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Impact of Brexit on data protection: EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee hears evidence The EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee continues to hear evidence from various experts on the implications of Brexit on the "EU data protection package". Particularly notable are the comments of Elizabeth Denham, the UK's Information Commissioner, regarding her hopes for the UK post-Brexit. Unsurprisingly for Denham and perhaps reassuringly for business, "the right way forward… is to fully adopt the general data protection regulation". However should the UK do so, questions persist as to the ICO's role, particularly in relation to its standing with the European Data Protection Board (EDPB). Denham was keen to emphasise that the Government should do anything it can to ensure the ICO has "some status" on the EDPB. Should it not, the UK will be at the mercy of the Board's decisions, but be without influence over its policy. Lord O'Neil of Clackmannan, a Labour peer, was … Continue Reading ››
Category Archives: Data Protection
This week, the ICO published the latest version of its paper on big data, AI and machine learning. Though not an official GDPR guidance document or code of practice, the paper sets out the ICO's views on the issues and has been updated to show how big data, AI, machine learning relate to the GDPR (however not the new draft PEC Regulation). Of note to Datonomy readers are the six key recommendations the Paper gives to help organisations achieve data protection compliance in a "big data world". The ICO states that organisations should…
- Carefully consider whether the big data analytics to be undertaken actually requires the processing of personal data. Often, this will not be the case; in such circumstances organisations should use appropriate techniques to anonymise the personal data in their dataset(s) before analysis.
- Be transparent about their processing of personal data by using a combination of innovative approaches in order … Continue Reading ››
Yesterday the ICO published its much anticipated guidance on consent under the GDPR for public consultation. This is a key practical area of compliance for all businesses. The new test for consent under the GDPR is higher than under the current rules and the penalties for failing to obtain valid consent potentially much harsher; organisations will need to review their data collection notices and opt ins and potentially make changes to websites and apps to ensure they are compliant by May 2018. The guidance sits alongside the ICO's Overview of the GDPR and explains its recommended approach to compliance and what counts as valid consent. On the tricky issue of verifiable parental consent to children's use of social media, the ICO has promised further guidance at a later date. The consultation will run from now until 31 March 2017, and any comments on the guidelines should be sent … Continue Reading ››
Article 29 Working Party sheds light on Privacy Shield complaints procedure and issues upcoming GDPR dates for your diary
As Max Schrems continues to do battle over Model Clauses in the Irish High Court, the Article 29 Working Party (WP29) has this week issued guidance surrounding EU-US Privacy Shield (Privacy Shield) related complaints. The guidance will be of note to any EU citizen wishing to complain about the handling of their personal data that has been transferred from the EU to one of the, as of 24 February, 1724 Privacy Shield registered organisations. It encompasses a template complaint form and Rules of Procedure and should provide parties concerned with all the information necessary to notify a breach under the 6 month old framework. The Rules of Procedure provide guidance on how an "Informal Panel of EU DPAs" (Panel) will operate in advising US organisations following a complaint. The Panel will aim to provide guidance within 60 days after receiving a complaint form. The complaint … Continue Reading ››
With the GDPR on the horizon, the EU is now overhauling and expanding the reach of the more specific privacy rules which relate to direct marketing, cookies and other forms of online monitoring. The ability of social media and messaging services to track users is one of many areas touched on in the European Commission's newly proposed ePrivacy Regulation, which was officially unveiled last week. We highlight some key impacts for the tech and media sectors, provided the proposed draft passes through the legislative process without dramatic changes. Businesses should incorporate these new requirements into their GDPR readiness planning. Why are the rules being updated?
- The regime for electronic communications, based on the EU's Privacy and E-communications Directive (PECD), which dates back to 2002, is being overhauled as part of the Commission's Digital Single Market package.
- Since the last review of the PECD in 2009, a new … Continue Reading ››
Yesterday, 10 January, the European Commission (EC) presented its formal proposals for the new ePrivacy Regulation. On initial analysis, the first official draft of the Regulation appears broadly similar to last month's leaked version, explored by Datonomy here. Datonomy will be providing a fuller analysis, however in the meantime the EC's Fact Sheet provides a useful starting point. The Commission's aim is to have the new Regulation adopted by 25 May 2018 when the GDPR takes effect. Olswang's Head of Digital and Data, Elle Todd, and Alex Dixie, the firm's Head of Adtech, will be taking a first look at the practical impacts of the new proposals in a webinar at 15:00 UK time on Thursday 19 January. Follow this link to register. In particular the webinar will examine:
- changes in the scope of the new regime to cover … Continue Reading ››
GDPR: guidance released by Article 29 Working Party on DPO thresholds, lead authorities for cross border processing and data portability
Just before the festive break, the Article 29 Working Party ("WP29"), the group representing national data protection regulators in the EU, issued new guidance on several key aspects of the new General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"). This is the first guidance of its kind issued by the WP29, and as such represents the first time the data protection authorities have revealed their thoughts on the interpretation of the GDPR. The guidance consists of three separate sets of guidelines and FAQs:
- an explanation of the role of the now mandatory Data Protection Officer ("DPO");
- a guide to the new right to data portability; and
- guidance regarding the "one stop shop" mechanism for establishing the lead data protection authority in cases of cross-border data processing.


text: Tiffany March 27, 2009 by Julia Lundman Here is my third sculpture. Somehow they always look too stiff and angular, especially compared to such beautiful examples from others in the workshop.The rib cage is not tilting and twisting the way I had intended. Try, try again. I'm becoming addicted to sculpting.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Price$885,000
- Beds3
- Baths3
- Sq. Ft.2,081
- Built2020
307 Ahern St, Atlantic Beach
CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE AND READY FOR MOVE IN IN PHASE 1!! Brand New in Atlantic Beach, Northshore at Atlantic Beach offers luxury beach living 2 blocks from the Atlantic Ocean and 1 block from the Atlantic Beach Town Center. The development will contain a total of 12 modern coastal designed town homes. Each unit is 3 stories, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2 car garage, 2 balconies, bottom floor patio and access to a private, gated courtyard. High end finishes include stainless steel appliances, built-in fridge, quartz countertops, white oak wide plank flooring. Additional guest parking is on site as well. This listing is for an end unit. Interior units are available for sale.
Essential Information
- Price$885,000
- Bedrooms3
- Bathrooms3.00
- Full Baths2
- Half Baths1
- Square Footage2,081
- Year Built2020
- TypeResidential
- Sub-TypeResidential - Townhome
- StyleTownhouse
- StatusActive
- AmenitiesPest Control-Exter, Yard/Lawn Maintenanc
- UtilitiesSewer - Public, Water - Public
- Parking Spaces2
- ParkingAttached Garage
- PoolNo Pool
- ExteriorCementitious Siding, Stucco
- Exterior FeaturesPatio - Covered
- Lot DescriptionRegular Lot
- RoofComposition Roll Rf, Metal Roof
- ConstructionUnder Construction
Listing Details
- Listing OfficeRe/max Specialists Pv
Community Information
- Address307 Ahern St
- Area232-atlantic Beach/mayport-west
- SubdivisionNorthshore
- CityAtlantic Beach
- CountyDUVAL
- StateFlorida
- Zip Code32233
- Interior FeaturesSliding Glass Dr(s), Tile Floors, Walk-in-Closet(s), Wall-to-Wall Carpet, Wood Floors
- AppliancesDishwasher, Disposer, Dryer, Ice Maker-Refrgeratr, Microwave, Range Electric, Self Cleaning Oven, Washer
- HeatingCentral Heating
- CoolingCentral Cooling
- # of Stories3
Additional Information
- ZoningResidential
The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange (IDX) program of the Northeast Florida Multiple Listing Service, Inc. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Engel & Volkers Jacksonsville Beach are marked with the listing broker's name and detailed information about such listings includes the name of the listing brokers. Data provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.
©2019 Northeast Florida Multiple Listing Service, Inc. All rights reserved.
This data is updated daily. Some properties that appear for sale on this web site may subsequently have been sold and may no longer be available.
This data up-to-date as of September 20th, 2019 at 9:08pm EDT. For the most current information, contact Engel & Volkers Jacksonsville Beach, 904.998.8277, firstname.lastname@example.com.
Data last updated: 09/20/2019


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I can't believe this is happening
If you didn't catch the live video on Sunday, you were missed! You can watch it on Facebook or Twitter, but I'm going to give a spoiler: The book is officially published! I still can't believe it. I've had so many "I can't believe this is happening" moments these past couple of days it's amazing. From celebrating my daughter's third birthday to receiving the first physical book format to just to name a few. It's almost too much for my heart to handle. On Tuesday, during her birthday party, I almost lost it while blessing the food. It's difficult for me to think about where life is right now...my heart is full to say the least. Okay, I'm starting to cry again. Let me get back on topic.
I received the first printed copy of the devotional in hard cover and soft cover to review, and now I'm placing my FIRST production order. The estimated turnaround time from the publisher is 6-8 weeks, and shipping of all orders will be mid January. Pre-orders are now available! Additionally, $1 will be donated to RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association for all orders received through Giving Tuesday, November 29th.
Once again, I still can't believe this is happening. While we were trying to get pregnant, I couldn't believe infertility was happening to us. When we got pregnant with our daughter Julia, I couldn't believe it was happening. And now, I can't believe God is using me to share hope through a devotional for women going through infertility. My sorrowful "I can't believe this is happening," has changed into a joyful "I can't believe this is happening." I like to call that my unabridged version of Psalm 30:11. And that's what I'm going to leave you with!


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Ender's Game
This is on my "must listen to" list. This book is suggested reading for U.S. Marines so they can learn about tactics and procedures when facing an overwhelming force.
The voice actor for Ender's Game is incredible, and this is one of those books that you can't stop listening to. After listening to this book, I've refused to watch the movie because I know it's impossible to live up to how awesome the story came to life in my mind's eye.


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Thermos 470ml Funtainer Kids Straw Water BottleKeep beverages cold for up to 12 hours! Brand: Thermos
New to Australia, the 470ml Thermos Funtainer is a great size for older kids once they have outgrown the smaller Funtainer Bottles. The 470ml Thermos Funtainer Kids Water Bottle has double wall vacuum insulation for maximum cold temperature retention, keeping beverages cold for up to 12 hours. Great as a kids water bottle.
Colours - Available in purple (Charcoal Out of Stock)
- Hygienic push button lid with pop-up straw is easy to open
- Lid also contains a loop to make carrying the bottle easier or to hook onto a carabiner clip
- Kid-proof design - unbreakable stainless steel interior and exterior withstands daily wear and tear
- Non-slip, scratch resistant base
- Keeps beverages cold for up to 12 hours - for cold contents only
- Sweat-proof design won't leave water rings
- It is leak proof only when the lid is closed
- Volume - 470ml
- Size - 21.5cm high x 6.5cm diameter
- Made from 18/8 grade stainless steel
- BPA free
- Handwashing is recommended for this bottle
- See other products available from Thermos
Add a Review
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Ok, so I'm pretty much moved into my new place, and after a week, you'd expect as much. The problem is that I've had so much going on with cleaning, and painting and shopping for furniture and organizing, and Max left a wall unit that had to be moved, but was too big to fit out the door.... There has been soooo much to do. Over the past few days we have pretty much cleaned a lot of the apartment. The walls in the Kitchen and living room have been painted. My mom cleaned out the kitchen cabinets and put down liner paper. I scrubbed the kitchen floor (on my hands and knees). We got our stove delivered. We've been shopping at Costco twice and to Target a few times. I bought a microwave (a red one) and some pillows, and a toilet brush. Last weekend I bought a couch. My room is a complete disaster because I'm sleeping in the living room. There are boxes that still have to be unloaded onto a bookshelf which needs to be put in place after I paint my room. And of course that won't happen until after work this week. I bought paint last night to do my room and the bathroom and all of the trim and molding. So I'm now completely exhausted. My dad wants me to post pictures, but I haven't had time to take pictures, and I'm regretting not taking the before pictures with the yellow walls, etc.
I'm having other issues too. I'm completely wishy-washy at this point about what I want to do. I have so much ambition, but no direction anymore. I thought I wanted to be a talent agent, but now I'm not so sure. I like my job for the most part, but I keep thinking it may not be what I want to do. Plus I'm having these issues where I want to be the one going out on auditions again. Which is a horrible thing because I would want to try to sign here at Innovative, and that's on the border of not being ethical. Because I still work here, I can't just ask them to rep me, but at the same time I've now got these connections, and I want to use them. So it's an ethical thing, plus I'd have to get a different job where I'd be able to go on auditions, and quit working here. Which is really sad, not that I'm raking in the dough here, but it would mean abandoning my current career path and casting my lot in with the thousands of other people trying to make it in 'Hollywood' with stars in their eyes....
So, now that I've officially gotten that at least partway off my chest (I've only really told like 2 people), I can get over it and move on, or contemplate it and do that. Whichever is actually the best idea. But who knows? I'm a total spaz right now, and have no idea what I want to do with my life really other than maybe get married pop out a few kids, etc. I have no idea what I want to do with my life and it's making me crazy.....
Question of the Day: What makes you crazy?
I'm a little odd. A little off-kilter. I'm not crazy, just a trifle strange. Make sure you read more than one entry, and you might start to understand.
Moving In
Posted by Unknown at 4:08 PM
2 comments:
what makes me crazy? - agressive drivers.
and to comment on your thoughts of your Career path; you are Young! don't get to serious until you're at least 30!
go on the Auditions. My friend's daughter & her Boyfriend are having so much fun with the Commercials & occasional parts.
Have some more fun too!
- Tuesday, April 25, 2006 8:42:00 PM
- BlueCoder said...
You are definitely in the right city. Though probably the wrong area. You actually choose one of the most peaceful and nicest areas to live in. All the fake excitement is in Hollyweird.
- Wednesday, February 21, 2007 7:32:00 AM
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These biscuits are the BEST and EASIEST biscuits I have ever made!! No kidding! These Viennese fingers just melt in your mouth, and with the chocolate coating, oh my, they are absolutely beautiful!! All you need to do is to cream the butter and sugar together and mix the flour in. Pipe them out, bake them, dip them in melted chocolate!
With very little effort, you can make these beautiful biscuits! They taste and look even better than the ones from the bakery! Share them with your friends and family, trust me, you will be one popular girl! Or guy! 🙂
Viennese Fingers (make 26)
- 250g unsalted butter, soften
- 70 g icing sugar
- 225g plain flour
- 75g corn flour
- 2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
- 200g dark chocolate
- Using a wooden spoon or electric cream butter and icing sugar until it is pale and fluffy.
- Add in flour and corn flour and mix with a wooden spoon until mixture is combined.
- Now mix vanilla essence in with the biscuits dough.
- Pipe the biscuits on the tray they will be baked on and make sure they are spaced sufficiently apart because they do expand.
- Bake the biscuits at 170°c for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden brown. Then place them onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
- Melt the chocolate and dip one third of the cooled biscuit into it to coat.
- Leave the chocolate to set completely.
- My biscuits were a bit under done at the 15 minute mark, so I left them for another 2-3 mins and there they were – perfect! The biscuits were still quite soft at this point, but don't picnic, they will firm up as they cool down.
- For presentation, I dipped half the biscuit into the melted chocolate, but next time I am gonna dip the biscuits side way so I get to have the chocolatey goodness for every bite of the biscuit!
- I used an oversize tip (about 25mm big) to pip out the Viennese fingers for about 6cm long.


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The Ecology of Women
Carolyn Raffensperger talks with On The Issues about women and environmental health. The spring 2011 edition of On The Issues magazine is called The Ecology of Women and looks at how women in particular are affected by environmental toxins and it also looks at what women are doing about it.
The interview includes three noted environmental activists including Carolyn Raffensperger.


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About the Night Vision Music Academy
Launched in 2015, the Night Vision Music Academy is Edmonton's only dedicated electronic music production and DJ school. Located on Jasper Ave in the heart of Edmonton's downtown, the academy features weekly seminars, private studios, and a community of professional and aspiring producers and DJs. Our weekly music courses were developed to be everything a new artist needs to get a strong start and are taught by professionally trained and experienced instructors.
Located at 11231 Jasper Ave, Edmonton.
Find us in the basement (entrance is next to the nail salon).
STUDIO VIEWINGS - Email email@example.com to set up a studio viewing!
About Night Vision Music
Night Vision Music is an Edmonton-based collective of producers, DJs, and artists working at the forefront of Canada's electronic music scene. Created in 2013, Night Vision has expanded from throwing unique, underground parties to launching a clothing line, a music production school, and a record label. Above all, the collective aims to foster an inclusive, welcoming community that is committed to pushing its artists at both local and international stages. To learn more, visit nightvisionmusic.com
Our Staff
Jake Robertz
Music Production Instructor:
Jake is a veteran music producer and DJ from Edmonton Canada. Over the last 10 years, he's released music and remixes on multiple international labels including Muti Music, Seclusiasis, Simplify, Ad Noiseam, Really Good, Fort Knox, Top Billin, Discobelle, High Chai, Adapted, Made in Glitch, Future Roots and 9G records. His previous project Knight Riderz saw him headlining shows and festivals across North America including The Village at Shambhala 2011, The Living Dead Tour with Zeds Dead in 2012, The Bounce Festival and Astral Harvest. He's been an active member of the Edmonton electronic music scene since 2008, currently working with local promoters Future Roots throwing parties and regularly opening for international artists. He's explored the techniques of producing a wide variety of genres and styles, and developed methods to help you find, create, or refine your specific musical vision. Jake has the practical experience and in-depth knowledge to give you a clear understanding of the production process at any level.
David Luca
Studio Manager and DJ Instructor
David is one half of the DJ duo Joluca, Audio S, and has been DJing across Alberta for the past 8 years with extensive experience playing a wide range of shows, from festivals to clubs. His festival credits include Bass Coast, Astral Havest, Burning Man and Zion Noiz and he has opened for world class DJs such as DJ Shadow, Kaytranada, Justin Martin, Bonobo, and more.
Andrew Williams
Operations Manager, DJ Instructor
Andrew DJs under two aliases: NVS and Dunmore Park. With over a decade of DJ experience, Andrew has been engrossed in DJ culture for quite some time. He has a wide range of experience playing a variety of genres and has opened for DJs like Justin Martin, Kastle, Sabo, Ryan Wells, Max Ulis, Bonobo, Christian Martin, Neighbour and many more.
He is the co-founder of the Night Vision Music Academy and the co-founder of the Alberta Electronic Music Conference.


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The French Crop
With their obsession of music, clothes and generally looking sharp, the Mods of the early 1960s were equally as passionate about their hair, taking influences from ltaly.
Cuts such as the Perry Como, the Caesar and - my personal favourite - the French Crop; a smart, short style, tapered on the sides and worn forward on the top with a short fringe. It can be worn choppy and textured or with a smoother finish with a side part. The perfect cut to complement the clean lines of a well-cut modernist whistle.
What to ask for:
Depending on preference, the sides and back of this modern day version can be taken as short as desired. For best results, the top can be point cut to give some texture and thinning scissors used to remove excess weight.
The original mods shied away from any styling products preferring a 'dry look' and only applied lacquer. For a more flattering current look, a small amount of Original Fishfingers Wax is preferable to give added texture on the top and on the fringe area. A high side part is optional and can be created with a comb. We are the Mods!
Thanks for listening and keep on styling.
Paul Burfoot.
Fish Founder.
Top image: Paul Burfoot, Fish Founder, bringing back the french crop in 1991. Photography by Tony Briggs (tonybriggs.com)
Smart, short style, tapered on the sides and worn forward on the top with a short fringe
Get the Look
Category(s): Get the Look


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In the last blog we discussed using the CD to break the assumptions of a conflict. When you break an assumption you create an injection or idea. The injection is something that if it existed, then the assumption would be broken and the conflict is resolved. It is possible to generate several different ideas, each sufficient to resolve the conflict. The choice now becomes which injections do you want to pursue – which one gives you the best results? We use the Future Reality Tree (FRT) to test these ideas.
A Future Reality Tree is a sufficiency-based logic structure that is used to check ideas. It is possible that an idea that has good possibilities for success might also contain some flaws or negative effects. Knowing that some bad can co-exist with the good is probably why the common technique used to evaluate an idea/decision is a list of pros and cons. This technique isn't all bad. Unfortunately, it does not provide enough information as a means of systematically elevating your idea to create a good solution nor does it enable you to check if the "pros" will really result from the idea. The FRT first validates that the selected idea will lead to the desired results. If it doesn't, the idea is supplemented with additional injections until all desired results are achieved. Then, the FRT uses any potential problems (negative effects) of an idea as a means to improve the idea instead of a reason for dismissing it.
The Future Reality Tree is based upon three fundamental assumptions:
1) It is better to know what the idea yields before acting on it.
2) The future is predictable to the extent that current causalities are understood.
3) Negative side effects, as long as they are determined before the idea is implemented, provide the means for improving the idea.
In many ways the Future Reality Tree is a simulation model for ideas. It simulates the system to react to an idea with no limits on the number of ideas that can be simultaneously tested. Using the FRT, the existence of Injections (ideas) is assumed and their inevitable effects are predictable using well-scrutinized cause-effect-cause relationships. Usually, single injections are insufficient to cause the desired effects, but during the process of building the FRT additional Injections can be discovered that are needed in order to reach the desired result.
Sometimes a brilliant idea can turn sour. Has it ever happened that what seemed like a good idea produced less than the anticipated results? What seemed to be a good idea in the beginning quickly starts to generate some negative effects? The old adage that: "too many times the medicine is more harmful than the disease" could very well true.
Remember, as a sufficiency based structure the tree is read "If the base of the arrow, then the tip of the arrow" and the ellipse represents a logical "and" statement. The additional injections noted in the example tree are the ideas you have generated along the way to keep your good idea on track and stable. Those additional things that must exist in order for your idea to work.
Future Reality Tree
Future Reality tree can be used for:
• Testing the merits of ideas before taking action.
• Construct a solution that yields a high degree of assurance that the existing undesirable effects will be eliminated without creating devastating new ones.
• Check for and prevent potential negative ramifications of an idea.
• Build a Strategic plan.
• Verbalize and communicate a vision.
Building an FRT can take some time to construct, but a good FRT is worth the effort. It is always better to test your ideas before implementation rather then find out after the fact that the idea wasn't so good. It's a way, if you will; to view your idea in "Fast Forward" and make sure you like the end results. If you don't like the results, and you can't come up with additional injections to nullify the negative effects, then go back and select another idea to implement.
In the next blog we will discuss the Steps to construct an FRT and look for the positive and negative effects that can come from ideas.
Bruce H. Nelson


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Your Custom Text Here
My boots are essentially an extended version of my shoes. They are the same shape as the footbed of the shoe but extended up the leg to the height of your choice. Please see How to measure your feet on how to do this.
I make a lace up boot in a short, mid or high length. You can choose to have the panels made from different leathers or tweed and a toecap for extra durability. As with all my footwear you can choose your uppers, lining and everything down to the stitching.
I make a Slip on boot in a short, mid or high length, a traditional button up and a few other designs which you can see in my gallery.


text: Danielsville has craft and craft supplies available for retail sale. Crafts are artistic activities that need a certain level of skill. Crafts can be of various kinds, such as glass painting, scrapbooking, making photoframes, painting, calligraphy, etc. Each activity has its own necessary set of supplies. For example, for painting one needs a sketch pad or a canvas, paints of some type such as ink, crayons, pastels, oil colors, water colors or crylic paints. Similarly, calligraphy needs special pens. These supplies are manufactured by a number of brands. One or more brands are available for retail sale in Danielsville. These products may be for children, or for adults (and hence, more sophisticated use). Children's craft products have to be safe and non-toxic. Craft making can be an absorbing and instructive hobby. It can also be sold for earnings.


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Rates and Insurance:
I strongly believe in the importance of transparency and therefore choose to share my rates online rather than ask that you contact me to request them.
In addition to your session time, my rates cover the time that I spend in between appointments on various tasks such as: phone calls, research for other resources you may need, reviewing your progress, preparing needed paperwork, and most importantly, considering how to best help you. I accept credit cards, checks, cash, or direct pay transfers. I offer a limited number of discounted therapy slots to those experiencing financial hardship. If my fee does not make therapy accessible to you, please ask me about reduced rates.
In-Office Appointments (California only):
Individual Therapy:
$290 for initial intake and assessment (50 minutes)
$275 for 45-minute sessions*
Couple's Therapy:
$315 for initial intake and assessment (50 minutes)
$300 for 45-minute sessions*
Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD (CPT):
$415 for initial intake and assessment
$400 for 60-minute sessions
Online Therapy (Massachusetts and California):
$265 for initial intake and assessment (50 minutes)
$250 for 45-minute sessions*
*The standard session length is 45 minutes. If you are interested in longer sessions, I offer 60-minute sessions for $365 (individual) or $400 (couples)
I provide consultation to other therapists and to businesses and start-ups. Please contact me for rates.
I am an in-network provider with Cardinal Care (Stanford) and Lyra Health. I am considered an Out-of-Network provider for all other insurance plans. I am happy to provide you with a "superbill" on a monthly basis that you can submit to your insurance company to request reimbursement. I encourage you to contact your insurance company directly with questions about your coverage. If your insurance does not cover out-of-network providers, you may be able to pay for therapy out of your pre-tax income using an HSA or FSA account.
Why Am I Not On More Insurance Panels?
Many of the clients that I see prefer the anonymity and full confidentiality that out of pocket payments provide. Insurance companies collect data, including: frequency of visits, types of visits, diagnosis codes (required for medical necessity), treatment plans, and have access to progress notes, treatment summaries, and diagnostic assessment evaluations. In addition to the low reimbursement rates, the amount of paperwork and high denial rate makes insurance reimbursement cost prohibitive for many psychologists. I support policy efforts by the American Psychological Association and the California Psychological Association to make mental health services more accessible for everyone.


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-Titus 1:15-16
I believe we can all relate to this on some level. Before I accepted Christ, I tended to be skeptic about every single thing because of all the evil in the world. I was part of it, but I tended to compare myself to others and think "I'm not that bad" (even though eventually I DID get "that" bad).
Without God's grace and love, our flesh guides us, and we are full of sin (as above) but now that I'm in the light, I feel pure and my thoughts are not consumed by outside (wordly) influences. The more I read the bible, the more I cringe at the world's moral and values. We are new! And our sins are as white as snow when we repent. (Isaiah 1:18)
What I would like to point out is, we should always strive to purify ourselves. God once told me that I had covered my relationship in dirt and it was time to dig up and get it clean. How many things in your life are under the dirt? God wants to help you make all the areas of your life NEW!
God bless.


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Integration within equipment leverage the XPANGO unique integration architecture, as well as the Alleantia Flex architecture to support integration with old and new components.
Alleantia IIoT Apps connecting its IoT gateways immediately with bespoke cloud, platforms and applications
Fully support 2G/3G/4G with embedded communication within OEM's IoT gateway hardware. Filtering / data selection and compression capability to support SATCOM even in farthest geographic areas


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A year ago began a year of failing…first my husband needed shoulder surgery…which turned into 4 months of being out of work. Which is why I cancelled Christmas last year.…failing finances.
A month after shoulder surgery…we discovered his O2 levels were in the 60s at night. Yes, COPD was progressing…yes he started oxygen therapy at night…failing health.
A few weeks later I discovered out septic tank tank was failing…hopefully I could get it replaced before it collapsed completely…failing septic.
Yes I managed to get the septic replaced and had hopes of recovering from the whirlwind. But I was only just beginning the walk through the desert.
A lump formed on my husband's hand…the MRI wasn't good…again he was going to be out of work…we were going to lose all benefits…more failing health and finances.
Then the roof needed replaced…or else major repairs would be needed to fix water damage…failing roof.
Then three hours after my dear friend and her husband helped me order supplies to repair my roof…a tragic phone call came…he had been killed in an accident. Ugly crying…it bonds you to your friends…grief became part of everyday life.
While things were failing…not once did God fail me.
I looked back on the past year…a year that forever changed me…I questioned if I could still homeschool. I learned the value of giving and receiving help…most importantly…I witnessed God bring the strength needed at just the right moment.
While my gifts are for organizing and thinking outside of the box for teaching my children…I never wanted this blog to just show the happy organized homeschool life.
Because if you have been homeschooling for at least a few weeks then you know there are days…weeks…and sadly even months that the battle is real. That the battle to be all things a mom needs to be and homeschool…can be overwhelming.
Three things I have learned walking through the mountain top and valleys of this past year:
- You can't fix hard…showing up means not offering a fix…or feeling like you need the right words to say…simply just show up….offer love and be a reminder that one is never alone.
- How are you? I no longer ask this…I now say… It is good to see you. I can't tell you how hard it was to answer that question going through this past year…how much did I want to share…how real did I want to be…could I just nod when I felt so broken inside. For my dear friend watching her try to answer the question…when her heart just wanted to cry out…I lost the love my life…how am I supposed to be doing.
- Community carries you when your strength runs out. My dear co-worker didn't let me give up on getting my roof replaced…friends brought food…sent cards…reminded me of God's grace.
As I look forward to serving and loving my family…I have discovered my secret weapon…rest.
Rest is defined…cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.
When I read Ann Voskemp's tweet this week…my heart was reminded of the importance of resting. I created a meme of her tweet to hang at home and at the office.
While FB reminded me that a year ago was surgery…and I was reflecting back…I received an email from a reader…who was contacting me to offer encouragement…mainly reminding me to take care of me…and you know what? I have a little extra bounce in my step because I now have bras that hold the girls in the right place…go ahead laugh…it is the small things in life.
As I sang the chorus from a song in church this morning…So I will stand in trust…I will stand in faith…I will not be shaken.
If you are walking in the valley…I suggest reading my friend's post On Valleys and Avoiding the Pit.
I always love to read my friend who keeps things real… Fear Meets Faith.
Now back to my regularly scheduled homeschooling posts.


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Our 63rd Annual Engineers Week Banquet was celebrated on February 11, 2016 at the Italian Conference Center. Over 200 guests joined us to honor this year's noteworthy leaders in STEM:
Spirit of STEM Winner
Johnson Controls Inc.
Young Engineer of the Year
Dr. Tiefu Zhao, Eaton
Engineer of the Year
Laurie Parsons, Natural Resource Technology
Our winning 2016 Regional Future City Competition team, Kai Aupuni, from St. Alphonsus, spoke about their experience and all they learned from participating in the program. The second and third winning Future City teams also joined us by exhibiting their models during the social hour.
Ending the evening was keynote speaker, Dr. Mike Lovell, President of Marquette University, speaking on the landscape of higher education in a knowledge-based economy.
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors


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World Beyond War joins with Just World Educational in promoting Earth Day events for on or about April 22, 2018, that will challenge the greatest destroyer of the earth: the war industry.
World Beyond War's Coordinating Committee member Gar Smith has edited the anthology, The War and Environment Reader, which makes an excellent guide to this issue.
Here are some preliminary ideas from Just World Educational:
- Work with you or others you might suggest to organize one or more dedicated "War Hurts Earth" events in your community.
- Plan good outreach to local media so that the fact and content of these events get well covered—and also, contribute Opinion pieces or Letters to the Editor around these issues to local or national media.
- Create and make freely available a basic fact-sheet providing data on issues like the contribution the Pentagon makes to carbon emissions, the number of acres deforested during the US-Vietnam War, etc.
- Create and make freely available a series of graphic images (such as the above one), that people can use in their publicity.
- Work with Just World Books to make discounted copies of The War and Environment Reader or other print resources available for sale at your events.
- Help out with networking in communities nationwide, to maximize engagement with your local initiatives.
Hashtag: #WarHurtsEarth.
Here are some resources from World Beyond War:
Work with or form


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Bluegreen Vacations
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San Antonio, TX
Resorts - Assistant Resort Manager - Eilan Hotel & Spa
San Antonio, TX
Bluegreen Vacations
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San Antonio, TX
Job Type:
Hospitality - Hotel
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Job Description
The purpose of the Assistant Resort Manager is to assist in managing the resorts daily operation, maintain established costs and Quality standards. The Assistant Resort Manager is responsible for maintaining the resorts assets, development of the resorts human resources and Owner/Guest satisfaction; and assisting in all financial responsibilities of the resort. The Assistant Resort Manager is also responsible for assisting in all board communications as well as meetings.
• Associate Management – To Assist in recruiting, training and ongoing training of all staff. Perform appraisals of resort managers, coach and counsel, and develop all resort management staff. Organize monthly meetings and perform follow up to all staff. Maintains procedure for orientation, training and development of all associates. Leads by example and ensures that all associates follow SOP's and the 7 Habits of Hospitality.
• Inventory Management – Ensure resort inventory is managed effectively to attain the highest yield per resort objectives. Conduct weekly yield meetings.
• Controls/Budgets/Financials – Assists in preparing and submitting the resort annual business plan. Assists in managing and achieving all areas of budgets by implementing proper controls. Periodically checks audits to ensure all financial controls. Ensures all financial SOP's are being followed as outlined in the Financial SOP checklist. Anticipates and documents capital expenditure requirements.
• Guest and Owner Relations – Maintains personal contact with owners and guests of resort. Monitors and maintains procedures for safety of guest and personnel. Maintains high levels of service as outlined in the SOP manual. Performs weekly inspections to ensure quality. Ensure all communication standards are being met and all association administration and fiduciary duties are being carried out.
• Reporting and Communication – Assists in maintaining all reporting SOPs and timelines as outlined by the Resort Manager.
• Must be visible, available to work all shifts as required by resort needs, and be able to assist guests as needed.
Job Requirements
1 – Minimum Formal Education:
4-year college degree in Hospitality or business discipline preferred and/or 6 years in management experience
2 – Minimum Experience:
5 years of hospitality experience, 4 years in a leadership capacity in timeshare with at least 200+ keys, or 300+ room hotel with year round occupancy on average of 80% or greater.
At least 4 experience split between Housekeeping and Guest Services/Front Office/Engineering/Administrative/Food and Beverage. Leadership experience in Housekeeping or Maintenance and management experience in customer facing department.
Minimum of 2 years Management experience.
Proven track record passing audits
Yield management of inventory a plus
3 – Essential Training, Knowledge, Licenses and /or Certifications:
Knowledge of PMS management and AS400
Extensive knowledge of SOPs and service culture
Microsoft Office
4 – Essential Professional Skills/Competencies:
Strong leadership skills
Ability and willingness to mentor and develop department heads
Proven track record analyzing P&L statements, assist in development and management of operating budgets and forecasting. Financial/Accounting tools knowledge of TM1. Maintain monthly financial controls.
Our goal is to improve the quality of work/life by providing equal employment opportunities for all candidates and team members. Bluegreen Vacations Corporation believes that diversity and inclusion is critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a broad candidate pool. We are a drug-free workplace, and if offered employment, candidate must be willing to submit to a background check/drug test. EOE/DFW
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The 2014 OBOccasionals Tour
The second historical OBOccasionals Tour will take place on the first weekend of August. And this time we're heading to Finland.
We've had confirmation from the Finnish Cricket Association that we can play at Finland's new National Cricket Ground in Kerava on Saturday August 2nd and Sunday August 3rd (and Kerava, for those of you who don't know, is just north of Helsinki and easily accessible by train).
What next?
Click here for our Accommodation page. It is so worth the click.
Truly, it is.
OK, it's not. There's hardly anything there. If I were you I'd consider going straight to the trains page, simply because there's more stuff there.
Not enough?
OK, click here for a touristy presentation of Helsinki. Be advised, however, that the OBOccasionals tour is not likely to take in quite so many churches. And that we offer no guarantees of the weather conditions. Except that it is bound to be warmer in early August than it is in January.
Still want more?
Well, it's your choice, obviously. On your head be it. Click here for a video on the state of cricket in Finland circa 2013.
That is so last year, though, and things have moved on endlessly since then, which is why on the same page we've stuck a link to some pics of the pavilion that has since been built at Kerava NCG.
What's that? OK, click here for some very nice pics relating to Finnish Cricket Week.
Yes, that is Kerava National Cricket Ground on a Google Map for you to ponder.


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Vanport Mosaic presents
A new play about gentrification and community displacement in 1970's Portland, set in an Albina boxing club.
Presented as part of the 2017 Fertile Ground Festival
4 Public Performances: Friday 1/20 @ 7:30pm, Saturday 1/21 @ 2pm & 7:30pm, Sunday 1/22 @ 2pm
Venue: Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340 N. Interstate Ave.
Admission: Pay What You Can. Suggested $10; $5 Students/Seniors
Buy tickets here, or at the door one hour before curtain
Run time: 2hrs with intermission - join us for a curated conversation following the Sunday matinee.
Featuring: La'Tevin Alexander, Anthony Armstrong, Kenneth Dembo, Mario Depriest, Jasper Howard, Tonea Lolin & Jocelyn Seid.
I boxed the NYC Golden Gloves in the early '90's. It was one of the most rewarding times of my life. Up at 6am to take the train to Gleason's gym, giving my whole mind & body to the training. The support of my community, my trust in my trainer, my faith in a fair fight, stepping into the ring and facing my opponent. And no punch is as beautiful as the left hook. Precise. Powerful. Clean. Because of its proximity to your opponent it's a hard one for them to see coming, and as with any good blow, the power comes from your back foot, spiraling up through your body, with clean alignment you deliver the blow.
Many times I have encountered the lament "there are no black people in Portland". It would certainly seem to be the case relying on the dominant narratives from mainstream media (like the TV series Portlandia) down to public school history books. Growing up as a person of color in NE Portland, I knew this wasn't true, we were here - but somehow we weren't seen.
History teaches us that the greatest influx of Portland's African American population was due to the Great Migration from the south during the War Years to work the Kaiser shipyards. After the 1948 flood, those who had established a community in Vanport now found themselves redlined into the Albina neighborhood, one of the few areas of Portland blacks were allowed to rent or buy, due to the Rose City's discriminatory housing practices. Keep Portland weird indeed.
The storyline of Left Hook condenses a history that unfolded over a dozen years or more in Portland into a few months, touching on the intermixed experiences of African-American Soldiers returned from Vietnam, the aborted Legacy Emanuel Hospital Expansion, the Black Panther Movement, and Portland's once world famous black boxing community in Albina. The all black cast focuses on the owner of the fictional Left Hook Boxing Club, and his struggle to claim a stake in the American Dream for himself and his family. To keep faith.
Rich Rubin's new script allows us to hear voices of this all to true recent history, offering a start of an understanding of the intentional and systemic choices that lead to the continued displacement of the African American community in Portland. In this time of engaged discussion about gentrification, affordable housing and displacement of communities, I hope we can use this as a spring board to ask where do we want to go from here, and how do we imagine our city.
Damaris Webb, Left Hook Director


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The most innovative solutions
DENTAID offers a wide range of solutions specifically adapted to peoples' needs. An extensive product catalogue that consolidates and reaffirms our position as experts in Oral Health. So, our brands cover everything from the most basic oral needs to the most demanding ones.
Perio·Aid® is the range of products indicated for maintaining optimal periodontal health and for post-surgical oral care. For this reason, depending on the reference, it offers a specific formula that combines Chlorhexidine with Cetylpyridinium chloride or Chlorhexidine with Hyaluronic acid to ensure maximum efficacy in the control of oral biofilm, also known as dental plaque.Product Catalogue


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For Technical Support (AWS (China) Support Plan Required):
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Contact our sales and business development teams to learn more about AWS.
Try these resources to address frequent questions and inquiries.
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Summer House
The Bear Creek Summer House rises out of the chaparral to the south of the existing pool terrace. Designed to provide bug-free shade for summer swim-parties and barbeques, a play area for children and a field-office for the owner, it also opens up framed views of the Upper Ojai valley, Santa Paula Ridge and the Topatopas.
The screen doors and fixed screen end-panels provide an ethereal sense of enclosure but do nothing to impede the canyon breezes or the morning mists from swirling through the space. The building opens to the west to the pool terrace and to the east to a concrete deck ideally situated to capture sunset views.
The steel post and beam structure provides all necessary shear; it is roofed in corrugated galvalume. The ceiling is finished in urethaned ply which provides a warm glow when illuminated by the three industrial light fixtures. The self-colored concrete floor has a washed finish while the plinth walls are stuccoed to match the house.


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A decent blend of happy, sing-a-long tunes and memorable songs to help you enjoy your day (or night). Online 24/7, 365 just for you so sit back, relax and enjoy the smooth ride through musical heaven.
(We have no affiliation with any other online station that has copied our name)
Click the player logo below to listen.
As you can imagine, the costs of keeping Chilltime Radio streaming are not cheap but we are adamant that we will not cease again. If you would like to contribute to our streaming costs with a donation of any amount you choose, it will be greatly received and you will have the knowledge that you are helping keeping us as we intend to be.... always here.
Please consider donating using the button below.
Thank you.


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20/20 Window Cleaning: Serving the Northern Front Range of Colorado
We specialize in residential window cleaning, commercial window cleaning, and solar panel cleaning along the Northern Front Range of Colorado. Our Philosophy Is Simple: "Be The Best."
Where Do We Service?
Berthoud, Boulder, Broomfield, Erie, Firestone, Fredrick, Ft Collins, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Loveland, Lyons, Westminster
Why Choose 20/20?
- Free Estimates
We personally visit your home or business for a free on-site window cleaning or solar panel cleaning estimate.
- Respect For Your Home
Sometimes it's in the details - like removing our shoes anytime we do indoor work, window sills are wiped clean, and bonnets are carefully placed on our ladders to protect your floors and carpeting. For outdoor work, we are always aware of your landscaping and take necessary precautions to carefully protect it.
- Reliability
Your time is valuable, and we respect that - you can count on us to be on time and on schedule.
- Professional Technicians
At 20/20 Window Cleaning, we take pride in our work. We pay fair wages in order to keep hard-working, honest and courteous employees.


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❮ Back
Harry Sabin
Harry Sabin is the supervising storyboard artist on the upcoming animated feature film, Li'l Pimp at Revolution Studios. An alumnus of California Institute of Arts, his work as a story artist and animator has appeared in many Warner Bros. animated productions, including theatrical shorts, Box Office Bunny, Carrotblanca, commercials for McDonald's and Nike, and feature films Space Jam and The Iron Giant. During his Warner Bros. tenure, he co-created with Alan Bodner the popular Portrait Series and Arts and Leisure limited editions for the Warner Bros. Studio Stores, featuring the Looney Tunes characters. Sabin's appealing drawings convey the spirit of Looney Tunes, giving the sense that behind the alluring pose is an anvil waiting to be dropped.


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Swiss Cheese Potato Pancakes
- Category: Side Dishes
- Servings: 16 pancakes
- Print Recipe
- 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups shredded peeled potatoes (about 1 pound)
- 1⁄4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated onion
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
- Dash cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour; mix well. Stir in potatoes, Swiss cheese, onion, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.
In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Drop batter by 1⁄4 cupfuls; press lightly to flatten. Fry until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes on each side.
Drain on paper towels.
Leave a comment
More Side Dishes
With Stuffing Topper
Kids can lend a hand decorating this fresh snack


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Tag: Aww
Snow? SNOW!
Remember to grow however makes you happy.
If you're reading this, I love your dog.
Yes, hello, this is mine now.
Happy Fact of the day!
Polar Bear Party Hat!
I'll take it!
Now I understand why cats love boxes so much!
Why have one friend when you can have them all?
Always wear a helmet.
What are you lookin' at?
Silly human. Let me show you how it's done.
Do this again, you will not.
This is what a good mood looks like.
Eagles are so much more majestic from the side.
The face of regret.
Even a rough day can turn into a golden one.
Well? Can he?
Bravo! Take a bow!
Just try to say no to that face.
What a good, important man.
Flying Ace? Nah, Flying Starship!
Just a reminder. You are awesome.
The importance of honest playtime.
Self growth is important.
Oh no, what a mess. Who on earth could have done this?
You are a shark!
Image submitted by Jennelle. C! Thank you Jennelle!
Could've been anyone, really.
You rang?
I'm not sure who's cuter, Pippa or her mailman! Just kidding, it's Pippa.
He's as efficient as he is adorable.
The face of true love.
Happy Fact of the Day!
Best. Day. Ever.
Thwap Thwap Thwap
Important tools for a good day.
Working like a dog!
Just keep swimming!
That'll do it.
Hi Cat!
Sharing is Caring!
Wingardium Levi-aww-sa!
Nature is so amazing.
Who is cute? You is cute. :)
Now you have. :)
Happy Fact of the day!
We all have those days.
Floopy ears!
At least he follows instructions!
Juuuuuust gonna sneak by ya
Truly man's best friend.
What a happy lil guy!
Happy fact of the day!
Sometimes the silliest things are the funniest.
This is a sign that my Grandpa hangs on his front door. I wish I had inherited his sense of humour.
Now That's Service!
You're Beautiful No Matter What.
Focus on the Important Stuff.
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder, I Guess?
It's Bedtime Now, This is the Best Thing I'll Hear All Day.
Everything Worth Having is Worth Sharing.
Warm Snek.
The Important Thing is That You Try.
The First Step is Admitting You Have a Problem.
I Am Not Sure What This Council Represents, But I Trust Them.
Very Flappy Indeed!
A Cozy Corgi is a Happy Corgi!
All the snuggles, please.
Ahhh, watching them learn is so rewarding!
This is the post excerpt.


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Melissa Marks describes "the drawn mark" as a "mutable abstraction, linear catalyst and fantasy instigator." "Every drawing I make is a diagram of a core-shaking internal disruption, an interior landscape made visible, a picture of a self in a constant state of remaking."
In a twenty-year project that has included drawing, painting, animation, wall-drawing and installation, Marks exploits the flexible structure of "serial context in collusion with the act of drawing" in order to explore ideas about character, performance, Pop, Nature, and Abstraction. The calligraphic gesture and deliberate line exercise an energetic form of visual self-talk, referencing sources as diverse as American comics, Contemporary Japanese Anime, High-Renaissance Fresco cycles, Van Gogh, Monet, Matthew Barney, Sol LeWitt, Edo-period woodcuts and Chinese scroll painting. Veering between the graphic extremes of full color and black & white, subjects include battle, paradise, water, transience and satisfaction.
Marks received her Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University and her Masters of Fine Arts from Yale University. Solo exhibitions include: Planthouse Gallery, NY; Bloomberg Space, London; Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, NY; Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, CT and Joya: arte + ecología, Cortijada Los Gazquez, Spain. Her work has been included in exhibitions at PS1/Moma, NY; Artspace, CT and The Drawing Center, NY.
Adventures of Volitia
In a radical moment made of ambition and luck, Volitia, a detachable drip/mutable blob/Pollock leftover, caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and became self-aware. Recognizing the opportunity in this crazy accident, Volitia embraced her experiment. She began with a declaration of freedom, an attempt to live the idea of a self in a constant state of remaking. Volitia (as in volition) became a hybrid hero — part Superman, part Eve — a tantalizing remix of pictorial temptation and aesthetic promiscuity. The master narrative, the big picture, the growing sum of Volitia's adventures, is an abstract, serial myth. A visual story able to sustain itself precisely because CHANGE demands that it continues . . .
The drawn mark has been given superhero status and attributes, and yet, remains a basic reductive element - a building block with the power to elaborate fantasy. The abstract drip, the calligraphic gesture, the accomplished stroke, has an instantly recognizable iconic power, and at the same time, is inextricably tied to a belief in the interior life of creation, is a connection to something essentially human. This double dynamic, a funny conflation of Pop recognition and real feeling, is both Volitia's point of origin and her fundamental core.
Vigorously loyal to the forms of Nature, Volitia is blossom and ice, temporary, alive and melting. Capable of exemplary endurance, stamina and consistency, deep self-reflection and multiple iterations in a single drawing, Volita stands as both metaphor and object, as idea and emotional seismogram. As metaphor, she represents an open soul, ready to turn herself inside-out in order to see the world. As object, she represents our body, concrete and attached, utterly dependent on her ability to be seen.


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|H.E. Ambassador Wang Guangya's Letter to UN Secretary General H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon
August 16, 2007
With reference to the letter submitted by the Solomon Islands and a very few other countries on August 14, 2007 on the so-called issue of "Taiwan's application for the UN membership", I have been instructed to solemnly state China's position as follows:
1. The Solomon Islands and a very few other countries, instigated by the Taiwan authorities and in defiance of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, have requested the issue of the so-called "Taiwan's application for the UN membership" to be considered in the forthcoming session of the General Assembly in a blatant attempt to clamor for and create "Taiwan independence". This is absolutely preposterous. It is an act that wantonly tramples on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and General Assembly resolution 2758 (XXVI), seriously violates China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, gravely intervenes China's internal affairs, and seriously hurts the feelings of the 1.3 billion Chinese people. The Chinese Government and people strongly condemn and firmly oppose such an act.
2. Taiwan has been an inalienable part of China's territory since antiquity. Both the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation have reaffirmed in unequivocal terms China's sovereignty over Taiwan as a matter of international law. Although the mainland and Taiwan are not yet reunited, the fact that the two sides belong to one and the same China has never been changed. This is the status quo of cross-Straits relations, and is an objective reality that nobody can change. Up to date, more than 160 countries in the world have established diplomatic relations with China. They all recognize the one-China principle and that Taiwan is a part of China. This is also the principle that the United Nations has consistently adhered to.
3. In 1971, the UN General Assembly at its twenty-sixth session adopted, by an overwhelming majority, the historic resolution 2758 (XXVI), whose political and legal meaning is very clear. It is based on a self-evident fact that China is an integrated country and that Taiwan is a part of China. Thus the issue of China's legal representation was resolved. In accordance with this resolution, the Government of the People's Republic of China resumed its legal representation in the United Nations, inherited the rights and obligations under China's name, and was identified as the sole legal representative of China in the United Nations. Therefore, China's representation in the United Nations has long been resolved once and for all, politically, legally and in terms of procedures. It is ignorant of the Taiwan authorities and a handful of people with ulterior motives to falsely claim that resolution 2758 did not resolve the issue of Taiwan's representation in the United Nations. Such a claim is utterly unfounded. Any attempt to distort or even deny the authority and validity of resolution 2758 is futile.
4. It is clearly stipulated in the UN Charter that only sovereign states are eligible to apply for membership in the United Nations. The principle of universality is also based on sovereign states. As a part of China, Taiwan has never been a sovereign state. It is therefore not eligible to participate in whatever name and under whatever pretext in the United Nations, nor is it in the slightest sense applicable to the principle of universality. No sovereign state in the world would allow one of its provinces or regions to participate in the United Nations, an organization whose membership requires statehood. As a matter of fact, up to date, no sovereign state has ever allowed one of its regions to apply for membership in the United Nations. This is why the motion on the so-called "China's representation" became invalid automatically when it was tabled by a few countries after the adoption of resolution 2758 in 1971. This is also why the General Committee of the successive sessions of the General Assembly since 1993 has all flatly refused to include the so-called issue of "Taiwan's participation in the United Nations" in the agenda of the General Assembly. This has fully demonstrated the determination of the vast number of Member States to safeguard the Charter of the United Nations and resolution 2758. It also shows that the Taiwan authorities will never obtain international support in their attempt to split China by raising the so-called issue of "Taiwan's participation in the United Nations".
5. The question of Taiwan is a purely internal affair of China. As a matter between the Chinese people across the Taiwan Straits, it brooks no external interference. In fact, nobody in the world cares more about the prospect and interests of the 23 million Taiwan compatriots than the Chinese Government and people. The position of the Chinese Government on the question of Taiwan is firm and clear. We have consistently adhered to the fundamental principle of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems" and the "Eight-point Proposition on the Development of Cross-Straits Relations and the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of the Motherland". President Hu Jintao has pointed out that "peace and development should be the themes of cross-Straits relations and the common objectives of the people across the Taiwan Straits". This gives full expression to the sincerity and resolve of the mainland in promoting the peaceful and stable development of cross-Straits relations and charts the course for the relations across the Taiwan Straits. In recent years, the Chinese Government has taken a series of new measures and steps to promote cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation and achieve peaceful and stable development of cross-Straits relations. This has received the support of the compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits and won the wide acclaim of the international community. It has been amply proved that promoting cross-Straits exchanges, jointly maintaining peace and stability across the Straits and generating benefits to people on both sides of the Straits are the ardent aspirations of the entire Chinese people, including the Taiwan compatriots.
6. To uphold state sovereignty and territorial integrity and achieve an early and complete reunification serves the fundamental interests of the entire Chinese people, including the Taiwan compatriots. The Chinese Government has made every effort and worked with utmost sincerity to promote peaceful and stable development of cross-Straits relations and strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification. However, the Taiwan authorities have obstinately acted against the aspirations of the people on both sides of the Straits, stuck to their separatist position for "Taiwan independence", and tried their utmost to disrupt and damage the development of cross-Straits relations. They have attempted to sever the geographical, historical and cultural bond between Taiwan and the mainland and brazenly sought "de jure Taiwan independence" through "constitutional reengineering" and other steps. Since the beginning of this year, the Chen Shui-bien authorities have instigated a very small number of countries to play the trick of sending letters to the United Nations in an attempt to deceive the United Nations and the international community. At home, they have lost no time in pushing for referendum on the so-called "Taiwan's application for the UN membership" so as to change the status quo that both Taiwan and the mainland belong to one and the same China and work towards "de jure Taiwan independence". The "Taiwan independence" forces and their separatist activities remain the biggest obstacle to cross-Straits relations and constitute the biggest threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. If not curbed in time, they will cause serious tension in the Straits, gravely affect cross-Straits relations and severely jeopardize peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. We hope the Member States see through the adventurous and dangerous nature and serious consequences of the Taiwan authorities' separatist activities for "Taiwan independence". No matter what plots are employed, any act that attempts to confound black and white, subvert resolution 2758 and give impetus to Chen Shui-bien's separatist activities for "Taiwan independence" is doomed to failure.
7. Respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in a country's internal affairs are fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations cherished by all countries. China has strictly followed those principles in its relations with other countries. China values its relations with all Member States of the United Nations and has never done anything harmful to the interests of the above-mentioned co-sponsor countries, but those countries, on the question of Taiwan, have been repeatedly undermining the national interests of China and hurting the feelings of the Chinese people. Their act has also gravely obstructed the work of the General Assembly and wasted the precious resources of the United Nations and its Member States. We strongly urge those countries to change their positions, strictly abide by the Charter of the United Nations and resolution 2758, and identify themselves with the great number of Member States on the Taiwan question. We have every reason to believe that in our just cause of safeguarding state sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Chinese Government and people will continue to receive the understanding and support of all parties.
Your Excellency, I have the honor to request that the present letter be circulated as a document of the sixty-second session of the General Assembly under item 122 of its provisional agenda.
(Signed) WANG Guangya
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
H.E. Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, President of the Sixty-first Session of the General Assembly


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Select 1 face-up Spell Card on the field. The controller of the Spell Card takes 500 points of damage during each of your Standby Phases. When the selected card is removed from the field, destroy this card.
Cannot negate the effect of spell card even the name is "Mask of Dispel." Not much useful since decreasing life points by 500 is not a big deal.
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It doesn't take long to find out who and what Ray Lumsden is. But there are so many layers to his life story, it is easy to get lost while trying to figure out what the truth is. Dozens of women, at minimum, have shared variations of parts of their stories on the internet with claims of swindling, assault, harassment and stalking. He has been accused in the past of child molestation and was recently given 3 life sentences stacked for aggravated sexual assault of a minor. The horror couldn't be more unimaginable.
I am working on a book after 20+ years of knowing of Ray and monitoring, I have dived in to immerse myself in all the information to tell the true story of Raymond Edward Lumsden. And since he is such a master of making you believe he is someone else, you can find more about me the Author at www.10-88officerdown.com.
612.875.0050 Dustin


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DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON: Ben O'Toole
by Chelsey Sanchez
Darkness breeds growth. flailing blindly in a black void forces the weakest of us to become strong – to face the consequences, all else be damned. Darkness forces change. Darkness forces innovation. Darkness forces effort.
Ben O'Toole, the 27-year-old actor best known for his appearances in period movies like The Water Diviner (2014), Factory 293 (2014), Hacksaw Ridge (2016), and Detroit (2017), sees a light in the darkness; the opportunities for growth and discovery that it offers. One could even say he's a bit nostalgic for a darker age.
"Human beings were more curious. We knew less back then and we were still mystified. I would love to play something from the medieval times because I feel that the everyday for those people was solely focused on survival," O'Toole says. "Living like that hardens you and I think it would be an interesting time to explore. It seemed like you couldn't go anywhere without being killed by disease, famine, or war, and only the strong survived."
Flip the switch and individuality scatters like cockroaches in the light. We end up staring at each other with gaping and envious eyes, wanting what the other has and what we don't, and then try to rid ourselves of that green envy by becoming carbon copies of each other. According to O'Toole, "Many of us have a grass is greener mentality and often covet what our neighbors have, but don't want to do anything to earn it."
Maybe it's just human nature to run through the dark while pretending we know what the hell we're doing, but where others might get lost, O'Toole thrives. He carries the weight of his words with a sense of confident self-awareness, perhaps not because he pretends the darkness isn't there, but rather because he embraces it and invites it into himself.
"I try to remember that my opinion of myself is unique to everyone else's opinion of me, and to accept that," O'Toole says. "Trying to look at the bigger picture takes off a lot of the responsibility we place upon ourselves."
The challenge, then, is to just move forward, even if it means taking a leap into the unknown. "The worst thing that can happen is that you fail," he says simply. "That's it. If my dream doesn't happen I will still be able to live with myself if I know I put everything I have into this. Imagine on your deathbed asking the question, 'what if I had given it a go?' Talk about regretting your life. Commit or go home."
Drop, Cover and Hold On series: Halston Sage | Bria Vinaite | Lakeith Stanfield | Joe Keery | Sophia Lillis | Ben O'Toole
Written by Chelsey Sanchez
Photographer: Carlos Serrao
Stylist: Mui-Hai Chu using Prada fall/winter '17
Hair/Groomer: Sascha Breuer


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In which our Maven takes on the likes of Wonder Woman, Chris Sims, and 75 years of cultural iconography
Vera! So good of you to come!
As long as one has want of me, I am his-or-hers completely. Darling, I'm positively shameless.
Have you seen this? Chris Sims of Comics Alliance takes on Wonder Woman. He talks about the problem of how she is one of three giant DC comics' icons, but how no one knows, well, basically ANYTHING do with her character– be it for a movie, TV show, or even her own comics! "It comes down to," he says "just not knowing what they want to do, and that comes from everyone looking at this character that has all these different conflicted things going on, and having their own idea how to get in there and fix it."
Chris Sims gets things right a lot of the time. There, Chris. I'll give you that one for free. Blurb away! Be sure to quote Vera Maven copyright 2014.
How do you feel about taking on the same "problem?"
A thing is never a problem when my own opinion is the solution. I have a marvelous and unapologetic subjectivity. And thus I willingly offer my own ideas "how to get in there and fix it," as he says.
Mr. Sims points out that Wonder Woman — well, that she's a Disney princess, or in his words "quite literally a magical princess that can talk to animals." Well, on the face of it, why not? She's a gutsy adventurous heroine with magical powers from a faraway land who wants to see the world. Simsy is right, why WOULDN'T this work?
The problem is, that only really works for ONE movie or story, which, as he admits, is prima face an origin story, with Wonder Woman NOT YET grown-up. I mean, of course Disney Princesses are usually pretty young, because they are by nature in the middle of their process of growing up. For another, Disney Princesses usually have the whole becoming a princess thing as the END RESULT of their heroic journey, and that's even for those who start the movie as a princess in the first place.
But for the essence of Wonder Woman– the essence, mind you– it's more confusing. Does her "story" start BEFORE or AFTER her arrival to Earth from her magical island? If her story starts BEFORE, then OK, sure. You can have her do her whole heroic journey thing like any Disney Princess– she can sing her "I Want" song, she can have some sidekicks help her realize her special place in the world, and she can overcome the villain who tries to be selfish. And then, Diana is awarded magical gifts and becomes Wonder Woman, a warrior and emissary to Outside World, and … then what? Her story, essentially, stops.
Because for her story AFTER her arrival, well, frankly, Wonder Woman is really just Generic Superhero #5: Paragon. "We want a superhero, but, you know, like a girl," said someone, somewhere. Which is fine if you are a character yourself, like bystander in the comicbook world, looking up and seeing a hero punch a villain in the face. But when you want to follow that hero *as a reader,* outside that story, you need to know what she does AFTER, like where does she go home at night, how does she pay for her latte, what happens in-between punching the next villain in the face? You know, superhero tropes and all of that.
Which is a shame, because there are SO many possibilities for the stories AFTER her arrival. Just do the math. How many stories can take place BEFORE her arrival? One! Her origin. (Yes, yes, I'm sure you can have all kinds of TV shows with young Diana as Wonder Girl before she arrives on Earth, but these are arguably "spin-offs" of what everyone would consider the ONE story.) But how many could you have AFTER? It's limitedness, darling!
So forget the analogy of Wonder Woman as a Disney Princess story. What you REALLY have, and what is SO MUCH better, is that Wonder Woman is a James Bond story.
Think about it– who really cares about James Bond's origins? He's an archetypical pulp action hero in the modern day– you don't NEED to know any of that origin stuff to make an entertaining overcome-the-world-dominating-criminal-mastermind James Bond story. Nor do you need any part of that for a Wonder Woman story… the backdrop can be any mix of the Percy Jackson, Xena, Thor, the Little Mermaid, or whatever-you-like as long as it gives us an overcome-the-world-dominating-supervillain kind of story.
Wait a second, Vera. Isn't James Bond, for all his iconic status and permanent place as cultural touchstone, really just Generic Superspy #1: Maverick? He's got his own formula of tropes that make the actual character, as-a-character, kind of superfluous. Just like the problem of Wonder Woman!
Too true, darling! Wonder Woman exists as this very strange property– a cultural touchstone that is more powerful as an idea than as an actual story, like beginning-middle-end kind of story. She's a great icon, as a symbol or as a lunchbox logo. She's even a great character, with an inner strength, capacity for compassion, and warrior spirit with the skills to match. But as a STORY ENGINE? She is a complete cypher. At least James Bond has a story engine, however generic.
Thus, for superhero stories to work, there has to be something metaphorical at play. Heroes are never just heroes, they are thematic SYMBOLS that generate thematic STORIES. Think about Superman…
Hmm… Making the most of your potential.
Just so. And Batman?
Fighting back against the darkness.
Excellente. Spider-Man?
Well, power and responsibility, of COURSE.
Yes, and Wonder Woman? … Well? I'm waiting… See? No story engine.
I would LOVE to watch a Wonder Woman movie, and yes my darling, really ANY superhero movie, that shows a story-engine kind of understanding of its character. You can do that in an origin story, a sequel, a TV spinoff, whatever.
OK, so, what we need is a Story Engine that is the best expression of a uniquely Wonder Woman metaphorical theme.
Not so easy, I'm afraid.
There's no, one, go-to story that helps define Wonder Woman's thematic core, her very resonance. So let's pick one and enhance it. For Wonder Woman, her theme is "Together, we are strong." It's about brother/sisterhood. Unity. Family. What's so wonderful is that it stems from her defining characteristics of compassion and determination. It showcases her as a guardian, a leader, but one never far removed from community.
You see? Even very famous story arcs of Wonder Woman's can be presented very nicely through this lens. In the War of the Gods (yes, it's 1991, but still…) triumph is earned by all mythologies banding together with Wonder Woman, do they not? Ah! 20 year-old spoilers, pardon! In Paradise Lost (ten years later in 2001), she wins the day by dissolving the concept of the "royal family" of Paradise Island, unifying her mother and her people. In her current "New 52" version? She is brought into the family of Greek demigods, surviving her trials by standing up for others and banding together with her new family.
And then it's only natural to see a string of villains and save-the-world plots happening. Obviously, her archenemy Ares would be opposed to the themes of unity, as would Circe. Other villains that represent selfishness, division, or subjugation, like, say, Cheetah, Eris/Discord, or Maxwell Lord or Dr. Psycho, have stories that practically beg to be told through this lens!
Wow! Okay, hold on. This all started from the idea of one movie! So what's your pitch?
Ah! Well, I was getting to that, you impatient, little, chubby-cheek, you. Start with a cold open, like any good James Bond story, and Wonder Woman with a team of Amazons fight off some monster-headed creature things. But what seems like some exotic location is in fact South Dakota or something, and we learn how popular Wonder Woman is as an iconic, if somewhat distant, near-celebrity. Back on Paradise Island, Wonder Woman learns that one of the Amazon's prisoners, Cheetah, has escaped during Diana's excursion to Earth. Wonder Woman makes the choice to go after Cheetah, who's trying to hunt down Steve Trevor, among other military agents. Trevor, you see, knows the location of a magical place of power, because a black ops that went bad, naturally. Wonder Woman and Trevor team up to investigate, and find Cheetah is connected to Circe, the sorceress with a penchant for transforming people into animals (movie origin alert!). The place of power would also allow Circe to sever Paradise Island's connection to Earth, and Wonder Woman is stopped from an early victory by rebel Amazons who have pledged allegiance to Circe and would like nothing but to see such separation. Will Wonder Woman be forced to sacrifice Paradise Island and be trapped on Earth? What will the showdown between Diana and Circe look like? Will Circe show Wonder Woman's "true face" of humanity, as beasts, opposed to Diana's hopefulness and optimism? Don't worry, mon chere, goodness and unity are victors in the end. Together we are strong, after all!
Vera, I thought you would go bigger budget than that!
I see. Well, you could have Circe release the Titans of myth upon the world, I suppose. That worked for Disney's Hercules. But, really, darling, such monies would be better spent on putting some young ingenue in Cheetah body-painting makeup.
Come to think of that, show that to the movie executives, and that might be all you need to get a Wonder Woman movie in development.
Hmm. How droll. C'est le Hollywood, I suppose!
Thanks, Vera, for keeping it real.
I'm ever as real, as real can ever be.


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ACLU defends pole-dancing instructor
Last week may have marked the first time the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania had ever filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a pole-dancing instructor.
But Witold Walczak, the organization's legal director, said the issues involved were common to many of its cases.
"Why is the ACLU here?" Walczak asked. "The simple reason is this involves teaching, and that is expression protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution."
The instructor, Stephanie Babines, 30, was denied a permit to open a dance studio here. The ACLU has sued to overturn that decision.
Two years ago, Babines began offering instruction in pole dancing, power lap dancing, salsa and other forms of dance and fitness, in peoples' homes and in rented space in a dance studio at night and on weekends.
"I love making people feel better about themselves," she said. "Through the classes, their bodies change. They start losing inches off their waist. They start fitting into their skinny jeans."
Business has been so good that she put off finishing her master's degree in elementary education and decided to open her own studio.
But in March, the Adams Township code enforcement officer, Gary Peaco, denied her occupancy permit, ruling that her studio was an adult business and was illegally within 1,000 feet of a bar and a residential area.
Peaco said that even though the dance instruction did not involve nudity and there would be no audience, the dance styles were "provocative" and involved sexual "innuendo."
Without explanation, the three-member zoning board unanimously denied her appeal on July 29.
"This is in every way a dance studio," Walczak said. "The only reason they don't want her here is the township commissioners just don't like some of the dances she teaches."
The chairman of the zoning board, Jeff Brown, rejected that view. "The Zoning Hearing Board enforces the zoning laws of Adams Township," he said, "and that's what we did."
Brown, 51, an architect, acknowledged that there were three other pole-dancing studios in the Pittsburgh area, and hundreds more across the country.
"That's the great thing about this country. Each township and community gets to make their own laws," he said. "And I'm sure what they allow in San Francisco and other places is different from what we do here in Adams Township."


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The OAI–ORE Executive provides overall leadership to the project and holds primary responsibility for the project budget and the ultimate success of the work. Carl Lagoze – Computing and Information Science, Cornell University, Herbert Van de Sompel – Digital Library Research and Prototyping, Los Alamos National Laboratory Research Library.
Funding and Support: Support for Open Archives Initiative activities has come from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Coalition for Networked Information, the Digital Library Federation, and from the National Science Foundation (IIS–9817416 and IIS–0430906)."
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Latest News
Arms smuggling explodes across Egypt-Libya border
SALLOUM, Egypt — The NATO-backed war in Libya has turned this ramshackle Egyptian border town into a multimillion-dollar smuggling hub, with at least two huge shipments of weapons seized in recent weeks and many more loads passing into Egypt undetected, smugglers and military officials say.
Egypt's interim military rulers say they're cracking down on the porous border, but residents and smugglers say the authorities are undermined by border agents, customs officials and even some military officers who accept bribes to turn a blind eye to the illegal shipments.
The explosion of weapons smuggling at Salloum heightens growing concerns about what will become of the huge quantity of weapons that victorious rebel troops have seized from Moammar Gadhafi's stores.
Libya's ruling rebel National Transitional Council has pledged to gain control of the weapons. But no one knows how many weapons the rebels, often operating outside of a central command structure, have taken or whether they're the only forces looting Gadhafi's warehouses; anecdotal reports indicate that many armories, particularly in the Tripoli area, remain unsecured.
On Thursday, John Brennan, President Barack Obama's chief counter-terrorism adviser, called the loose weapons a "high priority" for the United States.
"We are concerned about the potential for certain weapons to get into the hands of terrorists," Brennan said during a breakfast in Washington with reporters. He said the rebel leadership appreciated the seriousness of the issue and was working to corral the weapons. But, he added, "Libya is a large country (with a) large number of weapons. It's going to take some time."
Weapons that Egyptian authorities have seized in recent weeks provide a glimpse of the range of armaments now available. Two weeks ago, authorities captured two Toyota Land Cruisers filled with machine guns, sniper rifles and boxes of ammunition; the smugglers escaped, Maj. Ashraf al Sheikh, the head of Salloum's Military Prosecutor's Office, told local news media.
A more troubling interception came a week before that, when the Egyptian military intercepted 25 anti-aircraft missiles, along with nine shoulder-launching systems. That shipment was intercepted deep inside Egypt, just 125 miles from Cairo.
Where the weapons were bound is unknown. Smugglers say Palestinian groups are the top buyers, and Israeli officials have said they've detected an inflow of SA-7 anti-aircraft missiles and rocket-propelled grenades to the Gaza Strip.
But others suggest that Islamist groups or criminal gangs in Egypt also are assembling arsenals, perhaps for leverage in any coming power struggle in the wake of the fall of President Hosni Mubarak.
"Such weapons coming in through Libya pose a direct threat to Egypt's national security and this is our main concern, before we even start thinking of what other countries the smuggled weapons could reach," said Sameh Seif el Yazal, a retired army general and military analyst who called the situation a "top priority" for Egypt's ruling generals.
Smuggling from Libya has long been the primary source of income for Salloum's Bedouin tribes, known as the Wlad Ali, or Sons of Ali. But the new expensive, sensitive cargo has upended the long-standing way of doing business in the area, smugglers said.
Before the Libyan revolt, the smugglers said, contraband was secreted along desert routes, and many eschewed arms trafficking, calling it an affront to their religious beliefs. But as the violence in Libya created thousands of refugees and put sophisticated weapons in the hands of civilians, the temptation for war profiteering is great and many no longer use the well-worn desert paths.
"I do it through the crossing terminal now, and money makes anything possible," said one tribesman who said he'd been smuggling since he was 14.
Some smugglers complain that they've been cut out of the weapons shipments because the traditional routes no longer are needed, as allegedly corrupt officials allow shipments to pass through the border terminal.
"We used to make a living by risking our lives every night," said a smuggler who gave his name only as Aziz. "Now we don't even have that. The smuggling is now controlled by rich men who pay off the government officials and ship their goods through the official Salloum crossing terminal."
Both smugglers said Palestinians were the top customers for weapons and vehicles. The cargo flows through the North Sinai towns of Arish and Rafah, which borders Gaza, they said. There was no way to verify their claims, and they weren't specific about which groups were buying.
"Their money is always ready," the first smuggler said of Palestinian buyers. "They are very trusted when it comes to buying four-wheel-drive vehicles and guns."
The men, who both smoked cigarettes smuggled from Libya, accused government officials and army officers of running an organized cartel through the terminal. Gone are the days, they said, when they could pay off up to a dozen security and customs personnel with small bribes of about $5 to $10 each to look the other way as they carted in tobacco products, vehicles and household goods.
"Now we don't satisfy them," the first smuggler lamented. "They get paid by the bigger businessmen and they talk of thousands of (Egyptian) pounds for trucks loaded with goods, or trailer trucks loaded with scrap metal to hide the weapons and drugs inside."
The local smugglers said they spent hours at the terminal each day, watching with astonishment while up to 10 cargo trucks crossed into Egypt from Libya without being searched.
"No one knows what those trucks carry except for us because we get offered the drugs and the weapons and other goods when they come in," one of them said.
Both smugglers said the market for Libyan goods became more organized in May and June. Before that, they said, pistols could be purchased for about $9 and transactions were "amateur." These days, however, the allegedly lax Salloum crossing fuels a multimillion-dollar trade in machine guns, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers, the smugglers said.
"If you want a machine gun, I can call the arms dealer for you. He'd bring it here. Or you could buy one of my guns. It's in there," one Salloum smuggler told a visiting reporter, pointing to a bedroom in his home where he keeps his stash. "It would cost you 12,000 pounds ($2,000) — the cheapest price you'd find in Egypt."
Some residents of Salloum have become alarmed by the increase in smuggling, and the way it's changing their typically sleepy, close-knit community. Profiteers from the war in neighboring Libya have traded in their worn-out station wagons for brand-new air-conditioned sedans. There's a boom in sales of cars, clothing and household goods. Some parents worry that the promise of quick cash will lure their children from school this fall, while others encourage their children to smuggle for as long as the Libyan crisis brings such opportunities.
In July, government forces shot and killed a 15-year-old boy who was unloading smuggled goods from an illegal boat, locals said. The incident touched off a huge reprisal attack from the smugglers and their tribes, who used their arsenal to burn a police station to the ground, according to witnesses and local news accounts.
"If this kid went to school or had any other source of living, he would've never thought of risking his life smuggling," said Sheikh Walid, a respected local cleric who'd give only his first name because of the sensitivity of the matter. "The army and customs officials know about every straw that's smuggled through the terminal. They get paid for it."
The cleric said Salloum's religious figures had banded together to call for an end to smuggling from the minarets of their mosques, but few heed the call. He and other community leaders also have met with representatives from the ruling military council.
One day, the cleric became enraged when he saw a truck driver pay $3,400 to an Egyptian customs official, who allowed the truck to pass uninspected from Libya into Salloum. Sheikh Walid said he lectured the driver, to no avail.
"I told him that he's putting our and Egypt's security at risk," the cleric said. "If he paid that much for a bribe, I guarantee you the truck was carrying drugs or weapons. He wouldn't pay that much to smuggle cigarettes."
(Sabry is a McClatchy special correspondent. Jonathan S. Landay contributed to this report from Washington.)
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