text:
All In With Chris Hayes, Tuesday, August 5th, 2014
Read the transcript from the Tuesday show
ALL IN with CHRIS HAYES
August 5, 2014
Guest: John Kirby, Matthew Hoh, Chris Gunness, Cesar Vargas, Amanda
Turkle, Christina Bellantoni
EZRA KLEIN, GUEST HOST (voice-over): Tonight, we are ALL IN.
REAR ADM. JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: Afghanistan is still a war
KLEIN: Insider attack in Afghanistan. An Afghan soldier opens fire at a
training facility, wounding more than a dozen coalition troops. Among the
dead, a two-star American general.
Primary night in America. New polling shows a record number of Americans
really do not like their own member of Congress.
And, what is the fastest way to get Rand Paul to flee the dinner table?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m actually a DREAMer.
KLEIN: The amazing scene at an Iowa fund-raiser. We will break down the
ALL IN starts right now.
KLEIN: Good evening from Washington. I`m Ezra Klein, sitting in for Chris
Earlier today, an Afghan soldier being trained by the United States -- so,
in theory, an ally -- opened fire on NATO troops in a military training
academy, killing two-star Major General Harold J. Greene, and wounding 15
others. Major General Greene is the highest ranking U.S. military officer
to be killed in overseas combat since Vietnam War -- since the Vietnam War.
He served as the deputy commanding general of combined security transition
command in charge of training and developing the Afghan national security
force. The attack took place at the Marshal Fahim National Defense
University, a military training facility located on the outskirts of Kabul,
where Afghan security officers are being trained by coalition troops.
REPORTER: A large group of American and coalition forces led by the
general were at the Afghan military academy examining a new water tank when
without warning, an Afghan soldier from a nearby barracks opened fire with
a machine gun, taking direct aim at the U.S. military officers. Killing
General Greene and wounding eight other Americans. The gunman, himself,
was soon killed by return fire.
In all, 16 military were killed or wounded including two British, one
German, and four Afghans.
KLEIN: Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack saying it is "an
act by the enemies who don`t want to see Afghanistan have strong
A Taliban spokesperson did not take credit for the attack -- that`s
important -- but praised the Afghan soldier as a hero.
Today`s incident is the second so-called insider attack this year. That`s
the name given when an Afghan security force turns on their NATO partners.
The attacks peaked, the insider attacks peaked in 2012 with 38 such attacks
killing 53 coalition troops.
After a series of additional security measures were put in place, the
number of such incidents has dropped dramatically. Last year, 16 Americans
were killed in 10 so-called insider attacks. Today`s tragic attack outside
of Kabul was the first such insider attack in Afghanistan in months.
Joining me now on the phone is Rear Admiral John Kirby, press secretary for
the Pentagon.
Admiral, it`s good to have you here.
REAR ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY (via telephone): Thanks
for having me. Appreciate it.
KLEIN: Can you walk us through your understanding of what happened earlier
KIRBY: Well, the details are still coming in. This incident is under
investigation. What we know is that there was a coalition member visit to
the Afghan military academy. It`s their version of West Point, really.
It`s where their train their officer corps.
It was an official visit. It wasn`t just by American troops, but by
international troops, as well as Afghan national leaders, to look at the
facility and improvements that had been made there. In the process of
touring the facility, shots rang out. It appears right now that they came
from a building, obviously by an individual we believe to be an Afghan
soldier. That`s the assumption right now going into this thing.
Fire was returned by the security personnel with the group killing the
assailant. But not before the assailant was able to hit 15 in the group,
wounding 14 and, of course, killing General Greene.
KLEIN: So, you make the analogy to West Point which is very exclusive
American military academy. You mentioned this university trains the
officer corps within the Afghan security force. So, how does it happen
within that Afghan security elite you have someone who`s lying in wait to
pull off this kind of attack against Western trainers?
KIRBY: That`s a great question. Again, that`s one of the questions I
think that the investigators are going to try to figure out the answers to.
It`s not clear right now that the assailant was, quote/unquote, "lying in
wait". This could have been just an act of rage and not necessarily
premeditated or even preplanned.
So, we`ll try to get to the end of this. I think that`s what the
investigators are going to be working hard on, but, again, really tragic
day for the Greene family, of course, and our thoughts and prayers go out
to them, but also for not just the U.S. Army, but for all of our Afghan and
coalition partners.
KLEIN: Given the prevalence of these insider attacks before the stricter
security measures were implemented over the last couple years, what should
people think about the Afghan security force`s ability to hold the country,
to defeat the Taliban after Western troops withdraw over the next couple of
KIRBY: I think what people ought to look at is how well they`ve done in
just the last year. I mean, they helped secure not just one, but two
national elections. They helped secure the transportation of all of the
ballot boxes or virtually all the ballot boxes to Kabul for this auditing
process that`s gone on. They`re in the lead in combat operations
throughout the country.
As you noted right before I got -- you put me on, the incidents of these
insider attacks have greatly diminished over the last couple of years. Not
just in part to measures we put in place, but due in part to the
confidence, competence, and military capability of our Afghan partners.
They are doing much better this year. They have had a very solid
performance this year. We expect that that performance will continue.
In fact, one of the things General Greene was trying to help him do in his
capacity as deputy trainer of the training command, this is based on his
personal experience as an engineer in the army, was to help them build the
capacity to handle their own logistics and supply needs. That`s one of the
things as we get ready to hand off complete responsibility to them, we want
to make sure they`re able to do. But in the combat arena, they`re strong
fighters and proven that time and time again in the field.
KLEIN: President Hamid Karzai said this was an act by those who don`t want
Afghanistan to have strong institutions. How much are we still doing to
help with other institutions primarily political and civil?
KIRBY: Well, the cooperation with our Afghan partners stretches more than
just in the security environment. It does stretch to helping them, and
this isn`t a military mission, but an interagency mission. Our State
Department colleagues are involved in this, and helping to build the kinds
of strong governing institutions that can help them secure the country when
the mission changes at the end of this year.
So, we`re working across all the levels of influence and power of the
government to do that. It`s not just military, not just security. And,
again, we`re aided in that by our -- by teammates internationally and
through the U.S. inner agency.
KLEIN: Pentagon press secretary, Rear Admiral John Kirby, who -- we should
note -- joined us while in flight to Germany. Many thanks for being here
this evening.
KIRBY: My pleasure. Thanks for having me.
KLEIN: Right now, there are an estimated 32,000 American troops still in
Afghanistan. That is a number that is expected to drop to less than 10,000
next year. By the end of 2016, there will be only a residual U.S. force
left in Afghanistan and an unspecified number of NATO troops.
And that timetable for withdrawal announced by the president earlier this
year, that is at the heart of the political response to today`s tragic
House Speaker John Boehner said earlier today, he has told the president
that his biggest concern is that America will end its mission in
Afghanistan just short of the goal line.
House Armed Service Chairman Buck McKean said, quote, "The event only
underscores the importance of leaving Afghanistan when the job is finished
rather than stubbornly adhering to arbitrary political deadlines."
Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat from New Jersey, however, said today`s
events should not change the president`s withdrawal timeline.
SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ (D), NEW JERSEY: We have shed a lot of lives and
national treasure in Afghanistan and we want to see the successful
KLEIN: It is worth adding some context to this debate. The United States
has been at war in Afghanistan for almost 13 years -- 13 years. Over 2,200
American troops have been killed. Almost 15,000 Afghan civilians have been
killed in the last 6 years, alone. Today, there are privates in the U.S.
Army who were in preschool on September 11th, 2001. Think about that for a
Joining me now is former Marine Corps Captain Matthew Hoh, a senior fellow
at the Center for International Policy. He was a State Department official
in Afghanistan but resigned in 2009 in protest over U.S. strategic policy
Matthew, it`s good to have you here. Thank you.
MATTHEW HOH, CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY: Thank you, Ezra, for having
me on.
KLEIN: So what should we take from the continuation of these insider
attacks? What does our ability to turn the country over to the Afghan
security force look like to you?
HOH: Well, you know, the first, of course, you know, our heart goes -- my
heart goes out to General Greene`s family. I didn`t know him, but, you
know, like in all these stories, Ezra, he was probably a very good man. He
had a PhD in engineering.
You have to think, what a waste. What could he have done here in his own
community, in his own home, rather than being part of this effort that
you`ve described so aptly as it`s going on and on without any end? I think
what is so perversely fitting about this murder, and I hope not to be taken
out of context about this, but why it was appropriate that it occurred at
the location it did was because it occurred at the Marshal Fahim National
Military Academy.
And for those who don`t know, to Google Marshal Fahim, Fahim was one of
Karzai`s vice presidents, also a defense minister. He was a notorious
warlord. Also one of the biggest drug lords in Afghanistan.
We`ve known this for decades. And still we`ve kept him in a position of
power. We`ve watched as he`s stolen American reconstruction money over and
over again to the tune of millions.
Five years ago, "The New York Times" ran a very extensive profile on him on
the front page and citing how American officials, both Bush administration
and Obama administration, knew how corrupt and how bloody this vice
president of Afghanistan was.
And so, I think the fact that General Greene was killed at this -- at the
Afghan version of west point, which is named after Marshal Fahim really
sums up our war in Afghanistan, that it is so absurd it`s lost any meaning,
there`s no purpose.
And so, further loss of American life in Afghanistan, I think it`s a really
hard argument for the administration to make. This is our longest war.
It`s the most unpopular war than any other war in American history,
including the Vietnam War.
And so, I think it`s really difficult for anyone to trust the
administration in their arguments on why American soldiers have to continue
to die for a government that is as corrupt as what we see in Afghanistan.
KLEIN: Well, then, on the other side of that argument, you have the
administration arguing for this still multiyear timeline for full
withdrawal. But their primary opposition is not really people saying get
out now, right? It`s people saying, you are getting out into early, right?
We heard John Boehner, we heard Congressman McKean.
So, what is your answer to them? Because they believe -- they say publicly
they believe, and so do, you know, some colleagues of yours, not of your
institution, but in the foreign policy community, that we are leaving too
early, there`s a mission there that we can complete and it is closer to
done but not done yet.
HOH: I`d ask them first what is the mission? I heard the comments from
Buck McKean and John Boehner about goal lines and all these other type of
analogies to sports events which seem to common in D.C. to compare to war
which anyone who`s been to war knows that there is no analogy to war. So,
I`d ask them, first, what is the mission?
We -- al Qaeda attacked us on 9/11. We chased them out of Afghanistan soon
thereafter and they turned into this ideological cloud that exists
throughout the world. If we look at the attacks that occurred by al Qaeda
since 9/11, almost all of them are caused by homegrown terrorists, people
who come from the U.S. or the U.K. or from Spain or North Africa or other
So, this notion that somehow we need to be Afghanistan to prevent another
9/11 because al Qaeda needs some type of personal space, some type of
territory, just isn`t found out by the evidence of the last nearly 13, 14
KLEIN: Matthew Hoh from the Center for International Policy -- thank you
for being here tonight.
HOH: Thank you, Ezra.
KLEIN: After weeks of violence and destruction in Gaza, what do
Palestinians have to go back to, and what kind of a future will they have
when the fighting ends? That is ahead.
KLEIN: There`s new polling giving us insight into how the electorate is
feeling right now. The takeaway, America could use some cheering up. I`ll
explain, ahead.
KLEIN: The cease-fire between Israel and militants in Gaza now heading
into its 17th hour. The longest sustained pause in fighting since
Operation Protective Edge began four weeks ago, and as it went into effect,
at 8:00 a.m. local time, the last of Israel`s ground troops withdrew back
over the border. The Israeli military later tweeting "mission
accomplished. We have destroyed Hamas` tunnels leading from Gaza into
entire. All of Israel is now safer."
Meanwhile, the Hamas political leader in Gaza declared a, quote, "military
victory by the resistance." A military victory.
Sixty-four Israeli soldiers and three civilians have been killed in the
conflict according to the Israel Defense Forces.
But here are the numbers on the Palestinian side of this military victory,
as Hamas termed it. In Gaza, Palestinian health officials said the death
toll reached 1,875. Well over 1,200 of them, maybe many more than that,
were civilians. Well over 1,200. And according to UNICEF, announcing
today that over 400 of those killed were children. More than 70 percent of
those children were 12 or younger.
That is to say nothing of the wounded or damage done to Gaza`s roads and
its sanitation systems -- that Hamas could call this a victory of any sort
is telling.
And now as Israeli and Palestinian delegations arrive in Cairo to negotiate
a long-term truce, the focus turns to a political resolution and what comes
next for the actual people on both sides of the conflict. With Hamas
insisting on an end to the Gaza blockade, and Israel pushing for Hamas to
completely disarm, much will depend on sentiment on the ground. As
Israelis return home near to kibbutzim near the Gaza border, questions
about safety remain.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`re scared. We`re scared of living here, but we
don`t want to leave our country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just getting rid of the tunnels, it`s not enough, as
long as the Hamas is anywhere in the region.
KLEIN: In a poll conducted by Israel`s Channel 2, only 30 percent said the
military operation had increased their security.
And in Gaza today, where daily life began to resume after four weeks of
aerial bombardment, some of the nearly half a million residents displaced
in the fighting were finally able to go home only to find in many cases
they had no home to go back to. The destruction throughout the territory
is extensive. One Palestinian official estimating it could run as high as
$6 billion.
Chris Gunness, spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency,
joined me earlier from Tel Aviv, and I asked him about the state of Gaza`s
infrastructure. What do residents actually have to go home to?
CHRIS GUNNESS, UNRWA SPOKESPERSON: Well, it`s a very good question, and
I`m afraid to say it says a lot about where we are in Gaza, that I don`t
have an answer. And just as after the fighting in 2008, 2009, teams of
surveyors, engineers, had to go and make site visits for days, weeks,
months on end. That`s where we are now.
So, what we saw in the last few hours is a dramatic reduction in the
numbers in UNRWA shelters, so about 60,000 people left our shelters.
They`re going to a very uncertain future. They`re going to see what`s left
of their houses.
We estimate that tens of thousands of people have had their houses leveled.
Many will have had their houses so badly destroyed they`re structurally
unsound and unfit for habitation. And, of course, many of those homes will
be connected to water and electricity grids that are no longer functional.
So, big unanswered questions, and it`s only one we`ve got out there in the
field that we`ll be able to see the scale of the problem.
And also one other interesting thing, our concern is that this time around,
perhaps unlike the fighting five years ago, it may be, and the early
indications are, that domestic habitation, homes have been hit perhaps more
than public infrastructure and other public buildings.
KLEIN: One of the numbers I think about a lot in this conflict is that 43
percent of the residents of Gaza are under the age of 15. What about their
prospects for the future?
Thus far, Gaza has been under a blockade. I don`t think there`s reason to
belief that blockade will be lifted after the end of kinetic -- of actual
physical fighting. What about their schools? What about their job
prospects? What about international investment funds? What reason do they
have to be hopeful?
GUNNESS : Well, there are very few unless the blockade is lifted, and I
would go further and say that the prospects for lasting peace are very slim
unless the blockade is lifted, and that`s because of the very things that
your question points to. You cannot keep a society behind a fence where
there`s over 40 percent unemployment. Where there hasn`t been any serious
exporting for about seven years, where 95 percent of the water is
undrinkable, where you have huge problems of public infrastructure.
What is the point of being educated in Gaza today? Think about that. You
got universities turning out graduates on to job markets with unemployment
rates which are amongst the highest in the world.
And then one has to ask the question, what does that do for the prospects
of a place living next door to a neighbor that is prospering? It`s the
startup capital of the world. Is it in the interest of Israel to have on
its doorsteps millions of impoverished people without a future? What are
the prospects of peace for Israel with a neighbor being kept behind a fence
and in that position?
And when one starts to unpack that, the issue of the notion of being a good
neighbor and the fact that peace is likely to take hold between good
neighbors, then you start to see the prospects for Gaza in a slightly
different light because there`s no doubt in my mind that the future of
these two people are inextricably linked, and that is a reality which at
some stage has to take hold.
KLEIN: And in the kind of situation you`re talking about, that level of
unemployment and that level of impoverishment, is that of help to the sort
of extremism factions in Gaza? I don`t just mean here, Hamas, but those
that are further beyond them? Is that helpful to those who try to
radicalize Palestinians?
GUNNESS: Well, if you look at the history of Islamic radicalism, forget
just about Gaza. Look at, for example, after the Cairo earthquake. Look
at, you know, any situation of impoverishment. Look at Syria.
You don`t have to be the world`s leading political scientist to see the
relationship between impoverishment and the kinds of ideologies that you`re
talking about.
I`m not here, though, as a political analyst. I`m here as somebody working
for a humanitarian organization. And for us, human development in and of
itself is an end in itself. We do this because we think and we believe
passionately in universal values. It`s about making people achieve their
full potential. We educate children so that they can make choices. We
make choices.
And let us hope that as we move forward beyond the period of the cease-
fire, human development, allowing people in Gaza to fulfill their full
potential, is something which is firmly on the agenda.
KLEIN: Chris Gunness from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency --
thank you, again, for being here.
KLEIN: As the Ebola virus spreads through Africa, some major airlines
announced they are canceling flights there. The latest, next.
KLEIN: Today, the second patient diagnosed with the Ebola virus, 59-year-
old Nancy Writebol, was flown into Atlanta and transported to Emory
University Hospital for treatment. Both she and Dr. Kent Brantly who
arrived at the hospital over the weekend are said to be improving. Thank
How either of them contracted the virus while working in Liberia remains
unknown, and now, major airlines have decided to take action. British
Airways today suspended flights to and from Liberia and Sierra Leone until
the end of the month. Emirates, which does not fly to either of those
countries, halted all flights to Guinea, where the first case originated
until further notice. And, all American Carrier Delta Airlines has yet to
suspend any flights, they warned passengers of potential cancelations and
significant delays.
All that news coupled with yesterday`s announcement that a New York patient
was being tested to rule out the virus. The results expected in the next
24 hours, has added fuel to the fire of Ebola fear mongers.
MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Breaking tonight, we are awaiting test
results from a potential third Ebola victim here in the U.S.
NEIL CAVUTO, FOX NEWS HOST: Now, growing concerns this killer disease
could -- I stress, could, be mutating.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE SPEAKER: Today the second American infected with the
deadly Ebola virus that we know of will arrive in Atlanta to continue
KLEIN: The "New York Post" and "Daily News" running these front pages
today and conspiracy theories website Infowars saying, "U.S. Health
authorities concealing number of suspected Ebola victims."
And, yet Congressman Todd Rokita used the outbreak as a cautionary message
for addressing unaccompanied minors of crossing the border. Here he is
recounting a conversation with a doctor and fellow representative who
helped write a letter to the president asking for more information on the
minors arriving in their state.
REP. TODD ROKITA, (R) INDIANA CONGRESSMAN: He said, "Look, we need to know
just from a public health standpoint," with Ebola circulating and
everything else. No, that is my addition to it, not necessarily his. But,
he said, "We need to know the conditions of these kids as well."
KLEIN: Never mind that anyone infected with the virus would be much, much,
much too sick to make the long journey to cross the U.S. border. According
to Arthur Caplan, Director of Bioethics at NYU Langone Medical Center,
"Now, the idea of being diagnosed with Ebola is terrifying. It is
absolutely horrifying."
And, today`s outbreak is the worst on record with over 1,600 suspected
cases and 867 deaths according to the world health organization. But, it
is not nearly as contagious as another more common disease. The flu, which
you might have heard of, causes as many as 500,000 deaths each year --
Ebola is scarier with the whole sometimes bleeding from the eyes thing, but
you are a lot less likely to die from it. In a press conference today,
Bruce Johnson, director of SIM USA, the organization Nancy Writebol is
working for in Liberia added some perspective.
BRUCE JOHNSON, SIM USA DIRECTOR: I do not know if you know, but there are
50 doctors, Liberian doctors, for 4 million people. The kind of
infrastructure that we have in the U.S. is something that really provides
I saw a report -- you can help me here. Someone in New York went into a
hospital and felt like they may have Ebola. That is exactly what people
need to do, but it is not available in Liberia. They cannot go to the
hospital, and that is why it is spreading.
KLEIN: It is the incredible medical resources we have here, the doctors,
the hospitals, the treatments available in this rich nation that Nancy
Writebol and Kent Brantly came home to take advantage of. And, we should
now help those countries like Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone
that are grappling with this very scary disease.
KLEIN: Voters headed to the polls for primaries in four states today,
Michigan, Missouri, Washington, and most interestingly, in Kansas. Where
78-year-old Senator Pat Roberts, who has been in congress since 1980, and
who as his detractors are quick to point out, does not actually own a home
in Kansas, is facing a Tea Party challenge from a 43-year-old radiologist
named Milton Wolf.
Wolf has generated headlines both for posting grisly x-rays of gunshot
victims on his Facebook page then joking about them and for, believe it or
not, being second cousin to President Obama as laid out by "The Washington
Post" in this Obama/Wolf family tree.
Meanwhile, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, whose disastrous self-described
experiment in far-right governance has left Kansas with a $300 million
revenue shortfall and increased at poverty rate and his polls have
generated a statewide backlash that has been extensively covered here on
"All In."
Brownback is expected to win his primary today. But, some polls show him
actually trailing Democrat Paul Davis in the general election. And,
remarkably, more than 100 republican officials have now endorsed the
democrat Davis over Brownback in that race.
There is national political news as well with three big new polls including
one released just hours ago from NBC news and the "Wall Street Journal"
providing some crucial insights into the state of the electorate and the
nation. We have four numbers that helped explain where America is
politically right now that you should be paying attention to tonight.
Number one, Americans seemed to have reached a tipping point when it comes
to their own members of congress. Polls have long shown that while we have
little regard for congress as a whole, we tend to like the person who
represents us in the house. This is why even when congress is really
unpopular as it is now, and it is really unpopular, polls in recent years
have shown congress to be less popular than Richard Nixon during Watergate,
less popular than Paris Hilton, than America becoming a communist country
than the band of Nickelback, less popular than even head lice.
Even though congress is really unpopular, most members of congress get re-
elected. People hate congress but they like their member of congress; but,
maybe not anymore. The new "Washington Post"/ABC News poll found that 51
percent now disapprove of the job their own member is doing. That is above
the 50 percent threshold for the first time since the question was asked a
quarter century ago. That is huge.
Takeaway number 2, the party of Congressman Mo Brooks who this week accused
democrats of waging a, quote, "War on whites," continues to do absolutely
terribly among minority groups. What a shock, and not much better among
women. The "Post"/ABC poll found that the Republican Party is viewed
favorably by 25 percent of nonwhites while 70 percent view them
unfavorably. And, only 33 percent women viewed the GOP favorably compared
to 62 percent who viewed the party unfavorably.
That brings us to our third big takeaway. Americans are split on who they
want controlling congress. In the new NBC News/"Wall Street Journal"
survey, 44 percent say they want republicans in charge, while 43 percent
want democrats in control. But, this does not mean the two parties are
viewed almost equally.
The NBC poll found that while congressional democrats do not have a great
reputation; 31 percent of voters have a positive image, while 46 percent
have a negative one. Republicans fair much worse. They are viewed
positively by just 19 percent, while 54 percent -- 54 percent have a
negative image of the party. That is a net negative of 35 points for the
OK. So if people dislike republicans so much more, then why are they split
on who should control congress? It is related at least in part to
President Obama whose own approval rating this poll was 40 percent. More
than one in five registered voters and 43 percent of republicans say their
vote is meant as a check on the president and on congressional democrats.
Now, our final takeaway from these new polls is a bit spiriting. It turns
out that America is pretty depressed. 71 percent say the country is headed
in the wrong direction; 60 percent described the country as in a state of
decline; 76 percent are not confident their children`s generation will be
better off than their own.
But, we do not want to go out on such bad news, so let`s take solace in the
fact that even in this age of political polarization, and acrimony, the NBC
News/"Wall Street Journal" poll found widespread agreement on Russian
President Vladimir Putin. He is viewed positively by only 4 percent of
registered voters. That is even worse than congress.
Coming up, the video that everyone is talking about today. What happened
when two dreamers confronted Congressman Steve King and Senator Rand Paul?
We will break down the incredible awkwardness, ahead.
KLEIN: The video that is going to haunt Senator Rand Paul. We will play
it for you, next.
SEN. RAND PAUL, (R) KENTUCKY REPRESENTATIVE: As a teenager, I worked
alongside immigrants, mowing lawns and putting in landscaping around
businesses. I remember once asking one of the immigrant workers how much
he was being paid. "Cuanto le pagan por el trabajo?" He responded, "tres
dollars." I responded, "Yo tambien. Tres Dolars, por hora? He shook his
head, "No," he said, por dia!" At a young age, I came to understand that
it makes a difference whether you are a documented immigrant or
undocumented immigrant.
KLEIN: In preparation for a likely 2016 presidential run, Kentucky Senator
Rand Paul spent the last year reaching out to communities of color,
specifically to America`s Latino community. In February, Paul met with
George P. Bush, the half Mexican nephew of George W. Bush who is running
for Texas land commissioner because Paul really, quote, "Wanted to get
advice from him as much as anything about how the party grows in Texas and
states with large Hispanic populations."
After their meeting, George P. Bush tweeted out a picture of him and
Senator Paul, adding "Great to visit with @senatorrandpaul regarding the
bright future for the GOP." But, when it comes to the topic of
immigration, it should be noted that this, quote, "Bright future of the
GOP," penned an Op-Ed for politico explaining why he was voting "No" on the
senate`s immigration reform bill, because, quote, "The legislation does not
secure the border first."
This despite spending a tremendous amount of money to secure the border and
requiring the border be secured and certified secure first before the path
to citizenship could really work. Senator Rand Paul wants to be seen as a
reformer, while at the same time being seen as an extremely staunch
proponent of border security. In other words, he wants to appeal both to
traditionally democratic groups as well as to the hardest of hardcore
When it comes to immigration, he would like to have it both ways, which
brings us to what happened yesterday in Iowa. Senator Rand Paul -- sorry,
Senator Paul was at a fund-raiser for Representative Steve King, a man not
in favor of immigration reform, to say the least. A short time after both
men sat down to eat, they were confronted by Erika Andiola and Cesar
After the two identify themselves as dreamers, undocumented immigrants
brought to America as children, Rand Paul who is just taken a bite of his
burger, takes off, while still chewing that bite of burger. He does not
even have time to swallow.
ERIKA ANDIOLA, UNDOCUMENTED MEXICAN-AMERICAN: Hi, my name is Erika. How
are you? Question. I am actually a dreamer, myself, and I am originally
from Mexico, but I have been raised here. I graduated from Arizona State
University, actually. I know you want to get rid of DACA. The one that
give you the opportunity, do you really want to get rid of it? Just rip
KLEIN: Let`s review that video again. Rand Paul appears to have trouble
swallowing his burger once Erika Andiola announces she is a dreamer. He
does a choking double take, then his staffer shoots him a look, pushes back
his chair and gestures to get the heck out of there. You can almost see,
like the Wile Coyote puff of smoke as he high tails it. This is another
angle of Paul and his staffer leaving. You can kind of see it better in
this one.
KLEIN: After that Kentucky Senator left, Steve King hung around to hold
the spirited discussion that Paul probably wisely wanted no part of.
ANDIOLA: For you to be fighting so much against dreamers, calling us
names, saying that we have --
REP. STEVE KING, (R) IOWA: I do not call you names. I say -- no, no.
Please, please. Stop a minute. You are very good at English. You know
what I am saying.
ANDIOLA: I was raised in the United States.
REP. KING: Right. So, you can understand the English language. I spoke
of drug smugglers. You are not going to tell me you are one of those, are
REP. KING: Do I look like a drug smuggler to you?
REP. KING: You can tell me.
ANDIOLA: I am not a drug smuggler, of course not. I graduated from
Arizona State University. I have a bachelor degree.
REP. KING: I am not here to discuss --
ANDIOLA: No. I am here to --
REP. KING: Stop. Do you understand me? You recognize that -- so your
ears work, too, right? I know they do. And, so -- and so, here, I was
speaking of drug smugglers. Drug smugglers only.
CESAR VARGAS, CO-DIRECTOR OF THE DREAM ACTION COALITION: I wanted to serve
my country after 9/11 as an American. Even though I came when I was 5
years old. As an American, I tried to enter the military. They rejected
REP. KING: Right, because the law says you have to be an American or a
green card to join the military.
VARGAS: But, the point is congressman. We are Americans.
REP. KING: Abide by our laws.
KLEIN: Joining me now is one of the dreamers you saw in that video, Cesar
Vargas, co-director of the Dream Action Coalition. Thank you for being
here tonight.
VARGAS: Thank you so much for having me.
KLEIN: What did you take away from your conversation with Congressman
VARGAS: I think it was very simple. It is seeing the vision of -- a
vision that the congressman sees. It is a vision of fear, a vision of
pretty much really demonstrating the extremism of, especially on
immigration, and the vision of like -- with Erika and myself is just too --
We were there just to tell him that we are American like anyone else and we
are there to serve the country. We are there to serve this country because
we grew up here.
So, that is really what I took. And, for me it was pretty insulting that
actually there is a part where I actually brought up the fact that the
first person who died in Iraq in the Iraq war was an undocumented
immigrant. And, you know, this person fought for this country and
Congressman King was like, "He is a liar. He should not have done that."
So it really goes to show you how extreme he can be on this issue and any
other issue.
KLEIN: Yes. Well, it is striking, you know, I almost give Congressman
King this. He did not back down from what he had said when he spoke with
you. He had told -- he had said previously of undocumented immigrants in
the military, "As soon as they raise their hand and say I am unlawfully
present in the U.S., we should not take their oath in the military, but we
are going to take your deposition and have a bus for you to Tijuana."
Do you think that the -- do you think that Hispanics in America will accept
this from folks like Congressman King when you look at Texas and Arizona
and states with those rising Latino populations?
VARGAS: Well, what I can see is this. A lot -- you know, there was a
recent poll said that over 90 percent of people who know -- either their
family or their friends, just myself, the rest of my family are either U.S.
citizens or LPR. This is my sister, who are going to be voting.
When congressman king talks about immigrants with calves of the size of
cantaloupes, he is talking about me and my family and millions across the
country are seeing that. And, it is something very personal and it can
definitely guarantee that a nice commercial from the GOP is not going to do
the job, especially when we have members of congress like King talking
about immigrants and talking about hardworking immigrants like our parents.
So, we can definitely see the striking distance that we have seen.
KLEIN: Cesar Vargas from the Dream Action Coalition. Thank you for being
VARGAS: Thank you so much.
KLEIN: We are not done talking about that totally awkward video starring
Rand Paul and Steve King. More, next.
KLEIN: We are back talking about the Republican Party and immigration.
And joining me now is Amanda Turkle, Senior Political Reporter and Politics
Managing Editor for "The Huffington Post" and Christina Bellantoni, Editor-
in-Chief of "Roll Call." And, I want to play for you both what Senator
Rand Paul said defending his quick exit from the Steve King fund-raiser
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE SPEAKER: You were seen getting up after you have a
bite of your hamburger and grabbing your drink as you trying to get away.
What is the explanation for this video?
SEN. PAUL: It is about 5 minutes before that or 2 minutes before that, the
video does show that another reporter came up and said will you do an
interview? And, I said I need to take a couple more bites and we will do
an interview and I was told we had to leave and I had to do the interview.
KLEIN: Christina, do you buy it?
CHRISTINA BELLANTONI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF "ROLL CALL": Well, I was not
there. I mean, the republicans are in a difficult position right now.
And, you can understand why in a state like Iowa, where somebody is testing
the presidential waters, they want to avoid confrontations.
But, I will say this about Senator Paul. He has not been one to run from
confrontation. He has answered a lot of questions. He is gone to a lot of
different audiences. But, this just illustrates what a tough position this
is right now for 5 weeks during recess.
KLEIN: And, Amanda, one of the things that -- what I was confused by is
what was Rand Paul doing there at all? What is a republican -- who is --
does not shy away from confrontation, is trying to expand the Republican
Party`s appeal to minority voters. What is he doing at a Steve King fund-
"THE HUFFINGTON POST": It is Iowa, and if he wants to run for president,
he needs to try to appeal to Iowa republican voters and so he is there
fund-raising for an Iowa congressman. But, I mean, I think that maybe
Senator Paul did have an interview.
But, I think he is also smart enough to realize that being in a
confrontation with the congressman and immigration activists is probably
not the place he wants to be. Let the congressman deal with it and he can
just sort of run away.
KLEIN: Well, that seems to be the problem, Christina, for folks like Paul
even if they run very, very perfect campaigns and even if they do, do a
very good job appealing to minorities, they are still stuck with the others
in the republican party, the Steve Kings and then even further out than
that, the Mo Brooks.
BELLANTONI: Well, yes, and do not forget, this is Steve King who told our
"Roll Call" reporter, Emma Dumain, that the bill, itself, was like he had
ordered it off the menu. I mean this is someone that is shaping republican
policy right now and that is not a place that Speaker John Boehner wants to
be in. Even Mitch McConnell who had a successful effort defeating this
bill, you know, the democratic bill on the senate side last week before
they went for recess.
They do not necessarily want to be in those positions, either. I mean
Steve King is looked at as one of the extreme sides. But, as Amanda noted,
it is Iowa, and roads do lead through Steve King. But, this is happening
all across the country right now. Lawmakers are going home. They are
hearing from constituents.
And, you have groups of dreamers. You got advocates who are really going
to apply the pressure at the same time the crisis happening on the border
and you got the anti-immigration folks who are still angry as well and are
really worried that congress is going to pass some sort of amnesty.
KLEIN: And, Amanda, quickly, is this something -- this is an a agreement
between Paul and others. Is this something they can resolve before 2016?
TURKLE: No. I do not think so. I mean there are very few issues where
republicans right now are in agreement. The Democratic Party to be the one
that was always in disarray and really disorganized, but right now it is
the Republican Party. Democrats have been much more organized, and it is
going to be a problem for the leaders in the party.
KLEIN: Amanda Turkle from the "Huffington Post" and Christina Bellantoni
from "Roll Call." Thank you both for being here tonight. That is "All In"
for this evening. I am Ezra Klein. You can read more of my work at
vox.com or at facebook.com/ezraklein. "The Rachel Maddow Show" starts now.
My friend Steve Kornacki sitting in for Rachel. Good evening, Steve.
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Yeah, well, the 2008 Republican nominee Dr. Sauerberg against Dick Durbin just wasn't conservative enough for all our fancies, so eww...don't we all feel so much better reading this today? After all, WE didn't put Durbin into office again last November, did we?
by Heritage Foundation's Hans A. von Spakovski
Sen. Richard J. Durbin's (D-IL) Fair Elections Now Act, introduced on Tuesday, purports to "reform" our political system by using public funds (tax dollars) to finance congressional campaigns. According to Durbin, it will "restore this democracy to its basic values."Odd, as I don't recall the Founding Fathers asserting a basic, democratic value of forcing taxpayers to fund political speech with which they disagree.
This bill would allow candidates to opt into a public funding program if they raised a minimal amount of money from home-state residents.This proposal resembles the current public funding program for presidential primaries.But serious White House contenders have recently eschewed that program because it provides nothing near the amount necessary to run a nationwide campaign. And there is no indication that the proposed program for congressional candidates would be any better.
The key difference between Durbin's congressional proposal and the existing presidential matching system is that the funding for the chief executive races is completely voluntary -- via taxpayer check-offs on tax returns.Durbin would fund his new program by taxing government contractors.
The rest is HERE. Read it and weep. Maybe we are as selfish and crass as Obama told the Turkish students we are...?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
"When you look at the tape, you do definitely see the incredible field position created basically by our special teams, but also by virtue of the turnovers. After kickoff return, we took the ball over at the average of the 48-yard line, which was outstanding. When you compare the games where you don't have that kind of field position, I don't know that I've ever benefitted from that as much as we had last night. So kickoff return was blocked well, the speed, the energy, the maneuverability… All those things were there. I thought kickoff coverage did a good job. We mixed in a few directional kicks and mortar kicks and we did a nice job with that as well. We had a 9.5-yard average on our punt returns with Domenik Hixon and that was a plus and that helped and we did a good job of pinning them back and we did have to punt it and fortunately we didn't have to punt it very much. Our defense… We gave up some run yardage and we certainly gave up the big ball down the middle of the field, but we did the things we had to do basically when we had to them.
A big objective of ours was to try to win the time of possession to do a good job with first downs, which we didn't always do. But to do a good job with first downs to try to put us in better position for third down, to be able to keep the outstanding high scoring offense of the New Orleans Saints on the sideline while we had the ball and we did that to a certain extent. We came out about even in time of possession. They got a little bit more than we did, but we had 45 percent on third down, which meant we kept the ball along those lines and because of theDavid Wilson runs towards the end we did get our rushing game back close to where we thought it would be. Quite frankly it was somewhat disappointing until that point. We thought we would do a better job initially right away with rushing the ball, but we went plus-two in the turnover column, which puts us now at plus-16, which is very good, and we needed that. We were four for five, 80 percent, touchdowns in the green zone. Three for three in the tight green and, of course, our defense held them to two for four. They were 50 percent in the red zone and they had been at 70 percent prior to our game.
We did have some penalties. We had six penalties officially, seven actually, and basically the offensive team is a team that's being penalized right now and some of it is very, very difficult for me to understand, to be honest with you, but they had 10 penalties and we had six penalties. We did have two interceptions, which gave them one score and actually prevented us again from mounting a drive and doing something with the ball at a key time in the game. So that takes a little something away, but we did have the four turnovers to create the plus-two.Stevie Brown came up with some great plays. We got the ball knocked out a couple of times. Antrel got a ball out. We got a ball out in the middle of the field on a pass play and that really gave us a spark and Stevie Brown's second interception came at a great time and so we obviously went into this game with the idea that we had to amend some of the errors that we had made the week before and didn't come away with a win and so it was very important for us to play well, to have all three teams support one another. As I said last night we wanted to play with great passion and purpose and we thought that would be our way of showing gratitude to the fans and hopefully we accomplished that."
Q: How much do you like the idea that you control your own destiny? Does that put the pressure on the other teams or does it put pressure on your team?
A: You don't look over your shoulder at the scoreboard because you have to take care of your own business. The thing about it is that we determine our own fate. Destiny is a matter of choice for us and we do know the odds. We do know what's at stake. We do know that both Washington and Dallas won yesterday, so nothing has changed in terms of the division standings and we do know that we are preparing to play a very, very good Atlanta team and a team that's only lost twice the entire season and really has done an outstanding job of adding to a good football team with some new parts and people playing very good football. So we do understand all of that and I think it just sharpens your focus and keeps your concentration at an extremely high level and hopefully we can build from the win. We certainly do have things that need to be addressed and cleaned up and done better. We've got to go ahead and analyze the Atlanta team and notice how we match up and see what our personnel situations are and what theirs are, where are strengths and weaknesses with both teams and so that will be what we'll do over the next couple of days. But knowing the circumstances, making it very plain and obvious for our team exactly what the situation is, that's definitely a part of our approach and at this point in time, the facts are the facts and if you are going to accomplish what you set out to, you've got to take care of your own business.
Q: Would you describe the defense's mentality as a bend and don't break type of mentality?
A: Well, hopefully we're better than that. We certainly gave up a lot of yards last night, but in reality we gave up 20 points and the week before we gave up 16 points and so we've done a pretty good job of tightening up in the red zone and we've given up some yardage but then we found ways to kind of level that off, whether it be through the turnovers or stops. So we're constantly trying to improve that area or we're constantly trying to maneuver our personnel around to match up. Jacquian Williams came into the game last night having not played for quite some time and was able to play pretty well and we were pleased that he was able to go in there and do a very good job with regard to how he matched up against their people.
Q: Did David Wilson surprise you with how ready he was to take on a bigger role?
A: No. Didn't surprise me at all. He's been growing and building towards this opportunity. If you watched last night and looked real close, he did a nice job picking up a weak side safety blitz. So he did prove again that he understood the particular protection we were in and how he was to react with his responsibility and did it well and so he's gained some valuable experience in the time that he has played and of course he gained valuable experience last night as well.
Q: What did you like from Hixon in the punt return game? Will you have Hixon there moving forward?
A: Well, we have to have more than one person ready for that job, but we did like what Domenik did last night. He's been in that role before. He's played very well for us in that role. He gave us a 9.5 average last night, so I'm inclined to think that we would continue, but you have to have more than one person ready.
Q: Was there a reason why Rueben Randle's role was reduced on kickoff return and offense last night?
A: No. We had prepared Jernigan to play back there as the off returner and JJ obviously did an outstanding job with his own return, so that worked out pretty well.
Q: Do you agree with Chris Canty's statement that the defense doesn't have a signature performance yet this year?
A: I don't know what he's referring to in terms of.. We've certainly been tested. We've had our back to the wall. We've had to come through in certain circumstances in order to have a chance to win. I think San Francisco certainly is a good defensive football game. I think Carolina was a good defensive football game, so I think we've had some good games. I think Green Bay you'd have to say with that offensive team that 10 points was a pretty good defensive performance and so I think we've had some good performances and I like what I hear if you're telling me that the defensive players don't think they've accomplished what they set out to and that they think their best games are in front of them. I would encourage that.
Q: How much does it say to you that you're able to win eight games for seven years in a row and have been able to maintain that level of consistency in what is an up and down league?
A: The only thing I can tell you with regard to that is each year, as an organization, we establish a goal and that goal is to win the Super Bowl and we do everything in our power to put the personnel people and Jerry Reese and his staff do everything that they possibly can to bring the talent to our organization and put people in positions that they can make plays. The coaches have the same goals in mind in terms of developing these players and putting them in the best possible positions for them to perform to the best of their abilities, so we carry through with these goals. We've been able to do this with some degree of consistency. I don't think to the extent that we would like to be. So for me to comment now, it's kind of like the questions that were asked about 'back to the wall.' Well, you know what? Lets see what's going to happen here. We've got three games to go before we decide what type of consistency we have and how we respond to the kinds of situations that we put ourselves in, first and foremost, seemingly on a yearly basis. It's an exciting time for us all and we're looking forward to this stretch run albeit against some very, very good football teams.
Q: How is Bradshaw feeling today and would the knee be anything that could keep him out of a game?
A: Well, he's being examined even as we speak and we'll know more about that when these medical examinations are completed.
Q: Is there the feeling that it wasn't a serious thing after the game?
A: No. I don't know what to… Anytime you are talking about a knee and you are going through a series of tests and you're better off to wait and see what the results are. I wouldn't speculate on anything right now.
Q: Is he having an MRI?
A: Yeah. All the tests. All those types of things.
Q: It must be convenient to have a guy as fresh as David Wilson be a contributor to the offense.
A: Yes. I agree. The timing is great for David to come to the front and he'll hopefully provide us with that spark we need right now to go along with the rest of our players to give us an added playmaker that people are going to have to flat-out defend.
Q: Is Hakeem feeling all right?
A: I don't know what 'all right' means. He's sore. He's still… the issues with the knee and so on and so forth. So he's going to continue in the same capacity that he's been in. I wish that he would have an opportunity to play after no longer having any issues, but that's not going to be the case this year. So I think he's continuously monitored throughout the course of the season pretty much on a weekly basis. So there's nothing unusual about that and hopefully… I thought he had some plays in the game last night that showed real quickness very similar to what we're used to. Now it's not there all the time and so he does have these issues that are going to be with him throughout the course of the year.
Q: You said it looked like Hakeem wore down a little bit towards the end of the game. Is that a result of those issues he's working through?
A: If you're asking me if the accumulation of the first three quarters had an effect on how he felt late in the game, I would say yes and I would think there's nothing really unusual about that.
Q: How is Victor Cruz's shoulder?
A: I think he'll be fine.
Q: Prince's hamstring?
A: He did strain the hamstring and we're going to have to see where he's at. He's been treated and he will continue to be treated and we'll just have to see the severity of it as we go along this week.


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OK - so here is my confession. I posted my blog last week about my brother's birthday to make up for my ditching him on his 40th birthday to go to a meeting at the Moore Foundation HQ. I really needed to go to this meeting, for many reasons, and so I went just for the day (driving from Davis did not take anywhere near as long as I expected --- just ~ 1.5 hours to the Presidio in SF where the Moore HQ is located). But with two kids including a newborn, I could not go to the A's Yankees game with my brother and so I posted that birthday blog to do something.
Anyway - not a ton to report from the meeting. It was the second California Metagenomics workshop organized by UCSD as part of the CAMERA project. The last one was in Berkeley. There were some good talks but as usual the best thing was a chance to talk to people in person. The two best talks in my opinion were one by Victoria Orphan from Caltech and one by Jessica Green from UC Merced. Orphan talked about a special sorting method they are using to pull out cells of particular organisms from environmental samples for subsequent gene and genome sequencing. Green talked about her work on spatial ecology and biogeography of microbes. I think we desperately need more people like Green in the microbial ecology field --- people who are taking methods and concepts used for "big" organisms and applying them to the microbial world (another example is Jen Martiny at Irvine who was not at the meeting but her husband Adam Martiny was there).
The most painful part of the meeting (other than the traffic on the way home) --- the lame behavior of many of the scientists in regard to our hosts the Moore Foundation. Despite being told many times that people were expected to bus their own tables --- few did. And even better, one of the participants (Adam Godzik) spent serious effort complaining about the coffee not being strong enough to the program officer from the Moore Foundation. And then asking her to get him some stronger coffee. Clearly he likes his coffee. But not really the best way to interact with a program officer.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Metagenomics, a visit to the Moore Foundation HQ, and things not to ask for from your Program Officer
2 comments:
That's just insane. With funding being tight all over, treating program officers like personal butlers has to be the most counterproductive way to ensure a grant is renewed. Did Adam not realize who she was and thought she was waitstaff?ReplyDelete
(Not that complaining about free, if weak, coffee would be particularly polite even then)
I think he had no clue ...ReplyDelete
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Cloud Computing Reversed
May 2nd, 2011 No comments
I always believe cloud computing is a computing, not the computing of the future. Its elastic and centralized nature allows greater level of sharing that was otherwise impossible within single organizations. It works great for anyone who has dramatic workloads and other cases. But it doesn't work in all the cases.
Recently a new use case comes to my attention. It actually requires opposite way to cloud computing. You may have known recent developments in bioinformatics. With human genes are sequenced and analyzed, we can
Categories: Cloud Computing Cloud Computing, gene


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LNT118: The Music of Jeremy Dale Roberts
Important note: your browser must be able to accept cookies for you to download your music or purchase CDs. By making a purchase here you are agreeing to allow this site to use cookies. If you're in any doubt, .
Click the cover image to see front and back together...
Music by:
Performed by:
Review: Paul Driver, The Sunday Times
Click next to any track to hear an extract.
You can also buy LORELT CDs from these distributors.


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I really love this song and a couple others on Pink's new album. True Love is the perfect song for my relationship. This might sound bad to those that don't understand, but it's not. I think you need to be in a relationship like this to understand it. Anyway.......
I started with 2 coats of Bettina Cotton Candy.
I added 1 coat of Pretty & Polished Punk'd Up Betty to my index finger. This polish just reminds me so much of Pink.
I added my designs using BM317 and Zoya Lara on my middle and pinky fingers and BM311 and Milani Black Swift on my ring finger.
I was going for the idea of true love with the black acting as the "I wanna wrap my hands around your neck" feeling. Maybe it only makes sense in my head! :)
I also topped it off with 2 coats of HK Girl.
True Love - Pink


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Wednesday, August 10, 2011
London's Burning! (And History's Repeating Itself)
When I first heard about the riots that broke out in London's Tottenham neighborhood on Saturday, I couldn't help thinking that the situation sounded a little familiar. It all began peacefully as people protested the death of a young man at the hands of local police, and allegedly the chaos erupted after a 16-year-old girl threw a rock at police officers. That proved to be the spark that lit three days' worth (so far) of riots all over London, as well as in Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, and Manchester.
The niggling thought that the riots reminded me of something bounced around in my brain for a few hours until it hit me—the Notting Hill Carnival riot of 1976. On August 30th of that year, the annual West Indian carnival descended into violence as youths threw bricks and rocks at police and set cars afire. I had heard about it from several interviews with The Clash's front man Joe Strummer, who sang about the effect the riot had on him in the song, "White Riot."
Strummer, along with Clash bassist Paul Simonon and manager Bernie Rhodes, was at the carnival when the riot broke out. As Strummer remembered in an interview in 1999, "Paul, Bernie and I [saw] this conga-line of policemen coming through the crowd. . . . Someone threw a brick at them, then another, [then] all hell broke loose." (quote from The Complete Clash [2003] by Keith Topping) According to the BBC, the trouble started when police tried to arrest a pickpocket and "several black youths came to the pickpocket's aid." Relations between the police and London's black community had been unstable all summer, and the Carnival ended up being the tipping point.
Fast-forward 35 years to the present. The Metropolitan Police, as part of Operation Trident—a unit dedicated to investigating gun crime in London's black communities—have supposedly been increasing the number of stop-searches made on members of the community. As a result, suspicion of and resentment for police is bubbling under the surface. Unemployment rates in Tottenham are double the national average, and the neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of poverty in the country. Then on August 4th, 29-year-old Mark Duggan was shot and killed by police during an attempted arrest. That lit the tinderbox.
Both the riots of 1976 and 2011 were prefaced by stark economic climates (as Strummer growled in "White Riot:" "All the power in the hands of the people rich enough to buy it"), high unemployment, and tense race relations. All it took each time was one moment of perceived injustice for the violence to erupt. Though it feels cliché to say it, these riots happening in London are a perfect example of history repeating itself. But whereas the Notting Hill riot lasted only one day, the current chaos in London has been going on for three, and has spread to other cities.
If people continue refusing to recognize what can happen if we don't learn from history, how bad will the riots be a few decades down the road?
2 comments:
- Lisa Clark Diller said...
This is the sort of post that makes me glad to be a historian. Thank you for this perspective. Our memories are so short. It also makes me wonder about the role played by faster media/communication technologies in sustaining the momentum of the current riots (as opposed to the one-day riot in the 70s).
- August 11, 2011 at 6:38 AM
- PW said...
Dana, I agree with Lisa about our temporary amnesia with such things, and I welcome your insight into the bubbling tensions beneath the surface.
However, I believe that a large part of the problem is, per my HS post today, a lack of accountability and willingness for people to take responsibility for their own actions. The looting is a demonstration of entitlement culture gone to extremes - those involved have been conditioned to take what they want without earning it, and now believe they can just extend that into thieving. True discipline (I'm not talking about corporal punishment) in schools has vanished, moral relativism is endemic. There is a lack of leadership in the home and, as many studies have shown, there is an undeniable connection between absent fathers and behavioral, educational and criminal problems. Do certain government and police policies cause friction? Quite probably. But there would be no need for stop and search and similar practices if there were no just cause. Those who have nothing to hide need not fear it. Of course when this crosses the line into harassment there is an issue. But the bigger one is how we can empower people to be responsible for their own actions, equip them with the skills and opportunities to break the cycle of gang violence, and free them from the false, self-defeating notion that the government is the source of all their problems.
- August 11, 2011 at 3:26 PM


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White Greyhound is the first single of Danny O'Connor's debut effort 'Black Sheep. Indeed this is a year of debuts for the Ballyshannon born troubadour as he also releases his first music video.
The video for the aforementioned track is a black and white tribute to loss, love and life set against the urban bohemia of Berlin. Teeming with sense of longing for solace and very much rooted in the tradition of the emigrant songwriter, White Greyhound takes the listener on an aural journey from Tir Conaill to the Tiergarten via the Bierhalls of Berlin where O'Connor learned his trade on the folk scene.
Indeed this apprenticeship can be heard in the track as O'Connor plays guitar backed by some of Berlin's finest young creative's. Recorded at Lowswing Studios in Berlin and Nashtrax Studios in Nashville, TN, USA the track features Danny O'Connor: Vocals, Guitar, Bass // Tobias Gille: Percussion // Sara Thögersen: Fiddle // Sinead Hayes: Wurlitzer Electric Piano // Jan Terstegen: Electric Guitar and Aaron McDaris: Banjo.
It is as a lyricist however that O'Connor excels the most. 'Will you think about me when your there, in the clouds of fresh air' is perhaps the most heartfelt line in a song which is both a tribute to O'Connor's late uncle Christie as well as a rumination on life abroad. The video uses the motif of a white greyhound which the singer encounters at various stages in some of the most famous locations in Berlin. The Volkspark Friedrichshain, Friedhof Boxhagener Straße, the Tempodrom and Rummelsburger Bucht, all feature as O'Connor chases after the dog as well as his own sense of belonging on foreign shores.
The meaning behind the white dog is left open to the viewer's interpretation. Is the white dog the protagonist encounters real, or is he chasing a ghost? Will he find him again in the lush greenery of Berlin's parks and city forests on a summer day, in a graveyard, in the barren urban labyrinths of the big city, or inside himself? The video works best as a visual expression of the songs exploration of family ties and affection stretched over two countries and punctuated by the passing of time.
An Irish language poet once described 'dying as walking home from the dance of life'. White Greyhound is written in this spirit and as such is a homecoming of sorts for Danny O'Connor. A very pleasing video and track. Sometimes all it takes is family to hit the mark.
German language poet Paul Celan wrote that "Poetry is a sort of homecoming". This is true of Danny O'Connor's debut offering. Having cut his teeth in the Irish music scene of the late nineties/early naughties O' Connor relocated to Berlin. Its this unique blend of life experience that informs this most intimate of folk albums.
Essentially a singer-songwriter album, "Black Sheep" is a tribute to O'Connor's journey leading him from his birthplace – Ballyshannon in the Northwest of Ireland – via Dublin to Berlin, which he made the center of his life some five years ago. The theme is captured in the album artwork and probably most present in the lyrics of "Going Home", a ballad telling the tale of being "between different homes."
Another prominent topic are family ties in all their beauty and sometimes inevitable difficulty. "White Greyhound", "Rainy Day" and "Shine", along with "Listen" arguably the strongest and most vivid tracks on the album, all connect to this in one way or another. Proving himself an attentive observant of human nature and the stories entwined in the history of generations, O'Connor does the subject matter justice – emotional, but never sentimental, energetic and always with a strong focus on hope, love and reconciliation.
The two more upbeat, happy and audibly Johnny Cash-inspired country songs "Neverland Town" and "Without" provide the counterpoint to these, embracing and celebrating life and happiness.
A lot of consideration was given to the arrangements of each song. Recorded partly in Berlin at Lowswing Studio, partly in Nashville, each instrument lends a voice to one of the motives in the tracks. Danny O'Connor's most important ally in bringing the bittersweet nostalgia in "Rainy Day" and "Going Home" to life and moving it towards a present where past shadows are overcome is Sara Thögersen, whose powerful backing vocals and fiddle playing make for a large part of these songs sonic splendor. In "Shine", it is the sparse and perfectly timed piano of Galway artist Sinead Hayes which underlines and emphasizes the words. Banjo, Dobro and Pedal Steel tracks recorded in Nashville make for the characteristic "twang" and the easy, summer-breezing lightness of "Neverland Town" and "Without."
O'Connor's is doubtlessly the kind of intimate and personal album it takes many other artists years to work up the courage to make. His voice and guitar hold the songs together and make listeners feel they are invited on a personal and moving journey with the artist, who names greats as diverse as Luka Bloom, country godfather Johnny Cash and Indie-Folk-Rockers The Decemberists as some of his influences. The stand out track "White Greyhound" exemplifies O' Connor's prowess as a songwriter. He laments 'Will you think about me there, in the clouds of fresh air' in what is a powerful ode to love and loss.
"Black Sheep" was recorded in November 2015 and February 2016 and mixed and mastered by Florian von Keyserlingk, another long-term companion of O'Connor's. "Listen" was written by his best friend Michael McGrath, so the album is somewhat of an "extended family" production. Indeed, home via Friedrichshain is truly where the heart is for this North Western troubadour.
Black Sheep is a refreshingly honest album in which O'Connor wears his heart on his sleeve. The future is indeed bright for this emigrant son of the North West.
The album is available on CD and as digital download from all known online stores from July 1, 2016.


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Dr. Matthew Schreckinger, MD
Arroyo Grande Specialty Center
850 Fair Oaks Ave Ste 100 Arroyo Grande , CA 93420
Get to Know Dr. Matthew Schreckinger, MD
Accepting Patients
Care Philosophy
My care centers on open and honest communication, providing my patients with complete and accurate information about their symptoms, imaging findings, and treatment options, while genuinely listening to each individual patient's concerns to determine the best management approach. This may be surgery or conservative measures such as physical therapy or a referral to a pain specialist. When surgery is felt to be the best option, I am able to perform both leading edge and traditional surgeries, including minimally invasive procedures, ensuring that each of my patients receives the care that is best suited to their individual needs.
Insurances Carriers Accepted
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- Tricare
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Dr. Matthew Schreckinger, MD's Experience
Procedures Performed
- Brain Surgery
- Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Shunt - Insertion, Repair or Removal
- Herniated Disc Surgery
- Lamina Procedures (incl. Laminectomy, Laminoplasty, Laminotomy)
- Spinal Compression Fracture Repair
- Spinal Fusion
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Conditions Treated
- Back Pain
- Bone Cancer
- Bone Disorders
- Brain and Nervous System Cancer (incl. Gliomas, Astrocytoma, Schwannoma, Medulloblastoma, Chordoma)
- Brain Cancer
- Brain Disorders
- Brain Hemorrhage
- Brain Infection
- Brain Tumor
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- Cervical Spine Myelopathy
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Degenerative Disorders
- Degenerative Scoliosis
- Epidural Hematoma
- Fracture
- Herniated Disc
- Hydrocephalus
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- Low Back Pain
- Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
- Lumbar Spine Fracture
- Meningiomas
- Myelopathy
- Neck Pain
- Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
- Osteoarthritis of Spine
- Osteoporotic Spine Fractures
- Pathological Spine Fracture
- Radiculopathy (Not Due to Disc Displacement)
- Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
- Sacroiliac Pain Syndrome
- Scoliosis
- Secondary Malignancies
- Skull Fracture
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- Spine Disorders
- Spine Fractures, Traumatic
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- Thoracic Spine Fracture
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- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Vascular Disease
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Dr. Matthew Schreckinger, MD's Locations
Accepting New Patients
Arroyo Grande Specialty Center
850 Fair Oaks Ave Ste 100, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
(805) 473-0700 Fax: (805) 473-5931
Santa Maria Specialty Health Center
300 S STRATFORD AVE, Santa Maria, CA 93454
(805) 739-3863 Fax: (805) 614-2035
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ASEAN Commercial Finance Manager
|Singapore River, Singapore
|Contract Type:
|Finance & Accounting
|S$130000.00 - S$160000.00 per annum + Variable bonus
ASEAN Commercial Finance Manager
Our client is an international MNC headquartered in UK in the Professional Services Sector. Their clients include national and multinational corporations, financial institutions, and governments. They have over 40 offices globally and 150 people in the Singapore Office.
This role will report into the Head of Finance and manage a team of 8 across 4 offices in ASEAN. The role will focus on being a business partner and trusted advisor to senior stakeholders in Singapore with the principle objective of optimising revenue and matter profitability. They will be involved in pricing and assisting with contract negotiations by accurate and relevant financial information for decision-making and scenario based profitability forecasting. They will manage and control the working capital and maintain relationships with clients. When required, this person will support the Head of Finance with APAC regional budgeting and analysis.
Qualifications and Experiences
- A recognised accountancy qualification is preferable
- Must be a pro-active self-starter with drive, enthusiasm and tenacity, possessing excellent communication skills both written and verbal. Will need to be visible with the confidence to encourage and challenge stakeholders
- Excellent analytical and numeracy skills are a prerequisite for the role with a strongly commercial outlook
- A highly credible individual with resilience and high level of intellectual ability who is able to develop effective working relationships with the ability to influence at all levels
- Upbeat, robust and a sense of humour welcomed!
Interested applicants please send your resume in MS Words format and attn it to Gemma Tresser (R1440081)
Short listed candidates will be notified
EA Registration Number: R1440081
Data provided is for recruitment purposes only
Business Registration Number: 200611680D. Licence Number: 10C5117


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Pest Control in Inglewood, California
No matter what pest issue you're experiencing, Crazylegs service is the recognizable choice. We will provide protection to your home or establishment, and promptly remove any pests in Inglewood, California. We tackle everything from bugs to rodents.
Identifying a company that you depend on can be a challenge in Inglewood, California. You'll like our concentration on customer service as we deal with your pest issue, at an affordable and just cost.
Crazylegs Is The Finest Exterminator in Inglewood, California
We're fast, and you'll appreciate our professional services -- guaranteed. We utilize only the safest and most reliable methods. You can rely on our marvelous team to deliver the service you look for and desire. We are professional but affordable, with absolutely free inspections and estimates. Essentially, we'll solve your issue rapidly, professionally and economically.
Phone Crazylegs Pest Control
- We can empathize. Everyone feels uncomfortable identifying pests at home or at work in Inglewood. We will immediately send somebody for a cost-free inspection, often in just minutes.
- We can handle it. We focus on all of the common pests in Inglewood and neighboring communities including cockroaches, mice, wasps, scorpions, ants, bed bugs, crickets, spiders, termites, bees, rodents, ticks, fleas, earwigs, killer bees, wasp nest removal, mosquitoes, birds, etc.. Our pros have encountered problems just like yours before, so you can rest easy.
- We're guaranteed! If you persist to have pest situations after our treatment, your specialist in Inglewood will return for another treatment at no charge to you. If pests show up anytime between regularly scheduled treatments, we'll send your experts back to address your issue immediately.
- We keep you safe. We are a licensed, certified, and fully insured specialist in Inglewood, California. Our powerful treatments utilize only the safest solutions and materials as recognized by industry benchmarks.
- You'll like our customer service. From our courteous and helpful telephone operators right here in Inglewood to our experienced and knowledgeable inspectors and highly qualified and clean-cut technicians, you will be excited by the quality of our people and our service.
- We provide you a great deal. Our inspection service is free, and so are our price quotes. We offer our service in Inglewood, California for a reasonable and affordable price due to the fact that we reside and do business in the same neighborhood.
- We don't disguise anything. Our inspector in Inglewood California will present you a thorough estimate that includes prices and treatment information, all prior to getting started. You'll understand every detail up front.
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Your Crazylegs Company Exterminator in Inglewood, California Uses Industry Leading Solutions and Materials
Applying insecticide at specific areas on your property gives the secret to efficient bug control. Insect nesting areas are especially crucial in Inglewood. Yet creating a defense at potential entrance and exit points is likewise needed to efficiently halt an infestation. Your highly-trained pros from Crazylegs has been qualified to observe and treat all nesting, entry and exit sites in Inglewood, California.
Crazylegs Focuses on Safety in Inglewood, California
Many people are discussing "green" pest control solutions which preserve the environment and minimize toxins in Inglewood. Crazylegs, just like all the leading extermination companies in Inglewood, California is likewise employing similar solutions to safeguard you and the environment. Our highly trained technicians inspect and clear away the environmental variables which allow pests to reproduce or thrive in Inglewood, California. Because of this, a decreased volume of pesticides and other chemicals are called for.
This practice is known as "Integrated Pest Management" and it's a strategy that blends prevention with conventional applications of practical pesticides. The aim is to reduce the infestation substantially and allow the well thought-out and mindful application of safe and practical pesticides, specifically those that have no effect on human beings or family pets.
Crazylegs Guarantees Our Services in Inglewood California
Your satisfaction is guaranteed, completely. The guarantee includes both our results and our customer service. To fix your pest problem, we will come back as necessary for further treatments in Inglewood, California, till you are totally satisfied, at no additional cost to you. We'll come back right away for extra treatments, even for patrons on a regularly booked treatment program if pest should come back.
Inglewood, California Bug Elimination
Regardless of what your pest issue is, Crazylegs techs will allow you relax knowing they will get to the cause of the problem. We endeavor to deliver the best pest control service and value in Inglewood, California with every single contact and action.
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Crazylegs company will protect your family members's physical health in addition to that of your employees and patrons. You'll get well-mannered, speedy, and efficient service. Schedule your free of charge inspection in Inglewood, California. Call us today.
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The rural economy of Rwanda thrives mainly on diverse agro-based activities and on foreign trade as well. In fact, the economy of Rwanda revived itself rapidly through determination of the population as well as immense foreign financial assistances.
Agriculture is the primary occupation of the population in Rwanda, contributing around 41% to the country's GDP. Though the agricultural productivities suffered tremendous setbacks, owing to severe famines of 1928-29 and 1943-44, the country is trying hard to recover from the devastations of such natural calamities.
In fact, earnest efforts on government levels have improved the situation to considerable extents through introduction of new methods of cultivation by Chinese and Taiwanese agronomists. Moreover, the varied agricultural outputs account for a major part of the Rwandan exports.
As far as the industrial sector of Rwanda is concerned, the maximum GDP contribution, around 10%, comes from Rwanda's manufacturing units. This sector specializes in production and processing of artisan goods and handicraft items like potteries, baskets, etc.
The light industries in Rwanda are in the production of metal works, beverages, wine, sugar, tea, coffee, beer, flour and cigars. Other industries include footwear, tiles, bricks, tiles, insecticides, soap, automobile, match, medicines, paints, refineries and furniture.
International trade of Rwanda is responsible for generating foreign revenue in the country. During 1996 and 1999, the export activities of the country increased by 424% and the imports by a small margin of 25%, though in terms of value, imports are more than 4 times the total exports. Coffee and tea are the primary export items, accounting for 56% and 27% of the total export figures respectively. Other exports include gold (17%) and hides and skins of animal (0.9%). While Kenya act as the principal export market and one of the importers of Rwanda, Belgium and Japan form the main import suppliers of Rwanda.
Last Updated on : 25th June 2013


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Typically businesses and non-profit organizations request audit and accounting services to obtain financing or meet other third party compliance requirements. We believe our audit and accounting services do more than help meet your financing and compliance requirements. We believe our audit and accounting services can provide real solutions to your unique business needs and add value to your bottom line.
Our approach is to learn about your business environment and understand your unique goals and objectives. We apply our business knowledge and experience to your individual situation. We have the expertise to help you meet more than reporting and regulatory requirements. We communicate with you in a meaningful way to help strengthen internal controls and improve operations, so you can protect and grow the business you have developed. We are committed to providing you with excellent service that meets the highest quality standards.
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|George Carlin
|May 12, 1937
|June 22, 2008
|Time on SNL:
| As Host:
October 11, 1975
November 10, 1984
March 12, 2005
May 13, 2006
George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor, and author. Carlin was noted for his black comedy and his thoughts on politics, the English language, psychology, religion, and various taboo subjects. Carlin and his "Seven dirty words" comedy routine were central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, in which a 5-4 decision affirmed the government's power the regulate indecent material on the public airwaves. He hosted the first episode of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975 and November 10, 1984.
He was also impersonated by Fred Armisen on the March 12, 2005 episode during the "Sean Penn's Celebrity Roast" sketch and on the May 13, 2006 during the "Charades" sketch.
|Preceded by:
Edwin Newman as one-episode anchor
|Saturday Night News Anchor (one-episode anchor)
(November 10, 1984 - November 10, 1984)
|Followed by:
Ed Asner as one-episode anchor


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I am pleased to announce to the world that sissymaid diane is a trained sissy. In other words, this sissy girl is trained and feminized. What this means is all the rest of you silly (slutty) sissies can look to diane to see where you are going.
Of course, I have more plans for diane. Having a wonderful sissy wardrobe, beautiful sissy tits, a dildo to suck and a cage to wear is only the beginning.
sissy diane is a trained sissy, however, she has a long road ahead of her to become a trained cuckold. Becoming a cuckold is a natural progression for a slut like diane. I know she really, and I mean REALLY wants to be on her knees sucking My lover's cock. I know she would be at My bedroom door on a moments notice (give or take a few minutes for airline scheduling)
sissy diane is free to continue playing her beloved picture game, wearing her beautiful lingerie, tits, and beloved cage as she likes.
What is new for sissy diane is on My Command, no, My Demand, she will be put on her knees, sucking cock ( while her little clitty is caged) and learning to put her own excited little clitty on DENIAL. I will send My little cuckold diane messages and instructions when the time comes. This 'schedule' will be based on My real time life as unpredictable and exciting as that is.
Also, as you all know, Wednesday is yellow panties day. Friday is green panties day. I will be adding to the panty schedule over the rest of the summer. I want my little pretty army of sissies to wear their colourful panty uniforms in order!
Thursday (today) is my favourite PINK panties day. Are you in pink?
Mistress Cassie
Mistress Cassie's thoughts on sissy training, assignments, sissy phone calls and more. Are you a panty wearing sissygirl?
Thursday, July 28, 2011
regarding sissy maid diane
4 comments:
- Unknown said...
Hello Mistress Cassie,
i have seen Your post on my blog, of course. thank You for taking the time to post Here as well.
i am already beginning to feel the effect of this new training, cuckold training.
not knowing when or how You will be contacting me (or the precise content) is all quite different. It is hard not to imagine what amounts to the opposite of previous training from You. Instead of reaching a frenzy while sucking on my dildo, and then ending up caged... well, this will be another matter altogether.
You never cease to amaze me with the depth of Your ability to take me deeper and deeper into feminization.
Oh, my!
sissy maid diane
- kathi said...
Mistress Cassie, im not under your direction or dominance but i will wear pink panties in honor of you today.
- Mistress Cassie said...
diane - your first cuckold assignment is now on your blog... ;)
kathi - very nice, and now the rest of the schedule is posted. enjoy.
- Unknown said...
Hello Mistress Cassie,
Yes, i did get (and complete) my first cuckold assignment for You. Thank You, Mistress.
i will wait patiently until it pleases You and/ or Blaze to give me another.
sissy maid diane


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Published on 27/01/2009 in Expat Life
Excerpt from 'Fiestas and Siestas Miles Apart'By Alan Cuthbertson
Antonio and Encarne are good friends from our village. Antonio is referred to as Lee Van Cleef, getting the nickname after I pointed out his similarity to the spaghetti western star**********************
A couple of days later we sat with Van Cleef and his wife Encarna, and the conversation got onto the subject of food once again. "Rabbit is my favourite," confessed Van Cleef."I've never had rabbit," admitted Heather."Mi casa, Domingo próximo." Van Cleef's invitation to Sunday dinner will have been the first time we have eaten with a proper Spanish family in their own home. It was something we looked forward to with mixed emotions.
Not knowing Spanish etiquette for such an occasion, we dressed casually and, before leaving the house, selected a bottle of wine to take. "I've just remembered. Encarna doesn't drink and Van Cleef only drinks whiskey," said Heather, so I swapped the bottle of wine for one of whiskey.
During the short walk to their house, Heather and I mulled over the possible menu."He said it was going to be rabbit," I pointed out."I'm just thinking back to the bar when they were all eating sparrows and snails," Heather said nervously, her nose curling a little."We have to eat whatever they put in front of us," I said, "it would be rude not to."
We knocked on the door and were greeted by Van Cleef himself. I passed him the bottle of whiskey. He looked at me, then the bottle, then back at me. His expression said, "You have a drink problem my friend." Inside the house it was quite dark, as most Spanish houses are. Alfonso, Van Cleef's son, was engrossed in a cartoon on the T.V. and seemed to be finding it hysterical, a little unusual when you consider he is 19 years old.
We took our positions at the table and right on cue in walked Encarna, carrying individual plates full of assorted vegetables and.some kind of animal. Heather and I glanced at each other recalling our vow to eat, or at least try, whatever was put in front of us.
Now I know this was to be Heather's first taste of rabbit but I just don't ever remember seeing a rabbit with wings, so presumably some kind of last minute substitution had been made. We all picked up our knives and forks and began to dig in. Encarna saw me pushing the meat around, got up and disappeared in to the kitchen. When she returned she passed me a pair of scissors. "What the hell are these for?" I whispered to Heather. Across the table from me, Alfonso had rejected the knife and fork and was pulling the animal on his plate apart with his fingers, so I did likewise. The wing looked tempting so I gave it a tug. It came away from the body. Unfortunately where it had been joined hung the veins and tendons, still dripping with blood and bodily fluids. "Antonio, no conejo?" Not rabbit? I asked."No," he replied. He then stood up, hooked his thumbs under his armpits and waved his elbows up and down. From this I deduced he was either trying to tell me we were eating bird, or we had progressed on to charades and this was his Dick Van Dyke in Marry Poppins.
Heather, who had been sitting at the side of me throughout the meal, let out a faint squeal that fortunately only I heard. As I turned my head I saw her pulling something from her mouth. Was it a bone? A bit of gristle maybe? Or even a filling? No, it was a piece of buck shot the size of a small rock. "I guess he shot it himself," I said.
After the main course, a bowl of fruit was brought from the kitchen, and Heather selected a pear and took her first bite. "No, No," called Encarna thrusting a knife toward Heather. "I think she wanted the pear," I said a little worried. As it transpires, the knife was to peel the pear, as they never eat the skins of fruits, concerned about what they may have been sprayed with.
As we said our goodbyes I returned the invitation and promised that next time they would have to come to our house for a meal. Van Cleef turned his nose up and curled his top lip. A rough translation of what he said would be. "I don't think so, I don't eat that English muck."
Written by: Alan CuthbertsonAbout the author:English Author and Family Move to Spain in Search of Adventure in New Book Fiestas and Siestas Miles ApartFiestas and Siestas Miles Apart is the humorous but true story of what happens when the Cuthbertson family decides to sell everything (including the family business), load the family car, and move from England to Spain.As author Alan Cuthbertson and wife, Heather, begin their move, daughters Ashlie and Stacey have other ideas and take off on their own adventure to Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand. The girls swim with sharks and work in a gold mine, their enthusiasm and naivety shown in the e-mails and texts received by their parents, who themselves are finding Spanish life a very steep learning curve. Who knew fried sparrow was a delicacy? And Alan's first hunting trip is not a completely successful expedition, but a very funny one.Eventually the Cuthbertson family finds the house and village of their dreams, but this is just the beginning of their adventures in Spain.Fiestas and Siestas Miles Apart is sure to entertain and put a smile on your face.Available from Book Depository Price £6.94FREE DELIVERY TO SPAIN
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Bread and Meat is a kosher and trendy meat restaurant which connects the two worlds – bread and meat.
The restaurant offers a small but quality menu with an emphasis on freshness and an exquisite experience of taste at average prices.
The chain's flagship branch was established at the Tel Aviv port and serves as a milestone in the kosher meat culinary scene.
The concept connects the world of meats with quality breads, combining a variety of different dishes such as steaks, Sinia, burgers and chicken dishes served with light salads and quality bread.
The restaurant also serves dishes which combine both worlds and are unique to the restaurant.
Baking in a stone oven allows fresh baking, meat smoking and creating a culinary experience for all the senses.
Style and atmosphere
The restaurant has an urban atmosphere and combines the old and the new in the Station plaza.
The design allows a comfortable and intimate seating in a restaurant together with entertainment and a high quality meal, a seating area decorated in different styles (benches, and an eclectic variety of tables) the easy going atmosphere combines sitting in small groups, shared tables at the bar area and intimate seating areas.