text:
SAMHSA provides information, evidence-based practices, and treatment locators to prevent, treat, and promote recovery from prescription drug misuse and abuse.
SAMHSA's efforts inform, alert, and educate the public, patients and their family members, and health care practitioners of the dangers of prescription drug misuse and abuse. SAMHSA also:
- Helps individuals find appropriate treatment
- Provides evidence-based practices to improve treatment
- Regulates treatment to safeguard the public
- Promotes the recovery of individuals from prescription drug misuse and abuse
Health care practitioners, communities and workplaces, patients, and families all can contribute to preventing prescription drug abuse. SAMHSA's 2014 National Prevention Week Toolkit contains many valuable ideas. SAMHSA's 2014 Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit describes strategies to prevent opioid overdose for all these groups.
Physicians play a critical role in prescription drug misuse and abuse prevention. They can screen their patients to identify signs of prescription drug abuse or dependence, and talk with patients about the negative effects of misusing prescription drugs. Physicians also can note rapid increases in amounts of medication needed and requests for frequent refills, which may signal "doctor shopping." The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Training and Technical Assistance Center provides assistance in identifying these behaviors among patients.
In 2011, SAMHSA operationalized the Action Plan for Improving Access to Prescription Drug Monitoring Program through Health Information Technology by funding the Enhancing Access to Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs using Health Information Technology Project, which is managed by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), in collaboration with SAMHSA, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The project explored opportunities to use health information technology (HIT) to integrate critical prescription drug history information from prescription drug monitoring programs into provider and pharmacy systems to empower more informed decision making at the point of care.
According to the CDC, prescribers may contribute to opioid abuse and overdose because of a lack of education and awareness about appropriate opioid prescribing practices. Most opioid analgesics in the United States are prescribed by primary care physicians and internists; most have little training in pain management or addiction. SAMHSA offers an in-person continuing education course, Clinical Challenges in Prescribing Controlled Drugs: Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. The course, targeted to primary care providers, provides specific knowledge and skills associated with safely prescribing opioids for chronic pain, and clinical strategies for managing challenging patient situations. In addition, SAMHSA supports Providers' Clinical Support System for Opioid Therapies (PCSS-O), which provides training and mentoring services to a variety of health care providers on the safe and appropriate prescribing of opioids.
Communities and Workplaces
Communities and workplaces can access a number of SAMHSA's initiatives and resources to prevent prescription drug misuse and abuse:
- The Drug Free Communities Support Program is a collaborative effort between the ONDCP and SAMHSA to strengthen collaboration among community coalitions to prevent and reduce substance use, including prescription drug misuse and abuse.
- The 2014 National Drug Control Strategy serves as the Obama Administration's blueprint for reducing drug use and its consequences, including a national framework for reducing prescription drug diversion and abuse.
- The 2011 Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan (PDF | 306 KB) expands upon the Obama Administration's National Drug Control Strategy and includes action in four major areas to reduce prescription drug abuse: education, monitoring, proper medication disposal, and enforcement.
- The Division of Workplace Programs (DWP) provides oversight for the Federal Drug-Free Workplace Program and for the National Laboratory Certification Program.
- The Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT) is a nationwide substance abuse prevention training and technical assistance system. It works with states, tribes, jurisdictions, and communities to develop and implement strategies to prevent the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs.
- SAMHSA's Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit equips communities and local governments with material to develop policies and practices to help prevent opioid-related overdoses and deaths. It addresses issues for first responders, treatment providers, and those recovering from opioid overdose.
- In collaboration with SAMHSA, the National Council on Patient Information and Education works to improve communication of information to consumers and health care providers on the appropriate use of medications.
- National Prevention Week, a SAMHSA-supported annual health observance dedicated to increasing public awareness of, and action around, mental and/or substance use disorders, included a day in 2014 devoted to prescription drug abuse prevention.
Patients and Families
Patients need to ensure they use prescription drugs appropriately, store them securely, and dispose of them safely. SAMHSA participates in the Drug Enforcement Administration's National Take-Back Initiative, which aims to provide a safe, secure, and environmentally responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse and trafficking of medications. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and ONDCP have also developed guidelines on disposal for unused medicines.
Parents can discuss the risks of misusing or abusing prescription drugs with their children and be familiar with the warning signs, such as missing prescription drugs, changes in friends, increased secrecy, changes in school performance, and frequent borrowing of money.
SAMHSA's 2010 Road to Recovery webcast, Ignoring Instructions: The Importance of Using Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications Properly, gives an overview of prescription drug abuse and discusses people who are at risk.
Treatment can incorporate several components, including withdrawal management (detoxification), counseling, and the use of FDA-approved addiction pharmacotherapies. Research has shown that a combined approach of medication, counseling, and recovery services works best. SAMHSA is a leader in Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)—the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a whole-patient approach to the treatment of substance use disorders.
Medications available to treat opioid addiction include naltrexone (PDF | 223 KB), methadone (PDF | 245 KB), and buprenorphine/naloxone. The choice of medication depends on the patients' needs. Since the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000), physicians who meet certain qualifications may treat opioid addiction with buprenorphine/naloxone from office-based practice settings. A recent NIH-funded study demonstrated the efficacy of buprenorphine/naloxone for the treatment of prescription opioid addiction. As a result, the NIH's NIDA-SAMHSA Blending Initiative developed the Prescription Opioid Addiction Treatment Study to help treatment providers incorporate study findings into their practice.
SAMHSA has numerous programs and resources focused on treatment for prescription drug misuse and abuse. It works to close the gap between available treatment capacity and demand; supports the adaptation and adoption of evidence-based and best practices by community-based treatment programs and services; and improves and strengthens substance abuse treatment organizations and systems.
- Federal Regulation 42 CFR Part 8, dated September 24, 2015, provides for an accreditation and certification-based system for Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs), overseen by SAMHSA. SAMHSA's Opioid Treatment Technical Assistance Program (OTTAP) educates and prepares opioid treatment programs nationwide to achieve certification and accreditation by SAMHSA-approved bodies. The Division of Pharmacologic Therapies within the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment manages the day-to-day regulatory oversight activities necessary to implement 42 CFR Part 8, on the use of opioid agonist medications such as methadone and buprenorphine.
- Providers' Clinical Support Systems are available for methadone (a medication used to treat opioid addiction), buprenorphine products, and naltrexone. These sites connect health care providers with experts who provide information, mentoring, and training on the treatment of opioid use disorders and prescription drug abuse with FDA-approved medications.
- SAMHSA established the Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network in 1993 to improve the quality of addictions treatment and recovery services. The Network is composed of 14 Regional Centers and a National Office.
- The Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program supports states and community-based groups to improve and expand existing substance abuse treatment services. Additionally, primary prevention funds can be used for overdose prevention education/training; treatment block grant funds can be used for the purchase of naloxone and overdose kits.
Helping individuals find appropriate treatment services is key to SAMHSA's mission. In addition to the Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator, SAMHSA offers two locators specific to drug misuse and abuse:
- The Buprenorphine Physician & Treatment Program Locator helps you find physicians and treatment programs authorized to treat opioids, such as heroin or prescription pain relievers.
- The Opioid Treatment Program Directory helps you find treatment programs in your state that treat addiction and dependence on opioids, such as heroin or prescription pain relievers.
SAMHSA's recovery efforts include research and practice. Learn more about these efforts at the Recovery and Recovery Support topic.


text:
the BLOG
Explore by Topic
Explore by Format
Search Results | 124 results found
Are Humans Ensouled at Conception? (Video)
Alan discusses whether humans are ensouled at conception and what happens when a zygote twins.
Advice for Your Relationship with an Apostate Family Member
If a member of your family has left Christianity, don't let that cause a rift in your relationship. Here's how you can respond as a faithful ambassador for Christ.
Tactics for Online Discussions (Video)
Alan shares important tips for having productive interactions about your convictions on the internet.
WWJD? Ask a Question
Would you like to improve your ability to engage others in spiritual conversations? Do what Jesus did 284 times in the Gospels. Find out what that is in this episode.
If We're Saved by Grace, What Is the Role of Faith? (Video)
Alan explains what faith is and the role it plays in our salvation.
Aussie Apologetics
In a recent trip to Australia, Alan found that the cultural situation made Christians hungry for apologetics.
Albania's Hope Is the Gospel
Many young Albanians lack hope. Their country is reeling from the effects of communism, jobs are scarce, and their prospects for a prosperous future, even with a college education, are slim. But there is always hope in the Gospel.
Must a Muslim Also Present When a Christian Teaches on Islam?
Alan responds to a question he frequently receives when teaching on Islam.
Never Read a Qur'anic Verse
Never try to understand the meaning of a passage without considering the context, whether it's the Bible or any other book.
How Should You Talk to a Friend Who's Gay?
Treat your gay friends the same way you would treat your heterosexual friends in similar circumstances.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Job Description
The Assistant Camp Director works to support the Camp Director in overseeing and managing all aspects of an eight week Summer Day Camp Program for up to 120 children per week in Grades K – 8. Naticook Day Camp operates in Wasserman Park in Merrimack. Wasserman Park is a 44 acre park on Naticook Lake. The Assistant Camp Director will directly manage the Camp Activity Specialists and plan and implement all Camp Special events.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED: The Assistant Camp Director works under the direction of the Camp Director.
SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Assist the Camp Director in managing a seasonal staff of approximately 40 employees.
• Assist the Camp Director in planning, supervising and leading Naticook Day Camp.
• Assist the Camp Director in planning, directing and supervising the daily operations of the Naticook Day Camp program and create a high energy, fun and creative experience for campers.
• As a member of the Camp Leadership Team work to plan, develop and implement a wide variety of Camp activities and special events.
• Provide support to the Camp Activity Specialists while providing guidance to ensure they have appropriate and well thought out lesson plans for each day.
• Assist in the preparation and facilitation of Camp Staff orientation and hold weekly staff meetings with on-going learning opportunities.
• Monitor safety of all campers and staff and work with Camp Director to manage disciplinary issues as needed.
• Establishes positive rapport and on-going communication among staff, campers and their parents.
• Ensure that the Camp is running smoothly on a daily basis.
• Manages inventory and requisitions supplies in a timely manner.
• Prepare an evaluation and summary of current season including inventories, staff evaluations, and recommendations for improvements the following season.
• Serves as the acting camp director in his/her absence.
Apply by: March 3 2018
Camp/Organization: Naticook Day Camp (ACA Accredited)
Location: Merrimack, NH
Type of Position: Director
Time Frame: Seasonal
Salary: $11.56 - $13.98/hr
• At least 2 years of leadership experience in a Day Camp or Sleep Away Camp setting.
• Experience supervising employees and planning special events.
• Current CPR and Standard First Aid certifications or willingness to obtain.
• Experience dealing with parents in a professional and tactful manner.
• Be resourceful and flexible in many situations and be able to think critically to identify and respond to hazards.
• Skills in communication, leadership and public relations
• Knowledge of the development stages of children in Grades K – 8
• Ability to train and motivate staff
• Ability to think critically and make sound evaluations
• Ability to connect with campers and staff members
• Flexible and willing to try new ways of doing things
• Ability to observe camper behavior assess its appropriateness, enforce appropriate safety regulations and emergency procedures, and apply appropriate behavior-management techniques
• Ability to multitask
Additional Information
Interested candidates should complete the Town of Merrimack Application for Employment and mail or drop it off to the following address: Town of Merrimack Attn: Human Resources 6 Baboosic Lake Road Merrimack, NH 03054 Download the job application at: http://www.merrimacknh.gov/sites/merrimacknh/files/town_of_merrimack_application_2015.pdf
116 Naticook Road
Merrimack, New Hampshire 03054


text:
By GENE ZALESKI, T&D Staff Writer Tuesday, July 28, 2009
With Jafza South Carolina LLC still bullish on its plans to build a logistics, manufacturing and distribution park near Santee, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials say the company has done a good job minimizing the project's environmental impact.
"They have been pretty aggressive in gathering the information they have needed to move forward," said Nathaniel Ball, project manager in the Corps' regulatory division. "They have done a great job in terms of looking at the wetlands."
Jafza, a subsidiary of Jafza Americas, first came to the Corps in February with its proposed development plans for the entire site, Ball said. The Corps reviewed those plans and the project's impact on the wetlands on the site.
Jafza would need a permit from the Corps if it were to fill in wetlands, Ball said.
"The original layout impacted about three acres of wetlands," with a rail yard running parallel to the CSX line, he said. "That would have caused more impact to the wetlands."
But Ball said Jafza has since designed other alternatives to reduce the potential wetland impact to half an acre.
"They have two parcels that don't have any wetland impact," he said.
Ball said Jafza also has been working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State Historic Preservation Society to ensure preservation.
"Jafza conducted an endangered species survey and identified several wetlands on the project site that may be considered habitat for Canby's dropwort (Oxypolis canbyii), a federally listed endangered species," Ball said. "Based on a site inspection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, no individual plants were found on the project site and only one wetland was determined to be suitable habitat for this species."
Ball while there is little likelihood of the site supporting dropwort, Jafza has agreed to preserve this wetland system as greenspace.
"Therefore, the proposed project is not expected to have an adverse impact on Canby's dropwort," Ball said. "Jafza has done a good job working with the USFWS to avoid and minimize potential adverse impacts to Canby's dropwort."
Ball said it was too early to tell what, if any, permits will be needed. Much will depend on the final development plans.
Company officials are still shooting for an early 2010 groundbreaking. Jafza plans to have the first tenants in the park by early 2011.
"Our company's vision is to be the leading global provider of sustainable industrial and logistics infrastructure solutions," Jafza spokeswoman Tara Robertson said.
Jafza first announced in September 2007 it intended to make a $600 million to $700 million investment near Santee.
Plans call for a 1,322-acre logistics, manufacturing and distribution park that will include light manufacturing, light industrial space, a public intermodal facility, a truck plaza, warehousing and mixed-use offices and commercial uses.
T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone at 803-533-5551.


text:
It's estimated that as many as a third of college students smoke pot. But for 25-year-old Robyn Smith, "reefer madness" has taken a whole new meaning at the University of Southern Maine where he's a part-time junior who lives off campus and who has a doctor's authorization to use medical marijuana.
"Gotta make sure the keys are out of the ignition or else it's driving under the influence," Smith said.
Smith is sitting in what could be described as his mobile pharmacy his mother's borrowed SUV. He's parked across the street from the school so he can self-medicate without violating laws that prohibit both smoking and drug use on school grounds. Maine is one of 16 states that has legalized medical marijuana but it's still not permitted on the USM campus. So Smith either goes home to use or retreats to the privacy of a parked car.
Susan Sharon: "What strain are you using today?" Robyn Smith: "So, I have some Blueberry Widow, right now, which is a hybrid. I tend to use it alot because I have more of it than the other strains."
An Army veteran who spent 15 months in Afghanistan, Smith has been diagnosed with anxiety, a joint disorder and migraines that are so severe he occasionally winds up in the emergency room. He's currently prescribed half a dozen painkillers and other drugs to ease his symptoms. He's free to bring those on campus. But he said he doesn't like the way they make
Article source: http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/21799/Default.aspx


text:
Norwalk, CT
Industry: Staffing & Recruiting•
5 - 7 years
Posted 322 days agoby Yogesh Patel
Tax Manager (cpa firm)
Job ID: 0101-002
Location: Livingston NJ and Norwalk CT
Salary:100k ?125k
Relocation: negotiable
Regional CPA firm seeking to add a Tax Manager to its staff.
? Assume full responsibility for directing multiple engagements
? Provide clients with Tax Compliance, Research, Consulting for corporate, partnership and individual returns
? Provide oversight and direction to team of tax specialists in the delivery of tax services.
? Initiate and present effective tax planning strategies for a diverse range of middle market clients.
? Research and report on trends and developments concerning complex domestic and international
tax issues.
? Build existing and new client relationships
? Candidates should have five to seven years experience in public accounting
?Experienced with Individual, Partnership, S-Corp, C-Corp and HNW taxation.
?Experience with Trusts & Estates taxation a plus
? (2) years experience as a tax manager


text:
Morris Panner - What are the keys to success in a Web 2.0 world?
0 (0 Likes / 0 Dislikes)
Video Details
Duration: 1 minute and 23 seconds
Country: United States
Language: English
Genre: None
Views: 67
Posted by: siia_videos on Dec 12, 2008
http://www.SIIAOnDemand.net Morris Panner, CEO, OpenAir Inc. discusses the keys to success in a Web 2.0 world.
Caption and Translate
Sign In/Register for Dotsub above to caption this video.


text:
With the recent development nationwide, hip hop act Eedris Abdulkareem releases a new tune Naija My Country which is a revamped version of his earlier hit single – Jaga jaga. Produced by Soso beats, Listen up and enjoy!
Eedris Abdulkareem – Naija My Country [Jaga Jaga II][audio:https://www.360nobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Eedris-abdulkareem-naija-my-country.mp3|titles=Eedris abdulkareem – naija my country]
Eedris Abdulkareen - Naija My COuntry [ Jaga Jaga II ] (4.3 MiB, 929 hits)


text:
Art prints & frames, handmade in England since 1982
Art print
by Erin Clark
Anonymous .
Great product, good value and excellent delivery. Will use this company again.
Sign up for art inspiration
Contact us 01273 511 942 More ways to contact us
All art prints and images on this website are copyright their respective owners. All rights reserved. Website © 1999–2019 King & McGaw.
Shipping from £ ()
Start Shopping


text:
Members of the public walks past the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh, Scotland on June 24, 2016. (OLI SCARFF / AFP)
LONDON - The Scottish parliament on Tuesday refused to give its consent to Britain's key Brexit legislation - EU Withdrawal Bill.
The vote meant Scottish Nationalists Party leader Nicola Sturgeon's move to oppose proposals on post-Brexit power sharing was passed by the Scottish parliament, which fears May's current proposals would restrict its powers
MSPs (Members of the Scottish Parliament) rejected the British government's bill by 93 votes to 30.
The governing party at Holyrood, the Scottish Nationalists Party (SNP), won backing from Labour, Liberal Democrats and Greens MSPs to inflict the blow to British Prime Minister Theresa May's government.
The vote meant SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon's move to oppose proposals on post-Brexit power sharing was passed by the Scottish parliament, which fears May's current proposals would restrict its powers.
At the heart of the day's vote are fears among many Scottish politicians that a key section of May's legislation dealing with the return of devolved powers from the European Union after Brexit represents a "power grab" by Westminster.
Scottish Brexit minister Mike Russell told MSPs they needed to defend the progress which has been made in the 20 years of devolution.
"It is the job of MSPs to ensure that progress on devolution made over 20 years is not cast aside because of a Brexit which Scotland did not vote for and which can only be damaging to our country," he said.
He told MSPs: "Today the challenge of Brexit, or rather the challenge of the proposed power grab by the UK government under the guise of delivering Brexit, puts our devolved settlement at risk."
Political commentators said although the vote is not binding on May's government, it presents the British prime minister with the dilemma of either imposing a power-sharing plan on Holyrood, or attempting to avert a crisis by putting forward concessions.
Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman Adam Tomkins denied there was a power grab, describing today's Holyrood decision as baffling. Tomkins said in Wales, where there is also a devolved government, the administration has backed a deal.
The Scotsman newspaper commented: "The vote takes the UK into uncharted constitutional territory marking the first time that Holyrood has knocked back legislation that Westminster intends to press ahead with anyway."
The Guardian newspaper said Conservative Party sources suggested May is likely to push the legislation through the House of Commons without Scottish parliament's consent.
ALSO READ: Scotland's Sturgeon warns of catastrophic 'no deal' Brexit
The EU Withdrawal Bill aims to transfer all existing European legislation into domestic British law and is regarded as one of the most important pieces of Brexit legislation.
The Scottish parliament and Westminster have been at loggerheads for months over how to manage EU powers that will return to Britain after Brexit, including over state aid for industry, genetically modified crops policy, fishing quotas and farm subsidies, after ministers in London made a series of concessions brokered by the Scottish Conservatives.
Both sides agree those policies should operate uniformly across Britain. May's government says it will consult the Scottish parliament on all changes to those policies, trying to seek agreement, while Sturgeon has decided that consultation is not enough, and insists that her government should be given the legal power to block any changes it disagrees with.


text:
At the start of each semester, our BBA Orientation Retreat gives our incoming students a seamless educational experience - one that is informative, fun and memorable. We believe that Orientation makes a substantial impact on welcoming and connecting new students as they transition to the Goizueta Business School - a time in which basic habits are formed that influence their academic success and personal growth.
Our goals for Orientation are to introduce you to academic life within the business school, begin conversations about important community values, give you the time and information needed to feel at home and introduce you to the individuals and resources that you will need to be successful in our program.
To accomplish these goals, Orientation is an off campus two day event that combines and academic and resource overview with team building and experiential leadership programming to give you the foundation you need at the start of our program.
During these two days, you will be exposed to a full schedule of adventure learning experiences structured to increase community, enhance leadership, and encourage team building skills.


text:
Wyatt is great about going to the potty. A few months back, I thought I would never say, Wyatt rarely has any accidence's anymore. Last night he went #1 and he didn't flush, nor did he put the seat down, most importantly he didn't shut the door to the bathroom.
(Dean is now one. His favorite room in our house is the BATHROOM.) I found Dean playing in the toilet and his pj's were all wet... I guess what won't kill them won't hurt them.


text:
Hi all!
This week's prompt is Animals. I stumbled upon this cute image and knew I had to make it into a mani.
- Sinful Colors - 947 Mint Apple
- Sinful Colors - 101 Snow Me White
- OPI - NL B56 Mod About You
- Polish My Life - Tahoe
- Lucky 13 Lacquer - Dark Matter
- Lucky 13 Lacquer - Elemental Ward
Base: 2 coats of Mint Apple. With my smallest dotting tool I added tiny dots all over my nails. The little hedgehogs were added next, with nail art brushes and dotting tool (nose and cheeks). Ended with Elemental Ward.
The hedgehogs are not perfect, but I still think they're cute.
Love, Brethil
More animals down here!


text:
Local entrepreneur hopes staging Raw Fest will win him £1m
A young entrepreneur from Manchester is to stage his debut music festival to compete for up to £1m investment as part of an upcoming BBC competition.
Kris Sparrow, 29, is one of 500 finalists selected from thousands of applicants who will now be challenged to pull off a profitable business venture in under four weeks using £100.
The former events promoter is planning mini music festival 'Raw Fest' to showcase Manchester's finest raw talent across a variety of genres. He hopes to catch the eye of Innocent Fruit Smoothies co-founder and competition judge, Richard Reed, to win the investment in order to take his South Manchester houseshare concept www.idealhouseshare.com to the next level.
Sparrow said he applied for the BBC competition because he wanted the prize to grow his business nationally.
Said Sparrow: "I love music but I've never organised a festival before and I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone because you have to challenge yourself.
"I'm definitely pushing myself to the limit as I'm working 18 hour days in the run up to the event."
Sparrow will showcase unsigned local bands, guest artists, singer/songwriters and DJs during Raw Fest at Manchester's famed Rampant Lion pub on Sunday May 27. Any profit will be donated to BBC Children in Need.
Sparrow, who grew up in Stockport and now resides in West Didsbury, set up the www.idealhouseshare.com concept in 2009 to help migrating young professionals find a foothold in South Manchester, by bringing them into a unique social network based around providing shared accommodation in Didsbury, Chorlton and the city centre.
"It's not just a houseshare management site, but a geographically specific social networking site. We personality-match newcomers and invite them to events where they meet other potential housemates along with our existing members," said Sparrow.
Raw Fest, which is sponsored by BACKSTAGE ACADEMY® and LS-Live, kicks off from 2pm with bands playing on the outdoor stage until 9pm, and DJs carrying on late into the night. There will be BBQ food available, speed painting, art installations and the event will be filmed as part of an upcoming BBC competition.
Local bands Gold Jacks, Jimmy Lynch & Liam Ward, and Brouhaha will play alongside DJs Mike Richardson (Unity FM), Alex Blaxx (Drop the Mustard), Woody, Scooby Drew and Jut.
To secure a £6 guestlist place, register on the website www.rawfestmanchester.co.uk, otherwise a limited number of tickets will be available on the door for £7. You can also 'Like' the festival on Facebook.


text:
Park Forest Neighborhood - Dallas, TX
- Neighborhoods
- April 27, 2012
Westhollow Society's premiere episode of our monthly podcast. We discuss crime, Jennifer Staubach Gates, Streets in the area, Beautification, Membership, Next-door.READ MORE
Power Outages Neighborhoods within the Westhollow area of Dallas including Park Forest, Sparkman Club, Midway Hollow, and many others experienced numerous power outages throughout the year, most specifically and most recently this Fall/Winter Season.Some households went as long as 70 hours without power after freezing temperatures lingered for weeks shortly before and after Christmas. ShortlyREAD MORE
A fire alarm went off around 8:15 a.m. today at Forest Dale Senior Citizen Apartments in the 11800 block of Highdale Drive near Forest Lane. Approximately 50 residents were evacuated from the senior community after the fire was reported. According to Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans, the firefighters were able to bring the fire under controlREAD MORE
Non-Profit Westhollow Society is planning 2014-2015 programs. Donovan Lord, the founder and President of Westhollow Society, is working to plan the 2014-2015 programs and goals for the Westhollow Society. "Our first couple of years have moved slowly because we have little funding and little participation by neighborhoods, but we hope to change that with increasedREAD MORE


text:
Dr. Banafsheh Keynoush, Ph.D. in International Law and Diplomacy and author of "Saudi Arabia and Iran: Friends or Foes?" will discuss the crisis in Qatar.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: June 19Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman's Awakening
Later Event: June 27US, Iran, Saudi Arabia: A New Diplomatic Calculus?


text:
The Chaco Phenomenon: A Brief Overview
Chaco Canyon
Sometime around AD 800, a radical cultural phenomenon transformed the New Mexico landscape. Suddenly, the scorched, inhospitable southwestern terrain became the foundation for a well-planned, efficiently constructed cityscape that reflected the 19-year cycle of the moon, as well as the sun's annual orbit. Extensive canals, multi-story homes, vast plazas, ancient roadways, and satellite communities soon occupied anywhere between 45,000-60,000 square miles.
Considering its circumscribed location, Chaco Canyon is archaeologically perplexing. Why establish such a progressive settlement apart from other socio-politically complex societies?
Architectural Anomalies
Instead of providing any concrete answers as to the purpose of Chaco Canyon, decades of archeological excavations only revealed additional baffling features of this ancient site, originally built by the Anasazi, who are the predecessors of modern Pueblo Indians. Consider the Great Kivas, or "great houses", found along the northern end of the canyon. These homes consisted of multiple stories, numerous rooms (Pueblo Bonito, the largest of these "great houses", apparently comprised of 650 rooms), and were constructed over several different building episodes. The remarkable detail of these Great Kivas is although not their construction, but rather that only very few people inhabited these vast dwellings at one time. The lack of human activity is further supported by an almost complete absence of burials.
Further perplexities arise when considering other features of this expansive site. Chaco Canyon, for instance, lies in the direct center of the four cardinal directions, situated in an environment devoid of consistent rainfall and with limited resources, creating unfavorable conditions for a culture that purposefully chose the area to construct each architectural facet evidenced in the cityscape. Another archaeological enigma includes 400 miles of unpaved roadways, some of which terminate abruptly, serving no identifiable purpose. Also, there is no indication, as of yet, that the populace utilized draft animals, which would negate the need for a substantial network of roads.
Decline and Abandonment
The incredible efforts made by the Anasazi towards meticulously constructing a pre-meditated community engenders further questions, considering that after only a few short centuries, Chaco Canyon was abandoned. Excavations of the region suggest that drought, starvation, and warfare may have forced the inhabitants to seek refuge elsewhere. The severity of these conditions was profound, as archeological evidence indicates that lack of nutrition drove the inhabitants of the region to cannibalism. For example, casualties of war appear to have served as a source of food, with battle sites dating towards the close of the Chaco phenomenon containing smooth-ended bones, indicative of having been boiled, and traces of human muscle protein in dried human feces.
While no singular reason may ever be identified as prompting the desertion of this complex site, it is clear that after a mere 300 years, Chaco Canyon stood forsaken, with no definite indication as to what occurred to its remaining populace.
Copyright Lilith Eden 2013. All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries of Chaco Canyon
No comments yet.


text:
Project Hammer Reloaded
Part 1 of 2
Riches looted by the Nazis and Japanese during WWII and recovered by the United States OSS and CIA have been used to finance secret government projects over the decades and save major banks from insolvency.
Extracted from Nexus Magazine, Volume 10, Number
5 (August-September 2003)
by David G. Guyatt © 2003
Beginning in 1988 and lasting until approximately 1992, "Project Hammer" was the latest in a series of highly secretive banking practices--known as "collateral trading" programmes--that are used to create, as if by magic, huge amounts of unaccountable funds for use in specific projects.
These vast pools of unvouchered slush funds are applied to finance a wide variety of clandestine activities that include secret military projects, geo-political requirements and the development of infrastructure projects.
It is also whispered that, in the case of the Project Hammer programme at least, a percentage of the proceeds generated from this secretive activity found its way into the pockets of VIPs and well-known politicians. Names associated with such corrupt behaviour are carried on the wind; but if one listens attentively, the names George Bush, Sr, and Jim Baker III are just discernible to the trained ear.
An example of the type of project on which these funds are expended is the trading programme known as "EFG Jacobi"--a predecessor of Hammer--that I understand was used largely to finance military facilities and related operations at the top-secret US base located at Pine Gap near Alice Springs in central Australia.
In order to maintain the secrecy that surrounds genuine activity, these trading programmes are routinely said not to exist. Enquiries about them are deflected and attention is instead focused on the warnings issued by government agencies about fake programmes. This, when combined with the numerous prosecutions that occur every year over fraudulent High Yield Investment Programme transactions, serves to create the impression that authorised programmes do not occur.
The reasons for this deflection are many, but not least is the fact that the asset bases on which these programmes usually operate are also said not to exist--at least in the quantities that they actually do. The assets in question are large volumes of gold and lesser amounts of platinum plundered by the Nazis and Japanese during World War II.
The fact that gold has been the one stable commodity used to back and support the issuance of currency over the decades means that it has been subject to considerable government and central bank secrecy. It was only in 1997 that the Bank of England decided to lift this veil of secrecy and allow the London bullion market a degree of openness. But that openness did not include coming clean about the true amount of gold in existence, which is far larger than official figures allow.
Because of this and the extremely covert nature of related trading programmes, comprehensive details of the programmes' operations and the financing techniques employed have remained hidden from public view. At least this was the case prior to the publication of part one of this series, The Project Hammer File.1 This essay is the result of further examination of the techniques and activity of Project Hammer, and now places additional important material into the public domain.
Project Hammer remains a high-level state secret in a number of countries including the USA. This was confirmed de facto by the CIA in its refusal to release any relevant information following my Freedom of Information Act request in February 2001. The exemption used by the CIA to reject my request was that relevant material is "properly classified pursuant to an Executive Order in the interest of national defense or foreign policy".2
Project Hammer also stands out
because proceeds from the trading activity were illegally diverted by
major banks. Confirmation of this is provided by Brigadier-General
Erle Cocke in his April 2000 affidavit. In this, General Cocke was
asked about the involvement of former US Treasury Secretary Lloyd
Bentsen, who was retained to investigate what had happened to (and
also to recover) the missing funds. Asked if Bentsen "had the
government's interest in closing this whole problem" and if he had
"ever had a discussion" with Bentsen, Cocke replied:
Cocke was then asked if "they would
like to finish it", and he responded:
One can conclude that the banks that diverted this money were too powerful for any agency of the US government to tackle. It also helped that suitable and substantial "incentives" were provided to former high-level Bush (Sr) Administration figures to bring their influence to bear quietly to ensure that action against the banks was not taken.
Although not part of the sanctioned plan for Project Hammer--which was to generate funds to pay off debts on bullion certificates issued by certain metal trusts--the funds were siphoned off surreptitiously in order to rescue numerous major US and other banks that by the latter half of the 1980s were tottering on the brink of bankruptcy.3
The banks only had themselves to blame for their imminent collapse. Reckless lending to Third World nations for over a decade or more, combined with the raw greed of senior bank executives, had caused unparalleled damage to the world's banking system. The inability of indebted Third World nations to repay their massive debts could have been--in fact, was--foreseen, but was ignored.
The spiral of gluttony had taken prisoner the faculty of prudence and reason as bank executives, seeking their next bonus and promotion, pleaded with sovereign nations to take loans they did not need and ultimately could not repay. Nor was it unusual for some of the funds on loan to find their way into the private bank accounts of corrupt state officials--"diversions" that were known about in the boardrooms of the top banks, but ignored as "business as usual".
By the end of the 1980s, big banks including Citibank, Chase Manhattan, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), England's Midland Bank and many, many others were in dire straits. In all but name, they were bankrupt. The possibility of a prolonged series of collapses of the world's top banks--a sort of "domino theory" of finance--was regarded in some quarters with palpable fear. The entire Western banking system was rocking when it should have been rolling along nicely.
Somewhere, someone--nobody knows who (or at least no one is saying)--took the decision to bail out the banks and save the banking system by diverting Project Hammer funds for this purpose. Those banking executives who caused the problem in the first place weren't confronted by their mistakes or held to account by their shareholders but, instead, continued to collect their million-dollar pay cheques, boost their bonus payments and profit shares, flick ash off their Cuban cigars, quaff bottles of expensive Cheval Blanc and slap each other on the back in delighted relief. One of those sighing relief was almost certainly Citibank's John Reed. Another one quite likely to have been cultivating a quiet exhalation was Hongkong and Shanghai Bank boss Sir William Purvis.
Meanwhile, many investors who had placed their money into Project Hammer in return for an agreed profit, as well as all those middle-men who had worked hard for their promised commission, were relieved of their money in a twisted version of the well- known axiom, "One man's loss is another banker's gain".
The sanctioned purpose of Project Hammer was of a macro-economic nature, which is a nice way of saying that it was all to do with "repatriating" the assets stolen earlier by someone else--except that when nations steal valuable assets during wartime, it's called "plunder"; but when the victors in that war grab those same assets, they call it "recovery".
The assets in question were a vast horde of gold and lesser quantities of platinum plus not inconsiderable amounts of loose gemstones which had been grabbed by the Nazis and the Japanese during World War II. A large volume of this loot found its way to the Philippines where it was hidden in numerous treasure sites by the Japanese occupiers, who planned to recover it after the war.
But it didn't quite work out the way the Japanese had planned. They lost the war, along with the Philippines-- which, it seems, they had been fairly confident of being allowed to keep in a negotiated truce with the Allies.
In their place, the OSS--the wartime forerunner of America's spy agency, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)--began recovering the bullion plundered from a dozen or so nations. This bullion formed what became known as the "Black Eagle" fund, which was part of a secret agreement eclipsed behind the 1944 Bretton Woods Agreement. Consequently, the metal was placed under the care of OSS (and later CIA) operative Severino Garcia Santa Romana, who put it under the control of numerous corporate entities he formed for the purpose. These entities, in turn, proceeded to establish 176 bank accounts in 42 different countries in which to deposit these assets under private treaty agreement.
Confirmation of this came from General Cocke, after this was put to him: "I have been advised that a chunk of the Hammer Project funds that were used to trade, to invest and reinvest, came from a large block of assets that CIA put into the bank [Citibank]." Cocke replied: "And they pulled that several times from several sources. Nobody is going to confirm it."4
Santa Romana died in 1974, and following his death his former attorney and trustee was able to "acquire" considerable portions of Santa Romana's estate by illicit means. The lawyer was Ferdinand Marcos, who went on to become President of the Philippines and a favourite friend of the United States until his overthrow in 1986. The acquisition of these assets helped give rise to stories of "Marcos gold"--a legend that was supplemented by additional later recoveries of WWII gold and other loot using a Filipino Army battalion under the overall command of Marcos henchman General Fabian Ver.
But Marcos was not the sole illegitimate beneficiary of war loot once controlled by Santa Romana. Another was the late Baron Krupp who, I have been told, also gained access to some of these assets. Meanwhile, it is worth mentioning that Santa Romana, prior to his death, was apparently associated with former US President and head of the CIA, George H. W. Bush, and "had some contact" with Jeb Bush, the Governor of Florida.
In any event, this bullion has collectively given rise to a whole class of gold and platinum certificates issued over the decades, mainly by top-drawer European banks. The certificates bear the names of prominent, and in some cases infamous, individuals--usually heads of state--as beneficiaries. However, these named owners were and are not the legal beneficiaries but, rather, were cat's-paws used to muddy the waters concerning the true origin of the bullion. Nor did the banks that held the assets own them, but they could and did use them in support of their off-balance sheet activity--to the point of irresponsibility.
It should not be forgotten that this gold and platinum hoard was stolen and that, under international law, every effort should have been made to return it to its rightful owners--rather than secretly stash it in bank vaults for use in Cold War covert operations. And although it can reasonably be argued that the true owners could never be traced--since the greater quantity of the bullion was privately owned (rather than being central bank bullion)--it is clear that the ends dictated the means.
And even though numerous nations around the world were to benefit from post-war reconstruction based on the use and application of this war booty, the price of this apparent largesse was for these nations to be moulded into Uncle Sam's image. As they say in America's boardrooms, "There's no such thing as a free lunch".
In examining the techniques employed in setting up Project Hammer, one is struck not just by the complexity of it but also by the way the banks and intelligence agencies involved structured things to shield themselves from responsibility (and lawsuits, no doubt) by utilising subterranean networks, each working at "arm's length".
Piecing these techniques and networks together has been an arduous, painstaking task, but the process has further unveiled a shadow world of parallel finance usually only known to those initiated into it.
During his April 2000 deposition,
just days before his death from cancer, Brigadier-General Erle Cocke,
when asked about the overall objective of Project Hammer,
General Cocke then added that
involvement in Project Hammer extended to:
Cocke's involvement with clandestine CIA activities dates back many years. At the very least, he is known to have been involved with the CIA's Nugan Hand Bank. For example, US Treasury records obtained by veteran journalist and author Jonathan Kwitny show Cocke as the registered "person in charge" of Nugan Hand's Washington office.6
Cocke also indicated in his affidavit that he was regularly contacted by the CIA for expert assistance over the years and was usually debriefed by them following overseas travel. Despite this, a Freedom of Information Act request to the CIA made on behalf of this writer was dismissed with the statement that "�no records responsive to your request were located"--which is not entirely the same thing as saying that no records exist.7
It also appears that the CIA is not the only one that cares to deny knowledge of General Cocke. Another is former Citibank CEO and Chairman John Reed, who, in a sworn affidavit dated 5 December 2000, stated he had "no knowledge of any persons named Erle Cocke, Jr, or Barrie D. Wamboldt". Both the CIA and Citibank's John Reed hold at least one major advantage over General Cocke: they are alive and he is dead; and while it is true that the dead can't lie, it is also true that they can't rebut anyone's testimony--sworn or otherwise.8
In his deposition, Cocke states that
although he had never "met" John Reed, he had attempted on numerous
occasions to speak with him, but was continually rejected:
The "we" Cocke was referring to, besides himself, was Paul Green, a "long-time real estate lawyer in New York" with "50 years practice", who "had done most of his real estate dealings through Citibank".10 Green also did some of his banking business with Citibank at its Fifth Avenue, New York, branch under account FOCUS #946 963 94.
According to Cocke, Paul Green was an
outside counsel for Citibank and went back "�30-odd years with large
transactions through that bank, buying and selling big buildings. He
was very much involved buying and selling the Empire State Building
one time."11 Asked if Green was involved in the purchase and sale of
collateral instruments, Cocke replied:
News in late March 2003 revealed that the Empire State Building had just been sold by casino king Donald Trump and the heirs of shady Japanese billionaire Hideki Yokoi for US$57.5 million. Yokoi (who, at the time, was serving a prison sentence and had secretly negotiated the transaction through a middleman) and his partner Trump had gained ownership of the building in 1991 for US$42 million. Little is known about Yokoi's World War II activities.
The building last changed hands four decades earlier in 1961, when it was acquired by real estate tycoon Harry Helmsley from the Prudential Insurance Company in a sale-leaseback deal. The world-renowned skyscraper was built on land owned by the Astor family and sold to the DuPonts in 1929. Construction of the Empire State Building began in 1930. John Jacob Astor was one of the first Americans to become involved in the opium trade, from which his later fortune derived. This he invested in Manhattan real estate. The architects of the Empire State Building were Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates--designers of One Bankers Trust Plaza, the HQ of Bankers Trust, together with the Credit Lyonnais building in New York City.
It is of more than passing interest that one law firm represents many of the "actors" who appear in this story. That firm is White & Case. Amongst numerous notable achievements listed on its website background/history is its representation of the DuPont Group in its sale of the Empire State Building in 1954 for the princely sum of US$51.5 million. As we noted earlier, almost 40 years later, in 1991, the building sold for the less than princely sum of US$42 million. I am not certain how the real estate investors define investment performance over the years, but an aggregate loss of US$9.5 million over the course of 37 years doesn't usually constitute an investment accomplishment by any standard I know.13
Meanwhile, a brief review of White & Case's client list tell us that they also represented the First National Bank (the forerunner of Citibank), Astor Trust Company,14 Prudential, J. P. Morgan & Co., Saudi Aramco, Swiss Bank Corporation and Seagram Company Ltd of Canada, controlled by the Bronfman family--regarded by some as the kings of the Canadian mafia.15 But White & Case's most "enduring" client is Bankers Trust Company, a J. P. Morgan-controlled bank which the law firm was "centrally involved" in forming back in 1903.
The ancestor of all trust companies is England's Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust, which dates back to 1868 and was conceived by one of the foremost legal minds of the day, Lord Westbury. The current Lord Westbury, Richard Bethell, will appear later in this story.
But first, let's step through the
looking glass and examine one of the early Hammer deals, which
General Cocke believed:
Dan Hughes, Jr, the nephew of US Representative William J. Hughes from New Jersey, made a considerable fortune in the construction business in Florida during his early working life. By the mid-1980s, with paper assets nearing US$100 million, he became involved in collateral trading and by late 1989 entered the realm of Project Hammer.
During the autumn of 1989, Hughes was approached by Peter Seaman, the President and Chairman of a small investment bank called Nantucket Holding Company. Seaman had developed an arrangement with Ecoban Limited, a small merchant bank with offices in London and New York City that specialised in emerging market-debt and the A'forfait market.16 Seaman, using Nantucket Holding Company, concluded an agreement by which Ecoban would purchase US$100 million worth of documentary letters of credit issued by the head offices of Citibank NA and the Chase Manhattan Bank NA. Hughes had access to these bank credits via a US$50 billion "commitment" extended to him by the Bankers Trust Company.
To fund the purchase, Ecoban needed the support of a bank and turned to Midland Bank Aval Limited (MidAval), the forfaiting subsidiary of Midland Bank Group International Trade Services (MiBGITS). MidAval, once wholly owned by Midland Bank, had, shortly before commencing with the Hammer transaction, concluded a private agreement with Sir William Purvis, Chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, wherein HSBC purchased a controlling equity stake in MidAval. This meant that MidAval was 60% owned by HSBC and 40% owned by Midland Bank.17
Accordingly, on 12 October 1989, MidAval issued a letter agreeing to purchase "$100 million with rolls until funds are exhausted of documentary letters of credit�"18 An earlier MidAval letter (dated 25 September 1989) stated that they "irrevocably commit to purchase the above letters of credit and pay the amount agreed between you and Ecoban Limited ('the purchase price') to Citibank NA, Lugano".
The reference to "Lugano" was deleted in later letters at the specific request of Nantucket's Peter Seaman, as detailed in his 11 October 1989, letter to Brian Fitzpatrick, the Managing Director of Ecoban Limited. Lugano was of some considerable importance--as we shall see later--but not least because it was at Union Bank of Switzerland in Lugano where, according to Dan Hughes, the actual trading of the Hammer programme took place.
Meanwhile, MidAval's letter was addressed to Jardine, Emett & Chandler, New England, Inc., in Boston, USA, which acted as an agent for MidAval. On the strength of MidAval's signed and authorised letter, Jardine, Emett & Chandler issued its own "Request for collateral instruments" under its letterhead. This letter, dated 12 October 1989, bore the reference "Midland Bank Aval Limited for Ecoban Limited".
To close the circle, Dan Hughes had earlier instructed his attorney, Oswald (Ozzie) Howe, Jr, of the Miami law firm Mershon, Sawyer, Johnston, Dunwoody & Cole, to cause to be issued a sight draft, dated 6 October 1989, drawn on the Southeast Bank NA, Miami, and payable to Bankers Trust Company, for the sum of US$50,000. A further sight draft was issued in the amount of US$25,000, at the request of Bankers Trust. Following this sequence of events, nothing happened and no draws were made against the sight drafts issued by Southeast Bank in favour of Bankers Trust. But on 18 October 1989, Hughes received a time and sequence confirmation from Joan Johnson, Vice President and Operations Manager of the Security Pacific bank in Los Angeles, which Hughes believes activated his transaction through a "back door" arrangement which would cut him out of his commission.19 Thereafter, Peter Seaman point-blank and inexplicably refused to speak with Hughes again.
General Cocke was an experienced banker from a long line of bankers and was a former full-time US representative at the World Bank. Intimately familiar with the operational techniques of trading programmes, he was asked: "Can you explain in a general way how it [Hammer] functioned, that it was a trade programme, for those of us that are not familiar?"
The stock way all big banks, all central banks, change within themselves and curtail their balances, build up their peaks and then sell it.
He went on to explain that "most of it is done in a four-week program to be technically correct" and involved the trading of banking instruments--usually known as "collateral"--that are heavily discounted and then sold off.
To appreciate the subtleties of how the diversion of this particular "portal" into Project Hammer may have occurred, it is instructive to look at the connections and associations of the principal players.20
A one-time President and CEO of Ecoban Finance Limited in New York was Jim Demitrieus, who more recently was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Ixnet/IPC, which was acquired by Global Crossing in June 2000. Global Crossing was one of the US firms that recently suffered a spectacular collapse together with Worldcom, Enron and the accountancy firm Arthur Andersen. All were subjected to a welter of media attention for what was believed to have been unparalleled insider trading activities by senior executives.
Earlier in his career, Demitrieus "served as senior vice president and chief operating officer of the Commodity Division of Drexel Burnham Lambert, Inc., responsible for the precious metals, energy products, foreign exchange trading subsidiary and institutional brokerage division". Of interest here is the little known fact that Drexel, Burnham, Lambert, New York, was a recipient of gold bullion from Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos in January 1984. It is not clear from Mr Demitrieus's available vitae if this was the same time period he was the Senior Vice President of Drexel's bullion business, but I am informed this is probably the case. Before that, Demitrieus "held senior-level financial positions with Freeport-McMoRan, ITT and Arthur Andersen".21
Significantly, Freeport-McMoRan, back when it was Freeport Sulphur, positively heaved with CIA and elite heavy-hitters--not to mention persistent whispers of its involvement in the recovery of plundered gold stashed in Indonesia, where Freeport had the world's largest copper mining operation. Over the years, the Freeport senior management has included such luminaries as Augustus "Gus" Long, Chairman of Texaco, who did "prodigious volunteer work for Columbia Presbyterian Hospital"--which has been described as a "hotbed of CIA activity".22
Another director was Robert Lovett, who has been described as a "Cold War architect" and was once an executive at the old Wall Street bank of Brown Brothers Harriman. He also served as an Under Secretary of State, Assistant Secretary of War and Secretary of Defense. He was a best friend of Chase Manhattan Bank Chairman (and Warren Commission member) John J. McCloy.
The Chase Manhattan and Citibank connection to Freeport was further enhanced by the board appointment of Godfrey Rockefeller, brother of James Stillman Rockefeller who was appointed Chairman of Citibank (then known as First National City Bank, or FNCB for short) in 1959. (Note, too, that Chase Manhattan and Citibank are the exact same two banks that were to issue the Project Hammer documentary letters of credit.) Godfrey Rockefeller was a one-time trustee of the Fairfield Foundation that financed a variety of CIA "fronts". Meanwhile, Stillman's cousin, David Rockefeller, was Chairman of Chase Manhattan and regarded as the "goliath of American banking".23
By a strange coincidence of fate, it was Robert Lovett and John J. McCloy who, together with Robert B. Anderson, formed Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson's team of financial experts concerned with tracking WWII gold looted by the Axis powers. Indeed, Lovett and McCloy were responsible for negotiating the secret agreement hidden behind the Bretton Woods Agreement concerning the establishment of the Black Eagle trust that was to make use of plundered WWII bullion in the postwar years.24
Kock's boss at Midland was Comte Herve de Carmoy, a Frenchman and a leading light on the Trilateral Commission. He left Midland in 1988 to take up the position as the most senior executive of Belgium's massive transnational company, Société Générale. He was replaced as head of Midland International by John Louden, a multilinguist who had an unfortunate speech impediment--leading wags in the bank to say of him that he could stutter in seven languages. De Carmoy's departure was followed by that of both Cuckney and Kock, after what Gerald James describes as "funny practices" relating to a loss of £100 million involving all three men.26
Although a similar amount to the MidAval's Project Hammer transaction, this sum of £100 million cannot have been the same money for two reasons. Firstly, the Hammer amount was in dollars and not pounds, and was discounted at approximately 4% over the prevailing one-year interest rate (LIBOR--the London Interbank Borrowing Rate). For US banks of the standing of Chase and Citibank, at that time a market rate of perhaps one quarter of 1%--or, at most, one half of 1%--was applicable. Four per cent was unheard of by a very long shot indeed. Secondly, at least a year separated the two movements of money.
Even so, there are notable connections between the MidAval CEO Ian Guild and Herve de Carmoy (who was known in the bank as "Herve the Swerve"). Firstly, de Carmoy was Guild's overall boss. Secondly, shortly after de Carmoy moved to Société Générale, a valued employee of MidAval (also a Frenchman, referred to in-house by the affectionate nickname of "Froggy") left MidAval employment to take up the post of Chef du Cabinet at the specific invitation of de Carmoy. Thirdly, Guild and the other two senior executives, plus some other staff, left Midland in 1990 to form IndoSuez Aval Limited. IndoSuez Bank was directly owned by Société Générale and negotiations between de Carmoy, his Chef du Cabinet--the former MidAval employee--and the three senior MidAval executives had been ongoing for almost a year before satisfactory terms were settled.
Following the takeover of Midland Bank by HSBC, MidAval had its name changed to HSBC Forfaiting Limited. It was dissolved in February 2000. Former staff had long since scattered with the four winds. IndoSuez Aval Limited is likewise now defunct.
Author's Note:
About the Author:
David now pursues a career in journalism, writing for a variety of media and researching and producing factual material on a wide range of associated subjects. This is his 10th article for NEXUS, the most recent published in 9/01-9/02 ("Project Hammer" parts one and two).
In addition to his feature writing, David has prepared background papers on Anti-Personnel Electromagnetic Weapons for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was a contributing member of ICRC's SIrUS Project that sought to define criteria for judging "abhorrent weapons", and has written for the World Development Movement on his "insider's knowledge" of international weapons financing. He has been a consultant on Swiss and UK TV documentaries, exposing the threat of non-lethal weapons and Britain's weapons trail to Indonesia. He assisted the US-based law firm Easton & Levy in its lawsuit against the Vatican for the restitution of the Nazi Croatian Treasury which was illicitly transferred to the Vatican and elsewhere at the end of World War II.
David has recently completed an in-depth investigation into the black market of gold and has published it as an electronic book, titled "The Secret Gold Treaty", which is available through his home page at http://www.deepblacklies.co.uk.
1. Available for free download at http://www.deepblacklies.co.uk; also see NEXUS 9/01-9/02.
2. See Project Hammer part one, "The Project Hammer File", freely available on my website, http://www.deepblacklies.co.uk.
3. Information about Project Hammer has been garnered from numerous sources. Those sources that I am able to name are named in the text. The remainder remain confidential.
4. Page 51 of General Cocke's affidavit. One of the CIA "sources" was the slush fund controlled by Japanese Liberal Democrat Party bosses and known as the "M-fund", after General MacArthur's economic supremo in Tokyo, General Marquat.
5. General Cocke's 67-page affidavit is available for free download at my website, http://www.deepblacklies.co.uk: just click on the Project Hammer File link and follow the instructions.
6. See Jonathan Kwitny's excellent book, The Crimes of Patriots (Touchstone Books, New York, 1987), for a detailed background on the Nugan Hand Bank affair.
7. See http://www.deepblacklies.co.uk/cocke-news.html for a copy of the CIA's letter.
8. See http://www.deepblacklies.co.uk/cocke-news.html for a copy of the cover sheet of John Reed's affidavit.
9. See page 43 of Cocke's deposition at lines 11, 12 and 13.
11. See pages 40 and 41 of Cocke's deposition at lines 19 through 21 and 1 through 6.
12. ibid., page 41 at lines 9 and 10.
13. If one includes the inflationary effect over this time period, it would reveal that the sale price is, in fact, a great deal less now than it was almost 50 years ago, which is more than curious. Nor does the leasing agreement over this same period seem especially lucrative.
14. It is not clear from the banking records I have viewed online, but it looks as though the Astor Trust Company was absorbed into an entity that formed part of the Bankers Trust Company.
15. See Dope, Inc. (EIR, 1992).
16. Forfaiting is the discounting of bank-guaranteed receivables (Aval) on a non-recourse basis.
17. I use the term "private agreement" under advice--following a recent telephone conversation with a representative of Companies House, who told me that no change of ownership notification had been made for MidAval at that time. MidAval had first been registered as a limited company under the shelf registration name of "Diplema Twenty Nine Limited" in June 1983. A change of name to Midland Bank Aval Limited was formally notified to Companies House in April 1996--although the firm had been trading in the name of Midland Bank Aval Limited from day one. Following the full buy-out of Midland Bank PLC by the HSBC Group, MidAval had its name changed to HSBC Forfaiting Limited. The company was dissolved in February 2000.
19. Sworn and notarised affidavit of Dan Hughes, dated December 31, 1990.
20. There are believed to have been numerous different "portals" providing access into Project Hammer over the period of its life. The Dan Hughes transaction was one of these--albeit a significant and "early" one, according to the testimony of General Erle Cocke.
21. Demitrieus's vitae is drawn from that published on the Global Crossing website.
22. For details concerning the Freeport Board of Directors, see Internet report entitled "Freeport Sulphur's Powerful Board of Directors".
23. See Phillip Zweig's massive book, Wriston (Crown Publishers, New York, 1995) for comprehensive background on Citibank and Chase.
24. For details of these three gentlemen's involvement in the Black Eagle Trust, see Seagrave's self-published book, Gold Warriors; details are available on my website, http://www.deepblacklies.co.uk, linked under the heading of "The Seagrave Affair" on the main page.
25. I know much of the inner workings of MidAval for the simple reason that I was the Treasurer and an Associate Director of that firm until 1991. However, I knew nothing of the Project Hammer deal that was strictly handled by the three principal executive directors.
26. See details on page 164 of Gerald James's book, In the Public Interest (Warner Books/Little, Brown, London, 1996).


text:
The NSW government is under pressure from the opposition and environmental groups to ban plastic bags following the premier's claims there's no need for the move.
An opposition spokesman said "in the face of government inaction" Labor would move to introduce legislation to ban single-use plastic bags when parliament resumes.
It comes after Gladys Berejiklian on Monday said NSW didn't need to legislate a ban when 80 per cent of the state's plastic bags would be phased out by supermarkets themselves.
Opposition Leader Luke Foley has slammed the position, saying it would allow 10 million bags to still be littered statewide every year.
Greenpeace has called on Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton to ban the bag when she meets with other state and territory ministers on Friday, saying it is embarrassing NSW is taking so long to act.
Comment has been sought from the state government.


text:
International Tea House Club Today the members of the International Tea House Club are celebrating Japan with a traditional Macha Tea. Please come to the staff room after school today and enjoy cup of Macha green tea. National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women World council would like to remind everyone that December 6th is National day of remembrance and Action on Violence Against women. Please help us to honour this day by making a donation of gently used clothes to Safety Net a local charity that helps families in our community. The donations can be placed in a bright red box located in the main office.
Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites


text:
Welcome to Weirdsville: Never Forget – by M. Christian
Trumpeting — though no one alive can hear her; thundering down the shimmering vanishing point of the old steel rails — though no one living can feel her massing footfalls; her massive ectoplasmic essence prowls the afterlife tundra of the railway yards — maybe she tries to pull the living, so inaccessible, weeds that struggle through the creosote stained ties, between the fissures of cracked concrete; maybe she tries to bathe in the town reservoir, though the water flows through her ghostly form.
Perhaps, though the real world is denied her, it feels her presence nonetheless: Do some stare at peanuts and feel the awe and laughter of unseen audiences? Do others feel the elusive memory of hot savannas, the coughing call of hungry lions? And some unfortunate few, do they feel the bite of links around their necks, the mass of great weight parting their noble spines, blanking the world of the living, passing them onto that other sphere of the dead?
This is all speculation — all fantasy and conjecture. Truth, I do not know if she prowls the spectral side of the town, have no idea if the residents feel her presence in cotton-candy, big top dreams of circuses, or African visions of the wild. Hypothesis and imagination, yes, but I do know one thing as an absolute certainty — wherever Big Mary resides, whatever she is doing now, as her fabled nature describes, she has never forgotten what the people of Erin Tennessee did to her.
Most obviously, it isn't something the little town likes to be reminded of. In fact, I've heard, if you go poking around the railway yards, digging in slag pits and under massive pikes of old rail ties, the local citizens get rather uncomfortable, almost testy: they don't want to be known as the town that lynched the elephant.
Still, that's just what happened — and the bones of Big Mary are there somewhere.
1916 was a big year for hangings, especially in Tennessee. Strange fruit hung from a lot of trees — but none stranger than that other import from Africa.
A star of the Charlie Sparks World Famous Shows, Mary record — to be fair — was not exactly spotless. Some remember 18, others swear only two men had been killed by the African cow elephant. But whatever past raps may have been on her sheet, the cold hard fact remains that what was done to Mary was definitely unusual, and no doubt cruel.
Billed as "the largest living animal on earth" — claiming to be even bigger than P.T. Barnum's Jumbo — Mary was the star of Sparks' third-rate circus. In brilliant flybills, she was touted as being able to flawlessly play 25 tunes on musical horns, and even bat .400. Of the other pachyderm's in the show, she was the stand-out favorite — a mammoth diva.
Which is why Sparks' decision can still make people scratch their heads in wonder: If Mary was so valuable ($20,000 — not a small sum in those days) when why was she given Red Eldridge as a handler — a man who had just days before been a janitor in the nearby town of St. Paul, Virginia. Even discounting the wisdom of hindsight, it does seem extremely puzzling that Sparks should give control of a known-to-be-unpredictable elephant to a man who job history could best be described as 'bum'. A divergent thought springs to mind, a Machiavellian knot of suspicion: A failing circus, a temperamental elephant, and a 'disposable' handler — nothing like putting down a murderous elephant for gobs of publicity.
It is without a doubt that Mary had a hand — er, 'foot' — in killing Eldridge. In this case there is no one-armed man, no figure on the grassy knoll. If we have to doubt the incident that took place in the town of Kingsport, Tennessee, it is not whether Mary murdered her handler, but rather the extenuation circumstances that led to it.
The exact turn of events are hazy, and in some cases conflicting, but they all converge and agree on some very firm points. Mary was being led to a pond near where the circus was camped to bathe with the other elephants, Eldridge — as usual — was poking Mary with his elephant stick, trying to get her to toe the line, when Mary struck at her handler. 'Why' is one of those cloudy issues: Was Mary in pain from an infected tooth? Did she simply have a bad day? My favorite theory is the most heartrending — that Mary had simply moved towards a discarded watermelon rind, and that Eldridge had prodded her savagely to get her back into line.
Keeping in mind the bias of the press towards this incident — even in 1916 people really didn't want the doubt of lynching a basically innocent pachyderm — one of my favorite accounts is from the _Johnson City Staff_: "trunk vice-like about his body, lifted him 10 feet into the air, then dashed him with fury to the ground … and with the full force of her beastly fury is said to have sunk her giant tusks entirely through his body. The animal then trampled the dying form of Eldridge as if seeking a murderous triumph, then with a sudden … swing of her massive foot hurled his body into the crowd."
No defense was offered for Mary; no jury of her peers deliberated the evidence, the circumstances; no judge passed sentence on her, seeking justice. Maybe Big Mary was guilty of the crime she'd been accused of, maybe there were explanations, more evidence that needed to be heard — or perhaps it was just a slow week, and the killing of an elephant was just the thing to liven things up a bit.
Her guilt, and her punishment, was taken for granted — Mary had to die, and it was as simple as that. But how do you kill a five ton elephant? It had been done before, and would be done again — by guns and even electrical by Thomas Edison, but this was Tennessee, damnit, … 'and in these here parts we don't take on this new-fangled way of doin' things. Down here, we need to put a feller down, we just put a rope around his neck and do the job the old-fashioned way.'
Decided in good ol' boy fashion, Mary was to die for her crime. Sparks, in a gesture of true compassion, didn't make Big Mary perform the day she was killed — but he did guarantee mourners at her execution by making a huge announcement of the event, and offering attendance for the touching fee of zilch.
So Mary was taken to Erwin, and there she was chained by one leg to a rail directly beneath Derrick Car 1400 on September 13, 1916. The crane on the Derrick car was used for lifting locomotives free of their rails — and so it was thought it could handle the task of lynching Big Mary. 5,000 people crowded the rail yards that day, perhaps munching on the treats Mary had been given when she was the star of the show — or, to give an even bigger, bitter taste of irony, maybe some of slack-jawed yokels watched and ate sweet, sweet watermelon as Mary was prepared for death.
Like all really good executions, Mary's was botched right at the start. A chain was looped around her neck, and from there to the boom of the derrick. The crowd was hushed, or maybe they just chanted "kill her" — whatever, quiet or bedlam, the end of Mary's life was at hand. The signal was given, and the crane started to work. Slowly, ponderously, the African cow elephant was lifted … two feet off the ground, probably swinging furiously … three — then the sound of breaking bones, snapping ligaments — the roustabouts had failed to unchain her one leg from the rail.
Unusual? Definitely. Cruel? Her sentence had been to hang, not to be quartered. The chain, much too narrow of the job, snapped. She was smashed down onto creosote darkened ties, oil-fouled gravel. Screaming in pain — for her hip had been broken and one leg had been painfully wrenched — she thrashed around till one carnie, either stricken with conscience or seeing a chance to impress his buddies, climbed poor Mary like a minor, thrashing mountain, and attached another chain.
Then the sentence was successfully carried out: In pain, swinging her great legs, her mighty trunk, perhaps bellowing out a pitiful cry, the 10,000 pounds of Big Mary was hauled literally from this earth.
After she was dead, after the last citizen of Erwin, Tennessee had their fill of seeing her great body slowly swinging beneath the steel arm of Derrick Car 1400, Mary was finally lowered. Her tusks, it was said, were cut from her body. Her grave was then prepared — a massive pit somewhere out along the boxcars and rails, a vault for her gray remains.
A photograph of Mary was circulated sometime thereafter — and it is sadly true that while the means of her demise were never given much thought, the black and white evidence of her dangling beneath the crane was the cause of some bickering: of the hanging there could be no doubt, but was the photograph real?
Somewhere in the real yards of Erwin, Tennessee the bones of Big Mary rest — a sore point for the little town, a part of it's history the residents would rather soon forget. But for Mary, wherever she is now, there is a certainty, an absolute that is definite despite all conjecture and oral history: Big Mary will never, ever forget.