been scrutinized countless times by investigators and co-adjutators publishing misinformation.
For example, important New World Order meeting groups such as the Bilderberg Group and the Trilateral Commission bring together many of the key members of the New World Order, but with discussions on subjects that to any observer would be regarded as largely "benign". This is particularly the case in regards to the core reporting and power structure of the New World Order today.
Excluding major meetings of members "hidden in plain sight", Jesuit Provincial Generals have divided their armies of priests into specialist areas — each assigned the task of involving themselves with key people in that area of expertise to such an extent that their relationships and meetings seem both normal and natural. For example, where a Jesuit who is regarded as a top lawyer and expert in Constitutional law meets with legislators, it seems both normal and devoid of any ulterior motive. When a Jesuit is an expert in a field of science, or politics the same can be said.
Thus the real power of the New World Order rests at the lowest levels of the Jesuit structure, with one part of the Jesuit organization never having a complete picture of what the other side knows unless they are at the level of Provincial General. The eventual truce in the civil war of the Jesuits came in the form of a compromise of power- the New World Order is in fact a very clear and precise six (6) level pyramid of power.
Jesuit Factions of the Jesuit Order Black Pope-Jesuit Superior General Jesuit Order and Financial, Corporate and Military Apparatus Re-constituted Illuminati Families (under the structure of the New World Order) Holy See (with Pope as its head) United Nations
It would be incorrect to say that the Black Pope is the most powerful person on planet Earth. Since 1945, the role has been largely symbolic and held by a candidate from a neutral country between the main factions of the Jesuit Civil War. As such, the role has been dominated by both Dutch and Spanish candidates.
The most powerful force within the New World Order is unquestionable the Provincial Generals of the Order- the most senior factional leaders of the Jesuits who continue to hold a truce since 1945.
While the Superior General can technically give absolute orders to his provincials, in practice it has been the other way around for over sixty years.
Then we come to the third layer being the Financial-Military Apparatus which few people who believe in the existence of the New World Order would argue.
However, few have ever heard of the real foundation of the global financial system in the early 19th Century using Jesuit controlled gold stolen from the Vatican during the Jesuit-Papal Wars to fund an army of private banks in Europe and the United States.
Then we come to the fourth layer of the New World Order apparatus being the reconstituted "Illuminati" families from the United States, Europe and even Asia/Middle East. They have no control over the Jesuits, nor do they wish to challenge them in any way as their various positions from Royal families, occasional Presidents, Prime Ministers and global leaders is dependent upon the favourable patronage of the Jesuits.
The fifth layer of the New World Order apparatus is the Holy See. Contrary to common misinformation, the role of Pope is now of secondary importance to the legal apparatus of the Holy See –The Holy See, being the legal framework that claims Vatican superiority over all other laws of man as well as complete dominion over animals (humans being classed as animals by their laws).
It is the papacy and Vatican curia that in recent years has waged and increasing PR war in revealing more and more of the New World Order apparatus against the Jesuits.
The sixth layer is the United Nations and legal apparatus which recognizes the Holy See as a legitimate state and entity, therefore its laws, therefore every national laws as subservient to the United Nations.
The Great Depression of 2009-2012
In 2008, the Illuminati bankers under the control of the Roman Cult in Zürich used their banks and gold holdings to launch a pre-emptive strike against the Jesuit controlled finance system–choosing the sub-prime crisis as the catalyst. In spite of the lack of real gold underpinning the modern global financial system created by the Jesuits, the creativity of banking and governments had managed to avoid a major financial debt fuelled meltdown of the system several times since its creation in 1945.
However, under the New World Order power structure, the Holy See and the Illuminati of cities such as the Munich and Zürich are subservient to the Jesuits –as they have been for 200 years. Using the sub-prime crisis, the Vatican controlled banks simply refused to renew fresh lines of credit underpinned by real bullion into the system in the second half of 2008 and again at the start of 2009, causing the whole financial system to effective "seize up".
Contrary to early reports, this does not appear to be a Jesuit driven action but a deliberate action on behalf of the Illuminati families and the Vatican against the Jesuits in the hope the the resulting social turmoil will set the conditions for future war. Evidence that we are witnessing a war within the power structure of the New World Order can be seen by recent extraordinary negative and disruptive comments from the European Union and Commissions against plans by the United States to trade out of crisis.
There can be no doubt we are in the middle of the greatest power struggle since World War II. It is uncertain whether the Jesuits will prevail and the system restored to order, or whether the Vatican and Illuminati will succeed in breaking the shackles of forced subservience after 200 years.
Phi Beta Iota: We have no direct knowledge. The above is part of a mosaic of disclosure that is emerging as publics begin to realize that nothing is what it seems and there is a Deep State managing all. We actually look to China, India, and Russia as well as Indonesia and the Philippines and perhaps a few other countries, to re-assert their sovereignty, nationalize the "central" banks that are a key element of the Deep State's power, and mount a full scale counterintelligence campaign against the Jesuits and the Rothschilds.
See Also:


text:
Any explanation of the Carnival season, now upon us, doesn't do it justice. The history of our only-in-New Orleans celebration is one of the sources for the uniqueness of this city's character. The staging of the grand balls and the tableaus, laden with tradition and pomp, is a reflection of another age.
And the enthusiasm of the citizenry and visitors surrounding every golden moment permeates all that we do during this time.
Carnival defies description because words are inadequate for the community's total immersion into the festival that defines us. It is truly an enchanted time to be in New Orleans.
Creating a special beverage that reflects these special moments is no easy task. But Alan Walter, aka "Spirit Handler" at Loa in the International Hotel and previously honored as the Mixologist of the Year by this very magazine, embraces such challenges. He has invented a cocktail which is complicated yet simple, another Carnival trait. Twelfth Night's Lord of Misrule is smiling.
Enchanter's Cup
• 1 ounce Kina L'Avion D'Or, a French aperitif wine infused with spices and herbs
• 1 ounce Salers, an aperitif liqueur created in the Auvergne region of France, made from the roots of the Gentiane Lutea, a wild plant that grows at high altitudes
• 3/4 ounce Cocchi Americano, a low-alcohol wine-based aperitif from Asti, Italy
• 3/4 ounce Suze, a French bitters created from the gentian plant
• 1/2 ounce Lillet Blanc, a Bordeaux white wine blend that also has liqueurs made from the peels of macerated citrus
• 1/4 ounce Dolin Dry, a lighter, drier, less headstrong vermouth
• 1 dash Orange Bitters, a concoction of the peels of Seville oranges and spices
Stir all ingredients with ice and lighten with an ounce or two of soda water if desired.
Add sliced strawberries and citrus segments along with whatever herbs you have handy (mint and dill are ideal).
Serve with a straw and go forth.
As created and served by Alan Walter at Loa


text:
Resolution:Board Visitors (2012)
This proposal has been approved by the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees.
It may not be circumvented, eroded, or ignored by Wikimedia Foundation officers or staff nor local policies of any Wikimedia project.
|Board Visitors (2012)
|This vote unanimously approved extending and formalizing the board visitors trial initially begun in 2011. It was passed via online vote on June 25, 2012.
Resolved, that the Board of Trustees will allow up to two Board visitors per year for significant content, financial or expertise contributors. Each Board visitor shall have a one-year term.
The Wikimedia Foundation and projects benefit from significant content, financial support and other contributions from both individuals and institutions, and the WMF Board will benefit from building closer ties with and learning from our significant individual and institutional contributors.
Criteria for selection as a board visitor:
- Contribution of significant content, financial support or unique expertise;
- Institution and/or individual shows strong philosophical alignment with WMF mission; and,
- Board approval required prior to board visitor status being granted.
Board Visitor Privileges:
- Attendance at in-person board meetings once per year for most but not all agenda items (e.g. attendance for budget and strategic discussions, not for executive sessions);
- Inclusion in formal materials sent to other trustees (e.g. pre-read materials, Committee reports, Board minutes);
- No participation in Board voting on resolutions, or Board IRC meetings; no inclusion on board email list;
Board Visitor Responsibilities
- Visitor must treat conversations with the same confidentiality as the rest of the Board.
- Approve
- Phoebe Ayers, Ting Chen, Bishakha Datta, Matt Halprin, Samuel Klein, Arne Klempert, Jan-Bart de Vreede, Jimmy Wales, Kat Walsh, Stu West


text:
Applebee's waitress asks patron for ID, gets own stolen driver's license in return
Imagine you're a waitress, out with friends on a night off, when you lose your wallet. Cash, credit cards, driver's license—all gone. Your bank later informs you that checks are being issued in your name.
It's a pain, but you carry on. Two weeks later, you're at work when four people walk in and sit in your section. They start ordering drinks. You ask to see their IDs. A woman in the group hands a driver's license to you. You look down, and it's yours.
That is precisely what police in Colorado say happened to Brianna Priddy, a server at a Lakewood Applebee's.
Priddy, though, didn't panic.
"I handed it back to her and said, 'Sure, I'll be right back with your margarita,'" she told Denver's NBC affiliate.
[Related: Applebee's fires waitress who posted receipt from pastor]
Priddy called the police, and tried to act normal while waiting for them to arrive.
"I put on my server smile and tried to take care of them, but I was shaking like crazy," she said.
When police arrived, the woman, whose name has not been released, was arrested on suspicion of theft, identity theft and criminal impersonation. Police also found narcotics in her possession.
"Dumb criminal," Lakewood police spokesman Steve Davis told Denver's 9NEWS. "That's the first thing that comes to mind."
Even dumber: the suspect is 26, Davis said.
Watch a local television interview with Priddy below:


text:
A common but increasingly mighty and very busy little word, "they," has an accolade all its own.
The language mavens at Merriam-Webster have declared the personal pronoun their word of the year based on a 313% increase in look-ups on the company's search site, Merriam-Webster.com, this year when compared with 2018.
"I have to say it's surprising to me," said Peter Sokolowski, a lexicographer and Merriam-Webster's editor at large, ahead of Tuesday's announcement. "It's a word we all know and love. So many people were talking about this word."
Sokolowski and his team monitor spikes in searches and "they" got an early start last January with the rise of model Oslo Grace on top fashion runways. The Northern Californian identifies as transgender nonbinary, walking in both men's and women's shows around the world.
Another look-up spike occurred in April, when U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, got emotional while talking of her gender-nonconforming child during a House committee hearing as she advocated for LGBTQ rights legislation.
RELATED: Oxford names 'climate emergency' its 2019 'Word of the Year'
Merriam-Webster recently added a new definition to its online dictionary to reflect use of "they" as relating to a person whose gender identity is nonbinary. In October, the American Psychological Association endorsed "they" as a singular third-person pronoun in its latest style guide for scholarly writing.
"We believe writers should try to use a person's self-identified pronoun whenever feasible," said Jasper Simons, chief publishing officer for the APA. "The singular 'they' is a way for writers to avoid making assumptions about gender when it is not known."
The American Dialect Society, which is dedicated to the study of the English language in North America, named "they" its word of the year for 2015, in recognition of its emergence among people who reject "he" and "she."
In September, Merriam-Webster experienced another big increase in look-ups for "they"when pop star Sam Smith wrote on social media that their preferred pronouns were "they" and "them." Smith said the decision came after a "lifetime of being at war with my gender."
RELATED: 'Existential' chosen as word of the year by Dictionary.com
Sokolowski told The Associated Press that "they," one of a handful of nonbinary pronouns to emerge in recent years, is "here to stay." Nick Adams, director of transgender representation for the LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD, said Merriam-Webster's choice is a positive step in acknowledging nonbinary people.
"There is a long road ahead before language, policy and culture are completely affirming and inclusive," Adams said.
The AP Stylebook allows the use of "they"as a singular or gender-neutral pronoun in some cases.
And the Merriam-Webster runners-up to word of the year?
They include "quid pro quo," "impeach" and "crawdad," the latter a word in the title of Delia Evans best-selling novel, "Where the Crawdads Sing." The Top 10 also included "egregious," "clemency" and "the," a shocker of a look-up spike when Ohio State University attempted to patent the word to protect its turf. It failed.
Also in the mix: "snitty," which emerged on the lips of Attorney General William Barr in reference to a letter by Robert Mueller about a summary Barr wrote of the Mueller report.
We have Washington Post columnist George Will to thank for "tergiversation." The word, meaning an evasion or a desertion, was Merriam-Webster's top look-up on Jan. 24 after Will used it in a column in reference to Lindsey Graham.
The words "camp" and "exculcate" rounded out the Top 10 list.


text:
Oh, there are a few brave souls who decorate for the holiday with horns of plenty and the occasional pilgrim, but compared to its two neighbors on the calendar, (Halloween and Christmas), Thanksgiving is fairly quiet in the consumer-driven market of ghouls, glitz, and over-the-top commercialism.
Maybe it's because I'm growing older. Or perhaps it's because I'm just getting tired of lugging decorations down two stories, but I have a growing fondness for this holiday that gets lost at the end of November. In most houses, the day starts out rather nicely watching a parade and enjoying the smells wafting through the house. Then sometime halfway through dinner most folks have decided that there's too little time left for Christmas shopping--so they'd better start that night and everyone shifts into Christmas warp speed.
But before the Christmas train comes screaming into the station, I'd like to take a moment and ponder just why I like this holiday so much. It's pure and simple – the way it was so many years ago. And it delivers a gift of thankfulness and a deliberate reason to slow down – even if it is just for one day.
It's a day that "the English" in Lancaster County spend much the same way as their Amish neighbors - giving thanks and being grateful.
In the past, I've made lists of the things for which I was thankful. But I think the bigger picture is the lesson of being grateful in and of itself. And that's the part of Thanksgiving that we need to carry with us throughout the year.
To be able to count our good fortune is a gift in itself. And perhaps the lesson is that there is always a reason to be thankful. We are so blessed to live in a country where we can control our own destiny, where we have the climate to be able to grow our own food, share with others, give back when we can, to be able to truly care for others and be cared for, and to celebrate that love every day.
So, this Thanksgiving, I hope you take a moment by yourself to sit and enjoy the warmth of the fire or glance out the window and appreciate the beauty of a falling leaf as it floats to the ground and be glad for both – and for the time to slow down and savor not only the tastes of the day, but the sights and sounds as well.
From all of us at The Artist's Inn, may yours truly be a happy and grateful Thanksgiving.


text:
Search the Site with
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT is the fourth ship in the NIMITZ - class of nuclear powered aircraft carriers. The carrier already participated in several wars and operations: The Gulf War in 1991, Operation Allied Force in 1999, Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001/2002 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
|General Characteristics:
|Keel Laid: Oct. 31, 1981
|Launched: Aug. 27, 1984
|Commissioned: Oct. 25, 1986
|Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Va.
|Propulsion system: two nuclear reactors
|Main Engines: four
|Propellers: four
|Blades on each Propeller: five
|Aircraft elevators: four
|Catapults: four
|Arresting gear cables: four
|Length, overall: 1,092 feet (332,85 meters)
|Flight Deck Width: 257 feet (78,34 meters)
|Area of flight deck: about 4,5 acres
|Beam: 134 feet (40,84 meters)
|Draft: 38,4 feet (11,7 meters)
|Displacement: approx. 100,000 tons full load
|Speed: 30+ knots
|Planes: approx. 85
|Crew: Ship: approx. 3,200
Air Wing: 2,480
|Armament: three
|Homeport: Bremerton, Wash.
Crew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Cruise Books:
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT's Commanding Officers:
|October 25, 1986 - October 3, 1987
|Captain Paul W. Parcells, USN
|October 3, 1987 - June 9, 1990
|Captain Dayton W. Ritt, USN
|June 9, 1990 - August 27, 1992
|Captain Charles S. Abbot, USN
|August 27, 1992 - July 8, 1994
|Captain Stanley W. Bryant, USN
|July 8, 1994 - November 1, 1996
|Captain Ronald L. Christenson, USN
|November 1, 1996 - September 22, 1998
|Captain David Architzel, USN
|September 22, 1998 - March 22, 2001
|Captain David R. Bryant, USN
|March 22, 2001 - June 25, 2003
|Captain Richard J. O'Hanlon, USN
|June 25, 2003 - June 9, 2005
|Captain John Green, USN
|June 9, 2005 - January 11, 2008
|Captain John R. Haley, USN
|January 11, 2008 - July 28, 2010
|Captain Charles Ladd Wheeler, USN
|July 28, 2010 - February 28, 2013
|Captain William J. Hart, USN
|February 28, 2013 - present
|Captain Daniel C. Grieco, USN
Notes of Interest:
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Patch Gallery: (3 more patches on the CVN 71 history page)
|Click here for more THEODORE ROOSEVELT Patches.
Accidents aboard USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT:
|between 1986 - 1989
|During this period of time, THEODORE ROOSEVELT had a helo crash on deck, a helo crash in the water and the crew had to catch an S-3 in the barricade.
( Information by Darren Sapp, Yellow Shirt aboard CVN 71 )
|approx. 1987
|AN Kraus, a plane captain with the E-2C squadron, was chalking and chaining a C-2 Cod. He walked into the propeller and lost his head and shoulder. The crew spent the next 30 minutes cleaning up the flight deck so planes could land since the carrier was in blue water ops.
( Information by Darren Sapp, Yellow Shirt aboard CVN 71 )
|approx. 1987
|A squadron sailor carrying a SINS cable walked behind an A-6 performing a maintenance turn and was blown off the deck in the Caribbean Sea. He was never seen again.
( Information by Darren Sapp, Yellow Shirt aboard CVN 71 )
|February 20, 1991
|Arabian Gulf
|During Operation Desert Storm, John Bridges, a Greenshirt, was sucked into an A-6E's engine while preparing the jet for take-off. Although the plane was lready on the catapult and the engines were running, Bridget was able to crawl out of the engine but collapsed on the flight deck. His only injuries were some scratches. He survived because of his protective suit which destroyed and stopped the engine.
After the accident John Bridget left the Navy.
There are two videos of the accident available:
Clip #1
Clip #2
|October 14, 1996
|off North Carolina
|During a training exercise the guided missile cruiser LEYTE GULF (CG 55) crashed into the carrier. The collision ripped open the front of the LEYTE GULF and heavily damaged the rear of THEODORE ROOSEVELT. The collision caused $9 million in damages to the cruiser and $7 million to the carrier.
|March 8, 2002
|A US Navy officer temporarily assigned aboard THEODORE ROOSEVELT was reported missing March 8, 2002. After being listed as missing, a search-and-rescue operation including two helicopters from HS-11 embarked aboard the carrier as well as one helicopter from HSL-42 embarked aboard USS VELLA GULF (CG 72) was implemented. 24 hours later, the search was terminated without success.
On the morning of March 13, the Egyptian navy reported finding a body in the water near Port Sayeed Lighthouse that had identification matching the missing officer.
The officer, temporarily assigned in THEODORE ROOSEVELT, was a crewmember aboard VELLA GULF homeported in Norfolk, Va.
At the time of the incident, THEODORE ROOSEVELT was transiting the Mediterranean Sea on its way back to Naval Station Norfolk at the end of its 6-month deployment to the Mediterranean and Arabian Sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
|January 26, 2003
|60 miles east of Puerto Rico
|While on approach for a landing aboard THEODORE ROOSEVELT an F-14 of VF-213 crashed just after 4:30 p.m. Within 15 minutes, both the pilot and radar intercept officer were recovered safely by a search and rescue team from Helicopter Support Squadron 3.
The THEODORE ROOSEVELT Battle Group was conducting training exercises as part of a Composite Training Unit Exercise.
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Image Gallery:
|Click here to view more photos.
The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the THEODORE ROOSEVELT at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va., during her Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH). The photos were taken from the James River Bridge on October 30, 2010.
The photos below were taken by me on May 6, 2012, and show the THEODORE ROOSEVELT at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va., during her Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH).
The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning on October 23, 2014, and show the THEODORE ROOSEVELT at Naval Base Norfolk, Va.
The photo below was taken by Sebastian Thoma and shows the THEODORE ROOSEVELT at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, Calif., on January 9, 2016 - 1 1/2 months after arriving at San Diego for the first time after completing an 8 1/2 months deployment. The cruise started on March 11 at her old homeport of Norfolk, Va., and took the carrier around the world to San Diego.
The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the THEODORE ROOSEVELT at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., on April 18, 2016


text:
WASHINGTON — The main figure in a General Services Administration spending scandal took trips to Hawaii, Napa Valley, and South Pacific islands, all after the agency's inspector general warned top officials about the excesses.
A timeline released by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday shows that GSA executive Jeffrey Neely took five trips totaling 44 days, including a 17-day trip to Hawaii, Guam and Saipan that he and his wife planned as a birthday celebration.
All came after a May 2011 briefing by Inspector General Brian Miller on his preliminary findings. While Miller was still 11 months away from publicly releasing his final report on GSA spending, he issued the early warning to stop the travel. But it did no good.
For a second straight day, a House committee peppered current and former GSA officials with rapid-fire questions about the spending habits of the government's real estate agency.
The outrage once again was bipartisan and many questions were aimed more at a culture of excess in violation of government limits, rather than the taxpayer bill of some $823,000 spent on a Las Vegas conference.
Miller said he's investigating kickbacks, bribery and other matters and has already recommended criminal prosecutions to the Justice Department.
The GSA's top official has resigned, two top aides were fired and at least 10 individuals have been placed on administrative leave.
Miller almost seemed overwhelmed by the scope of wrongdoing.
"Every time we turned over a stone we found 50 more with all kinds of things crawling out," Miller said.
Family members often were taken along on trips, and an email exchange between San Francisco-based Neely and his wife last November laid out plans for turning the 17-day South Pacific trip — to Hawaii, Guam and Saipan — into a celebration.
Neely — who was placed on administrative leave — wrote his wife about the February 2012 trip: : "Rough schedule per our conversation. Guess this'll be your birthday present?"
She responded, "Its yo birthday….We gonna pawty like iz yo birthday!"
GSA officials landed special deals with resorts that got them suites, where parties were held on the taxpayers' dime. There were missing electronic devices such as iPods purchased for prize ceremonies.
Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., who chaired the Transportation subcommittee hearing, summed up his frustration and that of others by telling GSA witnesses the agency suffered from "this culture of fraud, waste, corruption" and possibly cover-ups and inside deals with vendors.
"This certainly is not only a dark day for GSA but a dark day for the U.S. government. We wonder why there is so much distrust in government," he said.
The host of the Las Vegas conference, Neely, invoked his right to remain silent at a hearing Monday and did not appear Tuesday in response to an invitation. His nametag was at the witness table for a time, and then was removed.
Committee members pointed out that Neely had nine pre-planning trips for the Las Vegas conference and visited Hawaii for nine days in October 2011 and four days last March. The trip to California's Napa Valley took four days last March.
Miller said 115 electronic devices purchased for GSA prize ceremonies were missing, and one was traced to a daughter of Neely.
Other questions focused on why officials needed nine so-called planning trips for the Las Vegas conference.
"In my opinion the pre-planning trips were not justified," Miller said.
A fired official testified he didn't know taxpayers would be billed $1,960 for a party in his luxury suite at a Las Vegas resort.
Robert Peck said he had paid for some food out of his own pocket and was surprised when additional food arrived — eventually paid for by taxpayers.
The agency's new leadership has demanded the amount be repaid and Peck said he would do so.
Peck was fired as Public Buildings Commissioner after the inspector general reported some $823,000 was spent at the conference in violation of agency rules. He said he didn't condone the conduct of others but was let go because improprieties occurred on his watch.
Peck also was asked why he only approved a tepid letter to Neely for his improper travel and allowed him to receive a $9,000 bonus.
He said he acted on information he knew at the time.
Talk to us
- You can tell us about news and ask us about our journalism by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com or by calling 425-339-3428.
- If you have an opinion you wish to share for publication, send a letter to the editor to firstname.lastname@example.com or by regular mail to The Daily Herald, Letters, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.
- More contact information is here.


text:
Many couples try to increase their chances of getting pregnant by regularly having sex, taking vitamins and supplements, and changing their habits to increase sperm production. One point that is important for such couples is to learn how to increase the number of sperm. There are a few ways to do that, but the best solutions include a healthy diet, exercise, and discarding bad habits. Also taking a supplement for sperm production will help you to product healty sperm volume and quality. Keep reading to see how you can increase your sperm count and make your partner get pregnant.
Avoid alcohol, stop smoking and do not use illegal drugs. All of these habits can impact on sperm count and inability to fertilize eggs. If these habits can not be interrupted, reduce their intake regularity.
It is important to feed you with plenty of protein, vegetables and whole grains. Strive for a low-fat diet. Keeping your diet healthy will increase the number of sperm because your body is healthier and your metabolism is working properly. If possible, then eat organic foods.
Allowing you to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day can reduce stress hormones in the body that can damage the sperm. Low load sport is best, e.g. Tai Chi, yoga or meditation. However, it is important not to overdo it and not over stressing your body or participating in activities that could harm your testicles.
By allowing a period of time between sexual encounters, you give your body the chance to build sperm. Daily sex can reduce the number of sperm. Couples may also want to plan this around the woman's fertile days.
Studies have repeatedly shown that the number of sperm in a man is usually higher in the morning and early afternoon. At the end of the day, the number of sperm may be reduced due to stress, fatigue and a number of other factors.
Alright pay attention to here:If you spend a lot of time in the sauna or hot tub, it can cause excessive heat to reach the testicles, causing them to produce less sperm. In addition, tight underwear, shorts or jeans should be avoided. Replace them with boxer shorts or loose jockey shorts so your testicles can breathe and stay cooler.
It has been proven that vitamin C and vitamin E promote the health of sperm.
Keep following the above tips and additonally use a supplement that increases sperm volume just within days. If you are searching for a supplement boosting fertility:Prolargentsize is the product! Prolargentsize herbal pill is a male fertility enhancing supplement designed to improve sperm count, motility, and morphology. How you can increase sperm count and motility? Prolargentsize product addresses these key issues in male fertility and reproductive health. With an unique formula that combines a potent blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals with -Ceratonia siliqua and Epimedium brevicornum.Totally herbal and natural ingredients will make you the happiest man in the world hearing good news of your partner.


text:
2014 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days
BikeBandit.com, the country's go-to online source for motorcycle parts, riding gear and accessories, will once again be the title sponsor for this year's BikeBandit.com AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. The 2014 event features Indian Motorcycle as marque of the year, and is scheduled for July 11-13 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
BikeBandit.com AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, featuring Indian Motorcycle, is the country's premier gathering of vintage bikes and the people who love them, attracting tens of thousands every year. It features thousands of rare vintage bikes from around the country, a swap meet where collectors can buy and sell, exciting vintage racing events, and much more.
BikeBandit.com is a primary source for parts for hundreds of motorcycles, new and old, and founder and CEO Ken Wahlster says the company is very proud to be title sponsor for AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days for the second year.
"Keeping vintage bikes running well and looking good takes some of the most dedication you see in the sport," Wahlster said. "We've been lucky to establish BikeBandit.com as the web's most trusted resource for motorcycle parts, accessories and gear, and vintage bike enthusiasts have become some of our most loyal customers, so supporting this event was a natural partnership for us. We hope to see all our customers out at the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days this year!"
Said the AMA's vice president of operations, Jeff Massey: "Being a part of 2014 BikeBandit.com AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, featuring Indian Motorcycle, is a great way to connect with motorcyclists in general, and vintage riders in particular. Together with Indian Motorcycle as our featured marque for 2014, we know that BikeBandit.com's support will help us provide plenty of fun things for fans to see and do at the country's grandest celebration of vintage motorcycling."
BikeBandit.com AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, featuring Indian Motorcycle, serves as a primary fundraiser for the legendary AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, and features all types of classic motorcycles and honors the riders who made them famous. Activities include the AMA Racing Vintage Grand Championships, featuring national championship road racing, motocross, hare scrambles, trials and dirt-track, along with North America's largest motorcycle swap meet and of course, vintage bike shows and awards.
While vintage bikes will be taking center stage, there will be something for all motorcycle lovers at the event: motorcycle stunt shows, demo rides of current production bikes, an AMA Life Member breakfast, and seminars on a number of topics by noted motorcycling experts!
AMA members can purchase a weekend pass to BikeBandit.com AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, featuring Indian Motorcycle, for $45, or a one-day pass for $25, saving $5 off the regular advance purchase rate. The AMA member discount is in addition to the regular $10 savings on advance ticket purchases, and there is no service charge for AMA members when purchasing through the AMA, making the savings even greater.
AMA member pricing, available through May 27, is available only by calling the AMA directly at (800) 262-5646.
Advance tickets are available to the general public at www.midohio.com, with all kids under 12 admitted free with a paying, supervising adult.
If you're not an AMA member, we invite you join the nation's largest grassroots organization that fights for your freedom to ride and race — visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join.


text:
This mosaic from NASA's Dawn spacecraft shows dark material near a series of craters known as the "snowman" on Vesta. That ejected material is a complex mixture of components. They likely include both dark material thrown out from the craters during the impacts that created them (ejecta), and darker melt that occurred during the impact. An annotated version of the image highlights the patches of dark material.
The images that make up the mosaic were obtained during high-altitude mapping orbit (on average 420 miles or 680 kilometers above the surface). The mosaic covers an area of about 3,000 square miles (7,500 square kilometers). It is a close up of the southeastern parts of Marcia and Calpurnia craters, the two craters that make up the lower part of the "snowman." For a wider perspective of this area taken during Dawn's survey orbit (on average 1,700 miles or 2,700 kilometers above the surface), see https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA14673 .
The images were obtained from Oct. 11 to 16, 2011.
The Dawn mission to the asteroids Vesta and Ceres is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Dawn is a project of the directorate's Discovery Program, managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. UCLA is responsible for overall Dawn mission science. The Dawn Framing Cameras have been developed and built under the leadership of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany, with significant contributions by DLR German Aerospace Center, Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, and in coordination with the Institute of Computer and Communication Network Engineering, Braunschweig. The framing camera project is funded by the Max Planck Society, DLR, and NASA/JPL.
More information about the Dawn mission is online at http://www.nasa.gov/dawn and http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov.


text:
It's over. End the charade now. The Red Sox have to remove Bobby Valentine as manager, for his own dignity, as well as the team's. Mutiny on the Bobby is the last straw.
Valentine doesn't deserve to be fired. He has done an admirable job in the face of impossible circumstances and myriad injuries. But the bottom-line evaluation of a manager is whether he is capable of getting the most out of his players. Valentine will never do that here, not as long as those players are empowered to go behind his back and complain about him to ownership, publicly challenge him in the media and have the general manager side with them, and otherwise belittle him with impunity.
This failure of a season is not on Valentine, who walked into a minefield of dysfunction and disaffection at Fenway. He made his missteps with Kevin Youkilis and Will Middlebrooks, certainly, but he could have been the best communicator since Winston Churchill and it wouldn't have mattered to players who never wanted him.
This debacle is on ownership, upper management, and baseball operations, who all refused to give this team a personnel makeover or a personality one, and most of all it's on some Sox players, the ones who are snickering at Valentine now, the ones who never gave him or his way a chance, the ones who have behaved as unprofessionally behind the scenes this season as a few did last September.
Just when you thought this Red Sox team couldn't get any more disagreeable or disappointing, it has. According to a Yahoo! Sports report, a group of Red Sox players, including Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez, met with ownership in New York July 26 to express their distaste for Valentine and his managerial methods. They imparted that they were done playing for Bobby V.
(When is the letter to season ticket-holders coming out saying Fenway Park leads the majors in plaques and seditious ballplayers?)
The meeting was called, according to the report, after Gonzalez sent a text message to ownership on behalf of a group of disgruntled players who were upset that Valentine left lefthander Jon Lester in against the Toronto Blue Jays to surrender a career-high 11 earned runs and a career-high four home runs in a 15-7 loss at Fenway July 22.
Lester had already surrendered nine runs when Valentine sent him out for the fifth inning. Lester promptly walked the first batter and then served up a two-run homer before heading to the showers.
I guess the Red Sox rebels without a clue forgot that Valentine had used six pitchers the night before in a 7-3 loss to the Jays. But sparing Lester's feelings, not the arms of his overworked bullpen heading into a six-game road trip, should have been his priority.
Even if Lester's ego was bruised, he has pitched some of his best ball in the four starts since then, including striking out a season-high 12 in a win over Cleveland Sunday, so the experience couldn't have been too traumatic.
The guy who comes off looking the worst in this story is Pedroia. Everybody loves Pedey. He is witty, engaging, honest, industrious. He plays every game as if it's his last. You would be proud if your son played the game like Pedroia. He went on the radio after last September and offered a heartfelt pledge to Red Sox fans that the team would do better. He has always been one of the good guys.
Now, he's at the heart of an alleged insurrection.
As this team stumbled through the season, it became clear that either the other players weren't following Pedroia's lead in terms of moving on from the Youkilis-Bobby V dust-up, or he was subverting the manager behind the scenes. This story says it's the latter.
According to the Yahoo! report, it was two days after the confab with ownership in which Gonzalez and Pedroia were vocal about their dislike for Valentine that former Red Sox manager Terry Francona held his fireside chat with Pedroia and a few Sox players and coaches in the clubhouse at Yankee Stadium.
In that context, it certainly looks like Pedroia was doing more than catching up with his old cribbage partner. He was making a statement.
The story also states that a cell phone picture has been circulated with Pedroia smiling and giving the thumbs up while an ostensibly somnolent Valentine is face-down on a table beside him. The photo has a caption, according to Yahoo! Sports, that says, "Our manager contemplating his lineup at 3:30 p.m."
Whether or not the photo is real or digitally altered, it is a picture of the blatant disrespect some members of the team have for their manager, led by Pedroia.
Maybe if some of the Red Sox "leaders" had been as upset with their own teammates last year — the ones whose behavior got Francona fired — and complained to ownership about it, Tito would still be here, and Valentine wouldn't. Try a mirror, fellas.
Those votes of confidence in Bobby V from owner John Henry and general manager Ben Cherington are meaningless now. How can you back Valentine publicly when you privately invited players to bad-mouth him?
The Sox are being delusional if they think they can clasp the life preserver of the second wild card now without changing the clubhouse culture or the manager.
We know which one is easier to alter with 45 games left.
Some would argue that relieving Valentine of his duties is letting the players win. It probably is, but the outcome of that matchup was determined long ago. Taking this meeting last month only confirmed it.
There is no need for Valentine to play out the season as Captain Queeg in his own clubhouse.
Hopefully, removing Valentine will force the Red Sox to face the truth. The problem last September wasn't the manager. The problem this season isn't the manager.
It's the unmanageable players.
Christopher L. Gasper is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @cgasper.
Editor's note: Christopher L. Gasper debuts today as a full-time sports columnist. He is a talented and knowledgeable young man who is Boston through-and-through and a graduate of Boston University. He is also hosting Boston Sports Live on boston.com Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.


text:
Discover Chic Rectangular Sunglasses for Women
At Maui Jim®, our mission is to spread aloha through vivid colour, clarity, and detail. Discover women's rectangular sunglasses that offer a chic modern design and comfortable, lightweight fit. All of our rectangular frames feature our patented PolarizedPlus2® optical technology, which eliminates glare and blocks 100% of potentially damaging UV sun rays. We made our polarised lenses to handle the strongest sun in the world, without dimming the rich, vibrant colours of our natural island habitat. Experience unsurpassed visual acuity, popping colours, and cutting-edge retina protection with our polarised rectangular sunglasses for women.
Seeing is Believing
Every detail is crisper, brighter, and clearer through the view from our lenses.
We're passionate about making the best sunglasses in the world.
PolarizedPlus2 lens technology. Designed to enhance your view in every condition.
We promise that you will always be greeted with a friendly voice and a dedicated representative.
Not all sunglasses are created equal. Learn how our sunglasses protect your vision.
Born in Hawaii. Where we still design and test our products.


text:
The Attribute Dependency Technique tends to produce innovations that are smart. They seemingly know when to adjust or change in response to a change in something else. It is one of five techniques of the SIT innovation method, and it accounts for a majority of new product innovations. Attribute Dependency differs from the other techniques in that it uses attributes (variables) of the situation rather than components. Start with an attribute list, then construct a matrix of these, pairing each against the others. Each cell represents a potential dependency (or potential break in an existing dependency) that forms a Virtual Product. Using Function Follows Form, we work backwards and envision a potential benefit or problem that this hypothetical solution solves.
Consider this unique example of Attribute Dependency: music that changes in relation to another variable. As reported by Springwise:
Since the advent of digital music we've seen a number of artists trying to offer something different to their fans. UK musician Gwilym Gold's Tender Metal is a downloadable piece that mutates each time the listener plays it. The album is being released solely for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. When using the app, the components of the tracks of Tender Metal are seamlessly and subtly reconfigured each time they are played, meaning that each listening experience is different from the last. Users can choose to loop tracks in order to hear it constantly shift, or shake the phone to 'regenerate' the piece from its current permutation. The innovation allows for endless reinterpretations of the music without it being performed live, ultimately offering a more immersive experience for fans.
Smartphones and tablets have become an important platform for these types of innovations because of their ability to track two important variables: location and time. For example, the musical band, Bluebrain, created an album called National Mall that responds to the listener's location as they journey down the Mall in Washington DC. "As users approach tagged locations, the audio content of the album will alter to interact with the environment, thus creating a unique listening experience every time the album is played en-route." According to Springwise:
For Bluebrain, this album is simply the start, with plans to release similar location-aware works for Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York in the summer, followed by an album to be experienced whilst journeying along California's Highway 1. Location-based technology is increasingly incorporated into products and services far and wide. If you haven't already, this is one to try for yourself!
The combinations of time-based or location-based linkages to a smartphone are endless. To get you started creating your own versions of these innovations, following the instructions located here.
Photo from https://www.lucreid.com


text:
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's tragic hit and run with an iceberg, a Houston restaurant is offering what it calls the "Titanic Experience": a 10-course, 4-hour meal featuring authentic Titanic food at the super exclusive Macy's Table in a room suspended from the restaurant's ceiling, all for the low, low price of $12,000.
Diners are invited to sample a bottle of Armagnac brandy from 1900 and taste food that was probably more or less what passengers aboard the ill-fated Titanic tasted right before the overpowering flavor of extreme panic wiped their palates clean. Of course, a truly authentic Titanic experience wouldn't be complete if Cullen's didn't provide a strapping young Irish dishwasher to seduce the disaffected fiancees of male patrons, or a bucket of extra cold glacial water with which to douse diners in between their eighth and ninth courses, just to remind them how macabre a Titanic themed dinner is.
Dine just like the passengers of the doomed Titanic for $12,000 [Yahoo!]
Image via Gordana Sermek/Shutterstock.


text:
Board of Education
The Tarrant Board of Education is a five-member Board, appointed by the Tarrant City Council. Each member serves the school system and community for a five-year term and may be reappointed by the City Council.
Meeting Schedule
Board meetings are usually held at 6:00 pm on the last Tuesday of the month. Board meetings are open to the public. Meetings are held in the Board Room at the Central Office (1318 Alabama Street, Tarrant, Alabama) or at one of the school locations. Board meetings for the year are listed on the District calendar.
Public Hearings
The Board conducts public hearings on specific topics from time to time. These hearings provide additional opportunities for public comments on such items as the budget. Notices about public hearings are published on the system website.
In accordance with Alabama Sunshine Law, the Board may meet privately in executive session to discuss good name and character or certain legal matters that are in compliance with Alabama law.
A copy of the Board minutes (after being Board approved) may be obtained by calling Kristen Franklin at 205-849-3700 or may be viewed by clicking on the Agendas & Mintues.
Role of the School Board
With children always their ultimate focus, school Board members act officially only at the Board table, working with other Board members to accomplish the following:
- Create a shared vision
- Set student performance standards
- Oversee development of assessment programs based on those standards
- Account for student achievement results
- Adopt the annual budget, aligning district resources to improve achievement
- Create a healthy environment for work and learning
- Build strategic partnerships
- Sustain the disctrict's progress through continuous improvement
- Adopt and maintain current policies in written format
- Hire and evaluate the superintendent
- Maintain strong ethical standards
The Board is a committee of community representatives that exist to make sure the superintendent has what is needed to efficiently run schools in support of the children and in synch with the community's vision. It is the superintendent who develops the curriculum and the staff and is responsible for the day-to-day operations.


text:
Indiana Pacers forward Paul George is being sued by a former stripper after she gave birth to a baby girl she says is his daughter, according to Page Six.
Daniela Rajic, 24, gave birth to daughter Olivia on May 1st, and Wednesday filed a paternity suit against George in Manhattan Family Court.
A source told us that George, 24, had a relationship with curvaceous Rajic for a few months last summer. She is said to have worked at Tootsie's Cabaret in Miami before they met. But we're told the couple is no longer together and Rajic has moved to New York to be with her family, where she is currently a full-time mom.
The source said, "Paul and Daniela saw each other a number of times over the course of a few months in Miami last summer. She became pregnant, and their daughter was born on May 1. She has already undertaken a paternity test, and there's no question he is the father. The court is still expected to order an official DNA test."
While Rajic's lawyers Raoul Felder and Daniel Nottes declined to comment Wednesday night, George — who also dated Callie Rivers, the daughter of Clippers head coach Doc Rivers, earlier this year — had previously said he was ready to step up and help raise the child.
"If and when there is legal confirmation that I am the father, I will fully embrace my responsibilities," he said in the statement. Another source said Wednesday that George had not yet seen any court papers and was focused on the Pacers' game against the Heat.
A rep for George told Page Six, "As Paul has said all along, if and when the legal process confirms that the baby is his, he will fully embrace his responsibilities as a father and provide emotional and financial support to the child. ?The process has been amicable and we hope it will continue to be until this issue is clarified."
George had strenuously denied sports blog reports that he had offered Rajic $1 million to abort the child. The case is currently before Family Court Judge Matthew Cooper.
And to think, this whole thing could have been avoided had Paul used protection. SMH.
[via Page Six]


text:
OOTD Simple Sunday Stripes! New Look Inspire Skater Dress!
Evenin' All!
I realise I have been a little on the quiet side. I have been busy doing Christmassy type things and catching up with special people!
Last weekend I headed down to the capital to do some festive partying with my favourite southerners! In the midst of shopping for party frocks in good ol' Vivien of Holloway on Saturday afternoon, we discovered we all had Monday off, which was an excuse to do some Sunday night drinking!
I had only really taken enough to wear for Saturday evening and travelling home on Sunday night so I took a trip to Brent Cross with my Lorna face friend and picked up this little stripey skater number from
New Look Inspire
Stripey Skater Dress & Belt - £26.99 New Look Inspire
Biker Jacket - Evans
Shoes, Necklace, Earrings - Primark
Too many apple sourz shots - Priceless!!!!!
I love cute little skater cut dresses, and I was really pleased to see that the sweet salmon pink skinny belt which came with the dress actually fit! I have bought items from
New Look Inspire
in the past which have included belts which have never fit me, even though the actual garment is properly sized, so a welcomed surprise to find that this one actually did! As I was a bit thin on clothes I just kept it simple with some black leggings, my little pointy diamante Primark flats and some Primark bling! Simple Sunday Stripes!
I have to say I am quite the fan of
New Look Inspire
and have been for a long time. I know, the range isn't necessarily groundbreaking but it is one of the few places I can usually always find something I like. I would like to see the sizing of the range extended, lots of stretchy jersey fabrics make it possible for me to wear this range which caters up to a UK size 26, although I am blatantly larger than that, but I would love to see it cater to a UK 28-30 (heres hoping!). I would also love to see the range promoted more, I find that New Look as a brand pretty much ostracises it's Inspire label and very rarely plugs it via its social media outlets or through its own in house advertising. The use of plus size bloggers would really push Inspire I feel. I know of recent, a few plus size bloggers have been contacted by the Inspire buying team to provide feedback on the range, heres hoping their opinions are utilised so we can see a positive change to the range so it lives on!
In the meantime, I still love you Inspire! :)
Big Love!
Festive Fun
New Look
New Look Inspire
Skater Dress


text:
We've seen the commercials featuring impossibly beautiful models, wolfing down massive cheeseburgers while grease drips onto their teeny bikinis. But in addition to being downright irritating to real-world women who feel like they gain five pounds merely driving past a fast-food restaurant, the image of a woman with a model physique making poor dietary choices can actually have pretty harmful effects on the general public. As it turns out, looks can be deceiving, and that seemingly fit woman may not be so healthy after all.
The tale of two fats
Most people are unconcerned about the type of fat they carry as long as they can fit into their skinny jeans. But there's actually quite a bit of room for concern – especially as it relates to the type of fat that is stored.
Subcutaneous fat lies just below the skin, and though it can be aesthetically unappealing (cellulite, anyone?), it's actually pretty harmless. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is deeper and surrounds the organs to act as a layer of protection, says Kusha Karvandi, a personal trainer and founder of the fitness app Exerscribe. It is this fat that can lead to major health issues like cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes. And, surprisingly, even thin people can carry unhealthy levels of visceral fat.
"A thin person can still be medically fat based on visceral internal body fat storage and blood lipid profiles blood fat," Karvandi explains. "This is common in someone who may not overeat and has a fast metabolism, but chooses to be more sedentary and eats processed foods. When we eat processed foods, not only do we increase subcutaneous body fat, but we primarily gain visceral fat."
Lies of the scale
We've heard for years that muscle weighs more than fat, so a very fit person with lots of lean muscle mass may actually be heavier than a thinner counterpart. And that's exactly why you shouldn't rely on your bathroom scale as your fitness barometer.
"Body fat is based on a ratio of total body weight, including lean body mass – muscles and organs – bones and fat," says Lisa Reed, MS, founder of Lisa Reed Fitness. "So lower body weight does not directly translate into lower body fat. If you are sedentary and/or have restricted calorie diets there is a possibility of having body fat levels in the overweight and even obese levels [even if you don't look like it]."
Diets that restrict certain (healthy) food groups like complex carbohydrates or protein, or that are too low in caloric intake to supply the fuel necessary for daily activities are of particular concern, Reed adds. These diets may lead to some weight loss, but not necessarily in the form of unhealthy fat, and they can also cause broken bones, hair loss, decreased energy levels and a host of other issues.
Fat and fit?
It is for this reason that Reed recommends body composition testing to determine true fat percentage and health, as opposed to just the scale. This testing will determine how much lean body mass a person has, as well as any other risk factors. "Some individuals believe that living an active lifestyle means they can eat whatever they want, which can negate some of the positive changes from exercising," says Reed. "One must strength train to build muscle [while consuming] the right nutrients for her lifestyle and activity level to negate skinny fat consequences. The scale may be higher, as muscle weighs more than fat, but you burn more calories at rest, and in turn have a leaner body, a strong immune system and an abundant amount of energy."
Indeed, more and more experts are noting that it is possible for people to carry more weight but still be fit based on overall health and fitness levels. In fact, Stan Reents, an ACSM-Certified Health Fitness Specialist and President/CEO of AthleteInMe.com believes that a person's overall fitness level is the most important marker of health.
"Just in the past several years, researchers such as Dr. Steven Blair at the University of South Carolina have published reports showing that, if you are aerobically fit, this will offset the health risks of a few extra pounds," he says. "Historically, a BMI value of up to 24.9 was considered acceptable, while a BMI value of 25-29.9 was considered overweight. This new research shows that health risks do NOT increase at BMI values of 25-26 if a person is aerobically fit. So, while the medical profession is monitoring traditional risk factors such as LDL-cholesterol levels and body weight, what we really should be monitoring is aerobic fitness level."
When it comes to looking fit and actually being fit, the solution is tried and true: Karvandi recommends incorporating fat-soluble vitamins, enzymes and minerals into a healthy diet to begin to break down fatty acids in the liver (which serves as the primary processing factory for fat) while Reents and Reed suggest a comprehensive exercise program that includes both cardiovascular training and strength work.
It may not be as sexy as a supermodel clutching a double patty melt, but the end result certainly is.


text:
Card By: Heidi Van Laar
Layout by: Heidi Sonboul
Tomorrow I'll be back with one more collection from Diane Kappa and it's my favorite. I think you'll love it too.
What do you think of Flower Child?
What do you think of Flower Child?
All these beautifully colored flowers are a fussy cutters dream! Fabulous collection!ReplyDelete
GORGEOUS!! I loveeeeeeeeeeee the colors and loving that card and lo!! :):):):):):):):):):):)ReplyDelete
These patterns simply make me happy...maybe I could paper my laundry room with them...hmmmmmmReplyDelete
I really like Flower Child and look forward to purchasing soon!ReplyDelete
This is so pretty!! I love the plaids and dots! *swoon*ReplyDelete
Love the colors and patterns of this collection.ReplyDelete
Oh this would be a "me" collection if I were to design one!! So fun and bright just stunning!! Thanks for sharingReplyDelete
I love it I'm a sucker for bright colors! Love Penny email@example.com