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The Roma of Eastern Europe: Still Searching for Inclusion
In the months leading up to the European Union's (EU) enlargement in May 2004, British tabloid newspapers began publishing reports about the millions of Roma who would "flood" the UK from Poland, Slovakia, and other new EU Member States in Eastern Europe.
The fear that Eastern European Roma would come to Britain solely to benefit from the country's welfare system prompted the UK government to restrict access to social benefits to all EU citizens. However, Britain left the door open for labor migrants from the new member states, requiring only that they register with the government.
The UK, like most countries in Europe, has never been at ease with the Roma, many of whom can trace their roots to the northern part of India over 1,000 years ago. Roma in mainland Europe often speak a language that mixes Romany, a language somewhat similar to ancient Sanskrit, with the local language.
Traditionally semi-nomadic, Roma, also known as Romani and Gypsies, became more settled by the early 1900s. Over the centuries, they have divided into tribes and clans — each with its own traditions, beliefs, and practices — determined by where they settled and their occupation.
With a population in Europe estimated at eight to 12 million, they can be found everywhere from Finland to Greece and from Ireland to Russia, but they have no "homeland." The greatest number live in Central Eastern Europe: Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, and the former Yugoslavia.
In certain areas, they have become well integrated, living among and working with the local population, speaking the local language, and achieving higher levels of education. More often, however, they live apart from the native population, and are under-employed and poorly educated.
Indeed, although they sometimes received gracious welcomes, Roma have historically been marginalized in every European country where they have settled. Since the fall of communism, in 1989, many Roma in the former Soviet Union have become more impoverished and have faced levels of discrimination unknown to Roma in Western Europe.
The EU's eastward expansion means that many governments are being pushed to give Roma the same rights as other citizens. Enlargement also means that, once the original EU Member States' temporary migration restrictions expire, Eastern European Roma should be able to freely live and work in any EU country.
History of the Roma
Understanding the Roma's situation in Eastern Europe requires looking at their past. Around the year 1000, an event in northern India, about the time of Muslim invaders, likely triggered their mass exodus. The precise event is still unknown, but the possible reasons include a conflict that resulted in the Roma's persecution, a natural disaster, or even recruitment into a mercenary military.
The Roma journeyed towards the Caucasus and China, as well as through the Middle East and Greece towards the Balkans; they covered all corners of today's Central and Western Europe by the end of the 16th century. The Roma typically traveled in patriarchal extended families, consisting of up to hundreds of people.
By the late 16th century, there were already thousands or tens of thousands of Roma in Europe. Some historians have argued that in the 15th and 16th centuries, many Roma had recommendation letters from European kings — and even the Pope — and used these to enter European towns and cities of all sizes.
The skills they were known for — music, craftsmanship, military, and even fortune-telling — often earned them gracious welcomes and respect. At the same time, the Roma kept their distance from natives because they frequently believed non-Roma to be "unclean."
Yet throughout their history, the Roma have faced accusations of crime and delinquency. Their dark complexions, constant mobility, alien hierarchies, and sacred rituals made them easy targets. Such accusations have often led to expulsions from the outskirts of the towns that initially welcomed them.
In the mid-18th century, Hapsburg monarch Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, attempted to assimilate the Roma by giving them less politically charged names—"new citizens" and "new peasants" among them—prohibiting nomadic movements and employment in their traditional professions, and not allowing Roma to speak their language or marry other Roma. The attempt failed, as Roma moved away in search of places where they would not be forced to give up their way of life.
During colonial times, some European countries dealt with the Roma by shipping them overseas, mainly to various Caribbean islands and the present-day United States. In the 1860s, Roma from Britain arrived in the U.S., but the largest wave of Roma arrived in the early 1900s.
In Walachia, a region that partly encompasses modern Romania, Roma were slaves for over 500 years, from the 14th century until 1863, when their enslavement was abolished. They were used as agricultural labor, and treated as property or cattle.
Despite their "Aryan" origins, the Nazi regime sent hundreds of thousands of Roma to ghettos and concentration camps, where between 200,000 and 800,000 were killed during World War II. The Roma call this attempt to exterminate them the Porajmos. Under Stalin's rule in Russia, Roma were also repressed and murdered.
During the communist era, the Romanian and Hungarian governments tried to force the Roma to settle in major cities and adopt a "decent" communist way of life. Yet, life under communism was relatively tolerable for the Roma because they had access to housing, health care, and jobs.
Roma Population in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is home to between six and eight million Roma. Accurate population estimations are difficult because of infrequent data collection, the Roma's mobility, and the Roma's reluctance to register as "Roma" in censuses for fear of being stigmatized.
Governments have typically underestimated the actual number of Roma in a given country. For instance, various scholars have all estimated Slovakia's Roma population at around 500,000 or more, but the government officially counted only 83,000 in 2000 (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Scholarly and Official Estimates of the Size of the Roma Population
Romania, with an estimated 1.8 million Roma, has the largest Roma population in terms of number, though they constitute about eight percent of the country's 22.9 million people. In Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, and Serbia, each country's Roma population is estimated to be between 400,000 and 800,000.
In terms of percentage of total population, Slovakia and Bulgaria have among the highest concentration of Roma, with 9.75 percent and eight percent, respectively (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. Average Roma Populations in Selected Countries and Their Percentage Ratio to Total Population (2000)
Problems Facing Roma Since 1989
Despite some positive changes — recognition of minority status, establishment of political parties and cultural organizations, publication of books and newspapers in their language — the Roma's problems in Eastern Europe have been particularly acute since the fall of communism.
They lack access to government services and health care, good-quality housing and schools, and suffer from high rates of unemployment and discrimination on the labor market. For the Eastern European Roma, like Roma in other parts of Europe, these problems are partly rooted in the "otherness" of their lifestyle and values. Disagreements and fighting between Roma clans and organizations have not helped.
The Roma have suffered also because they have learned that cooperating or registering with authorities can do more harm than good to their communities. For example, Catherine the Great obliged all Roma to register in the mid-18th century, which allowed the monarchy to control the population more easily. This distrust of government and outside help continues to the present day, and must be overcome if the Roma's situation is to improve.
However, governmental lack of interest and inability to tackle Roma problems are mainly to blame. The communist era of relative welfare, access to health care, and assured (though low-paying) jobs in heavy industry has given way to a capitalistic society where nothing is guaranteed.
With few resources and little education, the Roma have seldom been able to compete for jobs or start their own businesses. Indeed, 70 percent of Roma in Slovakia and 85 percent in the Czech Republic are unemployed. On the open job market, they face discrimination — even if hired, they could be fired as soon as the employer identifies them as Roma. Those with jobs are often victims of harassment.
Of the 320,000 Roma officially living in Slovakia today, half (160,000) reside in exclusively Roma neighborhoods, according to the Roma Press Agency. Of these, some 50,000 Roma are still living in 281 segregated settlements, many of which lack water or electricity.
Outside the new European Member States, the situation is frequently even worse. In Romania, which is on track to join the EU in 2007, one million, or 50 percent of Romania's Roma population, were illiterate in 2001. In Bulgaria, 90 percent (or 450,000) of the country's Roma population of 500,000 do not have an elementary school education.
Roma Asylum Seekers
In the late 1990s, many Eastern European Roma filed asylum claims, both to escape discrimination and to improve their socioeconomic position. Between 1997 and 2005, approximately 12,000 to 15,000 Roma left Eastern Europe. The first to file asylum claims were Slovakian and Czech Roma, followed by Polish, Bulgarian, and Romanian Roma. They applied in the European Union (particularly the UK), Switzerland, Norway, and Canada.
Generally, few Roma received asylum based on the criteria of the 1951 Geneva Convention, which says refugees must have been persecuted or have a well-founded fear of persecution due to race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. The Roma had come from "safe" countries, and did not present sufficient evidence to support a Geneva Convention claim.
As Roma were often considered economic migrants, Canada and other countries began requiring visas for all visitors coming from the Czech Republic — a measure that affected non-Roma as well.
In the UK, the government decided almost all Roma asylum claims were unfounded even if individuals could prove ethnic-based violence and discrimination.
In Finland, the 5,000 to 7,000 Roma asylum applications received typically did not include evidence of persecution, but were based on poverty or discrimination. Few Roma received asylum or a Finnish residence permit.
Although the exact "trigger" for the increase in asylum claims from Eastern European Roma is not known, the British press blamed its Roma "invasion" on a documentary broadcast in 1997 in the Czech Republic. The documentary supposedly praised the UK's generous asylum and benefits policy. Similar TV broadcasts and rumors portrayed Belgium and Finland as welfare havens.
Roma migration has somewhat decreased in recent years, partly due to improvements in their home countries. The strict asylum regulations and the "safe countries" principle have also decreased the Roma's incentive to seek asylum.
Pushing for Change
Since the peak in Roma asylum applications in 1998-2000, the Roma have seen their access to health care and education slightly improve, thanks to initiatives at the state and European Union levels, as well as to support from private foundations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The Copenhagen Criteria for EU membership bound the applying governments to amend legislation and launch Roma programs. By 2004, the Ministry of Education in Slovakia — now an EU member — had put 400 Roma assistants in grammar schools to help Roma children adjust to classrooms and to speaking Slovak, a foreign language to many of them. The ministry will add more than 500 new assistants in 2005.
In Romania, the European Union has generously supported the improvement of educational methods and school buildings.
Equal-access projects in Bulgaria have encouraged Roma children to attend regular schools. Until recently in Kosharnik, an all-Roma neighborhood in the poor city of Montana, 80 percent of Kosharnik's population of 6,000 had finished only primary school. In the last 30 years, just one percent of the population had earned a university degree.
Since an Open Society Institute (OSI)-backed educated program started in 2001, however, 108 Roma children from the Kosharnik neighborhood have graduated from high school, and eight are now attending university.
Despite the 2004 EU enlargement and the EU Parliament's approval of the Romanian and Bulgarian EU membership applications, much is still to be done for the Roma to reach a satisfactory, European standard of living.
Of the individual projects to improve their standard of living, by far the most ambitious is the "Decade of Roma Inclusion," launched in 2005 by the European Union, the World Bank, OSI, and the governments of eight countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, and Serbia and Montenegro.
As part of the project, all these governments are pledging further antidiscrimination laws, integration in schools, improvements to settlement infrastructure, and measures to raise dismal health standards.
Roma participation has been the "core" of the project since its conception. According to the program, Roma are involved in setting the agenda and goals, and they will be involved in the oversight and monitoring process over the next 10 years.
According to philanthropist George Soros, founder of OSI, the "Decade" project represents "the political commitment of eight countries to scale up and speed up the process of Roma integration in a limited number of areas."
Although the outside financial and structural input is now there, questions remain about whether Roma have been sufficiently incorporated in the planning process, and in all the participating countries, as well as whether enough work has been done to maximize the involvement of as many Roma organizations as possible.
Another positive development is the establishment of a pan-European Roma organization, European Roma Forum, the brainchild of, among others, the Finnish President Tarja Halonen.
Supported by the European Council, this new organization will incorporate a large number of existing Roma groups to better represent Roma interests at the EU level and to produce guidelines for further improving the Roma's situation. This cooperation is a positive step after years of conflict and animosity between various Roma groups.
Despite these developments, a decline in tensions between Roma and native populations will likely take more time than the span of most domestic and international programs.
The Future of the Roma
In the UK, the public's fear of Roma migrants came roaring back last year when it was realized the Eastern European Roma would have the same freedom of movement as other new EU Member State citizens.
The fear of a "flood" was unfounded, but some concern was to be expected, considering the Roma's situation in Eastern Europe. The Czech Republic and Slovakia have a combined Roma population of one million, and when Romania and Bulgaria join the EU in 2007, another 2.5 million Roma will become EU citizens.
The European community, individual countries, and numerous organizations are committed to addressing the roots of the Roma's economic and social problems within and outside the EU.
Nevertheless, it will take decades for attitudes to change and for living standards to improve. In the meantime, there will be Roma from Eastern Europe who see migration as a way to escape discrimination and seek better opportunities.
Fraser, Angus (1992). The Gypsies. Oxford: Blackwell.
Johansen, Jahn Otto (1997). Folket Som Inget Vill Ha – Zigenarna I Öst-Europa. Eslöv : B. Östlings bokförlag.
Kenrick, Donald (1998). Historical Dictionary of the Gypsies (Romanies). London: Scarecrow.
Liegeois, Jean Pierre and Gheorghe, Nicolae (1995). Roma/Gypsies: A European Minority. London: Minority Rights Group.
Tanner, Arno (2000). Keski- ja Itä-Euroopan Romanit – Historia, Yhteisöt ja Nykyolot. Helsinki: Edita.
Tanner, Arno (ed.) (2004). The Forgotten Minorities of Eastern Europe - The History and Today of Selected Ethnic Groups in Five Countries. Helsinki: East-West Books.
Vossen, Rüdiger (1983). Zigeuner – Roma, Sinti, Gitanos, Gypsies zwischen Verfolgung und Romantisierung. Frankfurt: Ullstein Gmbh.


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Sinead O'Connor Got Married in Vegas in a Pink Cadillac
In the textbook definition of classy, Irish science experiment Sinead O'Connor got married to her fourth husband while sitting in the back of a pink Cadillac at the wedding chapel on the Vegas strip that Britney used when she was married for 48 seconds to some dude.
Her husband, Barry Herridge (a name devised for a cartoon villain of Irish descent and then given to a real person), is a therapist, so, um, that's nice. The divorce, oh, sorry, got ahead of myself there...The wedding took place on Thursday, which is also Sinead's birthday. How sweet!
Remember just this summer when Sinead wrote a column saying she was sex-starved and really needed a man and had a whole list of things he needed to like, including putting it in her back door? Remember when Sinead came out a lesbian? Remember long long ago in the distant past when Sinead used to sing? Yeah, neither does Sinead, apparently.

subset: commoncrawl


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- How can I reserve?
- Is there any difference between the web and the phone rates?
- Rates are per person or per room?
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- Can I add another person into my reservation?
- Can't find a hotel?
- Can I extend my stay?
- Are you looking for an offer?
- How many persons can a room accommodate?
- What is RIU Class?
- I have lost my RIU account password.
- It is safe to introduce my bank card data into www.riu.com?
- Which documentation must I show at my arrival?
- What should I do if the hotel does not find my reservation?
Plan a Wedding
Travel Agents
Plan a Wedding
Can I get married in the hotel?
It is possible to marry in our resorts. You can choose your ceremony between civil, religious or matrimonial vows. We will plan everything for you to give you and your guests a wonderful day.
How can I plan my wedding?
Planning a wedding is very easy because RIU Hotels & Resorts offers online everything you need to organize all the details. You only need to check our weddings section in our website www.riu.com and choose the destiny, day and ceremony type you want. We ask you for some basic datas and a wedding planner will contact you to take care of everything.
Are there special packages for weddings?
You will find in most of our Caribbean hotels special packages to organize your wedding in an easy way. Check the available services RIU Hotels & Resorts offers you to find your perfect day.


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OCEAN CITY – Ocean City
residents can do more than enjoy a refreshing beverage and tasty meal when
visiting several popular local attractions, they can also make a difference in
a child's life many time zones away by making a contribution to the Global Gear
Global Gear Drive displays are set up at Harborside Bar and Grill,
Buxy's Salty Dog, Peppers Tavern, Greene
Turtle West
Ocean City,
the Sunset Grille and BJ's. The displays feature a Game On! Youth Sports soccer
ball atop a fishbowl. For a $5 donation individuals can sign one of the 36
panels on the soccer balls and be part of an ever-growing effort to get sports
equipment in the hands of children in need around the world.
"We are extremely
grateful for the help and support of all of these area establishments taking a
lead in having these Global Gear Drive fundraisers and we look forward to many
others following in line," said Bob Wilkinson, chairman of the Sammy Wilkinson
Memorial World Foundation. "The money raised at these locations is vital
because it allows us to ship sports equipment to children worldwide."
The Global Gear Drive was created by the Alliance to collect new
and used youth sports equipment that it distributes to children around the
world. In the past several months, the Global Gear Drive has sent shipments of
sports equipment to Trinidad, Grenada, St. Kitts,
Mexico, Dominica, Zambia
and Kenya,
among others.
"The National Alliance
for Youth Sports has turned the heartbreak of a local family into something
worthwhile for children all over the world," said Doug Buxbaum, owner of Buxy's
Salty Dog. "We are honored to be a small part of such a wonderful
In related news, the Global Gear Drive
announced that Salisbury
University graduate Cindy
Daub has become its new director. Daub was working a summer job at Harborside Bar and Grill this season
when she came in contact with the Global
Gear Drive founder and president.
Daub, who will officially
join NAYS' 35-person national headquarters staff in West Palm Beach, Fla.,
later this month, has already made an imprint on the program without even being
on the payroll.
"I've hired a lot of
people over the years but I've never had anyone hit the ground running like she
has," said Fred Engh, founder and president of the National Alliance for Youth
Sports (NAYS), which oversees the IAYS. "She hasn't even officially started
with the organization yet and already she has several bars and restaurants in
the Ocean City area who have agreed to implement
our Game On! fundraising program."
Daub's love for sports,
blended with her understanding of how they can help shape and define young
lives, made her an ideal fit to oversee the Global Gear Drive.
"I am excited to
take the Global Gear Drive
to the next level and even more anxious to see children all around the world
have the chance to experience sports the same way I have," Daub said.
For additional
information on contributing to the Global
Gear Drive, or having a fundraising display in
your establishment, call 800-729-2057 or email Daub at [email protected].


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Is it clear to you how much an employee is actually paying to participate in a 401(k)? Research Magazine and AdvisorOne, in collaboration with Dalbar, will publish a ranking of retirement plan transparency in January. Financial advisors have until Nov. 14 to submit up to three different service provider disclosures, which Dalbar will analyze at no cost to those making the submission.
While retirement plan service providers are required to provide usable, accurate and complete information about how much compensation they are taking from plan participants, many are skilled at nevertheless burying that information in opaque disclosures and may be relying on DOL's history of spotty enforcement.


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Brewers fall to Padres 4-1
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Tyson Ross pitched 6 1-3 strong innings, Abraham Almonte had two RBIs and the San Diego Padres beat Milwaukee 4-1 on Tuesday night to snap the Brewers' five-game road winning streak.
Ross (12-12), the Padres' lone All-Star, extended his franchise record with his 13th consecutive quality start. He gave up one run and four hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
Joaquin Benoit pitched the ninth for his ninth save in 10 chances.
Ross is 6-6 with a 1.96 ERA during his quality start streak, which dates back to June 21. He has 86 strikeouts and 24 walks in that stretch.
Jimmy Nelson (2-5) worked five innings for Milwaukee and allowed four runs — two earned — on five hits, with seven strikeouts in losing his third straight decision.
Pittsburgh beat St. Louis, Tuesday night; so the Brewers lead remains at 1 1/2 games.


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I love banana bread! What about you? There is already a banana bread recipe on www.likelida.com…
Delicate, tasty, but … not so special.
Today I'd like to present you a stunning recipe for gluten-free buckwheat banana bread, which will simply drive you crazy!
Slightly moist, moderately sweet, very nutritious and healthy. No flour whatsoever! Only buckwheat and nuts. A real protein kick!
A great addition to your breakfast. Buckwheat contains as much as 23 grams of protein in a tiny 170 grams, perfectly fills you and is rich in a variety of vitamins.
Almond, which is the second main ingredient in the recipe, contains 20 grams of nut protein also from just one cup.
An excellent nutritious bread and energy boost. I have no doubt that this fragrant cake (buckwheat, by the way, is practically not felt) will become a frequent guest on your table.
Ready? Set?
Let's go cooking!
We will need:
1 cup of buckwheat flour (1 cup – 250 ml.)
1 cup of almond flour
1/4 cup of coconut flakes or coconut flour (I use reduced fat one)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 tsp. of soda
1 tsp. of baking powder
1.5 of a banana
2/3 cups of almond or regular milk
1 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. of coconut oil + a bit for the baking mold
Preheat the oven to 165C / 325F.
Mix the 2 kinds of flour, baking soda and coconut flakes. Add sugar. To make homemade flour from raw buckwheat, you just need to grind it in a coffee grinder to the consistency of flour.
Knead the banana with a fork, mix it with milk, vinegar, butter.
Combine the liquid and solid ingredients.
Grease the baking mold with coconut oil, and put the dough in.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes until a toasted crust appears.
You can check if the bread is ready by inserting a toothpick.
If it comes out clean, the bread is ready.
Let it sit a little in the mold to cool off.
Bon appetit!


text: Medley of extemporanea Posted January 9, 2006 This is an article about US troops in east africa. They say they are there to build school and wells and help people. Those are all wonderful things, I wish I could do that for my people in Africa. But what I can't understand is why did they bring all that gunpowder? I would think schoolbooks and building materials would be more useful in building schools and wells. ======================= http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0109/p01s04-woaf.html To fight Al Qaeda, US troops in Africa build schools instead More than 1,500 US troops are on a hearts-and-minds mission. By James Brandon | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor CAMP LEMONIER, DJIBOUTI – Pointing to his computer screen, Maj. Gen. Timothy Ghormley sounds more like a Peace Corps volunteer showing off holiday photos than the shaven-headed US Marine entrusted with defeating Al Qaeda in East Africa. "That's what it's about right there," he says, stabbing his eyeglasses at the pictures of African children celebrating as water gushes from a new well. "Look at those kids. They're gonna remember this. In 25 years they'll say, 'I remember the West - they were good.' " In 2002, more than 1,500 US troops were sent to this former French colony in East Africa to hunt followers of Al Qaeda throughout the region. Now, under General Ghormley, their mission has evolved to preempt the broader growth of Islamic militancy among the area's largely Muslim population. "We are trying to dry up the recruiting pool for Al Qaeda by showing people the way ahead. We are doing this one village, one person at a time," says Ghormley, commander of the joint task force based in Djibouti. "We're waging peace just as hard as we can." Previously East Africa has hosted an array of Islamic militant groups. In 1998, Al Qaeda bombed the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing more than 220 people. The group has also tried to shoot down an Israeli airliner in Mombasa, Kenya, and sink oil tankers and US navy vessels in the Red Sea. Now many analysts worry that trouble is again brewing as rising poverty combines with the anti-Western ideologies of hard-line Islamic missionaries in a region already dogged by porous borders, plentiful weapons, and poor governance. "There aren't actually that many groups or individuals involved," says Matt Bryden, director of the Horn of Africa project for International Crisis Watch. "But there's a danger that if these groups are not contained it is just a matter of time before they strike at Western targets in Somalia or start reaching out to the region again." "Some of them did have links with Al Qaeda but for the most part there doesn't seem to be an active Al Qaeda or even an Al Qaeda franchise," says Mr. Bryden. "But the US has discovered that there are actually much fewer targets than they expected." No targets but hearts and minds Unable to find or strike at any visible Al Qaeda members, US forces based in Camp Lemonier - Djibouti's former French Foreign Legion base - have instead begun to work to tackle the factors that might contribute to the growth of extremism in the future. Ghormley's men have so far built more than 30 schools and 25 clinics, as well as new wells and bridges. They are focusing particularly on the mainly Muslim areas close to the porous Somali border where poverty and dissatisfaction with pro-Western central governments might make many receptive to extremist teachings. "Ungoverned spaces are vulnerable. The forces of law and order don't exist there," says Lt. Col. Richard Baillon, of Britain's Parachute Regiment. A small contingent of British troops are working with US forces in a coalition effort. "The people in these areas aren't getting government support." Planners in Camp Lemonier say that their long-term strategy is to gradually move deeper into these poor and ungoverned areas. "We're not likely to go where we're not wanted or where there's open hostility," says Baillon, tapping a wall-map like a schoolmaster. "But it's about pushing the boundaries of where we are wanted." The Coalition's planners hope that by tackling localized dissatisfaction now, they can create long-term goodwill toward the US in the region. "A lot of times when we first show up there's a mixed reaction," says Sgt. Richard Crandall of the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion. "One place we went to they considered the US to be warmongers. But we built a school and when we left they said they considered us friends." The military is taking time to adapt to its new humanitarian mission too - and this means that there have been some mistakes made along the way. For example, the task force's military budget only covers the cost of constructing and renovating school buildings. Before the schools can open, soldiers have to pester nongovernmental organizations, charities, and friends back home for donated textbooks. In other cases there has been poor communication between the US and local people. Some villages, thinking that the Americans could only build schools, requested a new school when they needed wells and bridges instead. The mistake was realized too late. Meanwhile, the US increasingly depends on local governments to use their cultural and linguistic knowledge to track and tackle Islamic extremists. "The information sharing is not ideal; not up to the point that we would like," admits Nabeel Khoury, deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Sanaa, Yemen. And although there are handfuls of up-armored Humvees parked alongside rusting French artillery pieces throughout Camp Lemonier, the US increasingly seeks to delegate its military operations. "We're doing military-to-military training with five countries in the region," says Col. Doug Carroll, director of operations for the Horn of Africa task force. The US has trained Yemeni special forces in counter-terrorism while officers from Mauritius and the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean have been taught how to train their own soldiers once they return home. "In Ethiopia we've taught border security, we've taught basic counter-terrorism, what they call advanced map reading and also defensive operations," says Carroll, who denies that the training will upset the region's delicate balance of power. "We're not teaching them anything that would be applicable to the Ethiopian-Eritrean border war," he says of the training of Ethiopian border guards, while also denying that US-trained troops have been used to crush recent uprisings in Yemen. Somalia remains a clear blind spot But although the lack of recent Al Qaeda attacks in the region points to the mission's success so far, there remains a clear blind spot at the heart of the US deployment. "It's a bit of a paradox," says Bryden. "The threat that the US perceives in the region comes from Somalia, but that is the only place where they can't operate." Senior officers in Djibouti refuse to even discuss Somalia, although one officer privately admitted having contact with high-level members of the government of Somaliland - a breakaway republic in the north of the war-torn country that recently arrested one Al Qaeda team linked to extremist groups in Mogadishu. "The US has had to develop a much more nuanced approach and it shows that they are dealing with the problem," says Bryden. "They've had to discover the difference between terrorism and a domestic insurgency." As the US gradually increases its understanding of the region there is no sign of the mission winding down. Instead, as more British troops also prepare to deploy to the region, the operation seems to have become entirely open-ended. "It's important that we share what we have to allow all nations to advance," says General Ghormley. "We didn't earn being born in America - the Good Lord put us there and with that came responsibility." An area five times larger than Iraq Standing in his office, Ghormley, surrounded by maps where arrow-straight borders drawn by European colonialists cut across mountains, deserts, and complex ethnic groups, provides more than an echo of a Victorian soldier-missionary. "You can win a heart and mind today and lose it tomorrow," Ghormley continues. "We see no spread of radical ideology. We see a lot of people who would like it to spread." But with Camp Lemonier boasting less than 1 percent of the troops currently deployed in Iraq and responsible for an area five times larger, Ghormley is aware that there is a limit to what the US can achieve in the region. "I could use more money, more people, but I've got the resources I need to carry on," he says, taking a last look at the pictures on his computer screen. "They're good people and it breaks your heart that you can't do more for them." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Just thought this was awesome(ly hilarious).
Tarantino, eat yer heart out. This is what you wanted Kill Bill to be!
- Not quite certain why the buildings bleed.
- Does the machine girl have a dildo on her nose?
- Interesting to see that the word "transform" hasn't been trademarked by Michael Bay.
- Also interesting that boob guns haven't been trademarked by Mike Myers.
- Chainsaw face and machine girl reveal by the folks who brought you Total Recall.
Oh! And here's the website! Not much there though…


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|The Eclipse Open Requirements Management Framework (ORMF) intends to extend the Eclipse platform with an open source framework for building Eclipse based tools which facilitate working with structured requirements.
Much of the information on the Open Requirements Management Framework (ORMF) is on the project's website.As well as the home of typical Wiki content such as examples and Frequently Asked Questions, our Wiki pages are intended as the primary platform for collaboration on specific project related topics..
Project Information
Project Plan
For timeline, milestones and themes in the ORMF development, please visit the current project plan.
Progress Reports
On average we report progress on work on a weekly basis. All past reports, as well as the occasional tema meetings minutes, may be accessed from the Progress Reports page.
- Requirements Statement (NEW)
- A list of the fundamental requirements that ORMF needs to satisfy.
- Requirements Model
- The first requirements model proposed for ORMF and a review and discussion around it.
- Requirements Model Part Two
- A summary of all points raised during the review of the initial requirements model, with an opportunity for further discussion.
- Requirements Model Part Three (NEW)
- The brand new requirements model for ORMF, which hopefully tackles (and handles :-) all issues that were discovered in the first model.
- Survey of Requirements Management Standards
- The results of the survey of most existing requirements standards and their needs, for the purpose of validating the ORMF requirements model against them.


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Barriers for Hire Hull: 0113 270 8100
Barriers for Hire specialise in the hire & rental of concrete, interlocking security blocks across Hull:
Barriers for Hire specialise in the hire & rental of concrete, interlocking security blocks across Hull:
We think our prices are the best in the business. Find out more by using our quotation form.
With supply and delivery we really do offer a top notch service from start to finish.
We have been in business for over 35 years and bring with us a wealth of experience.
We provide a Nationwide "One Stop Shop" service.
Also known as vertical concrete bollards, motorway barriers, interlocking concrete blocks and concrete blockades, our precast concrete barriers are the perfect solution to protecting property that may be at risk from travellers, vandals or squatters.
Contact us today for a FREE quotation.
We offer a full installation service for all of our products. We operate throughout Yorkshire and have experienced teams of installers who have worked on a large range of precast concrete projects. Take a look at our recent work in the links above.
When you hire concrete barrier equipment, you want a straightforward, professional service… no fuss, no headaches. If you need the right equipment, fit for purpose, in good order, ready to work, safely and reliably then you have come to the right place… barriersforhire.com
Our long or short term Barrier Hire can be a very cost effective solution for many events, construction sites, festivals, roadwork's, building sites and more. Barriers can provide control, protection, security and safety and have multiple uses.
Hire concrete barriers – Yorkshire. As we deliver throughout Yorkshire within 24-hours, our concrete barriers could be providing your site with an effective, solid physical blockade to any unwanted trespassers in just a matter of hours.
Our concrete barrier systems are available to hire for short or long-term. Our barriers can even be bolted together or combined with security fencing to provide a permanent blockade to even the most determined trespassers.


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Creative Free Play: Enter to Win a Handmade Dollhouse & Accessories
Enter to Win a Handmade Dollhouse & Accessories
from the Handmade for Kids Holiday Fair
November 3rd, 2012
Hilltown Families is a proud co-sponsor of the 3rd Annual Handmade for Kids Holiday Fair happening on Saturday, November 3rd from 10am-3pm at the Berkshire Trail Elementary School in Cummington, MA. The holiday fair features local, handmade, creative free play gifts and benefits the Cummington Family Center.
At the Handmade for Kids Holiday Fair, this featured dollhouse will be raffled off, along with an array of accessories handmade by local crafters… and Hilltown Families is submitting 50 entries to the raffle! You can be one of these entries and possibly win this dollhouse and handmade accessories! If you don't have young kids, it would make a terrific gift, or a great donation to your local library children's department or preschool! – Details on how to enter to win are below. Deadline to enter is: Thursday, November 1st by 11:59pm (EST). Limited to the first 50 entries… but we must receive at least 50 entries for the lot to be submitted (so tell your friends!).
This dollhouse is hand-painted and decorated for the holidays with a felt holiday tree with tree skirt and presents, and a large decorated wreath on front the front door. Local crafters are donating handmade accessories to fill the house. Accessories are still coming in with many surprises, including a family of four wooden peg people (mama, papa, brother and baby sister), a family pet, kitchen table with chairs, family portrait, silhouette portraits, and curtains, buntings & rugs (including a runner for the stairs). Standing 2 feet high and nearly 2 feet wide, this dollhouse would be an impressive delight to any child(ren) for hours of creative free play!
In it's third year, the Handmade for Kids Holiday Fair is the Cummington Family Center's annual fundraiser and an excellent opportunity for community members to find commercial-free handmade items, many supporting creative free play. The fair features local vendors selling clothing, toys, costumes, decor and much more for children of all ages. This is a family-friendly event with eco-crafts for kids, craft workshops for children and adults, a bake sale, play area and this super cool dollhouse raffle. For a complete list of local vendors, check out the Vendor List.
There will be two crafting workshops during the fair for children (ages 7 and up accompanied by a parent/guardian) and adults. These workshops can be taken together to make a sweet pumpkin/mouse duo for a nature table or Thanksgiving centerpiece, or taken separately to learn the wonders of working with felt:
- 11am-12noon: In My Garden Grows a Pumpkin — Families can come wet felt a small pumpkin and maybe a little mouse will come to live in it! Celia Riahi from The Cottage Garden will lead this workshop using local, plant dyed wool. Ball felting will be offered for children under age 7yo.
- 1-2pm: Hand Sewn Little Felt Mouse — Nicole Romer from Heavenly Hues will lead a workshop on hand-sewing with felt, using plant-dyed yarn and wool felt. At the end of this workshop participants will have a sweet little mouse for creative play.
There is a small cost for these workshops to offset the cost of materials ($3-$5) and space is limited, so please preregister.
The first 50 people who enter for a chance to win by 11:59pm(EST) on Nov. 1st will be included in the raffle of this dollhouse and handmade accessories! If we do not reach 50 entries, no one will be entered to win… so after you enter for a chance to win, be sure to invite your friends to participate too! The raffle will take place at the holiday fair on Saturday, November 3rd and will be conducted by the Cummington Family Center (CFC). You do not need to be present to win, however the winner is responsible for making pick up arrangements with the CFC. If your name is selected and you are not at the holiday fair, the CFC will contact you via email. To participate simply:
- SHARE YOUR FULL NAME (first/last)
- TELL US WHERE YOU LIVE (town/state)
- GIVE AN ACCURATE EMAIL (we never share your email address)
- INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO PARTICIPATE! We must receive at least 50 entries for all entries to be submitted (so tell your friends!)… but it is limited to the first 50!
IT'S THAT SIMPLE! — Deadline to enter: 11/1 by 11:59pm (EST). Entries that do not include their first and last name or their town will be removed to make room for valid entries. Any duplicate entries will be removed too. One entry per household.
Additional raffle tickets can be purchased at Stitch Lounge in Greenfield, MA. These 50 entries will be combined with all participants who purchase raffle tickets too. – GOOD LUCK!


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|Table of Contents
Quick Table of Contents
|13 Glossary Of Terms
[Definition: A "binding" connects an instance data node to a form control or to a model item constraint by using a binding expression as a locater.]
[Definition: An [XPath 1.0] expression used in a binding.]
[Definition: An [XPath 1.0] expression used in a binding that declares a model item property.]
[Definition: An [XPath 1.0] expression used in binding a form control to the instance, or to specify the node or node-set for operation by an action.]
[Definition: An [XPath 1.0] expression used by model item properties such as relevant and calculate to include dynamic functionality in XForms.]
[Definition: A specific document, for example an XHTML document, in which one or more <model> elements are found.]
[Definition: From XML Schema [XML Schema part 2]: A 3-tuple, consisting of a) a set of distinct values, called its value space, b) a set of lexical representations, called its lexical space, and c) a set of facets that characterize properties of the value space, individual values or lexical items.]
[Definition: From XML Schema [XML Schema part 2]: A single defining aspect of a value space. Generally speaking, each facet characterizes a value space along independent axes or dimensions.]
[Definition: When a UI Single-Node Binding attribute selects a node-set of size > 1, the first node in the node-set is used.]
[Definition: An XForms user interface control that serves as a point of user interaction.]
[Definition: An XML vocabulary, such as XHTML, into which XForms is embedded.]
[Definition: An internal tree representation of the values and state of all the instance data nodes associated with a particular form.]
[Definition: An [XPath 1.0] node from the instance data.]
[Definition: From XML Schema [XML Schema part 2]: A lexical space is the set of valid literals for a datatype.]
[Definition: An instance data node with associated constraints.]
[Definition: An XForms-specific annotation to an instance data node.]
[Definition: A restriction, applied to form data, based on XML Schema datatypes.]
[Definition: From XML Schema [XML Schema part 2]: A set of values for a given datatype. Each value in the value space of a datatype is denoted by one or more literals in its lexical space.]
[Definition: The non-visible definition of an XML form as specified by XForms. The XForms Model defines the individual model items and constraints and other run-time aspects of XForms.]
[Definition: A software application or program that implements and conforms to the XForms specification.]
|Table of Contents


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In our service area, you will find useful additional information on AUER Packaging – from the media database to the freight costs table and our current product catalogue. If you need further information, our team is ready and waiting on the service hotline listed. Please also feel free to use the contact form if you have questions and suggestions – a customer service representative will be in touch shortly.
Configure your chosen item entirely in line with your needs:
Select the required colour for the individual components of the item.


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59" Replacement recurve bow string for a Galaxy Sage. This listing is for a black string. For other colors please visit our recurve bow string page.
Dacron string will be 16 strands and served with nylon
Standard FF 652 will be 18 strands and served with nylon
Custom FF 652 will be 18 strands with 3d end serving and halo center
8125 will be 18 strands with 3d end serving and halo center
Please contact for other strand counts or serving requests
1 3/4" top loop, 1 1/4" bottom loop
Please ask any sizing questions before ordering as these are non returnable
60X Custom Strings warrants each 452X set against peep rotation, serving separation, creep, manufacturing defects in materials, craftsmanship and design for a period of one (1) year from the delivery date. There is no peep rotation guarantee on PSE unserved idler setups or economy sets. ALL warranty strings/cables must be returned for inspection prior to repair or replacements being issued. Inspection will check for unusual wear or improper installation. 60X Custom Strings reserves the right to repair or replace any strings/cables at our own discretion. Warranty Exclusions: Damage due to improper installation or follow-up maintenance or lack of skill, competence or experience of the user or assembler. Products that have been modified, neglected used in competition or for commercial purposes, misused or abused or anything other than normal use. Normal wear and tear. Cut strands from peep sights or cable slides This warranty is expressly limited to the repair or replacement of a defective product, at the option of 60X Custom Strings and is the sole remedy of the warranty. This limited warranty applies only to the original purchaser of the product and is not transferable. This warranty applies only to products purchased directly or through an authorized dealer. In no event shall 60X Custom Strings be liable for any loss, inconvenience or damage, whether direct, incidental, consequential or otherwise resulting from breach of any express or implied warranty or condition of merchantability. 60X Custom Strings products are warranted against manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship from the delivery date of the product, subject to limitations detailed above. Crossbow strings/cables carries a 30 day warranty.


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(StatePoint) Sometimes the most important family conversations can be the most uncomfortable to initiate, especially those concerning the health and well-being of an aging loved one. But such discussions shouldn't wait, say experts.
"Ignoring the inevitable will only leave you unprepared for the future," says Virginia Morris, eldercare expert and author of the new book, "How to Care for Aging Parents." "Remember, talking about the worst-case scenarios won't make them come true, and refusing to talk about them won't make them go away."
In Morris' new book, she offers a one-stop resource to those caring for an older-loved one, with advice on medical, financial, housing and emotional issues. Here are some of her tips for broaching these crucial subjects:
However you launch the conversation, start by listening, even when you have specific issues you want to discuss or firm convictions about what should be done. Don't interrupt. Acknowledge that you've heard what he or she has said.
Your parent likely has previously unvoiced fears and hopes that you haven't even considered. If you listen first, you will probably learn something, and your parent will be more likely to listen to your views.
Things to Avoid
There are several common conversational mistakes to avoid that could leave your parent feeling defensive -- from nagging and lecturing to making promises you may not be able to keep.
"There are few more effective ways of blocking any further conversation than by making decisions and presenting them as a master plan to a parent," says Morris.
Additionally, don't arrive armed with paperwork. Pages of legal documents and brochures about retirement homes will likely overwhelm your parent.
Get Specific
Talk -- really talk -- to your parents about their medical states and wishes concerning aggressive medical care. Get them to sign a living will and health care proxy, but realize that these documents are just a starting point.
Don't accept vague comments like "don't drag it out." Push the conversation further. It may not be pleasant to discuss end-of-life scenarios, but knowing your parent's wishes could help save your family from future untold agony and grief.
More information and resources can be found at http://www.CareForAgingParents.com.
Concerned about an aging loved one? Opening up the lines of communication is the first step toward preparing for his or her future. So don't sweep difficult conversations under the rug.


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Paris vs. Baga: What makes an atrocity newsworthy?
The world was 'shocked' by the recent attacks in Paris, primarily directed at the offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which left 17 people dead. The exceptionally heavy levels of media coverage throughout the world, the spread of the 'Je Suis Charlie' message of solidarity, and the attendance of leaders from 40 countries at a rally in Paris make this abundantly clear.
Prominent publications outside France, including the BBC and the New York Times, have carried articles claiming that this attack signals a 'new era of terrorism'.
Media coverage has been concentrated and emotive, offering every last detail of the attack itself, the perpetrators and the victims, the manhunt, and of the outpouring of grief and solidarity, as well as editorials, opinion and extensive analysis on the implications of the attacks in terms of the issue of terrorism and freedom of speech.
Newspapers carried headlines portraying the attacks as a 'war on freedom', and 'barbaric'. The names, faces and profiles of the victims were shared with readers and viewers of the news throughout the world, from the US, to Japan and New Zealand.
An article in the Times of India criticized the city of Kolkata for the low turnout at a rally to express solidarity with the victims.
The response to these attacks, however, was in stark contrast to the relative silence that met another set of mass killings in early January – a series of massacres focused around the northeast Nigerian town of Baga, perpetrated by the rebel group Boko Haram.
After having overrun a military outpost in Baga, Boko Haram forces, attacking with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles, began killing everyone in sight in and around the town, including children and the elderly.
The death toll at this stage is unclear. Initial estimates range from dozens to hundreds to as many as two thousand. But it is highly likely that this is the deadliest massacre ever perpetrated by Boko Haram.
Where is Baga in The New York Times?
Given the scale of the atrocity, the muted media response is troubling to say the least. The New York Times offered just one article on the matter, titled 'Dozens said to die in Boko Haram attack'.
The newspaper appears to have made no attempt after this article to follow-up, to confirm whether the death toll was indeed dozens, hundreds or thousands, to discover any further details, or to offer any opinion or analysis.
The BBC published an online article in which a Nigerian archbishop criticized 'the West' for ignoring the Baga massacre, particularly offering the contrast of attention to the attacks in France, but at the time the BBC itself had published only three online articles on the Baga massacre.
Far from attempting to put names, faces and profiles on the victims, the media appeared uninterested in even counting them.
There has been very little in the way of expressions of concern from the public as a whole, or from political leaders outside the country. There have been no major public outpourings of solidarity and no 'I am Baga' slogans that have managed to go viral.
Given the lack of response by the media, it is highly likely that the events themselves are largely unknown to many beyond the region.
So what makes these two incidents so different? Why is one seen as heralding a 'new era of terrorism', and the other, not even deemed worthy of following up?
As in Paris, civilians in Baga were specifically targeted and shot. As in Paris, the killers identified themselves as defenders of Islam against Western actions and influences.
Indeed, the name Boko Haram roughly translates as 'Western education is forbidden', and the group has expressed its support for the Islamic State.
And while great care needs to be taken in using the term 'terrorism' (given the subjective political baggage it inevitably carries), the events in Baga, Nigeria, were as much acts of terrorism as were the attacks in Paris, France.
Both involved the deliberate use of violence against non-combatants to intimidate the general population with a view to achieving a political objective.
One major difference between the atrocities is clearly the fact that while the civilian victims in the Baga massacre were targeted en masse, the civilians targeted in the Paris massacre were primarily media personnel (albeit from a particular media publication).
This gave the attention to the Paris massacre the additional angle of the attempted intimidation of journalists. It must also be said, however, that this is a constant and global issue of concern.
Location, location, location
Threats by Boko Haram against journalists are part of the reason why the conflict has tended to attract little media coverage to begin with.
Throughout the world in 2014, a total of 96 media personnel were killed, seventeen of whom were killed in Syria.
The fact that the eight media personnel killed in Paris were killed in a single incident does of course make this case significant. But the 2009 killing of 32 media personnel in a single incident in Maguindanao, Philippines, along with a number of politicians (whom the journalists were accompanying) and other civilians, did not result in a fraction of the attention, coverage or outrage on a global scale that we see now.
Foreign news corporations did not categorize the incident as representing a 'new era of terrorism' or a 'war on freedom', and the attacks sparked little debate about the importance of protecting journalism from intimidation and the challenge to freedom of speech.
Hypothetically speaking, had the roles been reversed – had an attack on a satirical newspaper office in Nigeria resulted in 12 deaths, and had an attack on a town in France at the same time left hundreds dead – we could safely predict that the events in France would still have attracted the vast majority of the attention and the indignation, and that the threat of intimidation against journalism in Nigeria would simply not have been a major issue for debate.
The real reasons for the differences in the coverage are less related to what atrocities were perpetrated, and more related to where, and against whom, the atrocities were perpetrated.
Numerous studies (like this book and this journal article) have shown that the raw number of deaths from conflict, crimes and atrocities is unrelated to the quantity and intensity of media coverage that rises in response.
Factors such as the race and socioeconomic status of the victims, among others, have a much greater bearing on the levels of coverage an atrocity can attract.
It is a sad reality that, for news corporations in the West (including distant Australia and New Zealand) the perceived newsworthiness of black impoverished Africans is far less than that for white Europeans.
Having said this, access to the scene of the atrocities is undoubtedly also a major issue. Baga is a remote town in Nigeria, and is currently under the control of Boko Haram. For all of the advances in information and communication technology, as a general rule, reporters still have to be able to physically reach the place in question to collect footage, images and interviews, in order to reliably report on the situation.
But in the case of Baga, reporters can still reach the survivors who fled, and others displaced by the conflict. That they have not, on the whole, attempted to do so, is a reflection on the lack of perceived newsworthiness of the atrocity for other reasons.
And the minimal presence of Western reporters in Nigeria to begin with is also a reflection of the chronic lack of perceived newsworthiness regarding the region in a historical sense.
The fact that the massacre in Baga was not the first by Boko Haram, and that it took place in a conflict situation, must also be considered as a difference to the massacre in Paris. The newsworthiness of an atrocity tends to quickly decrease if it is a reoccurring one. But reoccurring conflict in Israel-Palestine under similar circumstances has never been a barrier to consistently heavy media coverage.
And the fact that the Baga massacre is the deadliest in the history of Boko Haram should give the media pause to reconsider its relative indifference.
Further recent atrocities, such as Boko Haram's use of a girl as young as ten years old as a suicide bomber in a marketplace, in a different town in northeast Nigeria, should also carry a certain newsworthiness. If the coverage to date is any indication, it has not.
There is no question that the need to protect journalists from intimidation is an important and valid concern. It is crucial that we work towards realizing a world in which the pen is mightier than the sword, and in which the sword is not used in response to the pen.
But at the same time, we should also work towards realizing a world in which the pen is not so selective in whom it chooses to write about, particularly when so many lives are at stake.
This article first appeared here.
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(visited by Rainer Mautz)
18-Mar-2012 -- I had already spent 4 days of sightseeing in Istanbul, but the weather was cold, windy and rainy. At one day it was even snowing. Looking at the rough sea, I decided not to visit this Confluence and almost forgot about it.
But at the day of my departure, the sky was clear and the sea was extremely calm. Before taking the bus to the airport, I had a time-window of two hours available. I remembered the Confluence, snatched GPS receiver and camera and walked from my hotel near the Sultan Ahmed Mosque to the Southern coast of the Golden Horn. At 41°00'04"N 28°58'40"E there was a tiny little harbour that had space for about 10 little fisher boats. It is the same location where the previous
visitor Ray
rented his boat. Renting the boat was unbelievably easy: an elderly fisherman was just about preparing a cruise, when I approached him and asked for a one-hour sightseeing trip in the Bosporus strait. With the help of his English speaking friend we quickly agreed on the trip schedule, goal and price and not a minute later the two of us departed from that little harbour.
We took a route along the coast line of the Golden Horn with beautiful views on the Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque, and the Topkapı Palace. Speed was not fast with 5-7 km per hour so it was a pleasant trip without the feeling of any airstream. But once we came close to the confluence point, we were in the main cruise route of huge cargo ships, which had 5-fold the speed of us. Therefore, it was necessary for my steersman to avoid these ships by going back and forth.
But then we made it to the exact location. Since the sea was so calm, it was possible to get almost the exact zero-reading (missing it by 4 meters). From the confluence point, it is possible to see the Golden Horn (in 1.4 km distance), the Bosporus Strait, and the Asian part of Istanbul (in 1 km distance). The location of this Confluence is unique (as it could imaginably be): right at the borderline of Europe and Asia, right in the center of the Bosporus Strait and right at its entrance to the Marmara Sea.
After a short celebration, we chugged back to the little harbor. Not even an hour after the departure, we were already back to the shore. I still had more than enough time to catch my bus to the airport and the plane back to Zurich.
CP Visit Details:


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Open house pick of the week: Ko Olina
No doubt the APEC leaders are catching up on their reading this weekend, and this famous blog is on their "must do" list. If you're attending the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting or just want to look like it, check out some real estate in the Ko Olina area on Sunday while you're there.
Here's a list of a dozen open houses on the Ewa Plain on Sunday. The prices run from $225,00 (great for investing or first-time buyers) up to $1,750,000 (more suitable for a world leader looking to take a break from meetings, and take a nap).
You and your immediate family, or your cabinet, are probably more suited to this luxury condo at the Beach Villas at Ko Olina. Although you'll probably be driven to your meeting to ensure your security, it's nice to know you have the option to walk to the various resort highlights: the new Aulani, Paradise Cove, four pristine beach lagoons, restaurants, golf, tennis and more.
This unit is 1,478 square feet with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, and an open, 215-square-foot lanai so you can take in the garden and ocean view. The complex was built in 2007 so everything is still fairly new. It's got a secure entry (of course) and a tropically landscaped pool and barbecue area if you decide to mingle with local residents. It's $1,750,000 fee simple; although there are several condo units available here, this is the only one open this weekend.
Contact: Andy Chen, Century 21 Aloha Properties, 808-228-7098, email@example.com
Your staff, bodyguards, and/or extended family may like this home at Ocean Pointe, a spacious two-story home with four bedrooms (one with a large walk-in closet), three bathrooms, home office and extra-large family room. It's got a two-car garage—sorry, not big enough for a limousine—a landscaped and fenced yard, and a covered lanai. It's just far enough outside of the resort area so they don't have to get caught up in the boring world economic issues, but close enough so they can head over and join you for a cocktail once the meetings are done. This one is $699,999 fee simple.
Contact: Joan Graham, Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties, 808-228-8444, email@example.com
Happy house hunting! And have fun at the APEC meetings!


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Click here to view Course Page
Learn how to design and develop your own Arcade game with this Clickteam Fusion 2.5 course online.
This course (taught by Danny James of Clickteam) allows you to explore Clickteam Fusion 2.5 in new ways and experiment by creating a game engine, designing and implementing graphics on-the-fly, importing those graphics and polishing up your arcade game with special effects and a superb arcade look.
By the end of this course you will have developed the ability to:
- Create graphics for use in your game
- Import custom graphics
- Import Sounds and Effects
- How to edit sound effects using Goldwave
- Learn Fastloops
- Learn ForEach Loops
- Use Qualifiers to cut down on code size
- Title Screen Design
- A Basic Save and Load System
And so much more. This course also contains an additional curriculum section, so when you have completed the course, new ideas, suggestions and new videos will be added so you can further your development with your completed game and add new ideas and polish to your Arcade game development.
Start learning more about Game Development today with this course from OneClick Training!
Sign up to course now!


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Giants WR Victor Cruz said the problems with the passing game aren't due to Eli Manning's "dead arm," but improper route running and lack of communication. Sounds like the blame's not Eli's.
We weren't having this discussion a month ago, were we? Remember way back when Eli Manning was on the express to Canton?
True. He might still be but they've got to get some things fixed -- at QB and receiver.
What's changed? Hakeem Nicks is hurt? Nothing new there. A revolving-door cast at receiver? Again, same old, same old. Ramses Barden looked like an All-Pro not long ago.
Yeah, but Cruz is getting covered differently with Nicks in and out of the lineup, and some of those guys who stepped up seem like they're having difficulty adjusting to different coverages.
Is it a tired arm? Cruz says no. Is it timing? Or something as old-fashioned as, well, a slump? I don't know. I just know that any way you cut it, it's on Eli.
Some of it's on Eli but if a receiver is breaking off a 10-yard route at eight yards, that throws off timing and accuracy. Hand in glove. It's why some guys get on the field and some don't.
First seven games? Eli was averaging 301 yards per game and completing 64 percent of his passes.
Last three games? Passer rating of 52, a completion percentage of 52 (Mark Sanchez territory), four picks - and just for you fantasy geeks - 0 TDs. Goodnight.
The Steelers and Cowboys can do that to a QB. Cincy? That shouldn't have happened. Giants better fix things or Dallas might steal their thunder -- until late December. Happy Thanksgiving!


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Flat for sale in Eixample, Dreta Eixample
- 585 m2
- 3 rooms
- 5
RAMBLA CATALUNYA - PROVENZA in the middle of Rambla de Catalunya, a current property, with large windows, a room and a kitchenette, ideal to enjoy the luxury of living in one of the best areas of Barcelona, in the vibrant center of the city, the best restaurants, the best shops, a world bathed in luxury, elegance, comfort and movement. Theaters, cinemas, concert halls, all the cultural contribution that Barcelona gives us within our reach, a property full of charm, between Provence and Mallorca, its views inspire us and give us a breath of luxury, style and dynamism, let yourself be enchanted by the cosmopolitan life of Barcelona.
If you are looking for a place to live in Barcelona, that's central, exclusive and quiet at the same time, that property is located in Dreta de l'Eixample, where luxury manifests in all its forms.
In this neighbourhood you'll find the prestigious Passeig de Gràcia, a premium shopping paradise. There, brands like Chanel, MaxMara, Valentino, Prada or Louis Vuitton open the doors of their elegant boutiques to fashionistas and style gurus.
The area's gastronomic offer doesn't fall behind, either. In Dreta de l'Eixample you can find the Roca Moo Restaurant, the delicious culinary proposal from Hotel Omm, a Michelin Star venue. Or Casa Calvet, that serves Mediterranean contemporary cuisine in no less than a Gaudi building.
The Eixample was born in the 1860s following the Pla Cerdà, an expansion plan of Barcelona conceived by the engineer Ildefons Cerdà.
Its streets and buildings are organized in a grid which, in addition to being very easy for orientation, allows the edifices to have marvellous interior courtyards.
This development stage of Barcelona happily coincided with the Golden era of Catalan architecture: modernism. So, while taking a walk, it's not long before you come across these stylish buildings. The more prominent ones are, of course, those designed by Gaudí - La Pedrera and Casa Batlló.
Being located right next to the city centre and the Diagonal, crossed by Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla de Catalunya, and with all the features we've already mentioned, it's no surprise that Dreta de l'Eixample is one of the favourite places for those who are looking for top quality housing; specifically, the tranquillity of its residential areas and its good location, are the main reasons for many upper class families choosing this neighbourhood.
There, are located some of the most special properties in our collection: ground floors with spectacular courtyards, top quality attics in majestic estates and apartments in modernist buildings that maintain the original architectural details...
Certainly, if you want to buy or rent a house in an area of Barcelona that offers luxury in all its forms, you're just one step away from discovering in what street of Dreta de l'Eixample your ideal home awaits.


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OVERLAND PARK, KS – Jan 8, 2013 — Sprint (NYSE:S) announced today the launch of Entertain ME, a service within the Sprint Zone application that provides customers using select Android™-powered smartphones a single place to discover, purchase, listen to and personalize their entertainment experience for both music and mobile TV. Entertain ME features Sprint TV & Movies and Sprint Music Plus and mobile entertainment leaders Spotify, Slacker, iHeartRadio, Shazam and Rumpus.
"Entertain ME makes it easy for customers to search for, listen to and watch what they want, and Sprint's unlimited data plans mean customers don't have to worry about surprises on their monthly bill from data overage charges like they might with shared data plans from AT&T or Verizon," said Fared Adib, senior vice president, product development and operations at Sprint. "Entertain ME also delivers a great discovery mechanism for the third-party services we feature there."
"We are delighted to be a part of Sprint's Entertain ME service," said Brian LaKamp, president of digital media for Clear Channel Media and Entertainment. "We're committed to being everywhere our listeners want us to be, and Sprint's service makes it even easier for users to discover and download iHeartRadio."
"Shazam is excited to be a part of the launch of Entertain ME with Sprint, giving its customers access to the industry's fastest tagging and best media engagement for music and television," said David Jones, executive vice president of marketing, Shazam.
Sprint services enhance customer experience
The popularity of apps and the time spent using them is rapidly increasing – the average number of apps on U.S. consumers' devices increased 28 percent last year, from 32 apps in 2011 to 41 in 2012.*
"Now more than ever, it's important to offer our customers helpful ways to make the most of their smartphones and the apps and services it can offer," said Adib. "Entertain ME is another in a line of Sprint services incorporated into smartphones, such as Sprint Zone and Sprint ID, that brings Sprint customers tools to easily personalize and enhance their mobile experience."
Sprint Zone on Android-powered smartphones and iPhones delivers customers easy access to information about their Sprint account, Sprint Guardian safety and security apps (for Android users), tips and tricks for their particular device and more.
Sprint ID, available on more than 22 Sprint Android-powered devices, allows customers to instantly download a package of applications, widgets, ringtones and wallpapers with contents to fit their lifestyle and interests. ID packs may have a theme or be brand-specific, including ESPN, MTV, CMT, Disney Channel, E! and OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network).
Entertain ME facts
Located within Sprint Zone on Sprint Android devices, Entertain ME provides search, online and offline playback for music and access to live and video-on-demand content via Sprint TV & Movies. The service will continue to evolve with more content. Entertain ME includes:
- Sprint TV & Movies: More than 15 channels of live breaking news and daytime, primetime and kids' entertainment, including full episodes of popular primetime TV shows and live sports from ESPN, including the NBA, MLB, college football and basketball. Customers can access Sprint TV & Movies using the unlimited data included with Sprint Everything data plans. Sprint TV & Movies is powered by MobiTV.
- Sprint Music Plus: The official Sprint Music Store for music tracks and full album downloads, ringtones, and ringback tones. Millions of DRM-free music tracks and tones from all major artists updated daily. LiveWire Mobile is the service provider for Sprint Music Plus.
- Spotify: On-demand unlimited music for premium users and customized radio for free and premium users, Spotify provides access to approximately 20 million songs by searching for artists, albums, titles, labels and genres, and gives users access to tracks from many major and independent labels.
- Slacker: Offers millions of songs, hundreds of expert-programmed stations, and news, sports and talk from ABC and ESPN. Listen to free service or subscribe to enjoy deep customization, offline listening and on-demand access to millions of songs and albums.
- iHeartRadio: An all-in-one, free digital service that offers access to more than 1,500 live broadcast and digital-only stations from more than 150 cities, plus user-created Custom Stations inspired by favorite artists and songs. Coming soon to Android phones, iHeartRadio will launch its "Perfect For" feature, allowing listeners to browse through a menu of moods and activities perfect for a particular day and time.
- Shazam: Discover, explore and share music and TV. For music, identify songs in as little as one second, preview or buy the track, and get streaming lyrics, YouTube videos and more. With TV shows, use Shazam anytime for music, celebrity buzz, trivia and more.
- Rumpus: Music discovery service allows customers to navigate through the millions of tracks available, find new artists, learn what has influenced their favorite bands and singers or simply find new tunes they love and create new playlists. Rumpus was developed by Sprint Music Plus service provider Livewire Mobile.
Everything Data plans
- Everything Data plans start at just $79.99 per month (taxes and fees excluded) with Truly Unlimited data, text and calling to any mobile all while on the Sprint network.
- Sprint is continuing its history of data leadership by making it easy for its customers to use data in all the ways that are useful to them, such as music, TV, news, email and GPS navigation, without worrying about data overages on their monthly bill.


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With Apple reporting that the company is investing in augmented reality research, some industry analysts say the company is likely to sculpt what the experience will be like for users around the world.
"This is very important for Apple to be involved in augmented reality," said Patrick Moorhead, an analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy. "More importantly, Apple now will probably be one of a handful of companies to define what a future AR experience should be. This is big."
During a third-quarter earnings call with analysts and press on Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook, taking a question from a broker, said augmented reality (A.R.) is an important technology and Apple is putting its muscle behind it.
"We have been and continue to invest a lot in this," said Cook. "We are high on A.R. for the long run. We think there are great things for customers and a great commercial opportunity."
He added the company's biggest priority with A.R. is to make sure Apple's wares work well with third-party developers' products, like the incredibly popular Pokémon Go. The free, A.R. mobile game has users capturing and training virtual creatures that appear on their mobile screen as if they are in the real world.
Released just this month, Pokémon Go has created a sensation, getting people up and out, walking around their neighborhoods and cities looking for Pokémon. So intrigued with the A.R. world on their screen, some users have even walked into traffic or fallen off a cliff.
Less than a week after the game was released in most regions of the world, the app had more than 4 million daily visitors, according to data analytics company Similarweb.
The phenomenon hasn't been lost on Apple's CEO.
"In terms of A.R. and the Pokémon phenomenon, it's incredible what has happened there," he said during the earnings call. "I think it's a testament to what happens with innovative apps and the whole ecosystem and the power of being a developer being able to press a button, so to speak, and offer their product around the world."
Dan Olds, an analyst with industry research company OrionX, said it only makes sense for Apple to want to be a player with it comes to augmented reality.
"Apple's resurgence was brought about by them being able to give their customers unique content and device experiences that they couldn't get anywhere else," he said. "Adding augmented reality to their arsenal is exactly what they should be doing to build a lead on their competitors... With the right A.R. content, Apple can turn their devices back into the must-have items they were when the first iPhones were introduced."
The right augmented reality apps could not only make iPhones and iPads exceedingly cool again but also could make them indispensible, according to Olds.
With A.R., users could point their phone or tablet at a sign and see a translation pop up next to it. They also could point their phone down a city street and see the Yelp ratings of the restaurants and shops located there.
Point the phone up in the night sky and see the names of the stars and constellations appear.
"This is a place where Apple can leverage the fact that it builds both the device and the OS, unlike other mobile device vendors," said Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research. "A.R. involves integration with GPS, the camera and the application. Apple can make it easier for developers to make that integration."
Making it easier for third-party developers to build augmented reality apps for iOS will only help Apple's popularity and its bottom line.
And ignoring A.R. could spell trouble for Apple.
"Apple cannot ignore and needs to lead in A.R. as it is one of a handful of very important, next-generation use cases," said Moorhead. "If they did ignore it, it would give Microsoft, Google and Samsung the ability to create the industry in a way that's advantageous to them."
However, if Apple gets ahead of the game, it could be big business.
"The Pokémon craze has opened the door to the possibilities of A.R. and captured the imagination of the public," said Olds. "Apple can't ignore this and they have to take advantage of their content creation capabilities to give customers a reason to go Apple only."


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Turns Out Scientists Know What's Better For Wolves Than Congress
Today, more than 50 world-renowned wildlife biologists and scientists, many of whom have devoted their entire professional careers toward understanding the social and biological issues surrounding wolves in North America, sent a letter to Congress urging members to oppose any efforts to strip federal protections for wolves in the contiguous 48 states. If Congress were to take this adverse action, according to these scientists, it would upend two recent federal court rulings, which criticized the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for distorting the "plain meaning" of the standards of the Endangered Species Act and admonished several state wildlife agencies for conducting overreaching and dangerous trophy hunting and trapping programs upon federal delisting.
The scientists, including Rolf Peterson and John Vucetich of Michigan Technological University, and Adrian Treves of University of Wisconsin, Madison, noted that "wolves are absent from most of the United States, with potentially secure populations in only a handful of states (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan). Yet, in those same states, the loss of federal protections resulted in state-sanctioned seasons on wolves at levels designed to reduce their populations to arbitrary goals, which were based on politics but not the best available science."
Rather than removing wolves' protections completely, there is a better way forward. A federal downlisting to "threatened" would be a far superior option, allowing "lethal management to resolve wolf-livestock conflicts." Last month, The HSUS and 21 animal protection and conservation organizations petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reclassify gray wolves as "threatened" throughout their U.S. range south of Alaska (except the distinct Mexican gray wolf subspecies in the southwest which should remain listed as endangered). It's the right compromise that balances the national interest in protecting wolves, while providing tools to federal and state agencies to allow selective control of wolves to address livestock and property damage.
This past fall, Michigan voted overwhelmingly against the notion of a trophy hunting season on wolves – in the first ever statewide votes on the issue of wolf hunting. Those votes – in a state with major hunting and agriculture industries – are additional indicators that increasing numbers of Americans recognize the wide range of economic and ecological benefits that wolves bring. More than 14 million people have viewed the documentary, How Wolves Change Rivers, showing how wolves move sedentary deer and elk populations so they don't overgraze or browse. Wolves remove sick and weak animals, preventing slow starvation, and limiting deer-auto collisions and deer depredation on crops. By modulating prey herds, wolves act as a sort of barrier to chronic wasting disease and other infections that could cost the states millions of dollars to eradicate and in lost hunting license sales. And each year, thousands of wildlife watchers gaze at the world's most-viewed wolves in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone, bringing in $35 million to the Yellowstone region annually. In the Great Lakes region, the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota, brings in as much as $3 million each year from wolf watchers.
Lawmakers should respond to common sense, sound economics, and robust science. We've had enough of fairy tales and fabrications and trumped up public safety charges against wolves. The reality is, they are hugely important in restoring the health of ecosystems and increasing the diversity of species. Wolves have their place, and with only about 5,000 of them in the lower 48 states, they should continue to receive federal protection.


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Selecting the Right End Profile
When the time comes to remodel your kitchen, one of the biggest decisions you should make is what to use for your counter boss. Butcher blocks, laminate, granite, marble, and counter quartz counters are just a few of your choices at Johns Creek. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, including price and durability. Once you select your top counter, you will need to choose what you want to crawl like. Choosing an edge profile can be almost as difficult as choosing a counter top, so let's look at the options.
Eased Edge – The subsiding edge is the bottom edge which has only a dull sharp angle to give it a smooth, rounded edge. It is usually supplied with a counter over charge.
Bevel – The beveled edge will have a 45 degree viewing angle across the top edge of the counter. You can usually choose from a variety of sizes, such as quarter inch or half inch. A smaller size will often be a free option while a larger bevel may be additional. Selecting the Right End Profile
Bullnose – The bullnose edges are completely round from top to bottom. Instead of a tight curve, a full bullnose will create a slow and gentle drug from the top of the table to the bottom. The other option is a half bullnose, which just circles the top edge and not the entire edge. Both of these options are generally additional costs due to the work required.
Ogee – Ogee is probably one of the most complicated ends for your desk. This is a gentle slope that is hard to describe without pictures. French Ogee is even more complicated and has a more straightforward part to give the impression of luxury that can certainly distinguish your boss. This edge will always incur additional costs, especially for stone counters, due to the labor required to create them. Selecting the Right End Profile
Choosing the right edge profile for the new counter tops is just as important as choosing the top right counter by yourself. Whether you decide on a butcher block or quartz counter counter at Johns Creek, your next decision is the tip. A top counter professional will be able to walk you through the process and show examples of each type of counter and edge. They will make sure that you get the best top profile and the best edge for your home. Selecting the Right End Profile


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The National Crime Victim Survey (NCVS) used by the U.S. Department of Justice estimated that in 2006, the number of bicycle thefts was more than 1.3 million! With the popularity of bicycle commuting, the number of theft incidents continues to grow. In this blog, we will show you how to properly lock your bike and
by DeeRidekick


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"Sadly, I have to report that I and we failed."
That is not a good message to have to deliver. But it is part of life. The above quote is from a report given by Robert D. Sweeney, senior vice president for development and public affairs to The University of Virginia Board of Visitors at its meeting September 14th. Sweeny was reporting on the progress of the University's $3 billion capital campaign. According to The Daily Progress the campaign launched in 2004 and was to conclude at the end of 2011. To date UVa has raised $2.76 billion; the campaign has been extended. "We will be to $3 billion by the spring," Sweeny said.
While the number of nonprofits launching multi-billion dollar campaigns is small, there are lessons to be learned from publicly available information regarding the UVa campaign.
Here's what we know: campaign strategy and the economic downturn contributed to the campaign's challenges. UVa was not exempt from the economic challenges of the past five years. Another factor was strategy.
The Daily Progress reports, "Sweeney said there was a 'miscalculation' on the part of UVa officials, who thought they could pull in enough gifts of $10 million and $20 million to offset not having one more $100 million gift… Some consultants had suggested they'd need such a gift but UVa officials had thought otherwise, Sweeney said."
Obviously most organizations dream of receiving even one $1 million gift. What's important is not the size of the gifts, but the underlying fundraising principles that were in place or overlooked.
While UVa worked with campaign counsel, it also chose to move ahead despite guidance regarding the number and size of gifts needed to reach the campaign's goal within the campaign timeframe.
In our experience that is not an unusual decision. It is, however, a risky one. Your campaign goal should be realistic. It should take into account your financial needs, the market's response to your case, and the number of campaign gifts or grants you can secure.
To raise $1 million you need to know where the money could come from. Who can give $100,000? $50,000? $25,000? How many gifts of $1,000 to $5,000 can you secure? Ensuring you reach your goal means identifying three times the number of gifts you need to receive; if the first person you ask turns you down you know who else you can ask. If you need 500 gifts to raise $1 million, you should, in general, identify 1,500 potential donors.
As you can see, reaching a campaign goal requires a lot of work. Impatience, overconfidence or miscalculation can be expensive. Think about how you are preparing for your campaign. Are you taking the time you need to be successful or will you find yourself saying, "Sadly, I have to report that I and we failed."


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Researchers from security vendor AlienVault have identified a variant of a recently discovered Internet Explorer exploit that is used to infect targeted computers with the PlugX RAT (remote access Trojan) program.
The newly discovered exploit variant targets the same unpatched vulnerability in IE 6, 7, 8, and 9 as the original exploit, but uses slightly different code and has a different payload, AlienVault Labs manager Jaime Blasco said Tuesday in a blog post.
[ Security expert Roger A. Grimes offers a guided tour of the latest threats and explains what you can do to stop them in InfoWorld's "Fight Today's Malware" Shop Talk video and Malware Deep Dive Report. | Learn how to secure your systems with InfoWorld's Security Central newsletter. ]
The first exploit was found over the weekend on a known malicious server by security researcher Eric Romang and distributed the Poison Ivy RAT. The second exploit version discovered by AlienVault researchers was found on a different server and installs a much newer RAT program called PlugX.
However, file modification dates seen on both servers suggest that both versions of the exploit have been in use since at least Sep. 14.
"We know that the group actively using the PlugX malware also called Flowershow had access to the Internet Explorer ZeroDay [exploit targeting an unpatched vulnerability] days before it was uncovered," Blasco said. "Due to the similarities of the new discovered exploit code and the one discovered some days ago it is very likely that the same group is behind both instances."
AlienVault researchers have been tracking attacks that use the PlugX RAT since earlier this year. Based on file debug paths found inside the malware, they believe that the relatively new RAT was developed by a Chinese hacker known as WHG, who had previous ties with the NCHP (Network Crack Program Hacker), a well known Chinese hacker group.
AlienVault researchers have also identified two additional websites that served the new IE exploit in the past, but no payload could be obtained from them, Blasco said. One was a defense news site from India and the other was probably a fake version of the 2nd International LED professional Symposium website, he said.
"It seems the guys behind this 0day were targeting specific industries," Blasco said.
The server where the original IE exploit was found also stored an exploit for an unpatched Java vulnerability last month. That Java exploit was used in attacks attributed by security researchers to a Chinese hacker group dubbed "Nitro."
Microsoft already released a security advisory about the new IE vulnerability and recommended temporary mitigation solutions while it works on a patch.


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• maven •
may-vên • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: An expert or connoisseur; someone with profound knowledge of a subject.
Notes: Maven is a lexical orphan without an adjective or verb to accompany it. It does come with two plurals, the more prudent mavens, and the Hebrew plural, mavinim, mostly used facetiously in English today. The spelling mavin has alternated with the current spelling over the past century but most dictionaries have now settled on maven.
In Play: Today's Good Word adds a touch of ethnic color to your conversation when you might otherwise say expert: "After repairing the cars of her friends and relatives for ten years, Sue Barew gained the reputation of the automotive maven in the neighborhood." It does tend to be used more by intellectuals, especially by those in the publishing world, where it is often applied humorously: "Jack Potts became the financial maven down at the local newspaper when his mother won the lottery."
Word History: Today's Good Word is the Yiddish word meyvn, based on the Hebrew mayveen "expert, one who understands", the active participle of l'haveen "to understand". This word came from the radical (root) byn "to discern, understand", which also produced beena "wisdom". Mavin is a recent addition to English, appearing in print for the first time only around 1950. Its popularity was boosted in the 60s by its use in an advertising campaign by a pickled herring company that used it in corny lines like: "Get Vita at your favorite supermarket, grocery or delicatessen. Tell them the beloved Maven sent you. It won't save you any money, but you'll get the best herring." (Many thanks to word maven Dominic Sowinski for suggesting today's Good Word. It was also suggested nine years ago by an old e-friend, Perry Dror, now a Grand Panjandrum of the Alpha Agora.)
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Come visit our website at <http://www.alphadictionary.com> for more Good Words and other language resources!


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Inevitably, the path to purchase has become much more complex with the advancement of digital media. While buyers once heavily relied on word of mouth recommendations, they now have a proliferating number of channels to research and evaluate who or where to buy from. This is especially confusing for business owners, who must adapt to all the directories, social media sites, and apps that people are using to find local businesses. Considering the kind of decisions consumers are making and how they are making them, Local Market Launch has architected an infographic to map out the many stops on the path to a final purchase.
The Local Consumer's Digital Path to Purchase
by Mat Siltala | May 30, 2013 | Shopping Infographics