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Updated: July 15, 11:40 a.m. EDT
The latest revelation about the Trump campaign's secret meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya on June 9, 2016, is that the Russian lawyer was accompanied to Trump Tower that day by Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian-American lobbyist who was working to repeal sanctions on Russian officials implicated in human rights abuses.
The presence of the lobbyist, and his rumored ties to Russian intelligence, undercut claims of transparency by Donald Trump Jr. who somehow failed to mention it in any of his accounts of the meeting, which was also attended by his father's campaign chairman at the time, Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner, whose legal team disclosed it to the FBI recently.
But the fact that Akhmetshin was granted an audience with senior campaign officials could be another indication that Russian attempts to help elect Donald Trump president of the United States might have been part of a broader effort to get sanctions lifted without acceding to American pressure to make democratic reforms at home or withdraw support from separatist rebels in Ukraine.
After email correspondence setting up the meeting was leaked to the New York Times this week, the president's son admitted that he had agreed to it because a Russian business partner had passed on word that a senior Kremlin official wanted to help the Trump campaign by providing intelligence on Hillary Clinton.
He denied, however, that the Russian who came to the meeting, Veselnitskaya, brought any dirt on Clinton with her from Moscow.
Instead, both Donald Trump Jr. and Veselnitskaya now maintain, the lawyer came to Trump Tower to speak to the Trump campaign about her quest to repeal the Magnitsky Law, a measure passed by Congress in 2012 that set up a mechanism to sanction foreign official involved in rights abuses. After the law was passed, the Obama Administration sanctioned Russians connected to the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in custody in 2009 after accusing officials of embezzling $230 million in proceeds from a tax fraud scheme. The younger Trump's initial claim that the meeting was just about the stalled adoption of Russian children by American families is related to the Magnitsky because Russia imposed a ban on such adoptions in retaliation for those sanctions.
According to a complaint filed with the Justice Department last year by lawyers for Magnitsky's former employer, the American investor William Browder, Akhmetshin had been working for Veselnitskaya to undercut the Magnitsky Law.
The same complaint also accused Akhmetshin of being "a former member of the Russian military intelligence services," an accusation the lobbyist denied in an email to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty last year. However, Steve LeVine, a former New York Times investigative journalist who first used Akhmetshin as a source two decades ago, reported in Axios on Friday that in 1998, the lobbyist "openly described his years as an officer in the Soviet GRU, the military intelligence arm, serving in Afghanistan."
In an interview with NBC News earlier this week, Veselnitskaya had insisted that her work was completely unconnected to the Russian government, and was instead motivated by humanitarian concern for the orphans deprived of a chance to find new homes with American families.
That contention would appear to be undermined by the fact that Veselnitskaya apparently came to the meeting at Trump Tower that day directly from a court appearance in Lower Manhattan, where she had been defending the firm of a Russian client accused by the federal government of money laundering in a scheme to hide some of the proceeds from the tax fraud uncovered by Magnitsky before his death. (An email to Donald Trump Jr. asking to delay the meeting until 4 p.m. on June 9 said that Veselnitskaya would be "in court until 3." Her client's firm, Prevezon Holdings, was scheduled to appear before the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals that same day.)
The federal government dropped plans to take the Prevezon Holdings case to trial in May of this year, two months after President Trump fired Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who had filed the charges. Veselnitskaya's client's firm agreed to pay $5,896,333.65 to settle out of court, with no admission of wrongdoing.
One of Veselnitskaya's former colleagues, however, told The Intercept that her claim to have been working against the Magnitsky Law independently of the Russian government was untrue. According to her ex-colleague, who would only agree to speak on background, Veselnitskaya made no secret of the fact that she was in frequent contact with a senior Kremlin official, Russia's Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika, during her work on the legal case.
Early Saturday morning in Moscow, The Wall Street Journal published a new interview with Veselnitskaya in which she admitted that she had coordinated her work to undermine the sanctions law with the Russian prosecutor's office, including Prosecutor General Chaika. "I personally know the general prosecutor," Veselnitskaya told The Journal. "In the course of my investigations, I shared information with him."
Veselnitskaya also acknowledged to the newspaper that, at the time of her meeting in Trump Tower, she was representing Aras and Emin Agalarov, property developers who paid $20 million to stage the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in conjunction with the American who then owned it, Donald Trump.
Her connection to both Chaika and the Agalarovs seems to explain how Veselnitskaya ended up at Trump Tower. The email exchange setting up the meeting began with a message sent to Donald Trump Jr. by Rob Goldstone, a publicist who works for the Agalarovs, in which he said that Aras Agalarov had been told by Russia's senior law enforcement official, Chaika, that the Kremlin was eager to share Russian intelligence on Clinton with the Trump campaign.
Although Aras Agalarov tried to maintain that he barely knew Goldstone after the emails were made public this week, the publicist has worked for the family for years, as evidenced by images of him on the Instagram page of Agalarov's wife Irina, during the 2013 pageant in Moscow, and a number of photographs he uploaded to his own Facebook page showing Agalarov's son, Emin, with members of the Trump family, including Donald and Ivanka.
Chaika would also seem to have a personal interest in undoing the sanctions regime set in place by the Magnitsky Law, since, The New York Times reported in 2013, the U.S. government had "a list of 280 Russians compiled by Mr. Magnitsky's family for possible sanctions, including senior officials like Yuri Y. Chaika, the country's general prosecutor."
Four days after they attended that meeting at Trump Tower, Veselnitskaya and Akhmetshin were in Washington to continue their campaign against the sanctions legislation, first by screening a documentary attacking Magnitsky himself, and then having dinner with Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican congressman from California who has worked to undercut the law.
The following day, both Veselnitskaya and Akhmetshin were seen at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Russia when Rohrabacher spoke in favor of closer relations with Russia.
Veselnitskaya, wearing a tan dress and frequently staring at her phone, sat directly behind Michael McFaul, the Obama administration's former ambassador to Russia, and Akhmetshin was photographed at the side of the room.
The day after that hearing, on June 15, 2016, the hacker who called himself Guccifer 2.0 posted opposition research and donor documents stolen from the servers of the Democratic National Committee. The U.S. intelligence community later concluded that hackers working for Russian intelligence were behind the theft of those documents and emails provided to WikiLeaks that served to undercut the Clinton campaign.
Woooow CNN and BBC report a hidden meeting between Trump and Putin that took place at a G20 dinner table. They have no,clue what was discussed….must have been very secret and suspicious. The other world leaders at the table are to afraid to speak out on what happened. Thank you CNN and BBC for another 'beauty' making yourselves ridiculous again !
So, Dana and Donald were coordinating so they could get the emails unleashed? When do we find out what George Cottrell had to do with this mess? UKIP's money launderer who got arrested leaving the US with Farage after ythe GP convention using a false name?
Amazing how anyting Russia is now deemed evil. Would this make any difference if it was a British lawyer? It's amazing to see how many Americans are willing to get on board with the anti-Russia crap. You are gobling up all the bs the IC wants to feed you. Instead of running on ideas, the left is now running on anti-Russian and pro-interventionist/pro-empire….
So, are you suggesting that we just follow the Trump statement that the Russian thing is fake news?
all the intel suggests that the russians were trying to make mike pence president
the lies and deception … they go so deep
Your comment suggests that you are prone to producing conspiracy theories in a troll-like fashion with no fact or reason behind them in very much the same manner as a child would color outside the lines without any care but to amuse themselves.
Waaaw another secret meeting took place between Russian agents and the Trump team…..and Mackey found proof on Facebook. Journalism at its peak !
The recent reporting by yourself and others at The Intercept has helped rehabilitate the organization's reputation after the damage done to it by Glenn Greenwald's reckless journalism months ago asserting that Trump-Russia 2016 campaign collusion was utterly baseless "fake news". This was incredibly disappointing to me, as I had had tremendous respect for Glenn based on his courageous and important reporting on the documents leaked by Snowden. Robert, you have helped restore my trust in The Intercept.
Don't be too harsh on Mr. Greenwald. In retrospect, it may be obvious that Americans did not choose two such unappealing candidates such as Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton as major party nominees. But many people at the time just felt this was American democracy at work and that voters were somehow complicit in selecting the candidates. It is a relief to learn that American democracy has not sunk to quite that depth, and that the Russians were in fact responsible.
Mr. Greenwald lives in Brazil, and maybe his lack of direct contact with American voters contributed to his believing the slanderous accusations made against them. Whatever the reason, it is clear that Mr. Greenwald misjudged the citizens of the United States and owes them an apology.
A lot of attention has been paid to how the Russians supported Mr. Trump by revealing facts about Mrs. Clinton. But not enough attention has been paid to how the Russians manipulated the DNC into selecting the only candidate who could have lost to Mr. Trump. Does it seem likely they hacked the DNC servers and then merely passively handed over the e-mails? Or is it more likely they injected their own fake e-mails into the system, tricking the DNC leadership into thinking their colleagues all supported Mrs. Clinton? Thus, although each individual probably realized that Mrs. Clinton was a disaster, they, as they had been trained, supinely accepted what they imagined to be the consensus opinion.
Journalists, as usual, are reporting only one half the story – Russian support for Mr. Trump. But an opportunity exists for Mr. Greenwald, or some other iconoclast, to tell the other half of the story, the Russian support for Mrs. Clinton.
"tell the other half of the story, the Russian support for Mrs. Clinton"
indeed! . . thanks for sticking around Benito :)
There is nothing reckless about Glenn Greenwald's assertion that the Trump-Russsian collusion story is baseless – i.e.there is zero hard evidence and everything else is pure speculation, mostly by players that have a stake in the outcome. If the DNC, the intelligence agencies or the various congressional committees investigating this had the goods, we'd know it. And as far as the latest titbit about Donald Jr meeting with a Russian lawyer and lobbyist, the notion that this is a serious threat to American democracy is absurd. Apart from the fact that the meeting delivered nothing of substance, how many meetings have all politicians of both major parties had with foreign players who could possibly benefit their political aspirations? I mentioned a number of cases including Clinton's campaign benefactors hiring a former MI-6 spy to dig up dirt of Trump from Russian government forces in an earlier post. And when it comes to undermining our great democracy, the US does a pretty good job of that on its own without outside assistance – from the DNC's sabotaging of the Sanders campaign to Republican gerrymandering and voter suppression.
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so more of mackey (drunk?) typing from his office
and discussing the subject of the headline for maybe 5% of the actual article.
if you ever wandered the streets of DC and talked to actual people with actual knowledge instead of "@punditbro69″ and "@littlehandsLOL" on twitter you might find out that akhmetshin has met with more lobbyists and staffers in a week than some members of congress do in a month. he's a wheeler dealer type bloke. dodgy but not much else, innit.
nothing happened here that hasn't happened 500 times a day since the republic was spawned and plopped down in a filthy swampland built for parasites and bottom feeders. do some actual reporting. or not. enough with this here rubbish in any case.
Spot on!
Trump's not Hillary, making Putin most willing to put some dezinformatsiya operatives on the case.
We can now add the oligarchy, mostly Putin buddies, money laundering with Trump happily flogging real estate to them. Note that $6 million made a $230,000,000 case, defended by none other than Veselnitskaya, go away after Trump fired Bharara
What's wrong with trying to get sanctions removed, especially with the vexed Magnitsky foolishness. How would we like to have sanctions slapped on us for the Great Recession or all those killed by Clinton's sanctions on Iraq and the current invasions, bombing and occupying of so many countries? But, hey, it's good to be an empire, right?
Russians attempting to remove sanctions on Russians is unAmerican.
It is interesting that your comment supports Russian attempts to remove sanctions placed on them by the U.S. Is there some reason that you would share that would help to define your support more thoroughly?
The latest revelation about the Trump campaign's secret meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya on June 9, 2016,
Secret meeting? In what way was it secret?
I thought the Modus Operandi of anyone in Politics and the Media was to find all the dirt on their opponents and that includes you Mackey.
So why is Trump the only one being singled out?
Noone batted anything when Hillary sought dirt on the UN.
I;m kinda loving the alledged lovefest between Russia and Donald. Anything that stops the neocons getting WW3 is ok in my booke.
Russia must have to stand back in awe at the dirt Israel has on the American Senators and other famiLIARS in Washington and its whoremongering Agencies.
My heart goes out to Glenn Greenwald………time to move to another outlet Glenn
This is ludicrous – a sleazy music publicist sets up and meeting with Trump Jr and mysterious Moscow lawyer promising some inside dirt on Clinton's support from Russian oligarchs (as if we needed proof of that). The jejune idiot Trump Jr then posts back "I love it" and brings along Trump team insiders like Kushner, Paul Manafort, etc to see what's on offer which turns up to be bupkis. The MSM calls it a bombshell! a smoking gun! Tim Kaine calls it Treason!! even though treason is a crime that involves aiding and abetting a nation with which the US is at war – something they could not even pin on Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. The rest of the US political class then come out and say they would never accept information from anyone associated with a foreign government. Haha. What about Nixon going to the South Vietnamese to tell them not to settle with the North under Johnson because he'd get them a better deal? Or Reagan's campaign team going to Iran to hold off on letting the hostages go until he was in office to thwart Carter's October Surprise? OR What about Clinton's benefactors hiring former MI-6 agent Christopher Steele to dig up dirt on Donald Trump prior to the elections? If Trump Jr's dopey emails and useless meetings are really part of a nefarious campaign to hijack American democracy, those trying to prove it have a very steep hill to climb.
Articles like McKay try to hide, distort, or divert from the points you made. This crew which is a proto-type Keystone cops have become master spies able to take down a democracy of over 300,000,000 people using 50 decentralized voting systems. Any mention for example of the absolutely plain text emails they used? Wow, that will surely fool the NSA, CIA, and FBI.
Exactly! I'm becoming very wary of The Intercept these days…
'The news is real, the president is fake' — Stephen King
So happy to see the chickens coming home to roost for our toxic president. No thanks to Glenn Greenwald, who has spent the last six months poo-pooing the Russian connection and attacking any one who dared investigate. Glad to see The Intercept is finally on the case, better late than never. Wacko Trumpsters should face the music: you've backed a narcissistic, moronic liar, who is all to happy to see the country go down in flames if it means he will get praise an adulation from his base.
Lol..great quote from a great author of Fiction..
The Intercept is not finally "on the case" as much as they are covering their ass and toeing the line.
You do realize that even if this is true, it's NOT illegal! We are still only talking about a $10,000 fine. We would have to be at war with Russia for any of this to matter.
Great screen name…. look up definition of "collusion". Why else would a former spy and current Russian lobbyist be in the meeting other than to offer a tit for tat… why is he there, please explain, "you moron"
Congratulations, your name describes you perfectly. Before you start spewing Trumps witch-hunt mantra, what we are talking about is investigating whether there was a quid quo pro for Russian help in the election, which would be a crime, and there is plenty of smoke to indicate there was. As is typical in crimes committed by morons, the more you investigate the more comes out. One glaring reason to suspect quid pro quo is the nonstop lying by everyone in this administration about Russia. Lastly, impeachment is a political not a criminal procedure, and if this keeps up, that's where we are headed.
Mr. Mackey
Interesting article.
"…….what if the Russians sent to Trump Tower that day were not there to give information but to set a price for it, by making clear that Russia would expect sanctions to be lifted in return for its help?……."
At this point, I don't buy that the Russians were setting the conditions for their help. Putin's support for Trump during the campaign was based on realpolitik i.e., it was politically advantageous to Russia for numerous reasons which have been pointed out numerous times to undercut HRC. Veselnitskaya is no doubt connected to the Russian government, but so far there has been nothing to connect her to the theft of the DNC emails which Russian intelligence handed over to the RT puppet, Julian Assange. She most likely represented a separate front to lobby Trump through the willing Trump Jr. Various methods were employed by the Russian government to influence the election including fake news, the DNC hack, potentially illegal lobbying etc.
there is nothing that I hate more, than a conspiracy theory, like the Pizza restaurant that was trading in little kids, just like no way did junior meet anyone. Prove it baby. Somehow , crimes were proven even before Clinton lost the election, yet , now we doubt facts and our Impeccable Family Trump. News flash, The Trumps always tell the truth, And the Clintons are proven liars
Ah..deja vu all over again
How did the intercept miss this story? Must have been that ?
Bear in mind that Akhmetshin is an American citizen and the claim that he is tied in with Russian intelligence is a rumor, not fact. Personally, if I was a Democrat, I'd be very, very worried about the contents of the folder that was passed to Trump. Adam Schiff may be shitting in his mess kit with his desire to see what was in it.
That feller Rinat . . . sure looks like Al Franken to me. The conspiracy rolls on. Oh,and by the way, what's this "dirt" they have on Clinton? Is it about her dealings with the Russkies? That would be funny!
Will there ever be anything reporting or claims that doesn't have the odious Browder involved??
Even the photos being circulated and included in this article are attributed to Browder.
Blast auto correct…
Will there ever be any reporting…
"My daddy is the President," said Trump Mark 2 from his play pen. "And he will protect me so I can do anything I want and nothing will happen."
Every day new revelations about this administration's crimes and corruption emerge, and every day we have to stand by and see NO ONE do anything about it. I mean these people are so emboldened and feel so safe that nothing will happen to them that they are not even denying their crimes anymore. On the contrary, they public brag about it and post incrimination correspondence on their twitter. That is the most alarming thing to me.
And I mean why should they worry? Who is going to stop them? The Democrats were useless when they had the numbers so you can only imagine how much more useless they are now and Republicans found their kingpin in Trump and there is pretty much nothing he can that would make them draw the line.
For the record, the things happening here, in such an overt and blatant way, are unheard of and unprecedented. Sure politics is dirty work, but openly colluding with a foreign power to influence US elections? That is a huge deal yet it has been pretty much normalized by Trump's criminal administration and the equally corrupt Congress members of the GOP running interference for him and covering up his crimes. When is enough enough? It is hard to just blame Trump when he has got so many people covering up for him.
This just proves my point that Trump is the endgame of 40 years of abuse by both Democrats and Republicans. Democrats lost because of it and Republicans have gotten more emboldened and vicious. Trump is the inevitable Republican. He isnt an outlier or anomaly. He is exactly where you'd expect GOP leadership to be.
"The latest revelation.."? Until the next revelation?.. so you too will have written your own book of revelations Bobby boy
The 1st Revelation of Saint John the Divine. the last book of the New Testament, containing visionary descriptions of heaven, of conflicts between good and evil, and of the end of the world.
Its hard to reconcile the two different views of Russia in the fevered insular mind of the US
On the one hand, Russia… a fifth rate petrol station masquerading as a country, its economy in tatters, its population in serious decline, demoralised, dying early, alchoholic, a one trick pony on its last legs
And the Russia that managed to effect regime change without a shot fired,by using mass hypnosis, foresight bordering on sorcery,the ability to hack and send material to Wikileaks with the NSA spluttering and helpless to pinpoint the moment that info was sent.
The CIA wants some of this magic
What all of this does show is how weak and hopeless and gullible America has become, how lacking in credibility its media.
Astonishing the power that is ascribed to Putin, and how many insiders to Putins exclusive circle there seems to be!
Any Russian who has contact with an American who ends up in the news, has, apparently connections with Putin's inner circle, which rather defeats the purpose of exclusivity
I suspect the overblown seedy English music promoter falsely described the lawyer and her info to make the meeting happen
Agree with you
I go over the connection between this meeting and the Magnitsky Act in great details in this article and show that it's a lot more complicated than what people are saying. In particular, even if Veselnitskaya really knows Chaika (which is unclear), I point out that it would be extremely surprising if the Kremlin had used her to broker a deal with Trump and that there is a much more natural explanation, which also agrees more with the available evidence. I also point out that RFE/RL reported last year that Akhmetshin had been working for the nonprofit Veselnitskaya set up in Delaware to lobby against the Magnitsky Act on behalf of Prevezon for years, so his presence at this meeting is hardly surprising, especially given that Veselnitskaya doesn't speak a word of English.
Thanks for the link
I'm a great fan of your writing having just discovered it.Good to know there's still investigative journalism with integrity
You're welcome, I'm glad you like it. Please share it if you found it enlightening! I would like more people to read a sober discussion of this story.
Thank you
You're most welcome.
"……..I also point out that RFE/RL reported last year that Akhmetshin had been working for the nonprofit Veselnitskaya set up in Delaware to lobby against the Magnitsky Act on behalf of Prevezon for years, so his presence at this meeting is hardly surprising, especially given that Veselnitskaya doesn't speak a word of English……."
Maybe not, but his presence seemed to have been overlooked by everyone at the meeting.
Excellent article. This quote by you summarizes the state of journalism around the so-called Russian scandal
"Not only does she not speak a word of English, but she is a known lobbyist against the Magnitsky Act and had to get special permission to enter the US, which means she was most likely on the FBI's radar. Just ask yourself this question: if you were Putin and planned to make a quid pro quo kind of deal with Trump, would you send a woman who doesn't even speak English and whom you have every reason to believe is a person of interest for the US intelligence to broker that deal? It doesn't make any sense. It's funny how the people who constantly depict the Russians as evil geniuses who secretly control everything that happens in the world at the same time ascribe to them actions that only complete fools would ever contemplate…
There is a singular lack of basic sense of incredulity, which seems to me to be at the heart of investigative journalism. Stepping back, we are to believe that this crew was the spear tip of collusion with the Trump campaign when the principle cannot speak English, and all communication is done by plain unencrypted email. And now it seems had meetings with a good number of people. Yah, very secret meeting.
But it is not just in this meeting. It started when Crowdstrike claimed the Russians hacked the DNC server because they found a file with Cyrillic file with the name of Dzerzhinsky in it. Russians are that careless and stupid? Or when claiming that phishing uniquely identified Russian secret services. Reporters could not even bother to learn about basic hacking techniques. Or the claim that the Rust Belt states were targeted for a fake news onslaught when not one expert in the United States thought the Rust Belt states were in play. How did Putin gain these powers of ESP to realize they were in play? Or in the case of Christopher Steele who could waltz into the teeth of Putin's authoritarian regime and have intelligence agents gladly give him what would surely are some of the most trusted state secrets.
As for the "rumors" and "ties" to the Kremlin. Well, that that has reached the level where any contract with any Russian for any reason is immediate proof of sedition and treason. It is basically a form or McCarthyite attack as it is an extreme form of total guilt by mere association in any manner.
Indeed, I have also discussed in details the hack of the DNC in another post, where among other things I made that point about "Dzerzhinsky".
It's all perfectly ordinary. So why the stream of lies coming from everyone involved in it? Why the constantly changing story? We are up to 8 participants now. It started with 4.
Any investigator knows that when stories change and people lie there is something going on.
For the full story of the MURDER of Sergei Magnitsky go to the following link;
Also read the book: RED NOTICE:
Meetings with tRUMP campaign minions Trump Jr., Kushner, and Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort met with Natalia Veselnitskay and Russian Representative about repealing the Magnitsky Act is TREASON!!!!!
If you really want a fuller picture , you would be wise to check out the doco The Magnitsky Case behind the scenes
This was made by a much acclaimed(outside of Russia)liberal film maker, Andrei Nekrasov, who is much opposed to Putin
Nekrasov thought the Bill Browder story would be a fine one to demonstrate the evils of Putin and the Russian state
Instead, halfway through, he found Browder's narrative to be riven with inconsistencies and lies
The doco ended quite differently from how it started
Bill Browder has gone to extraordinary lengths to prevent its public viewings
It can be found now on you Tube
I have a very similar high profile case where I was tortured and abused and trafficked . Any interested lawyers please get in touch. http://Www.davidhaigh.co.uk. [email protected]
Mackeys last statement…US Intelligence community concluding Hackers from Russian Intelligence community were behind the theft of documents and emails provided to Wikileaks … When my 5year old accuses his 4year old brother of eating all the cookies….guess who did it ?
Are you accusing the US government of eating your 4-year old's cookies?
I found the timing of the reopening of the Clinton investigation by former FBI director Comey quite telling….. Just what the Trump campaign needed, don't you think ?
I agree with that 100%, but that doesn't absolve the Russian government at all. As I mentioned in my first post, there is ample evidence of Russian interference in the US election on multiple levels. I don't care if only one US intelligence agency had high confidence that Putin ordered the hacked DNC emails handed over to Assange, they were spot on.
A Mackey article not made by cutting and pasting stuff from his Twitter feed? It must be a miracle.
Well, it's still a whole lot of nothing, but one step at a time, I guess.


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
South East Asia's largest middle-income economies are highly integrated into global financial markets. While this provides considerable benefits, it also exposes them to sudden retrenchments of portfolio flows from emerging market economies. ... See More + This note shows that Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand are nevertheless resilient because they have learned and applied key lessons from the 1997 Asian financial crisis. One key lesson is that adoption of a flexible exchange rate should go hand in hand with keeping foreign currency exposure in the balance sheets of the public sector, the financial sector, and the corporate sector low or hedged. See Less -
Viewpoint 133629 DEC 01, 2018
Diop,Ndiame Disclosed
The results of an impact evaluation of the introduction of a risk-based approach to sampling import shipments by the Macedonian Food and Veterinary Agency indicate that the sampling plan was not effectively implemented, and the reform did not improve the targeting of risky shipments. ... See More + Evidence that the reform increased trade flows is inconclusive. The weak results suggest a need to concentrate efforts in improving data management in technical agencies, not only for analytical purposes but especially to improve the design and effectiveness of the reforms. See Less -
Viewpoint 125873 MAR 01, 2018
Hillberry,Russell Henry; Fernandes,Ana Margarida; Alcántara,Alejandra Mendoza Disclosed
A literature review shows competition policy reforms can deliver benefits for the poorest households and improve income distribution. A lack of competition in food markets hurts the poorest households the most. ... See More + Competition in input markets and between buyers helps farmers and small businesses. And more competitive markets bolster job growth over the longer term. More research is needed, however, to better understand the impact of competition reforms and antitrust enforcement on poverty and shared prosperity. See Less -
Viewpoint 104736 APR 01, 2016
Begazo Gomez,Tania Priscilla; Nyman,Sara Disclosed
Simplified tax regimes for micro and small enterprises in developing countries are intended to facilitate voluntary tax compliance. However, survey evidence suggests that small business taxation based on simplified bookkeeping or turnover is sometimes perceived as too complex for microenterprises in countries with high illiteracy levels. ... See More + Very simple fixed tax regimes not requiring any books or records tend to be overly popular but prone to abuse. System reforms will require more precise tailoring of the simplified regimes to their target beneficiaries, coupled with strong compliance management to detect and deter abuse. The overall objective of simplified taxation for micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in developing countries is generally to facilitate voluntary tax compliance and remove obstacles in moving toward business formalization and growth. See Less -
Viewpoint 104359 FEB 01, 2016
Coolidge,Jacqueline; Yilmaz,Fatih Disclosed
The World Bank Group has been working on investment climate reform in Sub-Saharan Africa for nearly a decade, a period characterized by dramatic economic growth on the continent. ... See More + Establishing links between such reform interventions and economic growth, however, is a complex problem. Although this note finds some connection between investment climate reform and economic growth, establishing more concrete evidence of causation will require greater focus at the country level, as well as on small and medium enterprises. This is where investment climate interventions generate change. See Less -
Viewpoint 98923 JUL 01, 2015
Bridgman,David; Adamali,Aref Disclosed
This review of the empirical literature shows that industries with more intense domestic competition will export more. Competition law enforcement can be traced to export performance and is complementary to trade reforms. ... See More + Pro-competition market regulation that reduces restrictions and promotes competition, where it is viable, is an important determinant for trade. The elimination of barriers to entry and rivalry, and a level playing field in upstream sectors contributes to export competitiveness in downstream manufacturing sectors. In some sectors, effective competition policy can directly lower trade costs. See Less -
Viewpoint 97914 JUN 01, 2015
Goodwin,Tanja K.; Pierola Castro,Martha D. Disclosed
Research into the economic impact of a customs reform in Albania shows the promise of the broader trade facilitation reform efforts that are gaining momentum in developing countries worldwide. ... See More + The research summarized in this note finds that significantly reduced rates of physical inspection of import shipments in Albania reduced the length and variability of customs clearance times and increased import flows. Moreover, the reforms induced changes in the composition of trade and favored imports from preferential trading partners in the European Union. See Less -
Viewpoint 97220 JUN 01, 2015
Fernandes,Ana Margarida; Hillberry,Russell Henry; Alcántara, Alejandra Mendoza Disclosed
Much of the primary curative care provided to the poor by the private sector occurs not at large hospitals but at small, single-person clinics. ... See More + While such micro-health providers increase access, questions persist about quality. Some have argued that the micro-health sector needs to be better regulated. This note cites recent studies in arguing that the micro-health sector needs to be better understood. A more evidence based approach may enable the World Bank Group to better target investments and interventions and help these providers fulfill an important role serving the poor. The following recommendations are made at the conclusion of this paper: (1) Effort, rather than hardware or training, may count the most. (2) Scaling up interventions to improve quality requires understanding and addressing market failures. (3) Changing the way impacts are measured will lead to smarter investments. See Less -
Viewpoint 94424 JAN 01, 2015
Contract farming involves production by farmers under agreement with buyers for their outputs. This arrangement can help integrate small-scale farmers into modern agricultural value chains, providing them with inputs, technical assistance, and assured markets. ... See More + Critics contend that contract partners may subject farmers to abuses. The literature shows that in fact contract farming can raise farm income, but mainly for high-value crops. It also indicates that in many cases firms are willing to work with small farms. This note confirms that conflicts are common between buyers and farmers, and that alternative dispute resolution methods may help resolve them. See Less -
Viewpoint 102736 OCT 01, 2014
Minot, Nicholas; Ronchi,Loraine Disclosed
Unreliable electricity supply hinders economic growth in low-income countries. The private sector can play a significant role in supporting national power goals through small-scale alternative private supply of power, or APS. ... See More + A World Bank Group report found that certain APS models may provide the most cost-effective way of supplying power, and in many cases prove a more practical way of increasing access to reliable electricity. This note discusses the models of APS, the conditions when each is appropriate, and the financial and regulatory support that can attract investment for these projects. See Less -
Viewpoint 90760 JUL 01, 2014
Desai,Vyjayanti Tharmaratnam; Moreno,Francisco Alejandro Disclosed
Compliance with public and private food safety standards has been the subject of increasing attention. Much of the literature on impacts of food safety regulation in developed countries focuses on public health. ... See More + In poorer countries, the emphasis is on economic development. How standards shape access to markets and what is their economic impact on producers. This note discusses evidence of the economic and market impacts from three perspectives: 1) compliance with public food safety standards; 2) compliance with private standards; and 3) the impact of technical assistance in achieving compliance. See Less -
Viewpoint 107910 JUL 01, 2014
Unnevehr,Laurian J.; Ronchi,Loraine Disclosed
Deposit insurance is increasingly being recognized as an important part of a country's financial sector safety net. Deposit insurers are using the core principles for effective deposit insurance systems to complete self-assessments to guide them in their strategic planning and ongoing operations. ... See More + So far there have been 13 guided self-assessments facilitated by the International Association of Deposit Insurers or detailed assessments completed through the World Bank and International Monetary Fund's Financial Sector Assessment Program. The results of these assessments show areas of particular concern for deposit insurers. This note references the guidance developed by standard setters on deposit insurance generally and summarizes some of the issues that have developed around the specific application of the core principles. See Less -
Viewpoint 84380 OCT 01, 2013
Lee,Yejin Carol; Mcguire,Claire Louise Disclosed
Is it possible to register a limited liability company anonymously? According to data from the 2012 World Bank entrepreneurship database, a majority of the economies surveyed require the name of the principal owner of a limited liability company at the time of registration. ... See More + But a large share of the economies does not require further proof of the identity of the person listed as the principal owner. Analysis of the data finds a positive relationship between greater ownership anonymity and new firm registrations. Data from the 2012 entrepreneurship database show that a majority of the economies surveyed require the name of the principal owner of a limited liability company at the time of registration. But a large share of the economies do not require further proof of the identity of the person listed as the principal owner of the company. Analysis of the data finds a positive relationship between greater ownership anonymity and new firm registrations. See Less -
Viewpoint 80611 JUN 01, 2013
Belayachi, Karim O.; Klapper,Leora; Ortiz Saborío,Ana Priscilla; Siegel,Carol Disclosed
Feed in tariffs have been the most widely used support mechanism to encourage the growth of grid-connected renewable energy. But could competitive tenders or auctions offer lower prices while still providing adequate incentives for market entry by renewable energy suppliers. ... See More + This note looks at recent developments in South Africa, which initially explored feed in tariffs for renewable energy but then turned instead to competitive tenders. Initial outcomes are encouraging: there has been much market interest, and subsequent bidding rounds have seen prices fall. See Less -
Viewpoint 77971 APR 01, 2013
Gassner,Katharina B.; Maurer,Luiz T. A.; Pickering, Mark; Whittaker,Sean Disclosed
This note provides an introduction to the issues surrounding the design of Power Purchase Agreement's (PPAs). Programs to attract investment in small-scale electricity generation, often powered by renewable energy sources, have become increasingly common in the developing world as governments seek to both expand access to electricity and improve sustainability. ... See More + A valuable tool for such programs is a well-crafted, standardized power purchase agreement, which can reduce transaction costs for generators and government agencies alike and substantially improve the economics of small generation facilities. This note discusses key considerations in designing a standardized agreement for a small power producer program. The technologies exist to mobilize small-scale and renewable power generation in developing countries, where power demand is increasing most rapidly. Well-designed small power producer programs, with balanced and standardized PPAs, can leverage financing and support efficient, cost-effective private investment in small scale power generation. See Less -
Viewpoint 77970 MAR 01, 2013
Ferrey,Steven; Moreno,Francisco Alejandro Disclosed
In response to the financial crisis in developed countries, the G-20, the financial stability board, the Basel committee on banking supervision, and other standard setters are pursuing an agenda of reforms aimed at improving laws, policies, and procedures for resolving troubled and failing financial institutions. ... See More + These reforms offer concepts that deserve attention in the developing world, particularly for dealing with the systemically important banks and other financial firms that are a feature in nearly every country. See Less -
Viewpoint 75209 JAN 01, 2013
Scott, David Disclosed
This note reviews the literature on the effects of reforms improving trade logistics systems and services. Three key insights emerge. First, trade logistics reforms have a notable effect on the ability of countries to export and import cost-effectively and to become effective players in competitive global and regional markets. ... See More + Second, trade facilitation enhances the productivity of firms. And third, targeted reforms can enable firms to use scarce working capital more effectively by allowing leaner inventories, lowering the carrying charges in transit and storage, and reducing pilferage and damage. The literature on the effect of reforms in trade logistics systems and services provides evidence that improving the policy, regulatory, and procedural environment for trade supports the development and operation of lean, efficient supply chains, helps boost the competitiveness of developing economies, and increases export potential. See Less -
Viewpoint 75208 DEC 12, 2012
Subramanian,Uma Disclosed
Since 1982 more than half the world's countries have reformed their electricity sectors. Implemented correctly, the standard reform model, with competition, unbundling, and effective regulation, can lead to big gains in performance. ... See More + But most developing countries lack institutional preconditions for fully adopting the model, and hybrid electricity markets are emerging. Developing pricing schemes that strike a better balance between economic efficiency and social equity remains a big challenge. An even greater challenge is to meet global energy needs while reducing the threat of climate change disruption. See Less -
Viewpoint 73638 OCT 01, 2012
Kessides,Ioannis N. Disclosed
A literature review shows that competition policy reforms allow markets to work more efficiently for the benefit of consumers and drive sustainable economic growth. ... See More + Three main insights emerge: greater market competition matters for achieving greater innovation, productivity, and economic growth. Policies that help open markets and remove anticompetitive regulations can promote competition, resulting in lower prices and better deals for consumers and firms. And effective enforcement of competition rules across sectors, rather than the pure existence of competition laws, makes a difference in the impact of competition policies. See Less -
Viewpoint 73637 SEP 01, 2012
Kitzmuller,Markus; Martinez Licetti,Martha Disclosed
Tax rates and the administrative costs of tax compliance are key concerns of business. Studies within and across countries suggest that lowering corporate tax rates can increase investment, reduce tax evasion by formal firms, promote the creation of formal firms, and ultimately raise sales and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). ... See More + These benefits, however, need to be balanced against other objectives of the tax regime. Although less is known about the effects of reducing compliance costs, evidence suggests that this too can lead to more formal firms and higher sales. See Less -
Viewpoint 67806 DEC 01, 2011
Bruhn,Miriam Disclosed
|Document Date
|Report No.
|Document Type
|Also available in
|Global Financial Market Turmoil : Why is South East Asia Exposed but Resilient? (English) See More +
|Trade Facilitation Reform - The Impact of Targeted Sampling on Import Compliance (English) See More +
|Competition and poverty (English) See More +
|Small business tax regimes (English) See More +
|Investment climate in Africa (English) See More +
|Export competitiveness: Why Domestic Market Competition Matters (English) See More +
|Risk management in customs : benefits of customs reform - the evidence from Albania (English) See More +
|Primary care for the poor : the potential of micro-health markets to improve care (English) See More +
|Contract farming (English) See More +
|Distributed private energy projects : supporting electrification goals in low-income countries (English) See More +
|Food safety standards : economic and market impacts in developing countries (English) See More +
|Deposit insurance systems : what do initial assessments show? (English) See More +
|Ownership anonymity (English) See More +
|Feed-in tariffs or auctions? : Procuring renewable energy supply in South Africa (English) See More +
|Small scale generation : issues in standardizing power purchase agreements (English) See More +
|Resolution regimes (English) See More +
|Trade logistics reforms (English) See More +
|Electricity reforms : what some countries did right and others can do better (English) See More +
|Competition policy : encouraging thriving markets for development (English) See More +
|Reforming business taxes : what is the effect on private sector development? (English) See More +


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Lucies Farm Photo Gallery
Home of Scottish | Kobe Beef, Kurobuta Pork, and Pampered Dogs
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Greg, our Poi Boy
435 views
Enjoying some two finger Poi Company poi
Poi Happens Baseball Cap
399 views
The caps were great, but they were difficult to sell. Most people (including me) think that a baseball cap is really a gimme cap --- as in "gimme, for free."
Poi Boy with Maile Lei
391 views
Greg in the Lo`i
371 views
Greg as our Poi Boy
349 views
Chris Wilesmith Painting
723 views
The Transax move into Tricorn House, circa October 1987. We did all of the "decorating," if you could call it that, ourselves. This glass-walled area was the break room. Chris Wilesmith with the paint roller, John Gregory on the floor.
Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho It's Off To Work We Go
233 views
Big and Greg and a sheet of plywood --- repairing the pig arcs that we purchased for the Wild Boar.
Big and Greg Repairing the Stable Roof
260 views
Adding a new layer of felt, and installing the extraction fan to cool the stables when they get hot.
How Do You Get a Pig in the Pool
1113 views
We tried to walk him with a halter, but pigs don't like walking with a halter. We put him in the small trailer and when we opened the back gate --- well, he just sort of jumped into the water.
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Greg and Emilia Try To Lure the Swimming Pig Back Home
818 views
After his romp in the pool, the swimming Tamworth pig wanted to mooch around the garden. He clearly wasn't going anywhere on a halter. So we took it off and lured him back (more or less successfully) to his pig friends with a bucket of feed and some apples.
Zbig, Marjorie, Vic and Greg Assembling the Fence
221 views
Creating a temporary "pen" to round up, successfully this time, UK302940200038 at Bredons Norton.
Greg feeding Lord MacFhionghuain of Lucies
184 views
Trying to lure one of the cows into the stock trailer --- we thought we'd have better luck with His Lordship, and she'd follow. "No" on both counts, I'm afraid.
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18 mile day yesterday ending in Hot Springs. It was a fast hike. The flash of lightening and rumbles of thunderstorms at 4686ft on a mountain side had me in high gear and singing Hail Mary's as fast as I could. That wasn't even a close storm. Not too excited to encounter a real storm.
About 3 miles out I texted Carl and Walking Man (Pops) to see where they were. Their reply was still in Hot Springs and heading over to the Mineral healing baths. An invite to join them if I got down in time. And that I did. I literally walked off the mountain, down the one road town of Hot Springs to the far end of town (which is actually the A. T. Trail), up to the spa area and checked in at the front desk. Asked where the showers were and they replied "awe that's not necessary" I was a drowned wet rat from walking in the rain for 3 hours, but okay) they walked me to where my party was and I jumped in the tub with them. It was quite the experience. I was completely comfortable stripping down to my Smartwool under garments and joining 2 hikers I have only known for a few weeks plus two strangers.
Afterwards I checked into my hostel then went to the laundry mat. While there I snuck over to the Mexican grill and had tacos and chips and salsa as a snack. That was at 6pm. After laundry I met my tub friends at the tavern for a burger and salad. That was at 7pm. My hiker appetite has kicked in. I finished everything except one bite of my burger. Best diet in the world. Walk all day and eat whatever you want.
My foot break is over. Time to start hiking. Short day today, only 11 miles.
Happy Hiking
Black Bear


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Regardless of what industry you are in, you can rest assured that there are dozens, maybe even hundreds or thousands of people doing very similar things with same idea. How many "me-too" blogs are out there trying to find easy riches. How many cafes, restaurants and stores open with similar concepts and designs as more established companies? The risk averse people on the sidelines see a successful individual or company and then they rush in and try to do the same thing.
You don't risk much starting a blog and letting it stagnate into oblivion, so I don't shed a tear for the millions of blogs with no readership. However, I do feel bad for all the people sinking their life savings into the tenth version of the same business on the same street. I often use a term for this, "You can't out Starbuck, Starbucks." What this means is a small start up with limited capital is not going to effectively compete against an established competitor by doing exactly the same things. How many cafes in the world have copied Starbucks strategy right down to the logos, menu and decor? It is sad that so many people are afraid to do something original.
Purple Cow
In Seth Godin's book Purple Cow, he talked about how you need to stand out if you want to get noticed in a crowded market place. In a field of black and white cows, it is the purple cow that gets the attention. Everyone ignores all the other cows because they are not special. What is your purple cow? What are you doing that makes people take notice and tell their friends?
What it takes to be a Rock Star
People are not going to be excited about you because you are five percent cheaper, faster, stronger or better. Incremental improvements over established companies are not enough to wow customers. You really need to shock people. Look at rock stars like Alice Cooper, Kiss, Marilyn Manson, or Slipknot to see the value of doing astonishing things. You don't need scary make up and stage antics to succeed, you just need to do things different by an order of magnitude.
How is this for a restaurant idea? The Heart Attack Grill. They advertise that, "This establishment is bad for your health." They are not trying to make food that is marginally lower in calories. Quite the contrary, they serve up the most unhealthy, but probably most delicious hamburgers in the industry with names like "Quadruple Bypass Burger." The waitresses even wear skimpy nurse outfits to emphasize that your health is at risk. This is something remarkable that people will tell their friends about.
The Power of Personality and Hard Work
A great example of a remarkable person online is Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV. His hard work, passion, and overwhelming excitement have made him a huge internet celebrity as well as a successful businessman. Kudos to Gary!
What are you doing that is so amazingly great that people will want to give you their valuable attention and maybe even their money?
Remember to Subscribe to My RSS feed
I moved to Japan more than 12 years ago, my wife and I have a one year plan to change our careers and move to a new country once again. If you are interested in hearing more about our progress and reading interviews with real people making huge lifestyle design decisions, please subscribe to my RSS feed and follow me on Twitter.


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Law No. 5901 Adoption Date: 29/05/2009
Objective, Scope, Definitions and Implementation of Citizenship Services
Article 1- (1) The objective of this law is to define the principles and procedures regarding the conduct of operations and transactions for acquisition and loss of Turkish citizenship.
Article 2- (1) This Law covers regulation of principles regarding acquisition and loss of Turkish citizenship and the procedures on the implementation of citizenship services.
Article 3- (1) For the application of this Law, the following terms and phrases shall have the meanings indicated next to each of them:
ç) Turkish citizen: anyone who has citizenship bon ds with the Republic of Turkey, d) Alien: anyone who has no citizenship bonds with the Republic of Turkey,
Implementation of Citizenship Services
Article 4- (1) Services regarding the acquisition and loss of Turkish citizenship are implemented by Ministry in Turkey, and by external representations abroad.
Acquiring Turkish citizenship
Ways of Acquiring Turkish Citizenship:
Article 5- (1) Turkish citizenship is acquired by birth or after birth.
Citizenship acquired by birth
Article 6- (1) Turkish citizenship by birth can be acquired by place of birth and/or descent. Citizenship by birth is acquired at the moment of birth.
Descent (Kinship Tie)
Article 7- (1) A child born to a married Turkish father or mother, whether in Turkey or abroad, is Turkish citizen.
Place of Birth
Article 8- (1) A child born in Turkey, but acquiring no citizenship from his/her alien mother or alien father acquires Turkish citizenship by birth.
(2) A child found in Turkey is deemed to have been born in Turkey unless proven otherwise.
Citizenship acquired after birth
Article 9- (1) Turkish citizenship shall be acquired after birth with a decision of competent authority, by adoption or by choice.
Acquisition of Turkish citizenship with the decision of competent authority
Article 10- (1) An alien who wishes to acquire Turkish citizenship can acquire Turkish citizenship with the decision of the competent authority, provided that he/she fulfils the conditions stipulated by this Law. However, fulfilling the conditions required, do not grant an absolute right to the person to acquire Turkish citizenship.
Conditions Required for Application
Article 11- (1) An alien who wishes to be received into citizenship shall;
ç) not have any disease that constitutes a danger t o public health;
(2) Aliens who wish to acquire Turkish citizenship, shall fulfil the conditions set out above, and may be required to fulfil the condition of renunciation of their country's citizenship. Determination of the principles regarding the exercise of this discretion belongs to the Council of Ministers.
Exceptions in acquiring Turkish citizenships
Article 12- (1) Provided that there is no obstacle as regards national security and public order, aliens, set out below, may be received into Turkish citizenship upon a proposal by the Ministry of Interior and decision of the Council of Ministers.
Re-acquisition of Turkish Citizenship without laying down residence permit as a condition
Article 13- (1) Alien indicated below can re-acquire Turkish citizenship, upon Ministry decision, regardless of their residence period in Turkey provided that he/she does not pose an obstacle to national security.
Re-acquisition of Turkish Citizenship based on residence permit as a condition Article 14- (1) Those who had lost Turkish Citizenship in accordance with Article 29 can be re-naturalized upon the decision of the Council of Ministers; and those who had lost Turkish Citizenship in accordance with Article 34 can be re-naturalized upon the decision of the Ministry provided that he/she has been residing in Turkey for three years and there is no obstacle regarding national security.
Calculation of residence and periods
Article 15- (1) For an alien, residence means residing in Turkey with due respect to the Turkish laws. An alien who applies for acquisition of Turkish Citizenship may stay abroad, without exceeding six months, within the residence period required for application. Period which she/he spends outside of Turkey shall be evaluated within the period of residence foreseen in this Law.
Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship by marriage
Article 16- (1) Turkish citizenship is not acquired automatically upon marriage to a Turkish Citizen. However, aliens who have been married to a Turkish citizen at least for three years and who are still married, can apply to acquire Turkish citizenship. Applicant married to a Turkish citizen is required to fulfill the following conditions. The applicant:
Acquisition of Turkish citizenship by adoption
Article 17-(1) A child, under the age of maturity, adopted by a Turkish citizen shall acquire Turkish citizenship from the day he is adopted, if she/he does not pose threat on national security and public order.
Commission for examination of citizenship application
Article 18- (1) The determination of whether or not the applicant is eligible to acquire citizenship in accordance with Article 11 and Article 16, shall be made by the commissions, which shall be established in provinces, for examination of citizenship applications. The establishment of the commission and the working principles shall be determined by a regulation.
Principles and procedures for acquisition of Turkish citizenship by the decision of the competent authority
Article 19- (1) From among the aliens who wish to acquire Turkish citizenship with the decision of a competent authority, for those who fulfill the conditions required to apply a citizenship file is opened and sent to the Ministry. Those who are deemed appropriate following the examinations and inquiry launched by the Ministry shall acquire Turkish citizenship upon the decision of the Council of Ministers, those, whereas those whose applications are not deemed appropriate to acquire citizenship shall be rejected by the Ministry.
(2) Procedures for acquisition of Turkish citizenship shall be launched by the Ministry in accordance with Article 12.
Validity and consequences of acquisition of Turkish citizenship by decision of competent authority
Article 20- (1) Decisions regarding the acquisition of Turkish citizenship shall become valid from the date of the decision.
Acquisition of Turkish citizenship by Right of Choice
Article 21-(1) Children who had lost their Turkish citizenship because of their parents in accordance with Article 27 shall acquire Turkish citizenship by using their right of choice within three years from the day they reach the age of majority.
Validity and consequences of the acquisition of Turkish citizenship by using the Right of Choice
Article 22- (1) Acquisition of Turkish citizenship, by using the right of choice shall become valid from the date of decision, relating to the determination of the conditions for using of this right, is made.
(2) Provisions of the Article 20 shall be applied to spouses and children of those who acquire Turkish citizenship by using right of choice.
Loss of Turkish Citizenship
Loss of Turkish Citizenship
Article 23-(1) Turkish citizenship shall be lost by the decision of the competent authority or by using right of choice.
Ways of Loss of Turkish Citizenship by decision of competent authorities
Article 24 (1) Loss of Turkish citizenship by the decision of the competent authority shall happen by renunciation, revocation and cancellation of the citizenship.
Renunciation of Turkish Citizenship
Article 25(1) Persons, who request permission to renounce Turkish citizenship shall be given renunciation permit or renunciation document by the Ministry, provided that they fulfill the following conditions;
Documents for renunciation of Turkish citizenship
Article 26-(1) Among the persons who request permission for renunciation of Turkish citizenship in order to acquire the citizenship of an foreign State, those whose claims are deemed appropriate shall be issued Turkish citizenship renunciation permit by the Ministry. Those who document that they had acquired citizenship of a foreign state after or before the permission was given, shall be issued a Turkish citizenship renunciation document by the Ministry.
(2) Citizenship renunciation permit shall be valid for a term of two years from the date of the decision. Those who obtained citizenship renunciation permission shall forward the information and documents showing their acquisition of citizenship of a foreign state to the Governorate of the province where he/she resides or to the diplomatic missions of
Turkey if she/he is abroad. In case a person cannot acquire the citizenship of a foreign state before the citizenship renunciation permit expires, the permit becomes invalid.
Validity and consequences of renunciation of Turkish Citizenship
Article 27-(1) After the renunciation document is submitted upon signature of the document to the relevant person, he/she loses Turkish citizenship. Records in civil registry office of those who lose Turkish citizenship are closed and shall be treated as alien from the date of loss.
Rights accorded to those who lost Turkish citizenship by obtaining renunciation permit
Article 28-(1) Provided that the provisions concerning national security and public order are reserved; the Turkish citizens by birth and lost citizenship by obtaining renunciation permit and their children are ensured to hold the right to benefit from the same rights accorded to Turkish citizens, except for the military service obligation, the right to vote and be elected, the right to be employed in public services, right to import exempted vehicles and household goods; provided that their acquired rights of social insurance are reserved and they shall be subject to the provisions of the relevant laws applied while enjoying those rights.
Revocation of Turkish Citizenship
Article 29- (1) Those persons who are determined to be involved in the acts written below by the official authorities, may lose Turkish citizenship upon proposal of the Ministry and the decision of the Council of Ministers.
Validity and consequences of renunciation of Turkish Citizenship
Article 30- (1) Renunciation of Turkish citizenship shall be in effect at the date when the Council of Minister's decision is published in the Official Gazette.
(2) Decisions of renunciation are individual; it shall not affect the spouse and children of the concerned person.
Annulment of Turkish Citizenship
Article 31-(1) The decision of acquisition of Turkish citizenship shall be annulled by the decision making authority if the concerned person acquires citizenship by hiding the key issues, which form a basis for acquisition of Turkish citizenship or by misrepresentation.
Validity and consequences of the decision of annulment
Article 32-(1) Decision of annulment shall be in effect from the date of the decision. Decision of cancellation shall be applied to spouse and children who acquired Turkish citizenship for having links with the concerned person.
Liquidation of Belongings
Article 33- (1) The provisions of the Law No. 5683 and dated 15/7/1950 on the Travel and Residence of Foreigners are applied to the persons whose citizenship is annulled. If liquidation of belongings is deemed necessary, this shall be mentioned in the cancellation decision. Such persons shall liquidate their belongings in Turkey within one year at the latest. Otherwise, their belongings shall be sold off by the Treasury and the proceeds shall be deposited in their name and account in a state bank.
(2) If those persons apply to the judiciary against the decision of cancellation, the procedure to liquidate their belongings shall be suspended until the case is concluded.
Loss of Turkish citizenship by Right of Choice
Article 34-(1) The persons fulfilling the conditions below can renounce Turkish citizenship within three years after they become adults.
ç) Those persons who acquire citizenship of their a lien mother or father afterwards, although s/he acquired Turkish citizenship by place of birth
(2) If the provisions mentioned above would render the person stateless, the right of choice shall not be applied.
Validity and consequences of loss of citizenship by right of choice
Article 35-(1) Loss of Turkish citizenship by right of choice shall be in effect from the date of the decision regarding the determination of the existence of the conditions concerning the using of this right.
(2) The provisions of Article 27 shall be applicable for the spouse and children of those who are renounced Turkish citizenship by right of choice.
Common Provisions
Proving of Turkish Citizenship
Article 36-(1) The act of proving Turkish citizenship shall not be restricted to any pattern.
(2) The official papers and documents mentioned below shall constitute valid evidence that the person concerned is a Turkish citizen, until the contrary is established.
(3) If there is doubt as to whether or not a person is a Turkish citizen, the Ministry of Interior Affairs shall be consulted on this matter.
Authority to be applied for actions regarding citizenship and procedure
Article 37-(1) Applications regarding acquisition or loss of Turkish citizenship should be made directly to the Governorate of the province where s/he resides or to the Diplomatic Representations abroad. Applications should be made individually or by a power of attorney for the use of this right.
Request for information and document
Article 38-(1) Information and documents on the investigations and examinations regarding citizenship procedures shall be provided without any delay by public organizations and institutions.
Rectification of material defects
Article 39-(1) If it is subsequently understood that there was a material defect in the decision taken in accordance with this law, the decision making authority decides to rectify or amend the defect (error).
Withdrawal of the citizenship decisions
Article 40-(1) Decisions regarding acquisition or loss of Turkish citizenship shall be recovered (withdrawn) if it is subsequently understood that it is given in a repetitious manner or without having legal conditions.
Article 41-(1) Decisions regarding acquisition or loss of Turkish citizenship shall be notified to the concerned person and the authorities where the application is lodged. In accordance with Article 29, decisions of loss shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall be considered as notified on the date it is published.
Citizens of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Article 42- (1) Citizens of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus who apply to acquire Turkish citizenship shall acquire citizenship provided that they declare their wish in written.
(2) For those who acquired citizenship of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus afterwards, the provisions stipulated in Article 11 shall be applied.
Those who lost citizenship under Law No. 403
Article 43-(1) In accordance with clauses (a), (ç), (d), and ( e) of Article 25 of Law no. 403, which is annulled, persons who lost Turkish citizenship shall be re-naturalized upon the decision of the Council of Ministers regardless of the residence condition, provided that there is not any circumstance that forms an obstacle to national security and public order.
Multi Citizenship
Article 44-(1) With regard to the persons who acquire the citizenship of a foreign state for any reason, in case they submit documents showing their status and following the inquiry to be launched, in case it is determined that the individual is the same individual as contained in the records, an explanatory note shall be attached to the birth (civil) registry book stating that the relevant individual has multiple citizenship.
Service cost of citizenship procedures
Article 45-(1) Payment for service costs regarding procedures for subsequent acquisition of Turkish citizenship (after birth) shall be set out jointly by the Ministry and the Ministry of Finance. Collected amount of service costs shall be registered as revenue in the budget.
(2) According to the Income Tax Law No. 193, those who do not have any income and their minor children shall not pay the service cost in accordance with paragraph one.
Article 46-(1) Procedures and principles regarding the implementation of this Law shall be stipulated by the regulation which is to be issued by the Council of Ministers.
Legislation and References which are annulled
Article 47-(1) Turkish Citizenship Law No 403 and dated 11/2/1964, the term 'province and sub-province" used in clause 2 of Article 22 of the Population Services Law No 5490 and dated 24/4/2006 are annulled.
(2)References made to the Turkish Citizenship Law No 403 and dated 11/2/1964 in the other legislation shall be understood to be made to this Law.
Aliens who are of Turkish Descent
Provisional Article 1- (1) For aliens who are of Turkish descent, residence period foreseen in clause (b) of the first paragraph of Article 11 shall be applied as two years until 31/12/2010.
Implementation of Current Regulation
Provisional Article 2- (1) The regulation foreseen in Article 46 shall be prepared and put into force within 6 months. Until this regulation enters into force, the provisions of the existing regulations which are not in contradiction with this Law shall continue to apply.
Entry into Force
Article 48 (1)-This Law shall enter into force on the day of its publication.
Article 49 (1)-The Council of Ministers is empowered to implement the provisions of this Law.


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Am I being bullied by my mentor??????????
Discussion in 'Trainee and student teachers' started by PGCEHELL, Apr 22, 2007.
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Christmas is less than 40 days away – how are you prepping for it?
Thinking and purchasing gifts for your loved ones can be intimidating, but with technology these days you can be comfortable and even drinking a glass of wine during the process! It's still November so shopping in stores is pretty doable, but December is closing in fast and so are those grumpy shoppers. I suggest that you avoid the lineups and checkout online instead.
History and Numbers
Online shopping has actually been around since 1979 when computer and electronics innovator Michael Aldrich invented the original concept in the United Kingdom:
"In 1979 he connected a modified domestic television via a telephone line to a real- time multi-user transaction processing computer. He marketed the system from 1980 onward and sold mainly Business-to-Business systems."
Fast forward to 2016, and online methods have obviously advanced quite a bit and, if you haven't already, so can you!
According to Big Commerce, "96% of Americans have made an online purchase at some point in their lives, and four in five (80%) have done so in the last month alone." The statistics sound high, but when you think about it, a lot of people that you know probably shop online – my husband and I definitely do. Although this shopping trend may be associated with younger generations, people of all ages are discovering the benefits for themselves.
Big Commerce's infographic on age demographics shows that the percentage of shoppers decreases with age, but that it is not just millennials who are sidestepping department store lineups:
Laura Stevens, of the Wall Street Journal, discussed the results of UPS's annual online shopping survey earlier this June. She explained that for the last three years the percentage of what online shoppers are buying has increased – this year they made approximately 51% of their purchases online.
I hope that these numbers help to ease reader's minds who may have been nervous about online shopping. If you are on a secure retailer's website that has positive reviews (always read reviews), then you, like millions of other people, will likely have a safe and enjoyable shopping experience.
Connecting to Christmas
So why am I writing about this today? It's a great time to shop online for Christmas.
As a rule, I like to give myself at least 14 days in advance to allow for unforeseen circumstances with postage. That's the one thing about purchasing gifts online – waiting for them to arrive can be nerve racking if you have never ordered before. Most retailers provide multiple shipping options, but these can add up quickly for the sake of convenience. You'll find that many sites promote special deals where you don't have to pay for standard shipping if your virtual-cart total hits their target price – if you do all your shopping in one spot, this will be perfect for you! Mid November means that you have plenty of time to wait for ordered gifts to arrive.
If you're reading this before November 28th then you're in luck! Now you can really think about what items you want to purchase and plan ahead. Some of the best deals are approaching with Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales between November 28th-December 1st. Canadian stores have also started participating in cutting prices for these traditional days over the years which has been nice for Christmas shopping. When you're purchasing presents online during these sale days, you won't find yourself in physical brawls which is an added bonus (unless you fight over the laptop with a family member)!
Another great site to shop on and save money with is a family favourite in our household – Amazon. You can find items at a lower cost year-round and their search-engine-esque system makes it easy to find what you're looking for.
Shop Local-Globally
I'm a big fan of the "Think. Shop. Buy. Local" movement in which people support artisans within their communities instead of shopping in department stores. Look for advertisements about craft sales, Christmas fairs, and other local events with hardworking vendors to shop at this year.
Check out The LivingRoom Community Art Studio's Handmade with Heart Arts and Crafts Marketplace this Saturday the 19th if you live in Durham Region, ON, Canada!
With technology, artisans are now selling beautiful handmade items online! I really love sites like Etsy because the reviews on sellers allow you to feel confident when purchasing unique and personalized items for your loved ones. In the past, I have ordered: a hand carved Lord of the Rings sign from Mississippi, US; an engraved pocket compass from Turkey; an engraved tie clip from Wisconsin, US; and a lot more.
You can find items from almost any niche fandom and your recipient will be lucky enough to own a one of a kind product (or limited edition).
So what do you think, do you like to shop online? Maybe give it a chance this year so that you don't have to stress about finding a parking spot or waiting in line behind customers yelling at innocent cashiers at the insanely busy mall.
Two more interesting infographics from Big Commerce:


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Aug 2014
Eminem – Guts Over Fear (ft. Sia)by Pat
Eminem lets go a brand new track titled Guts Over Fear featuring the talented Sia. This is a great first comeback single for Em, and has a more laid back feel to it.
Eminem also announced via his twitter page that he is going to be releasing a new album titled Shady XV on Nov. 24. It'll be a 2-CD album; one featuring Shady Records' greatest hits and another cd of new material from Eminem, Slaughterhouse, Bad Meets Evil, D-12 and others.


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Yes, we support our clients from the very beginning of our collaboration process. We offer many useful services to understand, test and highlight the potential of your idea before implementation. We provide complex assistance in the field your business functions not only related to virtual reality development. As a professional virtual reality game developer, we will help you realize unique projects and amazing concepts.
Research (statistical research)
If You are not sure, test your idea before implementation. Find the answer you need to feel confident and then act! We support all research activities that will help our clients to find answers to achieve their goals.
Although the vast majority of products (apps) have its unique factor, our current knowledge and experience in virtual reality development allow us to generalize and share our opinion on 'will it work?' question.
However, there are also some specialized applications that will function in a specific environment (medical applications). In this case we are able to investigate with our research team whether the assumptions of our client's project are correct to succeed.
Consulting & strategy
It is our responsibility (and passion) to be up to date with every technological novelty as well as with the most valuable practices in marketing, sales, entrepreneurship and virtual reality development of course.
We need to know and understand current market situation and prospects for its development (especially virtual reality development) to give you the best feedback on potential VR implementation to your business.
Therefore we are able to come up with the most efficient strategy tailored for you. Why? To harness the full potential of innovative technology
There are two aspects of training that we offer
If You are not sure, test your idea before implementation. Find the answer you need to feel confident and then act! We support all research activities that will help our clients to find answers to achieve their goals.
Training Designer is a person who has specialist knowledge of what the training should look like, along with all its phases and requirements. It ensures that the user has to go through all necessary steps to get the best possible training results. Often, the clients would like to create training applications for the chosen topic (work on heights, virtual language teacher, speech coach) but they do not know how to handle such training, but we do!
What we call 'virtual reality', it's usually something more than this. By virtual reality development we mean: augmented reality, 360 degree technology and mixed reality, lots of different devices with different capabilities. We understand that you may feel lost, but stop. Exploring and testing these innovative devices is a wonderful adventure. First of all, we will always find time to get acquainted and show our customers the curiosities and differences in many types of equipment. It is also worth adding that the best ideas come to mind during such training sessions!
Rescue mission
We realize that there are situations in which a client already has a project with which he has not worked for a long time but wants to return to it because of some reason. However, since then a lot of things have changed: there is no documentation of the project, the engine version and the plugins are changed, the developer who did this project is no longer in reach, etc.
Furthermore, once launched in an updated environment, the project obviously does not work. And our job is to fix it: we have to read the code and decide how to approach the new customer requirements for the application.
Clarity project
The client has an application framework that needs to be updated to the latest available software. This is an AR application that perfectly supports story telling, in this case biblical story. Our job was to fix an application that stopped working after plugins were updated.
We made the necessary changes to the code, we tweaked the design to make it easier to add new features, we made the necessary tests to ensure that the application worked on the available devices.
The project was a success and the client received a refreshed version of his app, adapted to the latest software releases.
SproutBox project
Client was looking for an experienced Unity3D developer who will help him update his app. The client's project stopped working when the new software was released (Oculus Rift DK2, Leap Motion VR and Unity3D). In addition, the customer wanted to change device from Leap VR to Orion VR. Whole project run in Windows and it was coded in C#. The project worked with: Unity3D v4.6.2, Leap Motion v2.2.2, Oculus Rift Runtime v0.4.3
The project should work with the latest software available, for example Unity3D v5 instead of v4. The pieces of the Arabic language in the code were a big challenge, but we also had to deal with that. After updating the software, the next step was to fix the code. The rescue mission was a success.
Sounds exciting?
Why not visiting our portfolio and browse through our many successful projects!
That's what beats inside our VR applications. These two excellent game engines, Unity and Unreal, make sure we are providing the best environment for our users.
Immerse yourself in the VR/AR world
Interactive 3D VR visualisations
We create interactive environments and training space on the basis of recent engines used to develop games. We visualize people's work and their behavior as well as how they interact with machines and various devices.
Motion VR simulations
We use advanced vital signs monitoring devices: motion and acceleration detectors, accelerometers and gyroscopes that enhance the immersion in the virtual world. The purpose is to align the training to the needs of the client and enhance educational results.
Professional 360 training video
We use technical devices to record training content in 360 VR technology. This way, a number of existing materials and knowledge resources can be embedded in a completely new medium of perception.
Augmented reality
We design applications that enable to present reality in a way that will surprise the recipient. Augmented reality components become a part of the simulation, which is combined with the impressions that the recipient experiences without the participation of technology.


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FC Astana – Villarreal : Preview & Prediction
Astana and Villarreal measure their strength at the Astana Arena in a match for the Europa League (Group Stage). The history of recent direct clashes is favorable to the visiting team, which has 3 wins in the last 3 games. In this match the home factor can play an important role, since both teams present significant differences in the results achieved at home and as a visitor.
After 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss, the home team is currently in 2nd place with 7 points earned. In the last match, they won by (0-1) away against Maccabi Tel Aviv, after in the previous match they won by (4-0) at home with Maccabi Tel Aviv. This is a stronger team when you play in your stadium, because in the last 30 games you have 8 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses as a visitor; against 12 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat in his stadium. In the last game he played for the Super League, he beat Akzhayik at home (2-0). In the last 10 home games Astana has recorded 8 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. His attack has been marked with great regularity, since he has always scored at least one goal in the last 4 games in this competition. In 15 games, only managed 2 turns on the scoreboard in the 7 games in which he suffered the first goal. There are 1 highlights in the last 20 home games in all competitions: he suffered 4 of his 11 goals in the minutes (76′-90 ').
Astana enters this motivated game after a 2-0 home victory at Akzayik's reception: Kabananga scored 2 goals in the game and allowed his side to win. The highest quality of the home team is in their ability to drive their offensive attacks through quick transitions. The Congolese Kabananga is the player responsible for putting the opponent's defense on alert, its highest quality being the clearing. The home manager will not be able to count on Kleinheisler for being injured.
After 2 wins and 2 draws, the visiting team is currently in 1st place with 8 points won. In the last match, won by (0-2) out against Slavia Prague, after the previous match, have tied for (2-2) at home with Slavia Prague. This is a team affected by the home factor, stronger when played with the support of their fans, since in the last 30 games has recorded 5 wins, 3 draws and 7 losses as a visitor, with a total of 14 goals scored and 17 conceded. Already inside the home, he won 11 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss, with a total of 34 goals scored and 12 conceded. In the last game that disputed, for the Primera Division, tied with Athletic Bilbao outside by (1-1). In the last 10 games as a visitor Villarreal won 3, tied 3 and lost 4. His attack has scored regularly, as he managed to achieve in 3 of the last 4 games in this competition. In 15 games, only managed 1 turn on the scoreboard in the 5 games in which he suffered the first goal.
Villarreal enter into this match after a 1-1 away draw at the Atletico Bilbao pitch. It is possible that we observe the visiting team preferring the right side to attack, taking advantage of the depth offered by right-back Mario Gaspar. Despite being a team that likes to play in his midfield, he can also get out very easily for the counterattack. It is worth mentioning that in the defensive moment, Villarreal proves to be a very aggressive team, giving little space to his opponent. The visitors' coach will not be able to count on Castillejo, Soriano, Gonzalez, Rúben Semendo, Fernández and Asenjo for being injured.
FC Astana – Villarreal : Betting Tips
FC Astana – Win Odds: 3.25
Both teams to score / YES – Odds: 1.70
Over 2.5 Goals – Odds: 1.70


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Billing codes, or CPT codes, are used by mental health providers to submit claims to insurance companies for reimbursement.
As of January 1st, 2013 there are several new billing codes that you need to familiarize yourself with. Here are some of the important changes.
Initial Evaluation and Psychotherapy Codes
An initial diagnostic evaluation performed by a psychologist or other mental health provider will no longer be a 90801. The new code for a psychiatric diagnostic evaluation will be 90791.
Regarding psychotherapy, the most common code used is 90806 (individual therapy 45-50 minutes), which is being replaced with 90834 (psychotherapy, 45 minutes with patient and/or family member).
An individual therapy session lasting 20-30 minutes (current CPT code 90804) is being replaced with 90832 (psychotherapy, 30 minutes with patient and/or family member)
Also, noteworthy is the elimination of 90808 (individual therapy, 75-80 minutes). This is being replaced with 90837 (psychotherapy, 60 minutes with patient and/or family member).
Note that the this code only allows for 60 minutes rather than 75-80 minutes. The codes for family therapy (90846 and 90847) and group therapy (90853) have not changed.
New Crisis Codes
Another change coming in 2013 is the addition of crisis codes. CPT code 90839 is used for a 60-minute crisis session and 90840 is used for each additional 30 minutes.
Add-on Codes
Add-on codes are new in 2013 and are to be used in combination with diagnostic evaluation and psychotherapy codes. This new code (90785) is referred to as an interactive complexity add-on code which is to be used when there are factors present that complicate the delivery of the evaluation or session.
One of several factors identified in the CPT manual must be present in order to bill with the add-on code. The add-on code can be used with the initial evaluation (90791), psychotherapy (90832, 90834, 90837) and group therapy (90853).
There is also an add-on code for pharmacologic management (90863) when used in combination with psychotherapy services (90832, 90834, 90837).
The new CPT manual also has additional codes for those who are eligible to bill evaluation and management (E/M) codes.
To help prepare for this transition I have compiled some resources that might be helpful.
Reference Guide for New Psychotherapy Codes (American Psychological Association)
Crosswalk of 2012 to 2013 Codes (American Psychiatric Association)
Express Reference Coding Card Behavioral Health (American Medical Association)
Coding and Payment Guide for Behavioral Health Services 2013
Given, D. (2012) New Psychotherapy Billing Codes in 2013. Successfulpractice.net
New Psychotherapy Billing Codes in 2013


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Fear of illegal activity drives Bitcoin regulation in Singapore.
Today the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country's central bank and financial regulatory agency, formally announced its decision to regulate virtual currencies "to address potential money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) risks."
In its public statement, the MAS claims that virtual currencies such as Bitcoin are particularly vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing risks. According to the agency, any firm that buys, sells, or facilitates "the exchange of virtual currencies for real currencies" will be required to "verify the identities of their customers and report suspicious transactions to the Suspicious Transaction Reporting Office."
The MAS claims that these regulations are "similar to those imposed on money changers and remittance businesses who undertake cash transactions." The agency made clear, however, that Singapore still does not consider virtual currencies as "real" like securities or legal tender.
Singapore's decision mirrors proposed virtual currency regulations in the state of New York. Like Singapore, officials from New York's Department of Financial Services claim intervention will prevent money laundering and other illegal activities.


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$80,000 For Your Free Speech
T-shirts with anti-Bush messages lead to a sizable payout
by justice
originally published August 20, 2007
From the ABC News blog The Blotter on August 17, 2007:
The Bush administration has agreed to pay $80,000 to a husband and wife who were ejected from a presidential rally because of their anti-Bush T-shirts.
… their shirts read "Love America, Hate Bush" and "Regime Change Starts at Home."
… Jeffery and Nicole Rank refused directions from event staff and law enforcement to cover up their shirts at a July 4, 2004, West Virginia rally featuring President Bush. The pair were arrested, detained and charged with trespassing. The charges were later dismissed.
$80,000 seems a little low to settle a case that includes allegations of wrongful arrest and violations of constitutional rights, but lawyers must transmit all settlement offers to their clients, and clients get to decide whether to accept. Given how long this case appears to have been going on, I can understand how litigation fatigue could have been setting in, but still, it seems like a shame that the case is over, given what the potential evidence was going to be:
The settlement, in which the government admitted no wrongdoing, came after the disclosure of an allegedly "sensitive" Presidential Advance Manual, which laid out the White House's meticulous efforts to protect the president and his public image from dissent.
I realize it is shocking to think that the Bush Administration would ever do anything to suppress dissent. But:
"As a last resort, security should remove the demonstrators from the event," the manual instructs.
The manual also states:
"If the demonstrators appear to be a security threat, notify the Secret Service immediately. If demonstrators appear likely to only cause a political disruption it is the Advance person's responsibility to take appropriate action." (emphasis added)
Administration officials have the power to summon security to remove people from events, and based on what is written in the manual, there appears to be clear encouragement to use this power to remove demonstrators, even if they are not threatening.
It does seem that "political disruption" is a way of saying "message we don't agree with," because it appears that the White House is not opposed to the presence of demonstrators, so long as the message is approved and coordinated by the White House.
The Blotter reports:
Inside the event space, the manual advises, White House advance personnel should preposition "rally squads" that can swarm any protesters at the event and "use their signs and banners as shields between the demonstrators and the main press platform."
The rally squads can be formed using "college/young republican organizations, local athletic teams, and fraternities/sororities," the manual notes.
The squads can "lead supportive chants to drown out the protesters (USA!, USA!, USA!)," it suggests.
This policy appears to have led to two people in anti-Bush t-shirts getting arrested for refusing to cover their "politically disruptive" message.
I could have sworn that we have rights to the peaceful expression of protected speech, especially at political events, without the risk of arrest due to the content of the message.
But the Bush Administration denies any wrongdoing.
I suppose the key question is whether US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy would agree.
UPDATE: From the Washington Post on August 22, 2007:
"White House spokesman Tony Fratto said that he could not discuss the manual because it is an issue in two other lawsuits."


text: TheRealJoost 5 Posted May 16, 2016 · Feeder is chewing on PLA No idea why this is happening, on a brand new Ultimaker 2+, second print, it stopped feeding somewhere in the middle of a 50 minute print. It seemed the feeder stopped (no more PLA coming out the nozzle). When I removed the PLA in the tube, it showed two areas where the feeder gears seemed to have been chewing at it. When one of these sections reached the nozzle, extruding stopped. I ensured the spool is free and the PLA can easily be moved into the printer, no obstructions of any kind. Any idea what is going on? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites