text:
By Bernard K. Means, project director At the invitation of Emily Williams, archaeological conservator at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, I returned to Williamsburg on Friday, April 26, 2013 to scan an historic artifact. I was accompanied by Virginia Commonwealth University students Mariana Zechini and Crystal Castleberry, both of whom have been actively doing research in … Continue reading
by Bernard K. Means, director Yesterday (April 24, 2013) I had the pleasure of participating along with six undergraduate students in an undergraduate research poster session sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University's (VCU) Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). The UROP research poster session brings together students from across the Monroe Park and Medical College of Virginia … Continue reading
By Bernard K. Means, Project Director For over a year, the Virtual Curation Laboratory at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has partnered with a number of individuals and institutions to preserve Pennsylvania's past in a dynamic, three-dimensional (3D) digital format. Artifacts dating from the American Indian occupations of the Paleoindian period to early 19th century free … Continue reading


text:
Bed Bugs in Buckeye
Just the thought of bed bugs is enough to frighten many, especially when they own a home or business. Bed bugs can spread very quickly, hitchhiking their way from one property to another.
If you've been the victim of a bed bug infestation, take a proactive approach. Anteater Exterminating Inc. performs bed bug treatment and pest service control that Buckeye residents can trust. Our specialists know where bed bugs live, how an infestation spreads, and, most importantly, how to treat bed bugs properly.
Bed Bug Information
Bed bugs are small insects that are very skilled at hiding and hitchhiking. They are common in residential homes and in hotels and not just the rundown ones you see on the TV shows. You can find bed bugs in even the most delightful hotel rooms. Because of the high circulation of people that go through those buildings daily, they require regular bed bug treatments. In homes, bed bugs become introduced by hitching a ride on your clothing or in your luggage. When people come home from a vacation or a child returns from college, these are all a free ride for bed bugs. If you are worried, always wash your clothes with hot water and a high-heat drying cycle when you come home from out of town.
Complete Bed Bug Treatment
Although bed bugs are not known for carrying diseases, their presence is still extremely bothersome. They bite the exposed skin of sleeping victims, and these cause itchy red welts. When you delay bed bug control in Buckeye, you and other property owners may unwittingly spread an infestation. Doing this can affect friends and family, keeping the cycle active. If you suspect you are dealing with an infestation, look for these indicators.
Identifying Bed Bugs
How do you identify bed bugs? They are flat in appearance, reddish-brown or brown, and shaped like an oval. Their length ranges from 1/6th to 1/8th of an inch. About the size of an apple seed.
Where are they in the home? Look for bed bugs underneath and around mattresses, in electronics, in wall cracks, outlets, and around warm areas like heaters.
What do they leave on the bed? When sleeping, people move at night; they frequently crush bed bugs beneath mattresses and sheets. Look for red spots that look like dried blood; this can indicate the presence of bed bugs.
Is that from a bed bug? When bed bugs hatch from their eggs, they leave small pearly white casings behind. You may also find molted exoskeletons from growing bugs.
What about bed bug waste? Often you can find this at the creases on the bottom of a mattress and resembles ground black pepper.
Bed Bug Bites
Bed bugs and mosquitos both feed on the blood of humans and animals. But blood has a natural property in it called coagulants. This substance helps our blood clot up when we have a cut or scrape. It helps to stop the bleeding, so we don't continue to lose blood. Both mosquitos and bed bugs have anticoagulants in their saliva that they inject before they feed to prevent the blood from clotting, restricting them from eating. Most people don't have a severe reaction to the anticoagulants, while others will wake with considerable irritating rashes. With prolonged exposure to bed bug bites, most people will begin to develop a rash regardless of their sensitivity to the anticoagulants. If you start to have small, itchy bites call Anteater Exterminating Inc. Our trained technicians know what to look for and will help you rid your home of bed bugs once and for all.
OPM Certified Bed Bug Treatment
When it comes to bed bug control, Buckeye pest control professionals know best. We've been combating this ever-growing problem since we first opened in 1995.
Our technicians know how to identify the scope of an infestation, and can provide useful and reliable treatment. We can do this because our technicians receive certification by the Office of Pest Management and specialized training in bed bug treatment.
Because of this, we have an edge when combating these resilient insects, and it allows us to customize bed bug treatments for your home or business. Our vast knowledge of available treatment methods means we always use the right application for the job.
Bed Bug Treatment Preparation
For any pest problem, a partnership between yourself and your exterminator is the most effective pest control. Pesticides and other methods can only do so much. By working together and using preventative maintenance techniques and other helpful tips that your exterminator suggests, your home will remain pest-free. When it comes to bed bugs, some preparation is required before the treatment process can happen.
Furniture should be moved away from the walls because bed bugs are very good at hiding. To ensure thorough treatment, every area of the room should be accessible. Doing this also means removing all clothing and other articles from the closet, dressers, nightstands, and anything else where bed bugs can hide. Cleaning all linen and clothes with the hottest water temperature and dryer setting should be sealed in clean bags to prevent recontamination. You should thoroughly vacuum all of the rooms before treatment. Using an angled attachment to get into small crevices is extremely useful. You want to clean the bedding, carpets, sofas, baseboards, and anything else that could be harboring bed bugs. You must discard the contents of the vacuum after each use to prevent the bed bugs from spreading to another part of the house. Some people decide on throwing away their mattress and box spring to eliminate any possibility of remaining bed bugs. If you choose to do this, make sure to slash or do other means of damage to both of them to ensure no one else uses them and spreads the infestation. After that, wrap them in plastic before removing them from the room. Moving uncovered beds can cause bed bugs and their eggs to fall off during transport and spread throughout the home.
It is unfortunate that bed bugs are widespread and also very difficult to eliminate. Fortunately, Anteater Exterminating Inc. is skilled and experienced in dealing with these particular pests. Our treatments are effective, and exterminators know what to look for and how to handle every pest control situation.
Commercial Bed Bug Treatment
It's unfortunate, but due to the nature of bed bugs, many businesses require ongoing treatment plans. For hospitality-based companies like hotels, dormitories, and apartment complexes, this is even more imperative. We provide continuing treatment service and can train your employees in bed bug reduction methods that can make a real impact. Doing this helps minimize the chance of outbreaks in the future, which is suitable for everyone.
Bed Bug Prevention
If you have bed bugs, you will want to give us a call immediately. Trying to rid your home of bed bugs by yourself is extremely difficult as they are very tiny and skilled hiders. If any of the bed bugs survive, they will reproduce and continue to terrorize your home. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do in conjunction with our bed bug control methods that will help to eradicate your house.
Keeping bedrooms clean and uncluttered is the first and most crucial step in eliminating bed bugs. Messy homes are not the only victims to bed bugs; they can find their way into immaculate houses and hotels via clothing or luggage. Bed bugs die in extreme heat, and it is the most effective way of eliminating them. If you have bed bugs, anything in the contaminated rooms that can go through the washer and dryer should; including stuffed animals, clothes, and shoes. Wash everything with the hottest water and dryer-cycle setting.
Brushing and vacuuming the bed will help remove the bed bugs and any potential eggs that they have laid. Always empty the vacuum and trash can immediately after cleaning so the bed bugs don't have a chance to spread anywhere else int he home. Repairing cracks in the walls and patching any holes where bed bugs can hide is another helpful way to prevent these tiny pests. Bed bugs like the warmth; that is why people find them in their beds. Since they are nocturnal and only feed at night when people are asleep, they can typically be found in other warm areas during the day, like next to heaters.
Local Bed Bug Pest Control
If you have bed bugs, don't wait and try to treat them yourself. These tiny pests are challenging to remove with home treatments. Call Anteater Exterminating Inc. today! We are trained and skilled in dealing with bed bugs and will work directly with you to create a plan of action. Working with Buckeye residents and business owners, we are confident that we can keep your residence and place of business pest-free! Give us a call today and let us help you!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Diversity Training
Diversity training is becoming increasingly important in the modern workplace. Besides the benefits of a diverse workforce on recruiting, hiring, retention, customer loyalty and the bottom line, promoting diversity and inclusion can help reduce incidents of harassment in the workplace. A lack of diversity and inclusion is one of the top risk factors for workplace harassment, according to a report by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's task force on workplace harassment. Diversity training offers organizations a new way to enhance anti-harassment and discrimination programs and policies, and reinforce the message that respect, diversity and inclusion is a priority.
What is Diversity Training?
Diversity training is an opportunity to educate employees on the importance of working together with people from different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. It is also an effective tool for raising awareness of cliques, unconscious bias and other inappropriate behavior that can negatively impact individuals, team-building and workplace culture.
By providing employees with the knowledge and skills to increase their "cultural competency" — the ability to interact effectively with people of different backgrounds and cultures — diversity training helps create an inclusive environment, where employees who may feel left out or marginalized have opportunities to thrive and participate in the organization's operations and leadership.
Online Diversity Training Course
Workplace Diversity, Inclusion & Sensitivity is a 25-minute, standalone course that raises awareness of the many benefits of an inclusive culture and provides employees with practical steps for recognizing their own personal biases, increasing their cultural competency and setting a positive example for treating everyone with respect.
Traliant's Diversity Training course covers:
- Diversity
- Inclusion
- Respect
- Unconscious bias
- Cultural competency
- Civility
- Sensitivity
- Mentoring relationships
- Behavior that leads to a more positive work environment
Employees and Managers learn:
- How a diverse and inclusive workplace benefits everyone
- How to apply the concepts of diversity and inclusion in their daily interactions
- How to increase awareness of unconscious bias and avoid its negative influence on recruiting, hiring and other business decisions
- How civility, cultural competency and sensitivity can help prevent workplace misconduct
- How positive attitudes and behaviors can lead to a more inclusive environment
The topic of diversity and inclusion is also covered in Traliant's industry-leading Preventing Discrimination and Harassment training course. This foundational course includes sexual harassment, discrimination, bystander intervention, diversity and inclusion and unconscious bias.
The Traliant Difference
We believe that raising awareness of diversity, inclusion and unconscious bias is an important step in preventing discrimination and harassment and creating a positive culture that treats everyone with respect and fairness. Our Workplace Diversity, Inclusion & Sensitivity training is designed to engage learners with bite-sized episodes, interactive videos with alternate endings and assessments and quizzes that connect with today's diverse, mobile workforce.
Experience Traliant Today!
Training your employees on Diversity, Inclusion, and Sensitivity has never been more important and easier. For a free trial of our course, fill out this form:


text:
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Black Herringbone Dress and Pink Chiffon Blouse.
17 comments:
Ada, you rock colors with a bold and fierce attitude and I love it! Fantastic.ReplyDelete
Love the layered look. I have been living in layers too. You look beautiful XO. Thank you for sharing with #LINKUPWITHLISAReplyDelete
@ http://www.beauty101bylisa.com/2015/03/linkupwithlisa-10-layered-peplum.html
LOve the pink on you, you look so great in all the vibrant colours. Hope you had n awesome weekendReplyDelete
LOve the pink on you, you look so great in all the vibrant colours. Hope you had n awesome weekendReplyDelete
Herringbone is such a classic! I adore you in pink! T. http://tickledpinkwoman.blogspot.comReplyDelete
Great pairing! I love the bright color under your sheath. Such a gorgeous, classic look!ReplyDelete
I know the dress is black but it definitely looks grey in the pictures because of the pattern, and I really like pink and grey together! I think it's a nice colour combination :)ReplyDelete
This is a cute look, the layering looks great!ReplyDelete
I love the layers and the pink and grey combo! Such a classic look!ReplyDelete
Doused In Pink
Happy Monday! The grey + pink? Match made in heaven!ReplyDelete
Pink and grey is my favorite combination when it come to colors - so elegant!ReplyDelete
Happy Medley Blog
You look so cute! Loving the layers! The bright pink is perfect for spring!ReplyDelete
<3 Shannon
Upbeat Soles
I love that sheath dress! And that bright pink is so perfect for Spring!ReplyDelete
Love your dress Ada, great boots too :)ReplyDelete
Thanks for linking up to Creative Mondays...
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
The dress and blouse go so well together! The gorgeous pink is a perfect color for Spring!ReplyDelete
I dont know if my last comment saved! So here it is again..ReplyDelete
LOVE those shoes! They are such a fun pop with the pink. Blue and pink will ever be one of my favorite color combo's - it's just so happy! I, myself, am so so ready for spring and hot weather!
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a positive comment or constructive criticism. I appreciate it. I try to reply to your comments as often as I can.


text:
Translated by Nathan at Korea Beat:
Unintended effects from the Special Law on Prostitution continue to multiply. One Weekly Chosun writer decided to check out a new one for himself.
It is August 19th at 8 pm in officetel A near Seollung Station, on line 2 of the Seoul Subway. It is a mixed-use officetel just over 70 meters from Teheran Street. I've come here after calling a broker for "officetel prostitution" whose contact information I found on an adult website.
I arrived at the officetel and called the broker again. The broker said, "right now I only have two girls. One is 168 centimeters tall and size 55, the other is 160 centimeters and size 44, so choose one of them."
After negotiations the broker said, "take the elevator to the 11th floor." I arrived at the 11th floor and after giving my money to a woman who looked to be in about her mid-thirties she said, "go to room ○○". All of the regular rooms on the 11th floor are residences. The room the broker sent me to was 59.5m² (18 pyeong), just a totally normal one-room apartment. There was a bed for two, desk, sofa, TV, refrigerator, and washing machine — and waiting for me, a woman in her twenties.
A new species of prostitution, "officetel prostitution", is rapidly increasing at officetels in the downtown shopping and business districts of Seoul. Prostitution deals are flourishing in the offices and apartments of officetels near Gangnam Station and the Yeoksam, Seollung, Apgujeong, and Nonhyeon-dong neighborhoods north of the Han River. Johns learn about it through adult websites on the internet or through printed flyers. After the passage of the "Special Law on Prostitution" in 2004 the number of brothels in red-light districts declined, but prostitution has changed into more sophisticated, hidden forms.
Ms. Kang, the 25-year old I met at officetel A, said, "this room was rented by the 'section chief' [meaning the broker]. since I communicate with the section chief directly, I don't know how many other girls there are."
According to the police and prostitution workers, brokers specializing in officetel prostitution often have 40 to 50 girls working for them. But they always communicate "one on one", so it is difficult to know for certain.
Officetel prostution is flourishing because customers can come and go as naturally as if it were their own apartment or office. Ms. Kang, the prostitute, said, "since they aren't seen by strangers a lot of people come even during the day."
In fact officetel prostition appears to be in boom times. At one famous adult internet site there are tens of ads from brokers for officetel prostitution. In one forum on the site, members can even make a reservation for the next day after looking at the women's profiles.
On the 19th I called 12 brokers whose information I got from the site and all but one said, "please wait a moment while I check if there are reservations tomorrow night." Then they would say, "call tomorrow" and hang up.
Police appear helpless to stop this form of prostitution. An investigator with the Gangnam Police Department said, "the brokers and the prostitutes have things arranged in a way that makes it difficult to uncover them. Officetels are set up with individual apartments and offices so we are not allowed to just to go opening doors even if it's to investigate."
This appears to be the physical result of the 2004 "Special Law on Prostitution". At the time there were an estimated 1,696 red-light districts nationwide employing 5,717 women as prostitutes. After the passage of the Law, police cracked down so that in September of 2007 there were 995 red-light districts employing 2,508 prostitutes. So compared to before the Law was passed, there are 700 fewer red-light districts and half as many women working in them. The famous red-light districts Seoul 588, Busan Wanweol-dong, and Daegu Jagalmadang have nearly vanished.
But the number of people arrested for prostition continues to increase, from 12,737 in 2003 to 29,236 in 2007. Because of the Special Law and police crackdowns the number of red-light districts has decreased but hidden, unorthodox forms of prostitution are going on as before. This is the "balloon effect" of crackdowns on prostitution — push it here, it moves over there, and nothing really changes.
The citizens' organization Support Center for Victims of Sex Trafficking (다시함께센터), which helps victims of prostition to support themselves, said, "with the Special Law and strengthened enforcement by police, prostitution has changed from being located in buildings, as if it were a business, to moving around and relying on the internet. To deal with this new species of prostitution the communications law should be updated and increased investigations carried out on the internet."
Leave a Reply


text:
How texting could save America's youth
While flying home from a speech in Ohio this week I read the article, "How Texting Could Save America's Youth." It is an interesting study which entails basically sending texts to teenagers to remind them to be nice. If they're going to be checking their phones, it would be great if the messages are positive ones, rather than Kim Kardashian looks great in that dress.
Kaitlyn Chantry, Reviewed.com10:05 a.m. EDT March 31, 2015
(Photo: HopeLab)
Smartphones in the classroom, smartphones at the dinner table, smartphones behind the wheel — today's parents and educators are waging a war against the texting teen, and most of them probably feel like they're losing.
New research, however, suggests that there may be a way to use texting to stimulate personal growth. Sara Konrath, Director of the Interdisciplinary Program for Empathy and Altruism Research (iPEAR) at Indiana University, is conducting research into ways that new SMS tools can increase empathy in America's youth.
Konrath's study, conducted in collaboration with HopeLab and funded by the John Templeton Foundation, sends participants recurring text messages that reinforce more empathic behavior. According to Janxin Leu, Director for Product Innovation at HopeLab, "The messages prompt people to imagine others' feelings and experiences, and do small kind acts every day."
Some of the text messages are thought exercises: "Think of a close family member. Think about what you like about them." Others are activity prompts: "The next time you see someone, no matter who they are, give them a real smile."
The program, called Text to Connect, is still in its early stages and the pilot study has yet to be published. However, the early findings are promising. Konrath reports that, after just two weeks, participants "have less aggressive beliefs — especially men — and they are more likely to help."
Konrath is optimistic about these pilot results, despite some pessimistic findings about society at large. In 2008, she co-authored a study showing that, since 1980, narcissism has risen in college students by 30%. In a 2011 study, she found that empathic concern decreased by 48% during the same time period.
While there are likely myriad causes for such a shift, Konrath admits that some share of the blame may lie with technology. Citing screened calls, inadvertent insensitivity and general distraction, she observes that "cellphones can be used to disconnect us and distance us from each other, but at the same time they're a major global force for keeping us connected."
With Text to Connect, Konrath and HopeLab are attempting to balance the harmful nature of mobile technology with its potential to improve how we relate to each other — all by inspiring young people to help, support and better understand each other.
If Text to Connect continues to generate positive results, the goal is to make that impact on a larger scale. According to Leu, "If we find evidence that this program is effective, we'll seek out partners to help with broader dissemination." That increased reach could include at-risk teens and high-stress demographics like medical students and new parents.
One small pilot study is hardly proof that text messages can transform teenagers into better human beings, but there is room for hope. If Text to Connect takes hold, it could mean an end to the war on texting — and a kinder, more empathic generation of Americans.
To find out more about Text to Connect, or to volunteer to participate, head tohttp://www.texttoconnect.org/.
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.


text:
by Maria
(Atlanta, GA USA)
Dear Friend,
I can write that I am sorry that you have suffered a loss of a loved one--but you already know that. We have been friends for over thirty years and together we have loss many things; someone who stopped loving us, friends who move away, a pet that had to be put to sleep, and yes, the untimely death of friends, loved ones, and family members.
So, dear friend, I'll just remind you that your loved one is at rest, and that no matter how much we are sorry, it is God who knows best. Pray and ask for comfort and your answer will come; and I'll be here if you need a shoulder to cry on, or just a listening ear.
God Bless You in Your Time of Loss.
Want to Learn More About Exactly What to Write, Say, and Do at a Time of Loss? Then Click here


text:
I'm not even going to come up with excuses. I have not blogged for a long time. I look back and i cringe at the things i wrote, but hey, i'm not gonna delete them because one day it'll prove useful (i hope). So why am i back? I recently joined a cell/small group where i met a girl who does missions work. After we had prayed together, she said that she felt God had told her that there was a gift that brought me joy in the past and that i had forgotten. And that God wanted me to start using it again, for Him. I was skeptical at first and said the first thing that came to my mind which was teaching/education. But it didn't feel right. It was a few weeks later that I felt heavy in my heart and pulled out my journal (in which i write by hand, the best way in my opinion) that i finally realised that it was writing. Writing had always brought me joy, it help/s me figure things out, i am better at expressing myself in writing, etc. So you can roughly guess why i'm brushing off the dust off this blog and starting it up again. I'm not saying that THIS is the blog that was specified, but for now, it's a place to start.
My writing is extremely rusty. I'm not saying that my older posts were the best of my writing ability, i'm referring to the research papers i wrote for university. Those were the days i could churn out a 7 page paper in 3 hours. I'm not trying to brag here, i'm saying that there was a reason i could do that, it was because i practiced writing on a regular basis. Refining it to the point that i knew what to look out for, what my weaknesses were, how to plan out a good essay that was coherent and structured. I miss that. I'm personally mad at myself for allowing it to go this far. It's like exercise, if you don't keep it up, you loose stamina and the strength. All that effort going to waste is what pains me the most. That's what i hope to get back to and from there to write about things that interest me in the best way possible.
So what does this entail. Probably lots of cringe worthy posts. Lots of posts that go everywhere and you never find the point. Lots of ramblings about my life (i'll edit it to be less rambly i promise). Hits and misses. Cheers to starting out again.


text:
New Tsukuba Forum: Tsukuband
A new forum has been created for people in Tsukuba. Jason offers the following description
Welcome to the New Tsukuba Forum! Started by Zsolt Gercsi, from Hungary, it's a great, basic way to communicate with people from the Tsukuba community, but what else is it good for? For a start, you can create discussions and topic threads about any subject under the sun (within reason of course); you might want to open a discussion about your favourite movie … or the state of the world economy. It's up to you! It's also good way to connect with and meet people inside and outside the Tsukuba community and make new friends, join in open invitation group events or parties, make suggestions for events and gather support, learn about local events and options for entertainment in and around Tsukuba, or in other parts of Japan. It can be used in conjunction with the useful Taira network as another place to leave information, sell or request items without the fear of them being deleted into oblivion immediately by those Taira users who are less than happy with 'spamverts'. Your posts will have another breathing space, and discussions will be viewable in one, convenient area. (You can also choose whether to receive email notifications for your topics or not, so your inbox or spam box doesn't have to get clogged with everyone elses replies and comments).
The Tsukuba Forum … or 'Tsukuband' as it's known at the moment … is a public forum, essentially run by the public so its success depends on everyone and their individual input. If you hear of an event, discover a new bar or place to eat, have some information about English speaking medical establishments, find something interesting about Tsukuba, or Japan, and want to share it please take a couple of minutes to add it, even if you don't want to join in a discussion. The forum is also meant as a reference point for people in Tsukuba, people visiting Tsukuba, people who have lived in Tsukuba in the past, or those who are just curious about life here and what goes on.
One thing to remember about a forum like this is it's viewable to anybody, anywhere, who will have different ideas and beliefs, … it really is international … so it needs some care and attention when posting. One request from the administration is that an awareness of other people's sensibilities is maintained as best as possible at all times. As long as people are thoughtful, there's no reason why the Tsukuba forum shouldn't be a fun place to gather for some lively discussion and debate, and go from strength to strength. We're looking for category suggestions, new topics and discussions and info all the time. Please contribute to Tsukuband today!


text:
M WAQAR..... "A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary.Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." --Albert Einstein !!! NEWS,ARTICLES,EDITORIALS,MUSIC... Ze chi pe mayeen yum da agha pukhtunistan de.....(Liberal,Progressive,Secular World.)''Secularism is not against religion; it is the message of humanity.'' تل ده وی پثتونستآن
Saturday, December 7, 2013
In Nation Remade by Mandela, Social Equality Remains Elusive
By LYDIA POLGREEN and MARCUS MABRY When Freddy Kenny started his business selling vegetables out of a battered pickup truck in the 1970s, a siren used to sound over this city, his hometown, every night at 9, signaling to him and every other black person that they must leave the city limits immediately or face arrest. These days, the only thing looming is a 20-foot statue of Nelson Mandela, the man who led South Africa out of apartheid and into an era of democracy, his fist raised in a black power salute. Mr. Kenny, now a supermarket magnate, donated the bronze likeness of Mr. Mandela, South Africa's first black president, and had it erected atop the city's highest point, Naval Hill. "Madiba always watched over us when he lived," he said Saturday, referring to Mr. Mandela by his clan name. "Now he will watch over us for eternity." Mr. Kenny's new life, with the perks of privilege of his white counterparts, is a testament to the commitment Mr. Mandela, who died Thursday and whose funeral is next Sunday, placed on making racial reconciliation the centerpiece of his presidency. He led a party that had fought an armed insurgency against the apartheid government, yet when he emerged from prison he preached forgiveness and harmony. Stripped of bitterness, Mr. Mandela negotiated a peaceful end to white rule, giving birth to the rainbow nation. But racial equality at the ballot box has proved much easier to achieve than social and economic equality. While Mr. Kenny, a regular at the bar of the Schoeman Park Golf Club, a formerly all-white watering hole for the city's elite, has caught up with and surpassed many white South Africans, he is an exception to a rule of lopsided opportunity and advancement that remains one of the most daunting challenges facing the nation today. Since the end of apartheid, the government has built well over two million homes, brought electricity to millions of households and vastly increased the number of poor people with access to potable water. The average annual incomes of black-led households almost tripled from 2001 to 2011, according to census figures released late last year, and a growing percentage of the adult black population has gone to high school, with an increasing sliver going to college. But black South Africans are still very far behind whites, and by some measures falling further back. In 2001, white-led households typically earned close to $17,000 more than their black counterparts, at current exchange rates. By 2011, that disparity had grown to nearly $30,000. And while the nation has made headway in reducing the number of black people with no education or only a few years of primary school, very few whites have that barrier to overcome; to the contrary, they have advanced to college and beyond at higher rates since apartheid ended. The nation remains deeply divided in social spheres as well. According to the SA Reconciliation Barometer, a survey of racial and social attitudes, less than 40 percent of South Africans socialize with people of another race. Just 22 percent of white South Africans and a fifth of black South Africans live in racially integrated neighborhoods. Schools remain heavily segregated, too: Only 11 percent of white children go to integrated schools, and just 15 percent of black children do. During his presidency, Mr. Mandela helped keep decades of oppression and imbalances from boiling over. He encouraged blacks to be patient about acquiring the material goods and services that even lower-class whites took for granted. He asked whites to have faith in multiracial democracy and not flee the country. But through the long years of his declining health, many asked what would become of South Africa's relative racial comity once he was gone. Both through his words and his actions, Mr. Mandela gave South Africans "something to live up to," Chanter Jacobs, 19, a white fashion student in Johannesburg, said before Mr. Mandela's death. "He's like a beacon, and you want to make him proud because he's done a lot for our country." Without Mr. Mandela's living example, Ms. Jacobs worried that South Africans would not try as hard to live up to his ideals. She feared relations between the races could worsen, leading the economy to decline, too. "I think something might change," she said. "I just don't know how or what." Others were more sanguine. "I have a 9-year-old, a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old, and I'm very happy to stay in this country," said Debbie Angus, a white property manager in the upscale Johannesburg suburb of Sandton. She credited Mr. Mandela with uniting multiracial South Africa into one people and said: "I think things are going to just carry forward like they are at the moment. I think he's laid the groundwork for future generations." In few places is the legacy of racial separation in South Africa more bitter than in the city of Bloemfontein. In the second half of the 19th century, it was the capital of the Orange Free State, an independent Afrikaner republic that was in some ways a prototype of what would become apartheid. It was the city where a group of Afrikaner elites gathered at the all-white Ramblers Hall in 1914 to form the National Party, which would win power in 1948 and entrench racial separation and white supremacy as official government policy. But it is also a city with a rich history of black activism. It was in a church school here that a group of black community leaders met in 1912 to form the precursor to the African National Congress. In a speech delivered on a visit to the city in 1997 while he was president, Mr. Mandela hailed Bloemfontein as a symbol of the country's extraordinary transformation. "Here the forces and the peoples who make us what we are today interacted and clashed," he said. He continued: "Bloemfontein has come full circle. Once an outpost of an invading colonial force and then the capital of a republic that excluded the majority, today it is the seat of a democratically elected nonracial provincial government." Yet deep fissures remain, and long-held prejudices are not easily papered over. A crude video made by residents of an all-white dorm at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein in 2008 showed the students berating and humiliating black domestic workers in their dorm, forcing them to eat stew into which one student appeared to have urinated. The students in the video, which was apparently made to protest the planned integration of the residence hall, were expelled and faced criminal charges. "Racism is never very far below the surface in Bloemfontein," said David Muthavhatsindi, a retired insurance broker who now runs a computer training school. "It is always with us, waiting to pounce." But even once all-white institutions, like the wood-paneled Ramblers Hall are eager for black members as membership has declined and a new black elite has arisen. "It isn't like the old days," Johan Van Standen, the club's manager, said recently as he restocked the beer fridges in a bar lined with dusty, sepia-toned photographs of rugby teams from decades long past. "We need everyone to survive. This is a place for anyone in the community to come together." Men like Mr. Kenny, with their wealth and status, live easily in a multiracial world. But for most black South Africans, race remains a formidable obstacle. Like many young, poor blacks, Mamello Tlakeli, 27, said she had no meaningful contact with white people. In her last job, as a waitress at a chain seafood restaurant, she said racial prejudice from whites was a constant irritant. Afrikaans-speaking customers would sometimes demand that she speak Afrikaans, even when they could clearly speak English, she said. Most young black South Africans do not speak the language, though many of their parents were forced to learn it in school, a policy that became a rallying point in the anti-apartheid movement. "Even ice they would order in Afrikaans," she said. During staff meals, white and black employees would sit separately, not by force but by habit. "It was always very uncomfortable with white colleagues," she said. Recently unemployed and working as a volunteer at a charity in the hope of getting some professional experience, Ms. Tlakeli said white people in South Africa continued to prosper as they did before apartheid, but blacks remained in the rear. "There is a huge gap between black and white," she said. "The rainbow nation is a dream, not a reality."
US security deal with Afghan govt to be signed in timely manner, Hagel reassured
Afghanistan's defense minister has reassured the US that their security deal will be signed without delays. That's according to US defense secretary Chuck Hagel while making an unannounced visit to the country Saturday. Defense minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, "assured me the Bilateral Security Agreement would be signed in a timely manner", Hagel said. Hagel added that he didn't believe that trying to exert US pressure on President Hamid Karzai to sign the agreement would be helpful. However, Hagel said meeting with Karzai himself was not on his agenda as he came primarily to thank US soldiers for serving in Afghanistan. Hagel's trip comes as US and Afghan officials are deadlocked over a security pact, which Afghan President Hamid Karzai has so far refused to sign. Karzai favors signing the deal after next year's presidential election. Without a pact, all US troops stationed in the country would be required to leave next year, along with all foreign forces. At the moment some 46,000 US troops and 27,000 soldiers from other countries are based in the country. "In some weeks, I expect we'll start to plan for something other than 'Resolute Support'," NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Joseph Dunford, told reporters. He was referring to NATO's current post-2014 plan. Former drafts of the deal have indicated that troops could be allowed to remain in the country until 2024 for training and counterterrorism missions. Karzai has cautiously endorsed the agreement, and the Loya Jirga – Afghanistan's council of tribal elders – has stated that it should be signed by the end of this year. Roughly 12,000 troops would remain in the country under current plans. Washington is also pushing for the deal to be signed soon, threatening a swift troop withdrawal unless Kabul agrees to guarantee legal immunity for US troops. While Washington and NATO officials have stated that they would like a quick decision to be reached in order to coordinate post-2014 forces, Karzai has stated repeatedly that he won't sign an agreement that sanctions raids on Afghan homes. Earlier reports suggested that Karzai rejected a provision granting the United States authority to unilaterally carry out military operations within the country, including the search of civilian homes. However, the draft security deal published by Karzai's government on November 20 confronts a number of much-debated articles. Under the pact, US forces would be allowed to enter Afghan homes in "exceptional" circumstances, and US forces remaining in Afghanistan after 2014 would be under US military jurisdiction, and not subject to Afghan law. Without US aid in the country, Afghanistan would risk a potential Taliban resurgence and could lose out on billions of dollars of international aid.
Iran: Rouhani swaps turban for baseball cap
Iran's president shows his sporty side by hiking in the mountains outside Tehran and having pictures published online.The Iranian president's personal website has published pictures of Hassan Rouhani hiking in the mountains outside Tehran with his traditional clothing replaced by a sporty outfit. The photos, published on Friday, show the mid-level cleric in a black baseball cap and matching ski jacket walking along a dirt road and using hiking poles.Rouhani, who is usually seen in the turban and robes favoured by Iran's clerics, appeared to be mingling and chatting with other hikers, including a group of women. The pictures come as the recently-elected leader seeks to present a friendlier and more moderate image of the Islamic republic, which reached a landmark nuclear deal with the West last month. The website said that Rouhani, who defeated a pool of conservatives in a June presidential election after vowing to engage with the West, goes hiking once or twice a week. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who must approve all major decisions and who is seen as more distrustful of the West, is also fond of hiking. State media have published similar pictures of Khamenei in the past. Iran and a group of world powers broke through a decade of gridlock last month to agree on an interim deal that would freeze parts of Tehran's controversial nuclear programme while easing some of the crippling international sanctions against the country.
Obama defends interim Iran deal, seeks to assure Israel
Iran to curb its nuclear program and, seeking to reassure Israel, pledged to step up sanctions or prepare for a potential military strike if Tehran fails to abide by the pact. U.S. relations with Israel have been strained by the interim agreement, reached between Iran and major world powers including the United States, which was designed to halt advances in Iran's nuclear program and buy time for negotiations on a final settlement. The United States says the agreement will give the international community time to see if Tehran is serious about curbing its nuclear ambitions, while providing some relief from sanctions that have crippled its economy. Israel believes any sanctions relief is a dangerous gift to a country that threatens its very existence, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the deal reached in Geneva a "historic mistake." Obama, speaking at forum hosted by Haim Saban, a major political donor, made a point of referring to Netanyahu as "my friend Bibi," while acknowledging they occasionally had "significant tactical" disagreements. Obama said the interim deal, negotiated with Iran by the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany, would provide space for a longer-ranging agreement to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, which Tehran says are peaceful. The president said he viewed the likelihood of a satisfactory "end state" as a 50/50 proposition, and repeated that all options remained on the table if Iran did not follow through with its obligations. "If we cannot get the kind of comprehensive end state that satisfies us and the world community ... then the pressure that we've been applying on them and the options that I have made clear I can avail myself of, including a military option, is one that we would consider and prepare for," he said. Obama said it was unrealistic to believe that Iran would halt and dismantle its nuclear program if the sanctions regime were strengthened and talks were not given a chance to succeed. "One can envision an ideal world in which Iran said, 'We'll destroy every element and facility and you name it, it's all gone.' I can envision a world which Congress passed every one of my bills that I put forward. I mean, there are a lot of things that I can envision that would be wonderful," he said to laughter from the audience. "But precisely because we don't trust the nature of the Iranian regime, I think that we have to be more realistic and ask ourselves: What puts us in a strong position to assure ourselves that Iran's not having a nuclear weapon ... what is required to accomplish that and how does that compare to other options that we might take?" BACK AND FORTH WITH ISRAEL Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz, in reaction to Obama's remarks, said the two countries needed to resolve their differences on the issue. "It must be made clear: In the final agreement, Iran must not have the capability to produce nuclear weapons. In order to ensure this, Iran must not have any capability to enrich uranium or to produce plutonium," Steinitz said. Obama suggested any enrichment capacity left in Iran would be limited. "It is my strong belief that we can envision an end state that gives us an assurance that even if they have some modest enrichment capability, it is so constrained and the inspections are so intrusive that they, as a practical matter, do not have breakout capacity," he said. The United States says it will confer closely with Israel about crafting a permanent Iran agreement after the six-month confidence-building period laid out by the Geneva deal. While pursuing that path, Washington has sought to reinforce its commitment to protecting Israel. "We will not abide by any threats to our friends and allies in the region, and we've made that perfectly clear. And our commitment to Israel's security is sacrosanct," Obama said. Secretary of State John Kerry, who spoke at the forum later in the day, said disagreements with Iran would continue on issues including Tehran's support for Lebanese Hezbollah, which the United States deems a "terrorist" group, and for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "A comprehensive (nuclear) agreement wouldn't solve all our problems with Iran," Kerry said. "Whatever the outcome of the upcoming negotiations, Iran will still have much work to do." MIDDLE EAST PEACE Although the discussion at the Washington-based Brookings Institution focused primarily on Iran, Obama also touched on the Middle East peace process aimed at ending conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Israeli and Palestinian officials resumed U.S.-brokered peace talks on July 29 after a nearly three-year hiatus. At the time, Kerry said the aim was to reach "a final status agreement over the course of the next nine months." That in effect set the end of April 2014 as a deadline, although U.S. officials have said that was not hard and fast. "I think it is possible over the next several months to arrive at a framework that does not address every single detail but gets us to a point where everybody recognizes (it's) better to move forward than move backwards," Obama said. In their remarks, both Obama and Kerry made clear that if a framework agreement were reached next year, there would still be more work to do. Noting that he returned from his eighth trip this year to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Friday night, Kerry said wryly: "Now I am not a masochist. I am undertaking this because I believe in the possibilities." Obama said the outlines of a potential peace agreement were clear and he left the door open for a pact that excluded the Gaza Strip, which is now controlled by Hamas Islamists opposed to peace moves by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who controls the West Bank. "If there is a model where young Palestinians in Gaza are looking and seeing that in the West Bank, Palestinians are able to live in dignity ... that's something that the young people of Gaza are going to want," Obama said.
Pakistan: Imran Khan is at the wrong end of the stick
By Mina SohailAhmed Rashid is a journalist who has authored several books about Afghanistan and Pakistan. He has covered Central Asia as a correspondent for The Telegraph for more than 20 years and has also been named as the Foreign Policy Magazine's Top 100 thinkers. In an exclusive interview with PIQUE, Ahmed Rashid talks about Imran Khan's politics, Taliban insurgency and the emerging geo-political scenario of the region. Imran Khan's philosophy is that Pakistan has been fighting with Taliban for years but terrorism has only increased so we must try to have negotiations. Why do you think he is being criticized for this? The problem is that talks with the Taliban is a tactic, not a strategy. Counter terrorism should be a comprehensive strategy that includes elements of talks and use of force. To implement that strategy we need a national security council, which should include the military, civil government and civilian experts who deal with terrorism on a daily basis, write about it and understand the nuances. We can't wipe these terrorists out in a one-day operation or through a one day dialogue. The mistake being made here is that a tactic is being made a strategy, which in my opinion is completely wrong. Americans tried to have a counter terrorism strategy in Afghanistan and on paper what they were planning to do in 2007 and 2008 was a very sound strategy but like Pakistan they completely failed to implement it. They did not have enough troops, did not put enough emphasis on the reconciliation on the talks aspect and emphasized on the war aspect. We are doing completely the opposite by deemphasizing other aspects and emphasizing the talks. This is where I think Imran Khan is coming from and why I think he is at the wrong end of the stick. It is unfortunate that a man as worldly wise as Imran is accusing anyone who is criticizing his policies as being pro west, liberal or an agent of the CIA. He is using the same jargon as extremists do or as elements in the intelligence services do. Do you think Imran Khan's supporters have been disillusioned because of his talks with Taliban stance? His vote bank has definitely been affected. We saw that in the bi-elections too as Bilour came back in Peshawar. Imran faces a mass decline of morale in the police and bureaucracy in KPK. He does not have the support of the local administration because they are confused as to why they should be laying down their lives for suicide bombers when Imran wants to talk to the same bombers. He has created confusion in the minds of the federal government and the army. The danger of insurrection in Peshawar by these extremists is quite possible despite the huge army presence there. Unless Imran will deal with these issues more firmly than he has so far, he may lose the province. We may see governor's rule there in a few months time so he has to understand the situation is critical. What did you think of his statement on letting Taliban open an office in the country? Imran has been trying for a long time to equate the Afghan Taliban to the Pakistani Taliban. Afghan Taliban in my opinion have a peace lobby that has matured in the last few years of fighting because they believe that after 2014 withdrawal of US forces, they have to come to terms with other Afghans and want some kind of power sharing deal. There is no such lobby in the Pakistani Taliban and nobody who is talking about compromising with the state. Their mantra is still that we want to over throw the state and want sharia. Imran is talking about opening an office when there is no Taliban to man this office or interested in a peace dialogue. Because of his prejudices and his preconceived notions he is not able to differentiate between Afghan Taliban and Pakistani Taliban and the real tragedy is he thinks he knows it all. IK recently said Taliban's demand to stop the drone strikes was a legitimate one and should be supported by all. Do you agree? Drone strikes should stop but not on the basis of what the Taliban want. The strikes should stop because it is creating enormous anti Americanism in Pakistan and complicates the war on terror strategy that Pakistan would like to have. It allows for propaganda by the extremists and the Taliban, which is anti American and anti Western and that tends to become anti democratic also. Now that General Kayani has retired, what do you foresee in the post Kayani period? It is too early to say. Kayani's legacy is that he has strengthened democracy and allowed elections to continue unlike earlier military leaders. However, on the other hand, he has left a terrible legacy of a much worse security situation, expansion of suicide bombings, the continuing insurgency in Balochistan and a worsening situation in Karachi. Do you think Pakistani army is capable of fighting a prolonged war? Yes, it is capable and we have no choice if we are to survive as a nation. Any counter terrorism strategy will take years. It won't be resolved in six months or one year and will be beyond the life of even this government. We should be prepared for a long war and so should the army. The failure of the government and the army has been to confuse people's minds with this idea that there are quick solutions. This extremism has taken years to be fostered and expand. We can go back 40 years to Zia's period to the growth of this kind of extremism, not to speak of the fact that the state and the army sponsored a lot of these groups at one point including the groups fighting in Kashmir and those fighting with Taliban in Afghanistan. What is your assessment of the civilian leadership. How do you think they will tackle the issue? I am glad that we have had two successive governments. What has been lacking in both these governments is a comprehensive reform agenda, whether we are talking economic reforms or combating terrorism, social reform or need for education, there was a lot of expectancy with Nawaz Sharif coming in but we haven't seen those policies emerge. I think there is a growing disillusionment even within the Sharif camp about the failure to carry out reforms on any front. Even the promise of economic reforms and the austerity measures that were needed to get international confidence have not occured. Americans say they will leave Afghanistan by 2014 and the elections are approaching, what would be the fall out of this on Pakistan? We do not know yet if the Americans will even leave bases in Afghanistan as that is still being negotiated with the Karzai government. But the uncertainty in Afghanistan, the uncertainty surrounding those elections, the withdrawal, the capacity of Afghan army to hold back the Taliban, all these uncertainties have a hugely negative effect in Pakistan. If we don't know what will happen in our neighboring country, we can't really say with any confidence that we will be safe from any fallout because obviously we won't. IK said if negotiations fail he would reluctantly support military options against the Pakistani Taliban. What do you think of this? The debate in the country has been put as either war or talks. This is not a strategy for counter terrorism. You have to combine both these elements. IK is framing the debate as every other politician and extremist, that there is a choice between talks and war. What is the future of Pakistani Taliban? The situation will get much worse before it gets better. We saw an attack on 4 provincial capitals, which was unheard of before. With the kind of bomb attacks we have seen in Peshawar and before that the campaign in Quetta against the Hazaras and the jailbreaks, the state seems unable to combat any of this. Because of the politicians attitude there is a loss of morale in security forces, in believing this political leadership will provide the answers. It is clearly not providing the answers. You mentioned in your recent book, "Pakistan on the Brink," that you are constantly looking for a window that will open for peace to emerge in Pakistan. Will it? The key issue is the civilian supremacy. Military has to understand they cannot continue running on their own. Their policy towards extremists has always been to favor some groups and attack other groups. The good Taliban and bad Taliban have to come to an end. In Balochistan the need for a dialogue is possible and a settlement with the separatists is possible. The state says it wants a dialogue but at the same time there have been 500 disappearances since Nawaz Sharif came into power. If you want a dialogue there has to be some sort of a halt to violence so that talks can take place. We need to have zero tolerance policy against all forms of extremism, even against those extremists who have been trained and nurtured by the intelligence services. We need to turn this policy around otherwise we will go down as a country. Do you think IK will be able to deliver on his promises? He won't deliver on his promises because of the strategies that he has. He should engage in a debate about a strategy for counter terrorism. I would like to engage with him in a debate on counter terrorism and what it means so I can try and explain to him that talks can be part of the strategy but it cannot be the whole strategy.
Nelson Mandela: Death of a statesman
EVEN the world's most prestigious award, the Nobel Peace Prize, was too small an honour for the giant Nelson Mandela was. Perhaps a more poignant tribute came from Bishop Desmond Tutu: "God was good to us in South Africa by giving us Nelson Mandela". He was more than good. The white supremacist regime in South Africa would sooner or later have collapsed, as happened elsewhere. But it was the way that it ended, or was made to end — without bloodshed — that showed how Mandela stood head and shoulders above other freedom fighters of his times. The 'white man's burden' manifested itself in the colonised world in many ways; signs reading "dogs and Indians not allowed" were just one of the many exhibits of the rulers. But in South Africa, the colonial approach was unprecedented in its brutality: the segregation of races — euphemistically called 'separate development' or apartheid — reduced native Africans to the status of animals. In the subcontinent, the British established "civil lines", which by convention forbade the natives from being the white man's neighbour. In South Africa, Bantus were bound by law to carry passes to move from a black zone to a white one. The cumulative effect of apartheid laws was that 80pc of South Africa's land — which belonged rightfully to all its people — was reserved for the ruling white minority. Mandela raised his voice against this precursor to Nazism when Hitler was still in the trenches in Flanders. He was arrested in 1962 and passed 27 years in prison — only to come out victorious. But perhaps Mandela's greatest achievement was that he prevailed upon his people to shun revenge. The setting up of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission helped heal wounds and spared the country what could have been a slaughter of unimaginable proportions as the victims, now unfettered, suddenly found themselves in a position of strength. Mandela was a conciliator, and there is no doubt he received valuable support from F.W. de Klerk, the country's last white president. But without Mandela, who chose to serve just one term as president, the orderly transition to a racism-free democratic dispensation would have been unthinkable. In a world dominated by leaders with either autocratic tendencies or mediocre abilities, Mandela stood apart. Freedom fighter, democrat and above all great conciliator, the African icon had in him the rare combination of leadership, courage, wisdom and foresight. Forever in history's spotlight, he remains in his death among the 20th century's greatest freedom fighters and statesmen.
Hagel in Kabul amid crisis over vital U.S., Afghan security pact
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel arrived in Afghanistan for a weekend visit on Saturday but had no plans to meet President Hamid Karzai amid tensions over his refusal to sign a deal governing the post-2014 U.S. military presence, a senior U.S. official said. Hagel was expected to visit U.S. and international troops across the country and to hold talks with Defense Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi and Interior Minister Umer Daudzai, a Pentagon spokesman, Carl Woog, said in a statement. A senior defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hagel did not expect to meet Karzai amid the dispute over his refusal to sign a Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) recently endorsed by a loya jirga, an assembly of tribal elders and politicians. "The United States has made its position on the BSA clear," the official said. "And just two days ago, President Karzai repeated his position to senior U.S. officials that he is not yet ready to sign the BSA and provided no timeline or practical steps for doing so." Hagel follows a string of senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry and National Security Advisor Susan Rice, who have visited Afghanistan but had no success in persuading Karzai to sign the agreement. Hagel is the first to visit with no plans to meet Karzai. U.S. officials have been pressing for the BSA to be signed by the end of the year. They say that further delay would complicate military planning by the United States and other countries contributing to the military coalition fighting Islamist Taliban militants for 12 years. They have also cautioned that further delay might force the U.S. administration to consider a "zero option" in which all U.S. forces would be withdrawn at the end of 2014. But the top U.S. military officer said this week he had not been asked to plan for a complete withdrawal. "I've not been told to plan for a zero option, but clearly I understand that it is a possibility given the current impasse," Army General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, told a Pentagon news conference. He said a variety of other options had been considered. YEAR OF NEGOTIATIONS Dempsey also acknowledged that the United States could wait until early in the summer of 2014 before the lack of a BSA became a factor affecting decisions about troop levels. "But, you know, don't forget that we're not in this alone," he added. "We've got 44, I think, contributing nations who have a different set of requirements to make their decisions. And so we will see an erosion of the coalition." There are 47,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The United States has been in discussions with Afghan officials about keeping a residual force of about 8,000 troops to train and assist Afghan forces after the end of the NATO combat mission. A year-long negotiation over the text of the BSA was thought to have been concluded last month when a loya jirga called by Karzai approved the pact. But Karzai surprised everyone during concluding remarks by saying he had additional demands, including an end to raids on Afghan homes by U.S. forces pursuing militants.
Veena Malik partying in Dubai
Veena has been busy for quite some time now. She was so tired of her hectic schedule that she thought of taking a break and coming back after a small hiatus. She planned a visit to Dubai to meet her family and friends. According to reports, she was occupied with so many activities and commitments that she hardly got any time for herself. After a frenetic week of promotional campaign in Mumbai for her solo album launch, RUM, Veena was in Dubai for a short trip. Veena being a globe trotter, was recently in UK to receive an achievement award for her social contribution. She got very involved with the UK media for interactions and interviews. Veena wanted to have a small vacation of sorts. Being caught up with work, she realized that she didn`t meet her family for quite some time now. She was in a very nostalgic state and was missing her family badly. So, she packed her bags and was off to Dubai. There, she had some quality time with her family and was very elated to eat home made food that she missed for so long. Also, she met her old buddies and had an amazing time hanging out and partying with them. Her friends were also very amused to have their vibrant friend amongst
Condoleezza Rice : 'Terrorism an existential threat for Pakistan'
Afghanistan face Pakistan in historic T20 on Sunday
Afghanistan Won't Bow to U.S. Over BSA: Officials
Senior Afghan politician makes it clear: government's formation in Afghanistan on outsiders' dictation not possible
'Pakistani army involved in Baloch kidnappings'
Malik Siraj Akbar, a Pakistani expert living in exile in the US, says Pakistani security agencies are involved in grave human rights violations and the abduction of activists in Pakistan's Balochistan province.DW: Pakistani security agencies have once again failed to present the missing Baloch people to the Supreme Court despite a December 5 deadline. Why are the Pakistani authorities reluctant to comply with the court's orders? Malik Siraj Akbar: In Pakistan, the military, its intelligence agencies, and the security establishment have historically remained unaccountable to anyone, including the superior judiciary. They have enjoyed absolute impunity for all their extrajudicial actions over the years. In Balochistan, the same intelligence agencies and the army are blamed for perpetrating enforced disappearances. The security agencies are unwilling to comply with the court's order because they believe, although without evidence, that the missing persons are closely connected with Baloch separatist organizations. Multiple government institutions such as the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Military Intelligence (MI), and the Frontier Corps Intelligence (FCI), are involved in whisking away these people.
The minister is right in a way. While the civilian government has control over the police department and the civilian intelligence bureau, the Pakistani army is not under civilian control. It is the army and the intelligence agencies that are involved in enforced disappearances and the Pakistani army certainly does not brief the civilian government about its operations, detention centers and investigation methods. And Balochistan is one of those areas which the army strictly keeps under its control under the pretext of "national security." I believe even Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, just like former President Asif Ali Zardari, has no clue about the whereabouts of the missing Balochs.
How significant is the "long march" of the Baloch people from Quetta to Karachi. Has it achieved its objectives?The long march is a milestone in Balochistan's struggle for civil rights and justice. The peaceful march also indicates that most of the missing persons are not linked with the Baloch separatist groups. If they were affiliated with such groups, their families would surely be reluctant to share their photos and detailed biographies with the media. They would not ask for an open investigation under the country's judicial system. By walking 700 kilometers in the quest for justice and human rights, the long march leader Mama Qadeer and his colleagues did something that I often say even Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela couldn't do. There has been very little coverage of this march in Pakistani media. Why is this? There is insufficient coverage of everything related to Balochistan in the Pakistani media. The long march was not an exception. The Pakistani media also sides with the army's policy on most issues related to Balochistan. I do not think it is only due to the military's pressure. It is simply because most Pakistanis do not know much about Balochistan; they have never been there and they do not know what their army is doing there. With the media so ignorant, you can imagine how little the Pakistani public knows about the situation there. The media is indeed responsible for intentionally giving a cover-up to the army's human rights abuses in Balochistan. What are the 'long march' organizers demanding? Actually, the organizers of the long march have been protesting since 2005 in different ways. They have been holding hunger strike camps, demonstrations in front of local press clubs, the Balochistan High Court, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Islamabad. Their protests never attracted much attention. The reason they chose to walk from Quetta to Karachi was to raise more awareness for their cause because the Nawaz Sharif government is less enthusiastic than the preceding Pakistan People's Party's to resolve the Balochistan conflict. The protestors are demanding that their relatives be resurfaced, given access to lawyers, and produced before the court. They say if the courts convict their relatives, they will accept the verdict. They also demand that kidnappings, torture and murder should end. There was hope that Abdul Malik, the new chief minister of Balochistan, would resolve the Baloch conflict. Have you seen any progress in this regard since he took the reins of the provincial government? The conflict is not between Baloch separatists and the chief minister. It is a conflict between the Baloch people and the Pakistani army and the federal government. The chief minister cannot do much to resolve this issue considering his limited influence over the army, the intelligence agencies and even the Baloch separatists. As expected, he has not managed to make an iota of progress in resolving the conflict.
What do you propose Islamabad do to address the demands of the Baloch people? The demands of the Baloch separatists and the organizers of the long march are totally different. It is still possible for Islamabad to control further damage in Balochistan by resurfacing the missing persons so that anti-Pakistan sentiments do not further trickle down to the common Baloch people. The separatists are, ironically, not in a hurry. They believe the more Islamabad commits rights abuses, the more their support base broadens among general public. As far as the demands of the separatists are concerned, they are clearly asking for a free Baloch state. Understandably, Islamabad will not concede to that demand. In a situation like this, Islamabad should at least meet the demands of the organizers of the long march to build some confidence and de-escalate tensions. The demands of the long marchers are in accordance with the Pakistani law and the constitution. Malik Siraj Akbar is a political expert and the editor-in-chief of Balochistan's first online English language newspaper, The Baloch Hal. He is the author of The Redefined Dimensions of Baloch Nationalist Movement, a former Hubert Humphrey Fellow (2010-11) at Arizona State University, and a former Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington D.C..
Pakistan: Losing the battle: Polio emergency
AS the year draws to a close, the situation on the polio front in Pakistan sadly remains one of great concern. Looking at the figures of polio cases in the country this year so far (73, whereas there were a total of 58 cases in 2012), it appears that eradicating the crippling disease remains a distant goal. The same stubborn obstacles appear to be halting progress: ignorance, myths about the vaccination and insecurity. In many instances, parents themselves seem to be dooming their children's future by refusing anti-polio drops for them. WHO figures indicate that of the over 2m children missed nationwide during a recent anti-polio drive, over 47,000 could not receive the drops as their parents refused to have them vaccinated. The majority of refusals (nearly 25,000) came from KP. Corroborating this trend is the view of health officials that most polio victims in Pakistan are Pakhtun. In fact, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative says North Waziristan has the highest number of children paralysed by polio in the country. Health officials also want a 'polio emergency' declared in Karachi because of the continued recurrence of cases in the metropolis. The truth is a nationwide polio emergency needs to be declared. The state needs to tackle obstacles such as parents' refusal with urgency. While other factors that are inhibiting anti-polio efforts, such as lawlessness and militancy, require time and complex efforts to resolve, changing people's perceptions about polio vaccinations is a more achievable goal should the state pursue it with dedication. Since resistance is highest in the Pakhtun community, the KP government should be putting in extra effort to engage tribal, community and religious leaders in polio awareness campaigns. A publicity campaign in Pashto should be undertaken to convince parents to have their children vaccinated. We must remember that if Pakistan continues to ignore the threat posed by polio, penalties such as international travel restrictions may be on the horizon.
Pakistan: Mandela in the eyes of late Salmaan Taseer
Daily TimesPeople around the world paying tribute to Nelson Mandela following the news of his death brings to mind former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer's words for the international icon of peace. The late Salmaan Taseer in some of his Twitter posts on November 14, 2010 had admired Mandela's legacy of tolerance that formed the basis of South Africa's democracy. "You can detain persons but u cannot arrest ideas which is why prisoners of conscience are always free," the late Salmaan Taseer wrote. About PW Botha's January 1985 offer to Mandela for a conditional release from the prison, the late Taseer had tweeted, "Interior Minister Botha said they release Mandela if he renounced terrorism 2 which the great man replied first Botha "renounce terrorism"." "So they had 2 release Mandela on his own terms as the jailers had become the prisoners. A lesson in moral authority". He had also tweeted, "I was in Faisalabad jail when Nelson Mandela was released & now feel the same elation & excitement at the news of Suu Kyi release".
Pakistan: Should MQM prepare for the worst?
The news from London that the police there have arrested two Pakistanis associated with money laundering case involving MQM is very disturbing, specially, because one of the held men handles the party's financial matters. Unconfirmed news from the UK Metropolitan suggests the police there is making steady progress not just in the money laundering case but also in Dr Imran Farooq murder case; in fact the inquiries of the two cases are said to be so intermingled that the findings in one sparks leads in the other. The progress in both cases does not only spell disaster for the recent operation in Karachi but can, also, cause upheaval in Pakistan's politics, for if the links of the money laundering activities are established to the highest leadership of the party after the arrest of the above two persons, the MQM may become a leaderless and as such a rudderless party. The political vacuum, in such a scenario, created by the absence of central leadership of this party will not be filled in Karachi until fresh elections are held to prove whether MQM still has the mandate of the people of the mega city or they have shifted loyalties to other parties. In all fairness to the London police and regardless of complications, the progress in the cases can create crises in Pakistani politics, the PML-N government is said to be sitting on vital evidence in both cases because of it wants to avoid, exactly such a situation. On the other hand, instead of uniting in such testing times, which threatens to take away the top leadership from them, MQM is developing cracks in its ranks. The changes in the membership of MQM Rabita Committee a few months ago which forced even the Karachi's ex-Nazim of world fame, Mustafa Kamal, not only quit party but, it is said, also leave the country for security reason. It is a very glaring example of the disquiet in that party. There seem no steps in the offing by the MQM leadership in Karachi to prepare for the time in case of the eventuality, when and if the London Police find evidence justifiable in courts. None, neither the will-wishers of Karachi nor those of the whole country have ever cherished the desire for disintegration of MQM into a non-entity. Rather, it is hoped MQM will change its ways while remaining a party of highly charged and well-disciplined workers. Many have urged the party leadership to forget the violence of the past, whether by them or against them, and adopt peaceful means for political goals. Even neutral journalists tried to encourage this party to adopt less violent means. But time and again its leadership, after taking a few steps forward towards transforming the party to attract national appeal, has reversed to its shell and assumed the mantle of representing a single ethnic group. It is hoped MQM will work for becoming a party with national appeal, overcome petty differences within and prepare for what is becoming a probability.
Credibility of general elections is lost: Aitzaz
Credibility of the general elections has been lost after the statement of the interior minister, as poll results are being questioned even after the passage of seven months, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan said on Friday. Addressing a press conference outside the Parliament House, Aitzaz said, "Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday admitted in parliament that 60,000 to 70,000 votes in every constituency of the country cannot be verified. Admittance of this reality by the interior minister has completely harmed the credibility of the general elections, while the Punjab government is bringing changes in ballot papers and thumb verification papers to stop NADRA from verifying the authenticity of the voters." The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) senator also said the Punjab government, by not implementing the orders of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), was not providing the election record of two constituencies -- National Assembly (NA) 118 and NA 139. Aitzaz said, PPP candidates Chaudry Manzoor Ahmed (NA-139) and Bushra Aitzaz (NA-118) had submitted applications for provision of record several times but the Punjab government was creating hurdles. He said the PPP had filed applications in the ECP asking for the records of NA-118, NA-139, NA-258 and NA-259 since four months, but not providing the record had raised the threat of changing it. "Another application has been also submitted before the chief election commissioner (CEC), because seven months have passed but results of the general elections are still considered suspicious," he said. - See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/12/06/news/national/credibility-of-general-elections-is-lost-aitzaz/#sthash.zEm8fan1.dpuf
Freed Taliban Prisoners in Pakistan and Afghanistan Return to Jihad
Pakistan and Afghanistan have released waves of Taliban prisoners in a goodwill gesture—but instead of returning home as promised, the radicals are flocking to rejoin the fight against the West.Abdullah never gives up. The senior Taliban commander, who goes by one name, lost a leg in the fighting in late 2001 just as Mullah Mohammad Omar's forces were collapsing. He was captured and sent to the U.S. lockup at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Released from the Cuban prison in late 2005, he was immediately rearrested when he arrived in Pakistan and spent the next five years in a Pakistani jail run by the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. After nearly a decade behind bars, he was released in 2010 and quickly became the insurgency's overall commander for the strategic region of southern Afghanistan. Pakistan's release of Abdullah and of some two dozen other important Taliban prisoners in late 2012 was meant as a goodwill gesture to Kabul. Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government has been lobbying Islamabad hard to get it to release top insurgent inmates like Abdullah as a means of luring the Taliban into peace talks. In theory, the freed prisoners were to rejoin their families, most of whom live in Pakistan, and to serve as harbingers of peace—not return to the 12-year-old jihad against the U.S. and Kabul. That strategy seems to have backfired badly. So far the prisoner releases seem to have only succeeded in funneling commanders and fighters back to the fighting. Once freed, Abdullah and a slew of recently released Taliban inmates have made a beeline back to the battlefield. Abdullah tells The Daily Beast exclusively that he is now more committed than ever to the jihad. "We are born for jihad and can't sleep without the jihad," he says, after just returning from the front lines in southern Kandahar Province. "Long imprisonment hasn't slowed down our momentum, resistance and commitment to the fight." He says he is not grateful to Pakistan or Kabul for his release. "I'm not thankful to Karzai and my enemies in Pakistan for releasing me," he says. He flatly rejected the verbal restrictions Pakistan put on him and the other prisoners when they were released: that they not return to the fight. "None of us would ever accept any conditions or restrictions that would keep us from fighting," he says. Even given the lack of success in keeping fighters out of the fray, Pakistan's release of insurgent prisoners has continued. So far this year, at least 40 imprisoned Taliban of both senior and junior ranks have been freed. But the releases don't seem to have won any Taliban hearts and minds—or to have induced the Taliban leadership to move any closer to peace talks. Any hope for a dialogue was further set back this past summer when the Taliban opened a quasi-embassy in Qatar as a venue for the fledgling talks, a move that provoked a furious Karzai to cancel any further official contacts with the Taliban. Meanwhile, many of the more than 60 prisoners like Abdullah, who have been released over the past 13 months, seem to have quickly returned to the insurgency after brief visits with their families in Pakistan. "The priority is jihad not family and kids," says Abdullah. A senior Taliban intelligence officer tells The Daily Beast boastfully that "almost all of the freed prisoners never lost faith in the jihad despite the hardship of prison and are back enjoying the struggle." His unscientific guesstimate is that 80 percent of the released insurgents have rejoined the fight. As he points out, two the Taliban's top commanders—Abdul Qayyum Zakir and Abdul Rauf Khadim—were both released from Guantanamo Bay some six years ago and are now directing the fight. An Afghan government intelligence officer who is charged with following some of the recently freed Taliban expresses his disappointment at the results of the releases. He says Mullah Muhammad [he has no first name], a former insurgent shadow governor of northern Baghlan Province, was arrested in early 2010 along with Mullah Mohammad Omar's deputy, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. After more than three years, Muhammad was freed from a Pakistani jail this past summer and is now a member of the insurgency's governing council, the Quetta Shura, and has returned to running guerrilla operations in Baghlan once again. "We had been expecting them to be nice and to help restart the talks but so far we have not received any positive signals," the Afghan intelligence officer says dejectedly. Mullah Muhammad is but one of many. Mullah Abdul Bari, 45, a senior commander in southern Helmand Province, was arrested in Quetta five years ago during a night raid on his house by the ISI and spent hard time in the notorious Pakistani prison at Mach in Baluchistan Province. According to Bari's close friend and fellow officer, Mullah Abdul Salam Khan, Bari was freed earlier this year at about the same time as another insurgent operative Mullah Nuru Din Turabi. "Bari had a black beard when he was arrested," Salam Khan says. "But during that time in hell in Mach his beard turned pure white." After his release Bari returned to his family for a few months to regain his health and then quickly rejoined the insurgency. "He started as an ordinary small commander," Salam Khan says. "Now he is in charge of eight large units on the Helmand front." Salam Khan recalls Bari telling him after he was released that he has no regrets. "Jails, torture and suffering won't change our jihadist commitment," Bari told Salam Khan. Salam Khan should know. He was captured in Pakistan in 2009 while he was the shadow governor of southern Kunduz Province and was finally released by the ISI five months ago. After a brief visit to his family in Pakistan, he is now serving as the shadow governor of the key northern province of Balkh. Another fast-rising former prisoner is Mullah Sadar Ibrahim. A former senior commander who was close to Mullah Omar, Ibrahim had been languishing in Pakistani jails for the past five years. He was released in late 2012 and has quickly garnered the senior posts of commander for military operations in several southern provinces, the Taliban's former heartland, and is now also the deputy chief of the Quetta Shura's important military council. Mir Ahmad Gul, the former shadow governor of Logar Province, just south of Kabul, who was recently freed after several years in a Pakistani prison, has been appointed shadow governor of the strategic region abound the eastern city of Jalalabad. Kabul, too, has been releasing Taliban prisoners with largely the same disappointing results. Two senior commanders named Abdul Wasai and Mullah Qasim Akhund were freed by Kabul last year. Both men had been imprisoned in the sprawling Pul-e-Charki jail near Kabul for several years and are now respectively serving as shadow governors of Kandahar and Ghazni Provinces. "Some of these former prisoners are now in key senior posts and many more have returned to being fighters and facilitators for our cause," says the senior Taliban intelligence officer. The Taliban intelligence officer says almost all of the former prisoners report that they experienced mental and physical suffering while in Pakistani custody. But he says those Taliban prisoners who were incarcerated in Afghan prisons serve relatively easier time than those held across the border by the ISI. Prisoners in Afghan jails, even Taliban, can periodically receive visits from their families and may even enjoy some protections under the Afghan justice system. In Pakistan, the intelligence officer says, Taliban prisoners simply disappear into a black hole with no possibility of contacting their families and no protections under the Pakistani constitution. "All of these men have been kidnapped by the Pakistanis," he says. "It's as if they no longer exist." Not surprisingly, he adds, the released prisoners have little but hatred for their former jailers. "None of these men is going to join Karzai or stop contributing to the jihad," he says. "They are now more committed to the fight than ever." While none of freed Taliban prisoners has brought the insurgents any closer to the negotiating table, Karzai seems to be obsessed with the belief that at least one prisoner, Mullah Baradar, Mullah Omar's former number two, can somehow orchestrate a breakthrough. Baradar was arrested by the ISI in early 2010. Ever since then Karzai has been pushing Islamabad hard in order to gain access to him. Finally, reacting to Kabul's entreaties, the ISI nominally released him this past September, but he apparently remains under house arrest in Pakistan. Late last month on a brief visit to Kabul, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, reacting to Karzai's insistence, agreed to allow members of Kabul's High Peace Council, the entity Karzai has designated to negotiate with the insurgents, to meet with Baradar in Pakistan. But after four long years in Pakistani custody it is unclear how much clout or credibility, if any, Mullah Omar's brother-in-law retains with top insurgent decision makers in Quetta. Afghanistan is betting heavily on Baradar as the key to peace talks. But this gamble may turn out to be just as big a loser as have all the hopes that Kabul has placed on prisoner releases so far.
Nelson Mandela and Pakistan's elitist liberals
by Khalid Ahmed Mirza
Pakistan: Saint Joseph's Hospice In Rawalpindi On The Verge Of Closure
Saint Joseph's Hospice serving since 50 years is now being forced to close on account of deficiency, of funds and rising expenses.Located in the West ridge area of Rawalpindi; a crammed full area with winding streets, this petite Christian hospice run by Irish nuns has served of the impoverished and disabled for 50 years now. What's distressing is that the hospice that caters mostly to Muslim patients is at present being obliged to shut as a result of decreasing donations and increasing expenses. For Aysha Gulrehman; the hospice has been her home for 10 years. At the age of 12 she was hit by a bullet outside her home in northwest of Pakistan she has been battling with "cerebral palsy." "When I first came here, I couldn't do anything, now I can eat by myself and I can write," she says. "Everybody here loves me and takes care of me. I wasn't looked after like this in my own home." There are 40 patients in the hospice similar to Aysha, who are insolvent. Some of the paraplegics and quadriplegics have been cast off. Sister Margaret Walsh along with a group of local and international volunteers have been striving to maintain St. Joseph's service. Nevertheless 50 years have gone by; donations are diminishing while Naveed Inderyas a bookkeeper by profession says:"Fuel, electricity and medical costs are rising. According to our bank balances, we can survive only for the five months." Even though, the hospice looks after people of all religions; majority holds the view that: "As a Christian institution, its own faith community should be responsible to raise the money." However sectarian hostility has distanced majority of Pakistan's better off Christians thus lessening donations. Dr. Munawar Sher Khan says:" While there are many charitable organizations in Pakistan, St. Joseph's is unique." "It gives a unique service," she added. "There is no place to the best of my knowledge that helps the disabled, the chronically ill, they are rejected from other hospitals, they can't afford to go to hospitals, and they can't afford expensive treatments." Another occupant of the hospice, Mohammed Sohail who dove into a lake and cracked his head on a rock in his youth: thus paralyzed from the neck down."These people, especially hospice, they know what to do with me," he says. "Dressings, food — a lot of other things, special needs for patients they provide us — and slowly, slowly, starting that day, I did move my neck, my hand, my finger, and now I am like a big man," he continued. Sister Walsh determined to keep the hospice running says:"I will fight to keep the hospice open, as closing seems too painful an option. I love the hospice, and I just can't bear the thought of it closing," she says. "For what? Why are we closing? Insufficient funds? People don't care anymore? I care, that's it." - See more at: http://www.christiansinpakistan.com/saint-josephs-hospice-in-rawalpindi-on-the-verge-of-closure/#sthash.bFxg3RFr.dpuf
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Jan 20, 2017
You've been good and you deserve a special Friday episode, so here's Dim the Fluorescents director Daniel Warth -- who'll be in Park City for its Slamdance world premiere tomorrow night -- on John Cassavetes' 1984 swan song Love Streams. Your genial host Norm Wilner can't believe this is the show's 100th episode. Where did the time go?


text:
Chuck Palahniuk Reading 'Fight Club 4 Kids' Is Pretty Hardcore
Posted by Nick Romano on
There's a growing trend in the entertainment industry. It's a trend that seeks to reintroduce classic films and properties to whole new generations. Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk recognizes this. With his fan base growing older and, well, dying off, he wants to do the same with his classic story about a guy with no name who befriends another who may not be there, and the two start a Horsing Around Club. That brings us to Fight Club for kids, a spoof book that re-envisions Palahniuk's classic tale into a picture book for the lil' tykes in your life.
Watch Palahniuk read an excerpt. Even though it's brief, he quickly starts cussing like crazy.
Just to confirm, Fight Club 4 Kids is not a real children's book. Although, it does look like it'd make a great addition to the front tables at Urban Outfitters across America. Nevertheless, Palahniuk went over to the Mashable headquarters to read the story of his most famous work.
It's not easy to adapt something as bloody or disturbing or twisted as Fight Club for a much younger crowd. While the acclaimed writer certainly makes an effort, it quickly devolves into No Name beating the crap out of Jared Leto and leaving the model-esque actor in a pile of his own blood looking like a "purple, bloated, chewed up, bubble gum-looking motherf***er." And they all lived happily ever after…for some reason.
It's hard to separate this story from the film version directed by David Fincher and starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter and, yes, the beaten-to-a-pulp Leto. But, as Palahniuk just demonstrated (minus the bad case of sailor's mouth), there is a way to talk about the content of this film in front of your kids. You just have to swap out the brutality as "daddy and his buddies' horsing around time."
Now let's see Hollywood try to remake the film. You can practically hear some hack director somewhere go, "challenge accepted!"


text:
Fan Fiction
37 work(s)
Fan fiction stories I have written
4 work(s)
Articles I have written
Fan Fiction
37 work(s)
Fan fiction stories I have written
4 work(s)
Articles I have written
Series: 0
Stories: 41
Chapters: 196
Word count: 517687
Reviews: 265
Members: 968
Newest Member: Edwin A
This area of my site houses my stories, articles, and related written materials that are connected to specific fandoms. I used to have some original work on here, but things have happened that make that a bad idea, so I've had to pull it. You will need to register for an account with the archives (it's totally free and confidential) to read my stories, as well, for similar reasons.
Update as of April 2009: I always thought this went without saying, but apparently it doesn't. Don't spam the reviews. If you post half a dozen reviews to a story that just say "great" over and over, don't be surprised if your account gets locked. Just sayin'.
Forbidden Gifts by Ardath Rekha M
He woke up from a 2,000-year sleep seeking vengeance for an unspeakable crime, only to find himself confronted by the descendants of his sworn enemies. She came in search of humanity's oldest friends, only to discover that an ancient treachery had turned them into foes. But in this AU, instead of facing off in a fight to the death, the last human survivor of the Prometheus mission and the last Engineer on LV-223 establish a truce, and even an alliance.
Falling Angels by Ardath Rekha M
Kyra, Jack, and Riddick... a triad that's been irrevocably altered by time and war... try to come back together. But none of them are who, or what they seem to be.
Unrestrained by Ardath Rekha MA
An alternative version of the Skiff Scene. What might have happened if the tests Fry was running had lasted longer, and she and Riddick needed to find a way to pass the time...?


text:
UC - voluntary quit - good cause - emotional health - improper Board reversal of referee - Treon
Fiedler v. UCBR - Cmwlth. Court - April 18, 2011
Claimant had good cause to quit his job. He was suffering emotional difficulties due to the death of one of his children and needed to be nearer to the rest of his family for support.. Beachem v. UCBR, 760 A.2d 68, 71 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2000).
Claimant took reasonable measures to preserve his employment. Based on his testimony, the referee found that "[t]he claimant shared with the employer the emotional difficulties he was having trying to cope with the loss of his child." However, the UCBR, without comment, disregarded this referee's finding.
In Treon v. UCBR, 499 Pa. 455, 461, 453 A.2d 960, 962 (1982), our Supreme Court stated that if the UCBR determines that particular findings of the referee are inconsistent, incredible or unsupported by the evidence, then the UCBR must indicate such finding. "The [UCBR] may not, however, simply disregard findings made by the referee which are based upon consistent and uncontradicted testimony without stating its reasons for doing so." Id. When the UCBR does so, the appellate court may reinstate the finding. Id. Thus, we reinstate the referee's finding that Claimant shared his difficulties with Employer, and we conclude that Claimant took reasonable efforts to preserve his employment.


text:
The Other Woman
Matthew Sanger
A car idles at the end of a dirt track, its headlights pointing out into the forest. Inside: two women. The Redhead has a gun. She idly, but dangerously, holds it on the Blonde girl beside her. Redhead does most of the talking. Blonde's eyes dart in quiet fear as she hears about what her 'faithful' man has been up to. With Redhead. Not just sex, but business. Lucrative. And criminal. He's not the man Blonde thought he was. Jesus, that's an understatement. Is Redhead telling the truth? Is Blonde in this situation simply because Redhead changed her mind and doesn't want to share the spoils of the last job they did together? A simple hostage handover? Or is it even simpler: Redhead wanted him all to herself and he said no. Revenge. Either way, he's late arriving. And Redhead's trigger-finger is beginning to twitch.
- Year
- 2007
- Type of film
- Shorts
- Running Time
- 10 mins
- Format
- Director
- Matthew Sanger
- Producer
- Gillian MacGregor, Matthew Sanger
- Editor
- Matthew Sanger
- Screenwriter
- Matthew Sanger
- Principal Cast
- Gillian MacGregor, Emma Nelson
Production status
Please let us know if we need to make any amendments to this Film entry mailing us directly at
Last updated 30th March 2006